“Huh?”
Sharen, flustered, looked at Isaac with a face that clearly said, “What do we do now?”
But the situation wasn’t exactly relaxed.
Black smoke began to pour out from the piles of hay, transforming into something strange.
If I had to describe it, it was like shadows.
Shadows without masters began to rise one by one, screaming.
“Kyaaaaaaaah!”
Their voices poured out like a chorus.
And among them, the one with the largest shadow.
Even the shadow’s neck was dangling, and it was the only one with eyes and fingers.
The moment its finger pointed directly at Isaac.
The shadows began to rush forward like a wave.
“Everyone!”
Anna, who had been preparing to flee from the unusual situation, ran over, pulling her words along.
After mounting their respective horses, they quickly rode out of the village.
“What the hell are those things!”
Silberna asked, but even Isaac couldn’t answer.
Even though he had witnessed many scenes in his past life, the sorcery of the Transcendental Tribe wasn’t something easily seen.
The giant shadow with the dangling neck began to push its subordinates out of the village.
“They’re not as fast as I thought, huh?”
Meladik, who kept looking back nervously, was right.
The shadows weren’t as fast as expected, just flailing and following.
But the way they advanced, polluting the surroundings like a swamp, was terrifyingly oppressive.
“Running away seems simple, but—”
Isaac trailed off.
If they returned to the Malidan Wall like this, the nearby villages would be swept away by the shadow subordinates.
If things went wrong, their numbers could grow even larger than now.
“Let’s stop them.”
Finally, Silberna stopped her horse.
“We have to stop them. We can’t afford to lose any more people.”
“I agree, but…”
She understood the sentiment.
But they needed to think coldly.
“Jonathan isn’t in good shape either.”
“I-I’m fine!”
Jonathan, sweating profusely.
The color of his eyes was returning to normal, and the black patterns on his skin were fading, but he still didn’t look well.
During the last Polu incident, Silberna had already lost her rationality and nearly paid a heavy price.
Even in the heat of the Andes Village massacre, she remained cool-headed and gave orders.
“Meladik, take Jonathan to the Malidan Wall and request reinforcements.”
“Understood.”
“But I—!”
“Jonathan, it’s an order. We don’t have time.”
Silberna’s firm tone left Jonathan no choice but to shut his mouth.
“Anna, go to the nearby village and evacuate the residents. You’re well-known, so they’ll follow you quickly.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Anna immediately rode off toward the village. Every second counted, and her urgency was palpable.
“Isaac and Sharen, come with me to lure them. We’ll buy as much time as we can.”
Following the orders, everyone left, leaving the three of them behind.
“Huff! Huff!”
Sharen, clearly tense, exhaled deeply and gripped her greatsword tightly.
“Isaac, any ideas?”
Silberna honestly sought Isaac’s advice.
Looking at the shadow subordinates following them, Isaac nodded, recalling what had happened earlier.
“Magic and sorcery are similar. There’s a certain cause and effect.”
Mages use mana.
Through magic circles or incantations, it’s possible to roughly predict what kind of magic they’ll use.
Sorcery is the same.
“The shadows are probably the villagers. The largest shadow must be Northemus.”
“Seeing how the neck is dangling, the sorcery must’ve activated just before death, right?”
Isaac nodded and added.
“The corpses had their eyes and fingers damaged.”
Even now.
Only Northemus’s shadow has glowing eyes and points at Isaac with its finger.
Without eyes, they can’t see.
Without fingers, they can’t point.
They’re just a damaged force, forced to follow.
“So if we deal with Northemus, it’s over?”
“They won’t be able to attack with intent like now.”
Isaac’s words were quite convincing.
But at the same time, they made Silberna suspicious.
“You seem to know more about the Transcendental Tribe than what you explained last time.”
Last time, during the White Fang’s attack, Isaac had briefly explained the Transcendental Tribe to Caldias.
But now, knowing the extent of his knowledge, Silberna asked with a slightly displeased expression.
“…I’ll explain later.”
Isaac smiled bitterly.
There’s no time to unravel it now.
Sharen, with wide eyes, alternated between looking at the two of them and cautiously pointed at the shadow subordinates.
“But can we even cut those things?”
They’re following because they’re being pointed at.
But we can’t just drag them around like herding sheep.
“……”
“……”
Isaac couldn’t answer, and Silberna also wore an ambiguous expression.
“Wait.”
Silberna raised her spear again.
