Chapter 0571 The Akumas Appeared Suddenly Part 1
-x-X-x-
"Why is it always so sudden…"
Ryo muttered in frustration.
He understood why the world had inverted.
He had been pulled into a 'Sealed Corridor'.
Being pulled into the Sealed Corridor meant Akumas were involved.
"Heh, just as I planned. Perfectly executed—as expected of me."
As the voice spoke, the person… no, the Akuma who referred to themselves as 'me'—revealed themselves.
The figure was a woman with pale blue shoulder-length hair, glasses-like accessories, and wearing white clothes that looked like a lab coat from a distance.
And she used the first-person pronoun generally used by men 'me'.
"You're… Pastra, right?"
"You remembered! Fascinating! Let's dissect you!"
"Please don't."
This Akuma, Pastra, who wanted to dissect Ryo.
He remembered her from their battle against the death dragon.
She had seized control of his magic. A bitter memory.
But Ryo noticed something else.
There was another presence in the Sealed Corridor aside from him and Pastra.
And that person now revealed herself.
A silver-haired woman with matching silver eyes, hair tied in two bunches.
She wasn't very tall.
Taller than Rin, the magician of the 'Crimson Sword'… but likely under 160 cm.
"So this is the Ryo?"
She eyed Ryo from head to toe.
As if assessing his worth.
"I told you, didn't I? That Ryo would be easy to drag into the Sealed Corridor."
"Indeed."
Pastra puffed up with pride, and the silver-haired woman nodded.
"I'm sorry, but I've got my own business to attend to. Could you let me out right away?"
"Oh, don't worry. Once the Corridor unravels, you'll be returned to the same moment. Well, technically 0.1 seconds later, but humans don't notice that."
"That's not the point…"
Ryo's request was rejected.
The ground beneath him was the same as before.
He had been riding Andalusia, but now stood on foot.
Andalusia was gone.
So were Captain Lu Yao and Abel, who had been right in front of him.
"Actually, we're measuring the combat durability of the Sealed Corridor. I'd like your cooperation."
"Why me…?"
"Because Jean-Jacques said you'd help…"
"Jean-Jacques?! I'll beat him to a pulp next time I see him!"
Jean-Jacques—the Akuma Ryo fought in the Western countries.
He recalled recently boarding a ship with that same Akuma and Leonor.
"Geez…you Akumas sure act without considering others. That's pretty inhuman."
"We're Akumas, after all."
"Ah, well, then I suppose that's fair."
But is it really?
"By the way, may I ask the silver-haired lady's name…?"
"My name is Argenta Arda Morantinos. Pleased to meet you, Ryo."
"Yes, likewise."
Ryo paused.
Then looked to Pastra.
"You said you wanted to measure combat durability. Why not fight another Akuma? Like Argenta versus Leonor?"
"Already done. Also did Akuma vs. Elf. Akuma vs. Dragon is… a bit much. So now we need Akuma vs. human."
Pastra pushed up her glasses, clearly pleased with herself.
"But there are plenty of other fighting species. Devils? Vampires?"
"Devils don't give good data. No point. Vampires probably can't enter this corridor."
"They can't enter?"
"Yes, some species are like that. Technically, humans disintegrate after being here for several seconds."
"…Excuse me?"
He had just heard something ominous.
"Sorry, did you say humans disintegrate?"
"Yes. If a human stays here for several dozen seconds, they vanish."
"Then why am I…?"
"You haven't vanished, right? That's why we chose you."
"Why am I okay…?"
"Who knows? Maybe because of that overflowing droplets?"
Pastra's answer was shockingly sloppy, especially for a researcher of magic and mana.
"You mean fairy droplets? Fairy factors? These mysterious terms. Someone should research them properly."
"I'll take that task! So let me dissect you…"
"Denied!"
Akumas really are bizarre.
Ryo's conviction remained unshaken.
"Also, are you sure about Leonor? If Argenta kills me, won't she get mad?"
Ryo's words were a desperate attempt.
An expression of his desire to avoid combat.
Surprisingly, it worked.
Argenta widened her eyes and looked at Pastra.
"Leonor getting mad would be bad."
"Yeah, very bad."
"How can we keep her from getting mad?"
"She won't know if we don't tell her. And if she doesn't know, she won't get angry."
"Then it's fine."
"No, it's not fine!"
Unable to stay silent, Ryo retorted at their ridiculous exchange.
And let out a deep sigh.
"And for some reason, whenever I talk to Akumas, I end up playing the straight man. I'm supposed to be the silly one… this is unjust."
Ryo lamented the absurdity of the world.
"Are you sure Leonor won't get mad as long as I don't kill Ryo?"
"Maybe."
"Can I go easy?"
"No. We need accurate data."
Pastra and Argenta conversed matter-of-factly.
Words like "kill Ryo" echoed ominously—he hoped it was just his imagination.
"If I go all out…he's human, right? I might pierce his heart…"
"Oh, that's fine. I heard Ryo once got his heart pierced and didn't die."
"No way! That's amazing! I've never heard of a human like that."
Yup. Ominous words again. Still…
There was something he wanted to ask.
"I'm sorry, what about piercing the heart?"
"You know, last time you fought that Spellno… or Djinn in human terms. You got your heart pierced but kept fighting like nothing happened, right?"
"How do you know that?"
"Leonor and Jean-Jacques saw it. They told me later."
Pastra nodded repeatedly.
"They saw it?"
"Yep. Leonor went into a rage afterward. 'I want to fight Ryo! I'll be the one to kill him!' —that kind of thing."
Seems Ryo's battles have been under surveillance.
"Ryo, you're loved, you know?"
Argenta was deeply mistaken.
"That's a twisted kind of love."
Pastra too, wildly off-mark.
"Even if you survive a pierced heart… surely a decapitation would kill you, right?"
"I've never been decapitated. Nor do I want to be."
Ryo scowled as he answered Argenta's inquiry.
"And if I do decapitate you…"
"No worries. I'll reattach the head. Leonor won't find out."
"Oh. Then we're good."
"We are not good!"
Ryo snapped again.
It seemed unlikely he could reclaim his role as the jokester.
"Anyway, give it your all."
"Understood."
Pastra and Argenta suddenly grew serious.
So much for avoiding the fight.
"Well then, Ryo, en garde."
"No helping it."
Thus, the battle between Argenta and Ryo in the Sealed Corridor began.
CLANG!
A loud ring of clashing blades.
Argenta lunged in like the wind, swinging down hard.
Ryo caught the blow with Murasame.
Her sword glowed with a faint green light.
None of the other Akumas he fought—Leonor, Jean-Jacques, Pastra— had used glowing swords.
Ryo had seen glowing swords before—Abel's magic sword, Hugh McGrath's holy sword… though most holy swords don't glow.
None of them emitted a green light.
Green reminded him of Sera, but her sword didn't glow either.
It was clearly a fine weapon, one of superb craftsmanship, but not a magic sword.
Which made Argenta's glowing green sword all the more intriguing.
But there was no time to ponder.
A relentless combo of attacks left him no room for thought.
(What is this combo?)
Ryo parried Argenta's blindingly fast flurry.
But he was far from calm inside.
It wasn't just fast.
(Each strike is powerful and fast. And unlike Leonor's brute force or overwhelming natural ability, her swordplay is meticulous—refined to the core. This is someone who's trained endlessly. A master. An absolute menace.)
But Ryo wasn't the only one thinking that.
"You blocked my combo…Ryo, you're not human, are you?"
"I am human, thank you very much."
Ryo flatly rejected Argenta's words.
"It's a compliment! Only a few Akumas can block my combo. Aside from Leonor, who relies on instinct, the rest are sword masters. You're on their level."
"So Leonor really is all instinct…"
The way Ryo could accept such absurd statements without question was strange.
