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Horse Archers. Soldiers who shoot arrows while galloping on their steeds, braving the enemy without fear. To be a Horse Archer, one must not only control the reins of their charging horse but also shoot arrows to hit the target, delivering meaningful strikes amid the chaos.

Despite the Horse Archers’ remarkable mobility and ability to disrupt the enemy, their numbers are inherently fewer than other troops due to the high skill required.

‘My eyes are going to pop out!’

It wasn’t surprising that the knights mounted in medium cavalry armor were giving me such looks instead of the Horse Archers over there.

People from the Marquis family had surely heard whispers of the man who could shoot arrows with incredible precision. Seeing him perform such feats from horseback had to be hard to believe. As for the nobles of the Count’s House, they seemed astonished by what was unfolding here.

Lady Shione, still looking a bit dazed from our recent conversation, couldn’t take her eyes off me.

“By the way, Ray, I didn’t know you could do that…”

“Huh?”

Seriously? How long have we been shooting together? I couldn’t understand why Shione was so surprised by something so trivial.

“Did you see the stance I had when I shot the arrow just now?”

“Of course. I’m not so foolish as to forget something like that in such a short time.”

“Good. Then you mustn’t forget it moving forward.”

“Huh?”

“Now you need to practice so that you can shoot just like me.”

“What? Wait, Ray, me do that?”

Shione’s eyes widened in disbelief, as if she couldn’t grasp the thought. Her blue eyes showed a hint of unease.

“Lady Shione, could you come over here for a moment?”

At that moment, Eunice Kalia and her knights called out to us as they headed towards where I had taken down one of the monsters.

Shione had no choice but to follow me without complaining.

And the closer we got to Eunice Kalia, the more I could sense that the atmosphere around them was tense and far from easygoing.

“Lady Shione, take a look at this.”

“…It seems the monster Ray defeated was no ordinary one. The magical residue around it is quite thick.”

“Indeed—”

As Shione and I dismounted, Eunice Kalia shifted her body, revealing the true nature of the beast lying beneath her.

“My damned brother seems to have gone too far this time.”

Finally, the cold body reflected in Shione’s and my eyes.

Stop—

Shione’s body froze, clearly rigid with a sense of dread. Considering all the demons and monsters she had pierced through till now, it spoke volumes about how horrific this sight was. I found myself swallowing a sigh at the gruesomeness of it all.

‘Did Allen Kalia really drag in a sinister Dark Sorcerer?’

It was a quadruped beast. The issue, however, lay in the fact that human remnants were grotesquely attached to its body.

This abomination, neither beast nor human, unleashed a putrid stench the moment it breathed its last. As the lingering scent of grass was swallowed by the smell of decay, I grasped Shione’s stiffened hand and pulled her away.

“Let’s not look any longer. We’ve seen enough; there’s no need to investigate further.”

“It appears to be the work of a Dark Sorcerer. If this monster is roaming so close to the outer fortress, the problem is bigger than I thought.”

Whether it was due to the icy rage or the shock from what she saw, Shione didn’t let go of my hand, applying a bit of pressure before relaxing her grip, her gaze turning towards Eunice.

“…I have something to report to Mother and Lady Siabel now. Allen Kalia has brought such a nasty Dark Sorcerer into our territory.”

“Lady Eunice, how about we search the area? The original mission was to eliminate the remaining forces in the rear, so it shouldn’t pose any issues.”

“Let’s do that. We’ll sweep through this area and move on to our next position. It would be wise to inform Abel at the rest stop about the situation as soon as possible.”

Abel Kalia.

Shione nodded gently at the mention of her younger brother, unlike her mentally unstable older brother, he wasn’t so bad a noble.

It seemed that since she had a brother herself, Eunice’s expression briefly showed concern for her sibling.

“The rear base where Young Master Abel is stationed should be safe. Many knights are working hard to protect him.”

Eunice Kalia gave a small smile at this.

With the western outer fortress of the Kalia Marquis family as our base, the forward and rear outposts were built quite solidly, relying on a small village as a hub. Since plenty of troops and supplies have been funneled there, it remained a reliable stronghold despite any hasty modifications.

