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287. Engagement Ep – Anne Abiker of the Egg

There are three forts that stand out throughout the millennia of history.

Badobona, which oversees the southern part of the Acaian Empire and serves as its second capital.

Toridom, constructed in honor of Todler Akiunen, thanks to Saint Azra.

And then, Manubiul.

After the “Magic War,” the fort Manubiul was built by the Asran Kingdom with a focus on being prepared for magical battles.

Not only was it constructed entirely with the mysterious mineral, Manubium, which nullifies magic, but it also included canals to split enemy forces.

Depending on the situation, it could cause floods or launch surprise attacks via the canals.

Though it has never been attacked, Manubiul has remained an impregnable fortress for centuries and eventually became the capital of the Aster Kingdom.

In the peace treaty established at the end of the Nine-Day War, it was agreed that the Aster Kingdom’s long-standing capital, Barnau, would be given to the Austin Kingdom.

The Aster Kingdom needed to create a new capital.

Though major cities were under consideration and choosing one might have been economically wise, King Petra de Klaus, who rose to the throne after killing his father, chose a fortress instead of a city.

Facing overwhelming opposition, the nobles who came to inspect the site nodded their heads under the King’s insistence.

The beautiful white fortress was encircled by a distant, round canal.

Manubiul was stunning.

The massive white walls resembled a frothy waterfall, and the canal, constructed to divert river flow, seemed more than sufficient to supply drinking water to the new capital.

Enchanted by King Petra de Klaus’s sweet words and the beauty of Manubiul, the nobles changed their minds, believing this would be the place where their families and kingdom’s thousand-year history would be rewritten. But that was a grand misjudgment.

Horses galloped on until they were exhausted. By the time Ray arrived, Manubiul was glowing not white, but a horrifying red.

The canal heavily surrounding the city was black.

It had transformed into hell, plunging the citizens of Manubiul into fear.

Citizens scrambled to escape, but after a day of chaos, those who were finally trying to cross the river were those with insatiable greed. They were trying to flee with their worldly possessions. And they were paying the price for it.

[ Call of the Battlefield ]

Countless spires had sprung up around the perimeter of Manubiul.

Flags rose to distinguish winners and losers, and those citizens who were unable to flee and answered the battlefield’s call were forced to fight. They had to either kill one person to offer them to the crimson spire of the winners, or if they lacked the courage for that, they had to run to the loser’s spire and enlist as soldiers of Halpas to avoid being killed.

If they attempted to cross the river, the ‘Soldier’ mark branded on their foreheads would start to burn.

“I-I’m sorry.”

There might be methods to avoid enlisting or crossing the river.

But the menacingly glowing fortress and the war clouds enveloping the city drove them insane.

With their eyes lit up searching for weaker people, the strong wandered while the weak became soldiers. That pitiful army composed of the weak was squeezing its way into the Manubiul fortress.

Seeing this, Arpen commented succinctly.

“What a mess.”

“We need to go too. Prince Pablo de Klaus should be inside the fortress. He’s undoubtedly fighting, and we must help him.”

“How do you know that?”

“…”

“Well, whatever. But do we really have to go in? It’s already chaos; wouldn’t it be better to wait for the Holy Knights sent by the Cross Church?”

“It would be too late then.”

Ray wasn’t particularly eager to become a hero, but he spoke resolutely that they had to save dying citizens.

In truth, waiting would be the better choice. He thought similarly to Arpen.

But if time dragged on for months, that fortress would become Halpas’s territory. Then, it wouldn’t just be the Holy Knights that would be needed; an army would have to be mobilized. They might even have to summon a Saint.

It might seem trivial, but… yeah, it’s not that important. Once his identity was revealed, Halpas would be a dead man.

The supply of divine power wouldn’t be smooth. While he currently seemed to be gaining strength enough to embroil the whole world into turmoil, he would soon dry up like winter bread and be taken down.

So, a delay of about half a year wouldn’t be an issue, but regrettably, half a year was an excessively long time for Ray to wait.

In that time, Lera would become a knight. Her skills were already more than enough to be one, and once she became a knight, she would undoubtedly propose to him. Signs of that had already been visible since yesterday.

What thoughts would race through his mind then…

Ray didn’t trust himself. Even if he wasted a round, he wouldn’t be able to refuse Lera’s proposal. It had always been that way.

The intentions of the gods were clear: [ Raise Lena ] still tightened their leash.

Raise Lena. During the quest to protect her, if you don’t want to lose her, who is tightly bound to you. But once your occupation is set, that’s the end.

Whether you get married, that’s the end; if one of you dies, that’s naturally the end; and if the relationship breaks, that’s the end too, or if Lera gets desperate and gives up her dreams, that’s the end as well.

With limited rounds and 5/6 lives, only one spare was left. Just thinking about it felt suffocating.

If he failed to deal with Halpas this time, he would have to start again from Malpas. Any kills after the ending would not count towards achievements. Moreover, if it escalated to the point where they summoned a saint, what impact would that have on Astroth, who was hiding in the Belita Kingdom? That was concerning too.

There was a possibility he would face the same ending as last round, so Ray persisted in advocating they needed to help Prince Pablo de Klaus.

Arpen clicked his tongue and looked at the mess that was Manubiul. He seemed to think for a moment before turning to the knights and saying.

“We’re charging in there. If anyone’s afraid and wants to run away, speak now. No? Then let’s go.”

“…”

“…”

Without even offering them a chance to say a word, Arpen set off. In his ears, the echoes of

– Kill them.

resonated just like when he faced Malpas.