"She's a monster. Truly. A real, honest-to-goodness monster."
"An Akuma calling another Akuma a monster… what kind of world is this?"
They joked, but inside, Ryo was in full panic.
(She's as strong as Sera… no, maybe even stronger?)
"Yep, good, good. I'm getting great data!"
Pastra beamed, staring at the alchemy tool in her hand.
She'd seemed uninterested in anything else until…
She suddenly looked up.
And saw the clashing swords before her.
"Whoa…"
Her eyes were glued to the clash.
It was that intense—and that beautiful…
There was no sense of beauty at all for the two who were fighting.
Especially not for Ryo.
His mind was filled with nothing but anxiety.
Starting with swordplay rather than magic clearly indicated that Argenta specialized in close combat.
And the proof was in her overwhelming strength.
Power, speed, skill, and likely stamina as well—she surpassed Ryo in all of them.
Moreover, she showed no intention of ending the fight quickly. She remained calm.
How could he possibly win against such an opponent?
He didn't know.
He didn't know… but all he could do was defend, defend, and wait for a crack to appear.
Ryo had always had absolute confidence in his defense.
But even that confidence was being shattered by Argenta.
The reason was her one-handed thrust.
Like fencing, she held the sword in her right hand, adopted a half-body stance with her right side forward, and launched a series of thrusts.
And they followed a smooth, curving trajectory.
They were shockingly hard to dodge.
Normally, this kind of continuous thrust would be weak.
Using only one arm, each blow lacked power, relying solely on that arm's strength.
In other words, they lacked hip movement… no shift in center of gravity.
So even if one were to pierce a shoulder, it wouldn't go through the muscle.
But the opponent before him was an Akuma.
And Ryo was a human.
The very standards of 'power' were entirely different.
This high-speed one-handed thrust—even one hit would likely pierce Ryo's shoulder with ease.
How outrageous!
But then again, a battle is inherently unfair.
Saying, 'Let's fight under equal conditions' only applies to sports.
Faced with her overwhelming thrusts, Ryo's confidence crumbled.
And that became a crack in his defense.
"Damn…"
Too late.
With a supple twist of her wrist, she changed the sword's trajectory—and a thrust pierced Ryo's left side.
Through the robe of the Fairy King.
-x-X-x-
With a supple twist of her wrist, she changed the sword's trajectory—and a thrust pierced Ryo's left side.
Through the robe of the Fairy King.
"Why…?"
Ryo muttered instinctively.
"I knew that robe repels attacks with attributes. So I canceled the attribute at the moment of impact."
Argenta replied casually.
She pulled her sword out and took a few steps back.
"I was foolish."
A small murmur.
"First ensure you are invincible, then wait for the enemy's moment of vulnerability."
Ryo quoted from 'The Art of War'.
"I hesitated, wondering if my defense might be broken. I tried to find an opening in my opponent instead of focusing purely on defending. Had I maintained perfect defense, the opponent would eventually crumble."
Ryo let out a small sigh.
"I realize it only after getting wounded. But now I know what I must do."
"Uh… Ryo, should I cast
"No need."
Ryo rejected Argenta's offer.
He sealed the wound by applying a membrane of ice to forcibly stop the bleeding.
Of course, this didn't heal the wound, but it was good enough for now.
"It actually cleared my mind."
That was the last thing Ryo said.
He stepped slightly forward with his right foot.
Lifted both heels.
Held his sword in a middle guard stance.
Eyes fixed on Argenta.
Just that—and his breath became calm.
And the pain disappeared.
All he needed to do was defend the sword.
That was all.
Argenta noticed the change in Ryo.
The hesitation she had sensed earlier had vanished completely.
"Interesting."
She whispered and leaped in again.
Another series of right-handed thrusts from her half-body stance.
But none of them landed.
Dodged.
Blocked.
Deflected.
Minimal sword movement, perfect footwork, unshakable composure.
Even while attacking, she could see no sign of breaking through.
"He changed so much in an instant."
Argenta murmured in awe.
Since stabbing him in the abdomen.
He had transformed.
Completely.
Now the dynamic was one-sided.
Argenta attacking, Ryo defending.
100% that pattern.
But Argenta knew.
If she let even one of her attacks slacken, she'd be instantly countered and the match would end.
The aura surrounding Ryo made that crystal clear.
She jumped far back once more.
"To think he's this strong."
She muttered, impressed.
Then inquired.
"Pastra. How long will this sealing corridor last?"
"Eh? It's fully reinforced, so… maybe about two hours?"
"Good! "
"What? Wait, are you saying it'll take that long?"
"If it ends in two hours, we'll be lucky."
"What the heck…"
Pastra shook her head at Argenta's words.
Even during that conversation, Ryo did not waver.
Still in the middle guard stance.
But his eyes were nearly closed.
Completely calm.
And serene.
"Now I see why Leonor and Jean-Jacques are so obsessed with him."
"Yeah, even I can tell just watching."
"Maybe this human is the one we've been waiting for all along."
"Eh? Argenta?"
"I'll shake him—with everything I've got!"
She ignored Pastra's question.
And leaped in again.
The swordplay resumed.
Argenta's assault.
Ryo's defense.
Argenta didn't rush.
She had accepted a two-hour battle.
After all, her opponent was a human.
She had already stabbed him in the abdomen.
He had stopped the bleeding, but had already lost a lot of blood.
He wouldn't last long.
Eventually, he'd falter. Collapse.
So there was no need to rush.
Pastra checked her alchemy tool that measured durability.
Two hours had almost passed since the battle began.
"To think it would really last this long."
She was surprised, but smiling.
For two reasons.
One, the rare data she was collecting.
Two, the sheer joy of watching this battle.
The pattern hadn't changed.
Argenta's attack.
Ryo's defense.
But each move from both sides was filled with ingenuity.
When a move was blocked, the next one would evolve to surpass it.
When a stronger attack came, an even stronger defense would meet it.
Argenta had been pleased to hear the corridor could last two hours, but she hadn't actually expected the fight to take that long.
"To think such high-intensity combat would go on for two hours."
She murmured, and it should have been audible to the man still receiving her strikes.
But he didn't reply.
Just continued to receive every blow with half-closed eyes.
Truly unshakable.
And for the last ten minutes or so, he had even begun to be surrounded by mist.
But Argenta understood.
He wasn't surrounded by it.
He was pushing with it.
What was he pushing?
"He's using water to push his sword and arms—enhancing both power and speed."
Argenta made this observation, and Ryo's lips curled slightly.
But she couldn't take that as a sign of wavering.
On the contrary, she felt his intensity growing.
It felt as if all her sword strikes had been dodged, and her swordsmanship absorbed.
Of course, swordsmanship wasn't that easily copied. It was just her impression.
And yet…
Ryo focused on only one thing.
Defense.
That was all.
Parry.
Deflect.
Dodge.
He didn't think about how.
He left it to his body.
Dodge with the head.
Block with the arm.
Step with the foot.
Again, didn't think.
He left it to his body.
No unnecessary thoughts.
He had entered a kind of 'zone'.
So, it wasn't a conscious action.
"Two hours passed!"
Pastra's voice rang out.
At that instant, Ryo stepped forward.
A seamless step, without warning.
Exactly when Argenta shifted from a horizontal slash into a thrust.
He dodged her thrust to his throat by a hair's breadth and struck back—a double-handed thrust to her neck.
Stab.
Murasame pierced Argenta's throat.
Her movements froze.
With a slight backward jump, the blade was pulled from her neck.
Then immediately jumped forward again in a single motion, slicing sideways.
Argenta's head was severed.
Ryo remained motionless, frozen in his finishing stance.
Argenta's body collapsed backward, her head falling away.
