Chapter 113

(4)

7.

The strongest force of Eloden, Ian Marcus.

Facing a young man grinning right in front of her, Iris had a perplexed look on her face.

‘…I’ve been had.’

Initially, Ian was assigned to the base.

So, she figured it would take at least 20 minutes to reach the front line.

But this guy, the moment the shift began, charged straight to the front line and wiped out Assault Group 2 in the blink of an eye.

‘What on earth did he use?’

Last weekend, Iris had read several books about divine spells in the library.

She needed to know the spells the opponent was using in order to prepare properly. But this kind of spell wasn’t found anywhere.

The confusion didn’t last long.

‘Now that guy has shown up…’

The situation was already like spilled water—irreversible.

What mattered now was how to overcome this daunting challenge, not figuring out how Ian had appeared here.

The moment she realized this.

Iris opened her tightly closed mouth.

“Ivella Elea’ad.”

“…?”

“Could you buy me some time?”

“What do you need time for all of a sudden…”

“Just a little bit. I just need enough time to request support.”

No sooner had the word ‘support’ left her lips than—

The turquoise eyes lit up.

“Are you Ulan by any chance?”

Iris nodded silently, and Ivella’s face brightened instantly.

If it’s Ulan, then the story’s different.

She grinned.

“Okay. Let’s hold on as long as we can.”

“I’ll help too.”

Third-year student of the Arsen Military Department.

Hunter Rand Filius, who belonged to Assault Group 1, took a position behind Ivella. Meanwhile, Iris had stepped back, creating some distance.

“Are you all set?”

Ian’s sword was aimed at the two.

He grinned playfully and said.

“Then, let’s have a go.”

With Ian’s words as the signal.

A fierce battle broke out.

Meanwhile, Iris, who had moved back, quickly tapped the bracelet on her wrist.

The bracelet’s name was Connect.

It was a communication device given only to representatives of each faction. Using it, representatives could communicate with the defense forces at the base.

‘The contacts available right now are…’

The Student Council President of Arsen, Cliff Anton.

Bringing the bracelet to her ear, Iris anxiously shifted her feet. Before long, the voice she was waiting for came through.

—What’s going on?

A deep voice.

It was Cliff Anton’s voice. Cutting right to the chase, Iris stated her purpose for contacting.

“It’s time to use the insurance.”

—Insurance?

“We’re under attack from Ian Marcus. To handle him, we need Ulan’s strength…”

Iris meant to say, “Please send Ulan out from the base.”

But before she could finish, Cliff’s firm response echoed back.

—I refuse.

“…Excuse me?”

Did I just hear that right?

Was I mistaken? Just as she was about to ask again—

Cliff continued.

—The savage is stationed at the base. That was the condition for my participation along with the Student Council, wasn’t it?

There was no emotion in his reply.

Iris, flustered, retorted.

“B-but then we’ll lose!”

—So?

“So what do you mean?!”

—This is merely a friendly mock battle.

Just after delivering that unexpected response.

Cliff’s question followed.

—The rewards are meager, and even if we lose, there are no penalties; it’s all just a bit of fun. So why are you trying so hard to win?

“Because we can win!”

Before Assault Group 1 was wiped out, if Ulan could just face off against Ian, there was a chance. So Iris shouted with conviction.

But the response that came back was one of denial.

—The Student Council does not desire that.

“What do you mean…?”

—It’s better to achieve a noble defeat than to rely on a savage’s help to win.

“…”

For a moment, Iris was rendered speechless.

She had known the current Student Council was wrapped up in aristocracy, but she didn’t expect it to be to this extent.

—There’s nothing more to discuss. Disconnect.

“W-wait a moment! President! Student Council President!”

But the communication was already cut off.

Even when she tried to reconnect, there was no response.

The shadow over Iris’s face deepened. And then another wave of despair washed over her.

[Rand Filius: Death]

[Remaining Arsen Forces: 8]

Hunter Rand had fallen to Ian.

Beyond the scene of him sprawled on the ground, Iris saw Ivella struggling against Ian.

After witnessing this,

Iris immediately charged into the battlefield.

