Legend of the Arch Magus: The Upheaval
Author: Michael Sisa
Date: 2019-04-30T05:00:00+00:00
Description: *Current version has been professionally proofread and edited (for audible). VOLUME 2 OF LEGEND OF THE ARCH MAGUS An Arch Magus dies, only to find himself in the body of a young man in a medieval Kingdom. He finds out that he is the second son of a Duke, exiled to a desolated town by his own family. Shackled by the notorious reputation of his new shell, he tries his best to develop his domain, implementing new policies and innovations, leading his subjects to prosperity. In this world where magic is undeveloped, he shall once again pave a new path. **

Prologue

A month passed since Mikael left the Capital. The caravan moved through cities, towns and villages, trading goods every now and then. Numerous illegal transactions – from sex slaves, weapons to drugs – unfolded before his eyes, but he chose to shut his mouth. Mikael merely watched and recorded everything in his mind. After all, his objective this time was to assess Lark Marcus, one of the twenty-eight candidates for the throne. These illegalities could be reported later.

Elaine must have given birth to my grandchild by now. The Healer said it’s a boy, so Bernard.

It was a pity that he could not be there during the time his grandson was born. And to make things worse, this mission would probably take several years, probably until the King decided who would ascend the throne. By the time Mikael was finally freed of his duty, the child would have grown up considerably.

I’ll make it up to them once I return. I promise.

Mikael vowed within his mind. He opened the locket on his hand, looked at the hand-drawn portrait inside, and closed his eyes. He missed his family so much.

“For a serf, that’s a pretty expensive-looking locket.”

Mikael opened his eyes and saw Big Bun, the leader of the caravan, looking at him. He closed the locket and smiled. “A family heirloom. This is my treasure.”

It was not a lie. Even serfs like him would sometimes carry an expensive item like that.

Big Bun bobbed his head. “Take care of it. Once you’ve arrived at the town, you’ll no longer be under the protection of this caravan.”

“Of course,” said Mikael. “Thank you.”

“We’ll arrive at the Lion City in a day or two. Get ready.” Big Bun squinted as he looked at the distance. “We’ll be passing through that place soon.”

His word felt ominous, and Mikael eventually saw the reason why.

After exiting the forest, the caravan soon passed by a lake. It was large, probably two times the size of the entire capital.  Mikael remembered what this lake was.

The Lake of the Full Moon.

This lake was famous for its peculiar character. All throughout the month, this lake was relatively peaceful, safe enough even for kids and fishermen to swim through. But during a full moon, things take a drastic turn. Monsters would come out of the lake and attack everything within its vicinity. Records said that although the monsters were weak, they come out in droves, their numbers enough to rival that of several armies.

Mikael looked up. It was almost dusk. Judging by their speed, they would have to camp near the lake in the middle of the night. It was a dangerous move. Mikael could not understand why the merchants would choose to do that.

Big Bun seemed to have read his mind. “There’s a garrison nearby. The Lord of the Lion City created it originally to deal with bandits, but it could be used as a safe haven during this time. My brother’s a sponsor. We’ll be free to stay there during the night.”

Mikael doubted if that stronghold could withstand the onslaught of monsters, but since this merchant have full confidence on it, he had no choice but to concede. Right now, he was a mere serf, after all. He had no power to alter the caravan’s direction. If worse comes to worst, he could just escape by himself and go to the Lion City.

By evening, their caravan reached the garrison. It was a small village with wooden walls, with a watchtower overlooking the surrounding regions.

“Ah, Big Bun! We’re expecting you! Just in time!” A middle-aged man wearing light armor greeted our group. “Come in! We’ve already prepared a sumptuous feast!”

So it’s true. It seems that the brother of Big Bun’s a bigshot sponsoring the military.

Mikael took note of this one.

There were around a hundred soldiers in the garrison. Everyone was well-equipped, from leather armors, iron swords, and stout shields. Numerous archers stood on the watch tower, their quivers placed on their backs.

Although this army was decent enough to drive away bandits, Mikael doubted if it would be strong enough to hold back the monsters that would come out of the lake. Mikael soon found the answer to his question.

“So this is the Myonite, huh?” Big Bun touched the large red crystal at the center of the stronghold. It was about a fist in size, with numerous purple particles moving inside.

The leader of the soldiers grinned proudly. “That’s right. As long as this crystal’s here, this place’s safe. Those monsters are afraid of that thing. They won’t even come close to this place.”

Mikael learned that the red gem was the crystallized blood of a Red Galparus Snake – one of the peak predators in seas and oceans. Creatures living in water naturally avoided the scent of such monster, making the crystallized blood a perfect deterrent from the waves of monsters coming out of the lake during the full moon.

According to history, there used to be a city next to this lake, but the monsters that came out of the water burned it down to the ground. This was something that happened several hundreds of years ago, and according to records, the survivors of that city were the ones who built the Lion City.

Mikael was glad that the lessons he took during his training as a knight was proving useful during these times.

The merchants started eating the prepared feast. Laughter filled the air as the soldiers joined in. Mikael looked at the direction of the cages, particularly at the beastmen locked up inside. They were all naked and were given nothing but water and bread.

Mikael sighed. He did not feel sympathy for them, but he did not feel hatred either. Once they’ve arrived at the Lion City, those guys would probably become toys for the Lord. A pathetic ending to a pathetic life.

The bell of the watchtower rang, signaling that the monsters have started coming out of the lake one by one. But surprisingly, the soldiers were calm.

Mikael quietly left the banquet and stealthily went on top of the walls. He was stunned momentarily of what he saw. A good distance away from them, the lake glimmered from the moonlight. Numerous shadows moved on top of it, their soft screeching sounds heard even from here. Mikael estimated that there were over ten thousand of them, probably more.

If those guys attacked this place, the wooden walls would collapse in a matter of seconds.

Why do these monsters come out only during the full moon? On normal days, the lake was relatively peaceful, safe enough even for civilians to swim through. Where did the monsters come from? At the deepest parts of the lake? But records stated that those who swam underneath the lake during a moonless night failed to find anything inside.

Such questions ran through Mikael’s mind. A howling sound was heard. Mikael amplified his eyesight using magic.

A wolf? No… That’s…

What he saw standing on top of the lake surrounded by numerous monsters was a humanoid creature resembling a wolf. Its silver fur glimmered underneath the moonlight. It was beautiful, and for a moment, Mikael was at a loss for words.

As he was staring at the creature, his eyesight still amplified with magic, the humanoid creature turned towards his direction. Its red eyes locked with his.

And it grinned.

Mikael shivered. He was sure that the creature noticed him.

It lifted a finger, pointing it at the stronghold. One after another, monsters started walking towards the stronghold, their screeching sounds louder than before.

The bell of the watchtower rang a different tune. Mikael was sure that the watchers noticed something was wrong. A shout reverberated.

“T-The monsters! The monsters are coming this way! Thousands of them!”

The rowdy crowd became silent. The previous laughter from before vanished entirely. Everyone stiffened.

“I-Impossible! We’ve been stationed in this place for over a year already!” The voice of the captain was hysterical. “As long as the Myonite is with us, those monsters wouldn’t dare attack!”

“But sir!”

The Captain climbed the watchtower. After seeing the monsters with his very own eyes, he was struck speechless. His jaw hanged open.

A howling sound was heard beyond.

The monsters started charging head-on.

Chapter One

After staying at the Lion City for a week, Lark finally returned to Blackstone Town. He was immediately greeted by Gaston and Captain Qarat.

The old butler showed him a familiar letter, the one given to the village Elder. “Young Master, as you’ve instructed, we allocated several houses for the refugees. Currently, they’re staying at the Eastern Border of the town.”

Lark listened to the reports of the butler regarding the refugees from Gahelpa Village. “So, Anandra’s woken up.” He did not expect the warrior to recover this soon. “Gaston, good job in quelling the discontent of the locals. We need those villagers to stay in this town. We need all the manpower we could get.”

If one looked at a broader perspective, the domain of Lark was actually vast, probably comparable to that of a county. Just the northern and western regions of Blackstone Town alone were enough to create a large city. If they included the Endless Forest, the overall territory would be several times greater. The only thing limiting the growth of his domain right now were the people. Lark needed manpower – as much of it as possible.

“Ah, also…” Gaston paused for a moment, a bit unsure of what to say. “I’ve received a report regarding three unknown hooded figures before. A lot of people saw them, those guys wearing full plate armors.”

Lark realized that the butler was pertaining to the ‘guardians’ of Blackstone Town. He waved a hand and dismissed the doubts. “It’s fine. I know those guys. Rest assured, they mean no harm to this town.”

The butler was obviously not fully convinced, but he simply nodded regardless.

“I’ve sold the kalranes and herbs at the Lion City,” said Lark. He pointed at the carts parked near the Mansion. “In accordance to the agreement with the Merchants Guild, the first batch of merchants will come here a week from now. Be sure to gather several barrels of kalranes by then.”

“Understood!” The butler bowed his head.

A servant approached them. “Young Master, some of the refugees from Gahelpa Village wishes to meet you.”

Lark looked at the direction of the gate and saw several familiar figures standing outside. He nodded at the servant and went out.

“Elder,” greeted Lark the moment he stepped out of the gate. “It’s been almost half a month.”

The Elder smiled softly. Beside him was a tall man with golden hair. “Yes. We’re really grateful for the benevolence of the Young Master.” He gently tapped the shoulder of the man beside him. “This here is Anandra, the warrior you treated back in the village.”

Lark’s conjecture was right. It was indeed the warrior on the verge of death before.

Anandra bowed his head deeply. He said with a deep but clear voice, “I heard from the Elder about the things you’ve done for us, for the village.” He looked at Lark straight in the eyes. “Thank you. For saving my life, for saving the village, thank you.”

The words spouted by the village’s strongest warrior was filled with heartfelt sincerity. Lark smiled broadly. “It’s fine. Isn’t it normal for people to help each other out?” He chuckled, “And it’s not like I’m not going to benefit from saving you guys.”

Lark spread out his arms. “I’ll be blunt. I need people. I want all of you to stay here in Blackstone Town.”

After finding out that he was among the candidates for the throne, Lark immediately planned on further strengthening the military might of his territory. He knew human nature very well. Sooner or later, enemies aiming for his life would come. They would attempt to weed him out of the competition. He couldn’t really care less about the throne, but if they were going to come after his life, he would fight back. That was his resolve.

To his glee, the Elder and Anandra immediately agreed.

“If that’s the wish of our savior, we – the entire village – wholeheartedly agree,” said the Elder. “There are several strong men in our village and the women are also skilled in different crafts. You’ll find them useful for this town.”

“I’ve heard from Sir Gaston that you wish for me to train the soldiers,” said Anandra.

“Ah, that’s right.” He scrutinized the body of Anandra. Several bandages were already removed, excluding the chest’s. “I need to test your skills first, but we’ll do that only once your wounds have healed.”

Now that he had taken a closer look, there was something odd about this warrior called Anandra. Lark could not feel the flow of mana within his body, something easily apparent in magicians.

But if he was unable to use magic, how did he drive away the basilisk before? It was the question that ran through his mind as he stared at the warrior.

After discussing several more things about the town with the Elder, Lark went towards the Easter Border, where the Mason was currently at. The workers cheered upon seeing the Young Master, while several children ran up to him and surrounded him.

“The Young Master’s back!”

“Young Master! Play with us!”

“He came from that big city, right?”

“Ah, Young Master, I’m really sorry!” One of the mothers apologized. She pulled away one of the kids that hugged Lark tight.

Lark chuckled. “It’s alright.” He patted one of the kid’s head, ruffling his hair with mischievous strokes.

Looking around, several houses have been finished, a pace previously impossible without the introduction of cement. Lark was glad that the construction project was proceeding at a relatively good speed.

Silver Claw ran to him. “Ah, Young Lord.” He was panting, his face and shirt smeared with dirt. “You could have just summoned me to the Mansion. There’s no need to go all the way to the Easter Border just to see me.”

Lark waved a hand. “It’s fine. I also want to see the state of things in this town.”

The kids surrounding him dispersed upon seeing the Mason.

“The Mason is here!”

“Papa said he once ripped a wolf open with his bare hands! Run!”

The kids ran back to their mothers. The construction workers laughed at this.

Silver Claw glared at his men. “You rascals! What were you telling these children?!”

Ever since Lark started implementing several projects in the town, the Mason immediately became the busiest person around. As one of the locals with the most authority, he made sure to uphold the laws and quell all sorts of trouble with his men. This eventually gave him the image of an officer with an iron fist, a tyrant that would not tolerate anyone slacking during work.

Although the locals admired and respect him, they also greatly feared him.

Silver Claw sighed upon seeing the wary looks of the children. He said to the Young Master, “What could I do for you this time, Sir?”

Lark was clearly amused of the state of things. “I want you to create several wooden posts for me. Four meters tall, with space at the top for kalrane stones.”

“Wooden posts,” repeated the Mason. He had come to learn not to question the directives of the Young Master. After all, the Lord of this Town was wise. This was the conclusion he arrived to after several months.

“We’ll be installing them at the intersections, near the main street. Once the construction of the main road’s finished, it’ll be relatively safe and easy for the residents to walk outside during the night.”

Lark further explained to the Mason that they would be installing kalrane stones at the top of the wooden posts. During the day, the gemstone would gather energy from the sun. During the night, it would light up, illuminating the streets and the areas nearby.”

Silver Claw wanted to ask if kalranes were really capable of emitting light for more than a dozen hours, but decided against it. He questioned the authenticity of cement and the farming tools before, and it turned out that the Young Master was right. He decided to simply trust his Lord this time.

“As you wish,” said Silver Claw. “Does this invention have a name?”

Since kalranes were relatively expensive, only nobles make use of it. And he never heard anyone using it as a source of street light before.

“Name, huh?” Lark never really thought of it. It was, after all, a relatively simple item which could hardly be called an invention. “How about Sun Lamp?”

Lark could already see it. Blackstone Town illuminated by kalranes at night.

Chapter Two

Pico brushed off the sweat on his forehead using the palm of his hand. Working on the poultry farm was arduous, since he had to take care of hundreds of chickens. Peeping sounds filled the air as the younglings pecked the ground, eating soil, worms, and insects every now and then.

At first, Pico was hesitant of planting the Loi plants in this farm, since those things were known to attract pests. But after heeding the advice of the Young Master and incorporating the plants into his farm, he was stunned by the results.

The Loi plants indeed attracted insects, even large ones, but those pests simply became prey for the hundreds of chickens roaming around freely in the poultry farm. Of course, Pico would still need to supplement it with lentils obtained from the Mansion.

Near the first coop, several others were being built by the workers. The speed had slowed down considerably since the production of cement couldn’t keep up with the rate of the town’s development, but the speed was still far greater than those in the cities.

As Pico was feeding the chicks, two carts stopped right at the fence’s entrance. He stiffened when he saw the Young Master come out of it.

Immediately, he wiped his face with a towel and dried his sweat-filled hands. He ran and went out of the fence, and while panting, greeted the Lord of Blackstone Town. “Young Master! I didn’t know that you’ve returned already!”

Had he known that the Young Master was coming, he would have prepared at least some refreshments and a seat.

Lark waved a hand. “It’s fine.” He looked around, eyes inspecting the coops and the chickens roaming around. He nodded. “It seems that the poultry farm’s doing well. Good job.”

Pico felt proud after hearing that. He pushed his chest out and broadly smiled. It was a really refreshing feeling.

Bleating sounds were heard. Upon looking, Pico saw some servants pulling tethered goats out of the second cart. There were exactly eight of them.

“Two males, six females,” said the Young Master. “I know you already have your hands full with managing this farm, but I want you to take care of these guys. In the future, once I’ve secured the treasury, I’ll buy several more.”

Taking care of goats was a fairly easy task, especially since there was a vast field of grass in this area. Furthermore, they produce a lot of milk per day. As the one managing this farm, surely, it wouldn’t hurt to taste goat milk every now and then. Pico tried concealing his excitement after this thought.

“I’ll do my best, Sir!” Pico was enthusiastic.

Lark liked the eagerness within his voice. “About the Loi Plants.” The Young Master entered the fence and was immediately surrounded by numerous chicks. Before Pico could protest that there was no need for the young Lord to personally enter the coop, Lark had already arrived at the barricaded area where the Loi Plants grew.

“Only a few of them have grown fruits,” he said. He plucked out a fruit, about the size of a pebble. “It’ll take probably a month more before we’ll be able to produce enough Umami Salt.”

After plucking out a handful number of fruits, Lark said, “Pico, have you tasted these fruits before?”

Pico shook his head. “I’m afraid not, Young Master.”

Lark peeled open one of them and handed it to him. “Try it.”

A bit hesitant, Pico put the fruit inside his mouth. He cringed as the bitter-sour taste permeated his mouth. He coughed and spat the fruit out. Even the innumerable chicks around refused to touch the fruit fallen on the ground.

“Nasty, isn’t it?” chuckled Lark.

He handed the rest of the fruits to the still cringing Pico. “Peel them off, then soak them overnight in water. After that, take the fruits and dry them out under the sun. You’ll be surprised of how delicious it’ll become after that.”

Pico stared at the Young Master in disbelief. Tasty? These fruits tasted horrible! He would not eat a single one of them even if he was offered a month’s worth of his salary.

“After drying them… are you going to… ask me to eat them again, Sir?” Pico shivered upon the thought.

Lark amusedly looked at him. “Of course.”

Pico remembered the nasty taste. His stomach churned and he resisted the urge to vomit.

“But, Young Master!” Pico’s voice was hysterical, pleading.

“It’s fine. I’ll eat them together with you.” Lark tapped his shoulder. “Just do what I say. The reason why no one knew of Umami Salt until now’s probably due to the lack of knowledge on how to remove the bitter taste of these fruits. Believe me, once you’ve tasted Umami Salt, every other food will turn bland in an instant.”

Pico shuddered but nodded regardless. “Yes.”

“I’ll be back here tomorrow, at the same time,” said Lark. “Be sure to have the fruits ready by then.”

After the Young Master left, despite his reluctance, Pico soaked the peeled fruits in water. According to the Young Master, he needed to do this overnight then dry them under the sun afterwards.

An entire day passed. True to his word, Lark came back to the poultry farm at the exact same hour. This time, he came here alone, without any servants or guards.

“Did you dry them up?” said Lark.

Pico nodded. “I did everything as you’ve instructed.” He showed Lark the fruits dried during the morning.

Lark took one of them and, without hesitation, threw it inside his mouth. Pico was momentarily taken aback. He remembered the nasty taste as he grimaced.

Pico was expecting the Young Master to cringe, belch and puke on the ground. But instead, the Young Master delightfully chewed the fruit and swallowed.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten this stuff,” said Lark. “Now, you try it.”

Was the Young Master playing with him? Pico was not sure. But since the Young Master himself ate the fruit, he had no choice but to comply.

With trembling fingers and ready to vomit any time, Pico slowly placed a fruit on his mouth.

“Wha—”

A surprised voice escaped Pico’s lips.

The abhorrent taste was gone!

Instead, there was an indescribably good taste in the fruit that made his body beg for more. It was neither salty nor sweet, but a different taste entirely.

If he was asked, he would say that the closest taste would be probably the word “meaty.” It was as though he was eating meat grilled to utter perfection, soaked with several herbs and spices.

This taste was simply phenomenal!

Without him noticing it, Pico actually ate all the remaining fruits.

“How’s it?” Lark was almost laughing after seeing the stunned expression of Pico. “Tasty, isn’t it?”

Still overwhelmed by the unexpected taste of the Loi fruit, Pico simply nodded.

“The first batch of merchants will be coming here soon. I’ve ordered several Loi plants from the Merchant’s Guild. They’re fairly cheap, since the people in this Kingdom do not really have a use for it.” Lark looked at the coop being constructed nearby. “Same as before. Plant them in the coops. We’ll use them to attract insects which will serve as food for the poultry, then use the fruits to make Umami Salt.”

It was hitting two birds with one stone.

“But this time, after drying the fruits, I want you to grind them into smaller pieces,” said Lark. “I’ll provide you with an equipment for that.”

“From now on, aside from Kalranes, we shall export Umami Salt to the Kingdom.”

Although the amount of salt they would be able to produce was not much, just the taste alone would be enough to make great impact in the entire Kingdom. The salt itself might even become more popular than Kalranes in the near future.

Lark smiled at this thought.

Chapter Three

A week quickly passed. It was finally time for the first batch of merchants to arrive at Blackstone Town.

Pancho, an upstart merchant from the Lion City, was tasked with the first haul. Under the orders of Big Mona, he travelled from the Lion City towards this place, just to get the second batch of Kalrane stones. It was a relatively simple task, since the deal itself had been made, the prices and quantities of goods have been decided, and all he needed to do was deliver.

Accompanied by some servants, he made his way towards Blackstone Town. He momentarily stared in surprise upon seeing it up close. It was not like this two years ago, when he last visited.

The most notable change was the main road. Unlike the muddy, uneven road before, the road stretching through the heart of the town was cobbled. The carriages hardly wobbled as it passed through. Pancho was sure that even if it rained, it wouldn’t be muddy at all. The entire road itself was not yet fully finished, but judging by the number of workers working on it, it would only be a matter of time before its completion.

Roads represented the transportation ability of a region. Thus, it represented its power of commerce. Whoever implemented the reformation of this road knew what he was doing. From the main road, numerous streets branched out into different directions.

As he went deeper in the town, the more stunned Pancho became. This was supposed to be a ghost town, a region abandoned by the Kingdom. Since the Black Famine struck the Kingdom of Lukas last harvest season, food became a luxury. Even nobilities had to cut off rations for their personal armies.

Pancho expected the residents to be lifeless, to be skin and bones, but reality gave him a different picture. On the contrary, the locals were walking with purpose, their gait filled with life. Several of them would stare at his group, before going about their own way, doing their everyday tasks.

He could see children playing on the streets, their laughter creating mellifluous background.

His mind still filled with various thoughts and questions, he finally arrived at the Mansion. There, he was immediately greeted by the servants.

“Ah, the Young Master has been expecting you!” said one of them. He bowed, looked around, then scratched his cheeks. “But the Young Master and Sir Gaston have left for the northern farmlands about an hour ago.”

“Is that so?” Pancho did not really mind. Personally, he wanted to take a tour of this town. This would be the perfect excuse for that. “Then, could you lead me there?”

“It’s a bit far from here,” said the servant. “But if Sir Merchant doesn’t mind, this servant will lead you to where the Young Lord is.”

Accompanied by the servant, Pancho and his men headed towards the northern farmlands. According to Big Mona the land around Blackstone Town was barren, non-arable, and it was the same reason why merchants seldom visit this place at all, since the town had nothing to offer.

Several roads were under construction, and they had no choice but to pass through the Eastern Border before heading towards the northern region. Along the way, Pancho saw a peculiar sight. Dozens of workers were constructing houses. The sound of hammer striking stone and wood filled the air. Several houses were being built here and there.

Strange. Why do the houses look… similar?

Pancho immediately noticed this peculiarity. The two-story stone houses were all built with the same design, with uniform spaces between each other. Every now and then, in between intersections, a wooden post was seen erected. Pancho was not sure what it was, but looking up, he could see a tiny crystal installed above.

A group of men wearing leather armors passed by. They were all holding spears, their movements uniform and steady.

“Soldiers?” mumbled Pancho.

The servant from the Mansion nodded. “Blackstone Soldiers, Sir. Personally formed by the Young Master himself!”

There were probably enough soldiers to form a platoon or two. For a personal army of a Lord of a small town, the number was quite high. Furthermore, everyone was well equipped, with a full set armor each. Judging by their movements, those guys have undergone a certain degree of training.

Pancho could not understand why the Lord of this town needed to train so many soldiers, when monsters and bandits rarely attack this area.

And what the hell is going on with the construction? It’s like the Lord’s trying to renovate the entire town!

Pancho could simply imagine the amount of gold being used left and right for these developments. Even a Baron would have a hard time providing for such finances.

Soon, their group arrived at the northern farmlands. Pancho was at loss for words at what he saw.

Spread out into the distance was a vast land plowed numerous times. Numerous wheats have already been planted, creating a beautiful shade of brown and green. Pancho noticed the water canal that spread through the northern farmland. Upon tracing its origin, he realized that it came from the forest beyond, probably connected to a river in that area.

Pancho quickly realized that advantages and benefits of this ingenious device! With this, the farmers would not have a hard time watering the fields, and the risk of the crops dying during a drought would be reduced somehow.

“A watering device,” said Pancho. “I’ve got to report this to Big Mona.”

He was sure that the fat merchant would be extremely interested with this find. As he was wondering of the peculiar things he saw in his short visit, something else caught his eyes. It was a device with a large tube in front, resembling a bicycle. The person riding on top would grip the handles, move the pedal, and the device would plow the ground.

Pancho realized that those things were the reason behind the uniformly plowed land spread in all directions. This area was really vast, but for despite the lack of manpower, the farmers were able to plow the land.

A young man with silver hair approached their group. The carriages halted to a stop. Upon stepping out of the cart, Pancho was greeted by the young man’s smile.

“The Merchant from the Guild, I suppose?” The young man was grinning.

Pancho nodded. “Pancho, representative of the Merchants Guild. I went to the Mansion but the Young Lord is no longer there. I’m here to meet the Lord of this domain.”

The young man spread out his hands. “Lark Marcus, Lord of Blackstone Town.” Despite the young age, this noble exuded the air of a ruler. “Had you notified us beforehand, we could have prepared at least some refreshments.” He looked at the carts. “The kalranes are currently stored in the warehouse near the mining area.”

For some reason, Pancho did not really care about that. He could simply get them later. His thoughts were currently occupied by those things he saw – those tools used to plow these fields.

He pointed at them. “Those things. What are they?”

Lark looked at the direction he was pointing at. “Ah, plowing devices. The northern region’s vast, so I created those things for my men.”

“Plowing devices. I know that,” said Pancho. “But how could those men move that thing?”

Judging by the size and shape of the device, it would take great strength to make the wheels in front rotate and plow through the land.

Seeing the curious stare of the merchant, Lark chuckled. He playfully said, “I can’t tell you that. It’s a trade secret. But if Big Mona himself comes here and asks me, then maybe I’ll consider disclosing the mechanisms.”

Normally, those words would be considered haughty, but Pancho could not help but see the ingenuity behind those devices. He was sure that had Big Mona seen them, he would be also be gawking right now.

“Ah, that’s right,” said Lark. He took out a small pouch and handed it to the Merchant. “Just in time. We’ve finally finished the first batch of this product.”

Pancho opened the pouch and stared at what was inside.

“Salt?” he said.

“Umami Salt,” corrected Lark. “Give that to Big Mona. Tell him that aside from kalranes, we could also provide him that. Of course, it needs to be at a competent price. It’s a limited resource, after all.”

It’s just salt, was what Pancho thought. He could not see the merit of actually selling such a common thing. Although the price of salt had been rising lately, it was not like there was shortage of it.

He scooped out a speck of it and placed it on his tongue.

His entire body shivered. What was this taste? He had never tasted something as delicious as this before!

He noticed that the young Lord was grinning at him, his eyes dancing with glee.

“How’s it?” said Lark. “Delicious isn’t it?”

Chapter Four

[Lion City]

“Still no response from Zen?” said Alfonse, the leader of Blood Tachi, one of the nine divisions of Black Midas. Along with a dozen other assassins, their figures blurred through the night. They moved through alleyways and streets, unnoticed by the passersby.

One of his subordinates shook his head. “None, Sir.”

Several days ago, they suddenly lost contact with the assassin stationed in Lion City. Although Zen was not among the elites of Black Midas, he was still part of the reconnaissance group. Each of their members specialized in concealment magic and escape. If Zen was really dead just like they speculated, then there must have been a noteworthy opponent. Someone skilled enough to catch and kill an assassin specialized in concealment magic.

Upon entering Lion City, Zen should have contacted them by now. As moments passed, their suspicions intensified.

Blood Tachi first visited Zen’s house, which was located in the Commoners District. After searching around, they saw the encrypted message sent directly by the leader of Black Midas. This meant that Zen received their message.

Although the room was neat, dust have already started forming on the windowsill. It must have been at least several days since Zen left this place.

“He probably went ahead and kicked the bucket,” spat one of the assassins. “That idiot.”

“This is why the Reconnaissance Division is trash. They can’t even wait for us to arrive,” said another. “Stupid bunch.”

“Enough,” said Alfonse. Just like the other members of the group, he was clad in pure black, revealing nothing but his crimson eyes. “Seth. Could you track where he went?”

A female voice replied, “Sure, sure.”

The female assassin took out a small vial filled with strands of hair. She chanted her magic and a small hexagram glowed under her feet. She pulled out the strands of hair and scattered it around the magic circle. After a long time, the magic circle broke into numerous particles of light. A small sparrow made of light manifested itself before them.

“Guide us there,” Seth said to the sparrow.

The sparrow flew around the room, before flying through the window. The members of Blood Tachi quickly followed.

To the assassins’ surprise, the sparrow led them to a nearby place. A rundown inn near the Middle District. They discreetly entered and went towards a room at the second floor.

“Nothing’s here,” said Alfonse. The room was tidy, with a small bed and a wooden table near the window.

“Strange,” mumbled Seth. “My Tracking Magic never failed me before.”

But just like their leader said, there was nothing here.

“Who are you people?” said a trembling voice. Upon looking at the door, the inn keeper stood, agape, as he held a lamp in his hand.

Alfonse nodded at his subordinates. On cue, the assassins struck the inn keeper to the ground. The old man coughed twice as he struggled to get up. “What are you doi—”

A cloth was stuffed inside his mouth.

“Old man.” Alfonse crouched and stared at him straight in the eyes. “Did someone die here, several days ago?”

Unable to speak, the old man shook his head.

Alfonse looked at Seth. If the inn keeper did not see a corpse, they why did the tracking magic pointed here? It did not make sense.

“He’s probably lying,” said Seth. It was the only possible explanation. “Listen, Gramps. I’m going to remove your gag, but if you shout, I’ll kill you.”

She removed the cloth stuffed inside the old man’s mouth. “Now, I’ll repeat the Leader’s question. Did someone die here?”

She took out a dagger. Upon seeing this, the old man shivered and stuttered, “I r-really d-don’t know! No one died here! I swear to the Gods!”

They were at a dead end. They could clearly see that this old man was not lying.

Seth looked at the sparrow sitting on top of the bed. Why did it lead them to this place?

“Leader, look at this.” One of the assassins came inside the room, holding a logbook. “I looked through the lists of guests in this inn. And look at what I’ve found.”

Alfonse looked at the name his men pointed at. He creased his brows as he read the name out loud, “Lark Marcus.”

He did not expect the name of their target to pop out here, at this place. For a moment, Alfonse stood there, contemplating.

He realized the reason why the sparrow led them to this place. Looking at Seth, it seemed that she also arrived at the same conclusion.

“Zen is dead,” she said.

Alfonse nodded. “Change of plans. We shall go directly to Blackstone Town.”

“Understood,” replied his men.

“Heard that, old man?” Seth giggled. “We no longer need you. Bye bye!”

She covered the mouth of the old man and struck his neck with a dagger. Blood spurted out, the body twitched, and she chuckled.

What kind of man was this so-called Lark Marcus? He killed Zen and even completely concealed the dead body. Just thinking of this made Seth shiver in ecstasy.

She could not wait for that moment when her dagger pierces his flesh.

Chapter Five

Lark played with the pebble-size magic stone he held in his hand. Aside from the small, almost inconspicuous silver dusts flowing inside, the stone looked ordinary, just like the rocks seen on cobbled roads.

Twenty gold coins. The price of this low-grade magic stone was ridiculously high. Although the treasury was close to drying up during that time, Lark decided to buy this to accelerate the growth of his mana pool. This was a decision he came to after learning of the competition for the throne from the assassin.

If people were going to come for his life, he might as well increase the pace of his training. He needed to expand his mana pool soon, at least to a very small percentage of that of his previous life.

Lark locked his door, sat cross-legged on the ground and swallowed the magic stone. According to the merchant he bought the stone from, the method of using magic stones in this world were different. The users do not swallow the stones. Rather, they pulverize it and use it to form magic circles, and by performing incantations, absorb the essence that would flow out of it. Such method was also viable, but to Lark, it would be a waste of such precious resource. Swallowing a magic stone carried the risk of magic overdrive, which could potentially kill the user. According to the merchant, the cases of magic overdrive after swallowing magic stones were so high that it became taboo to even attempt it.

Lark could feel the magic stone disintegrating inside his body. Although the grade of this stone was low, the magic essence contained inside was still large enough for his current shell. After all, his new body have the mana pool of an average individual.

He closed his eyes and breathed slowly. Using his own mana, he suppressed the magic essence from flowing out haphazardly to random directions.

Suppress it. Condense it. Make it all flow to the five cardinal points. This was the basic teaching in the Magic Empire.

Although the method used in this world was feasible, the absorption rate was really low. The essence absorbed by the user would only be a small portion of what was really contained in the mana stone.

This thing’s worth 20 gold coins. Might as well consume everything, till the last drop.

After several hours, Lark finally finished absorbing the essence inside the Mana Stone. It was gradual, but he could already feel that his mana pool had expanded somewhat.

He looked out the window. It was already noon.

“Time for body training.” After stretching, Lark took a couple of body weights he crafted himself and wrapped it around his abdomen, wrists, and feet.

Although magic would greatly determine the outcome of every battle, Lark firmly believed in the necessity of training the physical body. A strong body would be able to endure fiercer rebounds of using large amounts of mana, enabling the caster to perform consecutive spells without worrying greatly about the after effects.

“Going out again to train?” said Gaston after seeing the Young Master at the hall.

Lark nodded. “I’m going to check the Mines while I’m at it.”

“Then, please take this with you, Young Master.” The butler handed him a packed lunch wrapped in cloth. “Roasted boar meat and dried fish.”

Lark smiled. This had been the routine ever since he started his body training. “Thank you.”

After leaving the Mansion, Lark started jogging towards the Eastern part of the Endless Forest, the area where the Mine was located. Along the way, he was greeted by the locals.

“Ah, good morning, Young Master!”

“Young Lord! The wheat porridge last night was really great!”

“It’s the Young Master!”

Lark had been popular lately, a stark contrast to his reputation several months ago. He could feel that slowly, he was being accepted by the citizens as their Lord.

As expected of the Umami Salt. It made even the commoners wheat delicious.

Last night, he asked the chefs to add some Umami Salt to the free porridge given out to the locals. This instantly created an uproar after the citizens tasted the previously bland food. There were several remarks of how they never tasted something so delicious before.

Wait. They’re not going to expect the free porridge to be that delicious every time, right?

Umami Salt was a limited resource right now, since there were not much Loi plants to produce them.

I’ll just tell Gaston to announce that that was a one-time thing only. They will have to make do with the commoner’s wheat until we the harvest.

Once harvest season came, this town’s food supply would reach a surplus. He was sure of it. Lark even planned on exporting wheat to the other cities.

As Lark was passing through the Eastern Border, a man with gold hair stood right in middle of the road, stopping Lark in his tracks.

“Anandra.” Lark recalled the name of the man in front of him. The bandages were no longer there, and his skin glowed as though the injuries from the basilisk were a lie. This was probably the effect of being healed, fed and clothed, Lark thought.

Anandra bowed his head. “I hope you’ll forgive my insolence. But if this is a good time, can you test my skills now?” Anandra peeked at him. “The butler told me that you wish for me to train the soldiers. There’s no job more fitting than that for me. Furthermore, my master will be you, our village’s savior.”

This was one of the things he liked the most from the guys from Gahelpa Village. These men valued honor above all.

The other villagers currently living in the Eastern Border curiously looked at them. They probably knew what the conversation was about, considering their expressions.

“Some of my fellow villagers have already found jobs in this town. I can’t live in their hospitality forever,” said Anandra.

Lark sighed then smiled. “If you’re that eager, come over here.”

He led Anandra towards a place with a large clearing. A few weeks from now, houses would also be built in this area. Several locals and villagers from Gahelpa curiously followed.

“The rules are simple,” said Lark. “Come at me with everything you have. Show me the extent of your skills.”

Anandra seemed a bit hesitant at first, since he might hurt his master, but he nodded eventually. “Then, allow me to use a weapon.” He unsheathed his short sword.

“H-Hey, Anandra!” shouted one of the villagers. “Why are you using a weapon against the unarmed Young Master?”

Lark waved a hand. “It’s fine. I’ve told him to come at me with everything he got. This much is natural.”

There was clearly discontent from the onlookers. The locals, specially, were looking at Anandra with a hint of contempt. These guys took away some of the houses, and now, he was going to use weapons against the unarmed Young Master. They secretly wished that the Young Master would beat the man to a pulp.

“Young Master?” said Anandra.

“What is it?”

“Please remove those things before we start.”

Lark was amused. This was the first time someone noticed that he was wearing weights as he ran around the town. He made sure to craft these things in a way that would make them inconspicuous in the eyes of other people. The ones wrapped around his wrists and legs looked nothing but thick garments.

Lark removed the weights and threw them to the ground, creating loud thud sounds.

“Come at me any time,” said Lark. Somehow, he was excited to see the skills of the man who drove away the basilisk.

“Then, forgive me.” Anandra leaned forward, stomped a foot on the ground, then shot his body forward.

Lark frowned. Although the speed of his opponent was definitely fast, there was no killing intent behind it. It seemed that Anandra was trying his best not to hurt the Young Master.

Lark amplified the strength of his body using magic. With swift reflexes, he dodged the slash from Anandra then quickly retaliated with a fist at the abdomen. Anandra blocked the strike using his left hand. Lark quickly followed up with a kick at the face, which was easily dodged by the warrior by leaping backward.

With that simple exchange, they both gauged the strength of their opponents.

“You’ve realized it, right?” said Lark. “You won’t win if you’re not going to come at me with the intent of taking my life.”

“But you said that you’re merely testing my skills.” He was still hesitating. “There’s no need to go that far.”

“What a pain,” spat Lark. “Let’s change the rules. If you’re unable to land a single attack on me, I’ll find someone else for the job.”

It was a gamble, but Lark knew that Anandra would take it. He was a man who valued honor above all, after all. He wouldn’t let himself slack off while his fellow villagers worked.

“If you’re not going to come.” Lark pointed a finger at him. “Then, I will.”

From his fingertips, lightning shot towards Anandra. The warrior swiftly ran towards the side, all the while Lark fired off lightning strikes one after another. This was clearly an inefficient way of using his mana, but Lark deemed that this much was needed to make Anandra take him seriously.

Lark flicked a finger and vines sprouted out of the ground, ensnaring Anandra’s legs. With quick reflexes, he cut it off one after another. Lark used this opening. His figure disappeared then reappeared right in front of Anandra. He amplified the strength of his fist using magic, then struck the warrior’s abdomen. Anandra’s pupils dilated from pain, he flinched, then swung his sword back in retaliation.

Lark sidestepped and dodged the strike. He clenched his fists again and struck the face this time. Anandra’s head turned the opposite direction, his body conceding a split second after. His body flew and struck the ground, bouncing several times before hitting a pile of logs nearby.

Clouds of dust flew as splintered wood scattered about.

The onlookers looked at the scenario with wide eyes, their jaws slacked in wonder. Although they heard from the villagers of Gahelpa that the Young Master was strong, they did not expect him to be this strong.

“Is that all?” Lark was not amused. He did not expect Anandra to be this weak. “I might as well train the soldiers myself if you’re like this.”

He meant it.

Anandra slowly stood up then dusted off his clothes. He spat the blood that clung inside his mouth.

The previously docile eyes of the warrior turned predatory. He finally realized that even at full strength, there was no assurance of victory against the Young Master.

“What’s so funny?” said Lark.

“Ah, I didn’t realize that I’m chuckling. Forgive me.” Anandra bowed his head. “It’s just that the thought that I’ll be serving the Young Master from now on gives me great joy. I didn’t know that the Young Master is this strong.”

“Enough with the pleasantries.”

“Of course.”

Without warning, Anandra shot towards the Young Master. His speed this time was absurd, incomparable to before. Without time to dodge, Lark decided to take the blow with his hands. He covered his fists with a thin layer of mana shield then blocked the sword strike.

Anandra seemed to have expected this. After his attack was repelled, he quickly followed with several more strikes. The figure of the two blurred as they exchanged blows one after another.

There’s something wrong here.

Lark realized that although he was blocking the strikes of the sword using a thin layer of mana shield, the shield had no signs if breaking at all. Constantly supplying a small amount of mana into it was enough to maintain it.

It meant one thing: There was not enough strength behind Anandra’s strikes.

He was fast, that’s all.

Was this a bluff? Was this warrior trying to catch him off guard?

As Lark blocked the attacks one after another, he realized the truth of the matter.

He doesn’t know how to use mana.

This was the conclusion he came to after the numerous exchanges. It was no bluff. This was simply the extent of this man’s prowess.

The ability to amplify his speed using mana was probably something Anandra learned from hunting in the forest, or maybe it was sheer talent. But, the concept of properly using mana was not known to the warrior at all.

Lark decided that it was time to end this.

He grabbed the sword barehanded, a feat which made Anandra momentarily freeze in panic. Lightning flowed through the sword and struck Anandra’s body. Lark immediately followed up with a fist at the abdomen, chest, and the face.

Once again, Anandra’s body flew and bounced off the ground.

The reason why Anandra was gravely injured by the Basilisk despite his talent in the battlefield was this. Even if Anandra have enough speed to confront the giant serpent, his attacks simply did not have the prowess to pierce through its thick armor.

Anandra coughed out blood and stood up.

“You passed,” said Lark.

Anandra stared at him for a moment, before a relieved smile surfaced on his face.

“I’m glad,” he mumbled. Some of his old wounds started opening up after those blows. His body ached all over.

“Hey,” said Lark. He finally decided to ask the thing he was really curious about. “Who taught you how to use mana?”

Anandra was puzzled. “Mana? I’m no magician, Young Master.”

