Matan’s Shooter

Levitation or flying were slow.

It may be easy to avoid traps like crevasses, but if the number of snowballs increases, it will become a fatal friendly fire. That’s why Chiyou didn’t bring any mages from Yamato’s group.

If Prea wasn’t around in the first place, they would have all fallen into a fatal situation.

“Phew, that’s enough for today.”

“What? Are we stopping here?”

Chiyou had to turn around with a grim expression.

Although they had climbed more than when they came with Bluebeard last time, they still had a long way to go to reach the castle.

“There’s no need to be greedy right now. It’s not like it’s a deadline… If it’s a rescue mission, they’ll keep replenishing the troops.”

“Who are you going to bring along?”

Chiyou shrugged and turned away. Prea also turned around accordingly.

Prea relayed Chiyou’s words to Leeha in full, allowing Leeha to extract significant information from their conversation.

‘That cunning woman… I can’t tell who it is. But the expression clearly must have come from Bluebeard to Chiyou. In that case, the target narrows down to two at this point.’

The ‘Blood Maiden’ Bathory.

And the Demon King’s Fragment whose gender has yet to be confirmed, Pyrot Cocri. Bluebeard had discovered one of the two. But why isn’t she trying to awaken either one of them?

Even when Leeha asked, Prea shook her head. Chiyou had said that he didn’t provide that much information.

“I told you. I’m still under suspicion. I only appeared briefly today, so if I stay too long, won’t I be exposed?”

“Ugh, do you remember the location at least?”

“Of course! Even if I don’t remember, – Noeanen remembers it for me.”

“Hmm? You only used the ice spirit.”

“Haha, women have many secrets, you know.”

Prea gave Leeha a stern look. Just as Chiyou didn’t tell Prea much, Prea also didn’t show everything to Chiyou.

“Is it possible to use the top-grade spirits in secret? Well, I’m not a Spirit Medium but I use spirits in the form of skills, so I don’t have a clue.”

Perhaps, that statement itself could be a lie. From the beginning, if he had launched an all-out attack with all the spirits alongside Chiyou, what would have happened?

“No, not to that extent… If all top-grade spirits had been summoned, we might have reached the ‘castle’ at that point.”

At that moment, there would have been another risk.

Perhaps she had already reached the castle? Was he being lured into that castle?

A trap of thoughts! Leeha bit his lip.

Being cautious is good. But caution shouldn’t make you lose too much.

“For now, you have to believe. There must be some covert way of using the spirits. And Prea didn’t summon all top-grade spirits. Why?”

Was it an expression of willingness to support him? It was probably not just that.

“Because dark spirits are that much desirable. He wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity right in front of him.”

He asked Prea for the location. Prea promptly summoned the top-grade earth spirit.

“Noeanen? Will you tell me the coordinates?”

The information was relatively easily obtained. With Blaugrunn also present, memorizing the coordinates was not difficult.

“Okay. If we go there and truly find a castle—”

“Then the dark spirit contract! It’s a promise, right?”

Prea’s eyes sparkled as she approached him, causing him to take a step back.

“Oh, well, there’s no promise yet! Let me gather people and go see it myself. I’ll check and get back to you.”

“Oh, but do we have to hurry?”

“Huh? Why?”

“Oh, you didn’t hear—Oh, I didn’t mention it, did I? Chiyou is gathering troops. They’ve already arrived.”

“What? Who, where?”

Prea casually revealed the astounding information.

While he was trying to weaken the forces of Shinobi-Gumi and Yamato, an army was being assembled! Looking straight into his eyes, the white-eyed spiritualist cautiously mentioned the names of two individuals.

Just two people? They were both too well-known to him. Not only had he met both of them, but one had even cleared a quest with him.

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“Well, whether it makes sense or not, it seems like they’re on the move. Probably departing soon?”

Prea said as if talking about someone else’s story. But for Leeha, who was listening, the situation suddenly became urgent.

“Okay, got it. But is that information reliable?”

“If you’re curious, go check it out! Haha, they might not appear. And if they won’t release the dark spirits for contract, tell me about the reward you received for clearing the quest with Ha Leeha-ssi!”

• Ram Hwayeon-ssi, can you find someone for me right now?”
• What? Right now? You disappear and then suddenly want me to find someone?
• It’s urgent.

Ignoring the cute antics of the sprite performing in front of her, Ram Hwayeon shot back at him with a whisper. As soon as his serious tone reached her ears, Ram Hwayeon’s attitude changed instantly.

• Okay, who do you need me to find?
• One is Crowley. Remember that crazy alchemist? His whereabouts. The last place he was seen, etc.
• He’s nothing but bad memories. Got it, I’ll contact Jachung to look into it.
• And there’s one more.

Of the users called by Chiyou, one of them was the alchemist Crowley. A mad alchemist who made all kinds of potions!

After receiving a beating from Ram Hwajung and Kidd Combo, he had hidden away for a while. Where could he be and what could he be up to now?

“He may have created something new during that time. If he switches sides to Chiyou, it’ll be quite a nuisance. No, but maybe better than dealing with Chiyou!”

His voice was full of bitterness.

It should be safe to assume that the alchemist had indeed switched over to Chiyou’s side. Just believing that and acting on it wouldn’t cause any trouble.

However, the mention of another person by Prea had piqued Leeha’s interest, prompting Ram Hwayeon to search for the person.