Though the knights had no opportunity, they thought, ‘You’re scarier than us,’ and quietly coaxed their exhausted horses to cross the river.

Once inside, it was a sight to behold.

Although many citizens were paralyzed with fear, they tried not to appear weak, swinging their weapons wildly. A typical sight in battle.

But unlike an ordinary battlefield, they had families to care for.

Be it strong fathers, couples, sons taking care of aging parents, or married daughters, they were desperately trying to protect their beloved children and parents. One couldn’t dare to deem that shameful.

Thus, surprisingly, there weren’t many casualties compared to what one might expect from the outside. The trouble stemmed from the riffraff, or warriors who had come to participate in the Letii Tournament, wandering around without someone to defend them; they were causing disturbances in the outer areas, knowing they could escape by killing anyone.

Of course, could they even dare touch the knights? The knights, including Ray and Lera, crossed the outer streets of Manubiul without any restrictions.

As they passed by, they occasionally threatened anyone who looked like they might commit murder and soon reached the brightly lit city gates. That’s where the real problem began.

Citizens wielding gray spears blocked their path. Those wearing the rough gray helmets had concluded they lacked the ability to defend themselves and had run to the black spire of the losers, which turned out to be the worst choice.

With vacant stares, they had become soldiers of Malpas. Most were female soldiers who charged recklessly with spears received from Malpas.

“Kill them. What else is there to do?”

Arpen said flatly. He had a rather brutal side.

Causing a bloodbath, the knights passed through the gates. Upon entering the fort, they finally spotted the guards of Manubiul.

“What are you… Knights?”

“We are the First Knight Order of the Austin Kingdom. Where is the Prince?”

The soldier’s expression turned to one of panic. Hesitating, Arpen Albasete pressed for answers.

“Where is the prince?”

“D-don’t tell me you came from the Austin Kingdom… But first, answer this. Whose side are you on?”

Arpen felt the need to speak carefully. After clearing his throat, he said.

“Do you think this is a time to distinguish sides? We are on no one’s side! We have come to punish whoever caused this ruckus!”

“W-wait, not really! Then why are you looking for the prince?”

“Didn’t your king cause this ruckus?”

“…Huh? No. We understand it was the traitorous prince who caused the unrest… That was communicated through a formal letter last night. Prince Pablo de Klaus has rebelled, having fallen for Count Jacob Modred’s schemes. That’s why we increased security, but then we heard news of an attack on the royal palace and the chaos started.”

What a total mess.

The soldiers of Manubiul couldn’t even identify friend from foe. As there was no time to argue, Arpen forced his way through.

“Whoever started the ruckus is irrelevant. Clear the way. We’ll resolve this at the royal palace.”

“B-but we can’t let you through…”

“Enough with the buts! Can’t you see people are dying? Move aside!”

“We can’t… K-haa!”

Arpen finally drew his sword. Brandishing the burning Oblivion Blade, he threatened.

“Indeed. I am Baron Arpen Albasete, the Swordmaster of the Austin Kingdom. Whether it’s a king or a prince, I’ll take out anyone who caused this ruckus… So get out of the way now!”

Ignoring the street battles erupting around them, the knights dashed toward the royal palace.

The palace was small.

It was smaller than any royal palace Ray had seen before and smaller even than the grand estates owned by great nobles typically seen in Oberg. This was because Manubiul hadn’t been built with the idea of functioning as a capital in mind.

Nonetheless, as it was the king’s dwelling, many expansions had been made. What used to be the command center of the fortress had swallowed up surrounding land, surrounded by thick walls for the king’s authority and protection.

With a cramped terrain and thick walls, the conditions requiring the inner area to be as vast as possible meant that the royal palace of Manubiul was a colossal structure combining fortifications and a palace. The palace, reminiscent of the main hall of the Monastery Church, was glowing red.

Ray felt uneasy.

Just like the walls of Manubiul, why was it shining?

For now, putting his anxiety aside, he stepped inside. The royal guards who were supposed to watch over the palace were nowhere to be seen, and the moment Ray passed through the main gates, he felt a surge of power.

[ Achievement: First Entry into the Royal Palace – You will become stronger in the palace. ]

This achievement was received long ago when Lean de Yeriel entered Rutina Castle. Ray Dexter, who tended to perceive distinctions between the experiences of other Leos and his past, accepted this somewhat awkwardly.

Passing through another corridor glowing entirely red, Ray felt another achievement activate. The same achievement that had triggered when he encountered Malpas:

[ Achievement: Child God – You will become stronger against the Child God and Apostles. ]

A similar achievement gleaned from the ancient past when Lean de Yeriel encountered Oriax. Now stronger than ever (excepting when he was an Apostle of Barbatos) Ray let out a low groan as he spotted the enemy he would have to face.

A black crow with eight eyes.

Halpas was soaring above the hall that reached a height of nearly five hundred feet (approximately 150m). He weaved through the hall surrounded by a dozen layers of corridors, dodging and devouring the knights who rushed in to catch him.

It seemed he was quite angry. Ray soon discovered the reason for it.

Egg-shaped remnants lay scattered across the hall floor. Underneath them lay a jawless knight who had collapsed, and upon seeing Jacob, Arpen shouted in astonishment.

“Jacob! What the hell is he doing dead here? I warned you to be cautious since the king is an Evil God.”

On the other hand, not recognizing Jacob’s face, Ray was shocked upon seeing someone else. Half-lifeless, sprawled inside a shattered egg, a woman adorned with feathered hair accessories, with a Sword Breaker lodged in her chest was…

Lena’s younger sister, Anne Abiker.