Time passed, and the third morning of the extermination campaign had arrived.
After two days of fierce struggle, the first Rift of Dimensions had closed. It was said that thanks to Abel’s grand magic and the healing of the priests, there were no injured.
‘Abel is truly extraordinary as always.’
Even among Holy Knights, admiration circulated for Abel’s strength, showing how actively he had participated.
Of course, those saying such things were also among the strongest, which could be seen as one of the reasons.
The battlefield was filled with individuals who could make a difference, indicating just how strong the participants in this extermination campaign were.
If it weren’t for the priests’ healing, they might have simply died in one hit.
Conversely, this also indicated just how dangerous Dimensional Rifts could be, requiring such a concentration of elite forces.
“Hmm…”
This time, four Rifts had appeared. Compared to the past when there had been as many as seven, their numbers had decreased, but it was also said that the quality of the monsters had risen.
Just recalling the grotesque monster with that clump of eyes that interfered with minds on a wide scale, it seemed like a valid claim.
However, what was that voice telling me not to look at the monster when I was about to lose my mind?
‘Not to look,’ it had said, hadn’t it?
Sibley said he hadn’t heard any such voice when I asked him. It was an unsettling voice that felt too much like my own to be a mere hallucination.
It was a voice strikingly similar to mine.
While I was lost in thought, Yurph approached me.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
Unlike her usual prickly behavior toward others, she worried about me with a gentle voice.
She, who had been sharp even to Kal, now acted this way, an aspect hard to adapt to. Of course, her new demeanor, though unfamiliar, wasn’t unpleasant.
It meant she had grown close enough to care.
“Mr. Id, have you prepared your potions?”
By ‘potions,’ she likely meant emergency potions. The escort team carries them in case they’re separated from the priests.
Upon reflection, I had forgotten them when I left. Although I felt uneasy, I made an effort not to show it.
As I was about to admit I hadn’t prepared them, Yurph handed me a potion vial from her robes.
“Don’t worry, Kal. I’ve got it covered.”
“Ah, thank you.”
I gratefully accepted the potion and thanked her. Her concern for me made me feel a bit awkward.
Silphy, floating nearby without materializing, let out a sigh. He exhaled deeply and muttered under his breath.
[About now, it’s starting to get scary.]
‘That was thoughtful of her. Just be grateful.’
[Not that. Something else.]
Silphy pointed a small finger at Kal who was scratching his head, looking bashful, as he glanced at Yurph.
However, she deliberately ignored that look and kept her focus on me.
[Doesn’t that girl find this guy irritating?]
Before I knew it, I almost nodded in agreement. Indeed, as Silphy had pointed out, Yurph was oddly ignoring Kal.
Someone unfamiliar might even doubt if they had fought together.
“Then that’s good. Yurph, I see you’ve mellowed quite a bit. I’m glad.”
“…Don’t be ridiculous.”
Responding to Kal’s comment, Yurph came closer to me.
Watching her approach made me feel uneasy, an indescribable ominous sensation.
Silphy seemed to feel something similar, as he frowned too.
“Do your best, everyone.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
I tucked the vial into a leather pouch at my waist and turned my gaze towards the Rift.
The second Rift was slightly larger than the first. It was said that the further toward the center, the larger they would grow.
I idly thought that at some point, they might grow to the size of a mountain.
However, I soon realized it might not be entirely far-fetched.
[Don’t dwell on negative thoughts too long. You could become contaminated.]
“Ah, got it. I guess I’m just a bit tired.”
Arlin, the captain of the Black Raven Knights and my elemental magic mentor, always emphasized one fact when teaching me about elemental magic.
That phrase I repeated like a chant during every class: spirits can be contaminated by the contractor’s negative thoughts.
The more persistent the negative thinking, the greater the contamination. When this contamination exceeds a limit, the spirit risks corruption and becomes tethered to this world.
The more powerful the spirit, the higher this threshold—but this doesn’t mean they’re immune. Thus, spirits carefully choose their contractors.
There were special circumstances in my case, though.
[Mental discipline is also one of the crucial virtues for a spiritist.]
“Right, I’ll keep that in mind.”
As I repeatedly inhaled and exhaled, I suppressed the negative emotions. Since Silphy warned me about it explicitly, it must mean the accumulated contamination was significant.