Lark’s conjecture was confirmed. This man was simply talented. He did not even know that he was using mana to boost his agility back then.

If he was this strong without proper guidance, then how strong would he be, if Lark were to train him? It wouldn’t be bad for the future commander of his Army to become proficient in body strengthening magic.

“What weapons are you able to use?” said Lark.

Anandra immediately replied, “Any. Bows, swords, spears, axes. They’re all basically the same.”

A reply befitting a genius.

If he took this guy under his wing and personally taught him magic, would that count him among his disciples? Lark pondered.

He realized that it wouldn’t be so bad, after all.

Lark smiled. “From now on, I want you to train the soldiers. Payment’s one gold and fifteen silvers a month. You’ll receive a raise depending on your performance.”

Anandra was momentarily stunned. The payment was an absurd amount.

“What? You don’t like it?” Lark chuckled.

“N-No,” stuttered Anandra. “Of course not!”

“Then, let’s not waste time. I originally plan on visiting the Mines, but that will have to wait for now.” Lark’s eyes glimmered. “I’ll introduce you to the soldiers of Blackstone Town.”

Chapter Six

For several weeks, Stone and his men relentlessly made their way towards the town near the Endless Forest. This was the task entrusted to them by General Urkawi himself. Their job was to survey the town and its surrounding regions and report everything to the vanguard via animal messengers.

A lot of his men were unsatisfied with the order, since they knew that this was a strategy proposed by a Rabbit. Those weaklings knew nothing about the battlefield. They have no right to take part in this war. These were the thoughts that ran through the minds of his men as they made their way towards Blackstone Town.

But Stone was different.

After hearing of the strategy from General Urkawi himself, he could not help but be in awe of Fior, the Rabbit Beastman who proposed this plan. If they took the orders of the Beast King into consideration, the Rabbit was right. Their goal was not to kill Alexander, nor was it to occupy the Valley of Witches. The real goal was to conquer the Eastern Region of the Kingdom of Lukas.

With this proposed plan, there was no real need to confront the damnable Mercenary Guild Master that thwarted their advances over and over again. Although they wouldn’t be able to kill Alexander, they would be able to accomplish their goal of conquering the Western Region. Their target this time, after all, was a town located in a strategic location. Once they managed to occupy that area and convert it into a stronghold, they would be pointing a knife at the neck of the Western Region.

That Rabbit’s good. Once I come back after this reconnaissance mission, I’ll make sure to recommend him for another promotion.

Although Stone was just the Captain of a small unit, he could at least do that much. After all, he was close to General Urkawi himself and several adjutants. It would leave a bad aftertaste in his mouth if that genius Rabbit was demoted because of unruly politics perpetuated by stupid individuals. He had seen capable individuals succumb to such fate before. He did not want it to happen to that one.

“Captain, we’re almost near Blackstone Town,” said one of his men.

Stone and his men were riding Burrcats, monsters with the body of a horse and head of a cat. Although it looked gruesome to humans, it was an indispensable mount for the scouts of the beastmen tribes. These creatures were a lot smaller than horses, but they held the ability to climb trees and steep cliffs. The perfect ability for reconnaissance missions.

Stone’s slit-like pupils widened as he looked at the distance. With his keen vision, he could see several houses built haphazardly in different directions.

He raised his hands. “Stop.”

The fifteen lizardmen he brought with him stopped altogether.

“Tether the Burrcats.” Stone pointed at the trees to their left. He dismounted. The green scales on his body glimmered underneath the sun as his tail dragged across the ground. “We’ll do as planned. Molith, Salith, the two of you will stay here and keep watch.”

“Understood!” Two lizardmen simultaneously replied.

“If we don’t come back in two days, personally go back and report to the Commander of the Vanguard.”

Molith and Salith looked at each other, their reptilian faces filled with wonder. “That’s a joke, right, Captain? How could those puny humans possibly kill you, the leader of the Scouts?”

“Haha! They might not even notice that they’re being watched!”

Stone glared at them, and the two immediately stiffened. “The two of you are still young, so you might not understand. Listen, kids. This world is filled with strong enemies lurking in each corner. There will always be someone stronger. Don’t underestimate your opponents, even if they’re humans. Did you forget how Alexander annihilated Commander Brock and his men three weeks ago?”

The memory of how the human Mercenary Guild Master outwitted the Third Legion and one-sidedly annihilated an army resurfaced within their minds. The lizardmen turned grim upon remembering this.

“But Alexander’s different. There’s no way there are other humans like that—” said Molith.

“—Enough!” growled Stone. He turned to everyone. “Listen! This mission relies heavily on us, the scouts, for information! If we fail to capture the Eastern Region within the next several months, General Urkawi’s head might come rolling! That is the decree of the Beast King!”

The lizardmen gasped. They never heard of this before.

Stone glared at Molith and Salith. “Do you understand? Follow the orders and do as we planned!”

“U-Understood!”

After making sure that the Burrcats have been tethered to a safe location, Stone and his men made their way towards the town.

Despite their reptilian features, their movements were smooth and nimble. Each of their steps hardly made sounds. Stone and his men activated Blend, a magic known only to the Lizardmen Tribe. This magic enabled them to alter the color of their scales at will, blending their bodies to their surroundings. Although it was broad daylight, the residents of Blackstone Town failed to notice the infiltration of these reptiles.

“Move out,” said Stone.

After that order, everyone dispersed into different directions. Their goal was to obtain a clear picture of this town’s defenses and geographical structure. Two lizardmen remained and followed Stone as he made his way towards the center of the town. They arrived at a Mansion.

“Sir Gaston, these are the records of the Kalranes we’ve mined this week.” A blonde woman said to an elderly man in suit. “The Young Master told me to give you this.”

The old man nodded and flipped through the parchments. “They’ve managed to reach the Fifth Area, huh? Good work.”

“Are you planning to visit the northern farmlands again?” said the blonde woman.

The old man shook his head. “No. This time, I’ll be inspecting the training of the soldiers.”

Upon the mention of the word ‘soldiers’, Stone’s brows twitched. He decided to follow this old man for now.

The old man rode a carriage. Stone and his men quickly followed.

After several minutes, the carriage halted to a stop. It was an area filled with newly constructed houses. Workers were seen here and there. The sound of hammers hitting wood and stone resounded. The old man went down the carriage, his steps slow but steady as he made his way towards a place with a large clearing. In there, numerous humans wearing leather armors were seen practicing with their spears.

Stone and the two lizardmen he brought with him were surprised upon seeing this. The movements of these humans were trained, almost similar to those of the mercenaries personally led by Alexander. Still, Stone could see the subtle differences. He was sure that these soldiers were greenhorns, despite the obvious training they have underwent.

By sight alone, there were almost a hundred soldiers in this place. An amount disproportionate to the population they estimated. Stone could not see the reason why the Lord of this town needed so many soldiers. If it were him, he would have made these men work on agriculture and other more relevant fields. After all, this town was located in the wilderness, without any hostile forces nearby. He could not see the merit of training these much men for the military.

The soldiers, basking in the sun, stabbed and pulled their spears. They repeated these movements over and over again that Stone was amazed of their perseverance.

Although these humans were disciplined, Stone knew that the vanguard forces of the Third Legion would easily crush them during a fight. It seemed that there was no need to worry about this town putting up a good fight. He could not see any noteworthy individuals.

All that’s left now was to survey the rest of the town, record the geographical features of the surrounding regions, then report to the Commander of the Vanguard.

As Stone was about to silently leave, he noticed that the Commander of the soldiers, a man with golden hair, was staring at him. For a moment, Stone stiffened.

Could he actually see through his magic? Impossible. His ability to blend with his surroundings was perfect. Coupled with controlled breathing and silent steps, it would be near impossible to detect him without using magic.

It must have been his imagination. It must have been simply coincidence that the man was staring at his direction.

Stone nodded at his men, signaling that it was time for them to move to another location. As they were about to leave, the commander of the soldiers spoke.

“Stop. If you move, I’ll shoot you with the spear,” said the man with golden hair. “I know you’re there. Show yourselves.”

Stone and his men widened their eyes upon hearing this. They momentarily looked at each other. They did not expect that a human, a mere commander of a small army at that, would be able to see through their camouflage.

“Anandra?” said the old man. “What are you talking about?”

Anandra was still staring at Stone’s direction. “There’s someone over there. Three of them, probably. There’s no mistaking it.”

Upon hearing this, the soldiers stopped in their training. They all looked at the direction where Anandra was gazing at.

This was bad. The job of the Scouts was simply reconnaissance. They were not supposed to fight these humans.

After a few seconds of ponder, Stone decided to silently escape while they still have the chance. He wordlessly told his men to quickly move out.

But before he could escape, a spear came flying out and struck one of his men. The lizardman was hit right at the chest, impaling him towards the wooden wall of a newly finished cabin. His body twitched for a moment, before the light in his eyes vanished.

“C-Captain,” said the remaining lizardman. “He killed him with a single shot!”

It was a preposterous feat for a human, since the scales of a lizardman was as hard as stone. Furthermore, the shot was done with absurd accuracy.

“Beastmen?” mumbled Anandra. He pulled out the sword on his waist and slowly walked towards Stone and the remaining lizardman. “Tell me, why did you come to this town? The nearest country of beastmen should be the United Grakas Alliance. Are you from the Lion City? Why did you conceal yourselves upon coming here? State your purpose. Show yourselves.”

There were so many questions, and Stone have no plan of answering any of them. He issued an order to his subordinate. “Go back and relay what we’ve found to the Vanguard.”

The lizardman was in stupor. “W-What do you mean, Captain?”

Stone pulled out the scimitar on his waist. “This human’s dangerous. By skills alone, he should be on par with me. It’ll be impossible to escape without killing him.”

“But Captain!”

“Go! The mission’s more important than our lives!” snarled Stone. “Just go!”

Still hesitant, the lizardman quickly left the area. At the same time, Stone disabled his magic and showed himself, preventing Anandra from chasing after the lizardman that escaped.

Without another word, Stone dashed towards Anandra and struck him with the scimitar. Anandra sidestepped then retaliated with his sword.

‘He’s fast,’ thought Stone. ‘There’s no other choice. We need to successfully carry out our mission.’

Stone exchanged several more blows with Anandra, then quickly moved towards the old man from the Mansion. He wrapped his arms around him and pointed his scimitar at his neck.

“Move and I’ll kill this human,” said Stone.

He knew there was nothing honorable about this, but he had no choice. The Commander of these soldiers was too strong – this was his realization after exchanging several blows. The mission was his priority, his life and dignity were secondary.

The human soldiers slowly encircled him, leaving him no room to escape. Still, none of them dared to attack. Even the Commander with golden hair refused to move after Stone took the old man hostage.

“Let him go,” Anandra said slowly. His gaze was predatory.

Stone did not reply. He looked around, trying to find a way out of the encirclement. After noticing a place where he could pass through, he carried the old man by the waist and ran through it. The soldiers were baffled when the lizardman suddenly shot towards their direction. Without ample time to react, coupled with the fact that he was carrying the butler as hostage, the soldiers were unable to block the escape of the lizardman.

Behind him, Anandra quickly gave chase, leaving behind the rest of the soldiers.

It was a mistake. That man’s stronger than me. I need to shake him off quickly.

Although Stone was the fastest lizardman within the scouts, with him carrying the old man, he was unable to shake off his tail.

After reaching the end of the town, Stone skidded to a halt.

“Finally decided to give up, huh?” Anandra slowly walked towards him, his hand holding his sword.

Stone took out a small vial from the pouch on his waist. He shattered it and green mist seeped through the cracks.

“Mist of the Poison Frogs,” said Stone. “Lizardmen are immune to it, but it’s lethal to humans.”

It was the half-truth. Although the mist was fatal to humans, it would not manifest its effects immediately on knights and magicians. By estimate, this man with golden hair was on the same league as those bastards.

Stone needed a way to escape this predicament and report back to the Commander of the Vanguard. And this was his only solution.

Soon, the effect of the mist began showing through the old man’s face. He coughed repeatedly as his face drained of all color.

Stone took out two different vials and gently placed them on the ground. The old man continued coughing and gasping for air.

“These are the antidotes,” said Stone. “Mix the two together and make that human drink it. How about it? Why don’t we make a deal? Let me go and these two are yours.”

Judging by the reaction of the man with golden hair and the rest of the soldiers, this old man was a prominent figure within this territory. He was sure that he would grab his offer. Even if the human successfully administered the antidote to the old man, Stone would have fled the area by then. He was the fastest lizardman, after all.

“What if you’re lying?” said Anandra, grimly.

“That’s right. You have no way of finding out,” spat Stone. “This old man will die soon. Choose.”

Seconds lingered. Anandra gnashed his teeth and choked the words out. “Go.”

Stone slowly took several steps back, his eyes locked with Anandra’s. After taking a quick look around, he dashed off and disappeared into the distance.

He ran through the plains and reached the forest.

That strong human must be administering the antidote by now. With this, he’ll be able to gather enough time to escape.

He finally arrived at the place where the Burrcats were tethered.

My men are still in that town. It’s regrettable that I’m unable to recall them.

Those guys would probably die once they were spotted by that human monster. A necessary sacrifice.

“Ah, Captain!”

Molith and Salith jumped down the trees upon seeing him. Beside them was the lizardman that escaped before him.

“Why are you guys still here?!” Stone was baffled. They should have been gone by now, on their way to report back to the Vanguard. It was a safer way of communication than animal messengers, after all.

“We heard of the situation from Bolux.” Molith and Salith looked at each other. “We didn’t want to leave the Captain behind so—”

“—Fools!” roared Stone.

The three lizardmen flinched and shrank their shoulders. The Burrcats whined in fear.

“You should have heard of that commander! That human monster! I’ve managed to shake him off before but what if he comes again?!” Stone was livid with rage. He knew fully well the importance of this reconnaissance mission. “We need someone to deliver the message! The vanguard consists of only three hundred beastmen! We’ll suffer casualties if we attack the town with only those numbers!”

The three lizardmen turned dead silent. They hanged their heads low and avoided Stone’s fierce glare.

“Untether the Burrcats. We depart immediately,” said Stone.

“Yes!”

With trained movements, the lizardmen moved and untethered their mounts. Since Burrcats were rare, they decided to bring the unmounted ones back with them.

“Move out,” said Stone.

The lizardmen slapped the reigns, the Burrcats purred, and they silently moved through the forest.

The Third Legion have fifteen thousand soldiers. Surely, they would be able to spare at least a thousand more to help the vanguard conquer that territory.

Stone decided to convince the higher ups to strengthen the vanguard’s military.

Chapter Seven

The sudden appearance of the lizardmen pushed the town into uproar. Men took arms as they vigilantly watched their surroundings, as children and women took shelter in their homes. The rumors escalated quickly. Some said that the lizardmen ate several locals before they escaped, while some spread rumors of Gaston’s death.

Lark was inside his room, expanding his mana pool, when loud knocks were heard. The voice of a frantic servant echoed. “Young Master! Young Master! Sir Gaston! The Lizardmen!”

The words of the servant did not make sense. Lark stood up and opened the door, only to be greeted by an exasperated, pallid-face servant.

Lark frowned. He placed a hand on the huffing woman. “Calm down. Tell me what happened.”

The servant quickly recounted the story. For a moment, Lark was in stupor. Gaston was dying? That old man was like family to him. When he first gained consciousness in this world, he could feel the suppressed hatred of those around him, but that old man was different. Lark, with his several decades of experience in his past life, could easily tell that the old man truly loved him. A love beyond mere servitude.

Unable to shake off his uneasiness, Lark quickly went down and arrived at the Mansion’s hall. Several servants were surrounding an old man with wrinkled, pallid skin. The old man was close to death. Lark could tell with just a single glance.

“Y-Young Master.” Anandra’s voice trembled. “The antidote given by the lizardman isn’t working. I tried everything but Sir Gaston… He’s…” Anandra choked the next words out. “I couldn’t think of any other way to save him! But if it’s the Young Master… then maybe… please!”

Anandra felt responsible for the old man’s fate. Since he knew that Lark was the one who treated his wounds, he gambled on the chance that Lark may know how to treat the dying old man.

Lark crouched and touched the neck of Gaston. The pulses were weak and the flow of mana inside his body was turbulent.

“Give me the antidote,” said Lark.

Anandra handed him two half-emptied vials. Lark opened them and sniffed their contents. He creased his brows. They were not antidotes.

“These two are paralyzing potions.” Lark tossed the vials to the ground, shattering them into several pieces. “That lizardman didn’t have the slightest intention of saving his life.”

There was suppressed anger within Lark’s voice. If possible, he wanted to capture the lizardman right now and tear him to several pieces. Although it had not been long since he arrived in this timeline, he truly enjoyed his new life. At the very least, he wanted to protect what he had right now. This town. The people.

“Everyone, move back,” said Lark.

After the servants and Anandra moved away, Lark chanted his magic. The incantations were long, all the while, magic circles and runes formed underneath his feet. Although this would hurt Lark physically, he decided to forcefully tear open the mana pool of Gaston and interfere with the mana moving in the old man’s body.

“Please work.” Lark was desperate. If this method did not work, the old man would die.

Lark touched the old man’s chest and his hand sunk into it, as though sucked by an unseen portal. The old man’s body twitched and he coughed out blood. His body was rejecting the direct interference of Lark. A typical reaction.

Lark channeled his mana unsparingly. Even if he lost consciousness once he wringed his mana pool dry to the last drop, he did not mind. The life of this butler was far more important.

He grabbed hold of the erratically moving mana within the old man, condensed it into a single point, and temporarily sealed it. With the mana sealed and out of the way, Lark would now be able to force the body to heal without interference. This was a really dangerous move, since there was a very high risk of death with just a tiny mistake. Lark would not normally force the body to heal using this method, but they had no antidote. Time was of the essence.

“Work! Damn it,” he snarled as he pushed the old man’s body to the limits. The organs corroded by the poison started healing by using Lark’s mana as fuel source. Lark was becoming more lightheaded as seconds ticked by. It was a competition. A race. Will he run out of mana first, or will the poison be destroyed first? Once the organs regenerated, it would only be a matter of time before the poison dissipated.

Lark felt his consciousness fading away. Still, he refused to let go of his hand as his mana was continuously sucked by the old man.

“Just a little bit more,” he mumbled. Numerous beads of sweat were flowing down his face. “You can’t die.”

After several more seconds that seemed like eternity, the body of the old man finally stabilized. The forcefully condensed mana within Gaston’s body was released, the organs had regenerated, and the poison had dissipated.

Lark looked at the old man’s slow, silent breaths. Although he was still pallid, color started coming back to his face somewhat.

Lark sighed in relief. His vision blurred and he lost consciousness.

***

Lark woke up to the sound of birds chirping. He slowly sat up and looked at the window. The rays of the sun were seeping through. This was his room in the Mansion. He was sure.

His stomach grumbled. He felt famished, as though he had not eaten anything for several weeks.

He noticed the servant silently wiping the antique vase next to his desk. As though feeling his gaze, the servant slowly turned around and locked eyes with him. The servant froze. She opened and closed her mouth as she tried to choke some words out.

“T-The Young Master!” She finally said. “H-He’s awake! Thank God he’s finally awake!”

She almost broke the vase when she suddenly dashed toward the door. From the bed, Lark could hear her shout.

“The Young Master’s awake! The Young Master’s awake!”

In an instant, numerous footsteps echoed. Lark could feel several people coming his way, their steps hurried.

The door was violently pushed open and Gaston, Anandra, and several servants came inside. They almost squeezed through the door as they hurriedly entered the room. Lark could see their anxious faces, the dark circles around their eyes. The moment they saw Lark, their lips curled into smiles.

Lark never felt this loved before since he came to this world. Doing his best to protect these people was the right choice, after all.

“Young Master!” Gaston cried as he briskly walked towards Lark. After staring at the Young Master for a moment, he broke into sobs. “You’re finally awake! You’re finally awake! Thank God!”

The old man looked thinner, as though he had not eaten anything for the past several days. Even his usually perfectly-combed hair was ruffled, its ends swaying to different directions.

“You’ve been poisoned.” Lark smiled. “How are you feeling, Gaston?”

Hearing this, Gaston hiccupped as he willed the tears back. He shook his head thrice. “This servant’s fine! I am perfectly fine, so please do not worry about me any longer, Young Master!”

Lark sighed. “I am glad.”

This was his honest feeling. He did not want this old man or any of his men to die from the hands of those beastmen. They were like family to him. Lark silently vowed to crush anyone who would dare harm them.

Anandra was silently standing next to the door, a short sword dangling on his waist. Unlike the old man, there were no dark circles around his eyes. He looked calm, a stark contrast to Gaston and the servants.

He was tasked to protect him during the time he lost consciousness. cha

“How long have I been sleeping?” said Lark. He could still vividly remember the time his consciousness faded away as his mana pool was sucked dry by his hastily performed magic.

The was a small pause. Gaston replied, “Three days, Young Master.”

Lark was a bit relieved upon hearing that. Had this happened before, during the time he first came to this world, he would have probably fallen unconscious for an entire week. Being unconscious for only three days showed the fruits of his relentless training.

“Three days, huh?” repeated Lark.

The beastmen would have been long gone by now. There was no way he would be able to catch them even if he tried.

As though reading his mind, Anandra spoke, “The lizardmen that dared harm the Young Master.” There was spite within his voice. “I killed six of them and captured the remaining five. But those are some crazy bastards. The lizardmen we’ve captured killed themselves in an instant. Luckily, we’ve managed to knock down and shackle two of them before they managed to kill themselves. They’re in the underground chamber right now.”

After speaking with Anandra, Lark learned that several beastmen remained in the town even after their leader escaped. With Anandra’s skills, he managed to kill several of them and captured the remaining ones. It seemed that the lizardmen were capable of suicide by biting their tongues off. Several captured lizardmen did this, before the soldiers were even given the chance to interrogate them.

Luckily, Anandra and the rest of the soldiers found a way to shackle the lizardmen before they managed to kill themselves. They knocked the beastmen unconscious then forcefully inserted a metallic ball inside their mouths, making them unable to bite their tongues off and commit suicide.

Lark could not help but applaud Anandra for this. With this, there was no longer any need to pursue the ones that escaped. Lark decided to just interrogate the captured bastards.

“Good work.” Lark went down his bed, donned his coat, and took his sword. “Lead me there.”

Gaston and the servants looked at each other.

“But Young Master! You need to rest! At the very least, eat! Please!” pleaded Gaston.

Lark understood the feelings of the old man. “This will be quick.” He looked outside the window. It was already noon. “I will come down the dining hall in an hour. Tell the servants to prepare a hefty meal.”

Gaston was obviously against this, but he bowed his head regardless. “Understood.”

Lark told Gaston and the servants to disperse. He planned on brining only Anandra with him.

As they were going down towards the underground chamber, Lark said, “I’m going to interrogate those lizardmen. You might not like what you’re going to see—”

“—It’s fine. It doesn’t matter.” Anandra’s eyes were filled with bloodlust. “Young Master, you can cut them to pieces. Burn them alive. Rip off their limbs. I will gladly help you with all that.” Anandra locked eyes with the Young Master. “Those bastards tried to kill us. They do not deserve mercy from our kind.”

Lark was relieved that Anandra had resolved himself for this.

Upon reaching the underground chamber, Lark said to the two guards guarding the door, “Good work, you two. Leave this place for now.”

The two was stunned for a moment upon seeing the Young Master. They looked at each, then eventually made their salutes. “Understood, Young Master!”

After the guards left, Lark shut the door. The chamber was dimly lit with torches, and at the center of the room was a small metallic cage with shackled lizardmen. The two glared at the two humans who entered the room.

“Hello?” said Lark. The memories of how Gaston was almost killed by these bastards once again resurfaced within his mind. “I’ve kept you waiting, didn’t I?”

The lizardmen made screeching sounds. They violently moved their shackled bodies, creating loud metallic sounds.

“I promised Gaston that I’ll be at the Dining Hall an hour from now,” said Lark. “So, I’ll make this quick.”

Lark felt the flow of mana within his body. After several months of training, it should be possible for him to perform a single, Middle Tier Magic. It would consume a large portion of his mana, but it would be the best magic to use against these bastards right now.

“Move to the back,” he said to Anandra.

After Anandra moved out of the way, Lark started his spell. A chantless magic. Everyone who saw it widened their eyes in astonishment. It was beautiful, as though the Gods have descended to this small room. An azure magic circle manifested itself underneath the metallic cage, with numerous runes spinning around. Small particles of light, which reminded one of glowing insects during the night, moved around the room, casting an ethereal glow. The violent screeches of the lizardmen stopped as they stared at the spell in awe.

“I dislike meaningless slaughter.” Lark’s eyes were filled with hatred. “But your kind dared lay your hands on my people.”

The magic circle broke into numerous particles of light, the sound of glass shattering echoed. The particles of light slowly turned into blue flames, engulfing the metallic cage and the lizardmen. The shackled beastmen screeched as the flames touched their scales.

As the only onlooker, Anandra was the first to notice the peculiarity of this spell. Although a gargantuan sphere of fire was currently burning at the center of the room, it was not hot at all. He also noticed that the cage and the shackles were not melting, as though the flames were nothing but an illusion.

But looking at the lizardmen, it was clearly apparent that they were under excruciating pain as the flames covered their entire bodies.

“Flames of Methuzelda,” said Lark. “Flames that burn the life force of the target. It’s several times more painful than being burned alive by ordinary fire.” There was no hint of pity within his voice. The lizardmen continued screeching through their gags.

Lark walked towards the blue sphere of fire and entered inside. He willed the Flames of Methuzelda to stop consuming the life force of the beastmen for a moment.

“Listen. I will spare only one of you.” Lark raised a finger. “A competition. The first one to submit to me will be given painless death.”

Lark pointed at the gags of the lizardmen and the flames quickly melted them away. The lizardmen quickly took this chance to bite their tongues off, but to their astonishment, their bodies refused to do so. They immediately understood that this was probably the doing of that magic caster.

“W-Who are you?!” spat one of them.

“That doesn’t matter. There’s no need for you to know,” said Lark. “I’m only going to say this once. Tell me everything about your kind. The beastmen. The reason why you attacked this town. The reason why to tried killing my people. Do so and I shall grant you painless death.”

The other lizardman sneered. “Arrogant human! Our loyalty will not shatter even if you burn us with this fire! All lizardmen will choose death over betrayal!”

Lark sighed. He flicked his fingers and the flames started licking the bodies of the lizardmen once again. They squirmed in agony as they gnashed their teeth. Moans and wails escaped their lips.

Despite the excruciating pain, the two refused to speak.

This went on for several more minutes, almost half an hour. Eventually, one of the lizardmen pleaded, “I’ll speak! I’ll tell you everything! Please! Just kill me!”

Lark was surprised that these two lasted this long inside the Fire of Methuzelda. The flames of this spell consumed the life force of its prey, making the pain several times more excruciating than usual. Lark was sure that had he used normal fire, these two would have never spat a single word till they died.

Lark willed the blue flames to stop licking the body of the lizardman, all the while the other one kept squirming in pain on the ground.

“Speak,” said Lark.

The lizardman had almost lost the ability to speak. A little bit more and he would have been thoroughly broken by that spell.

“T-The United Grakas Alliance!” said the lizardman. He looked at his comrade and nervously swallowed. “The United Grakas Alliance plans on capturing this town!”

United Grakas Alliance? Lark was sure he heard of that name before, probably from a book in the library of Lion City. Still, he could not fully remember what it was.

“A country of beastmen,” said Anandra. “One of the three neighboring countries of this Kingdom. In terms of military strength, it’s on par with the Empire.”

Why was such a country trying to attack this small town? Lark could not understand the reason why.

Lark continued interrogating the lizardmen. Whenever he felt that he was lying, he would will the Flames of Methuzelda to lick him. Eventually, he came to have full grasp of the story.

Unable to get past the army of Alexander in a valley west of here, the beastmen decided to circumvent it and target this small town instead. They planned to convert his domain into a stronghold and use it as the rallying point for their invasion.

Lark was grim after learning the number of beastmen coming to invade the Eastern Region of the Kingdom. With the current number of soldiers in Blackstone Town, it would be impossible to defend against enemies numbering in the thousands. Moreover, each of those beastmen were warriors trained for the battlefield.

His men were not ready for this yet. Lark was sure of it.

War was coming.

He sighed. This would be a long night. He needed to think of a strategy to win this war.

Chapter Eight

“Young Master, here are the things you’ve ordered.” Gaston entered Lark’s room and handed him a leather sack. Inside were rations, crystals, ormatane dusts, ink, and parchments. “Are you sure about this? At the very least, please bring Anandra along.”

After the lizardmen infiltrated the town, Lark immediately drafted plans to protect his domain. What he needed right now was a bird’s eye view of the surrounding regions, particularly the area where the Legion of beastmen would have to pass through. Only after he gathered enough data of the topography could he properly lay out his plans.

Flying would give him a wide view as he made a detailed map, but it would fail to give him the most minute details inside the forest. Therefore, Lark planned on exploring those areas himself and record the details carefully. It was an arduous task necessary for Blackstone Town’s survival.

“No,” said Lark. “I will go alone.”

War was coming. It would be unwise to take Anandra with him and halt the training of the soldiers. Furthermore, although that guy was fast, he might not be able to keep up with the speed of Lark. He would just become a hindrance.

Gaston frowned. He obviously disliked the idea of the Young Master going to the wilderness alone.

“The ration’s enough for only two days,” said Gaston. “If you want, I can ask the servants below to cook some more.”

“This is enough.” Lark strapped the sword on his waist and grabbed the leather sack. “I’ll be gone for only a day or two. Three days at most. These should be plenty enough.”

He could just hunt in the forest once his rations ran out.

Gaston was not fully convinced. “And for the production of cement?”

“Ah, that’s right.” Lark almost forgot this one. “I’ve asked Silverclaw to create several more kilns last time. The farmers are almost finished with planting the seeds in the northern farmlands. We’ll need to finish the irrigation project soon before summer comes.”

Although war was looming in, Lark have no intention of halting the conversion of the supposedly non-arable lands in the northern and western regions. He wanted his city to be self-sufficient soon. He did not want his people to experience hunger again during the winter season.

“Give these to him.” Lark fumbled through his cloak and took out a folded parchment. “The designs for some weapons. Tell him to prioritize the ones marked with a cross. I need at least several dozens of them before the week ends.”

Gaston curiously looked at the parchment. Yesterday, the Young Master made a speech in the Central Plaza. He vividly recounted the story of the lizardmen they captured. The story of impending war brought forth by the beastmen.

Although the locals were clearly afraid, the majority of them voiced out their will to protect this place. Most of them were born here, and the mere thought of those lizardmen pillaging and conquering this town pushed them to the peak of anger.

The Young Master told them that it should be possible to block the advance of the beastmen, given enough time. An outrageous claim. Even Gaston refused to believe it.

Gaston sighed. “Young Master, we still have time. We could go back to the Gryphon City and seek refuge in the Dutchy. I’ll convince the Duke somehow.”

This was the third time Gaston proposed this. Lark shook his head. “Enough. I’m not abandoning this place.” He took out another parchment and handed it to Gaston. “The merchants from Lion City’s departing today, right? Give this to them.”

“This is?” Gaston looked at the parchment.

“A letter for Big Mona,” said Lark. “Make sure he reads it.”

This letter could dictate the outcome of this war. Whether they would receive help or not would depend on how he convinces that fat merchant.

***

Riding a horse, Lark moved towards the eastern part of Blackstone Town. He passed through the Eastern Border, and instead of going directly to the Mines, he turned left and kept going onward. To his right, the sea of trees in the Endless Forest blurred as he sped up.

He soon arrived in a plain filled with overgrown weeds. Not bothering to halt his mount, Lark quickly surveyed the surroundings. This place was wide, good enough for large armies to clash against each other.

“We won’t win without using underhanded tricks,” he mumbled. The differences in numbers and quality between his soldiers and the beastmen were simply too large. “Traps. Poison. Fire. It doesn’t matter. We need to win this war.”

In war, no lives were equal. Most men despised underhanded tricks like poisoning the enemy or assassinating the commander of the army, but Lark believed differently. In war, only the winner gets to write the history. The winner was justice. At the end of the day, those who survived would get to tell the tale. If it would enable his people to continue living, he would not hesitate to use these supposedly underhanded tricks. This was war after all. A competition for survival.

Lark kept going forward. Several hours passed and he arrived at a forest. He tethered his horse to a nearby tree then carved a clay bowl on the ground using magic. He used magic again to fill the bowl with water.

“Drink. Eat,” he said to his mount. As though the horse understood, it stared at Lark for a moment then began drinking. The grasses on the ground should be enough to fill the mount’s belly.

Lark looked beyond the sea of trees. Unlike the ones seen in the Endless Forest, the trees in this place were smaller, their trunks thinner. The rays of the sun seeped through the canopies of leaves, giving Lark ample light to see everything.

Lark cast his magic and he slowly soared into the sky. His cloak fluttered against the wind as he looked at the forest below. Looking further, it seemed that this forest extends far and wide, reaching until the small hills beyond. It’ll probably take Lark several days of travel to reach those hills if he used the mount.

“I’m glad I never neglected mana training.” He inwardly praised himself for being so diligent. With his current mana pool, he could reach those hills by the end of the day, reducing travel time by several days.

He took out a parchment and recorded the details of this place. Although his real aim was the hills beyond, creating a map of this forest would also prove crucial to the upcoming war.

Lark leaned towards the direction of the hills, and after a deafening boom, shot his body forward. He whistled through the sky as the sea of trees below blurred. As he flew towards the hills, he carefully surveyed the forest below.

He finally arrived at his destination. He slowly flew down and landed at the top of the hill. Below him, a small forest was spread out. Beyond that was a plain with a river.

He looked up. It was already dusk. He opened the leather sack and took out some dried fish and bread. As he ate, he looked around and carefully surveyed the surroundings.

It was just as he thought. This place would be the most ideal to place those traps. Those things would not annihilate an army, nor would it stop their advance completely, but it should give Lark enough time to prepare for the war.

But first, what he needed right now were scouts.

After filling his stomach, he amplified his senses several folds. His remaining mana should be enough for this task.

“Over there,” he mumbled. He kicked the ground and his body shot towards the sky. His speed created a soft whistling sound as he locked on his target. He reached out his hand and grabbed a large bird. It almost got away, but Lark luckily managed to grab hold of its leg. The bird squeaked and pecked the hands of Lark as it desperately tried to escape.

“Ouch.” Lark flinched as blood dripped down his fingers. The bird was around five times the size of a fist. Just the perfect size for reconnaissance.

Lark gently held it as he flew towards the ground. Upon landing, he opened his leather sack and took out a quill and an ink, along with some ormatane dust. He wrote symbols on the bird’s body using a mixture of the two, all the while chanting his spells. The symbols glowed for a split second then disappeared from sight. Lark released the bird and it flew towards the sky, circled around, then flew down and perched on Lark’s shoulder.

“Good.” Lark was satisfied with the result. He stroked the head of the bird as he grinned. He took out a crystal and wrote the same symbols on it. After activating the magic, the body of the bird froze as the symbols on the crystal glowed. After the light in the runes vanished, the bird squeaked then flew towards the sky.

Lark touched the crystal and images started appearing inside. The hills. The sea of trees. The cloudless sky. The plains stretching beyond.

The crystal now reflected the vision of the bird as it flew around.

Without taking a rest, Lark repeated the process over and over again. By the time he was finished, his mana pool had been wringed dry. He slumped on the ground and heaved a sigh. A contented smile slowly formed on his lips.

The range of this magic spanned more than a hundred kilometers. Although the crystal would not show images unless someone supplied mana into it, he would be able to fix this problem soon by making the locals take turns in channeling their mana into the core. With this, he would be able to monitor the advances of the beastmen.

But it was not enough. He needed more.

He was out of mana. He decided to proceed with the second part of the plan tomorrow morning, at dawn.

***

Dawn came and Lark immediately proceeded with his plans. He took out several parchments and drew runes and symbols on it using ink, ormatane and gold dust. After the ink had dried, he infused his mana. He repeated this process several times, creating numerous talismans by the time noon arrived.

The gold dust was a necessary expense. With this, the effect of the talisman should last several weeks.

Lark looked at the forest below the hills. He stretched his limbs, ran down, and entered the sea of trees. He placed the talismans at the trunks of different trees, around several dozens of meters apart. Each talisman was small, half the size of a palm, making it inconspicuous in this forest.

After consuming over a hundred talismans, he started activating the magic imbued inside. The forest momentarily glowed an azure hue as the runes inside broke into particles of light. The talisman turned into ashes, leaving behind scorched symbols on the trunk of the trees.

The magic imbued in those symbols would slowly consume the life force of the trees, eventually killing it after several weeks. In return, magic poison would slowly form and permeate the air, making this forest particularly dangerous for any living being.

As the runes sucked the life force of the trees, it slowly converts it into poisonous miasma unseen by naked eyes. These miasmas were not immediately fatal, but when someone was exposed to it for a certain period of time, they would experience symptoms similar to Magic Poisoning.

Magic Poisoning was relatively easy to treat. But it would be a different story if thousands of warriors were afflicted by it. Surely, it would halt the advance of the beastmen’s army.

The particles of light emanating from the runes vanished entirely. The forest resumed it calm.

Lark closed his eyes and enjoyed the gentle breeze. Birds chirped as the trees rustled from the wind. After a month or two, this forest would die. A consequence of using this underhanded magic.

“But I have to do this.” Lark sighed. He tightened his cloak and went back to the hills. He would make another surveillance of the surroundings, record it, then go back to Blackstone Town.

This should give him enough time to execute the next part of his plan.

Hopefully, the letter he sent to Big Mona in the Lion City would be enough to mobilize the Kingdom’s Army.

Chapter Nine

After creating a detailed map of the eastern region and preparing the traps, Lark went back to Blackstone Town. Upon arriving, he immediately started the next step of the plan. He gathered the remaining iron ingots and using transmutation magic, created bows.

The body of the bow was made of iron, while the strings were made using twisted rawhide. Runes and symbols were engraved on the handle grip, limbs, and string grooves.

Lark still firmly believed that it was not yet time to provide magic spears for the foot soldiers, but the same could not be said for the hunters from Gahelpa Village. Those guys were already proficient in archery. Giving them these magic items would not hinder their growth.

After creating two magic bows, Lark went towards the Eastern Border.

“Young Master.” Anandra greeted him the moment he arrived. Not far from them, the soldiers were practicing with their spears despite the scorching sun.

“Call all of the hunters in Gahelpa here. Tell them to bring arrows with them,” said Lark.

Anandra quizzically looked at the Young Master for a moment but eventually nodded. “As you wish.”

Soon, over a dozen men were gathered before Lark. They all looked at him with expectant eyes. This was, after all, the first time the Young Master summoned so many men from Gahelpa.

“Most of you have joined the army, correct?” said Lark.

“Yes.” Several men nodded.

Unlike the spearmen, Lark specifically asked these hunters to continue practicing with their bows. They have not yet received training in archery since they came to this town, mainly due to the previous friction between them and the locals.

“Valak.” Lark looked at the hunter with bushy, brown beard. “Try this bow.”

Valak stared at the bow upon receiving it. Unlike the usual bows made of yew, this one was clearly made of metal, probably iron. But surprisingly, it was light as though it was made of wood. The string was familiar. It was definitely made of twisted rawhide.

“Try shooting that tree over there.” Lark pointed at a small tree next to a recently finished cabin.

Valak frowned as he cast a curious gaze at the Young Master. He tapped the string once then pulled out an arrow from the quiver.

To his surprise, the moment he nock the arrow, the runes on the bow’s body dimly glowed. Valak almost let go of his grip when a peculiar sensation flowed through his limbs. He felt something inside him was being sucked by the bow.

“Don’t let go,” said Lark. “Shoot.”

Although still bewildered by what was happening, Valak pulled the bowstring and released the arrow. A loud whizzing sound resounded. To everyone’s surprise, the arrow shattered a large portion of the bark upon impact and pierced through the tree, eventually lodging itself into the wooden cabin behind it.

The absurd firepower of that single shot made the hunters’ jaws drop in wonder. They all looked at Valak as though he was some kind of monster.

“H-Hey, Valak!”

“What the hell’s that?!”

“You could kill the damn basilisk with that shot!”

Even Valak was baffled by what transpired. He looked at the bow with his jaws slacked, both of his eyes opened wide.

“Did you like it?” Lark’s voice broke through the murmurs. “It’s a magic bow I created.”

The hunters from Gahelpa were stunned speechless. Valak eventually broke the silence. “Made… You made this?”

Lark nodded. “That’s right.” He showed the other bow he was carrying. “Right now, there’s only two of them. There’s eighteen of you. I’ll probably be able to give everyone their own magic bow before the week ends.”

The hunters fell into stupor upon hearing this.

The Young Master was going to give each of them such weapon? Somehow, they understood that they would probably use it against the supposedly invading beastmen, but the idea of wielding such powerful bows greatly enticed them. To hunters like them, such weapon was no less than a treasure.

Even Valak, the boldest one in the group, found it hard to believe.

“Before that.” Lark looked at the tree the arrow struck. The gaping hole on its bark clearly showed the power the behind that strike. “You need to control the amount of power in your strikes. Try shooting at that tree again.”

Valak once again shot an arrow. This time, the strike was not as fierce as before. The piercing power was still greater than normal, but it did not manage to completely pierce through the tree’s bark.

“As I thought.” Lark sighed. “You’ve consumed a large amount of your mana with that first strike.”

Lark carefully explained to the hunters the basics of the magic bow.

Just like the name implied, it was an item that would enable even non-magicians to wield mana. The runes at the bow’s grip would suck the mana of the wielder and channel it to the bow’s limbs and string grooves, creating tension far greater than normal. Some of the mana would also flow through the twisted rawhide, eventually giving the arrow an absurd piercing power.

It worked the same way as the magic spears Lark was secretly creating. But since these hunters were already proficient with the bow, he did not hesitate in giving them these items. These men from Gahelpa valued honor highly. Even upon receiving this item, they would not easily betray him.

