Chapter 843

The outskirts of the city are densely surrounded by wooden fences and watchtowers. Houses of a completely different style from the west. Inside the inner fortress walls carved from rock lies the imperial palace of Ai-shan.

From a distance, the scenery of Ordos looked exactly as it did two years ago, unchanged in any way.

Livestock, including horses and sheep, roamed leisurely across the vast grasslands, unaware of what was about to happen. A group of shepherds and guard dogs patrolled, ensuring the animals didn’t stray.

Across the pasture, ragged serfs were busy harvesting crops in the fields, while warriors who seemed to be overseers glared at them, shouting orders.

It was a peaceful scene, hard to believe this was the capital of a nation embroiled in civil war after the death of Kagan Or-han. A stark contrast to the ruined imperial capital devastated by the Insect-Dragon’s attack.

“This feels… unsettling,” Lacey muttered, her brow furrowed in disdain.

Her expression was like that of someone watching rats enjoy a ballroom dance. The sight of these savage, cruel barbarians basking in peace was irritating.

“Surprisingly calm. I thought they’d be on full alert… Did they not expect us to come?” Nigel mused.

“Maybe they trust their patrols. If it weren’t for this ship, we’d have been spotted long ago. A flying ship… the Mage Tower really outdid themselves,” Freide added, adjusting her combat uniform.

While Nigel was clad in heavy armor reinforced with dragon remains, Freide’s outfit was simpler—layered leather with metal threads woven in.

“Wow, nice gear you’ve got there,” Freide teased, lightly tapping Nigel’s black iron chestplate.

“Want some? Join the Épée de Ciel,” Nigel joked.

“Become your subordinate? No thanks,” Freide replied with an exaggerated shake of her head.

“Suit yourself,” I shrugged. It was a joke anyway. Recruiting the only daughter of a duke as a subordinate was absurd, and even if she joined, we were out of Ryu-rik’s hide.

If absolutely necessary, I could always get a hide from Ryu-rik’s taxidermied body in the northern mansion.

“Anyway, if we haven’t been spotted yet, let’s head straight to the imperial palace—”

“Hersela! Over there!” Milia urgently pointed toward the Barun River behind Ordos.

“What is it?” I leaned over the deck, shielding my eyes with my left hand to gaze at the flowing river.

– Grooooooar.

Though the sound didn’t reach us, it was clear something unusual was happening. The once calm river was now boiling, forming a dark whirlpool.

[Have we been spotted?]

‘Probably.’

I clicked my tongue, watching the black spray. Even if ordinary warriors couldn’t detect us, the sorcerers surely could.

In the blink of an eye, the water took shape. Before I could blink twice, the whirlpool had transformed into a translucent serpent.

A water serpent so massive it could be mistaken for a dragon. As it opened its jaws, a torrent of magical energy gathered within.

“Lacey! Holy Barrier!”

“Elpinel, grant us your veil of grace!” Lacey raised her cross spear, slamming it into the deck. A radiant divine light spread like a vast curtain, enveloping the airship in a pure white veil.

The next moment, the water serpent unleashed a black beam.

– Kwaooooooosh!

A pillar of light, similar to Nidhogg’s breath but filled with curses instead of dark energy, struck the barrier.

“Everyone, hold on tight! Don’t fall!” I shouted.

Before the echo of my warning faded, the curse’s bombardment tore into the white veil.

– Kwa-gagagagagak!

The airship shook violently. The sound of thousands of windows shattering filled the air, and fragments of black and white light scattered like shattered stars. A storm-like wind whipped through.

“Ugh…!” I crouched, gripping the railing as I watched the Holy Barrier withstand the curse.

The clash of mana and holy power. The pure white light trembled like a curtain in a waterfall but held firm, purifying the curses.

Black fragments transformed into crow-like shapes, pecking and clawing at the barrier, but each time they were touched by the white light, they disintegrated into dust.

Perfect defense. Lacey’s Holy Barrier was no fragile shield—it could withstand even a dragon’s breath, let alone a sorcerer’s curse.

After a few seconds, the curse’s beam dissipated. Lacey lowered the barrier, wiping sweat from her brow.

