Chapter 30 - Dilemma

Chapter 30 - Dilemma

"Gagaro."

The jungle area.

There, Lexter, the Imperial Knights Commander of Iser, who had been ambushed by Yapheon's soldiers, stood on the ground, having lost his horse.

Gasping for breath.

His heavy shoulders rose with his rough breathing, then sank heavily.

"Was that an order personally given by King Uthor of Yapheon?"

He was looking at Gagaro, the Yapheon general who had cut down his horse and unseated him.

"Heheheh, well."

Gagaro was the most famous warrior in Yapheon.

He was a person who would unconditionally carry out any order given to him, regardless of its content, and his strength was said to be just below Uthor's.

"No matter who gave the order, the fact that you're going to die here won't change, will it?"

Lexter was convinced by Gagaro's words.

'Uthor is trying to swallow up our Iser.'

As it was, the Imperial Knights' long absence due to Kratia must have made Tia's safety unstable.

'And now even these guys...'

Iser was facing an even greater threat because of these barbarians who had abandoned loyalty and honor.

Lexter gripped his sword and ordered his remaining knights.

"Someone must get out alive! This must be reported to Her Majesty the Empress!"

Yapheon had prepared an enormous number of troops to capture Iser's Imperial Knights.

Since all the surrounding nations were allies, moving those troops here wouldn't have been difficult.

If there were any who noticed and tried to interfere, they would have surely been quickly ambushed to clear the way.

Lexter found all of it detestable.

"Just like barbarians, you only know how to use the trust of those around you!"

His roar was directed at Gagaro before him.

"I will surely contribute to the downfall of your ambition!"

The carrier pigeons that had been hastily sent out had already been shot down by Yapheon's archers and fallen to the ground.

Now, the only option was to survive here and deliver the news to Iser.

"Good, Lexter."

Gagaro smiled, raising his twin axes.

"I, Gagaro, will resolve the regret of not having fought that strong Hero through this war."

Hero.

A tragic figure who, despite striving more than anyone for humanity, was revealed to be a Demon's pawn and executed.

Lexter, who had once respected him but was now filled with a sense of emptiness due to his terrible end, felt a surge of anger towards Gagaro, who seemed to speak carelessly about everything.

"Gagaro, you are nothing but a beast unworthy of wielding a weapon."

WHOOSH!

A strong blue aura imbued Lexter's sword.

"I will surely bury you in this quagmire."

"Hahahaha! Try if you can!"

Gagaro also drew upon the power of the rune magic engraved on his twin axes.

The twin axes turned red like a blood moon. It looked as if the bloodstains of those he had cut down had spread.

CRASH!

Their sword and twin axes clashed, sparking flames.

♧

"Something's wrong, I think."

Tia, the Empress of Iser, murmured with a troubled expression.

"Why haven't I heard from Lexter?"

Lexter was someone who highly valued reports.

It would have been normal for him to send carrier pigeons several times even before arriving, but at some point, they stopped arriving.

"...I also find it strange."

Lilien, the Captain of the Royal Guard, agreed with her concern.

"Based on the last reported route from Imperial Knights Commander Lexter, he definitely entered the jungle area. If so, given his personality, he would have sent carrier pigeons even after leaving the jungle."

But he hadn't.

"There's a possibility that something happened in the jungle area."

"..."

Tia's expression hardened.

"Truly, nothing is going as planned."

She looked directly at Lilien.

"Lilien, Lexter has been reporting daily with this in mind, hasn't he?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"Then there's only one thing we can do."

She couldn't lose Lexter here.

He possessed a value far beyond that of an ordinary soldier.

'He's several times stronger than Lilien.'

Although he had the flaw of being too upright, he was still a loyal subject who would sacrifice his life for Iser.

"We must save him somehow."

Tia ordered Lilien.

"Lilien, immediately gather troops and search the area where Lexter's communication was cut off."

"Your Majesty."

"Is there a problem?"

Lilien replied with a troubled expression, seeing Tia's raised tone.

"Can we move our forces when we don't know how the Blue Magic Tower will act?"

The relationship between Tia and Yuru had already soured.

At a time like this, if the Blue Magic Tower attacked Iser while its forces were depleted, it could truly lead to great chaos.

"It's alright. I asked for a favor."

"A favor, you mean..."

THUD.

It was then.

Someone opened the door to the Empress' Office and entered.

"..."

An elf woman, dressed in ragged clothes with a haggard face.

The divine bow Mesarofit on her back was faded, as if it had endured much hardship.

"Yelena, Lady Yelena?"

Lilien's eyes widened when she saw her.

Yelena paid no attention to Lilien and moved towards Tia.

"I'm sorry. I apologize. I'm sorry. I apologize..."

Her eyes were unfocused, as if she had lost her mind.

Seeing her walk towards Tia, muttering like a madwoman, Lilien instinctively reached out her hand.

"St-Stop, Lady Yelena!"