Giving them these magical items would transform them into a formidable ally during the upcoming war.

Lark have already made maps of the terrains in the Eastern Region. Properly using this elite unit could spell the difference between victory and defeat in the war against the beastmen.

Although arduous, Lark diligently explained to them how to control the amount of mana channeled through the bow. They did not really need the absurd piercing power shown by Valak during his first strike. They only need enough power to pierce through their enemies’ armor.

***

[Lion City – Merchants Guild]

Big Mona kicked the slave in front of him. The woman accidentally spilled the wine on his gaudy clothes moments ago. An unforgivable sin punishable by death. “Damn slave! Do you know how expensive this dress is? Even if you worked all your life, you won’t be able to pay for it!”

Another kick struck the woman at the abdomen, making her puke out the stale bread she ate for breakfast.

“M-Master! Please forgive me!”

But Big Mona did not stop.

He grabbed a hemp rope and started whipping the woman, creating numerous cuts on her body. By the time Big Mona was finally satisfied beating her up, the woman was already sprawled on the ground, half-dead and unmoving.

Big Mona spat on the soon-to-be corpse, sat on the sofa, and grabbed some snacks. He’ll ask the servants to clear the body later.

A servant knocked on the door twice. “Big Mona, Sir. There’s a letter and a parcel for you from Blackstone Town.”

Big Mona’s mouth was still full of biscuits when he replied, sending crumbs flying about. “Come in.”

The servant entered the room and handed him the parchment. Big Mona wiped his hands using a napkin, unfolded the letter, and read the contents.

As he read through the letter, his brows creased and his face twisted. He almost had the urge to tear the letter into pieces.

“That damn, arrogant brat!” snarled Big Mona.

The servant was startled from the sudden shout. He looked at the half-dead slave on the ground then at the fat merchant. He shivered. He prayed to the Gods that the mood of the merchant would not worsen any further.

“That Lark Marcus! That brat!” Big Mona continued snarling. “He wants me to send a thousand soldiers to that small town within a week’s time?!”

If not for the current prosperous trade of Kalrane Stones, Big Mona would have immediately sent his men to kill the arrogant bastard. He did not like the tone of the letter at all. It was condescending and outright rude, especially to him who held so much authority in Lion City.

In the letter, Lark Marcus recounted the story of how lizardmen invaded his town and tried killing his men. The young noble supposedly captured some of the lizardmen who infiltrated his territory and made them spill out everything. According to them, beastmen would soon invade Blackstone Town and convert it into a stronghold, making it the pivotal point of their invasion of the Eastern Region of the Kingdom.

Big Mona did not believe this story. According to his intelligence network, Alexander successfully defended the Valley of Witches a month ago, even going as far as killing Brock, one of the commanders of the Third Legion of the United Grakas Alliance.

As long as Alexander was undefeated, there was no way for the beastmen to invade the Kingdom. Big Mona disliked that Mercenary Guild Master, but he knew that there was no man more perfect for the job of commander than him. That man was a genius. He would not be defeated by the beastmen so easily despite the difference in numbers between the two armies.

Aside from the request for reinforcements, what angered Big Mona the most was the request of the brat to directly inform the Royal Family about the upcoming war with the beastmen. He wanted Big Mona, one of the three most prominent figures in the Lion City, to persuade the King to mobilize the army and preemptively block the advance of the enemies.

A preposterous request.

Although Big Mona was one of the most powerful figures in this City, he still did not have the power to persuade the King or the Royal Family.

Just thinking that the brat of the Marcus Family had enough gal to ask such thing made Big Mona quiver in anger.

Big Mona grabbed the bottle of wine next to him and half-emptied it. He burped, wiped his lips using a napkin then sighed. He breathed in and breathed out.

“Calm down,” he said. “There’s no need to get worked up with just some brat.”

Big Mona read the last part of the letter.

If you manage to do these things, I will grant you exclusive rights to trade the middle-grade healing potions of Blackstone Town. I firmly believe that it’ll be a pivotal part of your business in the future, probably even more than the Kalrane Stones.

As a gift, I’ve provided you with a sample of a low-grade healing potion. Also, I’ve added the formula on how to brew the mixture. Take it as a token of my appreciation.

I expect the army within a week’s time.

-Lark Marcus

Big Mona snorted. What was the brat thinking? He would grant him exclusive rights to trade his so-called middle-grade healing potions? Laughable.

“Hey,” Big Mona called the servant over. “Give me that.”

The servant, still stiff with fear, handed him the parcel. Big Mona opened it and found a small vial inside. He opened it and sniffed its contents.

“This is his gift, huh? A low-grade healing potion.” Big Mona smirked. “To think that he believes this is enough for me to go to the trouble of recruiting a thousand soldiers in the Lion City and even persuade the Royal Family to mobilize the Army. Naïve. Truly naïve.”

Big Mona looked at the half-dead slave on the floor. He said to the servant, “You. Make her drink this thing.”

The servant carefully took the vial and as instructed, made the half-dead woman drink the potion.

An unexpected phenomenon occurred.

“W-What?” Big Mona shuddered.

The wounds of the half-dead servant started healing at a considerable rate noticeable by naked eyes. After a few minutes, the wounds fully closed and the color of her skin was back to normal. Although she was still unconscious, her breathing had stabilized somewhat.

“T-Tell the chief herbalist to come here!” shouted Big Mona “Quick! Make him come here!”

The servant jolted and ran out of the room. Several minutes after, a panting herbalist came inside. Big Mona handed him the recipe given by Lark. “Brew this thing exactly as instructed in this letter! Now!”

The herbalist immediately worked on the task. After impatiently waiting for two hours, Big Mona finally received the product. He went down to the underground jail beneath the Merchants Guild and asked the guards to take out some of the half-dead slaves inside.

“Make them drink this.”

The results were the same as before. The wounds on the bodies of the slaves healed at a very fast rate. The rate of healing was absurd that it was noticeable by human eyes.

Big Mona could not help but shudder. The potency of this healing potion was as good as the ones created by the Royal Chief Alchemist in the Capital, probably even better.

And he suddenly got his hands on the recipe.

Big Mona remembered the words written on the letter.

If you manage to do these things, I will grant you exclusive rights to trade the middle-grade healing potions of Blackstone Town.

The words ‘Middle-grade Healing Potions’ kept resonating in his mind. This recipe gifted to him was the so-called low-grade healing potions. If this was already this potent, then how much more would the middle-grade ones be?

Big Mona now understood why Lark Marcus was so arrogant in his letter.

He knew that there was no way for Big Mona to reject his proposal.

The fat merchant could already envision the benefits of monopolizing the trade of this legendary elixir. Becoming the top merchant in the entire Kingdom would not be far off in the future once he got hold of this product.

Big Mona stood there, contemplating.

There was only one answer to this.

“Prepare the carts,” he said to the servants. “I’m going to the Castle.”

Even if he had to pull out a thousand gold coins, Big Mona decided to persuade the City Lord to send several soldiers to that desolated town.

Chapter Ten

Valcres, the Lord of Lion City, was in a good mood lately. A few days ago, he received several beastmen from the Merchants Guild. And to his utter delight, half of them were from the Wolf Tribe. His favorite delicacy. The meat he wanted the most.

Valcres’ steps were light as he strolled through his castle’s dungeon. Accompanied by his guards, he looked through the metallic cages one by one, his eyes glimmering with delight as it feasted on the beastmen inside.

“How about this one, Lord?” His Head Chef, pointed at a nearby cage.

The guards immediately pointed the torch at it. The one inside shivered uncontrollably as an inaudible shriek escaped her lips.

“A young woman from the Wolf Tribe. The Merchants told us she’s a virgin. They’ve also made sure to take good care of her body.” The Chef’s voice was full of enthusiasm as he introduced the beastman. “As you can see, she hardly has any scratch on her. A rare find, indeed.”

Valcres peeked through the iron bars. His figure that almost spanned two meters created a looming shadow. The beastman slowly moved back, until her back hit the wall.

“How about her, Lord?” the Chef reiterated.

An ominous silence befell them. Valcres stared at the woman.

“Prepare the meal. I want it served in my room in an hour.”

The Chef bowed his head. “As you wish.”

On cue, the guards opened the cage, grabbed the shackled wolf beastman, and gagged her mouth. She struggled with all her might but the guards were stronger. With tears flowing down her eyes and unable to utter a single word through the gag, she silently cursed at the grinning Lord.

“Ah, like usual.” Valcres tapped his head with a finger. “Leave the head behind. I’ll add it to my collection later.”

After Valcres left the dungeon, a muffled cry echoed. The stench of blood permeated the air.

***

After choosing his meal for the day, Valcres went back to his office. It was a large room at the fourth floor of his castle, with several windows overlooking a portion of the city.

On the wall, a large portrait of a handsome young man with auburn hair hanged. He was wearing a full plate armor, with a long sword on his waist.

“It’s been years, huh?” Valcres reminisced.

The young man was him, several years before he became the Lord of this City. Back then, he was merely the fifth son in a family of knights. Using sheer talent and cunning abilities, he killed his father and brothers, climbed the ladder, and became the Head of the Family. He then used his position to create a rebellion, on the pretext that the current City Lord was a tyrant and a psychopath.

Becoming the Lord was not an easy task. The path he took was filled with so much blood. Without hesitation, he used the bodies of his enemies to climb to the top.

As he stared at the young man in the picture, he realized how much things have changed. His lean body was now gone. In their stead were flabby fat and oily skin. His auburn hair was gone, showing a shiny bald head. He looked like a pig when compared to his previous self. He knew it, but it did not matter any longer.

He had attained what he was longing for.

His butler entered the room. “Sir, the feast has been prepared below.”

Valcres salivated. “Just in time.” He put down the documents he was holding and stood up.

“Also, you have a visitor,” the butler slowly added.

“Visitor?” he frowned. As the Lord of the City, it was near impossible to meet him directly without prior arrangements. From the way the butler said it, it seemed that the visitor was already inside his castle.

Valcres immediately surmised. In the City, only two people could rival his authority. One was Alexander, the Mercenary Guild Master, and the other was Big Mona, the Head of the Merchants Guild.

“Alexander’s not here,” said Valcres. “Kain or Big Mona?”

“It’s the Head of the Merchant Guild, My Lord.”

Valcres sighed. Although he owed the Merchant Guild a favor for always providing him with beastmen slaves, he did not want to meet that particular person. That man was shrewd. A sly fox. Someone probably even more cunning than him.

After a long pause, Valcres decided. “To the Dining Hall.”

“Understood.”

***

[Vanguard Army – United Grakas Alliance]

After receiving an emergency message from an animal courier, the Vanguard stopped their advance. Rumors of how the scouts were discovered during their reconnaissance spread through their ranks.

After camping out in the wilderness, the group they were waiting for finally arrived.

Stone and his men looked famished, their reptilian faces sunken. Behind them, several unmounted burrcats followed. When the Scouts first set off for their reconnaissance mission, they numbered more than a dozen. Now, only four of them remained.

Stone jumped down the burrcat and briskly walked towards the Commander’s tent. The beastmen guarding the entrance looked at each other for a moment before opening the entrance’s flap.

Upon entering the tent, Stone was greeted with several pairs of scrutinizing eyes. There were five men in the room, sitting around a round table. On top of the table was a map.

“Captain Stone.” The man sitting at the center glared at him, his four muscular arms folded. “You’re late.”

“Commander Azura!” Stone quickly bowed his head. “I’m sorry! We had to stop for half a day to help the burrcats recuperate. It seems that a week of nonstop travel has ta—”

“—Enough.” Another beastman with four arms interjected. “I don’t need to hear your excuses. You adamantly told us in your letter to stop our advance and wait for reinforcements from the Main Army. Surely, you have a good reason for this?”

The beastman that spoke was the right-hand of Commander Azura and at the same time the Strategist of the Vanguard Army. He was the weakest beastman in this room right now, but due to his great intellect, he was highly regarded even within the Main Army. Some say that the real commander of the Vanguard was Lauro, the strategist, rather than Azura. After all, whatever Lauro says, Azura follows.

The reason why the Vanguard accepted his pleas to stop the advance of the army was probably due to this beastman. At the very least, Lauro decided to hear him out.

Since time was of essence, he merely wrote briefly about his encounter in Blackstone Town. These high-ranking officials have not yet heard of the full story.

Stone breathed in. He started recounting the story even to the most minute details.

After he was finished, the entire room was silent.

Eventually, Lauro broke the ice. “Someone easily saw through the magic of the Lizardmen Tribe?”

Had the story not come from Captain Stone himself, they would have not easily believed it. After all, even Commander Azura himself would have a hard time detecting the presence of Captain Stone if he used his camouflage magic.

According to Captain Stone, the human who cornered him like a rat was merely the commander of a private army of a small town. Why was such a formidable human living in such a remote place? According to Fior, Blackstone Town was a desolated place where even merchants seldom come by. It did not make sense that such a powerful human would choose to live in that town.

“Stone.” Azura’s eyes glimmered. “Who do you think is stronger? Me or that human?”

Stone reflexively swallowed the lump in his throat. Cold sweat started forming on his forehead. This was bad. He could clearly see the desire for carnage within the eyes of Commander Azura. This beastman loved fighting strong opponents, and this was actually the reason why he chose to become the Commander of the Vanguard. Azura loved the sensation of charging head-on to war, even if the odds were greatly against their favor. If not for Lauro shackling him, the Vanguard Army would have been wiped out several years ago due to Azura’s uncontrollable lust for the battlefield.

How should he answer? He had seen Azura fight countless times before, but he was still unsure whether he was stronger than that human monster.

“Answer me.” Azura suppressed his growl. His humanoid body – four arms, fur-filled chest and tail – twitched in anticipation.

Time seemed to freeze. Stone blurted out an answer, “It’s probably the human, C-Commander.”

He saw Lauro’s eyes widen. Stone realized that he gave out the wrong answer. There was no stopping Azura after this.

“Gahahahaha!” Azura rose from his seat, his laughter reverberating through the entire encampment. “Is that so?” Bloodlust permeated the air as his eyes glimmered in desire for carnage. “He’s strong, huh? Stronger than me?”

Azura grabbed his weapon leaning on the table – an axe large enough to cleave a horse in half. “Lauro, gather the soldiers. We are moving out. We are to resume our march.”

Lauro looked at Stone with disdain for giving the wrong answer, before replying to Azura. “But Commander Azura! We should at least ask for reinforcement from the Main Army! You’ve heard Captain Stone’s story! That town has around a hundred soldiers and that human monster! Our goal is to capture the Eastern Region for General Urkawi! Capturing that town is just the first step! We should do our best to minimize our casualties!”

Azura scratched his ears. “Enough. This is an order from me, your Commander. We are moving out.”

Lauro sighed. This was not the first time Azura ignored his advice. This was not the first time they charged head-on despite knowing the risks and the strength of their enemies.

Lauro grunted. “As you command.”

With heavy steps, Lauro went out of the tent and started gathering the soldiers.

Their destination was Blackstone Town.

Chapter Eleven

Lark placed a hand on the crystal next to him. A small portion of his mana was instantly sucked away by the orb. Moments after, images started playing inside it. He could see the clouds above, the trees below, the mountains beyond. He saw sceneries through the eyes of several birds he captured a week ago.

He breathed in, poured in more mana into the orb, and willed the birds to fly further west, towards the direction of the Valley of Witches. He continuously surveyed the surroundings, careful not to miss even the most minute of details.

The birds passed through the hills from before, then past the small forest beneath it, until it arrived at a plain with a flowing river.

Found it.

Numerous camps were seen here and there. Beastmen, armed to the teeth, were moving about. Lark willed the birds to circle around as he analyzed the enemies’ Vanguard.

Three hundred at most. A lot smaller than I thought.

It was exactly just like what the captured lizardman said. According to him, this group was led by a member of the Ogre Tribe – four-armed beastmen ranking among the highest even within the sixteen tribes.

Commander Azura. Captain Stone. And Vice Commander Lauro. Where are you?

As Lark continuously watched the army below through the eyes of the birds, he noticed a peculiar movement. An ogre came out of a tent and began gathering the soldiers. According to the captured lizardman, Vice Commander Lauro was practically the real commander of the Vanguard. He was the one who decided the tactics, routes, and formations. Although he could not supersede the Commander’s authority, his voice was enough to dictate the flow of the battlefield.

That must be him.

This was the conclusion Lark came to.

The four-armed beastman easily gathered the soldiers and disseminated the tasks. The magic Lark was currently using was limited only to visual surveillance and he could not hear the words uttered by the beastman, but just by carefully observing the movements and gestures, and the reactions of the soldiers around, it was easy to deduce that this man was the Vice Commander of the Vanguard.

Lark engraved the image of the Ogre in his mind. He started looking for Captain Stone, the leader of the Scouts, and Commander Azura himself. After several more minutes, several beastmen went out of the same tent. One of them was a characteristically large, four-armed beastman holding an axe. Next to him was a lizardman.

In just a single glance, Lark knew he found his remaining targets.

Rage started seeping out as he looked at the lizardman. That bastard was the one who almost took the life of Gaston. The one who infiltrated the town with several people.

Although taking the lives of Commander Azura and Lauro were gravely important, Lark also vowed to kill the lizardman bastard.

They’re moving.

After confirming that the enemies have started moving, Lark cut off the surveillance magic. He summoned Anandra.

“You called for me, Young Lord?” said Anandra.

“Gather the soldiers and the Hunters from Gahelpa,” said Lark. “The enemies are coming. We’re moving out.”

“As you wish.” Anandra bowed his head and left the room.

“It’s your turn.” Lark looked at the stationary suits of armor next to the wall. Back then, these three were unable to fend off the lizardmen that infiltrated the town. Since their cores were made of several goblins, these living suits of armor were unable to see through concealment magic.

Light manifested themselves through the slit of their helmets. Monotonous growls reverberated through the room. The armors moved, creating several clanking sounds. In unison, the three knelt down before Lark.

“Show your worth” Lark donned his cloak and grabbed his sword. “Slaughter the enemies.”

***

Vice Commander Lauro sighed. Currently, the Vanguard Army was advancing through the plains, their destination was the desolated town far east of this place. More than half of the warriors were mounted on horses, some pulled carts, while the rest walked on foot.

Everyone was on high spirits. Despite the fact that the scouts were almost annihilated, the warriors still believed that it would be an easy feat to conquer that small town. After all, they have thrice the number of soldiers. Furthermore, they were being led by the Commander himself.

An ogre beastman approached Lauro. He whispered, “Sir, we’ve sent the message, just like you’ve ordered.”

Lauro subtly looked at him. “Good job. Return to your position.”

“Yes, Sir!”

Since Commander Azura stubbornly refused to request reinforcements from the Main Army, Lauro had to do it in his stead. He discreetly sent out a message to General Urkawi to send at least a thousand more warriors to aid them in conquering the town. Although humans were weaker than beastman in general, they were shrewd and cunning. A perfect example was Alexander, the Mercenary Guild Master. That man annihilated Commander Brock’s entire army in just a single day using unheard of tactics, therefore completely blocking the advance of the Third Legion to the Valley of Witches.

Their army soon entered a forest.

Lauro frowned.

There was something eerie about this place.

The horses neighed as their army passed through the sea of trees. Leaves rained from above, as though it was autumn, and the ground was blanketed by dead leaves. The trees themselves looked half-withered, as though their lives had been recently sucked away from them.

Lauro summoned Stone. “Captain, this forest…”

Stone nodded. “It’s not like this when we first came here. It’s clearly dying.” His last words trailed off.

Although they were now sure that something was wrong with this forest, they were unable to pinpoint it out. Aside from the sound of hooves hitting the leaves-blanketed ground, the multiple footsteps of the warriors and the rattling carts, the forest was quiet. There were no signs of animals anywhere. Even the chirping of birds was nowhere to be found.

Lauro approached Commander Azura. “Commander, there’s something wrong about this forest.”

Azura snorted, making a steam puff out of his snout. “That’s obvious, Lauro. But we’ll be leaving it soon. See those hills beyond?”

The Commander was right. The forest was small, and it took their army only a couple of hours to pass through it. The end was in sight.

Nothing happened so far. I guess everything’s alright.

Lauro shook off the unnecessary worries within his mind.

Their army reached the hills. Upon reaching the top, they stopped for a few minutes to recuperate, then started the march again. Below the hills was another forest. This time, a large one. The trees in that forest were colossal, some of them spanning more than fifteen meters in height. Birds chirped and animal trails were seen here and there.

Lauro breathed a sigh of relief. At least, this area was normal.

They kept moving through the forest. Several hours after dusk, they stopped to recuperate.

“Pitch the tents!” Lauro ordered. “We are to camp here today!”

With trained movements, the warriors moved about and made camps. Lauro assigned several men to scout the surrounding areas and act as guards.

One of his men approached him and said, “Vice Commander, we’ve received a reply from the Main Army.”

“That’s fast.” Lauro opened the letter handed to him. After reading it, he frowned.

It seemed that a few days ago, Alexander launched a surprise attack to the Main Army, killing several hundred beastmen in the process. The human Mercenary Guild Master did it using only several elites, their numbers reaching only a few dozens.

As expected, that damn bastard would not stay put and simply let the Main Army pass through.

“They saw through the decoy, huh?” Lauro was grim.

He did not know how Alexander did it, but he somehow saw through their plan to circumvent the Valley of Witches and strike directly at the Eastern Region of the Kingdom of Lukas. Now, the Main Army’s preoccupied in dealing with sneak attacks from the humans. According to the General, it would take at least several days before they would be able to send out reinforcements for the Vanguard.

“If only that damn Alexander’s gone,” mumbled Lauro. “The Eastern Region’s as good as ours.”

He got to admit that Alexander’s a genius. In terms of strategical ability, that human surpassed Lauro by several leaps.

“Lauro!” a shout reverberated through the forest.

Looking at the source, he saw Commander Azura sitting next to a campfire, one of his four arms holding a half-emptied bottle of wine.

“Come! Drink!” Azura hiccupped. “Let’s celebrate the upcoming victory!”

Lauro almost smacked himself on the face upon seeing the Commander’s drunken face. He briskly walked towards Azura ang grabbed the bottle of wine.

“What are you doing?!” snarled Azura. He glared at Lauro, but the Vice Commander did not back down.

“I’m confiscating this,” said Lauro. He glared at the adjutants next to the Commander. “And the three of you. No drinking. Understood?!”

The adjutants were clearly crestfallen by the sudden declaration, but they conceded regardless.

“Lauro, let me empty that bottle at least!” Azura begged. “Please!”

“No!” Lauro’s head throbbed. “What are you thinking?! We’re going to battle in the next few days!”

Sometimes, he asked himself why he kept serving this drunkard. He got to admit, Azura was a monster in the battlefield, but his administrative and strategic skills were almost nil. A musclehead who would charge head-on regardless of the consequences.

Well, he did save my life back then.

Lauro sighed. He remembered that time when the Commander risked his life just to save his. It was a moment forever embedded within Lauro’s memories. Since then, he decided to wholeheartedly support the Commander despite his cantankerous personality.

Lauro raised his voice. “Listen, everyone! Whoever is caught drinking will be severely punished! I’ll make sure to report this personally to General Urkawi! Understood?!”

The warriors shivered upon the mention of the General’s name. They replied in unison, “Yes!”

“Lauro! Just one more bottle!” Azura groaned. He stood up and wobbled. “Please!”

Lauro did not reply and simply held on to the bottle of wine.

A few more days until they arrived at Blackstone Town. He had to make sure to babysit these guys until then.

As he was on his way back to the tent, he froze.

He felt a chilly sensation as a dagger pierced through his neck. He tried screaming for help, but no words came out. Blood incessantly flowed down his neck as his vision blurred.

“One down,” someone whispered through his ear. “Two to go.”

A shadow ran past him and entered the sea of trees, eventually disappearing from sight. It happened so fast that none of the beastmen were able to react.

He fell limp on the ground as his body twitched. He could no longer feel anything.

“Vice Commander!” The warriors around him finally noticed what was happening.

Damn it. I can’t die here. The Commander. If I die, what will happen to the Commander?

“Lauro!” He heard the Commander’s wail. “Damn it! Who is it?! Show yourself!”

Lauro’s body twitched again, the light in his eyes vanished, and he faded into the black.

As though on cue, arrows started flying out of the trees, piercing the bodies of the unsuspecting beastmen.

“We’re under attack!” shouted the adjutants. “Everyone! On your guard!”

Unsheathing sounds echoed as the beastmen pulled out their weapons.

Everyone readied themselves for the incoming charge.

But it did not come.

The barrage of arrows that took several dozens of lives stopped. The forest was once again quiet, with only the chirping of ravens as background.

Moments lingered. Commander Azura shouted, “What are you doing? After them! Search the area! Comb the entire forest! I want those bastards dead!”

He was still holding the dead Vice Commander in his arms, his entire body trembling as tears flowed down. Although Lauro was stubborn, he was the reason why Commander Azura reached his current position. It was no exaggeration to say that he was the mind that moved the entire Vanguard.

The sorrow within Azura was slowly replaced by vehement rage. He wanted to catch the culprit, hang him, tear him to shreds, and feed him to the burrcats. He wanted to personally mutilate his entire body.

Azura slowly placed the dead body to the ground. He wiped off the tears in his eyes and grabbed his battle-axe.

“Oborus, Lance,” he called out two of his three adjutants. “Bring your nimblest men with you. We will find and chase those bastards.”

The two nodded and immediately gathered their nimblest men.

“Kael,” snarled Azura.

“Sir!”

“You lead the rest of the men while we chase the enemies. Do not lower your guard!”

“Understood!” Kael made a salute.

One after another, beastmen started leaving the camp, with the Commander and his two adjutants at the lead. They ran through the forest, eventually disappearing through the shadows of the trees.

Kael shouted, “You heard the Commander! Be on your guard! Be ready to move out at any time!”

They have several carts with them, and it would be impossible for the entire army to chase after the enemies. Kael knew that the decision of the Commander to gather the nimblest men to chase after the enemies was best choice at that moment. They could also choose not to give chase, but since the bastards took the life of Vice Commander Lauro, everyone in the Vanguard Army wanted to rip the ambushers’ body into shreds. Had the Commander not assigned him to oversee the rest of the army, he would have also loved to give chase to their enemy.

Several minutes passed.

Kael’s round ears twitched as he heard rustling sounds from their rear. He reflexively pulled out his scimitars, each of his four hands holding one each.

“On your guard!” he snarled.

Soon, figures emerged from the shadows of the trees. Three of them, each wearing a cloak. From the gaps of the cloak, they could see the glint of metallic armor. With their every steps, clanking sounds echoed.

Kael have fought with humans wearing full plate armors before, and he knew the drawbacks of wearing one. In exchange of defense, they forsake a great portion of their movement and agility. It was practically easier to deal with them than mercenaries wearing leather armors.

“Only three?” he smirked. He raised his voice. “Stab them through the gaps of the armor!”

On cue, the beastmen started charging at the intruders. Most of them carried axes, while some carried scimitars, longswords, and spears.

The suits of armor made a long, wailing sound. It started charging towards the beastmen, eventually colliding with them.

To Kael’s surprise, the beastmen flew to the air upon impact. The suits of armor continued charging, unscathed by the collision, growls escaping their lips.

“W-What’s happening?!”

Beastmen have inherently stronger physique than humans. Even if these three were wearing full plate armors, it should have been impossible to make those warriors fly through the air upon impact.

Kael grasped his weapons tightly. He readied himself for the upcoming battle. He needed to personally face them, otherwise, they would suffer casualties. This was what his instinct screamed at him.

But to his astonishment, the suits of armor did not engage in battle but instead continued running towards the direction of the carts. Upon reaching it, they pulled out a talisman from the pouch on their waists and stamped in onto the carts.

A few seconds after the talismans were stamped, the symbols engraved on it glowed, and the parchment burned into white flames. The flames licked the carts, quickly spreading through their entire bodies. Everything happened so fast that Kael and his men were momentarily stunned speechless by what transpired.

“T-They’re targeting the supplies!” shouted one of the warriors.

Kael realized it too. “Stop them!”

The beastmen tried stabbing the armors, but their attacks simply bounced off the metallic plates. Some made dents, while some successfully stabbed through the gaps, only to realize they were hollow inside.

The suits of armor ignored the attacks. They all focused on the carts carrying the rations, burning each of them using the talismans.

“Damn it!” Kael used the weight of his entire body and struck the suit of armor near him. His axe pierced through the chest plate. The pair of yellow eyes behind the visor of the suit of armor glared at him. It grabbed the axe and pulled it out. After a roar, it punched Kael right at the abdomen.

Kael managed to block the punch using his four arms. But to his horror, the punch carried enough strength to make him fly towards the nearby tree. He hit the trunk and splintered wood flew about. He coughed thrice as pain coursed through his entire body. He looked at his arms and realized that two of them broke after that single strike.

These suits of armors were monsters. Each of them had enough strength to rival the members of the Oni Tribe. Furthermore, they did not feel pain, making them a far more dangerous opponent.

Despite their overwhelming numbers, the beastmen were unable to stop the suits of armors from burning down the food supplies. Those that tried to grab them were sent flying with a punch, while the unluckier ones had their skulls crushed.

By the time the food supplies have all been burned down, the suits of armor ran towards the sea of trees, disappearing through the shadow of the night.

Chapter Twelve

Valak’s chest loudly pounded as he ran through the forest. Right now, they were being chased by those beastmen. Had he not known better, he would have mistaken those beastmen for monsters. He was sure that if those guys and the basilisks confronted each other, it would become a bloodbath. Those guys were that dangerous.

Looking at the other hunters, he realized that he was not the only one panic-stricken by now. At any moment, those guys were going to catch up to them. The mere thought of those axes cleaving them in half gave him the shivers.

I know this may seem impossible, but I want everyone to remain as calm as possible during our surprise attack. I want everyone to completely heed my instructions, no matter what.

Those words uttered by the Young Master before they commenced with the assault reverberated within his mind.

“You damn bastards! You scum! Stop hiding! Show yourselves! Where are you?!”

A loud shout echoed in the forest. Ravens flew in flocks as trees rustled.

The Young Master raised a hand, signaling everyone to stop and stay still. The footsteps of their pursuers were getting near.

Everyone held their breaths, just like the time when they were hunting in the forest around Gahelpa Village. With their keen visions developed from hunting for several decades, they could already see the silhouettes of their enemies despite the darkness of the night.

The Young Master made a fist, and on cue, everyone channeled some mana into their bows and fired their arrows. The arrows whistled past the trees and perfectly struck their targets. Azura and his adjutants successfully blocked it using their weapons, while some of the beastmen were pierced right at the forehead. Several beastmen fell limp and lifeless on the ground in an instant.

“Over there!” shouted one of the beastmen.

Commander Azura’s veins popped and he ran towards the direction of the hunters, his speed bordering the absurd.

‘Do it like we’ve practiced,’ Valak reminded himself. ‘Trust the Young Master.’

The Young Master said, “Scatter.”

On cue, the hunters dispersed into two groups. Lark remained in his position while the rest of the hunters ran towards opposite directions.

Seeing this, Azura shouted at his men, “Don’t let the other humans get away! After them!”

The beastmen also divided themselves into two groups, each being led by an adjutant. They chased after the hunters. Azura, on the other hand, continued charging at Lark.

Lark purposefully leaked out his mana, making Azura target him personally. The Commander of the Vanguard knew that this young human was probably the leader of this small private army.

Upon reaching Lark, Azura raised his battle-axe into the air and slashed at the human. The speed of his strike created a small gust of wind.

“What?” Azura was baffled for a moment. He was sure he successfully struck his target, but now he realized it was nothing but an afterimage.

He turned around and saw Lark a good distance away from him, his hand holding a scroll. He opened it and channeled his mana into the runes engraved inside.

“The lizard we’ve captured was not lying, huh?” Lark smirked. “The Commander is indeed a musclehead. With the Vice Commander dead, this army’s nothing but a stringless puppet.”

The runes in the scroll glowed, before turning into flames and eventually dispersing into ashes. To Azura’s surprise, the sound of footsteps around them vanished entirely. He could no longer feel the presence of his men, nor those of the fleeing humans.

In this forest, there was only him and this young man.

“What did you do?” Azura frowned.

Lark shrugged. “There’s no need for you to know.”

Upon the utterance of those words, the figure of the young man slowly faded away, eventually disappearing into the night. Only his voice remained.

“You’re strong, indeed. I have no intention of using up all my mana for a musclehead like you, you see,” said Lark. “Let’s talk? I’ve heard that the United Grakas Alliance plans on invading the Eastern Region. Is there a way out of this?”

Azura snorted. This human was obviously buying enough time – but for what?

“It is a decree of the Beast King.” Azura rested his axe on his shoulder, his eyes swiveling left and right as he tried to locate the presence of the human. “His will is absolute. There’s no point in questioning it.”

There was a sigh. “There’s no point in questioning it? A typical answer of a musclehead. How disappointing.”

Azura’s non-existent brows twitched. He snarled, “This damn, puny human dares to…”

“It’s not even a year since I began implementing the new policies in my domain. I’ve been planning on making it self-sufficient within the next half a year, at the very least, you see. But if the United Grakas Alliance successfully crosses over to the Eastern Region, I’ll have no choice but to forcefully postpone my plans.” The human’s voice was ice cold. “To be frank, I have no interest in your war, whatever the reason is.”

Commander Azura still could not locate the presence. How was this possible? The magic of this human was comparable to the magic of Captain Stone.

“Human, come out!” Azura growled. “No matter what you do, there’s no stopping this war! Just like I’ve told you, the will of the Beast King is absolute! The United Grakas will reclaim the Eastern Region!”

The human momentarily paused. “Reclaim? I see. So this land once belonged to your people?”

“That’s right!” Azura grabbed his axe and swung it in the air once, creating a gust of wind. “But enough with this petty talk! Come out!”

Azura heard rustling sounds from his left. Soon, three figures emerged. All of them wore full plate armors, the cloaks they wore tattered. There was something eerie about these guys, but Commander Azura was unable to pinpoint it out.

“About time,” said the human. His figure slowly appeared from the darkness of the night. “This is war. You wouldn’t say that four versus one isn’t fair, right?”

Azura finally understood. This puny human was stalling for time for these guys to arrive. But what difference would it make? At the end of the day, humans would still be humans.

The suits of armor walked towards the young man and in unison, knelt down. The one at the middle groaned.

As though he understood what was said, the human nodded. “You’ve successfully completed the mission, huh? Good job.”

He placed a hand at the one at the middle, and the dents, scratches and holes in the armor closed in. He did the same for the other two, reverting them into their original states.

“Let’s start,” The human breathed. “I still have to annihilate the rest of the army after this, so I can’t spare you all of my mana.” He said to the three suits of armor, “Kill him.”

The suits of armor groaned, stood up, and started charging at Azura. It was a direct attack, without strategy or tactics involved.

“These guys are confident with their strength, huh?” Azura snorted. He found it funny that these three humans would even try to contest with him using only pure strength. “Come!”

The suits of armor swung their swords at him, and Azura immediately blocked it one after another using his battle axe. Using his three other arms, Azura would strike the suits of armor with his fist every now and then. Several dents were created on the armors, but his three opponents did now show any signs of taking damage.

What was happening? Shouldn’t the human inside the suit have some of his organs crushed by now?

Azura shook off his thoughts. It did not matter. As long as he kept pummeling these guys, they would eventually die. No matter how tough they were, they were still humans.

Azura gnashed his teeth, raised his battle-axe, and struck the body of the suit of armor next to him. His axe cleaved through half the armor. The feet of his opponent sank several inches deep into the ground from the tremendous impact.

But to his surprise, the suit of armor simply glared at him. It groaned, and stabbed him at the thigh using the sword.

Azura looked at the place where his battle-axe struck. There was no blood. He realized it was hollow inside. He realized these guys were not humans.

“Damn it!” Azura roared and punched the suit of armor at the face. It flew into the air and hit the nearby tree, but immediately stood up and charged again at him afterwards.

Azura pulled out the sword stabbed through his thigh, making his blood spurt out. He tossed it onto the ground. This was nothing. He had been to more perilous situations before.

“There’s no way you guys are immortal!” roared Azura. “Come!”

The battle continued. The three suits of armor continued their attacks despite the dents and cuts in their bodies. Despite his injuries, Azura continued parrying the attacks, retaliating with deathblows every now and then. He could not even charge at Lark, who obviously commanded these puppets. Just blocking the attacks from these three monsters was taking his everything to survive.

After half an hour, the three suits of armor finally fell limp on the ground. Their bodies were cut and dented in several places. One of them tried standing up, before its body quivered and fell down the ground. The light inside their visors started dimming as inaudible groans escaped their lips. They all still wanted to stand up and fight for their master, but their bodies refused to move.

Azura, on the other hand, was still standing. He was huffing, his chest rising and falling rapidly. The battle-axe he held have several chips at the edge, while his entire body was riddled with several cuts and bruises. Blood dripped down the wounds, blanketing the ground he was standing on. Still, despite the injuries, the bloodlust in his eyes continued blazing.

Azura wiped the blood dripping down his mouth. “Now, you’re next, brat.”

Lark, who have been standing on the same place since half an hour ago, did not reply. He simply pointed a finger at the suits of armor lying on the ground. A thread of mana flowed from his finger tip and enveloped the suits of armor.

The suits of armor groaned, their armors clanked, and they started standing up. The cuts on their bodies started closing and the dents reverted.

Although this consumed a lot of mana, this was still far more efficient than using Middle Tier Magic to confront this Commander.

When the suits of armors were finally reverted to their original state, Commander Azura was in stupor. It took him everything just to survive the nonstop onslaught, and now he had to do it all over again, with this battered body of his?

He was livid. As expected, humans loved to play dirty.

“This damn coward,” he growled. “Stop hiding behind those puppets and fight me! Damn human!”

Lark did not bother to give a reply. He flicked his fingers and the suits of armor began their charge.

The three continued their assaults against the injured Commander. This time, the battle went quicker. In less than half an hour, the head of Commander Azura flew into the air, then dropped and rolled on the ground.

Lark noticed that there were tears at the corner of the beastman’s eyes. Was it rage? Frustration? Regret? He did not know. And there was no need to find the answer.

This was war. He needed to devour these invading bastards before they started touching his town.

Lark ordered one of the suits of armor to retrieve the head and put it inside a small leather bag.

Lark looked at the sky. “The moon’s beautiful tonight.”

Two down, three to go. It was finally time to hunt that lizardman bastard. The one that almost killed Gaston.

Lark reserved his mana for this moment.

“Now, Captain Stone,” said Lark. “Where are you?”

Accompanied by his puppets, Lark disappeared through the shadow of the night.

Chapter Thirteen

After killing Commander Azura, Lark immediately regrouped with the hunters from Gahelpa. As he expected, the illusion magic easily worked against the Beastmen. This forest was dense, and with illusion magic to misdirect the opponents, it was easy making them lose their way out.

Lark noticed that one of the hunters had a cut on his back. He was profusely bleeding, his face pallid. He was probably struck by one of the beastmen during the escape, but thanks to Lark’s illusion magic, he managed to keep his life.

“Here,” Lark personally handed him a small vial. “Drink it. It’ll make you feel better.”

The man weakly took the vial, opened the cork and drank the contents. After several seconds, the wound on his back closed on its own. His face started regaining its color.

The man bewilderedly looked at the potion then at the Young Master.

Lark ignored him. He said to Valak, “Sound the horn.”

Valak nodded. “You heard the Young Master! Sound the horn!”

Several hunters took out small pieces of horn from their pouches. After receiving the signal, they blew. A mellifluous sound, which reminded Lark of a growling Red Scar Bear, reverberated through the forest.

As the hunters continued blowing the horns, Lark pointed a finger towards the sky. He channeled his mana through it and an orb of fire, around the size of a fist, manifested itself at its tip. He breathed in and shot the orb of fire towards the sky, creating a transient trail of crimson.

Lark looked at the suits of armor standing nearby. The two groups of beastmen, each led by an adjutant, must be trying their best to find a way out right now.

“Let’s start,” said Lark. “We’ll hunt the beastmen scattered in this forest.”

***

After receiving instructions from the Young Master, the soldiers from Blackstone Town hid themselves in this part of the forest, a good distance away from the campsite of the Beastmen. Everyone was clearly anxious of the upcoming battle. Although beastmen were treated as slaves in the Kingdom, everyone was aware that they were superior in strength when compared to humans.

“Captain Qarat,” whispered a soldier. “Is this really… alright? Those beastmen have greater numbers, right? If we charge at them now…”

We’ll die.

The soldier did not say those words out loud. He was afraid, and he knew that the others were the same.

“We’ve fought with Goblins before, right?” said Captain Qarat. “It’ll be just like that time. Just do what we’ve been doing during training and we’ll be fine.”

Qarat knew that this was not true. He knew that there was a vast difference between Goblins and Beastmen. But keeping the morale of the soldiers was more important right now. He looked at Anandra, who calmly leaned next to a tree. He had been looking at the sky this entire time.

Suddenly, the sound of a horn reverberated through the forest. At the sky, a thread of crimson flew past by.

Everyone stiffened. This was the signal the Young Master told them beforehand.

The thread of crimson flew towards the east. The direction they should head to.

“Assemble the spears!” said Anandra.

“Yes, Commander!”

With practiced movements, the soldiers assembled the spears. It spanned two meters in length, the edge of its blade jagged to increase the damage. On the waist of each soldier, a short sword dangled.

“Move out!”

With Anandra at the lead, the soldiers started moving through the sea of trees. They moved towards the direction the crimson thread in the sky pointed at.

Anandra signaled everyone to stop. He unsheathed his sword and with quick movements, ran through the forest. After five minutes, he returned. The blade of his sword had blood clinging to it.

“I’ve taken care of the scouts,” said Anandra. “I’ve seen their camp. Just like the Young Master predicted, they are preparing to move out.”

