While the northern lords each reacted differently to the sudden invasion, the crimson army had also arrived at the Ron family’s territory.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of war drums, signaling the start of battle, echoed through the cold winds of the northern mountains.
“We’ll need your help again this time.”
“You say that as if it’s something new.”
The White Whale Mercenary Corps, which had officially signed a contract with the Ron family, stood on this battlefield once again.
The first wave of the invasion was not made up of a large enemy force.
“A probe?”
Just like in the other territories, only a small number of enemy troops appeared at first, so they opened the castle gates and moved to confront them directly.
There was no need for Jun or the other elite members to step in. The territory’s own forces were enough to handle the small enemy unit.
“Scouts, perhaps. The main force will come later.”
Just as Camilo muttered, by early evening, the setting sun revealed the enemy’s main force.
“Their numbers…”
“Estimated at about two thousand.”
“We’ll have to go out and fight them ourselves.”
They could’ve chosen to defend safely from the castle walls, but given how sudden everything was, their available supplies were limited.
“Let’s go!”
“Let’s show them the strength of the North!”
And so, the real battle began.
Arrows flew through the frigid air, raining down upon the enemy troops.
At the same time, a cavalry unit mounted on monsters called Tamed Mounts spread out like wings from both sides and charged to encircle the enemy.
The enemy army was composed mainly of heavily armored troops like shield bearers and spearmen, so their mobility was poor.
What they did boast, however, was strong resistance to physical attacks.
When they raised their tower shields to cover their entire bodies, countless arrows rained down from beyond the castle walls.
They quickly turned into a mass of porcupine-like figures but suffered little real damage.
However, Camilo was prepared for this situation.
“Imbue them with magic!”
The mages from the Ron family gathered around a single crystal orb and began imbuing it with mana.
As they did, light began to radiate from the tips of the arrows raining down on the enemy encampment.
Fwoooosh!!!
Flames erupted from the arrows enchanted by the mages.
“Seeing it in person really is impressive.”
Jun, who had also come to the battlefield, watched the battle unfold with a calm demeanor.
So far, nothing had happened that warranted the intervention of the White Whale Mercenary Corps.
However, the enemy reinforcements weren’t finished yet.
“Two thousand in the first wave, and now another two thousand?”
As if they were enjoying watching the Ron forces respond, the enemy didn’t strike all at once, but slowly tightened the noose.
Just as the cavalry was about to clash with the enemy’s second wave, Jun’s magic activated.
[Unique Magic]
[Heavenly Thunder]
Unlike before, Jun skipped the preparatory spells like Volcanic Tornado and Ice Break, casting Heavenly Thunder directly.
And the power was incomparable to before.
Rumbleeee-boooooom!! Rumbleeee-boooooom!!!
A chorus of lightning strikes rained down from the thunderclouds that blanketed the sky.
In just moments, dozens of bolts struck, each one tearing massive holes through the enemy formation.
Their sturdy shields were useless against the relentless lightning, and the Ron family’s cavalry burst through the cold winds in the aftermath.
Like a perfectly arranged row of dominoes, once a single point collapsed, the rest followed in an instant.
“Their formation is breaking!”
“Split them up and take them down one by one!”
“They’re circling to the right!”
“Leave them to the infantry!”
Shouts of battle echoed in all directions.
As if the cold northern wind couldn’t extinguish the fire burning on that battlefield, they each gave everything they had in that moment between life and death.
“Die.”
In the end, the last of the enemy camp dissolved into a red mist beneath a Ron knight’s blade.
The morale soared sky-high as the troops realized they had successfully repelled the first invasion.
But beyond the walls, the retainers watching the scene looked pale.
“So… the calamity from the sky really has begun…”
“But is that really an army created by the god of death?”
“I don’t think so. From what I’ve heard, they’re monsters born from a Blackout Corruption phenomenon.”
“Then it really is a Dimensional Reverse…?”
“But the appearance doesn’t quite match the illustrations I’ve seen in ancient texts…”
“Regardless, coming here was the right decision.”
Just imagining what it would have been like to face that crimson army on their own lands was utterly bleak.
And the same was true for the refugees who had come to Ron territory, even at the cost of abandoning their livelihoods.
“Something like that… came to our territory?”
“Isn’t it just happening here?”
“You idiot. Don’t you even know the map of Stunheim? Our territory is right in the direction of the canyon they came from!”
“W-Well, people make mistakes… no need to get so worked up.”
“Our lord made a swift decision. Aside from us, only one other territory evacuated in time.”
“Then what about the rest of the territories…?”
“Who knows?”
No one wanted to think about it, but as they looked out over the plains where the battle had taken place, unwanted thoughts began to surface.
Did the other territories manage to hold them off as well as we did?
There’s no way…
The Ron family had always held the position of Northern overlords, and they were well known for stockpiling vast amounts of supplies every year in preparation for the monster waves that came through the canyon.
But what about the other families?
Aside from a few lords near the canyon, most didn’t prepare to that extent.
“Besides, the other territories don’t have a mage like that.”
“Good heavens… Is that the seventh-circle mage we’ve only heard about in stories?”
“That was a disaster all on its own!”
The dozens of lightning strikes that left the strongest impression during the battle….weren’t they all conjured by a single mage?
Those unfamiliar with magic were even beginning to suspect that Jun might be a seventh-circle archmage.
“Maybe…”
“If we stay here, we might survive.”
“Oh, dear God…”
Praying that this crisis would pass quietly, the people turned to whatever god they believed in.
