Free Web NovelThis was clearly inside the Church’s territory.
It was even a place those believers had been defending with all their strength.
And yet, inside it.
Krwoooooogh!!!
An enormous number of monsters had appeared.
There seemed to be about three types visible at the moment.
But their numbers were quite substantial.
'They’re commanding monsters?'
The Legion’s soldiers had thought of this fight purely as a war between awakened factions.
In fact, the ones who had blocked them until now had been awakened beings using various defensive facilities.
And yet monsters had suddenly intervened here.
They could not help being thrown off by that abrupt appearance.
And.
“Go, you trash!”
An especially large monster among those monsters.
The person riding on top of it swung a whip and shouted.
“This is your chance to do something at least somewhat worthwhile, you trash who were not chosen by the system.”
Crack!
“Eliminate those unbelievers!”
Gwoooooooo.......
The giant monster struck by the whip screamed as if in pain.
And in time with that scream, the monsters began advancing.
“......All personnel, switch to extermination formation!”
And.
While taking formation to face them, Seo Suhyeok thought.
'The fact that they’re commanding monsters itself is not surprising.'
Their origin simply was not this world.
Among monsters, there were many that were essentially close to beasts.
Since quite a long time had passed, it would not be strange if someone had managed to command some of them.
Even if not through command, negotiation was also possible if the monsters had intelligence.
There were even other races affiliated with the Legion.
But the problem was.
'If they had a force like that...... why did they hide it until now?'
Even though they handled monsters.
Not only during the war against the Legion.
Even while they themselves were wreaking havoc inside the territory right now, the Church had not sent out those monsters.
And yet.
Now, all of a sudden, they had begun using such forces.
'Was it simply because they’re dangerous? Because they can’t let us advance any farther?'
Or.
'Because they think it no longer matters if this is revealed......?'
At that thought.
A chill ran down Corporal Seo Suhyeok’s spine, and he muttered inwardly.
'Guild message!'
Something felt wrong.
His instincts told him he had to report this.
But.
Dding.
At that moment.
A small message appeared before his eyes.
After reading that message, Corporal Seo Suhyeok opened his mouth blankly.
[Guild messages are currently restricted.]
“What?”
......Message restriction.
A phrase he had truly never seen before.
A phrase that made him wonder whether something like this was even possible.
“.......”
When he looked back at Corporal Jeon Gwangil.
Gwangil seemed to have confirmed the same thing.
His eyes were wide as they met Suhyeok’s.
'This is.......'
Something was going wrong.
Realizing that, Corporal Seo Suhyeok shouted.
“Retreat!”
“Pardon?”
“We retreat, then link up with the main force where Corporal Lee Minjae is!”
He had already requested support from Corporal Lee Minjae.
He and Team Leader Lee Sanga should be bringing the troops from the main force.
If they retreated even now, there was a high chance they could link up with them.
......However.
“We cannot!”
At that moment.
That tiresome voice rang out once again.
“We are almost there!”
Jeong Sua raised a hand and pointed to one place.
“There!”
“.......”
“That place, where the monsters are pouring out!”
Outwardly, it looked like an ordinary building.
But.
Even now, that building was spewing out an enormous number of monsters.
“......It is impossible for us to break through that force right now.”
“Even if we manage it, the damage will be far too.......”
“It is fine!”
The soldiers spoke in skeptical voices.
But Jeong Sua shouted while looking somewhere else.
“None of that matters, so hurry......!”
“.......”
“Inside there, quickly!”
But then.
“Team Leader Jeong Sua.”
There were people who grabbed her hand.
“......Team Leader Jeong Sua!”
“We are almost there. Hurry......!”
“Team Leader! Calm down!”
Then.
The strange light shining in her eyes vanished.
Her eyes returned to an ordinary gleam as she looked around.
'......Ah.'
Only then.
Could she notice the atmosphere around her.
“.......”
“None of that matters......?”
The gazes of distrust directed at her.
Only after seeing those gazes.
Did she finally realize.
'......Because I spent so long only with the escort unit...... I treated them the same way.'
She had taken the same action.
But the result returned to her had changed.
Not only she.
The other unit members thought the same thing.
'Those people, and we.......'
The unit members who had stayed in the Legion and occupied various regions.
And the escort unit that had assisted Shin Youngjun while accompanying him to other lands.
'Are different.'
A sense of alienation began settling between them.
'We changed.......'
A large sense of alienation.
One that could split the organization apart.
***
'Only a few months’ gap.'
But.
Since the organization called the Legion did not have a long history.
That gap was larger than expected.
Originally, after returning to the unit.
She would have formally announced the establishment of the escort unit and been given time to melt back into the forces.
But she could not do that now.
“Please trust me.”
The problem was.
There was no leeway to spend time mending that sense of alienation.
The view she had been seeing at the end.
Even though that view had become unclear because of their interference.
She knew at least that the situation reflected there was not good.
She could not stop here.
“When I said it was fine...... I did not mean that it was fine if you all died.”
“If that is not what you meant, then what did you mean?”
“It is true that their forces are strong. If we break through them, our combat power will probably be consumed, and there is a high chance we will no longer be able to continue fighting...... but I meant that would still be fine.”
At those words from her.
The unit members frowned.
“Is that not the same thing?”
“If that situation happens, then casualties will be inevitable afterward.”
“It is different.”
It was fine if their combat power was consumed.
But.
That did not mean it was fine if their allies died.
“If we endure just a little longer...... I meant we will not need to worry about lacking combat power.”
“What does that.......”
Unable to understand Jeong Sua’s words.
They left her behind and prepared to retreat.
“You will understand soon.”
“......?”