"Amazing…"
Pastra let the words slip out.
Then she snapped back to reality.
Looking at her alchemy tool, she said:
"The sealing corridor is collapsing. See you, Ryo."
And Ryo's world flipped again.
Captain Lu Yao of the Magic Artillery Corps and Abel couldn't understand what had happened.
One moment, Ryo was talking to them—the next, he was suddenly covered in wounds.
"Eh?"
"Huh?"
Lu Yao and Abel let out stunned, dumbfounded sounds.
At that moment, Murasame's blade vanished, and Ryo collapsed forward onto Andalusia's back.
"Ryo!"
Abel called out.
"Ah, Abel. I'm glad. Looks like I made it back."
"What happened?"
"You know, I got a little invite from those folks whose name starts with 'A' and ends with 'ma'. Fought a battle there for about two hours."
"I get 'A' and 'ma', but I have no idea what you mean. Just drink this potion."
Abel pulled a potion from his pocket and handed it to Ryo.
It was one of Ryo's special creations—extremely effective.
Ryo poured half of it on his left side wound and drank the rest.
Abel frowned at the wound.
He immediately realized it was a sword injury.
At the same time, he couldn't believe someone had managed to wound Ryo this badly.
Ryo's defense was supposed to be ironclad.
The fact that someone had broken through it.
"Uh, Duke Rondo…?"
Lu Yao finally managed to speak, still unable to grasp the situation.
"Ah, sorry, Captain Lu Yao. A lot happened… I just need some rest, then I'll be fine. Let's talk later, okay?"
And thus, Ryo safely returned from the sealed corridor.
-x-X-x-
"Ryo, are you sure you don't need to rest properly?"
"I'm fine. I've been resting on Andalusia's back."
To Abel's concerned question, Ryo nodded firmly in response.
He also gently tapped Andalusia's neck, who let out a slightly worried sound, to reassure her that everything was okay.
True, the potion had taken effect and his wounds were healed.
However…
"I lost too much blood. I did some emergency treatment using water-attribute magic, but the internal damage to my organs was complicated… The ice membrane might not have been enough to fully stop the bleeding."
"Well, when you came back, you had a cut on your neck too."
"Oh, that's because I charged in while dodging a thrust by tilting my head. It's not a deep wound."
"You're insane…"
Listening to Ryo's explanation, Abel must have imagined the scene in his mind.
He shook his head slightly.
After a while, the suppression army stopped to rest by the riverbank.
Ryo got down to the ground and sat on a chair made of ice.
Andalusia stood by, looking worried, but he smiled and stroked her nose.
Repeating "It's okay, it's okay".
At that moment, Prince Ryun and his entourage arrived.
"Duke Rondo, I heard you were injured."
"Oh, Your Highness, sorry to trouble you with such news. It's nothing serious. The potion healed all the wounds."
Ryo stood up and answered with a smile.
"We are heading into battle now. And yet you're already injured…"
The one who spoke with clear reproach was Wen Shu, one of the attendants.
Clearly, he disliked Ryo.
"Enough, Wen Shu."
"No, Your Highness, I must speak. Duke Rondo is your advisor, and it's rumored he's marching to protect you. If he's injured now and not present when it matters most…"
"I said, enough!"
With sharp anger in his voice, Prince Ryun silenced him. Wen Shu finally held his tongue.
Ryo could only manage a wry smile.
He understood where Wen Shu was coming from… but some misfortunes are simply unavoidable.
At that moment…
Without any warning, a pitch-black space appeared right beside them.
Roughly four meters wide and four meters tall.
A 'gate', one might call it.
From it, naturally, emerged an Akuma…
"Ryo, I'm sorry!"
The Akuma who emerged apologized to Ryo immediately.
Of course, it was the Akuma Leonor.
"You always appear so suddenly. And why are you the one apologizing?"
"I heard those two fought you. And you were injured, right? I gave them a good beating."
It was easy for Ryo to imagine the two with lumps on their heads after being punched by Leonor.
He could only smile wryly.
For all her seemingly humble behavior, Leonor had tried to kill Ryo before.
Compared to that, causing injuries was practically mild.
Still, he didn't bring that up.
Otherwise, she might suddenly say, "Then let's fight now".
Akumas were… eccentric beings.
"As an apology, is there anything you want? Anything at all. I'll get it for you."
"I've told you before, I don't really want anything…"
"Right, last time I offered you the Kingdom and you declined. Then, how about this—how about the Eastern countries? In one hour, I can bring you the heads of every royal."
"I said I don't want it."
At the moment Leonor mentioned bringing back royal heads, Ryo noticed out of the corner of his eye that Prince Ryun moved.
So did Wen Shu.
But both had their sleeves grabbed hard by Captain Lu Yao, who was violently shaking her head.
Her eyes wide and teary.
"Ah… Leonor, this is His Highness the Prince of Darwei, the greatest nation of the Eastern Countries. So please, don't say such ominous things."
"Hm? Is that so? I must have startled him. Don't worry, Ryo said he doesn't want it, so I'll do nothing. But still, I feel like I owe you."
"Well… I don't think you owe me anything, really. But fine. Still, I truly don't want anything."
It's not that Ryo had no desires.
There were things he wanted to achieve through his efforts… but nothing he wanted badly enough to sell his soul to an Akuma for… well it didn't seem like he would need to this time, even if he asked.
Previously, he might have asked for a golem from the Union.
But over the past three years, Ryo had studied the notes on golem engineering left by Frank de Verde at the Royal Alchemy Workshop.
So now, he did not need the real thing.
His goal was a different kind of golem anyway…
"I'll think of something eventually, so for now, please leave."
"Hmm… I suppose I have no choice. You don't look too well either. Ryo, until next time."
With that, Leonor vanished the same way she came.
For a while, no one spoke.
The prince and his entourage couldn't quite grasp what had just happened.
Ryo didn't think it was necessary to explain either.
The first to speak was, of course, the usual one to clash with Ryo.
"Duke Rondo, who was that disrespectful being just now…"
"You idiot! Shut your mouth!"
The one who snapped at Wen Shu was none other than Captain Lu Yao of the magic artillery corps.
Even Ryo, who had thought she was a strong-willed woman, was surprised by her words.
Her tone was nothing like the refined speech of a noble attendant to a prince.
She was truly, genuinely furious.
"…"
Wen Shu was clearly stunned. Unable to speak.
Not just him—no one else spoke either.
But with Prince Ryun looking at her, Captain Lu Yao seemed to realize she needed to explain.
"That being just now… is not something humans should be involved with. You should forget that encounter entirely."
She said it with complete conviction.
Her complexion was still pale.
She was a magician, after all.
She must have instinctively recognized that the Akuma Leonor was no ordinary existence.
"Commander Lu Yao, your insight is truly commendable."
Ryo said, affirming her statement.
"Forget…?"
"She and her kind exist outside the natural order, you might say. The claim that she could conquer the Eastern countries in an hour is probably true. If anything, it would only take that long because of the time it takes to collect the royal heads—pure destruction alone would take maybe ten minutes."
"A being like that actually exists…?"
"Yes. Such beings do exist in this world."
Prince Ryun fell silent. Ryo nodded once.
In the world of 'Phi', humans are not the dominant power.
Prince Ryun and his entourage left for the command center.
"The prince seemed shocked."
"It can't be helped. That sort of thing happened."
Abel shrugged in response to Ryo's observation.
"Were you shocked too, Abel, when you first found out?"
"Ah… well, I saw Ryo and Leonor fight right away, didn't I? Rather than shock, I was… amazed. It's a weird way to put it, but I was inspired."
Abel was aware.
Seeing that battle had pushed him to a new level as a swordsman.
Sometimes, people grow stronger just by witnessing greatness.
"How unusually humble of you, Abel."
