82 – Guardian (1)
The preparation was not wasted.
The Marquis of Eloran would want to finish this matter secretly, so he expected an attack in some way.
The trio at the gateway to Actania. That was why I brought Galledin, Mary, and Haakon.
Because they were promising talents who could compete for supremacy even at the gate. At the same time, it was a hand with a fairly high number among the cards that the Baron could draw.
So I wasn’t letting my guard down. However, the attackers’ strength far exceeded expectations.
There was a burnt smell from the scorched earth.
A dangerous and rough breath. A low sound reminiscent of the growling of a wild animal rings out.
But it was not threatening. His cries were more like moans of pain than threats.
It was a terrible sight.
The white tiger’s unique white fur was stained red with no trace of its original color, and the battle hammer that had been wielded bravely broke miserably and rolled around on the floor.
Mary also had blood leaking from her nose and mouth as a side effect of using too much flame.
Even now, it seems like they are trying to squeeze more power somehow, but limits are called limits because they cannot be broken through.
There were several cruelly crushed corpses lying around.
Perhaps Lord Malone is somewhere among those corpses.
It was hell.
From Hell, Baron Isquente stepped forward.
“hehehehe. Okay. I desperately wanted to see you. Nelloa Isquente, you mortal I must kill.”
“… ….”
Everyone told him to run away, but he didn’t.
Run away.
Where on earth should I run to?
Looking at the speed of that monster, even if you run with your bad legs, it will catch up to you in an instant.
The Baron said he would only live for a few more minutes and he did not want to behave poorly.
Above all, he never learned how to run away from his people.
“Hmm? I heard he is a talkative person. It’s hard to even hear your voice. Are you scared? “I don’t have eyes like that.”
“I usually don’t talk to demons. “You are the second demon to talk to me.”
“Who is first?”
“If you become friends with me, you can just tell me.”
“hahahahaha! Feel so good.”
Baron Isquente likes to chat. He never stopped even when he was called frivolous.
For him, communication through words was like the reason for his life.
Conversations with precious people always made him happy.
Accordingly, the Baron never chatted with those he disillusioned.
Communication is sacred. It was his belief not to share it with anyone.
And now Baron Isquent has abandoned that belief.
A thick discomfort arose somewhere in my chest, but it was probably a good thing.
‘I am originally a light and shallow person. You can abandon your beliefs as much as you want. It’s not that expensive, so just give it away.’
The Baron looked straight at the demon.
Despite sufficient preparations, the culprit that made the situation like this.
The person who messed up all the calculations laughed brightly.
He was a unique demon.
Light platinum hair and handsome appearance. His slim physique was reminiscent of an aristocrat, but his fighting style was closer to that of a barbarian.
Simple, ignorant hand-to-hand combat. Swinging a great sword with overwhelming physical ability was what those demons were all about.
“Oh, really? But why did you open your mouth now? “Do you want to take some time?”
“Yes. “If I can get a chance with three inches of my tongue, what can I not do?”
“hehehe, good. I’ll enjoy it as entertainment for a little while. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen someone I can communicate with.”
What’s unusual is that I can’t even feel a trace of mana.
Whether human or demon, traces remain in the flow of mana.
As time passes, it cannot be detected with the sixth sense, but it can be discovered with advanced detection magic.
So, the Marquis of Eloran thought that he would not be able to accompany a high-ranking demon.
If traces of demons were discovered near Ethelmarion, it would be obvious that the Emperor would turn a blind eye.
I thought that attacking with demons would be tantamount to political suicide.
However, I could not have predicted that such an irregularity would exist.
“Honestly, I was a bit disappointed. “I was expecting some interesting guys in the north, but those guys didn’t even show their noses.”
“If you go to the capital, there will be strong people.”
“That’s troublesome. “I want to have fun, I don’t want to die.”
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The demon shook his head.
Meanwhile, the Baron calmly assessed his surroundings.
The two strongest Joker cards are not here.
Galledin is completely unable to fight. That injury wasn’t the kind that would allow for further movement.
Even if he stood up with fighting spirit, it didn’t seem to mean much.
In that case, it was Mary who could be trusted.
Once I recover more energy, I’ll be able to land at least one decent blow.
Do we still need more time? Fortunately, it seemed like the demon was still planning to take his time.
The Baron shook his head.
That level of strength. There was no way he, the commander, did not know about the demons that were so prolific.
Let’s expand our horizons. Now we also have to keep in mind the demons active in places other than the North.