Yuru had already shown hostility towards Tia.

Their relationship had broken down just recently.

There was no guarantee that Yelena wouldn't do the same.

"Lilien."

Tia spoke.

"It's alright."

"Yes?"

"Yelena is different from Yuru."

Then Tia looked at Yuru.

"Right, Yelena?"

Though not explicitly stated, various circumstances confirmed Yelena's age to be at least several hundred years old.

At that age, even if not a sage, she would have enough experience not to make foolish decisions.

Of course, Yelena was broken now.

So, such a flimsy defense might not work.

However, the fact that she was an elf could guarantee everything.

"Elves don't break oaths. That much is certain."

Yelena, representing the elves, had made an oath with the Iser Royal State.

To jointly eradicate anyone one side considered an enemy.

That was in return for Iser mobilizing its forces to dismantle the underworld forces that had tried to burn the elf forest.

Ironically, at that time, the mages of the Blue Magic Tower also lent their strength.

However, the subject of the oath was not them, but the Iser Royal Family, who had conducted the negotiations most directly.

For now, that might seem like an absurd mistake to the Blue Magic Tower.

"Yelena, please protect Iser while our forces are away."

"..."

"I know the number of elves you can call from the elf forest is small. So I'm not asking for that much. But you, you can at least prevent disaster from striking us, can't you?"

The Elf of Fortress Defense.

The ability to protect a small number of elves resided within her.

And that also became a powerful means to save comrades in the Hero's party.

"Just forgiveness... If I can just be forgiven, then all."

Seeing Yelena murmuring with unfocused pupils, Lilien hastily exclaimed.

"Your Majesty, Lady Yelena is currently..."

"I know, Lilien."

Tia turned her gaze to Lilien.

"But the elves' oath is etched into their minds. You know what that means, Lilien, don't you?"

Even if their minds are broken, that oath remains as an indelible subconscious.

In other words, if there is no other clear will, they will move solely by prioritizing that oath.

"That's enough for now."

"But..."

Lilien swallowed dryly, looking at Yelena.

"Understood."

There was nothing she could do now.

To save Iser, the power of the great elf was needed now.

"Then, please prepare well, Lilien."

Lilien, having received Tia's instructions, hesitated for a moment, then bowed her head and left the office.

"I'm sorry, Clay, I'm sorry for letting you die, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"..."

Tia clasped her hands tightly together, watching Yelena tremble as if terrified.

"Yelena."

She too was trembling like Yelena.

"You're lucky."

Tia let out a self-deprecating laugh, looking at Yelena, who was half out of her mind.

"You can live even if you go mad."

Tia, who couldn't escape her pain by losing her mind like Yelena, could only grit her teeth.

'Clay...'

Her mouth, which was about to babble the same words as Yelena, closed shut.

♧

"Hah, haah."

Nael.

The greatest beastkin warrior who had found Clay was now spewing rage, blocked by Beatrice, one of the Four Heavenly Kings.

"You Demon King's minion!"

Blood continued to flow from the injury she sustained from the surprise attack.

The wound caused by the dragon sword was slow to heal.

'Damn it.'

Even her healing ability couldn't quickly restore her body to normal.

She shifted her gaze from Beatrice, who was panting just like her, to Clay.

'Anyway, brainwashing is the problem.'

She hadn't come here to kill Beatrice.

Of course, considering her current feelings, she wanted to kill Beatrice immediately, but getting Clay back intact was the priority, no matter what.

'I have to find it. I have to find it.'

Even if not by winning the battle, she had to get her hands on Clay through other means.

'Clay, I will definitely save you.'

She gritted her teeth.

"Oh, have you run out of strength now?"

She ignored Beatrice's taunts.

Nael focused all her attention on Clay nearby.

WHOOSH!

And quickly leaped, flying towards Clay's side.

"Clay, hold on tight."

It might be a useless thing to say, but Nael still urged Clay.

SWISH!

Nael leaped once more, avoiding Beatrice, who had approached in the meantime.

Landing some distance away, Nael immediately began to run, carrying Clay.

'Far away! If only I can go far away!'

To create distance.

Not all brainwashing is undone simply by moving away from the caster.

But Nael was convinced.

'It's impossible to brainwash Clay, who already has a holy brand on him!'

To maintain brainwashing from a distance, a brand with sufficient power had to be placed.

But Clay's body had the brand placed by the priests.

Even if a brainwashing brand were placed on top of it, the effect would not fully manifest.

This was because the priests' brand acted as a strong shackle to prevent the sinner from being freed from their confinement by other powers.

In other words, no power, whether magi or anything else, could be maintained in Clay's body.

Therefore, Clay must only be under a very limited brainwashing that is effective only in close proximity, working through the five senses.

"Just a little further, and...!"

If Clay's consciousness fully returned, even if Beatrice interfered...

GRIP!

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Nael's weakness, the base of her tail, was grabbed by Clay's hand.