"What do you mean, 'unusually'? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, you are Abel. I always thought Abel was synonymous with arrogance, insolence, cruelty, and savagery."
"It absolutely does not!"
When Abel snapped back, Ryo smiled sweetly.
A dazzlingly radiant smile.
"What now?"
Abel gave him a skeptical look.
"This. You making a comeback when I joke around— it's the best."
"You really say the weirdest things…"
-x-X-x-
The suppression army was marching north.
Among them, a mounted meeting was taking place during the movement.
"Even though all the formations and preparations were completed before departure, we're always having meetings, huh?"
"Well, that's how it is. The information the scouts bring in changes daily. We have to keep adjusting various parts of the army to match it. There's the possibility of being attacked before reaching the battlefield or engaging in combat immediately upon arrival. There's also the chance the enemy might attack surrounding villages. In such cases, we have to revise our response procedures… there's a lot to do while on the move."
Abel answered Ryo's simple, common-sense question like an experienced veteran.
Indeed, Abel was a king— he had the experience of leading armies to battle.
Words spoken by someone who's lived it carry weight.
Ryo glanced at Abel, who was riding beside him on Feiwan.
"What is it?"
"Nothing, I was just wondering if you wanted to take over command from Prince Ryun."
"No, I don't."
Abel answered Ryo's question immediately.
"That was fast…"
"I'll never get used to giving orders that send people to their deaths."
Abel said, frowning.
His words were unadorned and honest—just plain truth.
Since ancient times, this pain has always been carried by commanders.
It's a timeless reality.
"Because people die, war is evil… that claim might be true."
"Yeah. No one wants to see people die. Or more precisely, maybe we don't want to see the grief of those left behind."
War is inseparable from human history.
In fact, some scholars argue that human history is basically a history of continuous warfare, occasionally interrupted by secondary periods of peace.
"Maybe in the future, golems will take over the fighting."
"Really? Golems may fight, but in the end, won't humans just get thrown into the same battlefield?"
"Compared to golems, human strength is negligible. If golems take the stage, humans can fully retreat… Wait, that would still put humans on the battlefield, huh? Then let's establish an international treaty: no humans allowed on the battlefield!"
"And who's going to follow that kind of rule?"
Abel was skeptical of Ryo's proposal.
"Any ruler whose own life is in danger will probably break it."
"Exactly."
"And when that happens, I'll eliminate that ruler."
"…What?"
"I won't allow rule-breakers."
"So you're going to force a situation where only golems go to war?"
"That way, no humans have to die."
Ryo clearly thought it was a good idea.
He nodded enthusiastically.
But Abel gave him a cold stare.
"What's with that look, Abel?!"
"If we reach a time when golems go to war… wouldn't they also be doing regular labor?"
"Well, probably. Humans won't need to do that stuff anymore."
"Then some water-attribute magician somewhere will be lying on some couch, reading alchemy books all day."
"How rude! Even if golems don't become widespread, I still plan to read alchemy books while lying on a couch!"
"Yeah, I don't see what was rude about my statement at all."
By evening, the suppression army arrived at the campsite.
This would be their last night before the battle.
The next morning, they were scheduled to arrive at Ryokusou Plain, where the monsters were said to be arrayed, and the battle would commence.
There were also cases where the army would enter the plains, spend the night, and begin fighting at dawn the next day.
Which strategy to choose would be decided by the commander and staff after considering various information.
"Looks like we're not entering the battlefield the day before this time."
"If monsters attack at night and it becomes a night battle, humans are at a disadvantage. In wars between humans, such things aren't much of a factor."
"Species-based assumptions are discrimination!"
Ryo insisted firmly.
His stance came from his past experience fighting Akumas.
Fighting an opponent that doesn't die even when its head is cut off.
While humans, of course, die if their heads are cut off.
How unfair!
"It's war. There's no such thing as a fair fight."
Abel stated logically.
People attack because they believe they can win.
They only think that way because they believe to have the advantage.
From the start, fairness is never part of the equation.
Their final meal consisted of a stew filled with chunks of meat.
And rice balls.
"This clumped rice thing—you made this for me once before, didn't you?"
It seemed Abel remembered the rice balls Ryo had made in the Rondo Forest when they had washed ashore.
"Yes, I'm impressed you remembered. In my hometown, we call them 'onigiri'. Compared to wheat bread, they digest slowly and keep you full longer. With this, we could even fight off a night raid!"
"I'd really prefer not to be raided at night."
"Come to think of it, I remember seeing onigiri at food stalls in Darwei too. I'm touched to see that the rice ball culture is thriving here as well."
Ryo said, munching happily.
In Darwei—and the Eastern countries in general, as well as the archipelago region— rice was the staple food.
There were some regional variations, but it was still a rice-based culture.
Having grown up on Japanese food, Ryo felt nostalgic about places where rice was the staple.
And what about Abel?
"I like rice too, you know? Sure, bread was the main staple when I was a kid… But after settling in Rune, I started eating both bread and rice often. The food culture there is rich."
For a hungry swordsman, it seems the type of staple food doesn't really matter.
Although Ryo and Abel were adventurers, within the suppression army, they were participating as advisors.
That, too, by direct order of His Majesty the Emperor.
Therefore, they were not on night watch duty.
And that night, there was no raid.
The next morning.
"There was no night attack. And with how openly the monsters are deployed, it's like they're daring us to attack them head-on."
"Yeah. Either they're extremely confident, or…"
"It's a trap."
Both Abel and Ryo agreed there must be some kind of trap.
But if asked what kind, they couldn't say.
According to Wen Shu, a local attendant, the battlefield was an open plain with no obstructions and excellent visibility.
If it were a forest, traps could be hidden, but in such a plain, laying traps would be quite difficult.
"Maybe they really do just want a straightforward fight."
"In the end, it's always a gamble— you won't know until you're in it."
9:00 a.m.
The suppression army arrived at the Ryokusou Plains.
"This really is a vast open plain."
"Bare ground with barely any grass—can't even call it a meadow."
It was barren land, too desolate to be called a grassland.
There was no tall grass over knee height; half the area was just exposed soil.
Beyond that, they could see a neatly arranged group.
"The monsters are really lined up in formation."
"Yeah. This is the first time I've seen anything like it."
The two spoke while using the binoculars provided by the imperial palace.
These binoculars had been issued not only to them but also to the top brass of the army and squad leaders…
Nearly everyone who had one was now peering through it, surprised by the orderly monster formation.
"Our troops are already intimidated just from seeing that lineup. That was clearly their aim! How underhanded!"
"Underhanded, huh? Well, I guess it's true— monsters lining up like that is unusual. It's no surprise people are reacting differently."
Ryo grumbled in frustration. Abel, on the other hand, had already resigned himself to it.
"Those are orcs, right?"
"Yeah, orcs."
Abel, a former A-rank adventurer, replied to Ryo's question.
Orcs were monsters about 1.5 meters tall, with pig-like heads, who walked on two legs and had two arms.
They were stronger than goblins, but weaker than ogres, which could grow to 2.5 meters tall.
However, orcs were said to be slightly more intelligent and capable of using weapons.
In fact, the orcs in formation were holding swords in their right hands and round shields in their left.
"It's a Roman gladiator style."
"What's that?"
"You know, the people of Darwei also use one-handed swords, but they don't usually carry shields…"
"Hm? Looks like they do have shields."
Abel pointed to the infantry of the Black Banner Army.
"Huh? Oh… you're right."
Ryo had just assumed they weren't holding anything in their left hands.
Because…
"The first person who used the flying ring had a sword in his right hand only…"
Indeed, that man had raised only his left hand, forming two extended fingers.
His index and middle— while the other three fingers formed a circle.