She understood Ivella couldn’t handle Ian alone. Wielding her spear, she created some distance for Ivella to retreat.

“Hah, hah!”

Thanks to that, Ivella could catch her breath.

She looked at Iris with heavy panting, as if to ask what happened with the support.

Iris bit her lip tightly.

“…I’m sorry.”

She wore a face that strained to suppress her frustration.

Ivella asked, seemingly in disbelief.

“Is this the Student Council’s doing?”

“…! A-Are you aware of that?”

“I have a good idea.”

She had wondered why the Student Council President would want to keep Ulan at the base, and now the reason was becoming clear.

Ivella scrunched up her face.

A look of discontent.

“Just like at the Entrance Ceremony, those guys are really childish. What, do they find it that disgusting to see Ulan shine?”

“Huh? The Entrance Ceremony?”

“Huh? You didn’t know?”

Iris asked in surprise, while Ivella looked equally astonished. The two girls stared at each other with wide eyes.

But the conversation didn’t continue.

Whoosh! Whooooosh!

A whirlwind of sword strikes surged.

It was thanks to Ian’s onslaught.

He charged forward, shield in front, swiftly closing the distance, and grabbed Ivella by the collar.

“Finally caught you.”

“…!”

She tried to counter, but there was no chance.

It was too close to swing her sword.

Late to react, Iris swung her spear, but it was immediately blocked by Ian’s shield. At the same moment, Ian’s sword struck Ivella in the abdomen.

“Ugh!”

A moment of breathless pain.

Then the orb she had hidden in her abdomen shattered. He had probably aimed for the orb from the beginning.

[Ivella Elea’ad: Death]

[Remaining Arsen Forces: 7]

Ivella dropped out of the battle in an instant.

Perhaps feeling a sense of crisis from this?

Iris retreated back. At that sight, Ian laughed as if it were absurd.

“If you plan to run away…”

I’ll make sure you know it’s hopeless.

He lowered his body.

Poised to chase after Iris at any moment.

But just then, Iris, who stood frozen in place, suddenly shouted toward the air.

“Ulan Bator!”

A resounding cry that shook the battlefield.

Iris continued speaking.

“If you’re watching this, please swap places with the defense unit and come to the battlefield! We need your help!”

With that, the transmission ended.

A sense of relief washed over Iris’s face.

Of course, Cliff would attempt to interfere, but what mattered was that she had conveyed the situation to Ulan.

“Hmm, strange.”

Meanwhile, at that moment.

Ian narrowed his eyes.

“Connect should have been issued; it’s odd that help is being requested this way. What do you think, Senior Laurea?”

“It could be one of two things,” Laurea replied with a smile.

“Either there’s a problem at the base or a rift has formed within the Arsen faction.”

“……”

“In that case, we need to finish this as quickly as possible while the monster is at the base.”

The emphasis on ‘finish’ carried weight.

The moment Ian’s words ended—

Bam!

The sword and shield were cloaked in silver.

Iris’s eyes filled with horror.

“……!”

The gathering of pure divine power.

That was the sacred aura that could only be used by a knight who had reached the mastery level.

And in that moment.

A silvery flash engulfed her.

8.

Around the same time.

The fierce battle wasn’t just happening at the assault front. The Arsen defense forces were also caught in a brutal exchange.

Terrifying offensive magic poured down.

The work of Kamila and Delia.

From their elevated position on the hill, the two mages unleashed their offensive spells against the approaching Eloden assault group.

After wrapping up a bombardment.

“Whew.”

Delia caught her breath.

The large-scale bombardment had wiped out all the Eloden magic soldiers.

Meanwhile, their assault group remained in good shape.

It was due not only to their experience in such battles but also because of the divine spell-enwrapped shields.

“…Divine power, really tricky.”

Divine power was the antithesis of magic.

Thus, regular spells wouldn’t pierce through those shields wrapped in divine spells.

“As much as I want to use a Meteor Shower now…”

“If you did, we’d really be wiped out.”

Noah smiled awkwardly.

Divine shields weren’t omnipotent.

Even if Delia used a spell of 4th rank or above, they would crumble easily.