“From now on, we’ll begin our search and extermination as we advance towards the outpost!”

Thus, our formal operation commenced.

*

A shabby hut hidden in the western mountain valley of the Marquis family. Thick curtains obscured even the small windows, leaving the place illuminated only by the flickering light of a single candle, revealing its existence to the outside world.

The dim light shone on two figures inside the hut.

One was Allen Kalia. The other was his aide, Chloe Anette, the commander of the First Legion.

“Sigh… ideally, I should be sitting in Mother’s chair, not on this creaky wooden seat…”

Replacing his usual, whiny voice was a dark, eerie tone.

Chloe, leaning against the wall by the door and watching for any signs outside, fixated her crimson eyes on Allen.

Tap, tap, tap…

Allen hit the armrest of the wooden chair, an expression of irritation etched on his face as he stared up at the ceiling with a sigh.

His head drooped slightly, and their gazes met.

“Don’t you agree, Chloe?”

“Do not worry. You will soon obtain what you desire, Head of the Family.”

“Ah, as always, our Chloe has a way with words. Indeed—”

In his eyes began to swirl a madness wrapped in faith, as he was something of an ardent devotee.

Once again raising his head, his gaze drifted aimlessly as if reading scriptures in the air.

In that moment, it seemed as if he were absorbed in reading the mystical words of an illusion, wholly detached from reality.

“Chloe is the best gift bestowed upon me by the divine.”

“Too much praise. I simply follow your command as a knight.”

“No, without you, it would have taken ages to complete the divine task given to me. I’ll make sure to take care of you forever.”

Allen rambled on with nonchalance, still gazing heavenward.

Chloe could only watch with weary eyes as Allen reveled in his special vision, feeling the divine miracle he spoke of in a fragmented manner.

[Kill X and make a nest for the Kalia Marquis…]

Allen Kalia’s actions were clearly those of a lunatic, a madman, a traitor.

Yet, Chloe, who was more acutely aware than anyone that he indeed received divine revelations, deemed it wise to stand by Allen Kalia’s side.

She wasn’t concerned about the extent of his madness. She thought it far more honorable to follow Allen, the agent of the divine, than to serve the decrepit former Marquis.

Though his actions were those of an evil god, was not an evil god still divine? There was no hint of doubt in her mind that surrendering to change was the superior choice over following an aging Marquis.

“Oh, it seems the divine is almost ready to usurp the Marquis House.”

The strength of the god delivering revelations was already well known, and Chloe simply complied.

“Someone will be coming soon. Open the door for them, Chloe.”

Before long, just as he said, a woman clad in a dark robe entered the hut.

The scent of blood soaked into the air, filling the room in an instant.

Narrowing his eyes at the pungent smell, Allen asked,

“Is everything prepared?”

“Almost done. All I need now is a high-quality mountain offering to complete the ritual.”

“The quality mountain offering refers to the one we talked about before, right?”

“Yes, a sacrifice with excellent lineage will yield something truly magnificent, like right in front of you… Allen—”

“Stop right there.”

Chloe aimed her blade at the neck of the woman.

Even as the blade approached her skin, the woman could hardly hold back her amusement.

Allen seemed to acknowledge her as a madwoman, casually waving his hand to intervene.

“It’s fine, Chloe. We already know what kind of person she is, right? Even if she’s an ill-mannered Dark Sorceress, her skills are undeniable.”

“…Do not speak so carelessly.”

“I appreciate your broad-mindedness, Allen.”

Obeying the unspoken command, the Dark Sorceress was teasingly poked with the edge of the blade.

Chloe clicked her tongue as she resheathed her sword, when suddenly Allen’s face lit up with an idea.

“Well, there is one offering that has neither mana nor a shred of dignity left, but simply possesses excellent lineage…”

As the wind blew in through the open door, the candle in the room was snuffed out.

In the darkness, the ominous shadow over Allen deepened, yet his chilling gaze shone brighter than any shadow could obscure.

“How about our pathetic little brother? Abel Kalia, how does that sound?”

The Dark Sorceress licked her lips, her face seemingly tinged with anticipation.

“Perfect.”

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