Chapter 204
"Hmm?"
Lucia, who was stomping on the head of a skeletal knight with her foot, turned her head.
It was because she heard multiple explosions echoing from here and there.
Elester, right next to her, fired magic recklessly, causing tremendous explosive sounds, but Lucia was an 8-star knight who transcended human limits.
Even Lucia's senses couldn't be deceived.
"Lucia! Focus here!"
"I'm focused enough. I just briefly checked the situation in other places because I have nothing to do."
Crunch-.
Lucia trampled the torso of a skeletal knight that had lost its head.
Over a dozen skeletal knights were repeating resurrection and death, but most of them were at the level of 4~5 stars.
They were no match for Lucia.
"Even if everyone else wins, it's useless if we don't win. So stop getting distracted and put in effort."
Elester lifted his sleeve and wiped the sweat flowing like rain.
Seeing him like that, Lucia became lost in thought.
'He's lost his cool.'
In Lucia's view, Elester had lost his reason.
The magic bombardment that started as soon as he saw the skeleton of the 5th Legion Commander Crowley.
Elester didn't rest for a moment. As if that skeleton was his mortal enemy, he poured out indiscriminate magic bombardment.
'The plan is to collapse the magic circle along with the palace, but...'
Elester is called the intellectual of this era.
Wouldn't he have come up with a much better method, even if it took a little time?
But he was busy firing magic recklessly, let alone making such an effort.
It was to the level of forgetting 'thinking'.
At first, she tried to understand, thinking it was a recurrence of PTSD caused by Crowley, but this was too much.
'We'll be able to collapse the palace soon. But his resurrection is also imminent.'
The skeleton of Crowley lying inside the magic circle.
The pattern of the evil omen star that had bloomed at some point was gradually deepening.
Seeing the Black Mages gritting their teeth and concentrating, anyone could tell that Crowley's resurrection was imminent.
The strategy needed to be slightly modified.
More precisely.
'We should also consider the possibility of Crowley's resurrection.'
If we predetermine how to respond according to the situation, we can act tens of times faster than usual.
Because only fools blabber in an emergency.
'It would be foolish to devise a strategy after Crowley's resurrection. So we need to plan in advance.'
But currently, Elester wasn't even thinking about the possibility of the Legion Commander's resurrection.
Lucia felt the need to point this out.
Because she couldn't lose the Empire's talented people in a place like this.
"Aren't you too excited? Calm down a bit."
"...I'm as calm as can be. I'm just a little excited."
"Whether a little or too much. Shouldn't an Archmage not get excited? Why are you acting like this when you know everything?"
Elester clicked his tongue. He felt that Lucia had no grasp of the situation at all.
He began casting his next magic and opened his mouth.
"Lucia, do you know what that monster's authority is?"
"It was a being that wielded the authority of curses, poisons, and diseases, according to history books."
"Yes, you know very well. Then you should be able to understand why I'm acting like this."
"It's too much, way too much. Even if you're an Archmage. If you keep using magic like that, you'll collapse from exhaustion, won't you?"
It was as Lucia said. Currently, Elester's mana was not even 20% left.
He had been dizzy for a long time from using magic without rest, and even if he succeeded in preventing the Legion Commander's resurrection...
'If Volkan has prepared the next move... he won't have the strength to stop it.'
Nevertheless, the reason Elester was pouring out all his power.
It was because he knew the terror of the 5th Legion Commander Crowley better than anyone else.
"With a single gesture, a single breath from that thing, everyone melted away. People melted like water!"
The heroes who faced Crowley at that time fought while receiving curses all over their bodies.
If they lost an arm, they used their legs; if they lost their legs, they used their bodies; if they lost their bodies, they used their mouths to tear Crowley apart.
Knowing they would die, knowing their bodies were melting away, they fought to the end.
Elester clearly remembered their feats, their dying moments, and the deaths they finally met.
"If Crowley is resurrected with the same power as back then, everyone will die. Not only the people here but the entire continent will melt away."
"..."