But in this mock battle, all spells above the 3rd rank were prohibited. The reasoning was that a single injury could become a problem.

“But with this, it’s disadvantageous for mages.”

Delia pouted her lips.

At first glance, the battlefield seemed evenly matched. However, upon closer inspection, it was far from it.

Unlike them who had burned through more than half of their power, the Eloden assault group overflowed with divine power.

The reason was simple.

“Did they really recover divine power through prayers?”

“Isn’t that totally cheating?!”

Second-year Arsen Military Department hunter, Emil Dirbel grumbled.

As he pointed out, it seemed the Eloden assault group was more focused on delaying than aggressively advancing, wearing out their magic.

And at that moment.

Bad news came in.

[Rand Filius: Death]

[Remaining Arsen Forces: 8]

The hunter from Assault Group 1 had fallen.

The news of his defeat cast a sudden silence over the defensive line.

Everyone felt it.

They were slowly being pushed back. Delia turned back toward the base and said.

“It’s about time we call for Ulan.”

“I think so too, but…”

Kamila trailed off awkwardly.

He should have come by now.

Iris would surely have sent Ulan out the moment Assault Group 2 was wiped out.

But since he hadn’t shown up yet, something must have gone wrong. Whether Delia realized that, she immediately asked.

“Did something happen?”

“Hmmm, looks like it did.”

Kamila bowed her head, looking embarrassed.

Presumably, the Student Council President she was with must have caused some problem. Just as Kamila nibbled on her lips.

Delia turned sharply.

“Noah.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“Go to the base.”

“What do you mean…?”

“Swap out with Ulan.”

Delia’s eyes shone seriously.

It seemed Noah too understood the gravity of the situation and quickly nodded.

“Got it. I’ll call him over!”

“Yes, please.”

After Noah responded, he disappeared.

The distance from the defense line to the base was about 1km.

Considering that, Delia had an idea of how long they needed to hold on. Not long after Noah vanished, another piece of bad news arrived.

[Ivella Elea’ad: Death]

[Remaining Arsen Forces: 7]

The faces of the three went pale in unison.

Ivella was a mid-ranking knight.

Moreover, she was an exceptional fighter with great battle sense. There weren’t many who could suppress someone who wouldn’t even lose to high-ranking knights.

Even listing out potential opponents brought to mind only Ian, the expert, and Teron, the representative and high-ranking knight of Eloden.

Shortly after that.

The identity of Ivella’s suppressor was revealed.

[Iris Senior: Death]

[Remaining Arsen Forces: 6]

The only person capable of defeating Iris in less than a minute after taking out Ivella, as the three knew, was just one.

“…Ian Marcus.”

Kamila let out a groan, as if in disbelief.

The news of Iris’s fall meant that every assault group from Arsen had been wiped out.

The news wasn’t heard by just the three.

“T-they’re coming!”

The Eloden assault group had resumed their advance.

Emil shouted nervously.

“What are we going to do? If it continues like this…!”

“We need to hold on while keeping them at bay.”

“Does just holding on solve everything?”

“Yes. It will.”

Delia nodded confidently.

With no hint of hesitation on her face.

“When Ulan arrives, we’ll win.”

“……”

A strong conviction resonated in her reply.

Kamila, with faith shimmering in her eyes, pressed her lips tightly.

Then she sighed deeply.

“Okay. If you believe that much, I’ll trust you.”

Kamila’s eyes sharpened.

No matter how much of an expert Ian Marcus was, she was confident she wouldn’t lose easily.

They had a geographic advantage and still had half their magic left. Delia too nodded, a smile on her face.

They would hold on and buy time.

Until Ulan arrived.

With a much clearer objective, the three began to prepare for battle against the Eloden assault group.

But at that moment.

The trio faced a sudden anomaly.

“Huh?”

Kamila was the first to notice.

Right after, Delia and Emil’s expressions also hardened.

Particularly, Emil, who was about to charge a magic arrow, stuttered with a shocked expression.

“W-why is my magic…?”

Their magic suddenly began to diminish.