On modern Earth, it might have been called a kenji*. (TLN: Sword-finger gesture)
It was something Ryo had never seen in the Central Countries.
"Well, this is a battlefield. The enemy isn't just in front of you, and you have to move in coordination with the others. If you're forming ranks with many soldiers, having a shield probably reduces damage, right?"
"I see, that makes sense."
Abel's explanation made sense— but Ryo didn't quite grasp it.
Probably because he was raised in Japan, where there's no culture of using shields.
Even in the Sengoku period, soldiers didn't carry shields on the battlefield…
But that, too, was a lack of understanding on Ryo's part.
In the pre-Kamakura era, around the time of the Genpei War, shields held in one hand were commonly used.
Even in the 'Taiheiki', a historical chronicle from the fall of the Kamakura shogunate to the early Muromachi period, there are depictions of soldiers charging with shields raised.
As the katana became a weapon used exclusively with both hands, and spears and polearms—which also required both hands—became more common, shields fell out of use…
Back on the Ryokusou Plains…
Orcs didn't use magic, so they would likely engage in close combat.
What kind of battle would it become… neither the experienced Abel nor the relatively green Ryo had any idea.
Just then, Ryo lowered his binoculars and noticed a group in their ranks who weren't even looking through binoculars.
They were busy assembling something.
Overseeing and directing them was Captain Lu Yao of the territorial army's Magic Artillery Unit.
Each member of the unit seemed to be assembling one of these mysterious devices.
"Abel, Captain Lu Yao and her team are assembling something."
"You're right. That's… oh, that's what they had loaded on the horses they came in on."
Indeed, the artillery unit was unloading equipment from the horses they had ridden.
If it was carried by horse, it probably wasn't too heavy.
"Wooden structures… We don't have anything like that in the Kingdom, do we?"
"Nope. I'd bet that is why they're called the 'Magic Artillery Unit' and not just 'Magic Unit'."
"Ah, makes sense. As expected of you, Abel."
Ryo praised Abel's observation without hesitation.
Yes, occasionally Abel made sharp insights.
Occasionally.
Occasionally…
"Hey, Ryo. I appreciate the praise, but are you thinking something unnecessary?"
"N-no, not at all! Let's just keep watching closely."
Ryo flustered at Abel's pointed remark.
Yes, even if it's only occasionally, Abel could be astute.
Best to be careful!
The two of them were currently with the main suppression force.
This area was referred to as the headquarters.
They were positioned at the edge of the HQ area…
Since Ryo had been directly asked by Emperor Tsuin to protect Prince Ryun, he needed to stay nearby in case anything happened.
Still, being too close drew the stares of the prince's attendants, so he stayed on the outskirts.
Naturally, since they weren't marching at the moment, everyone had dismounted.
The horses ridden by the main force had been gathered in one spot, but something caught Ryo's attention.
They were loosely surrounding Andalusia and Feiwan.
They weren't harassing them.
Rather, it looked like they were showing reverence.
Of course, it was probably just his imagination.
Among the surrounding horses was also the one ridden by Prince Ryun.
An imperial gift steed of noble blood, likely proud and dignified.
There's no way such a horse would bow to another…
"What is it, Ryo?"
"Oh… I was just thinking, it must be tough even in the world of horses."
"Maybe it's a pure meritocracy, unlike humans."
"That sounds really exhausting."
Ryo gave a small shake of his head.
In such a world, you'd have no time to relax—you'd always have to prove your worth.
No lounging around on sofas reading books all day.
"I'm glad I'm human."
"Yeah. Otherwise, no lounging on the sofa for you."
"How did you know…?"
Apparently, Abel could see right through Ryo's thoughts.
Although they were in the corner of the main camp, they could still hear someone loudly voicing their opinions to Prince Ryun.
It was Chamberlain Wen Shu.
"Your Highness, we must charge!"
He was offering explanations and suggestions, but the core message was the same.
However, Prince Ryun didn't nod.
He simply said one word: "Wait".
Then, after a moment, he spoke to Chief Chamberlain Lin Shun.
"Get Lu Yao."
Lin Shun gave a silent nod and went to fetch Captain Lu Yao, who had just finished setting things up and was inspecting them.
"Your Highness."
"Lu Yao, are preparations complete?"
"Yes. All installations are finished."
Captain Lu Yao of the Magic Artillery Unit answered.
"Good. Begin."
With that order from Prince Ryun, the battle began.
-x-X-x-
"Triple volley, fire!"
The voice of Captain Lu Yao of the Magic Artillery Unit rang out.
In that instant, from one hundred members of the magic artillery unit, one hundred trails of flame shot forth.
Followed by another volley.
And another.
Three times in total.
Three hundred fire-type attack spells were unleashed.
"Amazing!"
"It really is!"
Ryo and Abel both exclaimed in admiration.
But then…
The fire spells, flying in straight lines, suddenly veered off course before hitting the monsters as if deflected by an invisible wall, shooting diagonally backward instead.
All three hundred of them.
"You've got to be kidding…"
"They weren't nullified… they were repelled."
Abel was stunned, while Ryo calmly analyzed the situation.
"That kind of repelling… I've seen it before."
Ryo's memory stirred.
He quickly pulled out his far-seeing telescope.
Back then, his
In midair…
"I knew it! Talismans!"
In front of the monsters, talismans floated in the air, lined up.
"So that's it. The spells were repelled by the talismans. That means it's not just monsters—we're also dealing with Illusionkins who can use sorcery."
"The Illusionkin who attacked the palace before… her name was Marie, right? She seemed more like a magician than a sorcerer… I guess there are different types?"
"The only Illusionkins we know aside from Marie are Duke Helb and Garibech of Tiger Mountain. Both were sorcerers, but there's too little data to say anything for sure."
Abel offered a reasonable assessment.
While the two spoke, another volley was launched by the magic artillery unit.
But again, just like before, all spells were deflected.
Captain Lu Yao turned to look at Prince Ryun and shook her head.
It seemed the artillery had no effect.
Prince Ryun then looked at Chief Chamberlain Lin Shun.
Lin Shun raised a single finger.
Seeing that, Prince Ryun nodded and issued an order.
"Black Banner Army, charge with one thousand riders!"
"Understood!"
General Bijan Lu of the Black Banner Army replied sharply to the command.
Beside him, Chamberlain Wen Shu looked satisfied.
Finally, the cavalry charge he had wished for was being carried out.
"Abel, I'm worried."
"How honest of you. But I feel the same."
Ryo said quietly, and Abel replied in a hushed voice.
"If the emperor hadn't declared that Prince Ryun would command, I'd want to intervene. We could reduce the casualties that way."
"I understand what you're saying. But those casualties are part of the prince's command. To be blunt, this is meant to teach him what it means to lose subordinates because of his orders."
"I really hate this."
Ryo grimaced.
But he didn't criticize Abel.
He knew that Abel had commanded battles like the one at Gold Hill, fully aware of the consequences.
There would be casualties.
People might die.
And yet, he would still command people to march out into battle.
A normal heart might not bear that burden.
But a ruler—or someone who aims to become one—must endure it.
Especially in Darwei, where the Emperor is not only the leader, but also the supreme commander.
He is both the political and military leader.
If one can't bear it, then they should abandon their position and retire from public life.
Ryo knew Abel had faced such trials.
That's why he didn't condemn him.
"I even thought about having everyone wear
"The ice armor spell?"
"With that, at the very least, they might not die."
"But that's not what the Emperor wants, is it?"
"No, which is why I didn't suggest it. What the Emperor wants him to experience… it's cruel."
"It is. Asking people to die for your sake, or your country… it's cruel. Which is exactly why the state must aim to avoid war as much as possible."
Ryo spoke from a citizen's perspective.
Abel spoke from the standpoint of statecraft.
There's no hierarchy in those values.
