Chapter 80: Arrival

When one seeks power that defies reason, there is always a price to pay.

Shane who had once been corrupted by the organization knew this better than anyone.

Didn’t he see countless others fall after pursuing power without regard for reason?

That’s why, generally, one seeks power only within the bounds permitted by the world or adjusts it to align with reason.

Otherwise, one will inevitably crumble under the weight of power that doesn’t suit them, for whatever reason.

And now, right before his eyes, stood such a person.

“It’s strange. Even I don’t fully understand the principles of this power, yet you speak as if you know it well.”

At Anastasia’s words, Shane slowly opened his mouth to speak.

“I call that power Origin.”

“Origin?”

“The ability to imbue physical force into human emotion.”

“…That’s…”

Shane let a pure white aura flicker over his hand.

A power permitted by the Imperial Family.

Wasn’t that the aura of the White Lion used by the Knights of Judgment?

“The aura used by the Knights of Judgment also originates from that power.”

“How… are you able to use it?”

The power Shane called Origin was a force used in strict secrecy even inside the Imperial Family.

Due to the slow pace of research, it had only been passed down to the Knights of Judgment, who were known as the sword of the Imperial Family.

However, instead of answering her question, Shane continued with what he had to say.

“Generally, magical power is mixed like this to contain physical force. It’s impossible to generate physical force by harnessing Origin itself like you do, Your Highness.”

“…….”

“You’ve made the impossible possible. At first glance, it may seem impressive and indeed it is, but… there is always a price to pay.”

While he spoke, Shane gazed at Anastasia’s soul that only his eyes could see.

“Unrefined power like that brings death.”

The cracks that spread throughout her soul appeared dangerously close to shattering at any moment.

***

To put it bluntly, there was no way to restore a soul. At least, not according to Shane’s knowledge.

Even Gordon who used blood magic by channeling human souls and blood didn’t possess knowledge related to that.

“You shouldn’t use that power anymore.”

“You’re nagging me just like Mimir.”

The next morning.

Once again, Shane visited Anastasia and said those words, to which she responded with a slightly exasperated expression.

“How many times have you repeated that since yesterday?”

“We’re in the midst of a war. The moment a commander withdraws from battle to protect themselves, defeat is practically guaranteed.”

“Look further ahead.”

The single time Anastasia used Origin to block Karhu’s attack was impressive.

Although she appeared fine on the surface, the impact had caused the cracks spreading in her soul to reach the surface as well.

It was no coincidence that Karhu had momentarily let his guard down when his attack seemed to work.

“The Empire will continue to need Your Highness’s strength. Think of the people.”

“……”

With words like that, even Anastasia found herself at a loss for a response.

“I understand.”

“You must.”

“Alright.”

For Shane, who had been planning to use Anastasia and the First Princess Olicia to restore stability to the Empire, this unexpected situation was a complication.

“In any case, tomorrow the advance reinforcements will finally arrive.”

When Anastasia changed the subject to that, Shane nodded his head in agreement.

In the end, Arunvida successfully defended against the massive horde of monsters while preserving their strength, all before the imperial army could arrive.

Of course, there were huge casualties, but they were within acceptable limits.

This success was largely thanks to the efforts of Diraila and Artia who had been lying unconscious until now.

“Your Highness.”

At that moment, Mimir who had been cleaning up the aftermath of the battlefield entered the room without even knocking.

Mimir’s expression seemed urgent, and after hearing his report, it was clear why.

“The orcs are on the move.”

This was the report that marked the true beginning of the war.

***

“As expected, humans are strong.”

The Chieftain of the Blue Orcs.

The words of Pagabutan weighed heavily on the space.

Over the past fifteen days, the number of monster waves the orcs had sent was the result of ten years of preparation.

Yet even with such a massive force, it wasn’t enough to break the walls of the human Viduron castle, and soon the number of humans would only increase.

“And the assassination attempt failed as well.”

“……”

At those words, the only beings present who were not orcs hung their heads in silence.

The members dispatched from the organization still wore faces of disbelief.

Who was Karhu?

A figure powerful enough to be considered a future Legion Commander had returned in a half-dead state. He couldn’t defeat a mere 21-year-old woman.

According to the organization’s intelligence, there had never been any mention of the Second Princess Anastasia possessing such power. So this loss was even more devastating.

At that moment, Elder Shaman Kargato spoke up.

“Even so… our plan… remains unaffected…”

“That may be true. But even if the plan succeeds, is it really possible to bring down those walls?”

The walls, which had been half-destroyed, were fully restored within just one day.

And that wasn’t all.

During the monster wave’s all-out attack, how many monsters had met their deaths while climbing the walls, only to be impaled by the huge thorns that the walls had transformed into?

When the Chieftain pointed this out, Kargato reassured him that there was still no issue.

These were the words of Elder Shaman Kargato who had lived even longer than Chieftain Pagabutan.

At this, Pagabutan nodded his head in agreement and then turned to the members of Nameless.

“The terms of our deal will depend on the outcome of this grand endeavor. I trust there are no objections.”

“…Of course not.”

Though they had passed down Gordon’s blood magic to the orcs, Karhu’s loud boasts had amounted to nothing since the assassination attempt failed, so the members of Nameless could only nod in agreement.

In any case, Gordon’s blood magic was indeed real.

He had completed the preparations to manifest the magic he had created as a ritual.

The humans, who were likely laughing in triumph at this very moment, had no idea.

Even the army of 150,000 monsters was merely a part of the preparation for their planned blood magic.

Now, they had finished the preparations and were ready to execute it.

***

The greatest weapon of the orcs, above all else, was their overwhelming numbers.