It felt as if it was being rapidly consumed, like oil catching fire. At that moment, a certain piece of information struck Delia’s mind.

Something she had seen in a book before.

About the phenomenon of magic burning out like this.

First of all, the only power that could cause such a phenomenon was the one and only thing in this world.

‘Divine power.’

A force that is antithetical to magic.

Among those, the purest divine power was held by those closest to the gods. When faced with this, magic would burn like oil set aflame.

And right now.

The one who could use pure divine power on this battlefield, according to Delia, was just one person.

“Laurea…!”

The sight of the turquoise-haired girl far away, who was grinning mockingly toward them, made Delia snarl fiercely.

And at that moment.

[Emil Dirbel: Death]

[Remaining Arsen Forces: 5]

With the sound of an orb shattering.

A chilling voice crawled into their ears.

“Greetings.”

“……!”

The young man with blue-black hair.

It was Ian Marcus. He had climbed the hill and now aimed his sword wrapped in silvery light at them.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

After a farewell address.

The silver sword cleaved through the air.

9.

In the blink of an eye, Delia and Kamila were knocked out.

According to the rules, the defeated ones left the battlefield.

As the losers exited, the students of Eloden shrugged their shoulders.

“I thought it’d be more exciting.”

“Right? This is too easy.”

“I expected it to last at least two hours, but at this rate, it’ll wrap up in less than an hour.”

Grinning scoffs blossomed on their faces.

As they chatted, one student suddenly tilted his head.

“But something feels off.”

“What do you mean?”

“There should be an expert on Arsen’s side, yet why haven’t they switched out yet?”

Upon hearing that, everyone realized it was indeed strange.

The assault group was wiped out, and yet Ulan had still not come to the base.

Just as everybody was puzzled, an unexpected voice chimed in.

“It’s probably because of the Student Council.”

The Eloden Student Council President.

It was Teron Shulagen’s voice. He spoke deadpan, arms crossed.

“The other evening, a guy claiming to be the Student Council President of Arsen came to see me. He said he had a proposal regarding the mock battle.”

“What kind of proposal?”

Intrigued, Laurea looked curious. Teron shifted his gaze and politely answered.

“He offered to help us win the mock battle if I arranged for him to meet with you, Laurea, privately.”

“Huh? With me?”

Taken aback by the sudden mention, Laurea’s eyes widened.

Just as Teron finished his statement, the students around them erupted in frustration.

“That’s not even worth considering.”

“How dare he to suggest such a thing to Laurea!”

“So what did you say?”

“Of course, I refused.”

Teron replied without hesitation.

“We don’t need to rely on such cowardly methods to prove our strength. But that proposal aside, it does seem there’s some internal issues going on.”

If there were no problems, such a proposal wouldn’t have been made. The students nodded as if they understood his response.

“But that’s a bit unfortunate.”

“Exactly. I wanted to see the expert from Arsen battle Marcus.”

Fights between experts were rare.

Especially if they were students.

As a result, the students were secretly hoping to see a clash between Ulan and Ian, though unbeknownst to Ian, his thoughts were completely different.

“Honestly, I’d prefer it to end just like this.”

“Hmm? Why’s that?”

“Oh, you doubt yourself?”

When someone asked with a mocking tone, Ian wasted no time in nodding his head vigorously.

“If we fought, I’d definitely lose.”

A straightforward reply came without hesitation.

Ian furrowed his brow and added.

“That guy’s a monster.”

“A monster?”

“Even if Senior Laurea helps, we couldn’t win. No, even if we all teamed up, there’s no chance we’d stand a chance.”

After finishing his definitive answer.

He clasped his hands respectfully.

“So you seniors better start praying. Until the mock battle ends, let’s ensure that monster doesn’t break loose from us.”

Ulan needed to stay at the base no matter what.

That was the essential condition for Eloden to win this mock battle.

Next, they would all rush towards the base together and take the flag while ignoring Ulan, which was the only strategy they could rely on to win.

After sharing this plan, the Eloden assault group began to march forward.

Toward the Arsen base, the cabin that stood towering on the hill.

Chapter 27. Friendly Mock Battle