Both are equally important aspects of being human.
"Most likely, the Emperor believes that by experiencing hundreds or thousands of casualties now, Prince Ryun won't have to experience tens of thousands later in life."
"But that's not guaranteed."
"Of course not. Nothing about the future is."
Despite Ryo's hint of reproach, Abel answered gently.
"That's why it's about probability. Better he learns now, with fewer losses… it won't win humanitarian praise, though."
"This world is painfully cruel."
"Yeah. It truly is."
"Black Banner Army, charge!"
The charge of one thousand cavalry shook the ground.
Even Ryo, who moments earlier had been downcast, felt a surge of courage.
"Amazing! Those monsters don't stand a chance!"
"If they reach them, that is."
"Abel, you're so pessimistic."
Ryo knew Abel's grim words were all too plausible.
So he kept his telescope fixed on the battlefield.
When the Black Banner Army reached the midpoint between the suppression forces and the monsters—
The entire army disappeared.
"Huh?"
Ryo couldn't comprehend what had happened.
"They fell into a pit."
Abel explained bluntly.
But that was too concise for Ryo to grasp.
"A pitfall…? I could understand that in a forest, but on flat, visible ground like this? We'd notice something like that, wouldn't we?"
"You'd think. But they fell. That's the reality."
Prompted by Abel, Ryo examined the ground where the army had vanished.
"True.. .from here, it does look like cracks are running across the ground. But the Ryokusou Plains are supposed to be completely flat, right? Locals would've known about something like this. If it was created with magic… it wasn't there a moment ago. Was it made instantaneously?"
"Unlikely. To dig a hole that large with earth-attribute magic would take thirty magicians, three hours, and a large-scale magic circle. Even then, who knows if it would work. Alchemy is more realistic."
"Alchemy?"
Ryo was surprised by Abel's words.
"Just before they fell, I saw four points on the ground give off a faint glow. Those were the corners of the pit."
"The corners? Wait… something's stuck in the ground, like stakes. They barely stick out—you'd never notice them unless told."
"Those might be alchemy tools. Alchemy emits a faint glow when it activates. I think that's what I saw."
"That's true. But how do you know that, Abel?"
"I've had a lot of experience in the three years since becoming king."
Honestly, Abel hadn't seemed that knowledgeable about alchemy before becoming king.
But clearly, he had studied since then.
"You learned from Kenneth, didn't you?"
"Yeah, he took the time to teach me a lot."
Viscount Kenneth Hayward was the head of the Royal Alchemy Workshop.
He was also part of Abel's drinking circle, the 'Second Son Union'.
Though since becoming King, Abel hadn't been able to attend even once.
"Abel… don't drag Kenneth into silly stuff. He's busy."
"Silly…? Isn't it best to learn from the top expert?"
"That may be true, but Kenneth is wasted on you."
"Wasted…?"
"If you need a teacher, someone less qualified is fine."
"Less qualified, huh. Like you, Ryo."
"Ugh… well, yes, I'm certainly less qualified than Kenneth…"
As they spoke, movement occurred on the battlefield.
"The floating talismans moved?"
"They're heading toward the pit."
"No way…"
"It's a talisman-based magic attack."
Both had seen something similar at Queen Iliaja's coronation.
An attack into a pit with no escape and no room to dodge.
The two could only watch.
Most in the command center, including Prince Ryun, probably didn't understand what was happening.
But Ryo could see anguish and resignation in Prince Ryun's face.
He had known there might be a trap when he gave the charge order.
He knew it and still gave the order.
He had understood there could be death.
He had hoped there wouldn't be.
But… the moment they fell into the pit, he accepted the loss of a thousand lives.
Still, he didn't look away.
Because he had to take responsibility for his orders.
No matter what happened next.
(
Clang! Clang…!
A hard, metallic noise rang faintly through the command center.
No one else could grasp what was happening inside the pit.
Except Abel.
"Ryo…"
His tone wasn't reproachful.
Nor admiring.
It was more like a sigh…
He knew exactly what the sound meant: Ryo had raised ice walls to shield the soldiers from the talisman attack.
Even though they had just agreed not to intervene.
"I couldn't help it."
Ryo said, frowning.
He understood he might have hindered Prince Ryun's growth.
He understood that.
But he couldn't bear to watch a thousand people die.
Ryo was not a ruler.
He was a duke… with the heart of a good, ordinary citizen.
Even if it slowed Ryun's growth, he had to save those lives…
And so, he acted.
"I'm not as strong as you, Abel… or the Emperor, or Prince Ryun."
Ryo said, shaking his head.
He wondered if he could have handled things differently — but he didn't regret intervening.
In his heart, human lives were always precious.
"I think that's just fine, Ryo."
"What?"
"I'm not strong either. I just disconnect myself… I separate the part of me that feels when I make decisions."
"…"
"But yeah, stepping in… that's exactly what you'd do."
Abel smiled.
Maybe, in the end, that smile was what saved Ryo's heart.
Ryo lifted his face.
Resolute, and walked toward Prince Ryun.
"Your Highness, I have a recommendation."
"Uh? Duke Rondo?"
Clearly, Prince Ryun hadn't expected Ryo to step in.
They had even confirmed at Ryo's estate that he wouldn't interfere.
And that command authority lay with the prince.
"The command authority is yours, Your Highness. That is not in question."
He made that clear.
In front of the prince's attendants and General Lu of the Black Banner Army— who was assigned by the emperor— Ryo couldn't undermine the prince's authority.
Doing so would only make his advice harder to accept.
"However, I do have something I'd like to discuss with you in private."
The best way to preserve dignity was to talk one-on-one.
As long as the message is conveyed.
There's no need to show the process to others.
"Everyone, wait outside."
"But, Your Highness!"
"Wen Shu. Leave."
Prince Ryun ordered them out with firm authority.
Abel glanced at Ryo.
Ryo gave a small nod.
Abel, Chamberlain Wen Shu, and everyone else left the command tent, leaving only Prince Ryun and Ryo.
"Your Highness, I must apologize."
Ryo said, bowing his head abruptly.
"Duke Rondo?"
"I broke my promise and intervened on the battlefield earlier."
"The sound we heard back at the command post…"
"That was the sound of an ice wall blocking the enemy's talisman attack."
Even now, the faint noise could still be heard intermittently.
"I see."
Prince Ryun nodded slightly.
Then, clearly and without hesitation, he bowed his head.
"Thank you for saving my men."
At that moment, Ryo saw the true caliber of Prince Ryun.
Anyone would be offended if someone suddenly interfered with their command.
Especially someone who had explicitly said just days before that they would leave the command in their hands.
Yet Prince Ryun thanked such a person.
That's not something many could do.
And he was only nineteen.
From Prince Ryun's perspective, the situation was slightly different.
He had indeed been surprised to hear Ryo had interfered.
But more than that, he was grateful— lives he had already given up on had been saved.
A thousand elite troops, entrusted to him by the Emperor himself.
There was no anger—only gratitude.
Moreover, standing before him was a man of near-legendary status, sung of by bards. And that man had come and apologized sincerely… even if he had felt a flicker of indignation, it was immediately extinguished.
Captain Lu Yao had said that Duke Rondo might be connected to people humans shouldn't meddle with.
When such a man bows his head to you, you feel more awe than irritation…
"And Duke Rondo, you said you had a proposal?"
"Yes, Your Highness. If the enemy realizes talisman attacks are ineffective, they'll move to their next strategy. I can think of a few possibilities, but I don't think they'd leave those monsters stationed out front just for show."
"You mean they'll push the orcs forward into battle?"
With that, the moment of apologies and gratitude ended. It was time to get back to business.
Because this was a battlefield.
Naturally, the suppression force had a Plan B.
