Chapter 68

Bin was riding atop the elemental spirit of lightning, soaring across the sky above the battlefield, while Arthur (Bell), Add, and the soldiers were carefully moving through the enemy trenches, abandoned warehouses, caves, and decaying trees.

“…What a commotion.”

Arthur, who had infiltrated the Marauders’ camp, muttered under his breath while watching Bin and the elemental spirit flying around and burning Marauders.

While he had ordered the use of the elemental spirit to draw attention, even he hadn’t expected it to be this excessive.

The other soldiers except Arthur burst into hollow laughter at the sight of the deer-like spirit and the Boy with White Hair in the sky.

To them, this was a miraculous spectacle they had never seen or heard of before, but they didn’t have the leisure to marvel at it. Most of the soldiers chose to scan their surroundings instead of looking at the sky. The only exception was Add, who occasionally looked up at the sky whenever he had a brief moment of respite.

“…That’s it.”

Add found himself thinking this as he gazed at the Boy with White Hair without realizing it.

If asked exactly what he felt when looking at the boy, not even Add would be able to answer properly.

He just felt endlessly envious of the boy, who was freely flying across the sky.

“…We should move now. Thanks to his excessive antics up there, the guards around here might be lax. Now is the time to act.”

“Right, let’s go.”

Upon hearing Arthur’s order, Menes, who had been momentarily stunned, snapped back to reality and replied. Even for an Elf who had lived for over two thousand years, seeing a Mage riding an elemental spirit and flying through the air was unheard of.

“This is the last one. Let’s quickly finish and return to the camp. I’m starting to get anxious.”

Arthur, who seemed irritated at not being able to smoke for a long time, walked skillfully through the middle of the enemy lines, rubbing his fingers as if in annoyance.

“…By Astellara’s grace, I have faith and shall move forward. I will repel the dogs rising from hell…”

The faint prayer of Private Sitadel reached everyone’s ears through the communication magic built into the masks.

Having had to watch helplessly as a soldier like a brother, who had shared the trials of the past five years, was abducted by the mutants, his mental breakdown was inevitable.

Everyone knew this. Yet, the overwhelming frustration and anger rising in their chests were impossible to suppress.

“Focus everyone.”

Menes’ voice spread through the soldiers’ masks as they worriedly stared at the broken Private Sitadel.

“There’s a peculiar kind of mutant ahead.”

“Particularly?”

“It looks human but its ears… are way too big. Looks like you could fit an entire deer or two into its earholes.”

Add frowned as he listened to Menes’ description. Just from that, he couldn’t picture the mutant.

“…Hmph.”

It seemed Bell also couldn’t make much sense of the description.

“The ears droop so much they touch the ground; they look too heavy for the mutant to move.”

“…Why does such a mutant exist?”

“Probably a sentinel. They’ve overdeveloped a certain function. If it can’t turn its head, we’ll just need to be careful with noise.”

Bell nodded as if understanding Menes’ analysis and began to take off her leather boots.

“Everyone, take off your boots. Though the mud will reduce the sound somewhat, it’s still safer to move barefoot.”

The soldiers grimaced, reluctant to move barefoot through mud that could contain chunks of decayed flesh and poison.

“…Slurp…”

Sure enough, as soon as they stepped into the mud, the soldiers felt pain in their feet and numbness in their toes.

“Let’s finish quickly and return. This level of poison is bearable. I’ll take you to the Holy Maiden as soon as we return, so hold on just a little longer.”

“Ha… ha….”

Private Sitadel’s breathing became increasingly erratic.

Bell watched him carefully and then exchanged a glance with Menes behind her mask.

While Add had no way of knowing what they communicated through their glances, it didn’t seem to be good news for Private Sitadel.

Anyway, the soldiers pressed on barefoot through the mud, moving forward bit by bit.

A huge ear finally revealed itself beyond the muddy hill.

The bizarrely large ear had several burst blood vessels. The enormous earlobes, as yellow and bruised as Menes had described, were big enough to easily fit two Orcs.

The mutant’s head had collapsed forward, unable to support the weight of the giant ears. Therefore, it seemed unlikely that they would be spotted as long as no noise was made, even if they were in a somewhat visible location.

‘Advance.’

Menes, leading the group, took a look at the situation and signaled with his hands to move forward.

Add moved carefully, suppressing his breathing and keeping his back low. Though his feet hurt from the mud and the throbbing pain, he clenched his teeth and held back his groans.

He had to be careful not to step on bones hidden within the soft and rotting mud. Fragile and decayed bones could break from even the smallest impact.

“Hooo… hooo…”

Private Sitadel’s breathing got rougher and rougher. Or rather, it wasn’t his breathing getting more irregular but the fact that the soldiers, under great tension, heard it much louder than usual.

Experienced soldiers thought it was possible that the mutant could detect Private Sitadel’s heavy breathing.

‘Calma. Keep advancing.’

As if having eyes on his back, or the ability to read minds, Menes noticed the soldiers’ unease and signaled silently.