The most likely candidate is the West.
Just a few years ago, this was the place where the Demon King Eligos attacked the Grand Duke of Ilencia.
As I was thinking of the famous demons in the West one by one, I found that they had similar characteristics.
“I’ve heard of it. There are strange demons in the West who only insist on hand-to-hand combat. “I never thought I would see it like this.”
“Oh! Do humans even know my name? “This makes me happy!”
“Yes. For sure…… “It was called ‘Nezra.'”
“That is the correct answer! To be recognized by the enemy. “It looks like I’ve been working hard so far.”
Nezra spread her arms wide.
The Baron’s expression of smiling as if he was sincerely happy was very annoying.
It was disgusting and I vomited.
However, the fact that it is Nezra who takes the lead does not change.
Baron Isquente was a lord.
At first glance, the relationship between a lord and a lord appears to be a vertical master-servant relationship, but in principle, it is a bilateral contractual relationship in which each person has obligations to the other.
Territory residents pay taxes. And the lord protects the lord.
The soldiers here, as well as Galledin and Malon, were strictly administrative citizens of his territory.
In that case, they were all people that Baron Isquente had to protect.
Just a little while.
Let’s buy a little more time.
“Tsk. It’s difficult if you keep measuring time like that. “If you don’t make me happy with your wit, it won’t be worth waiting for you.”
“…… “Keep that in mind.”
“Yes. “I don’t know what you’re aiming for, but it’s better for both of you to have fun, right?”
They say it like that, but I knew it intuitively.
That demon was planning to slowly finish what he was doing.
How long will I be able to endure when the battle starts again?
5 Minutes? Or 10 minutes? I decided to think as optimistically as possible.
At that time, Nezra frowned.
“This won’t work. Originally, I was planning on giving it a little more time. “I never heard that help would come so quickly.”
Support?
There was nothing in the baron’s mood yet.
But whatever that demon noticed. Or no matter what misunderstanding there was, an opportunity was an opportunity.
The Baron drew his sword.
“Miss Mary! “I know it’s hard, but please give me as big a shot as possible!”
“Die…… !”
Flames raged to the point that they completely covered the field of vision.
From behind, I could see Mary falling down.
With this, Mary is unable to fight. But it was a great blow.
“My name is Nelloa Isquente!”
The arm stretched out into the air hit the floor.
As if to follow suit, a huge bolt of electricity struck from the dry sky, and using it as a signal, lightning fell like rain.
“Owner of the Barony of Isquente. And the second commander of the Northern Front!”
Naturally, the commander of the garrison was not in a position where he could rise without force.
Especially if you come from a humble commoner background.
Baron Isquente is a man who calls himself a guardian, but paradoxically, the only talent he is allowed is destruction.
When it comes to defensive magic, even the lowest level shield cannot be deployed.
Instead, in terms of firepower, he could be compared to an archmage, even if only for a moment.
Does not leave any extra magical power.
I had long ago erased things like long-term warfare from my mind.
I used up all the mana I had and fired magic, and Nezra was not even visible at the end of my vision.
Lightning and flames. The wind pounded the ground like a hammer.
“It’s fun!”
Nezra jumped out from the explosion.
A kick that sends her body flying. Fast. She blocked it with her sword, but the blade could not hold on.
Baron Isquente fell far away.
Although he was only hit once, blood burst from the Baron’s mouth.
“Khaaa!”
“Okay, this is it. “Fighting is only fun if you struggle like this!”
Three arrows flew from afar and struck Nezra’s shoulder.
The arrow exploded, but the cursed demon quickly recovered from its wounds.
Shooting an arrow also reveals the archer’s location. Nezra picked up the spear from the floor and threw it.
There was a commotion above the tree.
“Wow, I thought I would hit it, but I narrowly missed it.”
“Damn it!”
The Baron cursed.
It was the first time I swore in a long time. I couldn’t even remember the last time I swore.
Following the Baron’s magic, lightning rushed towards Nezra like crazy.
It doesn’t have much meaning.
Powerful magic cannot keep up with speed, and fast magic lacks power.
His mana was draining away, but all that was lost to Nezra was a few seconds.
Still, the Baron laughed.
Even though blood burst out of his mouth and was full of fishy taste, I couldn’t help but laugh.
It was because he could feel it now.
An ‘ominous feeling’ that made one’s skin tremble was approaching at an incredible speed.
It’s a bit of a funny expression, but it was a very welcome ominous feeling.
The Joker card has arrived.