"So I'm being rational enough. Now that you understand the reason, be quiet. I've tolerated your whining usually, but now is not the time for that."
Elester's threat.
If it were the usual Lucia, she would have obediently followed his words.
Not only because Elester was her teacher, but also because his words were always right.
'From the age of fifteen until now... Lord Elester's words were always right.'
There was also a difference in accumulated knowledge, but Lucia was a somewhat foolish person.
But Lucia decided to speak up.
For twenty years. Although her words had never been right even once.
Now, she was confident that she was right. No, she had to be.
Because that way, she could save as many lives as possible.
"Okay, then a question. What will you do if Crowley is resurrected?"
"We have to stop him with all our might."
"See. You're not being rational. How can you alone stop the Legion Commander? Honestly, it seems like you won't be able to endure even for 10 seconds... no, 5 seconds."
"..."
Elester couldn't say anything. Because what Lucia said was true.
'...What should I do if that happens?'
The assumption he never wanted to make because he knew the terror of Crowley well.
The assumption he had erased from his mind first, right after seeing Crowley's skeleton.
The resurrection of the 5th Legion Commander, Crowley.
As he assumed that situation, Elester's mind, which had been frozen, began to spin fiercely.
'If Crowley is resurrected, fighting against him is the worst move.'
Telling them to face the Legion Commander with this level of troops was the same as telling them to commit suicide.
As his thoughts reached that point, Elester had no choice but to admit it.
"...It seems I got excited without realizing it."
"It's surprising that you realized it now... but I'll cut you some slack. It's not too late. Well, I finally earned my first win too."
"Yes, it's your first victory. One win in twenty years. You'll need to work harder to get ahead in the record."
"You know the most recent record is the most important indicator, right?"
Lucia's claim that.
1 win and 499 losses are superior to 499 wins and 1 loss.
"...It's an absurd claim that makes the meaning of the record disappear."
"Is that so? Isn't it logical?"
"I can change that splendid 1 win into a loss right now, but I'll let it slide."
Elester, who fired a 'Cannon Buster' at the pillar supporting Crowley, laughed out loud.
"So, what's your idea? What do you plan to do if Crowley is resurrected?"
"We have to run away."
"What?"
"We have to run away. Why should we fight here? We'll just die in vain."
"...Are you serious?"
"The only things we need to protect here are the people who came with us. Who cares if this devastated land and palace melt or get boiled?"
That's right. There was nothing to protect here.
Isn't it a land without an emperor, family, imperial citizens, or even a single animal?
There was only one thing they couldn't protect.
Their 'honor'.
'For someone called a hero in the Empire to boldly advocate retreat... I don't know if I should call it great or thoughtless...'
Elester became lost in thought.
Retreating. It was certainly the best move.
What about the resurrected Crowley?
After pulling back the troops, they could request support from neighboring countries.
If they formed a human alliance according to the covenant, not only could they increase the probability of winning.
'The damage could also be shared.'
The Empire would also suffer damage, but it would be quite minimal.
Confirming Crowley's existence, forming a human alliance, sending troops, and reaching the destination.
Since the continent could be destroyed, everything would proceed swiftly, but even so, it would take at least 2 weeks.
The ones who had to endure that time.
'It's the job of the neighboring countries around this land.'
The strength of the neighboring countries would naturally be eroded, and the Empire would have no reason to dislike it.
Depending on the extent of the damage, they could even station troops and exert the Empire's influence.
'Well, I don't know if Lucia has thought this far...'
Either way, Lucia was right.
"Alright, I'll go along with the retreat."
"You've finally returned to being a wise teacher."
"But that's only if Crowley succeeds in resurrecting, you know that, right?"
"Of course. Let's go with the plan for now. It seems the boring magic battle is also coming to an end."
The reason it took a long time for Elester to collapse the palace.
Not only was the construction technology of the Rohan Kingdom, once called the Golden Kingdom, good, but it was more because the Black Mages were struggling by deploying defensive magic.
The six Black Mages with Crowley. They were high-ranking Black Mages of at least 6th circle.