They had no other choice but to trust Menes and keep moving.

Add silently wished that the mutant had ears as big as its appearance suggested but not as sensitive.

KABOOM!

Just as they were trying to stealthily pass near the mutant’s head, another explosion sound echoed from far away.

A hot wind brushed past their ears momentarily. The stupid mutant had stepped on a mana mine.

“Ugh!”

Add involuntarily groaned. The unexpected explosion sound amidst the extreme tension was impossible to ignore.

The soldiers all turned their heads to glare at Add for a moment, then quickly shifted their attention to the mutant.

“…Hooo. Cough, hoo.”

Private Sitadel’s heavy breathing became even louder.

“….”

The mutant didn’t react at all. Thanks to the explosion sound, Add’s involuntary groan was probably drowned out.

Add was about to let out a sigh of relief.

To avoid making another mistake, he clenched his teeth tightly and replaced the sigh with a gesture of brushing his heart.

The soldiers felt a small relief as they lifted their feet more slowly again.

“…Shit. Shit…”

But Private Sitadel’s breathing remained heavy. Unable to control his rising breath, he began cursing himself.

‘…Be quiet.’

Menes turned around and made a gesture, his sharp eyes shadowed with something darker.

“Sorry… I’m sorry, Danny. It was beyond my control, you know.”

‘Quiet!’

Menes gestured again. The soldiers next to Private Sitadel quickly grabbed his shoulders and repeated the lieutenant’s signals in front of his eyes.

“…”

Private Sitadel stared blankly at his comrades’ signals with unfocused eyes.

Then, he closed his mouth tightly and nodded.

The soldiers who were repeating Menes’ signals let out a barely suppressed sigh of relief.

They turned their heads quickly to move forward to get out of the range detectable by the large-eared mutant.

“Corporal said to shut up, Danny! Please! Just stay still!”

And…

An almost scream-like cry from Private Sitadel

hit the back of the soldiers’ heads like a slap.

“Ahh.”

Realizing what he had done, Private Sitadel, who shouted, lifted his head and continued speaking.

“I’m sorry.”

The moment the raw cry came out, Private Sitadel, as if suddenly regaining his senses like a dementia patient who suddenly returns to reality, apologized with a calm voice devoid of tremors, much like he had before the mission.

All the while, his eyes remained unfocused.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE…

A horrible ringing sound plagued the ears of the soldiers standing there.

It wasn’t a ringing sound caused by stress—it was a sound emitted by the mutant with overly large ears.

The mutant, perhaps preparing something, emitted the unsettling noise. It was so loud that it pierced through the thunder around them, tearing the soldiers’ eardrums.

“Shit.”

Menes quietly cursed, realizing what had to happen was about to happen.

He swiftly pulled out the greatbow slung on his back and shot an arrow towards the mutant’s head. He drew the greatbow from his back and shot the arrow in less than half a second.

A thin and sharp thread extended from the bow.

“Kkkiiiiyaa…!”

Just as an ear-splitting scream was about to burst forth from the mutant’s face directed towards the ground, the arrow Menes had shot pierced its neck.

The neck of the mutant, unlike its oversized ears, wasn’t much different from that of a human. When the steel arrow pierced it, the putrefied neck tore apart, and the body collapsed lifelessly like a water-logged sheet of paper.

“One shot too late.”

In that brief moment, the mutant emitted a cry.

Even that fleeting sound was enough to leave Add and the other soldiers with ringing ears and throbbing ribcages.

Had the mutant fully screamed, all the soldiers here would have surely lost their hearing.

UUUUUUUUUUUUNG—…

Soon after, a colossal horn sound echoed from the distance as if responding to the mutant’s cry.

Without time to regain their composure, the soldiers quickly slipped their mud-covered feet into their boots they had set down.

Whatever the owner of that sound was, the soldiers did not wish to confront it.

“What do we do? Retreat?”

As he slung the greatbow back on his back, Menes looked at Bell. He, too, secretly hoped to cancel the mission and retreat immediately.

UUUUUUUUUUUUNG—!

Once again, the colossal horn sound pressed on them, this time coming from a different direction.

Something was approaching this area, and it was undeniable.

Bell made a quick decision after a short contemplation.

“Most of the forces around here are probably focused on Bin now. We can complete our mission. We’ll plant the last parchment.”

Bell had made his decision.

The order issued after a brief consideration was to “proceed with the operation,” and

Upon hearing the order, the soldiers thought, “There’s no way we’re returning alive.”

“…Damn it. You guys! Hurry up and put on your boots! Starting now, anyone who lags behind will be left behind!”

“Clear the way, Lieutenant. From now on, any engagement is permitted.”

Bell began to dash at an incredible speed, almost unbelievable for a Mage. The lieutenant, Menes, mumbled a curse in annoyance upon receiving the order and soon moved his feet, overtaking Bell.

Soon, an overwhelming force will converge here.

If we’re lucky, we’ll die; if unlucky, we’ll end up like Private Danny.

Either way, this experience won’t be pleasant for them.