As time went by, Anandra could not help but be in awe with the Young Master’s foresight. Everything until now had already been predicted by the Young Master beforehand. Even the route the beastmen were going to take had been taken into account, and various strategies to deal with it had been prepared. If someone told Anandra that the Young Master was the second coming of Rurukashu, the God of War, he would have believed it.

After killing the scouts, under the guidance of Anandra, the soldiers started encroaching the camp. Now, they only have to wait for the next signal before they commenced with their attack.

From their position, they could hear several shouts.

“Captain Stone!” snarled Kael. “Are you out of your mind?! You’re telling us to abandon Commander Azura here? In this damnable forest?! Is that it, huh?!”

Kael unsheathed his scimitars. Tension filled the air as the beastmen around them watched. The silence that followed was deafening.

“That’s right,” said Stone eventually. “You’ve seen the corpse, right? It’s definitely the body of Commander Azura. There’s no mistaking it. Kael, I’m not sure what happened to the warriors who left to chase after those humans – but there’s a very high chance that they’re all dead by now.”

His statement made the beastmen in the camp shiver. There was a clearly horrified look on their faces.

“You damn lizard!” roared Kael. He charged towards Stone then swung his four scimitars. Stone nimbly dodge it left and right.

“From thy light, shadows emerge. Blend,” chanted Stone. Slowly, his figure disappeared. “Listen, Kael. Think about it. If we all die here, there would be no one to notify General Urkawi. Dead men tell no tales! You’re the only officer we have left! These Ogres will not listen to me, an outsider!”

Kael hesitated for a moment. Still, the rage within his eyes continued to blaze. “Is that the same reasoning you had when you abandoned your men in Blackstone Town? Out of the entire Scouts, only four of you came back. Isn’t that right? How pathetic!”

Despite the ridicule, Stone remained unperturbed. He stood his stance.

“Unlike the Vanguard, the role of the Scouts is reconnaissance. Even if we have to sacrifice several lives, we have to live, return and report back! You should realize this by now! We’ve been too far focused on Alexander that we failed to realize that he’s not the only dangerous human in this Kingdom!!”

Kael looked at the beastmen in the camp. Everyone’s morale went down after hearing that Commander Azura had died. Although it was not yet truly confirmed since the head was missing, the body they found in the forest greatly resembled those of the Commander’s.

And now, this lizardman was telling everyone to regroup and return to the Main Army’s camp.

Everyone was torn between the choices.

Silence befell everyone.

“We’re not turning back,” said Kael, finally. “If Commander Azura’s really dead, then we’ll gladly follow him to the grave. Isn’t that right, everyone?!”

The beastmen around him clenched their fists. “That’s right! We’ll follow the Commander until the very last!”

Stone deactivated his magic, revealing himself. He sighed. “Molith, Salith!”

Two lizardmen replied in unison, “Yes!”

“Untether the Burrcats! We’re leaving!”

The lizardmen saluted. “Understood!”

Stone sighed once again. “Won’t you reconsider? There’s no point in dying here.”

Kael snorted. “Leave. We don’t need cowards like you.”

The lizardmen soon arrived with the Burrcats. Stone mounted one of them. “I see. It’s regrettable.” He paused and looked straight at Kael’s eyes. “I don’t hate you, Kael. But this is where we part.”

Just when Stone and his men were about to move out, arrows flew from the sky and struck several beastmen. The Burrcats purred. Metallic sounds echoed as the beastmen unsheathed their weapons.

“We’re under attack! Everyone! On your guard!”

Kael looked left and right. “Damn it! What were the scouts doing?!”

As arrows continued raining down, the sound of a horn was heard. The soldiers of Blackstone Town used that as the cue. They emerged from the shadows of the trees, each of them holding their spears.

“We’re surrounded,” Stone clicked his tongue. “Lizardmen! Follow me! We’re getting out of this place!”

Stone slapped the reigns and the Burrcat sped up. Behind him, the other lizardmen followed. They ran towards the east, the only opening in the encirclement, eventually disappearing from sight.

After Stone and the lizardmen left, the battle in the camp quickly became a melee. The suits of armors from before appeared and started killing beastmen left and right. As they were instructed, three Blackstone Soldiers engaged a single beastman warrior. This way, they were able to bridge the gap in physical strength and experience.

Lark immediately targeted the remaining adjutant. It was a swift encounter. He did not give the remaining officer a chance to prepare and retaliate back. Soon, Kael’s head flew into the air and rolled on the ground.

After seeing the adjutant die, the remaining beastmen went into rage and recklessly charged towards the Blackstone Soldiers. Groans, growls, and cries of rage reverberated as metal clashed against metal. The scent of blood strongly permeated the air.

With no one to lead them, the beastmen easily fell into the hands of Lark and the rest of the soldiers. It was a bloodbath.

After the last beastmen fell, Anandra approached Lark. “Young Master, it seems that some lizardmen managed to escape.”

Lark looked at the campsite littered with corpses. “I know. But it’s fine. I’ve prepared a trap before coming here. We’ll be able to catch up to them in no time.”

The Vanguard Army definitely passed through the area filled with Magic Poison, the lush forest that was now dead and filled with miasma. They must have not noticed it, but the reason why the Blackstone Soldiers who lacked battle experience were able to kill these beastmen was because of this.

It takes a while before the symptoms of Magic Poisoning becomes evident, but all of these beastmen were definitely poisoned, each of them unable to fight with their full potential.

Those lizardmen would soon feel the effects of Magic Poisoning once it aggravated. It would be easy to catch and kill them by then.

“For now, focus on treating the wounded!” He said to the soldiers.

“Yes, Sir!”

Lark said to Captain Qarat, “How many soldiers died?”

Qarat bit his lips. “Eight soldiers, Young Master.”

Despite the preparations made beforehand, several soldiers still died. It was a really small number, if they took into account the enemies this time. If not for Lark, Anandra, and the suits of armor looking out for the Blackstone Soldiers, there would have probably been more casualties.

Lark saw some of the Blackstone Soldiers kneeling and crying next to the corpses. Since the population of the town was really small, everyone knew each local by name or face. Their sense of loss must have been much greater.

But this was a necessary sacrifice. They need to protect their home using their own strength.

These soldiers need to experience what the battlefield was like. An unsheathed sword was nothing but an ornament.

“Recover the dead bodies of the Blackstone Soldiers,” said Lark. “We’ll hold a burial ceremony for them once we get back.”

“Yes.” Qarat bowed his head.

“Anandra," said Lark. “I’ll chase after the lizards that escaped. You shall be in-charge of the Army.”

“Understood!”

Lark looked at the dead bodies of the beastmen scattered on the ground. “Also, I want you to cut off the heads of all the beastmen and bring them back to the town. I have a use for them later.”

Anandra did not question Lark’s order. He simply bowed his head. “As you wish.”

Lark looked at the east. The direction where the lizardmen fled.

“Now, it’s time to chase those lizard bastards.”

Chapter Fourteen

[At the same time when Lark and the Blackstone Soldiers were battling with the Vanguard Army]

The assassin group from Black Midas, the Blood Tachi, made their way towards Blackstone Town. Above, a sparrow made of light flew, leaving a trail of white behind. There was no tracking magic more reliable than this. As long as this sparrow existed, it would eventually lead them towards the place their target previously visited. They relentlessly moved through the plains, eventually arriving at a forest.

“Hey, we’re getting farther from the main road,” said one of the assassins.

Everyone noticed it too, but they continued following the sparrow made of light, regardless. There must have been a reason why it was leading them towards this certain place.

“Stop.” Alfonse raised his hand and everyone halted. The sparrow seemed to have understood it too, as it simply hovered above, flapping its wings.

“Leader?” said Seth.

Alfonse placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. He vigilantly looked around the forest, as though waiting for a monster to pounce at them. He slowly walked towards a nearby tree then touched its bark.

“This is…” mumbled Alfonse. He knocked on it, creating thud sounds. “It has completely turned into a rock.”

Seth narrowed her eyes. “Stone Morphosis Spell? But why use it on a tree? That’s a high tier spell that consumes a lot of mana.”

Alfonse nodded. “Or Petrification Spell. Those two are the only possibilities.”

Seth and the rest of the assassins understood the implications. They all realized the possibility of encountering a strong magician in this forest. After all, those two spells mentioned by the leader were High Tier Spells. Only those near the rank of Royal Court Magician were capable of using it.

“Is it Lark Marcus?” Seth giggled. She felt a hot sensation flowing through her skin the moment she realized this possibility. “If he’s the one who turned that large tree into stone, then we’ll definitely have a fun time killing him! I can’t wait!”

Alfonse sighed. He’d been with her for three years now. He knew that out of all the members of Blood Tachi, Seth was the one who enjoyed slaughter the most. “Enough. Everyone should be on their guard. We might suddenly get attacked by that magician any moment now.”

The members of Blood Tachi nodded.

“Seth,” said Alfonse. “Lead us there.”

“Yes, Yes!” Seth breathed in. She willed the sparrow made of light to move once again.

After moving through the forest for several hours, they arrived at a village. Everyone was vigilant upon seeing the broken gate, splintered woods, scattered arrows, and the traces of blood on the ground.

The marks indicated that a battle had taken place here, at least a week ago, maybe even more than that.

The sparrow of light flew inside the village. Everyone looked at the leader.

“Be on your guard,” said Alfonse. “We’ll go inside.”

Upon entering the village, they realized it was abandoned. There was not a single trace of a living being in this place. Several furniture and equipment were left behind, as though everyone were in a hurry to escape the village.

“What happened here?” said one of the assassins.

This was the same question that ran through everyone’s mind. The sparrow landed at the door step of a cabin. It indicated that their target, Lark Marcus, once stayed in this particular place.

Why did he stay here? What made everyone evacuate this place? What kind of battle took place in this village?

So many questions without an answer.

Everyone looked around the village.

“He’s no longer here.” Alfonse arrived at this conclusion.

Seth clicked her tongue in disappointment.

“Lead us to the next trail of the target,” said Alfonse.

“Okay~” Seth opened her palm. The sparrow flapped its wings several times, flew about for a few moments, then landed on her hand. Seconds lingered and it turned into particles of light.

“Hey, you still have some of those, right?” Seth said to the assassin next to her. “Give it to me.”

The assassin pulled out a small piece of cloth cut from a tunic provided by the inn. One of the possessions left behind by Lark. An item once used by their target.

Seth was about to cast her incantations when a hissing sound reverberated in the village. Everyone immediately placed their hands on the hilt of their swords, their eyes vigilantly looking around.

The hissing sound intensified. Soon, its source made its appearance.

“What the hell is that?” breathed one of the assassins.

It was a colossal snake spanning more than fifty meters in length, probably even reaching more than a hundred, they were not sure. Its body was large enough to swallow an entire horse whole, and its scales which glimmered from the sun gave semblance to plate armors.

But the members of Blood Tachi noticed something peculiar: looking carefully, they could see numerous cut marks covering most of its body. The marks were almost inconspicuous after it healed, but it was there.

“Great,” sighed Seth. “We’re here trying to find that damn noble, but now we’re supposed to face that monster?”

“Seth, shut up,” said Alfonse. He unsheathed his sword. “All of you, prepare for battle. Judging by its size, it’ll be hard to escape from it in this forest. We’ll suffer casualties if we let it run behind our backs. We’re killing it here and now.”

Unsheathing sounds reverberated. The colossal snake hissed. It’s slit-like eyes glared at the humans before it.

“This should be a piece of cake,” said Seth. “Those cut marks were clearly from a sword. Those scales looked really tough, but it’s not impenetrable.”

“Scatter!” shouted Alfonse.

On cue, the members of Blood Tachi scattered. The colossal snake angrily hissed upon seeing this. It swiveled its head left and right, before eventually deciding to attack Alfonse. It lunged at the leader of the assassins, its mouth broadly opened as it attempted to swallow him whole.

Alfonse jumped to his left and evaded the attack. He gripped the hilt of his sword tight, and after clenching his teeth, struck at the snake’s body.

To his surprise, he did nothing but scratch its scale.

The other members of Blood Tachi used this opening. They immediately dashed forward and released a barrage of attacks at the colossal snake. The monster angrily hissed, opened its mouth, then spat out a viscous green fluid.

One of the assassins failed to evade on time. His left shoulder was struck.

“Ahhhhh!” he wailed. The part where the green fluid struck sizzled. Slowly, his entire left arm detached itself and fell to the ground. The assassins who saw this were horrified.

“It’s corrosive!” shouted Alfonse. “Don’t let even a drop of that thing hit you!”

The assassin whose left arm was severed tried to run away, but the monster noticed him. It lunged at him and opened its mouth wide, swallowing him whole. Everyone heard the man’s muffled shouts as it was swallowed by the snake into its belly. Several seconds lingered and the muffled shouts disappeared completely.

“Shit! What the hell is that thing?!” one of the assassins spat. “And we can’t even wound it!” He gripped the hilt of his sword and glared at the blade. “This damn, useless sword!”

“Enough,” said Alfonse. He said to the man next to him, “Oliver. Can you pin him down for us? A few seconds should be enough.”

The assassin nodded. “Understood!”

“I don’t know what kind of monster this thing fought before, but those cut marks on its body haven’t completely healed yet,” said Alfonse. He shouted, “Everyone! Once Oliver pins him down with magic, stab the places with cut marks! Those haven’t fully healed yet! We’ll definitely be able to penetrate its scales!”

Everyone readied their weapons. Oliver spread both his hands wide and channeled his mana through the air. “Oh Goddess Maruna! Struck thy enemy with your wrath! Shackle it with your might!” He roared, “Bind!”

Chains made of wind magic manifested itself. More than half of Oliver’s mana was used just to cast this single spell. The chains coiled around the colossal snake’s body, then latched itself into the ground. The snake tried to slither, but the chains bound its movements.

“Now!” snarled Alfonse.

The assassins immediately leapt into the air and stabbed the body of the colossal snake. Just like their leader predicted, the parts previously wounded before have not completely healed yet. Their swords managed to penetrate it.

They did not know who managed to cut the scales of this monster before, but thanks to him, they now have a chance of killing this beast. They used this chance to plunge their swords deeper into the wounds, making the snake hiss in agony. It tried moving its head left and right, but the chains held it in place.

After several seconds, the chains made of wind formed cracks then shattered into numerous pieces. The snake shook its body violently and tried to bite off the assassins clinging on its body. With trained movements, the assassins pulled out their swords and scattered out.

Blood profusely dripped down the wounds of the colossal snake. The light in its eyes started dimming as it tried to remain standing.

“This thing’s huge,” chuckled Seth. “But it’s weak.”

“What do we do next, leader?” said Oliver. “I can’t cast the binding spell again. I’ve used up almost all of my mana.”

“It’s fine,” said Alfonse. “It’s almost dead. We’ll just wait it out.”

True to his words, the colossal snake angrily hissed for one last time, before its body fell on the ground. Dust flew upon impact.

Alfonse slowly walked towards it. Without hesitation, he stabbed both its eyes to make sure it was dead. He flicked his sword, clearing it of blood, and sheathed it.

Unlike Seth, he did not believe this monster was weak. If not for its previous injuries, they would have probably not beaten it. Or even if they did, they would have suffered more casualties. He felt somehow thankful to the one who wounded this monster.

“It’s regretful that one of us died, but we still have to complete our mission,” said Alfonse. “Seth, your magic.”

Seth brushed off the dust that clung to her black clothes. “Yes, yes.”

She chanted her magic, and another sparrow made of light manifested itself. It flapped its wings as it hovered before its summoner.

“Lead us to that place,” she said. The sparrow slowly flew towards the northwest.

“Let’s go,” said their leader.

Everyone was about to leave the village when another hissing sound echoed. They all reflexively pulled out their weapons then jumped away from the direction of the snake’s corpse. They realized it was not where the hissing sound came from.

“Another one?” Alfonse was grim.

Just like he speculated, another colossal snake made its appearance. But unlike the previous one clad in black scales, the color of this new monster was pure white. Moreover, a third eye was seen on its forehead.

“Damn it! Another one? Is this village a snake’s den or something?!”

“But look, it’s a lot smaller than the one we’ve fought, isn’t it?”

“Yeah! Around half the size, I guess?”

Realizing that it was a lot smaller than the one they’ve killed, everyone felt confident. Moreover, it did not have the same thick scales as the black colossal snake. They were sure that their swords would easily pierce through this snake’s skin.

Only Seth and Alfonse thought differently. They looked at each other.

There were very few serpents with the same matching description. If their hunch was correct, then they would soon face a battle of life-or-death. A battle fiercer than the previous one.

“Leader,” mumbled Seth.

This was the first time Alfonse saw her afraid.

He said, “It’s fine. There’s no way a basilisk would appear in this forest. It’s probably just an oversized monster with three eyes. That’s all.”

Seth nervously swallowed the lump in her throat. “I-I see… That must be true.”

But they were soon proved incorrect.

Upon reaching the dead body of the black colossal snake, the white snake hissed violently. Tears were seen at the corner of its eyes at it glared at the humans. Its third eye glowed, and to their utter horror, some of the assassins started turning into stone.

Alfonse was the quickest to react. He pulled Seth away from the range of the spell. After several seconds, all of the assassins aside from Alfonse and Seth have turned into stone.

Seth’s eyes were wide as she stared at this in horror. She wailed, “I-It’s a Basilisk! What is a Calamity Class Monster doing in this place?!”

When she turned to Alfonse, she noticed that his left leg had turned into stone. She knew that this was because of her, because he tried to save her even when he could have escaped by himself.

“Leader! Y-Your leg!” she was hysterical.

Alfonse mustered up a smile. “I’m fine.” He looked at the direction of the white basilisk. It started crushing the stone statues of his comrades, one by one. “You should run while it’s busy crushing those guys.”

“B-But!” Tears started flowing down her eyes. “I can’t leave you here, Leader! What about the mission?! No, that’s no longer important! I can’t let you die here! We’ll escape together!”

The basilisk finally finished crushing the statues. It slowly turned its head towards them, its three eyes glaring at their direction. Alfonse growled, “Listen, you damn bitch! I told you to run away! Now!”

Seth also looked at the direction of the white basilisk. Her mind was screaming at her to run, but her entire body remained rooted on the ground. In her heart, she could not bear to leave the leader behind.

Seconds which seemed like eternity passed. Seth gritted her teeth and pulled out a dagger. “I’ve decided. I’m not leaving you here! We’ll kill Lark Marcus after this – together! You can’t die yet, Leader!”

Alfonse groaned. He tried to move, but the petrified leg started forming cracks.

“The third eye’s the source of that damn basilisk’s magic, right?” declared Seth. “As long as I destroy that part, it should be possible to kill that monster!”

“Wait! That’s not the—”

But Seth did not listen. She dashed forward and jumped straight towards the basilisk’s head. She gripped her dagger tight and stabbed the third eye of the monster. Blood spurted out.

“I did it!”

But her joy was short-lived. The white basilisk hissed and cast its spell. Seth felt her entire body stiffen, she fell down the ground, then turned completely into stone. But peculiarly, she could still clearly see everything. She could still feel the cold, hard ground. She was still alive.

But she could not move.

The white basilisk slithered forward, its large body creating a shadow over Seth’s petrified body. Seth heard Alfonse shout, and she heard cracking sounds, quickly followed by a roar. This did not last even a few seconds, before silence once again returned to the forest.

Alfonse probably tried charging at the white basilisk despite his petrified leg, only to be turned completely into stone by the monster’s magic.

Seth wanted to cry, to wail, but no tears came out.

The white basilisk hissed, and with great force, crushed her petrified body.

Chapter Fifteen

Mikael’s stomach grumbled as he sat cross-legged inside the dungeon. He’d been locked up here for a more than a week already. Every day, he was forced to eat nothing but stale bread and water. Although he was a knight and his body was stronger than most people, he was starting to feel the effects of emaciation. His cheeks had become sunken and dark marks encircled his eyes.

For the King. I have to endure. Just a bit more.

With his skills, it would have been easy to escape this underground jail, but doing so would blow his cover. Furthermore, the allegations and suspicious cast on him would be solidified once he escaped.

Mikael breathed in. This place was dark. No windows. The air was humid and stale.

Metallic sounds echoed, and the iron gate of the dungeon creaked open. Several footsteps reverberated.

Mikael momentarily squinted his eyes when the light from torches touched his cell. Five people stood outside his jail.

“Is that him, Sir?” A guard asked the fat man next to him.

The fat man nodded. “That’s definitely my client.” He glared at the guards and snarled. “He looks famished! You should have at least fed him!”

The guards jumped from the sudden holler.

The fat man shouted, “What are you waiting for?! Release him!”

Immediately, the guards took out the keys and unlocked the cell. They nervously approached Mikael and bowed their heads. “W-We’re sorry, Sir! We had to lock you up make sure that—”

“—Enough!” the fat man shoved the guards away and approached Mikael. He scrutinized the prisoner from head to toe. He sighed. “I’m sorry. By the time I woke up, it’s been already more than a week since that incident. Who would have thought that these imbeciles will lock you up?”

With the torches illuminating the entire cell, the fat man’s apologetic face was apparent. Mikael knew this man well. Big Bun, the leader of One Stop Clop. Also the brother of Big Mona, the Head Merchant of the Lion City.

Almost two weeks ago, hell befell the garrisons stationed next to the Lake of the Full Moon. Despite the presence of a Myonite Stone, monsters still attacked the soldiers, their numbers bordering tens of thousands. It was a number enough to overthrow the entire Capital.

Luckily, the soldiers had a backup plan in-case the Myonite failed to work during a full moon. The leader of the soldiers quickly ordered his men to retreat back to the Lion City. Dozens of soldiers lost their lives that day, and it was a miracle that Mikael and this fat merchant actually managed to escape and survive.

Unfortunately, Big Bun was gravely injured during the escape, and it took him several days before he finally woke up after the treatment. Naturally, the suspicious eyes of the soldiers fell on Mikael, a serf. They locked him up to be sure, at least until Big Bun finally woke up.

“Money is the law,” said Big Bun. “As a merchant, it hurts my pride that my client’s been locked up here because of my mistakes. Like I’ve told you before, you’ll be under the protection of my caravan until you reached Blackstone Town. I’ve failed as a merchant. Forgive me.”

Mikael’s eyes momentarily widened upon seeing Big Bun bowing his head to him. He disliked this fat man because of his greed for money, but it seemed that he, too, have his pride and convictions.

Mikael shook his head. He still had his act as a serf to play. “It’s fine, honorable Sir. I totally understand.” He stood up and pretended to wobble. Big Bun immediately grabbed his arm and helped him stand.

“Are you alright?” said the merchant. “Damn it. This is really hurting my pride. What a blunder.” He shouted at the guards, “Prepare the bath and make a sumptuous feast! Now!”

The guards stiffened. “Yes, Sir!”

“And you—” Big Bun said to the guard next to him. “Lead me to where my brother is.”

“Understood!”

***

Since Big Bun was the brother of the Head of the Merchant Guild, everyone immediately heeded his orders. Although Mikael was under the guise of a serf, several servants assisted him in taking a bath. After his body was cleansed, he was immediately led to a room inside the Merchants Guild. A sumptuous feast enough for a dozen men had been already prepared.

Upon seeing this, Mikael’s stomach grumbled. Despite being a knight, eating nothing but stale bread for several days made him unconsciously salivate.

“Please eat to your heart’s content.” A servant led him to a seat.

Mikael sat down and began eating to his heart’s content. The food prepared here were almost comparable to the ones prepared in Behemoth City’s Castle.

The door of the room opened and several men entered. Big Bun was among them. After looking at the fat man next to Big Bun, Mikael immediately knew that he was the brother and the Head of the Merchant Guild. Their semblance was so high that it was uncanny to even mistake them as strangers.

“Is that the serf locked up by my men?” said Big Mona, haughtily. Unlike Big Bun, he looked at Mikael condescendingly. “You still haven’t changed, little brother. I do understand that he’s a client, but to think that you’ll allow him to partake in our little feast.”

Big Bun frowned. “This is my pride as a merchant. He paid. And I promised him that I’ll take him back to his old man. I will not go back on my word, big brother.”

Big Mona arrogantly waved his hand as he sighed. “Fine. I’m hungry. Let’s eat.”

The two sat down, together with the men that arrived with them. Mikael silently listened as he ate. After following their discussions, he learned that the men sitting in this room were all prominent merchants of the Lion City.

He could feel the discontent of the merchants around him. They surely did not like having a mere serf sharing a table with them. But since Big Bun himself allowed Mikael to partake in this feast, they did not even dare spout a single word about it.

“I’m glad you survived that incident.” Big Mona spoke, his mouth still full of meat. “When I heard the news, I immediately mobilized my personal army to rescue you. Thank God the Commander of the garrison’s smart enough to immediately escape. I plan on giving him a reward later.”

Big Bun frowned. “I don’t even want to remember that incident. I’ve never been so close to death in my entire life. I’m just glad that those monsters come out only during a full moon. Otherwise, this City would have been reduced to rubbles long ago.”

Mikael could still vividly remember everything. The tens of thousands of monsters coming out of the lake. The humanoid wolf standing at its center. Once he gets to Blackstone Town, he would write a report about it to the King.

“Ah, I’ve heard of a peculiar news, brother,” said Big Bun. “Is it true that you visited the Lord’s Castle? That you personally met that damnable Valcres?”

The hatred within Big Bun’s voice was apparent. Back in the Capital, Mikael heard from Big Bun that the Lord of this City had a weird fetish for beastmen meat. It was among the things he decided to investigate and include in his reports later.

Big Mona paused. His eyes narrowed. “I didn’t like to, but it’s not like I have a choice. Bun, have you heard of the Bloodstone before?”

“Of course,” said Big Bun. “It’s the dream of all Alchemists. The ultimate potion capable of healing even the gravest of wounds. But that thing is a mere legend. It’s impossible to create a miracle drug of such quality.”

Big Mona sipped from his goblet. He breathed in. “If I do things right, I might get my hands on that thing.”

Everyone in the room froze, including Mikael. The claim of Big Mona was preposterous.

“W-What are you talking about?” Big Bun stuttered.

Big Mona paused and looked at the merchants. “Everyone of you here are my trusted comrades.” He momentarily looked at Mikael but quickly averted his gaze, as though dismissing the presence of a mere serf. “All of you have been with me even when we were mere upstarts, merchants without any power or background. I trust that all of you will keep this a secret.”

Big Mona took out a small vial from his pocket and placed it on top of the table. “This here is a potion comparable to the one created by the Master Herbalist and Alchemists in the Capital.” He momentarily paused. “No, it’s even better than that.”

“Its vial is different from those kept in the King’s Castle.” Big Bun noticed. “Are you telling us that a different group made that thing?”

“Exactly,” said Big Mona. “This potion is capable of healing cuts in a matter of seconds. And I’ve just gained the formula on how to create this one – en masse.”

Everyone held their breaths.

“T-Then we can compete with the Capital! We’ll easily gain enough power to rival the Merchant Guild in Behemoth City!”

“Please order us to immediately procure the materials, Sir!”

“That’s right!”

Big Mona slammed his fist on the table. Everyone quieted down. “This thing’s nothing but garbage when compared to the real thing.”

“Real thing?” said Big Bun.

“That’s right.” Big Mona nodded. “If I successfully help that damn brat in defending his town from those beastmen, I’ll be getting my hands on the Bloodstone.”

Although Lark called the promised medicine a middle-grade potion, Big Mona was sure that it was the legendary Bloodstone. After all, only a bloodstone could display healing power far greater than this potion he currently held in his hand.

Big Mona continued with his story. According to him, the Lord of Blackstone Town requested him for a thousand soldiers to help repel the invasion of beastmen. It was a peculiar request, since according to their intel, the Valley of Witches had yet to fall in the hands of the United Grakas Alliance. As long as Alexander was alive, the beastmen would be unable to penetrate the Eastern Region of the Kingdom.

But the peculiarity of the request did not matter to the merchants. What mattered was the reward. And if the reason behind the request was indeed true, then they would also benefit from it. After all, Blackstone Town was close to Lion City. If the beastmen had indeed managed to penetrate that far into the Kingdom’s territory, then it would only be a matter of time before they targeted Lion City.

As Mikael listened to the conversation, his interest of Lark Marcus grew. That young noble single-handedly stirred up these merchants, and now, he was requesting for a thousand soldiers to repel the invasion from United Grakas Alliance.

Could he actually do it? Judging by the story, it seemed that the army of beastmen numbered more than ten thousand.

And there was also the fact that Lark Marcus was the one who gave the recipe for the healing potion to Big Mona. Where did he get it? Did he steal it from the Herbalist Association? From the Capital?

There were so many questions that needed an answer.

That young noble was dubbed as incompetent by all other nobles and competitors for the throne. Even his daughter, Elaine, believed that Lark Marcus had the least possibility of winning the competition for the throne.

Mikael’s instinct was screaming at him that there was something wrong with the rumors.

“So, what happened with the meeting with Valcres?” said Big Bun.

Big Mona grinned. “It took me some sacrifices, but I managed to convince the damn bastard. He’ll be lending me eight hundred soldiers. For the remaining two hundred, I’ll personally provide it by hiring the small mercenary guilds in the City.”

“You bribed him with beastmen meat, huh?” Big Bun conjectured.

“Close enough.” Big Mona nodded. “But that alone wouldn’t be enough.” He grinned. “I gave him an offer he wouldn’t be able to refuse. Who would have thought that that event in the past would have its use? Amusing.”

Big Bun seemed to have understood what his brother was saying. “That thing, huh? He wouldn’t be able to refuse you if you told him that. As expected of my brother.”

The two laughed, and the rest of the merchants joined in. Mikael could not believe his luck that he was allowed to partake in this feast, giving him the perfect opportunity to eavesdrop in such important topics. He could already see the reaction of the King once he reported these findings

Big Bun looked at him. “Mikael.”

Mikael acted afraid and lightly lowered his head. “Sir?”

“Good news,” said Big Bun. “The army will depart tomorrow morning. You can come together with them towards that place. And since it’s a promise, I’ll personally come with you and take you to Blackstone Town. You’ll see your old man soon. How about it?”

Mikael meekly replied, “I’m really grateful, Sir.”

Chapter Sixteen

Stone and his men relentlessly made their way back towards the Main Army’s Camp. They continued slapping the reigns of the Burrcats, not bothering to stop to recuperate even for a while. Unlike the optimistic Kael, he did not believe those beastmen stood a chance against the humans. There was no way they’ll be able to win against those numbers, now that Commander Azura was gone. The best course of action now was to go back and report this incident to the General. Although this may seem cowardly, this was his task as the Captain of the Scouts.

“Captain, can’t we rest for a bit?” Molith complained. She was huffing as she desperately clung to her mount. For some reason she could not explain, strength kept seeping out of her entire body.

Stone noticed it too. Even he was finding it hard to keep moving onward, as though an invisible force was sucking away his mana. If this went on, he would eventually lose consciousness and collapse.

“We’re not stopping,” said Stone. He slapped the reigns, the burrcat neighed, and they sped up through the plains. The grasses swayed westward from the assault of the wind. “We need to reach the main camp as soon as possible and report everything to the General.”

There was something peculiar about that town – about those humans.

Damn it. If only Commander Azura listened to me. If only I didn’t tell him that the Human Commander is probably stronger than him. Then maybe…

Stone regretted the fact that they did not wait for the reinforcements to arrive. The additional one thousand beastmen would have made a tremendous impact in the outcome of the battle. Against such number, the previous tactic of surprise ambush, using only a handful number of soldiers in the middle of the forest, would have been near impossible to successfully pull through.

So in the end, your foolishness was your bane, Commander.

Stone clicked his tongue. Dead men tell no tales. He had to live and fully recount the details of this battle.

“Salith!" A shout reverberated.

Stone looked back and saw that his men stopped in their tracks. And he immediately saw the reason why. Salith was lying on the grass-carpeted ground, her chest rising and falling down repeatedly. She kept clutching her chest, her body squirming every now and then. He pulled the reigns of his mount and halted.

“Salith!” Molith jumped down her mount and crouched next to her twin sister. “What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

Salith turned over and vomited on the ground. “Go on without me. I’ll stay here and rest.”

Stone approached his men. He crouched down and touched the chest of Salith. He frowned. He turned to the two remaining beastmen. “Tell me, are you two experiencing it too? The sensation of your mana being slowly pulled out of you.”

The two beastmen momentarily widened their eyes. The description of their Captain was spot on.

“Yes.” They both bobbed their heads.

Stone groaned. He realized that all of them have been poisoned. But how did their enemy do it? He racked his brain but could not find the reason how.

“We’ll make camp here,” he said finally. “I’m not sure what kind of poison those humans used on us, but one thing is sure – it’s continuously sucking away our mana.”

Stone took out a vial from his pouch. Molith stared at it.

“Make her take a sip of this thing here,” said Stone.

Molith froze. “B-But Captain! That’s a paralyzing potion!”

Stone nodded. “Exactly. This thing blocks the flow of mana in the body of those who drinks it. It’s the same paralyzing potion I gave that old man before. The poison inflicted on us sucks away our mana. If this is true, then this paralyzing potion should temporarily halt the progression of the disease. It won’t cure it, but it’ll make us last until we arrive at the Main Camp.”

The theory of the Captain made sense. As expected of the Captain of the Scouts – he immediately formulated a solution to the problem despite not knowing the exact poison inflicted on them.

Molith’s hands shook as she helped Salith take a sip from the vial. Seconds passed and turned into minutes. The effect of the paralyzing potion became apparent. Although Salith was unable to move, the symptoms from before had significantly lessened somewhat.

It seemed that the mana blocking effect of the potion counteracted the poison inside Salith’s body. Molith sighed in relief upon seeing this.

“Thank you, Captain,” she said.

Stone looked at the sky. It was already dusk. Although he still wished to move back to the main camp, the current circumstances did not permit him to. He was trying his best to not show it, but he could also feel the effects of the poison inflicted on them. He did not wish to take the paralyzing potion as temporary antidote, since it would slow him down tremendously. He decided to save it as last resort.

“Pitch the tent.” He said to Molith and the other beastman. “I’ll prepare our meal.”

“Understood!”

Despite their sluggish movements, the three started to move.

Stone made campfire and started roasting the tiny piece of meat jerky they have left. He mixed it with the remaining water from his flask and made a soup. This was the last food they have remaining. Unfortunately, aside from the birds that have been hovering above them for quite some time now, there were no animals around. Stone wished the Gods would at least provide them with a hunt – even a rabbit or a frog would suffice.

Inside his mind, he cursed the damnable humans for burning the rations down. Resisting the unknown poison would have been easier with a full stomach.

While they were eating their meal, Molith asked Stone, “Captain, once we get back to the main army…” She paused after almost swallowing her next words, “We’ll be executed, wouldn’t we?”

Stone stared straight at her eyes. He could see the fear inside. He decided to be honest to the lizard. “Most probably, Yes.”

Although they fled the battle for the sake of reporting back, it was still an act punishable by death. Stone already knew the outcome of his decision the moment he decided to flee from that nightmare.

“But worry not, Molith,” said Stone. “I will ask the General to spare the three of you. After all, it was my decision as your Captain that made you flee that battlefield.”

Stone’s subordinates immediately protested. They almost dropped the bowl of soup they held in their hands.

“I won’t allow that!” shouted Molith. “It’s obviously the fault of Commander Azura! Why should the Captain be executed because of that musclehead’s—”

“—Enough!” interjected Stone. “The rules of the Third Legion are absolute! As long as the General receives my message, I don’t mind being executed afterwards! This is my pride as the Captain of the Scouts!”

Molith seemed not convinced. Stone reiterated, “Listen. We’re still not safe until we reach the main army. Those humans are probably searching for us even now. In the event that I die, it’ll be your duty to pass on what we’ve found out about those humans. Make sure the General does not take them lightly. Don’t let him make the same mistake as Commander Azura. Do you understand?!”

Molith willed back the tears from her eyes. Unable to utter a word, she simply nodded her head once.

Stone finally sighed in relief upon seeing it. He wished that his body would last longer. He wished it’ll be able to keep going at least until they reached the main army. Even now, he could feel his mana leaking out of his body.

The symptoms are really similar to Magic Poisoning. But it doesn’t make sense. How did those damnable bastards poison us?

Several questions kept popping inside his head, but he was unable to answer all of them.

He noticed that all of his men have fallen asleep already. They were probably greatly affected by the poison, more than he thought. He wryly smiled. “I guess I’m tonight’s watch.”

Stone gently carried the sleeping members of his team inside the tent. Looking at them, he felt like a father. If he had a child, would it be like this?

Stone smiled.

Upon getting out of the tent, Stone heard the chirping of birds above. He frowned. He was sure those things were the same birds from before.

Why do they keep following us?

An idea dawned to him.

He shuddered.

What if those birds have been keeping watch on their group this entire time?

Stone shook his head. Impossible. Animal tamers capable of such an advance skill were rare even in the United Grakas Alliance. There was no way they would encounter a human with those same skills in that desolated town. At most, the best those couriers could do was deliver messages.

I must be getting paranoid. Damn it.

Stone shook off the thought from his mind. He breathed in the cold breeze of the night then sat down cross-legged on the grass-carpeted ground. He closed his eyes as a part of his consciousness stayed awake and kept watch.

Footsteps?

Stone opened his eyes and grabbed his scimitar. He looked around. No one was there. Only the grasses, which swayed left and right from the wind, were in sight.

“Oh, are they sleeping? Those companion of yours.” A chilly voice was heard. “What a pity. But I guess this is enough for now.”

Stone unsheathed his weapon. “Who are you? Show yourself!”

There was momentary silence. Stone was sure that the owner of the voice was staring straight at him. “Thankfully, the poison’s been effective thus far. It would have been hard to catch you guys if you kept moving forward.”

“Show yourself!” shouted Stone. Behind him, he could feel that his comrades started waking up.

“You used a similar magic to infiltrate my territory, didn’t you?” said the voice. The anger within it was palpable. “Not only that. You dared harm my people.”

Without warning, a fist struck Stone’s face. His neck bent sideways, his body conceded, and he flew and rolled through the ground several times. The impact was so tremendous that he felt numb all over. It was though he was struck with a sledgehammer.

By now, his men have woken up from all the clamor. They went out of their tents and upon seeing their Captain sprawled on the floor, they immediately pulled out their weapons.

Stone wanted to warn them – to tell them to run, but only inaudible words came out. If only he was in perfect condition, then escaping would be possible.

But I still have to try.

Just when he was about to cast his invisibility magic, vines popped out of the ground and ensnared his legs. He tried pulling them out but failed.

Stone instinctively looked up. He shuddered when he saw several swords made of fire hovering above. He knew to whom those things were pointed to.

“Run!” He shouted.

But it was too late.

The swords of fire shot at his men, piercing their chests. As though that was not enough, their bodies were soon engulfed by flames. Their cries and wails echoed as the flames licked their bodies. Eventually, they fell down the ground, scorched and lifeless.

Stone noticed that the tent where Salith was recuperating was also on fire. For a moment, he heard a cry for help coming out of it.

Stone clenched his fists. He felt powerless. He could do nothing but watch as his men succumbed to their banes. Even now, he could not pull himself out of these shackles.

“The old man you took hostage before,” said the voice. “He’s someone like a family to me, you see.”

Stone could feel the hatred directed at him.

Slowly, a figure manifested himself right in front of him. A human. A young man with short silver hair and cold, blue eyes.

Upon locking eyes with the human, Stone froze. He could not move even his fingertips. Was this magic, or was this absolute fear after seeing those predatory eyes? He was not sure.

“I still need your head so I won’t be burning you,” the human whispered in his ear. “But the same isn’t true with the rest of your body.”

The human took out a small seed from his pouch. His hand blurred and it pierced through Stone’s chest, along with the seed. Stone tried screaming in pain but no words came out. Inside his body, he could feel the seed forming roots and expanding. It was as though several worms were continuously squirming inside him. It was a disgusting feeling.

“Flowers,” said the human. “Bloom for me.”

On cue, the roots of the seed expanded further. They pierced through the different parts of Stone’s body, eventually forming vines and leaves. Seconds lingered and flowers started blooming. A sweet fragrance wafted through the air.

Aside from the head, the entire body of Captain Stone had turned into a plant. A beautiful one filled with fragrant flowers.

The human pulled out his sword and cut off the lizardman’s head. He then placed it inside a small sack.

He sighed. “It took me almost three days to catch these guys, huh?”

He looked up. The night sky was moonless tonight.

“I should head back. It’s just about time for my reinforcements to arrive.”

Chapter Seventeen

The time for departure towards Blackstone Town arrived. A thousand-strong army, which consisted mainly of soldiers from the city and several mercenaries, gathered at the outskirt of Lion City. The news of an armed force marching towards a certain town in the East reached the ears of many. Near the gates, several onlookers gathered.

“Brother, are you really coming with us?” said Big Bun. “If what that young noble said in the letter was true, then war could break out at any time. It’s too dangerous.”

Big Mona took a large bite from the bread in his hand. He spat, “It’ll be fine. These guys will protect me no matter what.”

Behind Big Mona were the elites of his personal army. Big Bun knew those guys very well. Even a seasoned veteran from the Mercenary Guild would have a hard time defeating even a single one of them. Seeing that they would tag along, he could rest assured somewhat.

“I see.” Big Bun looked at the army gathered outside the City. It was actually an amazing feat – gathering these men – since the Lake of the Full Moon Incident occurred just recently. According to their intel, a large bulk of the soldiers of Lion City was sent to fortify the defenses around that place, just in case monsters started invading the city borders.

Big Mona leaned closer to his little brother. He whispered, “Listen. If war do breaks out, leave quickly. Our priority is not to win the war, but to secure Lark Marcus — to make sure he stays alive. If he dies, the bloodstone disappears together with him. Do you understand?”

Big Bun nodded. This meant one thing: Right now, the life of Lark Marcus was secondary only to his and his big brother’s. It was an understandable fact, since the man could potentially hold the key to unlocking the secrets of that legendary artifact – the bloodstone. The elixir capable of healing the gravest of wounds. The so-called elixir of life.