But their prayers were in vain. The very next day, their hopes were crushed.
“The signal fires…”
“They’re still being lit.”
Signal fires were spreading across all of Stunheim.
Barely a day had passed, and yet it was already clear that the war was not going well.
Camilo immediately gathered the remaining retainers and called a meeting.
“What are your thoughts?”
A heavy silence filled the council chamber.
At Camilo’s question, the three retainers hesitated to speak.
Though they had come all the way here after receiving Camilo’s letter, that didn’t mean they had fully accepted the current situation.
Camilo was well aware of that atmosphere.
If I hadn’t believed that mage’s words…
He too felt a chill run down his spine.
“Haah… I understand it must be difficult for you all to accept the reality. But this….this is where we are now. So please, share your thoughts.”
At that, a retainer whose hair had turned white like the snow-covered peaks of the canyon cautiously spoke up.
She was someone who had once been involved in the central politics of the Empire.
“Allow me to speak, borrowing the Count’s words.”
“Go ahead, Nornen.”
“Realistically speaking, I believe it is impossible to assist all the territories where signal fires have been lit.”
“Hmm.”
“The enemy’s shields are resistant to physical attacks. Therefore, to deal with them effectively, magic or a power of similar magnitude is absolutely essential.”
Nornen’s gaze shifted toward Jun who was quietly attending the meeting from one side.
“It was thanks to skilled rangers, fire-enchanted arrows, and most of all, that mage, that we were able to minimize casualties and conserve supplies in the previous battle…”
The moment they tried to split their forces among other territories, the main unit would suffer serious damage.
“Moreover, I believe what we must prepare for is not limited to just the next battle.”
“What is it you’re concerned about?”
“Refugees.”
“Hmm…”
“In the end, I believe the appearance of refugees is inevitable. But even so, we cannot afford to ignore it.”
“Yes… that’s true.”
Even in a time of crisis, they couldn’t ignore the future.
If they were to abandon the refugees in a situation like this, the Ron family’s standing in the North would be utterly ruined.
“You must find a way to rescue them….no matter what.”
“Do the rest of you feel the same?”
Camilo turned to the two remaining retainers aside from Nornen, but all they could manage was a hesitant nod.
Seeing this, Camilo spoke again.
“I too agree with Baroness Nornen. At present, it’s unlikely we can save everyone. However, we must put a plan in place to rescue the refugees that will inevitably follow.”
And it didn’t take long for those words to become reality.
The very next day.
Reports from the hunters who had gone out for scouting began to come in.
“A large group of survivors spotted to the northwest!”
“A military unit from the enemy camp is following them, about half a day behind!”
The refugees, familiar with the northern terrain, were moving faster. But the enemy army didn’t need sleep.
It wouldn’t even take a full day before they caught up.
“We’ve also detected a large force moving through the northern canyon!”
“…Tch. Looks like we’ll have to split our forces.”
Camilo’s gaze turned to Jun.
“Leader Jun. Will you be alright?”
“Given the situation, we’ve made the necessary preparations.”
When it came to rescuing refugees, mobility was key.
That’s why sending the White Whale Mercenaries was the best choice for the job.
“Then, we’ll be off.”
“Are you sure you don’t need a guide?”
“Yes.”
Having already memorized the surrounding terrain, Jun immediately crossed the wall with his companions without delay.
“Alright… as you’ve heard, their location is exactly three hours from here.”
“What’s the number of refugees?”
“Five thousand.”
“Five thousand… That’s smaller than expected.”
Aiden’s expression darkened, knowing the territory where the refugees had come from held more than three times that number.
But Jun thought differently.
The fact that five thousand even survived is a miracle.
The enemies that poured out of the hole in the sky weren’t just a few.
The estimate stood at no less than a hundred thousand.
More than enough to completely surround a single domain. So how did the refugees manage to escape?
There are two possible explanations.
One: the lord fought to the bitter end, buying time for the refugees to flee.
We can rule that out.
They were heading toward a territory once ruled by a lord named Vivali, known for being reckless and vain.
That assessment was unanimous among the three retainers, plus Camilo himself. Someone like that wouldn’t have sacrificed himself for his people.
And according to the scouts’ report, there was no sign of anyone who looked like a lord.
Only one veteran knight was said to be holding the front.
The enemy let them go on purpose.
Surprisingly, unlike typical monsters from the Blackout, these creatures were capable of making highly strategic decisions.
Before long, the head of the refugee column began to appear in the distance.
Just as the report had said, an aged knight was leading the group of refugees atop an old Tamed Mount.
“Wh-Who goes there…?!”
It didn’t take long for the old knight to spot them as well. He drew his sword, his face tense with wariness.
But perhaps the journey here had been too harsh. His arm holding the blade was trembling nonstop.
“We’ve come from the Ron territory.”
“…! Have you truly come to receive us?”
“That’s right.”
“Oh, goddess of the North…!”
Thick tears began to stream down his face. It must not have been an easy road.
“How did you manage to make it this far?”
“It’s not a long story…”
He introduced himself as Virtanen, then turned back towards the group and spoke.
“The territory has fallen. The demons of the crimson sky descended from the mountains. We won the first battle… but were soon surrounded by an overwhelming number of enemies.”
They had tried to hold out somehow, but the sheer number of enemies and the appearance of a massive monster made even that impossible.
Mega Clover.
Jun immediately recalled the name of that monster.
It had been a tough one, even in the game.
A siege-type creature that appeared only when the enemy camp had a summoner of commander rank.
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