Being naturally fertile, they pressed their enemies with sheer numbers. With a growth rate fast enough to reach adulthood in just ten years, their human wave tactics had been effective even in ancient times and this had not changed.

500,000.

Late at night.

The number of orcs visible beyond the castle walls was reported by Mimir’s familiar.

A staggering 500,000 orcs, all wielding blood magic.

These creatures who drew power from the enemies they wounded were tireless warriors.

The fact that only a few thousand had to hold off such numbers began to shake the resolve of Arundvida’s residents, who were armed with loyalty to Anastasia.

Overwhelming force, which was one of the greatest advantages of human wave tactics, instilled fear in the hearts of humans.

But even as they wavered, the residents did not break.

Humans were easily broken in the face of fear, but conversely, they could also rise to the challenge.

“Let’s die trying!”

“You bastards! If each of us takes down a hundred of them, we’ll win this!”

“Damn it, I’ve already killed over a thousand monsters in Arundvida alone, so why not now!”

When they overcame their fear, or when they accepted the fear itself and realized there was no longer any place to retreat, humans grew stronger.

Boom!

The thunderous roar of cannons signaled the start of the battle once again as the monsters came within range.

Unlike before, the cannonballs this time were not enhanced by Shane’s magic circle.

The precious gunpowder was used as if it were abundant, and countless orcs were reduced to mere pools of blood within the barrage.

But the sheer number of orcs made the effort seem futile. It felt like trying to fill a bottomless pit with water.

It was difficult to use magic against the orcs who wielded blood magic.

While a single spell could kill many, those who survived would return even stronger.

A single decisive blow.

That was the most crucial ability needed to kill them.

The cannons roared as they spewed fire until they reached the limits of their durability.

“This never ends, damn it.”

One resident’s words struck like a dagger.

Despite the cannons nearing the point where they could no longer fire, the orcs’ numbers didn’t seem to diminish.

Eventually, the residents drew their bowstrings.

They couldn’t kill them all, but they had to at least wound the orcs somehow.

Thousands of arrows filled the night sky.

Once again, the bowstrings were drawn and released.

So many arrows flew that even after tens of thousands had been continuously fired, eventually all disappeared, but the orc numbers remained unchanged.

“Hmm…”

With a groan, Mimir infused the prepared magic stones with magical power and directed them beneath the walls.

The special tree seeds brought from the Great Mezaiya Forest reacted to Mimir’s magical power, the magic stones, and the elves’ life essence contained in the flasks. They rapidly grew into thorny vines before wrapping around the castle walls.

With this, all preparations were complete.

The orc horde then began striking the sturdy walls which were now covered in thorny vines with their weapons.

Once, twice, and three times.

The orc army relentlessly pounded the gates and set up ladders against the walls.

If not ladders, they threw grappling hooks tied to ropes and began climbing.

The residents on the walls hurried to block them, but it was impossible to fend off ten with just one hand.

Especially when the situation called for a hundred hands.

Even as the thorny vines ensnared them, the orcs didn’t stop. They constantly hammered at the walls. And soon enough, countless orcs began breaching the walls.

“Kill them!”

“Argh!!”

Orcs who hadn’t yet absorbed magical power weren’t particularly strong.

The residents defending the walls swung their swords, thrust their spears, and used their shields to push the orcs off the walls.

Despite their efforts, the orcs’ overwhelming numbers rendered the humans’ defense nothing more than a desperate struggle.

Watching this scene, the Elder Shaman smirked. And as if he was adding the final stroke to a masterpiece,

“Begin…”

At the far end of the battlefield, Elder Shaman Kargato stood at the center; he was surrounded by a hundred orc shamans and each one was chanting their own incantations.

“Sha dua bi kodua…”

“Sha dua bo habana…”

“Sha dua tu bogoa…”

The dark night sky began to glow red.

The blue moonlight turned crimson as if in anger, and the earth began to scream.

The ground that was soaked with the blood of the monsters from the wave of 150,000 started to spew the very blood it had absorbed. Thanks to the spell of the shaman.

The blood of the orcs who had been killed in the humans’ counterattack mixed in as well, forming what looked like a mist of blood.

And then—

“Krroaaaarrrr!!”

The blue orcs began to roar in unison.

“What, what is this?!”

“I don’t know, damn it! Just kill them!”

The humans on the walls who saw this struggled to suppress their growing anxiety as they pierced the throats and hearts of the howling orcs.

“Gah?!”

The orcs did not fall.

Even with their hearts pierced and their throats cut, they kept moving.

Those who had absorbed the blood of the 150,000 monsters charged forward while defying death itself.

It was as if they had become immortal, and under their assault, the humans were relentlessly pushed back.

Finally, at the moment when the walls were breached with ease—

“Use your magic! Crush their heads!”

Anastasia’s command rang out, and the humans who had been holding back began to unleash their magical power.

Though the orcs appeared to be immortal, they were not truly invincible.

When their heads were severed, they would die too.

In the end, the humans gave up on the wall and retreated, glaring at the orc army that was rushing in like a tidal wave.

In that moment—

“The price for hiring me will be very steep.”

A woman’s voice echoed across the battlefield, and at the same time—

The sun rose in the night sky.

No, it was created.

And at its center, a woman with flaming hair billowing like fire stood proudly. She was looking down upon the world.

“Boom.”

The earth which had never known such heat in countless ages started to tremble beneath the newly formed sun.

At the same time, this sun began to descend.

It was the arrival of the mobile fortress, Raviata.

And at the same time, dozens, or even hundreds, of portals appeared at the rear of the Orc horde.

“Show them the full price for setting foot on imperial soil!”

At the command of a man named Levi Benjamin, the former commander of the Imperial Knights, an army of fifteen thousand drew their swords in response.

The advance reinforcements set foot on the land of Arunvida at last.