“Phew… That was a vicious curse. This attack alone proves they’re heretics we can’t associate with.”

Indeed. While curse magic is borderline acceptable by church standards, there’s a limit. A sorcerer capable of such a dense curse would be marked as an enemy by any church, not just Elpinel’s.

The power and density of a curse grow stronger with the caster’s malice.

“…Quite the welcoming party. Lacey, how many more can you block?”

“About eight more. Beyond that, it’ll be difficult. Elpinel’s grace is limitless, but I can’t fully manifest her radiance.”

Was that humility or self-deprecation? If a saintess bearing a holy mark calls herself lacking, other priests might as well quit and become deliverymen.

It felt like watching the top student lament not being first in the nation.

“Eight, huh? Better to destroy it than to keep blocking.”

The water serpent was gathering mana again. We’d have to endure three or four more shots before reaching the palace. It’d be better to take it out now.

“Lacey, bless the mana cannon rounds and order them to fire on my signal. No, wait. Stay here and block the next shot with the Holy Barrier. Can you do that?”

“Yes, be careful.”

Lacey nodded and dashed to the cabin to bless the mana cannons in the artillery room below.

Mana and holy power repel each other, but since only the metal projectiles were being blessed, there’d be no interference.

“And Milia, prepare ‘Eternal Rain.’ Your Heroic Tale should reach the river from this distance, right?”

“That’s true, but… I don’t have anything to use as an arrow. A normal arrow won’t cut it…”

Milia pointed to her quiver, looking troubled.

Eternal Rain, a Heroic Tale that compresses massive objects into arrows for widespread destruction. While powerful, it’s useless without suitable materials to compress.

On the ground, we could dig up the earth, but on an airship, that’s impossible. Tearing up the deck or sails might send us crashing.

“No problem. I’ve got it covered.”

Of course, I had a plan.

“Joshua, how long can you maintain your Giant Hunting Sword after letting go?”

“About ten seconds.”

“That’s enough.”

I tossed Joshua a black iron sword and gestured for him to stand by Milia.

“If you don’t have an arrow, compress the sword Joshua enlarges. The weight will be the same, but the target’s just water.”

“Is that even possible…?”

Well, probably. In the original, Heroic Tales involving objects could combine attacks.

I nodded, and Joshua and Milia, though skeptical, enlarged the sword and compressed it into a black arrow.

“Ahem.”

Damien, watching nearby, looked uncomfortable.

To maintain the Giant Hunting Sword as long as possible, Joshua couldn’t let go until the arrow was fired, leaving him and Milia uncomfortably close.

Had he learned jealousy after gaining emotions? He looked like a college freshman losing his childhood friend to a middle-aged professor.

Not my problem, though.

While it looked a bit inappropriate, Joshua and Milia’s expressions showed nothing but discomfort.

“Port side! Open all gunports!”

Just then, a shout. Lacey had finished blessing the cannons, and the airship smoothly turned, aiming three cannons at the water serpent.

“Get ready.”

I pointed at the serpent with my right index finger, compressing Life Force Flame at the tip.

A crimson orb, glowing like the sun, formed at my fingertip.

Milia drew her bowstring, her back muscles taut. I glanced at her, then fired the compressed beam at the serpent just as it prepared to unleash another curse.

Behold—

‘Heavenly Demon Beam.’

[What a ridiculous name…!]

As Hersela exclaimed in shock at my naming sense, the crimson beam tore through the air like lightning.

“Haah!”

“Commence bombardment—!”

Along with the arrow compressed from a massive sword and the thunderous roar of three cannon shots.

– Kwaaaaaaaang!

The Barun River churned, its bed exposed.

The water serpent, pierced by the arrow and shattered by the cannon fire, evaporated in the heat of the Life Force Flame, along with the magic circle carved into the riverbed.

“Full speed ahead! Everyone, prepare to descend!”

I turned my gaze from the rising steam and looked down at the panicked residents of Ordos, shouting loudly.

The water serpent was just the beginning. The curse bombardment and our counterattack were merely a grand greeting.

The real assault starts now.