Big Bun tested the Low-Grade Potion before. Indeed, it was comparable to the Healing Potion created by the Alchemists in the Capital. No, it was probably even better than that.

They have to get their hands on the so-called Middle-Grade Potion, no matter what.

A rough-looking man with numerous scars on his face approached the two merchants. Had they not known any better, they would have mistaken him for a forest bandit.

“Sir, the preparations are complete.” The man lightly bowed his head.

“Commander Daltos, good job.” Big Mona tapped the man’s shoulder. “Order everyone to move out.”

“Yes, Sir!”

After receiving their instructions, the army started moving out of the city’s outskirt. Several carts filled with rations followed the infantry, while the cavalry led the front.

All of the soldiers have been briefed of the goal of this expedition – that they were here to block the advance of the Beastmen towards the Kingdom. But not everyone believed this. They were all aware that the Valley of Witches have not fallen yet from the hands of the enemies. As long as Alexander was blocking those damnable beastmen’s path, there was no way for them to even step foot on the soil of this Kingdom.

But since the commission provided by the Lord’s Castle and the Merchant Guild was overgenerous, the soldiers willingly accepted the task. The same went for the mercenaries hired from numerous small guilds within the City.

The deal was that even if the army from the United Grakas Alliance did not come, everyone in this army would still get their share of profit. A win-win situation for everyone.

With haste, the army relentlessly marched, stopping only to recuperate several hours after dusk.

After four days, they finally reached Blackstone Town. This could already be considered a feat for such a large army composed mostly of infantry. After all, it would normally take five to seven days to reach the town by foot. By cart, it would two days at most.

Mikael looked out of the cart he was riding in. Just as described in the reports given to him personally by the King, the town was located next to the wilderness. One needed to pass through a thick forest, then through a small plain, before arriving at the town.

The arrival of the army caused a commotion over the residents of Blackstone Town. Most of the locals hid in their homes, while the younger men went to the town’s border to meet the officials of the Army. Leading them was an old man wearing a suit.

“Welcome. We’ve been expecting you,” said the old man. “I’m sorry that we’re unable to give a proper greeting, honorable Sirs. This town is undergoing massive reconstructions, after all.”

Mikael doubted the ‘we’ve been expecting you’ part of the old man’s statement. Most likely, the old man was the only one who knew the arrival of this army. This was apparent after just looking at the terrified and wary faces of the people behind him.

“My name is Gaston.” The old man bowed his head. “And the Young Master ordered me to lead our esteemed guests to the Lord’s Mansion to partake in a small feast.”

Big Mona and Commander Daltos stepped forward.

“Big Mona,” said the fat merchant. He looked around, as though expecting to see a familiar face among the crowd. “I came here after receiving the request of your master. Where is he?”

Gaston bowed his head lightly. “I’m sorry, but the Young Master is currently unavailable at the moment.”

“Unavailable?” Big Mona raised a brow.

“Yes.” Gaston’s back remained ramrod straight. “He’s been gone for more than a week now after leading the soldiers to intercept the invading beastmen army.”

Despite his old age, the voice of Gaston was loud and clear. Several soldiers froze upon hearing the story – and Mikael was among them.

Intercept the beastmen army? So, it was true then? These questions ran through the minds of everyone who heard what the old man said.

Surprisingly, Big Mona accepted this reasoning. Instead, he asked a completely unexpected question in return. “He’s not dead, is he?”

Gaston’s eyes glimmered for a moment. “Ah, of course not. The Young Master is the embodiment of wisdom. He wouldn’t die just like that.”

It was a hyperbolic statement, but it was apparent in the eyes of the old man that he believed each of the words he just spouted.

Embodiment of Wisdom was a description totally contrary to what people thought of the second son of Duke Drakus. To the nobles in the Capital, he was nothing but an arrogant brat that knew nothing of his bounds. Mikael was sure that the other candidates to the throne did not even see him as a competitor at all.

Mikael was starting to get curious of this so-called Lark Marcus.

“Embodiment of wisdom?” chuckled Big Mona. “That brat?” He shrugged. “Well, I’ve got to admit that that one’s shrewd, like a fox. You said you prepared a feast for us?”

Gaston momentarily closed his eyes. “Of course.”

“I’m hungry. We’re going to eat,” declared Big Mona. “Dalton, command the army to make camp outside the town. This place’s too small to accommodate everyone.”

“Understood!”

“Bun,” said Big Mona. “Come.”

Big Bun fixed his collar upon the mention of his name. “Yes, brother!” He briskly walked towards Mikael then flashed a smile. “I guess this is where we part. You are no longer under the protection of my caravan. Go. See you your old man!”

Big Bun slapped Mikael’s back then jogged towards his brother. After a while, the officials of the Army aside from Dalton disappeared with the old man.

To Mikael, this made things much easier. From now on, he could move freely and assess this candidate for the throne. Just thinking that he could serve the King once more filled him with pride and joy.

While the soldiers were busy making camp, Mikael entered the town.

It seemed that the reason why the army was here was finally explained to the locals. He could see several men and women, children included, coming out of their homes and curiously looking at the army camped outside the town.

“H-Hey, the Young Master’s safe, right?”

“Of course! Father’s with him! He told me that he’ll protect the Lord!”

“But to think that the Young Master managed to bring this much reinforcement. I somehow feel we could really defeat those lizards! As expected of the Young Master!”

His tattered old clothes and his common-looking face made it easy for Mikael to blend with the locals. As he surveyed the town, he listened to the conversations of the residents every now and then.

He had not expected the residents to be this amicable to the young noble. According to the reports from the Capital, the noble called Lark Marcus was a devil incarnate. An abomination hated by everyone. But after listening to just these few conversations, it seemed that the rumors were not totally true.

Mikael especially took note of the word ‘lizard.’

Judging by the way the residents talked about those beastmen, it seemed like they’ve encountered those guys before. It was as though they personally saw those barbarians eye-to-eye.

I’ll include this in my report later.

Mikael kept looking around the town, all the while carefully blending himself with the locals. He realized that the road was becoming more paved as he went deeper in. It was not cobbled, but made of a different material entirely. It was as though the road itself had solidified into a single piece of flat rock. By estimate, this road could probably accommodate four carriages running side by side. It was a road comparable to those seen in major cities – probably even better than that.

He was still busy observing the road when he finally arrived at the Eastern District. Numerous houses were being built here and there. But what surprised Mikael the most was not those things, but the dirt used to build them. It was probably made of soil or clay. He was not sure. The workers would put solid blocks on top of each other. In their middle was the peculiar clay.

Would these houses actually hold using such method? Mikael doubted this at first, but soon realized that the houses around him were all uniformly built. Therefore, those finished houses he saw here and there were made of the same materials.

Mikael approached one of the finished houses. He knocked on the wall. It was firm and solid.

For a moment, he fell silent.

Mikael did not know much about construction works, but he was sure of one thing: This clay – or whatever it was called – was a revolutionary item capable of improving the lives of everyone in the Kingdom.

He had never seen such a convenient method of building structures before. Based on what he heard from the conversations of the workers, it seemed that these clay needed only several hours in order to harden like rocks.

“Ah, Anthony! You’re delivering food to the Mines again, eh?”

Mikael saw a child pulling a wooden cart. It was filled with small crates at the top.

“Of course!” The child grinned, showing an incomplete set of teeth. “I’ve earned quite a bit of money last week! I’ll treat you to some jerky once I got my next pay, Uncle! Look forward to it!”

“Treat me to some chicken from the Poultry Farm instead! Come to my house! I’ll cook it for you!”

“Hey! That’s too expensive!”

Laughter filled the air.

Mikael’s thoughts wandered somewhere else.

Poultry farm? There was a poultry farm in this small town? That was not written in the report. As far as he knew, this was a desolated town with literally nothing to offer.

And… Mines? There’s no record of any Mines in Blackstone Town.

Mikael decided to follow the child.

After walking through the Endless Forest, he finally arrived at that place. A cavern whose size was hard to estimate. He could see several men coming and going, and after seeing the child called Anthony, they all cheered.

“The free porridge from the Mansion’s here! Finally!”

The workers dropped their pickaxes and approached the child.

“Hey, what’s the toppings this time?”

The child grinned. He opened a large sack next to the crates. “Guess?”

“Meat jerky?” The workers were enthusiastic.

The child shook his head. “It’s eggs!”

The workers clenched their fists and cheered upon hearing it. Mikael could sympathize with these guys. After all, eggs were a luxury. Commoners could probably eat only one or two of it in a week. At least, that was the norm in the Capital.

Mikael silently observed the miners as they ate their fill.

Something’s wrong.

Mikael frowned.

The Black Famine struck the entire Kingdom last harvest season. Those pesky insects destroyed the crops, sparing no one regardless of rank. According to the reports, the famine extended its claws even to some cities in the Empire. Mikael was sure that this desolated town was among those that were affected.

But what’s going on?

These miners were all obviously well-fed. There were no signs of emaciation at all. It was as though this particular town had been spared from the famine several months ago. The same could be said of the locals he passed by along the way.

As Mikael continued listening to the laughter-filled conversations, he soon learned the truth.

The Lord is feeding all of his subjects? At least until the next harvest arrives?

Mikael could not believe it. Even in the Capital, anyone would be hard-pressed to find a noble like that. In Behemoth City, there was a clear demarcation between the nobles and commoners. Those in the upper echelons never batted an eye even when their subjects were dying from hunger due to the Black Famine.

He was plagued with so many questions after stepping in this town for only a short period of time. Mikael remembered the decree of the King. It was indeed a wise decision to personally send the knights to assess the candidates.

The rumors surrounding Lark Marcus…

He had not met the young man himself, but he had seen things with his own eyes. The rumors were not entirely true. Those laughing faces. Those eyes filled with vigor. Subjects ruled with tyranny would never show such faces.

“Hey, are you a new worker?” a bearded man noticed him.

Mikael broke out of his thoughts. He was too careless. Lost in his thoughts, he failed to properly hide his presence. “Ah, that is…”

“Never seen you before.” The bearded man scrutinized him from head to toe. “I’m pretty much familiar with the faces of the locals.”

Mikael was about to utter an excuse when the man suddenly laughed. “Gahahaha! It’s fine! No need to be so stiff! See little Anthony over there?”

Mikael looked at the child handing out the ‘free’ porridge and eggs. He noticed that the eggs were not given whole, but were instead sliced into four portions each, before handed out.

“He’s just like you. I was there when he asked the Young Master for work.” The man chuckled. “Such an adorable kid! If I was his brother, I would have been so proud!” His eyes danced as he looked at Mikael. “You’re probably tired of tilling the soils in the northern farmlands, eh? Good choice coming here. The payment’s definitely higher as long as you work your ass off, lad.”

The bearded man was probably ten years older than him, maybe more, Mikael was not sure. He could already see numerous gray patches on the man’s hair. This old man probably mistook him for a farmer who came here to seek higher pay. A similar thing probably happened lately, since the old man was not surprised at all.

“That’s right.” Mikael bobbed his head. “I wonder if there’s a vacanc—”

“—There is!” the man did not even wait for him to finish. He wrapped his arm around Mikael’s shoulder. This old man was muscular, despite his old age. “Come! I’ll lead you to the Scholar! She’ll be pleased to have more working hands for the Mine!”

To properly assess this candidate, Mikael have no choice but to disguise himself as a resident of this place. The moment he accepted the job from the King, he was prepared to spend the next four years of his life living here.

Mikael smiled. Things suddenly took an interesting turn.

The rumors surrounding Lark Marcus were not entirely true. He was dubbed as the one with the least potential of winning the competition for the throne.

But what if everything was nothing but a façade?

What if the young man himself was a genius who chose to conceal himself?

Just thinking of these possibilities made Mikael’s blood boil. He had not felt like this since several years ago, back when he participated in the Bloody Thorn Plains Incident.

Lark Marcus… Just what kind of a noble are you?

Mikael could not wait to find out.

Chapter Eighteen

Two days had passed since the army arrived at Blackstone Town. Lark and his soldiers still hadn’t returned.

Mikael had adjusted to the life here. Using a made up story of his previous life in the Lion City, he pretended to be an immigrant who wished for a peaceful life in the country side. For the past two days, he worked as a miner. This was an easy task, since knights like him have several times the strength of an average individual. Very quickly, his ´talent´ in mining was recognized by everyone.

“Look at that guy,” a familiar voice spat. “He’s just a greenhorn. It’s not even a week since he started working here and he’s already being so familiar with the Scholar. What an ass.”

The owner of the voice did not bother lowering his voice. Mikael was sure those were all directed at him. For the past two days, this man had been badmouthing him nonstop.

The miner next to Mikael shook his head. “Don’t mind him. Arturo’s like that ever since.” He cast a glance at Arturo, a short, muscular man in his early thirties. “I heard he’s got some Dwarven blood in him. Those guys are really proud of their blacksmithing and mining skills, you see.”

Even if the miner did not tell him these things, Mikael had not the slightest bit of intention of fighting him. It would be nothing but a petty squabble, after all.

Mikael was more interested of other things. “Is it true that the northern farmlands were non-arable several months ago?”

The miner, whose name Mikael did not yet know, nodded his head. His pickaxe struck a hard object in the ground and he stopped. “Yes and no. There used to be a small field there where we plant vegetables and herbs. But aside from that, the rest of the northern land is non-arable. Even weeds find it hard to grow on that soil.”

Hearing this, Mikael could not help but be bewildered of the things happening in this town.

He visited the Northern Farmlands yesterday, and he was surprised to see a field of green covering everything. Numerous small shoots grew on the ground, each of them spaced evenly from each other. He had been to Golden Wheat City before – the richest city in the entire Kingdom, next only to the Capital – and he was sure those shoots were wheats. In the next few months, those things would grow and cover the entire northern lands with a shade of gold.

Looking further beyond, Mikael noticed an artificially made river – the irrigation system – running next to the fields. It branched into numerous forks, with several stoppers at each path, controlling the amount of water passing through. Mikael later learned that the irrigation system was connected to the abundant river from the Endless Forest. With this, even if drought befell this town, the crops would not easily wither and die. He could not help but gape in awe upon seeing this spectacular sight.

It’s as though one of the three Great Minds of the Kingdom visited this place and created a reconstruction program.

“You previously told the Head Miner that you’re a farmer. That was a lie, right?” the man next to him began striking the rocks once again.

“I’m sorry.” Mikael stopped and lightly bowed his head. “I was afraid you’ll kick me out of this town if you found out that I’m an immigrant.”

“That’s fine.” The man brushed it off aside. “You probably don’t know him, but the Mason in-charge of all the massive projects in this town also came from Lion City. There’s a lot of guys like you, actually. They get tired living in that place. Living life inside the slums – I could understand why people would choose to live in this small town instead.”

Upon the mention of the words ‘massive projects’, Mikael immediately understood. He had seen those things. Those projects too ambitious for such a small town. Yesterday, after working at the Mines, he went around the town and saw them with his own eyes.

The poultry farm with hundreds of chickens running around. Looking around the Southern District, he saw numerous coops being built here and there. Mikael was sure that several hundreds more, probably thousands, of chicken would be added later.

The numerous houses being built left and right in the Eastern District.

The kalrane stones installed on top of wooden posts, which lights up during the night.

Coupled with the paved main road, the reclaimed Northern Farmland, the irrigation system, the free porridge for the locals, and the Mines – Mikael could already say that the achievements of Lark Marcus were colossal.

When are you going to come back?

He could not wait to meet the young man.

“Hey, stop chatting during work!” Arturo tossed his pickaxe to the ground and stomped his way towards Mikael. Despite being a head shorter, he haughtily glared at the newcomer. “New guy. If I see you slacking again, I’ll personally report you to the Scholar. You got that?”

Arturo purposely showed Mikael his large fists.

“Yes. I’m sorry,” said Mikael. “I’ll work quietly next time.”

Arturo snorted, “Good!” then went back to his post. His satisfied expression was apparent. He even started humming as he struck the rocks with his pickaxe.

People like him were everywhere. Mikael was well aware of this. He locked eyes with the miner next to him for a moment. They both had a look of resignation on their faces. Arturo was hopeless, and getting into a petty squabble with him would be nothing but a waste of time. They both knew this.

“Let’s just work,” sighed the man.

Mikael picked up his pickaxe, and silently, went on with his work. A temporary life like this was not bad at all.

***

After work, Mikael stealthily went deeper into the Endless Forest. In a place where no people went. He took out a plain-looking stone. A fist-sized rock normally seen on the roadside.

After making sure that no one was around, he started pouring mana into it. Slowly, the stone changed its color. Its dirty brown appearance vanished, and a jade stone with a swirling blue light inside revealed itself.

This was the artifact granted to the twenty-eight knights chosen by the King to assess the candidates. Mikael was stunned at first upon receiving it, since a single one of these gems costed at least five thousand gold coins. A massive amount even an average noble wouldn’t have.

Each of these gems were connected to a mother gemstone, which was currently being kept in the King’s Castle. As long as one had enough mana, messages could be continually transmitted through. It was an absurdly convenient device, in this world where sending messages via couriers was the norm.

Mikael firmly touched the gemstone, and out of thin air, a translucent parchment appeared in front of him. Using magic, he started writing his reports directly to the King. Words started forming on the parchment, as though the gemstone was aware of his thoughts.

There were a lot of things Mikael wanted to report.

The incident in the Lake of the Full Moon. The tens of thousands of monsters swarming in that lake.

The rumors surrounding Valcres, the Lord of Lion City.

The movements of the merchants. The sudden appearance of the Bloodstone.

The massive developments in the town.

The fact that the rumors surrounding Lark Marcus may actually be false. That it was nothing but a façade, an act.

But since writing messages using this method consumed a great amount of mana, Mikael had no choice but make his report concise. He would report about the lesser important things next time. His top priority right now was to report about “that.”

The invasion of the United Grakas Alliance.

The invasion of the beastmen was of utmost priory right now. This was the conclusion Mikael came to.

After briefly analyzing the topography of the surrounding regions, Mikael realized the strategical significance of Blackstone Town. If those barbarians successfully captured this territory, they would be pointing a knife directly at the Eastern Region.

Surrounded by a forest so large it was called endless, this town could easily repel invaders by focusing on their front. A large army trying to circumvent the Endless Forest would be easily detectable, and the same could be said even if they attempted to pass through it.

And what if the beastmen converted this town into a stronghold? A castle with battlements, moats and traps? Just thinking of these possibilities made Mikael unconsciously shiver. He could not let these beastman invade deeper into this territory. If what Lark Marcus said was true – that the beastman had indeed invaded this far – then the Kingdom should do its best to stop them from capturing this town at all costs.

Mikael decided on the contents of his first report: the beastmen invasion, and Lark Marcus’ attempt to stop it.

Words continued to form inside the translucent parchment. After Mikael was done writing, the parchment slowly faded into nothingness.

“It’s done.” Mikael huffed. Reporting using this device was a tedious task which consumed a lot of his mana.

The gemstone, after losing its supply of mana, reverted back into the plain-looking stone it originally was. Mikael placed the stone inside the pouch on his waist. An appraiser would be able to tell that this item was an artifact, but to other people, it looked nothing but an ordinary stone. Mikael was glad of this fact. At the very least, losing the item from burglars would not be among the things he had to worry about.

He breathed in. This forest was really peaceful, just like the reports stated. Unlike the forests near the major cities of the Kingdom, monsters did not appear here. It was as though the Gods themselves were protecting this particular domain.

What was at the end of this forest? What would he see if he went deeper in? As far as he knew, the area beyond the Endless Forest was uncharted.

Mikael looked up. It was already night. “It’s already this late, huh? I need to get back.”

This was the time when the Mansion opens it gates to give out the free porridges. The special delivery by little Anthony was only during the day, after all.

Upon arriving at the Mansion, there was the same long queue from the locals, as usual. Mikael was sure that these guys did not mind waiting in line. The food was given for free, after all.

“Hey, have you heard?”

“Yeah. The Young Master’s back, right? I saw Sir Gaston running to greet him. I never thought I’ll ever see that old man run.”

Mikael’s ears perked up as he listened to the conversation. Although he was already hungry, he decided to forgo the free porridge for now. Seeing Lark Marcus with his own eyes was far more important.

He’s back! Finally!

Mikael tightened his tattered cloak. Tonight’s breeze was really chilly. He moved past the numerous people lined up in queue, then went towards the direction where the butler supposedly headed to. He soon saw familiar faces.

Big Mona, Commander Daltos, and Gaston were conversing with Lark. Looking around, Mikael noticed that most of the soldiers Lark took with him were wounded. Several cuts and bruises were seen all over their bodies.

Dead bodies?

He saw several bodies lying on the ground, each of them covered by cloths. Several locals knelt next to them, crying and wailing. Those were probably the soldiers who perished during the battle against the beastmen army.

Mikael actually expected more casualties, considering the natural physique of the beastmen. Each of them, aside those from the Rabbit Tribe, were inherently stronger than humans. The number of dead soldiers did not even reach double digits. Mikael could even say it was a miracle, if he was asked.

What are those?

Mikael stared at the suits of armor standing a good distance away from Lark. The three of them stood still, unmoving.

For some reason, those three felt dangerous. But the peculiar thing was that Mikael could not feel any emotion emanating from them. It was as though they were not human – as though they did not possess life at all.

Who are inside those suits of armor?

Mikael wanted to know. But right now, his priority was to assess the candidate for the throne. He amplified his senses. Even while standing a good distance away from the soldiers, he could hear everything.

He focused his senses on Lark’s group.

“—What do you mean?” Commander Daltos’ voice was obviously displeased. “Are you questioning my authority? Is that it?”

Lark shook his head. “Not at all, Commander.” He looked at the army from the Lion City. “What I’m trying to say is that you should concede all authority to me. I need absolute command of these soldiers if we want to win with just this army.”

Daltos said to Big Mona, “Sir, I know that we are all under your commission here. But please understand that I cannot simply leave the lives of my men in the hands of this kid. He may be a noble owning this territory, but he knows nothing of war.”

Big Mona looked conflicted. Eventually, he sighed. He said to Lark, “I’m afraid this is no longer part of our contract. My job is to bring the soldiers here. Persuading them to work for you is a different matter entirely.

Commander Daltos bowed his head to Big Mona. “Thank you for understanding, Sir.” He turned to Lark. “So, that’s how it is. I can’t let you take command of my soldiers.”

Lark sighed. “I know this will happen.” He scratched his cheeks. “Then, Commander… Are you telling me that with a thousand soldiers, you’re capable of stopping the advance of more than ten thousand beastmen?”

Commander Daltos frowned. “Lies. We came here because of the commission, but no soldier believes those beastmen actually managed to get past Sword Master Alexander’s nose. I don’t know what kind of monsters you encountered along the way that made you lose all those soldiers, but know this – I will not leave the lives of my men in somebody else’s hands just like that.”

Lark paused for several seconds. He said to Anandra. “Take that out.”

Anandra moved to the back and took back a large sack with him. Big Mona and Commander Daltos cringed their nose.

“So that’s where the foul smell is coming from?” said the Commander.

“You said I know nothing of war,” said Lark. He nodded at Anandra, and the sack was opened wide, revealing numerous heads inside. The stench became so unbearable that Big Mona vomited on the ground. “But Commander, it seems that it’s you who knows nothing of war.”

Lark, not bothering to cover his nose from the assault of the stench, approached the sack, leaned down and grabbed a head inside. Blood had already dried up, but the facial expression of the beastman before he died was visibly apparent before everyone’s eyes.

"This here, is Commander Azura," said Lark. "A pretty decent opponent, I must say."

Lark showed the head to them. Those two eyes of the dead beastman seemed to glare at them from the abyss. Big Mona quivered, while Commander Daltos creased his brows.

“You arrived almost three days ago, correct?” said Lark. “Had I not intercepted this invading army during that time, this town would have already been under the beastmen’s territory.”

Lark’s voice was cold as he added, “Even with a thousand soldiers, if you confronted these guys head-on, without weakening them for a bit, you will surely have hundreds of casualties.”

Commander Daltos’ veins popped up. “Don’t be so arrogant, kid. You won against those bastards through sheer luck. That’s all. And if a greenhorn like you managed to defeat them, maybe those beastmen aren’t much at all?”

Through his amplified senses, Mikael noticed the subtle smirk of Lark. His eyes were dancing, as though he was waiting for this particular statement.

“Sheer luck, huh? Well, luck is part of one’s skills, Commander.” Lark shrugged and chuckled. “Then why don’t we have it this way? Choose your five best soldiers – including you. Let’s have a friendly match.”

“A friendly match,” Daltos repeated.

“That’s right. A friendly match,” said Lark. “If you win, I’ll keep my mouth shut. I'll let you take full command of this war. But if you lose, you will obey all of my commands. How about it?”

There was a momentary pause. Daltos replied, “Fine. But don’t expect me to go easy on you just because you’re a noble.”

“Of course,” chuckled Lark. “Is half an hour of preparation enough? Let’s battle it out in front of all the soldiers. It’ll be more interesting and convincing that way.”

Daltos clenched his fists. “Of course. So it’ll be a six versus six battle then. I will not hold back, so don’t take it against me later, kid.”

Lark lightly tilted his head. “Six versus six? No. I’m the only opponent.”

He added playfully, “All six of you will come at me at the same time. Make sure to do your best, Commander.”

Chapter Nineteen

News quickly spread like wildfire. The entire town was in uproar upon hearing that the Young Master was going to battle the Commander of the soldiers from Lion City. Hundreds of locals gathered outside the town. Including the soldiers camped outside, over a thousand people gathered to spectate the fight.

Commander Daltos breathed deeply. Looking at the young noble, he knew this fight would be easy. After all, he was well aware of the rumors surrounding Lark Marcus. A pampered noble like him would know nothing about fighting, moreover about war. This was why he could not simply hand over his authority over his men.

“Commander,” the soldier beside him said. “There’s no need for you to fight that brat. He said it’s six versus one? How stupid. Just one of us would be more than enough.”

The other soldiers nodded. These five men next to him were the strongest soldiers in this small army. Elites who could utilize mana. Even defeating a knight from the Royal Family was feasible if these five combined their strengths.

“We’ll lose face if we all fight him together,” said another. “Please allow just one of us to fight.”

This was also the same thought Daltos had in his mind. Indeed, in front of a thousand soldiers, fighting the noble with all six of them would be nothing but an embarrassment. They would become a laughing stock. They did not want to become branded as soldiers who bullied the naive young man.

But something bothered Daltos at the back of his mind.

Those corpses.

He has seen the heads of those beastmen. Most of them had their heads cleanly cut, clearly displaying the skills of the one who slaughtered them.

Daltos gazed at Lark. He scrutinized him from head to toe.

There’s hardly any mana flowing through his body. He’s just like the rest of these locals. If he’s unable to use mana, then…

His gaze shifted to the man next to Lark. A handsome man with golden hair. He was around two meters tall, and his stoic expression gave the impression of a battle-hardened individual.

What was his name again? Anandra?

Daltos came to the conclusion that that man must have been the one responsible for the cleanly cut head of those corpses. The mana leaking out of the man’s body was palpable and crude, as though he did not know how to suppress it at all. Out of all the soldiers serving under Lark Marcus, this man was the only noteworthy opponent possible.

“Commander.” A soldier reported. “The preparations are complete. We can start the battle at any moment.”

“Time sure flies fast,” mumbled Daltos. He did not realize that half an hour had already passed by. He said to the five soldiers next to him. “Let’s go.”

The moment Daltos and his five strongest soldiers made their appearance, everyone went into uproar. All eyes were glued to them as they made their way towards a large clearing. At its center, Lark Marcus was already waiting.

Lark smiled at him. “It’s a pleasure to have a friendly match with you, Commander. Shall we start?”

Daltos noticed the circle drawn on the ground. Its diameter was probably twenty meters, by estimate.

“I will warn you again,” said Daltos. “We will not hold back just because you’re a noble.”

Lark’s smile remained plastered on his face. He nodded once. “Of course.” He said to his men, “Give them their swords.”

Wooden swords were handed out to Daltos and his hand-picked soldiers. Upon gripping it tightly, they realized it was well-made, probably crafted out of Black Elk Wood. An expensive commodity sold in Lion City.

“The rules are simple,” said Lark. Everyone silently listened as he raised his voice. “It’ll be a six versus one battle. Whoever steps out of this circle automatically loses the fight. The same goes for anyone who could no longer stand up or fight. And since this is just a friendly match, killing isn’t allowed. That’s why everyone is handed those practice swords. Instead of real ones, we’ll be using them in this fight. As for the reward – the winner shall obey the loser. In simpler terms, if I win, I will be granted full command of this army.”

As expected. This young lord feared for his life. This was probably the reason why he chose to use wooden swords instead of real ones in this fight. Moreover, he added those rules, which ensured his safety in this battle.

Well, it was a wise decision, Daltos thought.

“And if we win?” said Daltos. He wanted all of his soldiers to hear it.

“I will not intervene with the military matters any longer,” said Lark. “And to make things interesting, I’ll add an additional fifty gold coins on top of that.”

The last statement stirred the crowd. It was a magnanimous reward for a mere friendly fight. Some of the soldiers even wished they were included among the participating five.

“We accept,” said Daltos. Although the additional reward was enticing, he was more interested in showing the brat the reality of war. He was too arrogant to request his best soldiers to fight him all at once. “But there’s no real need to do a six versus one fight.”

“Brahim,” said Daltos.

A soldier wearing full leather armor stepped forward upon the mention of his name.

“He’s more than enough to fight you. There’s no real need for the rest of us to go, isn’t that right?”

Lark’s eyes glimmered for a moment. “So you’re telling me that you wish to fight me in a one versus one battle instead?”

“That’s right,” said Daltos. Fighting the young noble with all six of them combined would be a humiliating act.

Lark sighed. “I see.” He entered the circle. “Come.”

The moment the two were inside the make-do arena, the soldiers cheered. Some even started betting on who will win. And as Daltos expected, most of the bets were on Brahim.

“Come at me anytime.” Lark’s wooden sword remained dangling on his waist.

Brahim did not like this. He creased his brows. He looked at Daltos, and received the signal that it was okay to beat the noble to a pulp.

The sound of the horn was heard. He started his dash.

With swift movements, he quickly reached Lark. Instead of pulling out his wooden sword, he balled his fists. He wanted to his punch this noble and bring him back to reality. That, surely, would be satisfying to watch.

“Wha—”

But before his fists could even reach Lark, Brahim suddenly found himself thrown up into the air. Using his quick reflexes, he spun around three times and landed on the ground.

“You’ve lost,” said Lark. “Next.”

It took him a couple of seconds before he realized that he had been thrown out of the circle – out of the Arena. Brahim froze. He could feel the eyes of everyone on him.

Unable to contain the gazes any further, he protested, “But the fight hadn’t even started yet!’’

Lark scratched his cheeks. “It’ll be bothersome if you guys can’t even adhere to the rules. It was stated clearly, right? Whoever steps outside this circle automatically loses the fight.”

Brahim did not know how Lark did it, but he was suddenly thrown into the air and out of the arena without even a fight. He looked at Daltos. The Commander was clearly displeased of the outcome of the battle.

“Brahim, that’s enough,” said the Commander. “It’s your loss.”

Brahim hanged his head low. “Yes, Sir.”

Commander Daltos deeply breathed in. Although everything happened in a flash, he was able to clearly see everything. The young noble used some kind of martial art to redirect the force of Brahim’s punch and use it to throw him into the air instead.

For some reason, it reminded him of the Martial Arts of the Savages. The one passed down by the God of Fighting in the legends.

Just to be sure, he warned his men, “He probably studied from the Leonard Academy. Be careful.”

The remaining soldiers nodded. “So that’s why he’s so cocky, huh? But it takes ten years before one graduates from that Academy. So surely, he hadn’t learned all of their techniques. A drop out, maybe.”

The Martial Arts of the Savages was considered one of the three strongest Martial Arts in the entire continent. After the Savage Clan became part of the Kingdom fifty years ago, their teachings naturally spread far and wide. The Leonard Academy, named after the Fighting God, was considered the best school teaching their art.

According to experts, a graduate of the Leonard Academy could go toe to toe with a low ranking knight even without utilizing mana.

Just the fact that Lark Marcus may be a former student of that Academy made the elite soldiers serious about this match.

“So, who’s next?” said Lark. He had yet to pull his wooden sword out, and this greatly infuriated everyone.

Another soldier stepped inside the circle.

“Hey, I’m giving you guys the chance to come at me all at once.” Lark sighed.

“There’s no need for that.” The soldier cracked his knuckles. “So you know a bit of Martial Art, huh?” He leaned forward, ready to strike at any time.

The horn was blown.

The soldier stomped his feet on the ground and shot towards Lark. The spectators around them held their breaths as the soldier pulled the wooden sword from his waist. He was about to strike the noble when the figure in front of him suddenly disappeared.

He felt a hand grab his shoulder, and just like Brahim, he was thrown into the air. He hit the ground and rolled several times before halting to a stop. He gingerly stood up, groaning. He noticed that he was also thrown out of the arena.

What was happening? Everyone were obviously as baffled as he was. After Brahim’s defeat, he had been cautious of the noble’s Martial Arts.

“Next.” Lark’s voice tore through the silent crowd.

One after another, the so-called ‘elite’ soldiers in the army were thrown out of the arena. They did not even manage to land a single hit to their opponent. After all five of them lost the battle, Daltos snarled, “Stupid bastards! You can’t even defeat someone who can’t use mana!”

The five soldiers lowered their heads in embarrassment.

Daltos entered the circle. He saw Lark chuckling. “What’s so funny?” A vein popped on his head.

“Everything,” said Lark. He looked at the five soldiers he recently defeated. “Tell me, Commander. All six of you are capable of using mana, correct?”

Daltos did not like the condescending voice of the noble. “That’s right. So what?”

“Then why did none of them use mana in their fight against me?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Why should they use mana on someone like you, who can’t even use the simplest forms of magic?”

Lark paused for several seconds, his eyes scrutinizing the Commander. “This is the limit of the Commander… I see.”

Daltos was sure that the noble was referring to his innate ability; his ability to command his soldiers. Quickly, he turned livid. He trembled in fury at the thought that someone who could not even use offensive spells was mocking him right now.

“So you want us to use mana, huh?” he snarled. “Fine!”

Daltos chanted his magic. Slowly, a magic circle formed underneath his feet, and his entire body was soon engulfed in flames. His eyes turned crimson and predatory. The soldiers around them gulped. In the Lion City, there was no one who did not know the name: Fire Golem. The magician protected by the element of fire. As long as he was covered by those flames, ordinary swords and arrows were rendered useless.

The one holding the horn used to signal the start of the battle froze. He did not want to blow it. If he did, the Young Lord might die from this battle.

Upon seeing the Commander glaring at him, he nervously swallowed. And after several seconds of hesitation, he blew the horn.

The sound felt ominous, as though it carried the death of the noble with it.

Daltos roared and charged towards the Young Lord.

“Not bad.” Lark pointed a finger at the charging beast. “But Commander Azura’s far stronger than that.”

The ground beneath Daltos formed cracks, and in a split second, caved in. Daltos’ eyes widened in surprise upon seeing a magic circle forming in the sky. As his body was being swallowed by the ground, several orbs of lightning started forming out of thin air, right beneath the magic circle. They crackled for a moment then shot towards him.

Magic?! And two elements at once?!

With his body still being swallowed by the ground, he was unable to dodge the orbs of lightning. He was continuously struck one after another. Despite his so-called impregnable armor of fire, he groaned in pain after each impact. Each of those orbs of lightning pummeled him deeper into the ground, and those that managed to penetrate his armor scorched his flesh.

The barrage of attacks continued until Daltos was half-dead, almost unconscious.

Silence befell everyone. They all stared at the Commander lying on the ground, unmoving, then at Lark. Since he did not use mana in his fight against the five elites, they came to the conclusion that he was incapable of offensive magic. That was why when the Commander charged at him, his body enclosed in flames, they thought of the worst ending.

But reality gave a different picture, entirely.

“Announce the winner,” said Lark.

The man holding the horn nervously gulped. “Y-Yes.” He raised his voice. “T-The winner is… The Young Lord!”

Loud cheers suddenly erupted. The soldiers from Lion City realized it came from the locals living in this town. The children, especially, were the loudest.

“Young Master! Young Master! Young Master!”

“Young Master! Young Master! Young Master!”

They did not expect Lark to be this popular among the populace. And judging by their reactions, it seemed that they all knew that Lark was this strong.

Lark pointed a finger at the ground. It started moving and spat Commander Daltos out. Lark approached the leader of the army.

“Still alive?” said Lark.

Daltos replied with a groan.

“You’re pretty tough. As expected.” Lark took out a small vial from his pouch. “This is a middle-grade potion. Drink it.”

Just right when he was about to make Daltos drink the liquid, Big Mona came running. “Wait!”

The fat man ran so fast that he ended up huffing, almost sliding down the ground several times. Numerous beads of sweat flowed down his face.

“Wait!” repeated Big Mona. “Middle-Grade Potion?! I want to see it! I want to see with my own eyes what it’s like!”

Lark stared at the fat merchant for a moment, before he resumed giving the medicine. After Daltos emptied the vial, the scorched areas on his body started dissipating, as though they were being erased by an invisible hand. His face also started regaining its color.

Slowly, he sat up. He shook his head twice and stared at his hands. He mumbled, “My wounds… are all gone.”

He could not believe that a potion was capable of this. Even the medicines sold in the Capital were not this effective.

Big Mona was salivating as he looked at Lark. “You still remember our deal, right?”

“Of course,” said Lark. “You’ll be fully compensated once this war is over.”

Big Mona shrieked. “Yes! As expected! Coming personally to this small town is worth it!”

Lark tapped the fat merchant’s soldier. “Let’s think about that later. For now, we must do our best to survive.” He looked at Daltos. “Commander, I think it’s clear who won this fight.”

Daltos clenched his fists. “Yes.”

Lark breathed in. “Do you know the reason why you lost?”

Daltos looked at him quizzically.

“You and your men are going to be vital in the war to come. It’s important for you to understand your mistakes here and now.” Lark raised three fingers. “You’ve made three mistakes. First, you forgo the opportunity to fight me six versus one. There are no definite rules in war, Commander. It is not cowardly to fight an opponent using overwhelming numbers.”

Daltos remembered the time when Lark suggested a six versus one battle. He had been too arrogant. Thinking that his opponent was nothing but a brat, he chose to fight him one-on-one.

“Second, you did not seek information about your opponent beforehand,” said Lark. He tapped the shoulder of Big Mona. “This guy here knows I’m capable of offensive magic. The reason why I gave you half an hour of preparation is because of this.”

Daltos stared at Big Mona. The fat merchant’s gaze was still filled with greed upon seeing the middle-grade potion. Daltos was sure that had he asked, Big Mona would have surely told him what he knew about Lark beforehand.

“Third, you underestimated your opponent,” said Lark. “All six of you are capable of utilizing mana, right? Then why is it only you who used magic against me?”

Daltos hanged his head. He could not refute the Young Lord’s statements.

“I lost the battle,” he finally said. “As promised, I’ll hand over the command of the entire army to you.”

The soldiers around them burst into murmurs upon hearing this. They did not expect the Commander to lose. Now, this Young Lord would have full authority over the entire army.

Lark went to the center of the arena. Under the gaze of everyone present, he raised his voice and said, “You heard Commander Daltos! I now hold full authority over this entire Army!”

He paused.

“Now, for my first order!”

Everyone held their breaths as they listened.

“Dig on the ground! Carry wood and stones!” said Lark. “I want all one thousand soldiers to work together and convert this town into a fortress!”

He raised his index finger. “Finish this task in one week.”

Chapter Twenty

[Kingdom’s Capital – Behemoth City]

Behemoth City was in a festive mood. Banners were hanged all over the city, as numerous Bards sang songs for the Royal Family. Despite the apparent shortage of food due to the Black Famine last harvest season, numerous stalls were handing out free food – all of which were sponsored by the Royal Family. This had been a tradition in Behemoth City during the first day of the Month of the Sun. Today was a very special day, after all: The Feast of the Sun God.

King Alvis was inside his room, standing in front of an orb the size of an ox’s head. Every day, without fail, he would check this Artifact for messages from the Knights he sent out to assess the candidates. Each of the messages sent here were short and concise, but he enjoyed reading them regardless.

Recently, the most interesting reports were about these two candidates: Kalavinka Kelvin and Lui Marcus.

King Alvis knew that Lui Marcus was a genius, but he had not expected Kalavinka to be so capable. According to the reports, the third son of Duke Kelvin successfully annihilated the Busk Pirates in the Southern Mullgray Sea. It was an exceptional feat, considering the fact that the Kingdom of Lukas did not have a proper navy.

If Kalavinka inherits the throne, we might enter the golden age of Sea Exploration. We’ll no longer fear those pirates, especially those barbarians from Mullgray Islands.

The King smiled at this thought. The pirates from Mullgray have begun invading the Kingdom recently, pillaging the small villages near the sea. According to his Intel, the same thing was happening in the Empire, but since that massive country have a strong navy, they were able to easily repel the invaders back.

The Mullgray Pirates have dominated the sea for centuries. The Empire tried several times to make those barbarians bow down to them, but failed each time. Knowing this, King Alvis had long since abandoned the hope of claiming back the islands next to the Kingdom. If the Empire, with their strong navy, failed, there was no questioning how the Kingdom would fare in a naval fight against those pirates.

But now, things seemed different.

According to the reports, Kalavinka revolutionized the navy of his territory. Using an unknown substance, he created fire capable of burning in water.

King Alvis could see the endless possibilities if they made proper use of this discovery. The mere thought of claiming back the lost islands of the Kingdom did not seem impossible anymore.

That young man. Kalavinka. When I first met him, he did not even dare look at me in the eyes. A timid child. Who knew he’ll be so capable in a naval fight?