A follow-up strategy in case the Black Banner Army's charge failed.
Upon hearing this, Ryo made a suggestion.
"To execute that swiftly… there's a perfect water-attribute spell for the job."
Everyone who had been waiting outside was summoned back into the command tent.
Then, Prince Ryun announced to them.
"We will proceed with the cooperation of Duke Rondo."
That was all he said.
He gave no further explanation.
Nor did he need to.
Because he was the supreme commander.
He made all the decisions.
And bore all the responsibility.
Chamberlain Wen Shu frowned slightly.
Not with dissatisfaction, but with confusion.
Still, no further explanation was offered.
And so, the command tent returned to motion.
Among the returned was one spirited water-attribute magician.
"All problems have been cleared. Problem solved!"
"Pro…bleh…what?"
"Don't worry about it. Just a figure of speech."
Ryo replied, brushing it off.
In his right hand was a white folding fan.
He must've pulled it out from his bag— it had been bought specifically for this moment.
"From here on, I won't let a single person die."
"You're still protecting those who fell in the pit with the ice wall, right?"
"Yes, though some may have landed badly when they fell… I can't be sure about that."
"I see."
This was a battlefield—anything could happen.
"The enemy monsters are on the move…"
"It looks like they've begun their advance."
Chamberlain Wen Shu and General Bijan Lu of the Black Banner Army, who had been observing through telescopes, reported.
Hearing this, Prince Ryun looked to Ryo and nodded.
Ryo returned the nod.
The supreme commander had granted permission.
"Time to strike back."
Ryo said, then dramatically waved the white fan in his right hand once.
Then he chanted:
"
But nothing happened.
Wen Shu and General Bijan, puzzled, lowered their telescopes to glance at Ryo, then quickly returned to scanning the battlefield… but nothing had changed.
However, Abel and Prince Ryun continued watching the battlefield through their lenses.
Ryo had cast a spell.
Something was sure to happen.
The monsters had begun to charge.
About half their number—maybe a thousand.
Then suddenly— their height was halved.
Even Abel, who had been watching through his telescope the whole time, took several seconds to realize what had happened.
"A mudfield?"
He muttered what he thought aloud.
"Let them learn the terror of a muddy field."
Ryo said, confirming Abel's guess.
But how had the terrain suddenly turned to mud?
"I made a rice paddy."
"A rice paddy? Oh, you mean a rice field."
Ryo explained. Abel rephrased in his own way.
Apparently, there was no term for 'paddy' in the Kingdom of Knightley, so Abel always referred to it as a 'rice field'.
In the southern parts of the kingdom, rice was grown in paddies…
But they called them 'rice fields'.
"Wait, you created that field in an instant?"
"I've improved."
Ryo said proudly in response to Abel's amazement.
In Rondo Forest, he had created rice paddies many times.
At first, it took him over ten minutes—blasting countless
To onlookers, it had been a spectacularly flashy process.
But now, none of that was needed.
He increased the groundwater, then used countless ultra-small, ultra-short
Using sheer force of numbers—tens of thousands of
If the ground was exposed, there was no better way to halt a massive army.
It was a shining moment for a water-attribute magician!
"Your Highness, the advance has been halted."
"Well done, Duke Rondo."
The report and praise were delivered openly.
This was to demonstrate that Prince Ryun was the supreme commander and that Ryo respected that authority.
It was a simple, but crucial, formality.
"General Bijan Lu, have two thousand infantry from the Black Banner Army advance from each flank."
"Understood!"
Following this order, four thousand foot soldiers advanced—two thousand from each wing—skirting around the pitfall and the 'paddy field', pushing toward the enemy lines.
They bypassed both their trapped allies and the enemy monsters bogged down in the mud.
Scouts accompanied the infantry, checking to ensure there were no alchemy devices hidden in the ground like those used to create the pitfall.
The four thousand marching troops advanced in perfect order— their presence as overwhelming as the earlier cavalry charge.
But the enemy had sorcerers.
Those who used floating talismans to launch magic attacks.
The soldiers advanced without letting their guard down, shields raised high.
Fire-attribute magic shot out from the talismans.
But the shields deflected the spells.
"Those shields… that wasn't your water-attribute magic, was it, Ryo?"
"No, it wasn't. The Black Banner Army's shields have magic stones embedded in them. They produce an attribute-less
"Ah, same principle as Warren's shield."
Abel nodded in understanding.
Abel nodded in understanding after Ryo's explanation.
"What? Warren's shield has magic stones embedded in it?"
Warren had once been the shield-bearer of the 'Crimson Sword' party led by Abel.
Nicknamed 'The Undefeated', he now governed the northern city of Carlisle as its count.
Ryo had never heard that Warren's shield had such a mechanism.
"You didn't know? Otherwise, how could he deflect all kinds of magic? Top-tier shield bearers like Warren only activate the shield barrier at the instant of impact. Thanks to that, he's never had issues with the magic stone running dry during battle."
"I had no idea."
Thinking about it, Ryo had probably never seen Warren actually block magic spells with his shield.
So it wasn't surprising he didn't know.
"Still, embedding magic stones into every shield in the army… that's incredible."
"Yes. Only a superpower could manage that."
In contrast, there were no armies in the Kingdom of Knightley with such provisions.
The infantry continued to march forward, undeterred by the talisman attacks.
These weren't conscripted farmers—they were professional soldiers.
Their tight formation didn't waver.
Finally, as if losing patience.
The remaining thousand orcs began to move… and clashed with the infantry.
"So far, everything's going according to plan, right? Once they're out of moves, they'll be forced to act."
Abel muttered.
It was a deduction based on the way the battle had unfolded—it must've matched what the suppression force had anticipated.
He hadn't heard the plan, but as a king with battlefield experience, he could tell whether things were proceeding as expected or not.
"Yeah, it's about time they came out. The Illusionkin."
Ryo responded to Abel's murmur.
In fact, the real battle would begin once the Illusionkin showed themselves.
And then…
A lone figure flew from the enemy camp and landed in front of the suppression force's command tent.
-x-X-x-
A man landed in front of the main encampment.
He had dark brown hair and eyes of the same color.
His face could be called handsome, though his expression was somewhat displeased.
"Stop right there, enemy commander."
Ryo's voice rang out.
The brown-haired man stopped.
"Your Highness, please leave this to me."
Ryo immediately said to Prince Ryun, who nodded silently.
"Enemy commander, my name is Henoheno Moheji. You should state your name as well."
Ryo declared in a dignified voice.
However, to Abel, who knew Ryo's usual tone and behavior, it all seemed quite forced.
(Probably that's how military strategists behave…)
Abel concluded.
He wasn't entirely wrong.
This was Ryo's idea of what a strategist should act like.
"I have no need to give my name to the likes of you."
The brown-haired man replied.
He tried to step forward—but froze.
It seemed he had noticed the
"A trap…?"
"You think we'd carelessly lure a Phantomkin* into our ranks without preparation?" (TLN: Will be going with Phantomkin instead of Illusionkin henceforth. Seems more fitting)
"…What did you say?"
The brown-haired man's eyes widened in shock at Ryo's words.
"I said Phantomkin. Didn't you hear me?"
Ryo repeated it clearly.
Surprise and confidence.
The contrast between the expressions of the man and Ryo revealed a difference in the information they possessed.
"You still refuse to give your name? Let me guess, you were ordered to test Darwei's strength, weren't you? Your boss is an awful per… no, your boss is an awful Phantomkin."
"Just how much do you know…?"
"I know quite a lot."
These were words that the Phantomkin Garibech had let slip back in Tiger Mountain.
Ryo's memory served him well at such times.
(That fan-waving action is so annoyingly smug…)
Abel thought privately.
Then, Ryo delivered the finishing blow:
"By the way. Is Marie Cloche your colleague?"