“Why suddenly showing up here?”

Ram Hwayeon’s voice also dripped with uneasiness.

Whenever Leeha spoke up, Ram Hwayeon knew very well that it wouldn’t lead to anything good.

Once more, Leeha glanced at Prea’s eyes. A different kind of poker face compared to dealing with Chiyou.

No, rather than a poker face, it felt more like seeing through a constantly smiling ‘mask’.

“Pyro.”

“What?”

“… Remember? During the expedition to the New Continent… the flame magician. A man who seemed to embody the word ‘hot-blooded hero.’”

Another member of the users called upon by Chiyou was none other than Pyro.

Leeha could easily visualize the composition of the users and the terrain that Chiyou aimed to conquer just by listening to the description.

On the frosted mountainside, with Prea protecting her abnormal status, Crowley’s ice-melting potions and Pyro’s fiery passion, they would melt all snow and ice as they advanced towards their goal.

※ ※ ※

“Just a little more! Can’t we get any closer?”

[It’s impossible to get any closer! That’s not just a simple barrier, it’s an offensive barrier mixed with Blizzard and barrier magic! Who would do such a thing-]

Whooosh!

When the blizzard wind blew once again, Blaugrunn’s dragon form wavered. The gust was so strong that even those clinging to Blaugrunn’s scales with all their might were blown away, including Leeha.

“We might need to descend, Your Highness! It seems faster to walk on the ground!”

“But if we go that way, because of the abnormal status…”

After sending Prea away, Leeha immediately found a mountain with Blaugrunn. And that was to forcefully enter from the air faster than the way to attack it like Chiyou!

Could it be that they have already prepared for this? They surely are not ordinary monsters. It would be troublesome if someone inside the castle woke up. No, isn’t it already awake with this much power being used? Blaugrunn even furrowed its brow and began to descend.

“If we stay longer, the buffs you placed on me will be dispelled! I will descend now!”

“Got it! Slowly! Try to observe a bit more! Ahh!?”

Leeha barely dodged something coming towards him by ducking. Although he couldn’t see clearly, he could hear a sharp sound.

“There are sharp ice shards mixed in the blizzard! It’s not like ordinary hail or snowballs, so if we go down slowly, we might be in danger!”

“Damn, I got it! Let’s retreat as soon as possible!”

Nip!

Whoosh!

Blaugrunn chose to retreat rather than descend. Sounds of thud, thud came from behind the dragon flying away. If it weren’t for a dragon capable of carrying Leeha on his back at this speed…

“I would have already been dead.”

After retreating for a while and no longer being attacked, Blaugrunn finally began to descend. It was a place slightly higher than the base of the mountain, where the eternal snow was not yet visible.

“Phew… I could have died. Forget about the castle—ah, Blaugrunn, did you see something like a castle?”

“Yes. I briefly saw it through the Blizzard clouds. It must be that.”

“I must be crazy.”

Leeha muttered as he shook his head. This place was in the eastern part of the New Continent. Without any specific maps, it was impossible to know the overall flow or ridgeline of the mountains. Not to mention, they couldn’t even pinpoint the location of the castle. In other words, they couldn’t even explore a climbing route that could be used from elsewhere.

“How… Then can we go this way?”

“If what the Spirit Sage Prea said is true, it will be quite difficult. Even I, as a Lightning spirit, find it comfortable to breathe here, but that doesn’t mean I have enough resistance against the Ice element.”

Blaugrunn, who had returned to human form, stated curtly.

“Alchemist and Pyro have already arrived. That was right before Prea left Chiyou’s side. Ready? If the Alchemist has the environment ready to make a potion, or if the potion has already been created… They will immediately move.”

When Chiyou’s team moves, confidential information will be relayed through Prea. In other words, if the worst comes to worst, Leeha would come alone using camouflage and set up an environment to snipe Chiyou in the snowfield.

But if that happens?

“It’s a matter of concern that there could be a spy. Whether it’s Prea, or anyone else, they won’t leak information to anyone.”

It can only be used at a crucial moment. Turning Prea completely around means when there is a chance to completely annihilate the Chiyou faction, Bluebeard, or monsters equivalent to Grievers. Only then.

“We need someone who can deal with ice.”

“We can’t call Prea… To deal with ice… Ice?”

Naturally, they couldn’t ask Prea for help either, as that would also reveal Prea as a spy.

“Huh?”

“Oh!”

In an instant, Leeha’s and Blaugrunn’s eyes, who were lost in thought, met. Both had expressions that they had thought of something. It wasn’t a difficult task to think about.

Ice? Who was the most excellent at that? Leeha and Blaugrunn shouted simultaneously. The conversation they had simultaneously intermingled.

“Ram Hwajung-“

“-T!”

“What? Who?”

Leeha and Blaugrunn’s eyes met quickly. It meant that their brains were quickly working.

“Ah, got it! Come to think of it, Blaugrunn mentioned that before, didn’t you? And we have that!”

“That’s right! And the human you’re talking about, Ha Leeha, is that person who was good at handling ice—”

“Ram Hwajung! That’s it!”

Ram Hwajung alone might not be enough. But what if they called all the ‘tools’ at their disposal as reinforcements?

Ram Hwajung was not currently connected. Fortunately, Ram Hwayeon was still wandering around the paleo area of the New Continent, so if they asked her, they could quickly summon Ram Hwajung.

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