King Alvis looked at the next report. It was from the knight tasked to monitor Lui Marcus. According to the report, the Marcus Army started subjugating the monsters from Louan Plains. The King did not know the reason behind it, but was interested regardless. That genius commander surely had his reasons for trying to clear that den of monsters.

“It’s really nice to have lived this long.” King Alvis touched his chest and smiled wryly. He could feel his faintly beating heart. “My only wish is that I’ll live long enough to see the prosperity of this Kingdom.”

According to the Royal Court Magician who examined him, he only had five years at most to live. This was the reason why, despite the chaos it would cause, he announced such decree to the Kingdom. The competition for the throne was necessary. He could not afford to leave the throne vacant upon his death.

I’ll still have a year left after the competition ends. I will use that time to oversee my successor, to guide him to the right path. The Empire and the Mullgray Islands are simply bidding their time. Once they find the chance, they’ll swallow this Kingdom.

King Alvis coughed, and a thin line of blood dripped down his mouth. He wiped it off using the back of his hand.

The Curse of Agares.

A disease that ran through the Royal Family. The previous King, and the King before that, died of the same curse.

According to the legend passed down from the Royal Family, the first King made a pact with the Demon Agares. In return of consuming a portion of the soul of all the King’s descendants, the Demon helped the human in founding the Kingdom.

King Alvis was actually fortunate to have lived this long despite that. Without the help of the Royal Court Magicians, he would have already died a decade ago.

I’m running out of time.

A knock was heard. The voice of his personal guard was heard outside the room. “Your Majesty, the Dukes have arrived.”

King Alvis fixed his garb. “Just in time.”

There was so much he wanted to hear from the three. And the feast of the Sun God was the perfect excuse to summon the heads of the Three Great Families.

As he was about to leave the room, the artifact glowed, indicating that a new message had just arrived.

King Alvis stared at the orb.

“From Mikael?”

He remembered the knight well. He was the same knight who served by his side during the Bloody Thorn Plains Incident.

As far as he remembered, he assigned the knight to oversee the second son of Duke Drakus.

“You Majesty?” the voice of the guard outside was worried. “Is everything alright?”

King Alvis closed his eyes. He decided to read the report of Mikael once he came back. For now, he decided to meet the three Dukes.

He opened the door, and the four guards outside immediately bowed.

“Lead me there,” said King Alvis.

***

Inside the Grand Hall, dozens of renowned nobles gathered to celebrate the Feast of the Sun God. This was actually a pretext, and the real reason for their attendance was to create connections with the powerful men attending the banquet.

Out of all these nobles, the ones who were garnering the most attention were the Dukes: Kelvin and Drakus.

Each of these men leads over ten thousand soldiers. With a single command, Legions would march under their flags. It was no exaggeration to say that they held the military might of the entire Kingdom.

Meeting these Dukes was impossible even for knights and barons. All the nobles in this Grand Hall were eager to at least make their acquaintance.

“Ah, Duke Drakus.” Duke Kelvin was the first to approach. His fat body resembled a bloated slime. “So you’re also a patron of the Sun God, huh? A pleasant surprise.”

Duke Drakus politely smiled. They both knew the real reason behind their attendance. “Of course. Gryphon City’s named after the guardian of Valhalla, after all. There’s no way I wouldn’t celebrate the birth of the Sun God.”

Duke Kelvin sipped his wine. “Is that so? No wonder the temple in Gryphon City worships the Water God.”

A sarcastic remark. It was a well-known fact that the Water God and the Sun God were rivals. Antagonistic deities that tried to kill each other before the time of Mortals.

Duke Drakus concealed the hatred from showing on his face. He knew that no matter what he did or say here, this pig would never learn his place. He kept his smile plastered.

“The Marcus Family is a believer of the Seven Gods. It’s only natural,” said Duke Drakus. He looked around and momentarily gazed at the nobles merrily chatting in the Grand Hall. Each of them wore smiling faces, but he knew that all of those were masks concealing their demons inside. “It seems that Youchester is late. As always.”

Youchester was the youngest among the three Dukes. A man in his early forties. Unlike the other two, he never showed real interest in power struggles. During the time when the King declared the competition for the throne, Duke Youchester said that he would wholeheartedly serve the new King, regardless of which family he would come from. Still, he allowed his sons to participate in the competition, but refused to openly take part in the small skirmishes between the Great Powers.

Duke Drakus actually liked the young Duke despite his easy-going personality. Whenever he conversed with Youchester, he could feel the man’s sincerity. A stark contrast to this scheming pig before him.

The Grand Chamberlain entered the hall. He cleared his throat and declared in a loud voice, “The embodiment of God Neruz. The heart of the Sun. His Majesty, King Alvis Lukas VI has arrived. Everyone – show your respect.”

The chatters immediately died down. Everyone, including the Dukes, bowed their heads in respect as the King arrived.

“Raise your heads,” said King Alvis.

Everyone raised their heads and gazed at the King standing on the pedestal.

“I would like to thank everyone for coming here to celebrate the feast of the Sun God. The Deity of Behemoth City. The protector of our Kingdom,” said King Alvis. “We have prepared a feast. Please eat to your heart’s content!”

As though on cue, several servants came in, pulling food carts with them. The already sumptuous feast spread on the tables was further filled with numerous delicacies and alcohol.

“To liven the evening, we have invited the famous Blue Moonlight Troop!” The King spread his arms wide.

Upon the mention of the troop’s name, several men and women entered the hall. The nobles immediately recognized them. The most famous actors and actresses of the Kingdom. A single ticket for their play costed at least fifty silvers, an amount only nobles could afford. For the front row seats, the price reached up to three gold coins. It was no exaggeration to say that there was no noble in the Kingdom who did not know the troop’s name.

The leader of the troop took out a small magic stone, and using it, amplified his voice. “We would like to thank your Majesty for inviting us to perform a play for the Feast of the Sun God.” He bowed his head before the King. “We have prepared a special play for this moment. A play reenacting the life of the avatar of the Sun God – Evander Alaester.”

Mellifluous music started playing. The leader of the troop continued, “This play is entitled: The Arch Magus and the Demon Lord Barkuvara.”

***

The celebration of the feast of the Sun God went on for hours. After the feast, King Alvis summoned the Dukes to the throne room.

“Youchester didn’t come?” King Alvis frowned.

Duke Kelvin and Duke Drakus looked at each other.

“I’m afraid not, Your Majesty,” said Duke Drakus.

“We should impose a penalty for that man!” Kelvin chided. “Ignoring the summons of his Majesty is a disrespectful act! Even as a Duke, he should—”

“—Enough,” interjected the King. “I’ve received a message that his youngest son was down with a terrible fever. I was hoping he could come despite the circumstances, but…” He sighed. “I will let this pass for now.”

Duke Kelvin gnashed his teeth. As always, the King was lenient with Youchester. Was it because that Duke was young, almost the same age as the King’s oldest daughter? He disliked this thought.

“I summoned the Dukes here to discuss important matters concerning the survival of our Kingdom.”

The statement made the two Dukes stiffen. They were both aware of the war that had been occurring left and right within the entire Kingdom.

“I will get straight to the point,” said the King. “I have proposed an alliance to the Dwarven Kingdom.”

“The Dwarven Kingdom,” repeated Duke Drakus.

“But how?” said Duke Kelvin. “That country closed off their borders several decades ago. Even the Empire is unable to enter their territory in fear of facing the wrath of the Dragon protecting their country.”

“I cannot disclose the method, but I’ve successfully made contact with their King.” King Alvis coughed twice. Viscount Lakian, the Grand Chamberlain, worriedly approached him. King Alvis waved a hand, dismissing him. “I’m fine.”

“The Dwarves will provide us with weapons. With it, repelling the invasion of the Empire and the Mullgray should be feasible at the same time. This is our only shot at survival. I know you are aware, but it is impossible for us to handle a joint attack from those two colossal forces. Without the weapons from the dwarves, it’ll be only a matter of time before our Kingdom collapses.”

Weapons from the Dwarven race were highly coveted. Each of them were finely made, strong enough to repel even the strongest of attacks from knights. Furthermore, some of their weapons have souls imbued in it – weapons capable of utilizing mana by itself.

Those weapons would enable a non-magician to utilize mana, transforming him into a knight in an instant.

This was the reason why several countries tried making pacts with the Dwarves, in hopes of acquiring their military might. Unfortunately, a Dragon had been protecting the Dwarven Kingdom for centuries. Even the Empire did not dare invade their country, in fear of inducing the wrath of the beast.

But there was no such thing as free in this world. Everything had a price. The Dukes knew this.

“What do they want in return, Your Majesty?” said Duke Drakus.

“Barrels of Red Plum Wine,” said the King. “Thirty thousand of it per month.”

The eyes of the three Dukes widened. The requested amount was absurd. At most, they could probably provide only three thousand barrels each. Even Golden Wheat City would be unable to provide such amount even after a year.

“Those alcoholic bastards,” mumbled Duke Kelvin.

“Duke Kelvin, watch your mouth,” said Duke Drakus. “We are before his Majesty.”

Duke Kelvin shut his lips, but his frown remained regardless. He could already foresee what the King would request of them.

“Can you do it?” said the King.

The two Dukes were silent for a moment.

“I know that your domains have all been struck by the Black Famine last harvest season,” said the King. “To reach the quota of thirty thousand barrels, we’ll have to convert several farmlands into red plum farms. It’ll greatly decrease the sustainability of the affected regions, this much I’m aware. But Kelvin, Drakus – We need the help of the Dwarves to survive.”

Everyone in the room knew that it was only a matter of time before the Empire launched an all-out attack against the Kingdom. Furthermore, the threat of the Mullgray was just around the corner.

If they lose the war, they would also lose their lands. Despite their displeasure, the two Dukes had no choice but to comply.

Duke Drakus was the first to concede with the King’s request. “Ten thousand barrels for each Duke. I will make sure to meet the required quota, your Majesty.”

Duke Kelvin made a chet sound before bowing his head. “The same. I will comply, Your Majesty.”

King Alvis sighed in relief. He knew of these Duke’s temperament. He was glad that they agreed to his request, at the very least.

Now, all that was left was to recruit more soldiers for the Army.

***

After the two Dukes left, King Alvis remained sitting on his throne. His head throbbed as stabbing pain radiated through his chest. Seeing this, Viscount Lakian immediately ran to him.

“Your Majesty!” said the Viscount. He shouted at the guards, “The Healers! Call the Royal Court Magicians here! Now!”

The guards, their faces pallid, immediately ran out of the throne room to call for help.

King Alvis’ vision blurred. He vomited on the ground. The Curse of Agares have started taking its toll on his body. This was not the first time he experienced these things. And he noticed that the symptoms started appearing more frequently lately.

King Alvis could feel his consciousness drifting away from him. He could no longer hear the frantic voice of the Viscount beside him.

For some reason, a single thought filled his mind.

It was not the Dwarves. Not the impending war with the Empire. Not the Mullgray Pirates. It was not even the competition for the throne.

Ah, that’s right. I haven’t read the reports of Mikael yet.

It was the first time Mikael made a report to him. And somehow, it felt oddly important. As though it would decide the fate of the Kingdom.

With regret filling his mind, King Alvis’s consciousness faded into the black.

Chapter Twenty-One

“Adjutant Fior, the General wishes to see you.”

Fior sighed. It’s been a week since they lost contact with the Vanguard. During these past few days, Fior adamantly insisted that they stop the Main Army from advancing towards Blackstone Town.

I guess this is the limit.

The close aids of the General have been expressing their discontents left and right. Fior knew that it would only be a matter of time before they mobilized the entire army once again.

Fior fixed his robe and went to the General’s tent. Upon entering, several piercing gazes and condescending glares greeted him. The silence within the room was suffocating.

“You’ve come.” General Urkawi, a beastman resembling a gorilla, broke the ice.

Fior closed the flap of the tent, went towards the opposite end of the table, and bowed his head. “Yes. You called for me, Sir?”

“We plan on mobilizing the army soon.” General Urkawi went straight to the point. “But as the one who drafted this plan of capturing that town, I wish to hear your thoughts.”

Fior was inwardly relieved. At the very least, he would be able to convey his conjectures and findings.

The Rabbit looked at all the high-ranking officers in the room, breathed in and said, “I suggest that we wait for several days more before marching out.”

Upon that statement, the adjutants immediately went into clamor.

“This damn coward!”

“As expected of a Rabbit!”

“And to think that he’s the one who proposed this plan! And now, he wants to stop?!”

“—Enough!” snarled General Urkawi. He slammed his hand on the table, creating numerous cracks upon impact. He stared at the Rabbit beastman. “You must have your reasons. Tell us why.”

Fior took out a small piece of parchment from his pocket. “I’m sure you’ve all received this message from Vice Commander Lauro of the Vanguard Army.” He raised the hand holding the letter. “This is the last message we received before we lost contact with the Vanguard.”

Everyone silently listened. They all knew of the letter’s contents.

“The Vice Commander is a prudent beastman. I know this more than anyone here since we were under the tutelage of the same master.” Fior adjusted his glasses. His two large teeth were conspicuous as he spoke. “I’ve never met him before, since he’d left the school several years before I’ve enrolled. But my master would frequently speak fondly of him every now and then.”

“Get straight to the point,” Panthomim, the right hand man of Urkawi, spat.

Fior momentarily closed his eyes. “A tactician as good as him would have sent a last minute message even on the brink of death. But instead, the last message we received was a request for reinforcements.”

Fior breathed in. “I believe that the Vanguard Army has been totally annihilated.”

The entire room froze after the bold declaration. Cold sweat ran down the adjutants’ faces.

“A-Absurd! Everyone knows of Commander Azura’s strength!”

“That’s right! A monster like that wouldn’t easily die even if he was surrounded by a hundred humans!”

Fior wanted to shake his head in dismay. These beastmen were feeble-minded. After analyzing the last message from the Vice Commander of the Vanguard, there was no other suitable conclusion to come up with other than this.

“Lauro would have sent another message if they suddenly found themselves in great peril,” said Fior. “But we received nothing but a request for a thousand more soldiers.” He looked straight into the eyes of the General. “The Vanguard was probably annihilated in an instant. General, please reconsider.”

General Urkawi was clearly in distraught. The time limit imposed by the Beast King was looming closer. Should he listen to his adjutants and mobilize the entire army to capture that town, or should he listen to this Rabbit? Unlike his men, he could see the implications of this single decision.

The General looked at everyone in the room. Silence befell the group. Everyone awaited the General’s final decision.

Eventually, he said, “We’re moving out.”

The adjutants broke into suppressed cheers. They looked at Fior, their eyes those of the victor’s.

“Finally!”

“I’ve been itching to crush those damn humans!”

“We’ll finally reclaim the Eastern Region back!”

General Urkawi growled. “Disseminate the news! We will move out in an hour!”

The adjutants stood up and made their salutes. “Yes, General!”

Before going out of the tent, General Urkawi touched the shoulder of Fior. He softly said, “I understand your worries, but it’s too late to fall back now. The will of the Beast King is absolute. We shall offer that region to his Majesty.”

Urkawi opened the flap to the tent, allowing the sun to seep through. “Come. We march to Blackstone Town.”

Following the General, Fior went out of the tent. Chatters resounded as horses neighed and armors clanked. Thousands of soldiers started preparing for the march.

Although he’d seen it numerous times before, Fior could not help but be in awe of this grand sight.

A legion.

An army numbering more than ten thousand.

General Urkawi grinned. “Even if the Vanguard was indeed annihilated, there’s no stopping this massive army.”

Fior knew this was somehow true. Indeed, in front of such massive numbers, enemies would be unable to do anything but crumble.

But somehow, the last message of Lauro before they lost contact bothered him.

Fior shook his head. The General had made his decision. There was no stopping this army now.

Several beastmen approached the General.

“Sir, we’re almost done loading the rations!”

“The infantry is ready to move out any time! At your command!”

“The archers are ready, General!”

“Good work,” said the General. He breathed in a gust of air, and without warning, shouted, “Warriors!”

His shout seemed to shake the ground itself. The clamors around them immediately stopped. Even the horses froze on their spot. Everyone’s eyes were fixated on the General.

“This mission was personally entrusted to me by the Beast King! Capturing Blackstone Town is just the first step! A stepping stone! Listen, warriors of the Beastmen Race! Failure is not an option! We shall grasp victory with our own hands!”

He roared, “An hour from now, we shall move out!”

The entire Legion saluted, creating a mellifluous crisp sound. “Yes, General!”

***

Commander Daltos was baffled by how things unfolded these fast few days. After his defeat, the authority over the entire army fell to the hands of the young noble.

He firmly believed this would cause an uproar, especially since the young noble’s first order was for the soldiers to dig through the ground. An order for manual labor.

But to his surprise, Big Mona stepped in and announced: “Aside from the promised one gold coin, an additional fifty silvers per soldier will be given as compensation for this construction work.”

The power of money.

Just that single statement alone quelled all discontent within the soldiers. Just that statement alone unified the soldiers and made them passionate about the mundane task.

Fifty silvers were equivalent to almost half a year of salary for the soldiers. And the chance to earn them in just a single week was suddenly presented before their very eyes. Instead of despising the Young Master for making them do such mundane task, they were filled with gratefulness instead. Coming to this small town was indeed like coming across a gold mine.

Commander Daltos realized that Lark had talked with Big Mona beforehand, as though the young noble had foreseen his victory against him and his hand-picked elites.

But why was the Head Merchant going to such lengths just to please this young noble? He even went out of the solace of Lion City just to meet him personally. This, Daltos could not understand.

On the first day, everyone was tasked to dig through the ground. The strength of a thousand soldiers proved its worth in performing this task. In just a single day, they were able to create a trench around the perimeter of the entire town, with some open, undug spots where carts could pass through.

On the second day, more than half of the soldiers were sent out to cut the trees in the Endless Forest, while the remaining ones were tasked to cut and transport the logs.

As though the Young Master had foreseen everything, dozens of large axes and saws were handed out to the soldiers. This enabled everyone to immediately proceed with their tasks. After cutting the trees, the logs were placed on saw pits. And under the guidance of the Mason and several of his men, the timbers were cut into the same sizes. They were not perfectly cut, but at least they were all of the same height. Immediately after this, the timbers were then carried towards the town.

But what puzzled Daltos the most was the sharpness of those tools. Even after the soldiers used them for several hours nonstop, there were still no chips nor dents at their edges, as though each of them were made by a well-known blacksmith from the Capital.

On the fourth day, the Young Master made a preposterous order: “While the other half of this army continues to procure more wood for us, I want the rest of the soldiers to start erecting posts – make a palisade – make a wooden wall. I want this done within the next few days. Understood?”

That time, Daltos firmly believed that the Young Master had gone delusional. It was impossible to create a wooden wall surrounding the entire town in just a couple of days. Each of those logs were around eight meters in length, and it would need at least four men to carry one of them. Carrying them from the forest to this town was one thing, but erecting them to form walls was a different matter entirely.

As Daltos silently mocked the young noble, a stunning sight greeted his eyes.

What are those guys?!

Three men wearing full plate armors suddenly came out of nowhere and began lifting the logs and erecting them on the ground one by one. The young master immediately ordered the soldiers to tie hemp ropes to each poles, creating fortifications.

The men in full plate armors were monsters. Even after several hours of lifting logs, they showed no signs of needing rest. With their help, the tasks proceeded at a faster rate.

Daltos was sure that those three were Knights. Probably low-ranking ones capable of body strengthening magic.

He did not expect that such men would be serving the Young Master, in this desolated territory. The rate of how logs were transported from the forest and then made into palisades bordered the absurd. Had Daltos not seen it with his own eyes, he would have not believed it.

On the sixth day, the wooden wall was almost complete. Combined with the trenches in front of it, the town started to resemble a fortress. The Mason and his men even started building a wooden bridge.

Underneath the trenches, numerous spikes of hard earth covered the ground. He could imagine what would happen to the enemies that would fall on it. Daltos had not seen how it was made, but he heard from the soldiers that the Young Master was the one who cast earth magic and made those traps.

With such a dangerous trench in front of the wooden wall, it would take sacrifices just to capture this small town.

But that was not enough for the Lord of this Town.

When Daltos met Lark, the young noble casually remarked, “The wooden walls are almost done. We can now proceed in building the real one.”

“Real one?” Daltos was stunned.

“Stonewalls,” said Lark. “Those beastmen could attack us at any time, that’s why I prioritized the construction of these wooden walls. We need at least a barricade to protect ourselves, don’t you think? Unexpected things could happen. This war could last a long time, Commander.”

“Wait!” Daltos almost shouted. “Based on your statement, an army of beastmen could come and attack this town at any time! And you still plan on building stonewalls despite that?!”

As a war veteran, this was something Daltos could not comprehend. Normally, under such circumstances wherein war could break out at any moment, the Supreme Commander would task his soldiers to prepare for battle.

Looking around, all of the soldiers were still busy with their mundane tasks. If an enemy attacked them now, they would be unable to put up any proper resistance.

Lark seemed to have read his mind. “It’s fine. The enemies are still several days away from this town. It’ll take them five days to a week to reach that forest over there. If we add the time it would take for them to do reconnaissance, then we surely have ample time.”

“How are you so sure of these things?” Daltos was grim. “If your speculations are wrong—”

“—They’re not speculations,” said Lark. He sighed, “It’s useless arguing about this matter. It seems that those things I’ve asked of my men have been completed. I'll show you something interesting. Come with me.”

Daltos followed Lark and they boarded a cart. Under Lark’s instructions, they went deep into the nearby forest.

“This place should be good enough,” said Lark. “Stop.”

The cart stopped and several soldiers pulled out large sacks from the back of the cart.

“What are we doing here?” asked Daltos.

“You’ll know soon enough.” Lark nodded at the soldier next to him. “Five trees apart. Do it.”

On cue, the soldiers opened the bags and putrid stench leaked out. Daltos’ eyes widened upon seeing the heads inside. All of them were beastmen.

Peculiarly, each of their ears have holes and strings tied to it. Daltos wondered what they were for. He soon found the answer to his question.

“What are they doing?!” he breathed, his body shuddering from what he saw.

The soldiers were tying the severed heads of the beastmen to the branches of the trees, each of them spaced evenly apart from each other.

Soon, the forest started giving out an ominous feeling, with unbearable stench permeating the surrounding.

This act was barbaric. It did not hold any hint of pride in it, at all. Daltos stared at the young noble. Despite his innocent face, he was a demon.

How could a human stoop so low as to use the severed heads of his enemies like this? It was repulsive.

Lark stared straight into Daltos’ eyes. He did not utter a single word. He merely smiled.

After the soldiers were done, they returned to Blackstone Town.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The air seemed to tremble as the army of beastmen marched through the plains. Their footsteps made the ground quiver as metals clanked and horses neighed. It had been two days since they resumed their advance.

The army numbering ten thousand soon entered a dead forest.

“Phantomim.” General Urkawi summoned his most trusted subordinate. “This forest. It was not mentioned in the report.”

Phantomim quickly looked around. All of the trees had withered away. Dried leaves blanketed the ground. There were no signs of life anywhere and even the birds hovering above refused to approach the area.

“According to our intel, there's no dead forest in this area.” Phantomim’s voice trailed off. He started doubting the credibility of the report. After all, a dead forest with innumerable withered trees couldn’t have sprouted overnight.

“Those lizardmen again, huh?” snorted Generak Urkawi. “They kept bragging of how good their reconnaissance abilities are, but look at this!”

An officer approached the General. “Sir, it’s midnight. Should we continue with our march? We might be able to reach those hills over there in the next three hours.”

General Urkawi squinted and looked at the hills beyond. Although this forest was dead and it would be impossible to procure any food from it, he judged that it would still be better to camp here than at the hills over there. After all, his army was the size of a legion.

“No. We’ll camp here for the night. Disseminate it to everyone.”

“Understood!”

After receiving their orders, the entire army stopped. Warriors pitched tents and several others started handing out the rations. Numerous campfires were quickly made left and right, lighting up the forest in the middle of the night.

A couple of hours passed.

Just when General Urkawi was about to go to sleep, a commotion broke outside his tent.

“H-Hey! What are you doing?!”

“He’ll wake up the General! Grab him!”

General Urkawi went out to see what it was about. He was immediately greeted by the sight of an elderly beastman kneeling on the ground. Several guards were pinning him down, but the old beastman still continued to struggle nonstop.

“Let go! I told you! I need to see the General!” shouted the beastman.

“Shut up!” one of the guards angrily spat. “You know the General’s temperament! He’ll kill you if you wake him up!”

“I know! But it doesn’t matter! The fate of the entire army depends on this one! Let me see the General!”

Urkawi’s ear twitched upon hearing this. “Let him go.”

The guards didn’t realize that the General had been standing there for quite some time now. Upon seeing him, they froze, then quickly let go of the old beastman.

Grabbing this chance, the old beastman ran towards the General. He stopped right before Urkawi, and with moist eyes, knelt down, huffing.

“General!” he cried. “This is a mistake! This forest! We should get out of this forest!”

General Urkawi frowned. Although he did not know this beastman’s name, he was sure that he was part of the group of shamans tasked to heal the wounded ones.

“What do you mean?” said General Urkawi.

The shaman took out a small, dead bird from his robe. “Look! One of my messenger birds died! It died!”

There was silence.

“General, the beastmen’s physique is naturally stronger than humans. I’m sure none of you notices this, but this forest is filled with poison fog! It wouldn’t be noticeable by now, but the poison would eventually sap away the strength of this entire Legion!”

The General decided that there was no harm in listening to this old beastman. “Show me proof. You’re part of the shamans, right? Bring everyone here. Tell them it is an order from the General.”

The old beastman nodded several times. He scurried away and disappeared from sight. In less than ten minutes, he came back, bringing with him almost a dozen grim-looking beastmen.

“Falma! What is this about?!” one of them snarled. The moment he saw the General standing outside the tent, he froze and stared at the old beastman in shock. “Y-You! What did you do?! Why did you have to spout nonsense in front of the General!”

“It’s not nonsense! I told you! This forest is poisoned!” retorted the old beastman.

“Enough,” the calm voice of the General made them immediately stop.

“I summoned all of you here to verify this shaman’s claim.” Urkawi’s piercing gaze made the shamans quiver. “Can you do it?”

Everyone knew there was only one answer to this question. After looking at the old shaman with contempt, they started their investigation. Half an hour later, everyone were dumfounded by the results. Indeed, this entire forest was poisoned. The reason why none of them noticed it until now was because of its peculiarity.

The dangerous substance which currently filled the air they breathed was not organic, nor was it something commonly found in these lands.

Miasma. The product of death itself. The byproduct of lives dispersing into the void.

All throughout history, only places where innumerable lives were lost were filled with these malignant substances. Unless thousands of lives have perished on this forest less than a year ago, it would have been impossible for Miasma to have formed in this area.

“But how?” said one of the shamans. It was the same question that ran through everyone’s minds.

“I’ve heard of magic poisoning before,” said Urkawi. “It’s a disease which could be fatal for humans. But how about beastmen?”

The old shaman answered, “It’s basically the same for us, General. It’s a chronic disease which opens up the victim’s meridians, making his mana continuously leak out. Magic Poisoning is fatal, but with proper rest, one could fully recover after a month.”

“A month of rest, huh?” General Urkawi contemplated. “How long till the symptoms start?”

“A couple of days at most,” said the old shaman. “The warriors of this legion will become significantly weaker after that.”

Urkawi fell silent. Should he order everyone to retreat back to their country? To recuperate? He knew that it would be a far too risky move to mobilize an attack under such state.

But in less than a week, we’ll be able to reach that town. A territory as small as that will easily fall in our hands. Even if the beastmen are weakened with Magic Poisoning, those humans will still be unable to defend against an attack of such massive scale. This is not a battle against those puny humans. It is merely a battle of time.

Urkawi realized that decisiveness would play a key role in obtaining the victory to this battle.

“Falma, was it?” Urkawi gazed at the old shaman. “You did a good job. You shall be handsomely rewarded after this war.”

The other shamans looked at the old beastman with envy.

But surprisingly Falma did not look pleased in the slightest. With quivering voice, he asked, “G-General? Are you telling me that you’re continuing this war?”

Urkawi nodded. “That’s right. It’s a race against time. We just need to capture that town in a single instant.”

“This place is no longer safe.” Urkawi summoned the guards. “Pass my orders to everyone. We will march towards that hill in the distance.”

He said to the shamans, “I want all of you to start concocting the medicine for this. I want all of the beastmen cured after a week and a half.”

The shamans protested, “But General! We couldn’t possible make enough medicine for ten thousand beastmen! In a week, we could only probably concoct enough for a half a thousand at most! The herbs we’ve brought with us are limited!”

“We’ll capture the town in the next four to five days.” Urkawi did not doubt this statement in the slightest. “You’ll have enough time after that.”

Soon, the sleeping camp immediately blazed into life. Guided by torches, the soldiers marched for several hours until they reached the hills. News about Magic Poisoning had spread out. By the time they reached the hill top, they could hear several protests that they should probably stop and recuperate.

The warriors were becoming uneasy.

Urkawi looked at the map.

Our target is near. Four days. We can make it there in four days. We’ll have more than enough time to heal the Magic Poisoning by then.

He firmly believed that the town would fall in less than a day, maybe less than hour at most. After all, his army was a Legion.

Despite the uneasiness and complaints, the Legion continued their march. After four days, they finally arrived at the forest adjacent to the town.

“Hey, there’s still some time before summer starts, right?” One of the warriors said.

“That’s obvious, moron.”

“But look at the ground.” He stomped his foot on the ground, creating crisp sounds. “It’s filled with dead leaves. You’d think its autumn with all these things scattered about.”

Just like the beastman said, the entire forest was currently blanketed by dried leaves. It felt unnatural in this weather. Furthermore, there was a peculiar scent wafting through the air. A sweet, fragrant scent.

“Stop bickering.” One of the officers reprimanded them. “We’re almost there.”

As the group continued their march, one of the scouts returned and immediately reported to the General.

General Urkawi noticed that the scout was pallid, his entire body quivering. “What’s wrong?”

The scout continued to tremble. “It’s… It’s terrible.” He choked the next words out. “Up ahead! The heads! The Vanguard Army is up ahead!”

“What do you mean?” said General Urkawi. “Snap out of it!”

But the scout refused to answer. He merely stood there, trembling from what he saw.

General Urkawi frowned. The words of the scout did not make sense. Was he trying to tell him that the Vanguard had been waiting for their arrival this entire time? But why did the Vanguard not respond to their messages via animal couriers?

“Hasten the pace,” said the General. “Move!”

The army quickened their steps. And after several minutes, they realized what the terrified scout was trying to say.

Hundreds of severed beastmen heads were dangling from the branches of the trees. Several of them still have their eyes open, their faces distorted in agony.

All those who saw them realized what these beastmen went through before they died. At first, the Legion was filled with terror, but the emotion called rage soon consumed everything.

With vehement fury, they looked further ahead, towards the direction where the town was. Everyone decided that they would rip those human bastards to shreds. They would make them die in the most painful way possible.

“Azura,” breathed General Urkawi.

The head of the Commander of the Vanguard stood on the ground for everyone to see, his neck pierced by a wooden spear. At the bottom of the spear was a wooden placard. Surprisingly, the words written on it were on Albahim, the language of beastmen.

War is pointless. Go back to your country. This is a warning.

It was a straightforward statement.

“War is pointless?!” growled the General. “Go back to our country?! These damn humans!”

This region originally belonged to the beastmen. At least, that was what their history books stated. Everyone in the army believed that they were simply reclaiming what was rightfully theirs.

“Take all of the heads of our comrades. They shall be buried in our homeland.” The General’s voice was loud and clear. “As for these humans… Crush them! Warriors of the Third Legion! Forward!”

The beastmen gnashed their teeth. They gripped their weapons and continued marching. Soon, they saw their target. A town enveloped by a wooden wall, moats and trenches.

General Urkawi did not expect the town to be a small fortress. With these fortifications, it’ll take some time before they captured the town.

“But it still just a town.” General Urkawi smirked. The hatred within his eyes continued blazing. “These low lives think we’ll turn tail after seeing those corpses? Hah!”

General Urkawi could still vividly remember the corpse of Commander Azura. He trembled in rage. He roared, “These damn humans dared desecrate the corpses of our comrades! Warriors! Charge!”

A straightforward battle without use of any tactics.

General Urkawi planned on showing these humans the difference in strength between their races. He planned to show them that against such number, what awaited were only despair and death.

Thousands of soldiers ran out of the forest and charged towards the town. A horn resounded from the wooden watchtower behind the walls. On cue, arrows flew out and struck the beastmen.

But blinded by their rage, they continued charging regardless. Under the command of Phantomin, a group of beastmen carried several logs with them. They used it to cover a small portion of the trenches, creating a bridge to let the army pass through.

Despite the barrage of arrows, the beastmen continued setting up the bridges despite the rising casualties on their sides. Several warriors raised their shields and protected those that were setting up the footholds.

“Archers!” roared General Urkawi. “Fire!”

A hundred archers from the Legion fired their arrows. The previously unending barrage of attacks from the humans immediately stopped. The beastmen used this chance to cross over the trenches. And with their weapons, they started destroying the wooden gate.

General Urkawi knew that it would only be a matter of time before this puny town falls in their hands. He snorted. As expected of humans.

As he was savoring the upcoming victory, shouts suddenly came out from their rear. To be precise, it came from the beastmen hiding in the forest.

General Urkawi quickly turned towards the forest and his eyes widened by what he saw.

The forest was on fire!

How was this possible? In just the span of a few minutes, the entire forest was blazing in flames, and the warriors stationed at the rear – the shamans, reserve soldiers, and those who handled the rations – were all being burned alive.

His instinct screamed at him.

He eventually realized what was going on.

The forest unnaturally littered with dried leaves. The sweet, fragrant scent which filled the air.

The severed heads of his comrades were nothing but a diversion. Blinded by their rage, they failed to realize that the forest ground had been soaked with oil all around.

All of them were planned by these damn humans!

He gnashed his teeth and clenched his fists. A third of all his men were still inside that forest. Even now, he could hear their agonized wails. From the sky, he could see fire arrows raining down.

It seemed that several human archers were lying in wait in the forest all this time, waiting to burn the beastmen alive.

“The town’s a bait,” Fior came running to him. “Their real targets are the soldiers in our rear. And it’s also the place where we kept our rations and herbs.”

Losing those things would be a devastating blow to this Legion. Capturing this town was only the first step, after all.

After this, they would be pointing their swords at the Lion City and at the entire Eastern Region. If these humans succeeded in their plan of annihilating their shamans, rations and reserve soldiers, their plan of conquering the Eastern Region would be pushed back by several months.

“We could still save them,” said the Rabbit. “Please order the magicians to summon the rain.”

That was a Grand Scale Magic which would consume all of the mana of his magicians. But General Urkawi knew that anything weaker than that would not work against the forest fire.

“Very well,” he said eventually. “Tell the magicians to put out the fir—”

He had yet to finish his statement when a deafening sound reverberated and the earth shook. General Urkawi instinctively turned towards the direction of the town.

“What the hell?”

Boulders were raining down from the sky!

Urkawi did not know how the humans managed to throw those things, but they were obviously effective against the beastmen trying to cross over the trenches. The boulders were probably made of hardened mud, as they immediately broke into several small pieces upon impact. Those who were hit immediately died on the spot.

Urkawi roared, “What are you doing?! Even if it kills you, charge! Break down the gates! Break down the walls!”

Despite the unreasonable order, the warriors still charged ahead. Some of them were shot down by arrows, but there were those who successfully reached the gates.

Just when they were about to break them, the gates opened. This momentarily stunned the beastmen. And as though toying with them, several humans wearing leather armors pointed crossbows at the invaders. Without hesitation, they fired and killed the beastmen, then shut the gates once again.

Veins popped on Urkawi’s forehead. What he just witnessed was humiliating. It was as though the humans did not fear them at all! They even opened the gates just to directly fire at the beastmen pummeling through it!

Urkawi looked at the forest, then at the town. Capturing this tiny territory was proving to be difficult as time passed by. Who would have known that the humans would build walls and trenches? If he turned around now, he could still save those inside the forest. After all, he still had his magicians.

“What are the magicians waiting for?!” said the General. “Put out the fire! Put out the damn fire!”

The magicians pooled their mana and cast a Grand Scale Magic. Thunderclouds roared and the sky dimmed. Slowly, droplets fell down the sky. This single spell consumed all the mana of his magicians. It’ll take some time before he could utilize them for battle again.

General Urkawi contemplated for a moment.

His decision here would dictate whether or not his men would live.

Eventually, he decided. “Fall back for now. We’ll save our comrades.”

They couldn’t afford to lose thousands of warriors from the fire.

The beastmen warriors slowly retreated, leaving behind numerous corpses of their comrades. The rain did not put out the fire, but it was more than enough to make it possible for the army to pass through and retrieve the warriors inside.

Chapter Twenty-Three

On top of the watchtower, Mikael stared at the retreating army of beastmen beyond the wall. Even from this distance of almost a kilometer, he could see the swarm of green and brown entering the burning forest. With his amplified senses, he could see the desperate attempt of those beastmen to rescue their comrades burning inside the forest.

“But how?” he mumbled.

How did Lark Marcus predict all these things until now?

Three days before this attack, he ordered his men to spread castrel oil inside the forest, along with several dozen barrels of dried leaves. Mikael could still remember the words the young noble said that time:

The enemies will arrive in three days. They’ll surely enter this part of the forest.

It was as though he knew everything from the start. Did he plant a spy within the ranks of the beastmen? That was the only possibility he could think of. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to monitor the movements of their enemies from so far away.

The tactics used by Lark was simple, almost an out-of-the-textbook method of dealing with the enemies, but it proved very effective. Even now, Mikael could see the fiercely burning forest ahead. Even with the summoned rain, the fire continued to blaze. With this single exchange, probably thousands of beastmen succumbed to their banes.

Mikael knew that anyone else would be hard-pressed to mimic this feat. Although it looked simple at first glance, a lot of variables played vital roles in initiating this plan.

First, one needed a wide view of the battlefield as a whole: Where the enemies were. Where they would come from. Their numbers. Their strengths. And even the personality of their commanders. If even a single one of these things were missing, this plan was doomed to fail. If the enemy’s leader did not charge recklessly while bringing all of his magicians with him or if the enemies took a different path in the forest, things would have unfolded differently.

“Do as we planned!” the Commander of the Blackstone Soldiers shouted. “Open the gates! Move out!”

The gates opened and several men started pushing a removable wooden bridge. After it perfectly crossed over the trench, the soldiers started moving out of the town. There were several hundreds of them.

The man next to Mikael struck the gong then blew the horn.

A war cry. It signaled the counter attack from the humans.

The retreating beastmen looked at their rear. They were clearly flustered after seeing hundreds of soldiers armed to the teeth. They clearly did not expect to see such an army from a very small town.

Since these soldiers were originally from Lion City, most of them have experiences in subjugating monsters. Almost all of them had experienced war.

The beastmen knew that if they were to clash now, they would be unable to save the thousands of beastmen trapped in the forest. Those who survived the forest fire must have been too weak to move right now. Even with the help of the pouring rain, they would be unable to get out.

“Split into three groups and enter the forest!” roared the General. “Phantomim! Valanar!”

The two officers nodded their heads. The two led their own detachments. They entered different paths of the forest and started rescuing their comrades. The General, on the other hand, stayed behind to confront the army of humans. With only a thousand soldiers, he stood right before the forest’s entrance.

“Warriors!” roared General Urkawi. “We’ll slaughter these damn humans! Be ready to charge at any time!”

“Understood!”

Each of the warriors with him have rage burning within their eyes. They could still remember the defiled bodies of their comrades. With vehement fury, they all steeled themselves for the upcoming clash –

—But it never came.

Half an hour had passed since the human army came out of the town. But peculiarly, they simply stood there, unmoving.

After several more minutes, the gates opened and the army retreated inside.

“What was that?” mumbled the General.

By estimate, there was almost a thousand soldiers on the human’s side. They could have turned the tables around had they attacked them right now then retreated after a clash.

Still baffled by what transpired, General Urkawi ordered his men to enter the forest. Now was not the time to think about these trivialities.

“Spread out! Bring back the injured!”

Upon his orders, the beastmen warriors started rescuing their comrades.

***

An hour after the beastmen retreated, several dozens of soldiers stealthily went towards the southern gate of the town. They took a roundabout path in the forest until they arrived at the southern plains.

The gates opened and the wooden bridge was pushed over the trench. The group of soldiers entered the town.

“Welcome back, Young Master,” Gaston greeted Lark.

Lark was carrying a bow with him, with an almost empty quiver on his back. Behind him were the hunters from Gahelpa and several archers from Lion City.

“The beastmen have retreated,” reported Gaston. “And just like you’ve ordered, we did not clash with the enemy directly.”

Lark already knew this. He nodded in satisfaction. “Good work.”

According to the vision sphere, the Third Legion stayed overnight in the dead forest filled with miasma. An army as large as that would be hard-pressed to treat all of their soldiers. All they need to do right now was to wait for the effects of Magic Poisoning to kick in. Clashing with them right now would lead to innumerable casualties.

“Where’s Commander Daltos?” said Lark.

“Ah, he’s at the eastern gate. They started repairing the broken parts of the gates and the blocked trenches,” said Gaston. “Do you want me to summon him, My Lord?”

“There’s no need for that. I’ll go see him myself.” Lark wanted to see the aftermath of the battle up close.

Lark rode the carriage and went towards the eastern border. The gate was open, and several soldiers were busy moving about outside the wall. Some of them were carrying wooden planks, while some carried shovels and pickaxes.

It was impossible to see from the outside through the gate, but a stone wall was being made right next to the wooden palisade. Thanks to the cement and the hundreds of helping hands from Lion City, constructing the stone wall went at a quick pace. At this rate, it would probably take less than a week before the eastern wall was completed. It did not have to be perfect right now, Lark knew.

“Ah, Young Master!” one of the soldiers noticed the arrival of Lark.