Monsters were charging toward them.
When they looked at her, wondering what she was saying when even retreating as quickly as possible might not be enough.......
At that exact moment.
“What we have to do is advance as far as we can, as quickly as we can.”
Jeong Sua.
Looked up at the sky and said,
“If we do.”
The long battle.
Thanks to it, time had passed, and before they knew it, the sun was setting.
And.......
Paaaaaaak.......
At the same time the sun set.
From far away.
“The rest will be the royal guard’s role.”
Kwaaaaaaaang!!!
A dark-red figure.
Slammed down into the center of those monsters.
***
A dark-red figure had flown in from somewhere at incredible speed.
When that figure crashed into the ground.
The impact alone instantly shredded hundreds of monsters in the area.
“......!”
The soldiers looked that way in shock.
An enormous number of monsters had disappeared in a single instant.
And that was not all.
Paaaaak.......
Around that figure.
A particularly dense shadow spread across the ground.
-Grk.......
And from there.
Deformed figures began revealing themselves.
-Krwooooooooogh!!!
The monsters that appeared from within the shadows soon.
Ran straight ahead and began fighting the monsters commanded by the Church.
“.......”
“.......”
The soldiers watched that sight blankly.
The enemies they thought they would have to fight had begun being eliminated on their own.
If it was good fortune, then it was certainly good fortune.
But.
'......Tch.'
As he watched that scene.
Corporal Seo Suhyeok clicked his tongue inwardly.
“......That.”
The battlefield where the monsters had begun fighting.
The soldiers who saw the figure at its center murmured blankly.
“That woman.”
“No way.”
Most of the soldiers here were elites who had been together since the Legion’s earliest days.
Because of that.
Upon seeing that existence, there was a name that immediately came to mind.
“That one from back then.”
“The vampire queen......!”
The Legion’s team leaders knew of that existence.
But the ordinary soldiers did not.
They did intend to officially announce that existence before long.......
But not like this.
“W-we have to attack.”
Some of the soldiers tried to raise their weapons.
As those weapons were about to turn toward those vampires.
“Wait......!”
Seo Suhyeok and Jeon Gwangil.
The two corporals made them lower their weapons.
“......Corporals?”
Then.
The queen who had suddenly appeared and eliminated the monsters that had been about to attack them.
The monsters that still showed no hostility toward them afterward, attacking only the enemies.
And the two team leaders stopping them from attacking those monsters.
“What exactly is this?”
“What is going on?”
“.......”
There was something they did not know.
Even the soldiers could tell that much.
“Later...... I will explain later.”
“For now.”
The two corporals rubbed their aching heads as they looked at the battlefield.
It was true that the situation had become a little complicated.
It would be quite a headache to explain this.
'But that is a problem for later.'
Right now.
That vampire’s assistance was far too decisive.
Her kin were instantly pushing back the monsters that they had believed the Legion members alone could not break through.
But at the same time.
One worry surfaced in both corporals’ minds.
'That vampire is the royal guard captain who assists Sergeant Shin at his side more closely than anyone.'
'If someone like that is here.'
As they were thinking about that unease.
There was someone running toward that vampire.
“Your Majesty!”
When Jeong Sua shouted toward Ariella.
“You people......! Why were you here?”
Ariella, who had been eliminating enemies, saw her and said,
“I intended to go to that cathedral where I expected you to be, but the presence was leading somewhere strange. Where in the world is this place, and what are those monsters?”
“This is that place.”
“That place?”
“The place where our benefactor...... where the Legion Commander is!”
“......!”
At those words.
Ariella flinched in surprise, then soon closed her eyes and murmured.
“Indeed, I thought it strangely felt as if I were drawing closer.”
The rope of the oath that resided within her.
Its direction was clearly pointing this way.
Ariella asked with a slightly puzzled attitude.
“Why were you not remaining at that cathedral? Why are you here?”
At that question, Jeong Sua hesitated for a moment.
Then lowered her head and said,
“I apologize. I overheard a little of the conversation between Your Majesty and the Legion Commander.”
“You overheard......?”
A look of incomprehension.
Overheard their conversation?
The conversation between her and her master had not been carried out by voice.
It was not the kind of conversation that could be overheard in the first place, so how.......
“Our benefactor ordered Your Majesty to save the Legion members.”
“He did.”
“If you did that, you would not be able to save the Legion Commander. So.......”
Jeong Sua spoke as if there was no time to explain in detail.
And.
After hearing that, Ariella, too, was able to understand what had happened.
“You guided the Legion members to a place near my master.”
“Yes.”
Following Shin Youngjun’s command.
Ariella had tried to find the Legion members and protect them.
But.
Those Legion members were neither continuing combat at the cathedral nor retreating.
Instead, they had penetrated deep into the heart of the Church.
......Thanks to that.
Ariella had arrived here while searching for the Legion members she was supposed to protect.
“To guide me here.......”
To this very place.
Where the Legion Commander would be facing danger.
If she had tried to come here after evacuating the retreating Legion members.
She would not have been able to arrive this quickly.
And.
“Now the Legion’s soldiers, the royal guard, and the escort unit are all gathered here.”
“You......”
At the present moment.
The best forces that could gather to rescue the Legion Commander.
They had gathered in one place.
“Since you have arrived, the preparations are complete.”
Jeong Sua looked ahead.
The monsters had already been almost completely cleared out.
Now, if they infiltrated that place.
Eliminated the enemies and rescued the target.......
Paaaaak......
That should have been enough.
At that exact moment.
'......Huh?'
The monsters being pushed back by the vampires.
Above the heads of those monsters.
Pak!
Small lights began to settle.