"…"
The man was stunned into silence at the mention of that name.
"It's nothing to be so shocked about. She appeared at the Darwei imperial palace recently and declared herself: Marie Cloche, one of the Seven-Star Generals of the Choouchi Empire. Apparently, she was ordered to do so. Even I wouldn't want to say I'm a citizen of the Choouchi Empire. Couldn't they have picked a cooler name?"
"What is the meaning of this…?"
"Oh? You weren't informed? Perhaps your rank is lower than the Seven-Star Generals?"
"Don't mock me… I am one of the Seven-Star Generals…!"
At that moment, Ryo smiled inwardly.
It was that smile Abel and Niels sometimes warned him about—the one that meant he was up to no good.
Of course, that was a misunderstanding.
After all, a harmless magician like Ryo wouldn't be thinking such things!
"Then let me repeat. I am Henoheno Moheji. And you are?"
"I am Yun Chen, one of the Seven-Star Generals of the Choouchi Empire. Yes, it's my duty to measure your strength. And that one over there must be royalty. Are you not going to let your master introduce himself?"
Yun Chen looked toward Prince Ryun.
"Very well. I am the Sixth Prince, Ryun."
"A real royal. And a prince no less…finally."
"Finally?"
"My duty is to assess your strength. But I also have another: to lure out royalty and kill them!"
With that, Yun Chen chanted:
"
In that instant, hundreds of flaming projectiles shot out from him—
All aimed directly at Prince Ryun.
But…
Originally, there was a 'trap' before Yun Chen.
He had recognized it only as a 'trap', but in truth, it was the
This mine would freeze all incoming physical and magical attacks using steam-based magic.
If the magic was too powerful to be frozen, it would trigger mutual annihilation, erasing both the attack and the trap.
The
The densely placed mines emitted brilliant flashes of mutual annihilation, vanishing along with the incoming magic.
Not a single spell made it through.
"Tch…"
Yun Chen clicked his tongue in frustration and leapt into the air.
"
The semi-spherical ice wall, previously deployed in a 500-meter radius, immediately shrank at Ryo's command.
BOOM.
The escaping Yun Chen collided violently with the closing
"
As Yun Chen began to fall unconscious from the impact, Ryo sealed him in an ice coffin.
Made of magic-resistant 'multi-layered ice', in case the Phantomkin could cast spells without incantation.
"A pickled Phantomkin."
Ryo said proudly, tapping the frozen coffin.
"Uh…I-I see."
Prince Ryun stammered in surprise.
Ryo had suggested earlier they 'try' to capture one… but he hadn't truly expected it to succeed.
Thus, the disturbance in the Moason region came to an end.
The group now traveled toward the imperial capital.
Whereas Ryo and Abel had followed at the rear during the journey out, they were now encircled from a distance by the Black Banner Army.
The reason lay behind Ryo.
Abel glanced back at it.
An ice coffin, loaded on Ryo's
The ice was cloudy, obscuring the inside.
"You made it that way on purpose…"
"We're forced to transport him this way, but he's technically a prisoner of war. Not a spectacle. We're treating him as humanely as possible."
Ryo answered solemnly.
A noble sentiment—but the contrast between his expression and the surreal sight of the ice coffin being pulled behind made the whole scene oddly comical.
"Also, unlike my usual
Ryo explained.
Otherwise, the prisoner might overhear critical information.
"But wasn't that fight…too easy?"
"Too easy?"
"Yeah. That battle just now."
"You think… he let himself get captured?"
Ryo's face froze in shock at Abel's suggestion.
Pretending to be a strategist, only to be outwitted by his enemy? Understandably upsetting.
"You mean he's better than me? I can't accept that! I should just crush him in the ice and pretend he never existed…"
"Hey, idiot, stop!"
Abel quickly shut him down.
The execution of the prisoner was narrowly averted.
"Of course, I wasn't 'really' going to do it!"
"Really…"
"Look into my eyes!"
"Your mouth says, 'I was this close', though."
"That's slander!"
Apparently, confessing makes you powerless—no matter the era or world.
"Though honestly, the guy didn't seem that smart…"
"Abel! That's discriminatory speech!"
"I just think… the real mastermind hasn't shown up yet."
"I see. A schemer, or as we say in the East, a strategist."
Ryo nodded thoughtfully.
"This guy's headed to the palace, right?"
"Probably. Or the adjacent Censorate's High-Security Prison—you know, where Lord Von Debout was held."
"Magic doesn't work inside the palace…I wonder if the Censorate is the same? That would explain why they think it's safe to keep him there."
"Prince Ryun did say so. Last time, when the Starry Veil was broken, Marie flew right into the palace."
"Yeah, that's it. I remember now."
Abel suddenly recalled something.
"The guy in the ice…Yun Chen—wasn't he wearing something like flight rings on his hands and feet?"
"Well spotted. Yes, he did seem to be wearing something like that."
Ryo confirmed Abel's observation.
"You noticed?"
"Not at first. Only after putting him in the coffin and investigating. Though I should mention— his version is different from the ones we bought."
"Oh?"
"They're what you might call. Peak performance but hard to handle…"
Like Formula One cars compared to regular vehicles.
Formula One cars go fast, steer well. Too well.
So they're difficult to handle…
"Once I understand it better, I'll let you know."
"Looking forward to it."
Abel smiled and nodded.
Naturally.
These Phantomkin could likely fly even outside Darwei's core region of 'Chuo Chuang'.
In fact, most of the Moason region wasn't even part of Chuo Chuang.
If they could fly here too…
Then they might be able to fly anywhere in the world.
Abel smiled at the thought.
And Ryo understood as well.
That's why, even while traveling, he kept researching the captive through the
And such study also helped him improve his mastery of magic—making it a worthy endeavor.
After spending one night on the road, the suppression army returned to the capital.
They arrived at the great plaza in front of Taiji hall, the imperial audience hall and center of morning government affairs within the Forbidden City.
The vast plaza could hold tens of thousands, and aside from imperial inspections, it usually remained empty.
"Well done, Ryun."
Emperor Tsuin grasped the prince's hands in praise.
A rare gesture that surprised the courtiers.
"Your Majesty, your praise is too kind."
Ryun bowed humbly.
"Not at all. Minimal losses, and you even captured the enemy commander. You couldn't ask for better results."
"…Ha."
Though Ryun looked like he wanted to say more.
He held back.
He had been told by Ryo in advance.
All credit goes to the commander.
Of course, Emperor Tsuin understood to some degree.
At least in terms of the capture, Ryo must have played a key role.
After all, the Phantomkin remained sealed in ice.
His titles weren't for show after all.
The 'Ice Fall' and 'Silver Duke'.
The ice coffin fit the name of his other title: Ice Fall, that is, a frozen waterfall.
As the reports concluded and they reached the topic of the prisoner's confinement, Ryo requested to speak.
"What is it, Duke Rondo?"
"Your Majesty, I have a request. May I keep the Phantomkin at my estate, sealed within the ice coffin?"
"Hmm."
Emperor Tsuin considered Ryo's request.
"You believe other Phantomkin might try to reclaim him. And wish to prepare for that?"
"Yes. It is only a possibility, but still."
"Very well. Indeed, your estate is the safest place. However, there are things we wish to learn from this one. The Censorate may send officials to question him…"
"Of course. I will fully cooperate. Thanks to Your Majesty's generosity, my estate is quite spacious. Please use it as needed."
And so, Yun Chen, the Phantomkin, was placed in the garden of Ryo's mansion.
Still sealed inside the ice coffin.
Golems, made of ice, continued tending to the garden.
The ice coffin sat among them.
And the estate's master looked on with satisfaction.
Abel, seeing all this, could only shake his head quietly.
-x-X-x-