Immediately the soldiers stopped in their tracks. Some bowed, while some made their salutes.

After driving away the Third Legion, Lark earned the respect of the majority of the soldiers. When they first saw the enemies numbering in the thousands, everyone froze in fear and shock. Just like what the Young Master said, the enemies did come.

But thankfully, everyone had been briefed of their strategy beforehand. A small detachment of archers lied waiting inside the forest, while the rest of the soldiers cooped themselves inside the walls, all the while retaliating with clay boulders and arrows.

Still, the wooden wall was not enough to deter the advance of the beastmen. Had it not been for the sudden forest fire which burned down the reserved soldiers of their enemies and their supplies, the town would have already fallen to the beastmen’s hands by now.

Just like what Lark predicted, the Beastmen could not risk losing a third of their forces on the first day of the battle just to capture a small town. They immediately stopped in their attacks and prioritized the rescue of their comrades.

Everything until that point had been according to the Young Master’s plan. Knowing this, the soldiers could not help but look at him in awe. A simple but effective tactic. They did not expect someone so young to be so well-versed in the art of war.

“Young Lord.” Commander Daltos approached him upon receiving news of his arrival. He scrutinized Lark from head to foot. “Thank God. It seems you’re fine.”

“Of course.” Aside from his sweaty forehead, Lark was unscathed. The moment the beastmen retreated into the forest, he immediately ordered his men to stealthily go back to the southern gate. “How’s the preparations?”

Daltos looked at the soldiers behind him. All were busily moving about with their own tasks. “We’re ready to move out at any time. Like you’ve ordered, we made three small detachments. Forty soldiers each.”

Lark looked at the sky. It would soon become dusk.

“Gather the first detachment. We’ll move out half an hour from now.”

“Understood!”

***

The beastmen army busily moved about in the forest. With the help of the summoned rain, they found it possible to rescue their comrades. Still, the results were rather disappointing. More than half of the beastmen trapped in the forest fired were burned alive, while the remaining ones were crippled by the fire. The survivors were on the verge of death after being scorched by the flames and after breathing thick smoke.

General Urkawi personally led the rescue operation.

Sadness. Hatred. Frustration. All sorts of emotions ran through his mind as he pulled out the surviving beastmen from the forest fire.

He had not expected his enemies to be this thoroughly prepared. As a war veteran, he expected the town to simply open its gates and let the Army pass through in exchange of preserving their lives. And even if there was some resistance, it would have been all for naught before his Legion. That was, after all, nothing but a desolated town in the middle of the wilderness.

Was he too arrogant to assume easy victory over these humans?

General Urkawi shook his head. Now was not the time to think of these trivialities. He needed to prioritize the rescue mission right now.

If he lost a third of his army here, he would lose face before his entire Clan. After all, this was just the first step in their goal of conquering the Eastern Region. To reclaim the land originally theirs.

General Urkawi carried two unconscious beastmen on his arms as he made his way towards the camp.

“Ah, General,” Phantomim’s voice trailed off. “About the thing you asked us to do–”

General Urkawi stopped in his tracks as he silently listened.

“It seems the enemies purposely targeted our supplies during that attack.” Phantomim was grim. “I’ve checked the remaining rations. We only have enough to last a day or two at most.”

General Urkawi suppressed a sigh. His head throbbed. “The medicines?”

Phantomim shook his head. “They were all burned during the attack, including several of our shamans. Right now, we only have three shamans remaining. Even if we rescue everyone, it’ll be impossible to treat the entire army.”

No one expected such an attack during this clash. Who would have known that the enemy would purposely light the forest on fire to burn down their supplies? It was a strategy impossible to pull through unless the humans have been given several days of preparation.

Was there a spy among their ranks? General Urkawi had yet to find out.

“Phantomim,” said the General.

“Sir?”

“For now… Keep this a secret for now. I’ll be bad for the morale if the warriors find out. Two days, huh? Then we’ll just have to conquer that damn town in two days.” General Urkawi tried his best to remain calm in front of his subordinate. “And I have a task for you.”

General Urkawi lowered his voice. “Find the spy among our ranks.”

Phantomim’s eyes widened for a moment. “A spy? I see… It makes sense.”

General Urkawi nodded. “The humans knew the path we would take and even the formation of our army. They wouldn’t have been so bold in their strategy otherwise. There must be a spy among the warriors. Find him.”

“As you wish.” Phantomim bowed his head.

After his right-hand man left, General Urkawi laid the two unconscious beastmen on the ground and went inside his tent. Outside, he could hear the numerous footsteps of his men as they moved about.

He opened the map on the table and analyzed the topography of the region.

“General?” Fior entered the tent. After locking eyes with the General, the Rabbit bowed. “The enemy started moving, Sir.”

General Urkawi frowned. “Report.”

“According to our scouts, over a hundred infantry soldiers stood guard before the walls. The humans started burning the dead bodies of our warriors.” Fior chocked the words out. “They also started repairing the broken walls.”

General Urkawi trembled in rage. Just like before, the humans were defiling the dead bodies of their comrades.

Burning the dead bodies? How loathsome. He vowed within his heart that he would rip them to shreds once given the chance.

“General,” said Fior. “After recovering the bodies in the forest, I suggest that we immediately resume our attack.”

It seemed that the Rabbit was thinking the same thing as him. General Urkawi also planned on immediately launching an offensive once they secured the beastmen trapped in the forest fire. He knew that if he delayed their attack any longer, the humans would have fortified their defenses even further. And to make things worse, the entire Legion have been inflicted by that damnable Magic Poisoning.

Right now, time was the ally of humans.

General Urkawi was about to summon the officers to tell them about the plan when suddenly, commotion broke outside. The sound of metal clanked and shouts reverberated.

“We’re under attack!”

“Protect the injured! Go towards the back!”

General Urkawi and Fior momentarily looked at each other. Immediately, they went out of the tent and was surprised by what they saw.

The camp, which served as infirmary, was in chaos. From the sky, numerous arrows rained down.

Numerous beastmen carried the injured with them towards a safer place, while the warriors raised their shields to block the attacks.

“General!” Several warriors ran towards Urkawi. “Your orders, Sir!”

General Urkawi’s eyes swiveled left and right. He quickly scanned his surroundings.

“Two places,” said General Urkawi. “The enemies are over there.” He pointed at two parts of the forest. He was sure that that was the place where the enemies were hiding.

“Gather the Black Scimitar. We’re moving out!”

On his command, several beastmen with chain mails and black scimitars on their waist gathered. General Urkawi summoned their leader. “Jakal, take the left side.”

“Understood!” Jakal saluted.

The Black Scimitars separated into two groups. One was led by Jakal, while the other was personally led by the General himself. They did not waste any more time and immediately chased after the humans hiding in the forest.

At the same time, Lark, who had been watching everything using the vision crystal, smirked. In this attack, they managed to kill less than a dozen beastmen, but that was more than enough.

The real goal of this mission was to buy enough time for the Magic Poisoning to kick in. Lark knew that if he did not initiate these guerrilla attacks, the Legion would catch its breath and launch an all-out offensive against Blackstone Town.

Even with poisoned bodies, the sheer number of enemies would be enough to topple the town’s defenses.

What Lark needed right now was time. And once the time was right, he would retaliate with an offensive lethal strike.

Just as planned, all of the soldiers separated into smaller groups and spread out into the forest, then gathered at a set coordinate. Lark purposely left fake trails for their pursuers. Although it may not be enough to completely fool the enemies, it would be enough to buy them time to escape and return to Blackstone Town.

“We’re returning to the South Gate,” said Lark.

With that single command, the small group stealthily moved through the forest, circumventing the beastmen camp.

Chapter Twenty-Four

After retreating back into the town, Lark rested for an hour then gathered the second group to launch another guerrilla attack. They hid carefully in the forest as they watched the enemy camp. The last attack proved effective. Numerous beastmen scouted the perimeter of their camp, forming a tight barrier which seemed impossible to break through. A single misstep would give out their location.

“Young Master, what should we do?” one of the soldiers worriedly asked. “There’s a lot of them patrolling the area. We won’t be able to attack their camp at this rate.”

Lark calmly replied, “It’s fine. We’re not here to slaughter them anyways. At least, not now.”

Lark could clearly see the fear within the eyes of the beastmen scouts. The fear of the unknown. The fear that in this dark forest, the humans would attack them once again.

Like a beast awaiting its prey, Lark and his men silently lurked in the shadows of the forest. None of them made a sound. They simply waited for the signal from the Young Lord.

“Hey, over there!” one of the scouts shouted.

At first, they thought that they have been spotted. The next words of the beastmen made them sigh in relief.

“It’s a boar! A young boar!”

The five scouts began to murmur to themselves.

“Hey, if we follow it, we can still catch it.”

“Are you out of your mind? We can’t leave our post for that damn thing!”

“But the humans burned down our rations! I’m sure everyone’ll be glad once we take back the meat with us!”

Eventually, they came to a consensus. It was decided that three of them would hunt the boar, while the remaining two would remain in their positions.

Lark nodded at his men, and everyone immediately understood what he meant. Their patience finally paid off. Now, it was time to hunt.

Lark watched as the three scouts entered deeper into the forest. Once they were a good distance away, he gave the signal for massacre. On cue, arrows whizzed through the cold air and struck the beastmen. Two of them were hit right at the neck and immediately kicked the bucket, while the remaining one was struck at the calf.

“E-Enemi—”

Before he could shout, Lark’s sword pierced through his chest. Blood splattered out and the beastman fell limp on the ground.

The shrubberies to their left moved. Everyone pointed their bows at it.

“The boar,” mumbled one of the soldiers.

The boar stared at the humans for a moment, before it scurried away in fright.

Lark flicked his sword, removing the blood that clung to it, then sheathed it into the scabbard.

“Should we hunt the remaining two?” said one of the soldiers.

“There’s no need for that.” Lark shook his head. “Like I’ve said before, we’re not here to slaughter the enemies. It’s too early for that. If we fight them head-on right now, we’ll suffer numerous casualties.”

He stared at the corpses on the ground. “Cut their heads and hang them on the trees.”

The soldiers bit their lips. Once again, the order given out by the Young Master was morbid. Still, as veteran soldiers from the Lion City, they easily agreed.

Lark approached a nearby tree. He touched its trunk and using magic, carved a message for the beastmen.

Go back.

You do not belong here.

You have been warned.

We’ll come and slaughter you as you sleep.

“Good,” whispered Lark. He grinned.

This should be enough to instill fear within those bastards. And even if it proved ineffective, it should still deter them from initiating an all-out attack against Blackstone Town. Right at the very start, that was the true goal of this mission. Given enough time, these beastmen would have their strengths sapped away by the curse called Magic Poisoning. Once that time came, Lark decided to slaughter all of them.

Kill or be killed.

He would not let them touch his people.

After stealthily killing another group of scouts and hanging their severed heads on the trees, Lark and his group went back to Blackstone Town.

***

Morning came.

All of the officers of the Third Legion gathered inside a tent.

General Urkawi suppressed a yawn. He had not slept at all. During the night, he received several reports of attacks from the humans. To make matters worse, the way his warriors were killed was outright brutal. Their heads were severed from their bodies and hanged on the branches of trees.

General Urkawi remembered the words written on the tree trunk. He trembled in rage.

“Go back?” he growled. “After defiling the corpses of our kin, these humans expect us to simply go back?!”

General Urkawi gnashed his teeth. The silver-black hair covering his entire body stood on their edges. “I swear on the name of my Clan that I’ll rip these humans to shred and feed them to the burrcats!”

Silence befell the officers inside the tent. No one dared to make a sound. The vehement rage within the eyes of the General made everyone freeze in fright.

“Fior.” The General turned his attention to the Rabbit sitting at the farthest part of the table.

The Rabbit fixed his glasses. He pulled out a thin stack of documents. “These are the data we’ve gathered so far.”

He handed the documents to the General and began reciting its contents by heart. “After analyzing the defenses of the town, we came to a conclusion. The wooden walls were something built by the humans not too long ago. The cut down trees in a nearby forest was more than enough proof of that.”

“Then you’re trying to say…” Phantomim’s voice trailed off.

Fior nodded. “That’s right. The humans built these walls in anticipation of an incoming attack.”

The entire room buzzed into commotion. They did not expect the intelligence network of the humans to be this advance. They could not help but think that there was a spy among their ranks. It did not make sense otherwise.

“And the soldiers?” said the General.

Fior frowned. “Just like what the shamans expected, Sir. Right now, several dozen beastmen are showing symptoms of Magic Poisoning. We believe that the disease was aggravated by the events that transpired these past few days.”

Fior paused and looked at everyone in the room. “General, with all due respect, I suggest that we launch another all-out offensive against the humans.”

The Rabbit’s words made sense, but General Urkawi could not easily issue out the orders. Right now, they were still suffering casualties from the ambushes of the humans. The number of killed scouts were only in the dozens, but it was enough to instill fear among their ranks. After all, the dead bodies were mutilated.

Also, there were over a thousand injured beastmen currently recuperating in the infirmary. Those guys were easy targets for these humans, and General Urkawi knew that once given the chance, they might once again use underhanded tricks like last time. Furthermore, if the humans suddenly attacked the camp where the infirmary was located, the beastmen army would have a hard time fighting back.

It was no exaggeration to say that the Legion was crippled at the moment.

“Retreating is an option—,” said Fior.

“—Out of the question,” spat the General. “The will of the Beast King is absolute.”

General Urkawi knew that his head would come rolling if he retreated now. What would he say to the Beast King? That he retreated because his army was inflicted by a simple curse? That a simple out-of-the-textbook tactic of mere humans managed to drive him into a corner? He inwardly shook his head. He could not let that happen.

“If retreat is not an option,” said Fior. “Then an all-out offensive is our last resort.”

The entire room silently listened to the Rabbit.

“Leave a unit to guard our injured comrades, and with the entire might of the Legion,” the Rabbit’s eyes turned predatory. “Crush the enemies in a single blow.”

The General stared at the Rabbit. He sighed, “Haa.”

After a deep breath, he said to Phantomim, “Gather the Black Scimitars, Red Lotus, and the Diabolos Units. We’ll start our counteroffensive against those damn bastards.”

Phantomim did not dare question the General’s commands. “Understood.”

“Kratos.”

“General,” a beastman which resembled an elf replied. He looked more human than a beastman.

“You’ll be in-charge of protecting the camp while we’re gone,” said the General. “I’ll leave half a thousand men with you and a few magicians.”

“Leave it to me.” Kratos bowed. “I’ll make sure those pesky humans are unable to harm our injured comrades.”

With this, the board was finally set.

After the necessary preparations, the three main units of the Third Legion – the Black Scimitars, the Red Lotus, and the Diabolos Units – moved out. They numbered several thousands, and each were armed to the teeth. Although it was noticeable that they were fatigued, most definitely due to Magic Poisoning, just their number alone was enough to send shivers down one’s skin.

To raise morale, the three flags of each unit fluttered in the air as they marched.

The moment they moved out of the forest, the sound of a gong was heard inside the walls of the town. The mellifluous sound of the horn rang out. Immediately, the workers fortifying the wooden gates ran back inside. The wooden bridge was taken out and the gates closed.

***

The moment the horn was blown, the entire town moved as one. The workers outside went back, the bridge was pulled out, and the gates were closed. Numerous weapons, which resembled catapults, were placed behind the walls. The soldiers started loading hardened clays on it, while several archers assumed their formations behind the gates.

On the watch tower, the elite archers – the hunters from Gahelpa Village – stood with their bows on their hands.

Previously, they participated in burning down the forest and shooting down those who tried to escape the fire. Clearly, these beastmen did not know yet of the fearsome strength of their arrows imbued with mana. A feat possible only because of the bows bestowed upon them by the Young Master.

Outside the walls, over a hundred beastmen formed a defensive line with wooden wankel shields. They slowly marched forward, confident that the arrows of these humans would not penetrate their line. Behind them, the magicians started chanting their spells.

Lark felt the undulating mana which filled the air. Thankfully, the magicians of the beastmen were incapable of chantless magic. As the runes started forming below their feet, Lark immediately issued his orders to the elite archers.

“The real threat in this war are those magicians,” said Lark. “Valak.”

Valak immediately understood what the Young Master meant. He nock an arrow and imbued it with mana. His targets were those magicians hiding behind the defensive line.

“Do it.”

On cue, Valak release his arrow. It shot forward, unhindered by the wind. It pierced through a wankel shield then struck a magician right at the head. Blood splattered as the magician fell limp and lifeless on the ground.

And that was the start.

The other hunters from Gahelpa nock their arrows and started firing with pinpoint accuracy at the magicians. Under the unending fire, the magicians panicked and were unable to complete their magic.

Seeing this, the General ordered his men to cluster the shields together to form a tighter barrier – but it proved useless against the arrows imbued with mana.

“What’s going on?” General Urkawi was flustered.

When they first attacked the town, only ordinary arrows flew out. But this attack on their magicians right now were clearly from magic arrows. Lethal weapons infused with mana.

His instinct screamed at him that now was the chance. While those archers were occupied with killing the magicians, General Urkawi ordered an all-out charge.

“Annihilate the damn bastards! Kill these pesky humans!”

With a roar, General Urkawi led the charge himself. Thousands of beastmen charged towards the town, and at the same time, volleys of arrows flew down the sky and struck them down. Still, despite their wounds, the beastmen continued their attack.

There was no tactic involved in this one.

An offensive which relied purely on numbers.

And it seemed that the General’s decision was right.

Several beastmen managed to destroy a portion of the wooden wall. Like locusts, they swarmed inside. Metals clanked and blood filled the air as humans and beastmen fought to their deaths.

Slowly, the beastmen started pushing back the humans. General Urkawi grinned from this sight. On his left, beastmen stoppered the trenches with giant logs and began crossing to the other side. With their sheer strength, another portion of the wall broke down. Beastmen also started swarming inside.

General Urkawi knew that it was only a matter of time before the town fell into their hands.

But an unexpected scenario played out.

An ominous moan reverberated. It reminded the beastmen of a monster on the brink of death. A split second after, bodies of beastmen started flying as three suits of armor rampaged about. The swarming beastmen were immediately stopped in their tracks.

General Urkawi did not know where those three suddenly came from, but each of them should have the same strength as Phantomim.

General Urkawi was about to personally slay those three himself when another commotion broke out.

On the other pathway, beastmen warriors were being slaughtered left and right. Their cries of anguish and terror reverberated. General Urkawi squinted and he soon saw the perpetrator of the massacre.

A young man with golden hair used a claymore to cleave the beastmen warriors in half. The human moved swiftly, leaving behind afterimages.

What’s that?

Behind the man with golden hair was a giant. A human clad in flames. The flames blocked all attacks directed at the human. It was as though he was a living, impregnable fortress.

The three suits of armor were blocking the opened path to the right.

The two human monsters were blocking the path to the left.

Despite their numbers, the beastmen were unable to advance any further.

General Urkawi gnashed his teeth. “Phantomim.”

His right-hand man immediately answered, “General.”

“Secure the path to the right. Take care of those things.” General Urkawi pertained to the three suits of armor.

Phantomim was among the most-nimble men within the Third Legion. He was the perfect match against those three suits of armor.

“As you wish.” Phantomim unsheathed his long sword. His figure blurred and he disappeared from sight.

General Urkawi set his eyes on the two humans blocking the left path. They were strong, but he knew he was stronger.

Feeling the rise in temperature, General Urkawi looked up. A large ball of fire started to form in the sky. Since the archers capable of shooting magic arrows were preoccupied with dealing with those who managed to break inside the walls. The surviving magicians from the beastmen army managed to complete their spell.

Once that large ball of fire struck the town, the tables would turn around. Although it felt like a waste to destroy a large portion of the town with that spell, it was a necessary sacrifice. They could just fix the town after and convert it into a stronghold for the beastmen race.

The spell was finally completed. General Urkawi decided to see the upcoming destruction with his own eyes.

From the rear, he heard the leader of the magicians issue the order to fire.

Humans and beastmen alike looked above. The ball of fire the size of several carriages combined sent shivers down their spine.

Just right when the ball of fire started descending towards the town, a shadow leaped into the sky. Azure chains made of magic twined around the ball of fire, condensing it into a much smaller form. In a matter of seconds, the colossal ball of fire created using the mana of several dozens of magicians turned into the size of a palm.

A young man held it on top of his hand, his body still hovering in the sky. Although General Urkawi could not see his face from the distance, he could feel the bloodlust emanating from his eyes.

General Urkawi stiffened. He felt a premonition of what was to come.

“Don’t tell me,” he breathed.

He looked at the rear and was about to warn his men about the incoming attack when suddenly, the young man threw the condensed ball of fire towards the place where the magicians gathered.

There was a split second of silence the moment it touched the ground, before a deafening explosion rang out. The earth groaned and shook. General Urkawi’s eyes widened at what he saw.

That single strike massacred the Legion’s magicians.

Slowly, the young man flew down and touched the ground. He stood right before General Urkawi.

“Hello?” the young man greeted.

General Urkawi stared at him bewilderedly. In his entire life, he had never seen such feat before. The man clearly diverted his magicians’ ultimate magic and used it against them.

The young man unsheathed his sword. His eyes glimmered with bloodlust.

“Who are you?” General Urkawi managed to ask.

The young man paused for a moment. “Someone who’ll be dead soon doesn’t need to find out.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Lark and General Urkawi faced each other. Around them, swords clashed and blood splattered, blanketing the ground. Lark had not expected the beastmen to break in this easily. If these guys have not been weakened by Magic Poisoning, this town would have been conquered long ago. The difference in strength between humans and beastmen were that far apart.

On the two pathways forcefully created by the beastmen, Lark’s best soldiers stood guard to stopper the attacks. The three suits of armor were currently fighting against a nimble beastman who resembled a jaguar. With the jaguar’s speed, the three were unable to inflict even a single scratch on their opponent’s body. But Lark knew it did not matter. It seemed that in exchange for speed, the jaguar lacked the offensive capability to defeat them. An even situation.

The beastmen were no longer able to take a step further in the other pathway. It was, after all, the place guarded by Anandra and Commander Daltos. The two, with the help of several soldiers, stoppered the gap between the wall. The beastmen who dared to charge inside were slaughtered immediately. The beastmen had no choice but to take a few steps back out of fear.

The only thing that could break this stalemate was the presence of this monster in front of Lark. He was sure that this beastman was the Supreme Commander of this Legion. The General.

If this monster managed to reach any of the two openings, the delicate balance would immediately crumble and the beastmen would come pouring in, massacring the residents of Blackstone Town.

Lark unsheathed his sword. He slightly tilted his head. “I see. You’ve been healed, huh?”

The General immediately understood what he meant. He was definitely talking about the Magic Poisoning. “Brat. Are you the one responsible for that dead forest?”

Lark nodded. “That’s right. I’m the one who poisoned your entire army.” He slowly grinned. “And I’m also the one who cut the heads of those fools who dared invade my territory.”

General Urkawi’s eyes shook upon hearing this. His entire body quivered from rage. His eyes turned bloodshot. Ever since he saw the defiled bodies of his comrades, he vowed to rip the perpetrator into shreds. And now, that person was before his very eyes.

Before he could even think, General Urkawi’s body move by itself. It instinctively shot forward, his fists clenched as he tried to blow away the head of the human with a single punch.

His punch struck nothing but the air. A split second after, he felt a pricking sensation in his thigh. Looking down, he saw a deep cut, with blood oozing down.

He looked around. A good distance away from him, the human silently stood. The blade of his sword had red blood clinging to it. In that single exchange, he easily evaded General Urkawi’s strike and retaliated.

“I’ve been careless,” he mumbled. Although he knew that this human was taunting him to gain the upper hand in this battle, he could still not help but tremble in rage whenever he thought of the fate that befell the Vanguard Army.

General Urkawi tightened the muscles of his thigh and the bleeding immediately stopped.

He looked around him. It seemed that the Magic Poison was starting to show its effects. Slowly, his men were starting to be pushed back. With the advantage of terrain on their side, the humans were killing his warriors one after another. The most noteworthy enemies were those archers in the watchtower. Before their arrows imbued with mana, his men easily lost their lives.

General Urkawi knew he had to finish this fight soon and join the fray. It was the only way to prevent more casualties on their side. Once the beastmen managed to pour in, the humans would eventually succumb to their bane.

“Human,” said General Urkawi. “I would have loved to give you a slow and painful death, but the circumstances do not permit it.”

The General’s body started sucking in the minute amounts of mana which lingered in the air. Slowly, the silver-black hair covering his entire body turned azure. His black eyes turned crimson.

It was a high-level technique which Lark was very much familiar with. With this technique, the user was supplied with indefinite amount of mana from his surroundings. Although Lark was also capable of such feat, he never attempted to do it with his current body. The rebound was catastrophic. Lark knew that if he used this technique with this fragile shell, he would die once the spell ended.

Lark scrutinized General Urkawi. Judging by the reaction of the beastmen around them, this was not the first time the General used this technique.

The lizardman I tortured told me that the General is an immortal monster. Maybe he’s referring to this?

Lark frowned. If this General was capable of handling the rebound effects of this technique, then he was surely a monster befitting the title of an Immortal. As long as his body was capable of maintaining the spell, the chances of killing him was close to nil.

Let’s see how long he can maintain that state.

He was about to attack when suddenly, the General disappeared from his spot.

Lark’s instinct screamed at him. His arms moved on its own and blocked his face.

An earth shattering sound reverberated as a tremendous force struck Lark’s body. The hands he used to block the attack bent and broke. He gnashed his teeth as pain coursed through his entire body. He was sent flying, eventually hitting the wooden wall, destroying a portion of it in the process. Clouds of dust flew about.

“Young Master!”

“Young Lord!”

Anandra and the Blackstone Soldiers immediately ran to where Lark flew. The clouds of dust receded and a young man with broken arms silently stood. He coughed out blood and his legs momentarily wobbled.

General Urkawi entered through the new opening in the wall. Behind him, hundreds of beastmen followed.

“Damn it,” spat Commander Daltos. “Is this the end?”

The Young Master who easily defeated him was sent flying with a single punch from that beastman. Looking at the General, Commander Daltos could not help but shudder.

Lark spat the blood that clung to his mouth. He channeled mana into his broken arms and forced them to regenerate.

“You’re capable of high-rank healing spells?” General Urkawi had entered the town. “Interesting. It seems I can slowly rip you to shreds. Let’s see how long you can last.”

Anandra stood before the Young Master. Despite the large difference in their physique, he did not back down in front of the General.

“Step aside,” said Lark. His broken hands have been fully healed now.

“But—”

“—It’s fine.” Lark unsheathed his sword. He channeled mana into it, making it vibrate hundreds of times in a second.

He slowly stepped forward until he was only ten feet away from the General.

“Hey, Gorrilla.” Lark’s eyes were predatory.

“What did you say, you damn brat—”

“—The Seven Gates of Mana. How many have you opened by now?”

General Urkawi momentarily froze. This human was definitely talking about the technique he was currently using. But even within the Third Legion, only Phantomim knew the principle behind it. And within the Third Legion, only General Urkawi was capable of utilizing it.

How did this human find out?

“There’s no reason for me to tell you that,” said General Urkawi. “You’re going to die soon, anyway.”

Lark looked at the General in the eyes. “You’ll soon open all seven of them. You’ll have no choice but to do that.”

What was this human blabbering about? Did he forget how badly he was beaten up with just a single strike?

Smirking, General Urkawi clenched his fists. He decided to send this human flying again with a single punch.

As he was immersed in this thought, flames suddenly sprouted from the ground and enclosed them. It blocked the sky, the ground – everything. Only General Urkawi and the human remained.

General Urkawi realized that the flames weren’t hot. He frowned at the human. “Cheap tricks like this won’t work against me.”

“Is that so?” Lark casually gripped the hilt of his sword. “Gorilla, do you know the weakness of the Seven Gates?”

Lark’s figure blurred and he disappeared from sight. Behind General Urkawi, the flames roared and Lark’s figure emerged from it, his sword pointed towards the General’s neck.

General Urkawi easily deflected the attack using the back of his hand. The mana covering his entire body made him impervious of normal attacks.

Lark disappeared again and reappeared to his left. His attack was once again deflected by the hands of the General.

“Useless,” spat General Urkawi. “Give it up. It’s impossible to harm this immortal body.”

As long as he was using the Seven Gates, it would be impossible to kill him. His body would continually suck in the mana from the surroundings and replenish his stores. In a sense, he was immortal as long as he was under this spell.

Still, the human continued with his barrage of attacks. He quickly disappeared and reappeared, then struck General Urkawi with all his might.

General Urkawi frowned. He noticed that something was wrong. For some reason, the amount of mana he could suck from the environment was decreasing bit by bit.

“Finally noticed it, huh?” The voice of the human echoed inside the barrier of flames.

Another attack shot towards General Urkawi, but he again deflected it with his hands.

“What did you do?” said the General.

There was no reply. Lark simply continued with his unending barrage of attacks.

Lark actually created an isolated space using the Middle Tier Spell, Flames of Methuzelda. To conserve mana, he did not use the flames to attack the General. Instead, he merely used the Flames to block the mana from coming in from the outside. It was only a matter of time before the General’s unending supply of magic ran out.

And just like Lark predicted, the General opened another gate. He tried to suck in more mana into his body but failed.

“What’s happening?!” he growled. He tried to retaliate, but it proved useless inside the barrier.

Lark did not bother to explain it to him. He continuously moved inside the barrier of fire and struck the body of the General one after another. Slowly, the mana cladding Urkawi’s body started forming cracks, eventually breaking into minute pieces.

Lark did not miss this opening. He channeled more mana into his sword, and with swift movements, struck the neck of the General.

The Head of the General was cut. It flew into the air then rolled on the ground. The eyes of the severed head widened for a moment, before the light inside it vanished.

The Flames of Methuzelda dispersed, revealing the outcome of the battle to everyone. The beastmen who saw the headless body of General Urkawi froze.

“G-General?”

“W-What happened?”

Lark bent down and grabbed the head of the General. He raised it to the air. He amplified his voice using magic. “Your General is dead. Fighting any further is useless.”

A beastman resembling a jaguar quickly ran towards the dead body. Upon seeing it, he froze and his entire body quivered. He locked eyes with Lark.

Surprisingly, his eyes held no rage nor fear within it. Only emptiness. He slowly walked towards Lark and mumbled, “The body of the General.”

Lark immediately understood. He handed the beastman the severed head.

The beastman wailed the moment he received General Urkawi’s head. His cries echoed, and all of the beastmen warriors stopped fighting. They all stared at Phantomim, the right-hand of General Urkawi.

Although they lost their Commander, Lark knew that they could still turn the tables around with their number. As such, he said, “Take the body of your General with you. Leave. Go back to your country.”

It was only a few words, but it held great persuasive power. They remembered the severed heads of beastmen hanging on the trees on their way here. If they left the General’s body here, who knew what the humans would do to it.

Without uttering a single word, without issuing a single command, Phantomim slowly went out of the town, his hands embracing the head of the General. He silently wailed, his entire body quivering as he walked.

Seeing this, the other beastmen lost the will to fight. They had never expected General Urkawi, The Immortal, to perish in this battle. In a battle to conquer a very small town.

Several officers took the headless body of General Urkawi then issued the retreat.

In a bizarre and unexpected way, the battle ended. The beastmen started retreating one after another.

“Should we give chase?” said Commander Daltos.

He could still not believe that that monster was defeated by the Young Master.

Lark shook his head. “Don’t.”

Thankfully, those beastmen did not charge at them in blind rage. Otherwise, they would have annihilated everything in sight. An army unafraid of death was the most dangerous opponent.

Lark looked around the aftermath of the battle. Numerous corpses were seen here and there. The wooden walls had been destroyed, along with several houses.

He sighed. He looked at the sky.

At the very least, they had survived this war.

***

[Valley of Witches]

Inside his room, an old man with ashen hair silently polished his beloved sword. Embers blazed inside the hearth, while the scent of freshly brewed tea filled the air.

The old man momentarily looked at the table next to his bed. On top of it was a small parchment.

He received the letter several days ago. And even now, he could not guess who the sender was.

All it said was:

The army of beastmen will soon retreat after failing to conquer Blackstone Town. All of them will be under the effects of Magic Poisoning. By that time, they’ll be weaker than your average human.

It was short and concise, but its contents were enough to stir the old man’s heart.

He had been fighting against the Third Legion for more than a year now. Each and every time, he repelled their advances using just a small army. But this time, it seemed that they found a hidden pathway which led directly towards the East.

The old man’s reach was limited. He could not abandon the Valley of Witches to protect that small town. After all, this place was a fortress. If the United Grakas Alliance managed to get hold of this strategic location, they would have a firm foothold in their upcoming invasions.

Three knocks were heard on the door.

“Enter,” said the old man.

One of his men entered the room. “Guild Master. We’ve receive reports from the Animal Tamer.”

The old man silently urged him to continue.

“With significantly fewer numbers, the Third Legion is retreating back to the United Grakas Alliance.”

The old man froze. After several seconds he stood up.

Things have unfolded just like what was stated in the letter. He decided to see everything with his own eyes.

“Arthur,” said the old man.

“Sir.”

“Gather all of our men,” said the old man. “We will move out in an hour.”

Arthur quizzically stared at him. “Sir? All of our men? What do you mean?”

“We’re leaving the Valley of Witches,” said the old man. “At least for now.”

Around three hundred soldiers would still be left even if their army leaves the Valley of Witches. It should be enough to defend the fortress for a day or two. The old man’s instinct was screaming at him that he had to grab this opportunity in order to end this war.

Sword Master. The Living Sword. These were all the monikers the old man acquired when he was young. But now, he was simply the Guild Master of a Mercenary Guild in Lion City.

If the contents of the letter are true... If the beastmen are currently inflicted with Magic Poisoning…

His eyes glimmered.

Sword Master Alexander decided to slaughter the retreating beastmen army.

Chapter Twenty-Six

[Behemoth City – Capital of the Kingdom]

The servant tasked with taking care of the King froze. She stared at his Majesty. After confirming what she saw, she choked the words out. “His… His Majesty! His Majesty’s awake!”

Afraid that the guards outside did not hear her, she yanked the door open and shouted at the corridor.

“The King’s awake! He’s finally awake!”

The guards stiffened and they immediately ran to fetch the Chief Healer of the Royal Capital. In just a couple of minutes, a middle-aged man came into the room, huffing, behind him were several assistants.

By the time he arrived, the King was already sitting on his bead. His face was pallid, and numerous patches of black had formed on his neck.

“Your Majesty!” The Chief Healer immediately went towards the King’s bed. “How’re you feeling?”

There was deafening silence after that. The Chief Healer’s heart pounded as each second passed by. Was the King okay? If the King died, his head would come rolling at the plaza. That much, the Chief Healer was sure.

Eventually, the King looked at him and replied, “I’m fine. How long was I asleep?”

The Chief Healer knew that it was a lie. Still, he did not refute the words that came out of the King’s mouth.

“Nine days, Your Majesty.”

This was not the first time the King suddenly lost consciousness inside the Palace. But for some reason, the length of each episode was increasing as years went by. The Chief Healer was afraid that at this rate, there would come a time when the King would never wake up.

This disease was probably the reason why the King suddenly announced the competition for the throne – the Chief Healer knew.

“Nine days,” repeated the King. He silently sat there for a full minute then said, “I’m hungry.”

The Chief Healer nodded. “The rest of my assistants are on their way now. We’ve prepared a particularly nutritious food for the moment his Majesty woke up. It should arrive soon. But before that, please let me examine your body, Your Majesty.”

The King gave his consent and the Chief Healer started examining his condition. By the time he was finished, the frown he wore when he arrived here had gone deeper.

“Y-Your Majesty.” The Chief Healer found it hard to say the words out. “At this rate…”

The King stared straight into his eyes. Those eyes were devoid of strength, but the wisdom accumulated through the years were still evident.

“Speak,” said the King.

The Chief Healer sighed. He said to his assistants. “Leave us alone for now.”

The moment everyone was gone, the Chief Healer revealed what he found out. “At this rate… Forget four years. Your Majesty will be lucky to last another two years.”

He was implying that the King may not live long enough to see the result of the competition for the throne. If he died without leaving behind a successor, the Kingdom would be in chaos. The major families would surely grab this opportunity to climb the ladders of hierarchy.

The King fell into deep thought. He dismissed the Chief Healer and silently sat inside his room.

Should he shorten the time for the competition to two years instead of four?

He shook his head. That would not be enough time to assess each candidate.

The Empire was slowly building their forces and King Alvis was sure that they would strike the Kingdom once given the chance.

Furthermore, the Mullgray Pirates started creeping into their lands. Those barbarians pillaged every place they stepped foot into.

If he left behind an incompetent successor, the Kingdom would be swallowed in just a few years’ time by these giants.

As he was contemplating on these things, the food he requested finally arrived. He ordered the servants to place it on his table. After they left, he immediately started eating nonstop. Even now, he could still hear his stomach growling after sleeping for nine days.

“Ah, the artifact.”

He noticed the large gem embedded inside a stone pillar. Since he had been asleep for nine days straight, there should be a lot of messages from the knights by now.

Upon activating the stone, he realized he was right.

There were almost twenty messages. King Alvis started reading them one by one.

Midway, he stopped. His entire body froze on the spot.

The one he was reading was a message from Mikael, the Knight tasked to monitor the second son of Duke Drakus.

The contents of the message were surreal. King Alvis shuddered upon remembering that it had already been more than a week since the message was sent.

“The United Grakas Alliance invaded Blackstone Town?!”

He almost shouted upon reading that. According to the report, the enemy numbered over ten thousand. A Legion. An army massive enough to topple a major city of the Kingdom.

King Alvis felt his chest tighten. He was about to summon the ministers to discuss a contingent plan when he read the messages succeeding that. They were also from Mikael.

The contents of the letter were short and concise, but it was enough to momentarily stop the old King’s beating heart.

The United Grakas Alliance failed to capture Blackstone Town.

Using only a thousand soldiers, Lark Marcus defeated the Third Legion, eventually killing their General. The beastmen have retreated.

The King stood there, dumbfounded.

**

Almost three weeks had passed since the war ended. Dozens of soldiers went back to Lion City to return the dead bodies of their comrades. The casualties on their side numbered almost two hundred during that short exchange, despite the fact that they were protected by walls and trenches.

Lark made use of the remaining soldiers to finally finish the stone walls. This time, it was built with proper supervision from the Mason. It towered seven meters, with enough space to walk on top. It was only half as large as the walls seen in major cities, but it should be enough to confer a certain degree of protection in times of war. It would have been a waste not to make use of the contracted soldiers, otherwise.

Today was the final day of the contract. The soldiers were idling about, since the walls had already been finished.

“How’s it?” Big Mona held his head high as he looked at the stonewalls before them. “I’ve personally made sure that the soldiers did it properly.”

These past few weeks, Big Mona stayed in Blackstone Town under the pretext of helping a friend. But Lark knew the ulterior motives of this fat merchant.

Since today was the day of their departure back to Lion City, he decided to give him that item, finally.

“It seems that Sir Merchant has helped me a lot this time.” Lark proceeded with pleasantries.

Big Mona grinned. “We’re business partners! This much is natural, of course!”

He emphasized the word “partners.”

Lark chuckled. “Of course. And I guess it’s time for me to fulfill my side of the deal.”

He called a servant over. “Tell Gaston to deliver the vials to me.”

“Yes!”

After a few minutes, Gaston arrived, carrying a small chest with him. He bowed his head and handed it to Lark.

“I-Is… Is that the Blood Stone?” breathed Big Mona. This was the reason why he chose to stay in this backwater town despite the lurking dangers of the beastman race.

“Blood Stone?” Lark tilted his head. “Is that what you call it here?”

He opened the chest and showed it contents. Inside were six small vials. “I’m capable of making only three middle-grade potions per week. But as thanks for helping me out this time, I’ll give you the three vials I’ve made the month before for free.”

It was a lie. Lark could actually make over a dozen of them if he wanted to, but it would surely make the potion lose its value. By emphasizing that it was a limited item, the price would definitely skyrocket.

Big Mona almost squeaked in glee. His trembling hands accepted the chest filled with vials, and as though it was a treasure, he hugged it tight.

With this, it should be possible to climb the ladder of hierarchy even further.

Big Mona tried suppressing all of his desires from showing on his face, but his body could not help but shudder in glee. He licked his lips.

A merchant like him would not have a hard time procuring any kinds of normal goods within the Kingdom. And the same could be said for the big shots in the capital. The only thing demarcating them was their ability to procure the rarest of commodities. If the middle-grade potion was so rare it was called the Blood Stone, then his name would surely roar throughout the Kingdom as the only merchant selling one.

Blood Stone, huh?

Lark remembered the legendary stone. He had seen it before back in his previous life, but only a fragment of it. Any water submerged in it automatically becomes a potion of the highest quality. Legend says that if one were to consume a fragment, bringing someone dead back to life was a feasibility.

Lark tried consuming the fragment he obtained back then, but it did nothing but halt the progress of his curse for a couple of years.

Lark smiled after the reminisce. He remembered his disciples once again. Each of them paved their own path. Each of them lived their own lives. Each of them left a mark in history. Somehow, he felt a squeezing sensation in his chest as he thought of it.

“Ah, Big Mona,” said Lark.

Big Mona broke out of his trance. “Yes?”

“I’ve looked around the market in Lion City before, but the largest mana stone I’ve managed to find is around this size.” Lark gestured with his fingers. It was around thrice the size of a pebble.

Big Mona immediately understood what the Young Master was trying to say. “You want me to find a larger mana stone for you?”

Lark nodded his head. “Yes. Of course, you’ll be compensated.”

Big Mona frowned for a moment. “Young Sir, it’s a bit hard finding a mana stone larger than that one these days. But as your partner, I’ll order my men to look for it.”

“Is that so?” said Lark. “Then, I’ll be troubling Sir Merchant from now on.”

Lark bowed his head in gratitude.