But Elester not only fought against them but also broke the building supporting the magic circle.
He overwhelmed the six of them alone.
In the end, the Black Mages devoted themselves to Crowley's resurrection using the magic circle as a shield, and they were on the verge of its completion.
'But the same goes for us.'
Although Elester used magic recklessly, he did consider the structure of the building.
He was in the process of creating a structure where the floor supporting the magic circle had no choice but to collapse.
'That work will be finished soon.'
After the work was finished, one big magic would be enough to shatter Crowley's bones along with the magic circle.
It was when Elester continued to cast magic.
Crack-!
Adonis fell from the sky.
"Oh, old man! Long time no see. You were alive?"
"Yes, Lucia. It's good to see you too. How's the situation?"
"As you can see. It seems the final showdown will be soon. How's the situation over there?"
"Not good. There are many casualties and injuries."
"Is that so? It's not easy, as expected."
The place where Adonis had been was also where Nanny and Sylvia were.
But Lucia didn't ask further. Although she wanted to ask more than anyone else, she kept her mouth shut.
Because she knew well how important her role was now.
"Where's Volkan, that guy?"
"What, wasn't he there? He wasn't here?"
Adonis slightly frowned.
Adonis, who had been to dozens of battlefields, could tell.
'Not only the Legion Commander, but... we can't let that guy Volkan get away either.'
A bottomless stamina, infinite resurrection, making corpses explode, and even resurrecting dead people as skeletons to make them fight allies.
Adonis had thoroughly learned the terror of the undead.
That's not all.
'Currently, it seems he can only turn up to 6-star knights into skeletons, but...'
What if he grows? If he finds a way to wield even greater power?
If he uses that ability on a large-scale battlefield where tens of thousands clash?
It would be a hellscape.
'We must kill him.'
For the sake of the children still fighting the skeletons, to prevent that hellscape.
He had to cut off Volkan's head no matter what.
"Oh, if that thing is resurrected, we'll retreat. You know that."
Lucia's words that they would retreat if Crowley was resurrected.
Understanding the meaning behind them, Adonis let out a pleased laugh.
"I thought you were just a muscle-head... but you've grown."
"You've shrunk, old man. If we fight now, I might win, you know?"
Lucia put her elbow on Adonis's shoulder.
But Adonis only showed a good-natured smile.
"I look forward to it. Although such a thing won't happen."
"Hehe~ I just defeated my teacher, you know? Do you think I can't beat an old man like you?"
"For someone who did that, you look unscathed."
"That's because I won mentally!"
Adonis thought. If that was the case, it was even more unbelievable.
"So, why did you come all the way here, old man? It would be difficult for you to destroy buildings too."
"I came to check the situation, but... I also came to catch Volkan. Because only by catching him will this fight end. We might even be able to prevent the Legion Commander's resurrection."
"Well, that's true. The problem is that we don't know where he's hiding."
"The Legion Commander's resurrection is imminent. Even the guy who was hiding will have no choice but to crawl out at that moment."
"Hmm~ That's certainly true. Since it's already a precarious situation. Then he might already be here."
Adonis nodded.
By now, he would be hiding somewhere, watching them. Because that was Volkan's goal. To resurrect the Legion Commander.
"First, let me tell you the new information we've obtained. Resurrection is only possible up to 6-star knights. From 7-star knights, it seems impossible."
"Wait, then that skull can't rise either? He's a Legion Commander."
It was certainly a valid point. However.
"That guy named Volkan doesn't seem like he would be unaware of that. Yet he put in such effort, so..."
"Does that mean there's a way? It's a really troublesome ability."
Lucia scratched her head irritably.
Either way, the conclusion was the same.
To fight and win.
"There are many injured. Let's end it swiftly."
"We have no choice but to do that in this situation anyway. Anyway, run around excitedly. I'll also look for him when I have time."
"I look forward to it."
Boom-!
As soon as Adonis took a step, thunder echoed across the battlefield.
--TL Notes--
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