It seemed that the anxiety I carried, thinking of this as only an extermination campaign, became harmful.
Although I’ve improved quite a bit since then.
I struck my cheeks with both hands and quietly stared at the distant Rift.
Kruck…
A monster began to emerge from the Rift. It somewhat resembled a grasshopper, but its body was covered with eyeball-like protuberances, and its pupils moved erratically.
Grotesque monsters began to appear one by one from the Rift.
Unlike the ones from the previous wave, these scanned us slowly, gauging the situation.
In the midst of the ensuing tension, a white magic circle began to unfold in the air.
Kruck?
“Looks like you have time to size us up.”
Abel, standing at the front lines of the extermination force, flicked his finger, causing spears to surge from the magic circle.
The spears pierced through the monsters’ bodies, eliciting screams.
At his gesture dismissing the noise, the monsters condensed into a single point and transformed into tiny blood beads.
The sight seemed to boost our morale, and our knight corps immediately advanced.
“Follow the duke!”
“The glory of House Hardenberg!”
“For the duke’s glory!”
With voices loud enough to shake the ground, the knights surged ahead. Inspired by this, the Holy Knight corps followed closely, shouting their own battle cries.
“To the glory of the Goddess!”
“Finish them off!”
Overwhelmed by the overwhelming momentum, the monsters were swept away like autumn leaves.
Swords infused with aura and holy power began slicing them down instantly.
“To the Goddess, may this power serve the world’s benefit.”
Yurph turned her attention to silently bless our escort team, including me.
When I turned to her, I caught a faint smile on her face. Though still awkward, it was certainly better than her formerly expressionless demeanor.
[The next one appears to be a variable-sized entity.]
“Monsters are all kinds, aren’t they?”
As they infiltrated the extermination team and grew near us, the monsters made the escort team flinch.
In battle, maintaining morale is as crucial as psychological warfare. Once the momentum is captured, victory is likely to follow swiftly.
[Location and distance confirmed. You know what’s next, right?]
“Yeah, let’s go for it.”
Silphy, by my side, nodded his head. Empowered by that, I kicked off with my right leg, rushing toward the front, unlike my past habit of leaping into the air.
I charged forward with wind wrapped around my rapier.
Phooook!
As the green blood splattered in all directions, the monster cried out.
Caught off guard, the escort team soon recovered and followed in my footsteps to deal with the monsters.
I pulled my rapier from the impaled monster and glanced around.
The same tactic was being used repeatedly from all sides, evident by the cries. Though the escort team was handling it, they seemed a bit overwhelmed.
As I prepared to join them, a chilling sensation came from behind.
[Contractor! Watch out!]
Even before Silphy finished his sentence, the blade on the monster’s arm was already close to my nose.
Despite being riddled with holes, it thrashed its blade with its dying moments.
Had I let my guard down, thinking it was already dead?
I really hoped I wouldn’t need to use a renaissance.
I wished the save point had been set recently.
Just as I tightly closed my eyes, a metallic clang echoed nearby. I peeked to see Abel blocking the monster’s blade with one hand.
He promptly lifted the monster with blade still attached and tossed it into the air.
Woooom…
Dozens of magic circles appeared in the sky. Spears shooting from the white circles impaled the monster vertically, leaving no chance to cry.
The monster met its end silently, as green blood erupted everywhere before the corpse turned to dust.
Still dumbfounded, I saw Abel approach.
“Remember: you must execute a kill confirmation on the battlefield.”
“…I understand.”
As I nodded, Abel sighed quietly and gave me a mild scolding in a low voice.
“Trying to grow stronger shouldn’t include lapses like this.”
“Ahaha.”
I laughed awkwardly and let it go; with a tut, he returned to the field of battle. Still, I could tell he’d been worried about me nearly dying.
I definitely made a mistake being complacent right then.
I sipped some cold water to snap out of it.
When I turned back after putting my rapier away, I saw Yurph watching me with a gleam in her eyes.
She hesitated briefly before posing a question.
“Do you like the duke?”
Puup!
Caught off guard by this unexpected question, I immediately spat out the water I had been holding.
Fortunately, I had turned my head in time, so Yurph didn’t get wet.
“Oh, no, I don’t.”
“Hmm… I see…”
Even though she said that, her evasive eyes suggested she didn’t quite believe me.
And really, from the moment my face turned hot, how likely was it she would trust me?