Though she couldn’t put much strength into it while on horseback, the spear flew fiercely toward Northemus’s shadow.
But it passed through without any impact, like piercing through clouds.
“……”
“……”
“……”
The three of them simultaneously shut their mouths.
An enemy they couldn’t even cut, polluting the surroundings.
The waves are coming.
Even if the speed isn’t fast, if you can’t stop it, the result is nothing but defeat.
“Should we call a wizard?”
With a surge of aura, Silbern retrieves her spear once again.
Whoosh!
The shadow minions, swept up by the aura-wrapped spear, are pierced and disintegrate, losing their form and disappearing.
“Huh?!”
A gasp escapes Silbern’s lips as she catches the spear.
If aura can cut through them, then there’s a good chance of winning.
Just as she’s about to shout that.
“…Hey, Isaac.”
Sharen glances at Isaac and asks.
“Can you use the Crimson Descent?”
Unintentionally, Silbern also naturally turns her gaze to Isaac.
Sniff.
He has no proper answer.
It’s just that the wind is blowing, and it’s cold, so he sniffles once, but for some reason, he feels pitiful.
“Should I teach you Crimson Descent later?”
“Aura isn’t the most important thing.”
Feeling a strange sense of comfort from their odd consolation, Isaac stays silent.
[Aura?]
Suddenly, a conversation with the Grand Master comes to mind.
[You don’t need that to make no difference.]
‘But there must be times when it’s necessary.’
[There isn’t.]
‘Are you sure you’re not just unable to use it?’
[How would you feel if I asked if you couldn’t use your legs?]
‘……’
[……Get lost.]
Aura is important.
Most knights can wield aura, and certain families have their own unique auras.
Like the Crimson Descent of the Helmunth family.
“Maybe we should’ve sent Isaac with Jonathan.”
It’s unfair, but it’s not wrong.
Because Meladik can use aura.
“But, you know.”
Sharen opens her mouth again, pointing at Northemus’s shadow.
“Isn’t that pointing at Isaac?”
She points her finger, and at the end of it is Isaac.
Just as Isaac moves slightly to the side, Northemus’s hand subtly follows him.
“……”
Isaac has become a decoy.
*
“Miss?”
At the Malidan Wall.
Kelsey, Sharen’s maid, cautiously calls out to Rianna, who is looking up at the sky.
“You don’t look well.”
“Can you see my expression?”
She’s wearing a mask and a headband, practically covering her entire face.
Not sarcastically, but genuinely curious, Rianna asks, and Kelsey smiles warmly.
“I’ve been with Miss Sharen for as long as I’ve been with you, Miss Rianna.”
“…Right.”
Rianna has no particular feelings about it.
She just gazes at the pure white sky and mutters.
“Something foul is coming with the wind.”
“Huh? It’s just refreshing, isn’t it?”
Kelsey takes a deep breath.
But Rianna replies indifferently.
“Something… ominous.”
Kelsey, who knows the Helmunth family’s physique well, starts to feel uneasy as Rianna speaks.
“Miss Sharen is on a simple rear mission today. She shouldn’t be in danger, right?”
“That should be the case.”
But Rianna’s gaze is directed toward the rear wall.
Because the wind is blowing from that direction.
Then.
A commotion is heard from the rear wall.
Soldiers are moving urgently, and the sound of footsteps echoes annoyingly from all directions.
“Wh-what’s… going on?”
Perhaps because of Rianna’s earlier words, Kelsey is growing increasingly anxious.
Worried that something might have happened to Sharen.
Rianna grabs the wrist of a soldier rushing to report.
“Ah!”
The soldier, startled by the immense grip, looks at Rianna in confusion.
“Wh-what is it?!”
“What’s happening that’s causing such a commotion?”
Despite being dressed as a maid, the soldier is overwhelmed by her presence.
Under the pressure of her grip and sharp demeanor, he spills the information.
“Th-the reconnaissance team has engaged an unknown beast. A village has been wiped out, and part of the team has returned severely injured.”
“…!”
Rianna’s gaze shifts to the wall.
Her crimson eyes catch sight of Jonathan being urgently transported.
“L-let go!”
At the soldier’s shout, Rianna releases him in dismay. As he runs off to report.
Rianna roughly removes her mask and headband.
The scent of roses lingers in the northern wind.
As her red hair flutters, everyone around her is captivated, as if entranced.
The Blood Rose of Helmunth.
The moment Rianna Helmunth descends upon the Malidan Wall.