Ever since he learned about the competition for the throne, he hastened the pace of his training. Right now, his body had been honed enough to withstand the consumption of larger mana stones. Even if he consumed a stone two or three times larger than the first one, there would be no rebound. His daily physical training finally paid off.

Lark remembered the monsters lurking within the Gahelpa Forest. A monster as strong as those would surely have a mana stone inside its body. It might even be of the middle grade quality.

After exchanging several more pleasantries with the merchant, he summoned Anandra and the other elite hunters of Gahelpa.

Using the vision crystal, Lark have ascertained that the beastmen army had retreated. Even if he left the town for several days, nothing too catastrophic should happen.

“You called for us, Young Master?” Anandra and the hunters bowed their heads.

Lark went straight to the point. “I’m going to hunt the Basilisks. And I’m going to give all of you the choice to come with me.”

Anandra and the hunters stiffened. They could still vividly remember the traumatic events that day. Although they had become relatively stronger than before thanks to the magic bows, fear was still engraved deeply within their bodies. They trembled with just the thought of facing that colossal serpent head-on.

“I’ll leave tomorrow morning,” said Lark. “Whether you’ll come with me or not, you’ll have until tonight to decide.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The time for departure of the soldiers from Lion City arrived. By dawn, they had already finished their preparations and were ready to move out.

“So, the Young Master’s coming with us?” said Commander Daltos.

“Coming along, Yes.” A sword dangled on Lark’s waist. “But we’ll part ways at the Gahelpa Forest.”

Daltos looked at the hunters standing behind Lark. They were all armed to the teeth.

“I see,” said Daltos. He decided not to pry any further. None of it was his business, after all.

“Commander, the reports?” said Lark.

Daltos knew that Lark was referring to the beastmen invasion a couple of weeks ago. He was asked by Lark to report the situation to Lord Valcres as a contingent plan in case the beastmen decided to redirect their forces towards Lion City. At the same time, it would also serve as a fallback in case Lark’s plans failed and the beastmen successfully captured the town.

After Daltos sent his report, the news regarding the beastmen invasion started spreading among the residents of Lion City. It would only be a matter of time before the traveling merchants spread the news of Lark’s victory far and wide throughout the entire Kingdom.

“I’ve received a reply from the City Lord,” said Daltos. “The City will temporarily support the bereaved families.”

Lark nodded in approval at this. It was no exaggeration to say that because of those men, the entire Eastern Region remained unscathed from the beastmen. Had the Third Legion managed to capture Blackstone Town, it would have been only a matter of time before Lion City fell into their hands.

Commander Daltos realized this too. He scratched his cheeks in embarrassment and said, “Young Master?”

Lark quizzically looked at him.

Daltos slowly mumbled, “Thanks.”

Lark was momentarily taken by surprise. When they first met, this man was adamant on not letting him take command of the soldiers. But now, he could see respect within those eyes.

Daltos no longer looked at Lark as though he was some spoil brat. After a month of working together with him and after seeing all the developments in the town, he realized that this young man was a competent ruler – a great leader.

His feats during the war was almost akin to miracles. It would take no less than a genius tactician to pull off everything that transpired. If even a single variable had gone wrong or missing, they would have been long dead by now.

After everyone was done with their preparations, Commander Daltos roared, “Men! Move out!”

The ground lightly shook as hundreds of men started marching at once. Horses neighed and carts started moving out.

Since horses were a luxury, Lark and his men walked alongside the infantry. Big Mona slowed his horse down to less than a trot. He was grinning from ear to ear. “Partner!”

Lark knew the reason why the merchant was this jubilant since this morning. “Ah, Sir Merchant. So how’re the middle grade potions?”

He had seen Big Mona test the potion on one of his slaves this morning. The fat merchant did not hesitate to stab a hole through the slave’s stomach, before pouring down an entire vial on the gaping wound.

“Terrific! Truly a miraculous product!” Big Mona squealed. “I’ve heard that the Kalavinka Navy started an all-out war against the Mullgray Pirates! And the Empire! They started to invade the northern borders of the Kingdom!”

The fat merchant spoke gleefully, his eyes glimmering brightly. “Do you know what that means, my dear partner?”

Lark immediately understood the fat merchant’s intentions, but he chose to remain silent.

Big Mona continued, “Potions! The unfolding wars will surely require my potions! Our potions!” He heartily laughed, almost choking on his own saliva. “I’ve already tested the efficacy of the low grade potions and just those alone is enough to tilt the powers to my side! But this middle grade potion! The Bloodstone! Even the Merchant Guild from the Royal Capital would have no choice but to beg for supplies!”

Big Mona paused, as though struck by an epiphany. “Wait.” Big Mona’s eyes were wide as he said the next words, “Merchants are neutral to war, isn’t that right?”

Lark frowned. Was Big Mona thinking of selling potions to the enemies of the Kingdom? The greed for wealth of this man surely knew no bounds.

“Don’t even think of selling them to the Pirates or the Empire,” warned Lark, his face grim and daunting.

Big Mona froze. He coughed. “Of…Of course!”

Lark sighed.

This merchant was indeed a double-edged sword. He just hoped that he would not do anything foolish in the nearby future.

“Ah,” said Lark. He almost forgot to open this topic up. “There’s a food deficit in the Kingdom, right?”

“What of it?” said Big Mona.

“I’m sure you’ve seen the farmlands and the poultry farm,” said Lark. “I plan on selling meat and wheat to the nearby cities, you see. Not just in Lion City.”

Big Mona had seen the extent of the developments the town went through. He did not know how Lark managed to pull it off, but judging by the exponential growth of the poultry farm, it should be possible to supply a small city or two.

Also, the reclaimed lands in the north was vast. The entire field was now a lush green. By size alone, it was almost half the fields of Golden Wheat City, the second richest city in the entire Kingdom. It should be possible to supply wheat to a major city once harvest season comes.

“Sell them to the nearby cities?” repeated Big Mona. He could already hear the clanks of golds and silvers. “But with such amount, it’ll be impossible to transport them without help from the merchants.”

“You’re quick to take in the topic,” complimented Lark. “That’s right.” He stared at Big Mona. “So, can you do it?”

Big Mona grinned. There was no need to ask. “Of course. Leave it to me.”

***

Evening came.

After arriving at Gahelpa Forest, Lark parted ways with the Army. Together with the hunters, he traversed the road towards the secluded village.

They camped overnight and after dawn came, they started marching once again.

“Listen,” said Lark. “Do not engage the enemy. Shoot from a safe distance. The female basilisk has the ability to petrify. If you’re hit by its magic and a part of your body is turned into stone, retreat. Even if your entire body turns into stone, you’ll revert to your original state as long as the magic caster – the female basilisk – is killed. But once a stone statue is broken, the petrified human dies.”

The hunter nodded their heads, conviction evident within their eyes.

“Yes!”

“Our first target is the male basilisk,” said Lark. “We’ll eliminate the bastards one at a time.”

Soon, they reached the village. Lark amplified his senses. There were no enemies nearby. He signaled everyone to move forward.

The wooden gate was broken, just like before, but something out of the ordinary greeted their eyes.

A colossal serpent, which seemed to have been dead for quite some time judging by the state of the corpse, was on the ground.

Around it, numerous broken slabs of stones were scattered about.

“What happened here?” breathed Valak.

They did not expect their first target to be dead by the time they arrived.

“Look! Over there!” said one of the hunters.

They looked at the direction he was pointing at. It was a stone statue of a human leg. Not far from it, a stone which resembled a torso laid.

Lark inspected the corpse of the basilisk. The wounds on its body were definitely from swords. And looking around, he could see a couple of those weapons scattered about on the ground.

Just by this alone, he could conjecture the events that transpired somehow. These people probably fought against the male basilisk and won, only to become preys to the female basilisk in the end.

But who were these guys?

Why did they enter this village devoid of people? And why did they fight against the basilisk?

The normal reaction when seeing a monster of such caliber was to flee as far away as possible. To flee with your life on the line.

They managed to kill the male basilisk. These guys are skilled.

After all, even Lark was unable to kill the male basilisk in a one-on-one fight. He could not perform middle tier magic that time he confronted the monster. Completely piercing through the tough scales of the colossal serpent proved to be an impossible feat back then.

Well, at least we no longer have to deal with this bastard.

Whoever these guys were no longer mattered. They killed the Basilisk, drastically reducing the risk for Lark and his men. From a certain point of view, they were godsend.

Lark unsheathed his sword, and with fluid movements, cut off the head of the colossal serpent. The scales of the basilisk turned brittle after losing its supply of mana, making it easy for Lark to cut apart.

The corpse was putrid, but Lark unhesitatingly pushed his hand inside the severed head of the basilisk. After fumbling about, he pulled it out.

In his hand was a stone half the size of a fist. A Middle-Grade Mana Stone. An item several times more potent than the one he consumed before.

It seemed that in this current era, mana stones of this quality were hard to come by. After all, a basilisk was already ranked among the Calamity Class Monsters. If this was the Magic Empire from back then, these monsters would have been slaughtered in the blink of an eye.

This was the true purpose of this trip. Revenge was secondary.

If the mana stone from the female basilisk was as large as this one, then Lark would soon become capable of casting several Middle Tier Magic. Expanding his mana pool several times his current one would no longer become a problem.

Lark expanded his senses further. He soon pinpointed the location of the female.

“We’re attacking the female,” declared Lark. “Do you all still remember my instructions?”

One of the hunters replied, “Shoot from a safe distance.”

“Good,” said Lark. “Move out.”

They moved stealthily, their footsteps not making any sound.

Soon, they arrived at the place where the female was.

The female basilisk was sleeping, its entire body coiled around a large boulder. Although it was not as large as the male, its pale white skin gave the hunters the shiver. Those glistening scales were reminiscent of magic crystals. Everyone here knew that this monster was capable of turning humans into stone.

Lark raised his fist, and everyone nocked arrows on their bows.

We need to fatally injure it on the first shot. It’ll be too dangerous otherwise.

This was the reason why he brought the hunters with him. If he went alone, the risk of dying against this monster was several fold. But with the help of these hunters wielding magic bows, it should be possible to mortally wound this monster – to strike its vital points after catching it off guard. And now was the perfect time, while it was still in its slumber.

“We only have one shot at this,” said Lark.

The hunters tensed up. They gathered all their mana into their bow. An all-or-none gamble.

Lark noticed that the female basilisk was starting to wake up, probably after feeling the mana condensing in the hunters’ bows.

Before it fully woke up, Lark roared, “Now!”

A split second after, the hunters released their arrows. It shot towards the female basilisk, striking its body and piercing it, eventually destroying the boulder behind it.

An agonized shriek reverberated as the female basilisk woke up from the excruciating pain. It uncoiled itself, raised its body and glared at Lark and his men.

After consuming all of their mana, the hunters’ legs wobbled. They slowly stepped back upon seeing the colossal serpent glaring at their direction.

But that lasted only for a short moment.

Soon, the light within the eyes of the basilisk dimmed. It hissed one last time before slumping on the ground. Pools of blood continued flowing out.

All of the hunters were dumbfounded.

They did not expect the monster to fall this easily.

Lark walked towards the female basilisk and after staring at it for a full second, swung his blade and severed its head from the body. Blood splattered about.

He turned to the hunters. “You’ve done well. Rest. We’ll bring the heads of these monsters back with us tomorrow.”

Once again, Lark pushed his hand inside the severed head of the monster. He pulled his hand out, firmly holding a large stone inside.

It was still filled with blood, but the quality of this one was definitely better than the previous one.

High-Grade Mana Stone?

Jackpot.

Lark started looking forward to the day when he could once again use Grand Scale Magic.

And one other thing.

Lark stared at the severed head of the female basilisk.

War was just around the corner.

Maybe it was time to create another guardian for Blackstone Town?

Lark grinned at this thought.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The first thing Lark did the moment he arrived home was hole himself inside the underground chamber of the Mansion. After assessing the current needs and capabilities of Blackstone Town, he came up with an ideal guardian.

They should be creatures capable of protecting the territory and at the same time contribute to its prosperity. A reliable workforce.

The three suits of armor were strong, but they were made with the sole purpose of protecting his subjects in mind. There were clear limits to their uses, especially in a time when there was no war.

Lark decided to create guardians capable of plowing the field, repairing walls, planting seeds, and if the need arises, take up arms and protect the domain. A versatile guardian.

Lark looked around, his gaze eventually stopping at the pile of iron ingots. After defeating the Third Legion, he ordered these things from the Merchants Guild, spending quite an amount of money in the process. They were necessary investments for the prosperity of his territory.

Let’s start.

Using magic, Lark started making several bodies. Each of them resembled humans devoid of any skin, showing the muscle intertwined underneath. Their arms were long, almost reaching the ground, and a two-meter tail protruded out of their backs. There were three eyes, two at the front and a very small one at the back.

It was nothing short of a monster. With just a single glance, anyone would arrive at the same conclusion.

The appearance doesn’t matter. My subjects will get used to them as time passes by. What matters is the body’s efficiency.

The intertwined fibers made of iron would make it possible to flexibly move the bodies’ limbs. Furthermore, it would enhance its strength several fold. The tail on its back have pincers at its tip, serving as a tool to grasp and carry things. At the same time, it would become a lethal weapon in times of war.

Lark carefully considered the amount of manual labor these things would do when he created the bodies.

Should he create a strong soldier using the soul of the basilisk? Or should he create a dozen weaker ones by splitting the soul several times?

After pondering for an entire day before returning to Blackstone Town, Lark decided on the latter. Even if these soldiers were to be formed using the fragmented souls of a basilisk, each of them would still be around as strong as the three suits of armor he created before – or maybe even stronger than that.

He doubted that the United Grakas Alliance would send another Legion to topple the Kingdom soon. In a time when there was no war, the best thing to do was to focus on the development of the town. As such, Lark chose to create several soldiers instead of one. Soldiers capable of contributing to the prosperity of Blackstone Town.

Lark relentlessly continued making the bodies, stopping only after his mana was nearly exhausted. Afterwards, he would take a quick meal and resume his physical body training.

On the third day, the preparations were finally done. Two large magic circles overlapping each other were surrounded by several smaller ones.

Now, it’s time to harness the souls.

Lark opened the sacks containing the heads of the basilisk. The male’s head was large, almost the size of two carriages combined. The female’s was around a third of that. Lark momentarily amplified his strength using magic and placed the two heads on top of the large magic circles. Immediately afterwards, he placed the humanoid shells he created inside the smaller ones.

Lark took several deep breaths. He started channeling mana into the magic formation, making the runes engraved on it glow.

After some time, he frowned.

It’s not possible, huh?

Unfortunately, it seemed that the soul within the male basilisk had already dissipated due to the amount of time elapsed since its death. Extraction was impossible. It was regrettable, but Lark could do nothing about it.

On the other hand, the soul within the female was still intact. Lark focused all his mana for its extraction instead.

Soon, a malevolent haze started forming on top of the magic formation, slowly assuming the shape of a colossal snake. Its pair of eyes glared at Lark as it hissed. It could still remember the humans who killed it.

After seeing this, Lark calmly said, “I’ll be borrowing your power for a while.”

The magic formation suppressed the soul of the female basilisk, preventing it from going back into the void. Slowly, it split into several pieces. Twelve of them to be exact. The runes glowed brighter and the fragmented souls were sucked inside the humanoid bodies created by Lark.

Upon the completion of the ritual, the runes broke into particles of light then dissipated. Darkness returned inside the chamber, with only a single lamp as source of light.

Lark watched as the humanoid bodies made of iron started to move.

Now was the time to test if the ritual was a success.

“If you acknowledge me as your master, kneel down.”

Nine out of the twelve humanoids knelt upon hearing those words. The remaining three glared at Lark, their killing intent evidently oozing out.

As expected of a Basilisk. Its ego remains even after the soul’s been fragmented.

Those three were probably the ones who acquired the soul containing most of the basilisk’s ego.

It’s a shame, but I’ll have to be content with nine for now.

Without warning, the three humanoids leapt towards him, their long arms aiming for his neck and chest. These three were without consciousness – their desire to take away Lark’s life was born only from the rage left behind by the basilisk’s ego. Knowing this, Lark had no intention of holding a conversation with them. There were no rooms for negotiation with such unintelligent beings.

“Take them down,” said Lark.

The nine humanoids immediately leapt into action and confronted the enemies. Since those three were without intelligence unlike the other nine, destroying them was easy. Lark joined the fray and helped the nine mutilate the rebelling soldiers. After several minutes of futile struggle, the three humanoid creatures fell to the ground, squirming with just their trunks as all of their limbs were cut.

Lark cast his magic and the three were engulfed by flames. Slowly, they melted away, leaving behind nothing but a pile of smelted iron.

Lark turned towards the nine humanoids.

“Your jobs are simple.” Lark raised two fingers. “First, protect the citizens, protect the land – protect the territory. And second, contribute to its prosperity.”

The nine made deep grunting sounds. They were unable to utter a single word, but Lark knew that they understood.

“Help my citizens till the fields, maintain the walls,” said Lark. “Mine ores, explore uncharted territories. From now on, these things will be your priorities.”

***

After creating the humanoids, Lark immediately introduced them to the farmers. As expected, the farmers were stunned speechless upon seeing them. After all, they looked grotesque, like those monsters told in legends to scare children.

Had the Young Master not introduced them personally, the farmers would have already ran away in fright.

Lark looked at the farmers gathered together. Several of them were pallid, their eyes trembling as they warily stared at the humanoids standing behind the Young Master.

“Young Master… they are?” One of the farmers asked.

“Additional hands,” said Lark. “Harvest season’s just around the corner. These guys will help in harvesting the wheat. But for now, they’ll help in tilling the soil and removing the weeds.”

After hearing that these humanoids were going to help them till the lands, the farmers’ expressions softened somewhat. For some reason, these humanoid creatures did not look as terrifying as before.

“You.” Lark pointed at one of the humanoid creatures. “Lift that thing and place it over there.”

The humanoid creature immediately heeded Lark’s instructions. Without uttering a single sound, it lifted a large stone the size of an adult human and placed it on the place instructed beforehand. It easily completed a task which would normally require two to three people to be done.

Seeing this, the farmers let out awed sounds.

“Now, pull those weeds off the ground,” said Lark.

The same humanoid creature pulled the weeds out. Because of their long arms and slender fingers, it did not even need to bend down. The dexterity it showed was on par with humans.

Lark nodded satisfactorily at this. “I’m sure there’s a lot of questions in your mind, but what you need to know is this—” He paused and locked eyes with the farmers. “—These guys are on your side.”

The last statement ignited the fire within the farmers’ hearts. For some reason, these humanoid creatures felt so dependable. They did not look scary any more.

“Gaston,” said Lark.

The butler bowed his head. “Young Master.”

“From now on, you’ll be in-charge of these guys. Be free to order them around.”

Gaston stared at the humanoid creatures then bowed once again at Lark. “As you wish, Young Master.”

Lark turned to his creations. “This man shall be your master from now on. Listen to everything he says.”

The nine of them all grunted, saying they understood.

Good.

With this, his territory now had a workforce capable of carrying out heavy tasks left and right. Since the humanoids’ bodies were made entirely of iron, they would not wear out easily even if they were to carry logs and large stones.

Gaston started issuing out his orders to the humanoids and each one of them immediately followed the commands of the old man.

I should make them fortify the walls after this, just in case.

The invasion of the beastmen was still vivid within his memories. If some variables had gone missing that time, the town would have been under the beastmen’s hands by now.

As Lark was contemplating on these things, he heard a horrified shout. One of the farmers was pointing at the sky, his entire body quivering in fright.

Everyone looked up, and immediately, creases formed on their brows. A portion of the sky had turned black.

That is…

Lark squinted. From the distance, he could make out the hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of insects forming a canopy in the sky. Each of them was the size of a thumb, their scales reminiscent of the abyss. When they flew past by, day momentarily turned into night.

“T-The Black Famine?!”

“But why? It hasn’t even been a year since the last one!”

The entire town went into uproar upon seeing the swarm of insects flying in the sky. Color drained off the faces of everyone.

The Black Famine… So they’re really Kelnup Flies, huh?

Contrary to the ghastly expressions of everyone, a smile slowly formed on Lark’s face. He had been a bit worried about the so-called Black Famine that’s been devastating the entire Kingdom and the Empire for several years now. But after confirming that they were indeed Kelnups, he quickly moved into action to prevent the withering of the plants.

Harvest season’s just around the corner. I won’t let you damn bastards foil my plans to prosper this Town.

“Bring me around five barrels of castrel oil. The more, the better,” said Lark. “Now!”

With a jolt, Gaston and the servants quickly moved into action. A few minutes later, a horse-drawn carriage arrived. Several barrels of castrel oil – an expensive commodity – were inside. By now, the swarm was still encircling the sky, bidding their time before consuming everything in sight.

Lark ordered the humanoids to toss the barrels into the air. He channeled mana into his fingertips and shot several balls of fire. The barrels filled with oil exploded with a deafening bang. Thick smoke filled the sky.

Lark manipulated the fire created from the explosion, then with a single motion, shot them towards the swarm. It struck tens of thousands of insects, burning them into crisp and dust in the process.

But it was not enough. It did not kill even a tenth of the swarm.

Everyone thought that the damnable insects would soon come down and suck everything dry.

But a different scenario unfolded before their eyes.

The swarm, which was previously encircling the sky, suddenly flew west and slowly disappeared from sight.

Several farmers fell on their knees. “T-Thank God.”

“But what if they come back?” One of them voiced his thoughts out loud.

“It doesn’t matter,” said Lark. His calm voice felt soothing to the ears. “It’s impossible to annihilate them anyway with a single shot. But with this, we’ve bought enough time to prepare for the time they come back.”

“Gaston,” said Lark.

“Yes, Young Master?”

“I want you to prepare these things for me.” Lark started enumerating a myriad of things. “Make it quick. I want everything prepared within half a day.”

The time limit felt absurd, considering the amount of items the Young Master requested, but the old man simply bowed his head. “I shall do my best.”

The things enumerated by Lark were common goods which could be found even in Blackstone Town. But the time limit and the amount requested would require dozens of helping hand to finish the task.

“Time is of great essence!” said Lark. “We can’t let those damn insects destroy the crops!”

Everyone started moving at once.

***

Meanwhile, in different parts of the Kingdom, swarms of Kelnups started appearing one by one. They appeared only for a fleeting moment, but the devastation they left behind made everyone pale from shock. The crops the farmers painstakingly planted for several months withered after a few hours.

The farmers wailed and groaned, but they could do nothing to stop the swarms which nearly covered the sky.

King Alvis received the reports of these incidents all throughout the Kingdom.

“Why now?” he grabbed his ashen hair in utter frustration. It was not even a year since the last Black Famine. He could not believe that those damnable swarms would come back a month before harvest season comes.

“This is why I told the officials to increase the budget for the Ministry of Research!” said the King. His chest tightened at the thought of how gravely this would affect the Kingdom.

The thirty thousand barrels of wine… It’ll be impossible to produce such amount now.

He successfully made contact with the King of Dwarves, but it would be all for naught if he was unable to seal the contract. The dwarves adamantly insisted that the Kingdom provides them with thirty thousand barrels of high-grade wines in exchange of weapons to resist the invasion of the Empire.

The reports stated that several cities tasked to produce the wine were infested by the Black Famine.

King Alvis closed his eyes. He could not imagine how they would repel the invasion of the Empire without the help of the dwarves.

The amount of soldiers in the Empire is five times that of the Kingdom. It’s impossible. If they decided to invade us now…

And there was also the risk of invasion from the Mullgray Islands.

King Alvis’ head throbbed as he tried to find a way out.

Then suddenly, he remembered the report of Mikael stationed in Blackstone Town. He remembered how a local Lord drove away enemies numbering in the ten thousand despite the odds.

A thousand soldiers destroyed an entire Legion of beastmen. And according to Mikael, the amount of casualties on the human’s side did not even reach half a thousand.

If was a feat close to a miracle.

A feat possible only with a very competent leader of the army.

No, being merely competent was not enough. Someone needs to be a genius to pull through such act.

Amidst the chaos brought forth by the reports of different City Lords, a single name resounded through the King’s mind.

Lark Marcus. If you're in my position, what will you do?

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The next day, as expected, the swarm came back. Everyone held their breaths as a part of the sky turned black as the insects flew past by.

Lark stood on the watchtower inside the town. From his position, he could see some of the teams spread all throughout the northern farmland.

The preparations were set. All that’s left was the Young Master’s orders.

“Sound the gong,” said Lark.

The soldier next to him breathed in a gust of air, and with his entire might, struck the gong in the watchtower. The first strike was followed by several others, its metallic roar reverberating throughout the land.

Upon hearing this, the different teams in the northern farmland started igniting the barrels prepared by Lark beforehand. Each of these barrels contained sticky, putrid substances inside. They did not know what it was, but it burned nicely upon fire’s contact. Thick white smoke swirled up into the sky as numerous barrels started burning one after another.

“The locusts are coming down!” shouted one of the farmers.

True enough, the swarm started coming down, their aim were the crops spread all throughout the northern land.

The farmers turned pallid as they embraced themselves for the worst. They did not expect that the crops they painstakingly cultivated for the past several months were going to be consumed by the damnable bastards.

“Eh?”

Voices of surprise escaped their mouths.

A surreal scenario unfolded before their eyes.

The insects, which were about to devour the crops, started falling down one after another. The amount falling down the sky was so numerous that it temporarily created an image of a black haze – a black rain.

“W-What’s happening?”

“The insects are dying! They’re falling down! They’re falling down!”

The different teams stationed in different parts of the northern farmland were bewildered. Soon, they all stared at the barrels. They were still burning fiercely, its thick smoke swirling up towards the sky.

They realized that the death of the swarm must have been due to the white smoke now covering the sky. They could not believe that these demons – these insects that had infested the entire Kingdom – were falling down like dead flies.

Inside the watchtower, the soldiers next to Lark could also not believe their eyes. After the gong was rang, smoke from different parts of the northern farmland swirled into the sky. Moments after, the insects were dying one by one.

“What do you call those insects?” said Lark.

It was peculiar that a man who knew how to kill the damnable bastards did not even know its name, but the soldier next to him answered regardless, “They’re called Desert Locusts, Young Master.”

“Desert Locusts, huh?” repeated Lark. He gazed at the black rain falling from the sky.

“Those insects never spare the farmlands they pass by. Without exemption, the crops wither after a while. In just a few days, a previously lush land will resemble a desert. A land devoid of life.” The soldier explained how the insects acquired its name.

It was amusing that such easy-to-kill insects were given such a terrifying name. These insects were called Kelnup Flies back in the Magic Empire, despite their obvious semblance to locusts. The reason was simple: it was because they easily died from the smoke of a burning kelnup, the same substance which filled the barrels Lark asked the farmers to burn up. Once exposed to the smoke of a burning kelnup, they would immediately drop dead like flies.

After an hour passed and the swarm previously hovering above had all fallen down to the ground, Lark went down the watchtower. He called Gaston over.

“You called, Young Master?”

“Ask the farmers to retrieve the insects’ dead bodies,” said Lark. “Afterwards, store them in barrels half-filled with dirt.”

Gaston had become used to Lark’s eccentric orders by now. He no longer questioned them. “This old servant shall obey.”

Lark nodded.

After half a month, the dead bodies of the insects would start decomposing, leaving behind nothing but their shells. Those shells were valuable materials in making strong adhesives. All Lark had to do was ask the servants to melt them under intense flames, then retrieve the sticky liquid it would leave behind.

Although those adhesives could not cement stones together, it was very effective in gluing wood, to the point that one could build a wooden cabin if he had enough adhesives.

Jackpot.

A subtle grin started forming on Lark’s lips. The insects numbered hundreds of thousands, if not millions. The amount of shells they’ll be able to collect would be enough to build thousands of wooden houses.

The Black Famine feared all throughout the Kingdom and the Empire was actually a blessing in disguise for Lark.

“Young Master?”

Lark turned around when someone called his name.

It was a middle-aged man wearing a worn out tunic. He bowed his head the moment he made eye contact with Lark.

He went straight to the point. “Sir, the thing which killed the Black Famine. The substance the farmers burned to kill those insects… Could you tell me its name and how to make them?”

Those around them were momentarily taken aback when the man suddenly asked the Young Master how to make the product. It was easy to realize how valuable that information was, since it could potentially save the entire Kingdom. Any sane man would ask compensation in exchange for that piece of vital information. Yet, this man was asking for it straightforwardly.

They expected the Young Master to refuse, but contrary to their expectations, Lark answered after a pause. “Kelnup. That’s the name of the substance. It’s easy to make them, actually. Freshly picked larendew grass, monochrome stone grinded into dust, fresh manure of any farm animal, and magworth roots. All in equal proportions. Mix them thoroughly. Afterwards, add castrel oil. Same amount.”

The man’s eyes widened for a moment after hearing the ingredients from Lark. He probably did not expect the Young Master to divulge such information easily.

Lark chuckled upon seeing this. “What? Do you think I’m lying?”

The man shook his head. “No... That’s not it. It’s just that…”

I didn’t expect that you’ll tell me how to make that thing this easily.

The man did not voice his thoughts out loud. He simply stared at Lark for a moment, then bowed his head. “Thank you.”

Lark smiled. “You’ll need a lot of it to kill an entire swarm though.” He looked at the open gate of the town. Some of the farmers tasked to burn the kelnups were coming back, probably to report what they found.

Lark stared at the man wearing worn out tunic. Although the man was suppressing his mana from leaking out, Lark could sense it. He was sure that this person was not ordinary. He knew that this man would probably leak the method of creating kelnups to another party.

But such a trivial thing did not matter.

On the contrary, he would like it if such a thing were to happen. The method of killing these pests should be spread all throughout the entire Kingdom. It was time to end the so-called Black Famine.

The farmers’ blood and sweat. The time they sacrificed to cultivate the lands. I cannot let mere insects destroy that.

“I’m going to take a look around,” said Lark. “It’ll be great to see those damnable insects sprawled all over the ground.”

***

After Lark left, Mikael immediately went towards the direction of the Mines. He went towards the forest, at a place devoid of people. He took out the gemstone entrusted to him by his Majesty.

After channeling mana into it, he started writing down the method of dealing with the Black Famine to the King.

Your Majesty, I have found the method to kill the Black Famine.

Anyone would be stunned speechless upon seeing his opening line.

Mikael enumerated the ingredients stated by Lark. Each of them were fairly common goods. With the power of the sovereign, it would be easy to gather them en masse.

Even now, Mikael could not believe that such an easy method to kill the black insects existed.

But he saw it with his own eyes. He saw how the swarm dropped dead like flies.

“Lark Marcus,” he mumbled the Young Lord’s name.

Mikael’s eyes glimmered for a moment.

He was sure now.

That young man’s horrible reputation was nothing but a façade.

My daughter, Elaine. You told me that I was assigned to the worst candidate. You told me that it’ll be nothing but a waste to go to this place.

Mikael clenched his fists.

But it seems that you’re wrong. We’re both wrong. Lark Marcus is a genius.

Chapter Thirty

Reports continued pouring from different cities all throughout the Kingdom. King Alvis’ stomach churned as he read them one by one. These past few days, he felt that he had grown a decade older.

Currently, the throne room was filled with his ministers. Despite staying up all night, they still failed to formulate a solution to the Black Famine.

“Something…” mumbled the King. “Anything! If the Black Famine continued destroying the crops…”

Black circles surrounded the eyes of the government officials. These old men had been the backbone of the Kingdom for several decades now. They all knew the current state of the Kingdom. The food deficit. The impending invasion from Mullgray Islands and the Empire.

A messenger entered the throne room. “Your Majesty, the report from Golden Wheat City has arrived.”

King Alvis and the ministers turned grim. Golden Wheat City was the Kingdom’s major producer of wheat. They sincerely prayed to the Gods that the city was untouched by the swarm.

“Report,” said King Alvis.

The messenger unfolded the scrolled parchment. He swallowed hard, then with a dignified voice, said, “As of the moment, the fields of Golden Wheat City haven’t been touched by the Black Famine yet.”

Everyone in the throne room heaved sighs of relief.

The messenger added, “But there have been sightings of the desert locusts in the nearby village. Lord Chase estimated that in the next few days, his city will be the swarm’s next target. He’s requesting for assistance, Your Majesty.”

The room broke into uproar. Murmurs and buzzes filled the air. They momentarily forgot they were in the presence of his Majesty.

“This is why I told you to mobilize the Royal Magicians! Just blow up those damnable insects! Burn them! But this damn Baron! Yes, I’m talking about you, Baron Rysler! Weren’t you the one who kept hindering my plans?!” one of the ministers spat.

The man called Baron Rysler turned livid. “Have you gone senile, old man?! If you mobilize the Royal Magicians to clear those damn bastards, the Empire will surely use this opening to take away our lands! Can you take responsibility once that time comes, huh?!”

A woman chided. “That’s right! And besides, it’s impossible to take care of the swarms using fire magic! You’ll need at least Grand Scale Magic to wipe off half their amount!”

An old man joined the fray. “This is why I kept telling everyone to allocate more budget to the Ministry of Research! But everyone kept insisting that we should use them for the military instead!”

The debate continued. King Alvis merely sat there, silently listening to the arguments of the old men around him. His head throbbed. His stomach churned and he resisted the urge to vomit on the ground. The stress these past few days had piled up.

Unable to endure the ruckus any longer, he snarled, “Silence!”

His angry roar reverberated through the entire throne room. Immediately, silence befell everyone. The ministers realized how disgraceful they acted.

“Apologies, Your Majesty.” The ministers bowed their heads.

King Alvis sighed. Even if they bickered with each other, no solution would come out. “We can’t let Golden Wheat City become prey to the swarm.” He paused and stared at everyone. “We’re mobilizing the Royal Magicians.”

This was a dangerous move, since they would be risking an invasion from the Empire. But King Alvis knew that if Golden Wheat City fell from the swarm, the damage would be greater.

It was a gamble. An all-or-none situation.

Upon seeing the resolve within the King’s eyes, the Ministers stopped their complaints from coming out of their mouths.

“Baron Rysler.” King Alvis glared. “If I hear that you attempted to stop the magicians from moving again, I’ll personally see to it that your head falls in the plaza.”

The Baron could feel the murderous intent behind those words. He swallowed dry spit. “I wouldn’t dare, Your Majesty.”

Baron Rysler was a former professor in the Magic Academy. Three of the fifteen current Royal Magicians were his students in Magic Theory. Thus, he had enough say in the mobilization of the magician’s army.

King Alvis’s leg had been frozen stiff from sitting on the throne since last night. He stood up, groaned, and said, “I need to sleep. Everyone is dismissed.”

The ministers bowed. “Yes, Your Majesty!”

The King went out of the throne room and went back to his room. Upon reaching his bed, he slumped his body immediately.

He was dead tired. He momentarily had the urge to just sleep the problems away, to never wake up.

But he remembered his subjects. His loyal retainers. His citizens. The Kingdom passed down to him by his father. He could not abandon them. Until his last breath, he wanted to protect everything.

When he was about to fall asleep, a soft tang! sound was heard in the room. King Alvis was very much familiar with that sound. He went down his bed then approached the gemstone embedded on a stone pillar. As expected, a new message had arrived.

“From Mikael?” King Alvis remembered the veteran who never left his side during the Bloody Thorn Plains Incident fifteen years ago. The veteran who protected his life several times during that war.

He started reading the message. Soon, his eyes grew wide and his entire body quivered.

“W-What’s this?” he breathed. He read the entire message once again.

A method to kill the Black Famine?

He could not believe that the method would be revealed to him like this. Moreover, the ingredients listed were common goods. With a simple command, he could gather these things en masse.

Mikael had been his trusted aid since he was just the Crown Prince. He would never lie to him.

Fatigue immediately washed off King Alvis’ body. He immediately issued out his commands. According to Mikael, the Lord of Blackstone Town used this method to annihilate the swarm.

If this really worked, then there was still hope for Golden Wheat City. And the same went for the other cities in the Kingdom.

***

Golden Wheat City was the second richest city in the entire Kingdom, next only to the Capital. Blessed with rich fields, it supplied almost half of all the wheats and poultries in the Kingdom.

Lord Chase, a man in his middle forties, stood on top of the wall encircling the city.

Unlike the other Lords, he was born a commoner. From a lowly serf, he climbed up the ranks and eventually reached the position of a clerk in the Lord’s Castle. The previous Lord took great liking to him, even going as far as letting him marry his daughter, Allessia.

After the previous Lord’s death, Chase inherited the title and started governing the City. Of course, this was met with ridicules, criticisms, and rebellions from the other nobles. But with the backing of the commoners, all discontents were quelled.

Twenty years had passed since then. The various reforms Chased initiated made Golden Wheat City what it was today. The forests he transformed into farmlands with the intent of giving jobs to the locals became the largest producer of wheat in the entire Kingdom.

“Lord, the swarm has destroyed the crops in Thanan Village,” reported one of his vassals.

Chase flinched. It was the closest village here. By foot, it would take only a day or two to reach it.

“Lord, if this continues…”

“I know,” said Chase. He bit his lips. He felt helpless, powerless.

Almost a year ago, the Black Famine struck the Kingdom. Fortunately, Golden Wheat City was untouched by the swarms.

It was truly a miracle back then. And because of that, they were able to mitigate the damage to the Kingdom. Golden Wheat City reduced the prices to the bare minimum, selling it to the affected cities within the Kingdom. Of course, people with intent of taking advantage of the catastrophe appeared, but they were immediately culled by the Royal Family.

Chase closed his eyes. His entire body bathed in the morning sun.

The last time he felt this powerless was when the previous Lord died from an unknown sickness.

Once the swarm came, he would be unable to do anything but watch as the crops wither. It was frustrating.

“Lord, there’s a message from the Royal Capital.”

Chase opened his eyes. He received the letter from his vassal.

“This is…” He momentarily stopped breathing. After regaining his composure, he roared, “Gather all the officials here! Now!”

Those around him jumped in surprise. They had never seen the Lord this agitated before. They looked at each other, and after a nod, enthusiastically replied, “Yes, My Lord!”

Soon, the officials of the city gathered before Chase. More than half of these men were of common birth. After all, Chase did not discriminate between nobles and commoners. As long as one had the ability, he would be able to climb the ladders of hierarchy in Golden Wheat City.

He went straight to the point, “I want everyone to gather these things for me.” He started enumerating the ingredients mentioned in the letter personally sent by the King. “Make haste! Time is of great essence!”

Although confused, the officials heeded his instructions.

“Salom,” said Chase.

“Lord?” One of his vassals replied.

“Prepare the carts. A hundred of them,” said Chase. “Make sure they’re ready five hours from now.”

“A hundred,” repeated the vassal. “But Lord, it’s impossible to gather that amount. Unless we—”

“—Issue a decree to the Merchants Guild.” Chase’s voice was firm. “Force them to let us borrow the carts and horses if necessary.”

The Merchants Guild was no pushover. The vassal thought that he would probably have to risk his life to finish this task. Still, he did not question his Lord’s will. “As you wish.”

Everyone started moving. Several hours passed, and soon, all preparations were completed. Thousands of gold coins were consumed with this single task.

“Do it like we’ve discussed,” said Lord Chase. Exactly a hundred carts were lined up before him. Each of them were filled with barrels. “To your designated positions! Move out!”

Horses neighed, and the carts moved to different directions. Their goal was to create a tight net covering all the farmlands. According to the King, the smoke produced after burning this so-called kelnup was lethal to the swarm.

Dusk came. Their fears became reality. The swarm arrived.

The insects flew over the city, casting a large shadow over everyone. For some reason, the wind seemed more freezing than usual. Majority of the citizens of Golden Wheat City were aware of the swarms currently infesting the entire Kingdom. They knew that if those insects started devouring the crops, everything would wither and die.

Lord Chase furrowed his brows.

This has to work. I cannot let these bastards destroy the crops!

With great determination, he shouted, “Fire the signal!”

Three magicians started chanting their magic. Soon, three balls of fire shot towards the sky and exploded. The various groups stationed all throughout the farmlands saw this. Immediately, they ignited the kelnups. It burned easily, creating thick white smoke which swirled up into the sky.

As everyone held their breaths, a miracle unfolded before their eyes.

A few minutes after the thick white smoke covered the sky, the black insects started falling down one after another, creating a torrential black rain.

Everyone’s jaws were slacked upon seeing this. They could not believe that the Black Famine – feared even by the Empire – was being culled like this.

No one knew who shouted first, but soon, the entire city burst into cheers. The news of the swarm’s death spread like wildfire.

Lord Chase clenched his fists. He had to thank his Majesty for this.

“Salom.”

“My Lord?”

“Send a report to the Royal Capital,” said Lord Chase. “Tell them that we have successfully killed the Black Famine.”

END OF VOLUME 2

Author’s Notes

Hello! Thank you for purchasing the second volume of Legend of the Arch Magus. Again, I’ll be needing your help with reviews since the algorithm of Amazon requires at least 50 reviews before they promote someone’s work. Also, you can read the drafts at Patreon.com/crazyblackchili. I try to update the story there every now and then. Judging by the current pace, I’m capable of producing only 2 volumes per year, unfortunately. Again, thank you for the support!

Table of Contents

- Prologue
- Chapter One
- Chapter Two
- Chapter Three
- Chapter Four
- Chapter Five
- Chapter Six
- Chapter Seven
- Chapter Eight
- Chapter Nine
- Chapter Ten
- Chapter Eleven
- Chapter Twelve
- Chapter Thirteen
- Chapter Fourteen
- Chapter Fifteen
- Chapter Sixteen
- Chapter Seventeen
- Chapter Eighteen
- Chapter Nineteen
- Chapter Twenty
- Chapter Twenty-One
- Chapter Twenty-Two
- Chapter Twenty-Three
- Chapter Twenty-Four
- Chapter Twenty-Five
- Chapter Twenty-Six
- Chapter Twenty-Seven
- Chapter Twenty-Eight
- Chapter Twenty-Nine
- Chapter Thirty
- Author’s Notes