Episode 436

Giselle knew she was in better shape than her friends but kept quiet.

She also felt that she herself would be more useful than Angrago or Bartrek.

“Sir Jeancliffe. Given the time, I don’t think I’ll be able to distribute antidotes to everyone. Could you select those who need it most?”

“Don’t worry about that! I’ll see to it at once.”

“This can’t be… This can’t be! How!!”

The anti-magicist collapsed at the side screamed.

He looked utterly incredulous.

“How are you using magic power!!”

Sir Jeancliffe was about to get angry at the wicked anti-magicist for interrupting, then suddenly thought, ‘Actually, that’s a good question’, and found himself convinced.

Indeed?

“But are you really all right?”

“My constitution gives me a lot of magic power, so poisons don’t affect me easily.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean!!!”

“Shut up.”

Whack!

A nearby knight kicked the anti-magicist.

It was hard to forgive this scum for daring to poison them, let alone interrupt their conversation.

“What do you mean, ‘having a lot of magic power makes you less susceptible to poison’? Normally, when magic power encounters foreign substances like poison, it reacts strongly and resists, but with mountain-spore mushroom, the special trait is that it scatters magic, leaving no chance to resist…”

“Sir Jeancliffe, this is not the time! You need to get ready! Can’t you ask that later?!”

Giselle shouted involuntarily.

Technically, as an apprentice knight, that was something she’d never say under normal circumstances.

Moreover, Giselle was someone who highly valued reputation and influence among knightly houses.

‘Oh no.’

She instantly regretted her words.

If Sir Jeancliffe took offense, Giselle’s reputation among the Beechwood Knights would plummet…

“You’re right. Sorry! Everyone, get moving. Knights whose magic hasn’t recovered, over here! Reinforce the doors and windows so the enemy can’t break in. Those whose magic has returned, over there!”

Thankfully, Sir Jeancliffe didn’t get angry but immediately snapped into action.

Giselle breathed a sigh of relief.

Click-

“???”

The Beechwood Knights secretly gave Giselle a thumbs-up in gratitude.

Giselle looked at them in disbelief.

“Moradi. Thank you.”

“……”

Giselle was left speechless at Lee Han’s words.

That such a rash impulse was being praised—it made things feel unreal.

From start to finish, everything about this situation felt nonsensical.

• * *

Bakdgul ran up the hill fiercely.

As soon as the signal came, the anti-magicists surged forward.

“They can’t use magic power! But don’t let your guard down. They’re still knights!”

“Don’t worry!”

All around came the shouts of mercenary anti-magicists.

Experienced mercenaries knew both the fearsomeness and the weaknesses of knights.

In a chaotic brawl after poisoning, mercenaries had the advantage.

Fssh-fssh-fssh-fshh—

Arrows whistled toward them, but Bakdgul shouted unshaken.

“Block them!”

Arrows clanged off shields. The anti-magicists successfully blocked all incoming fire without injury.

“They’re onto us.”

“Well, we did poison them. We expected this.”

No matter how thorough the preparation, they never expected the knights wouldn’t notice to the very end.

Having ingested poison, it was only natural they’d anticipate a raid.

The mercenaries were not careless for a moment.

“Encircle and enter. Leave none alive!”

Bakdgul activated the -Antagondals’ Penetrating Eye- artifact. Even in the dark, the camp the knights had raised was plain to see.

As expected, there were no traps nearby. Even if the knights had noticed, there wouldn’t have been time to set traps all around the camp.

That made it easier.

“Looks like they’re planning to barricade themselves inside.”

“Pathetic.”

The event tent was much sturdier than a regular tent but was still a hastily constructed building clad with wood and canvas, not iron and stone. It could be broken easily.

“Should we break down the door?”

“No need. Why play to the knights’ games?”

Bakdgul snorted.

They could smash in the reinforced doors and windows and enter, but why fight at a disadvantage?

They had already prepared everything.

“Set it on fire.”

“Yes!”

Setting a large tent ablaze isn’t as simple as throwing a torch. Fire doesn’t spread that easily.

But if you’re prepared, it’s no problem. From the darkness, flaming arrows whistled toward the tent.

“Hahaha!”

“Knights! What’ll you do? Burn alive? Come out and face us!”

The mercenaries shouted and stomped, trying to frighten and confuse those inside. Flames and smoke rose all over the tent. From outside, it looked as if the knights would have to run out any second.

Sploosh!

“???”

“What the?!”

Suddenly, the flames began to go out. Accompanied by sloshing sounds, the tent became soaked.

As if someone inside was dumping immense quantities of water.

The mercenaries were aghast.

“W-What do we do?”

“Use more fire! They only stopped it once.”

More flaming arrows were fired, but nothing changed.

‘Not an artifact after all?!’

At first, he thought they were using artifacts or scrolls to douse the fire. That kind of thing only works a few times, so Bakdgul thought it would be fine…

Bakdgul frowned.

Amazingly, the mercenaries were about to run out of flaming arrows first.

“…Looks like they’ve prepared a lot of water. Break down the door.”

“Yes! Hey, break the door!”

One of the mercenaries tore a scroll. A violent wind burst forth, battering the tent’s blocked entrance.

Bang!!!

“We’re going in at once. Smash the others as well!”

“Yes!”

Another scroll was ripped, shattering the thin tent walls.

And there was a mound of dirt behind them.

“…????”

“What the?!?”

The mercenaries were appalled to find a mound of earth behind the tent wall, like a fortress.

They’d piled up an earthen barricade behind the tent wall in such a short time?

Unless there was a magician inside…

“Maybe there’s a magician?”

“If there were, the people inside would’ve told us. Don’t be fooled. Break another side! It’s just the knights scrambling.”

Bang!

A hole opened in another wall. There, too, was a thick earthen wall.

At this point, the mercenaries’ eyes began to waver. Bakdgul stared at the tent in hatred.

Not all the mercenaries were die-hard anti-magicists. Some had come simply for gold.

Guys like that wouldn’t hesitate to run if things got a little off.

Bakdgul felt the need for firm orders.

“The fact that the knights are poisoned hasn’t changed. At the door! Use the remaining scrolls to blow open the door and rush in!”

Fortunately, there was no earthen wall behind the main door. The knights must not have gotten that far.

The remaining scrolls erupted, and a deafening boom sounded at the entrance. Anyone waiting behind that door was likely blown away by the shock.

The mercenaries charged forward with shields raised, shouting.

Then the floor dropped beneath them.

“!!!”

Rather than a shallow pitfall, they found themselves in holes deep enough for their bodies to fall completely through.

When did they dig traps this deep?!

“Fire!”

Arrows rained from inside. The fallen mercenaries screamed for help, but their comrades were too busy blocking the attack.

“Make a bridge to get across!”

Bakdgul had no intention of helping them. Now was not the time.

Siege equipment they’d brought just in case soared over the pit. As the mercenaries raised shields and tried to charge again, lightning bolts shot from inside.

“!!!”

The mercenaries couldn’t even scream as the unrelenting lightning sent them tumbling into the pit.

Lightning magic was especially vicious among elemental spells. Even if you blocked it with shields, it would pierce through, tearing up your muscles, making the mercenaries recoil in retreat.

“There really is a magician in there!”

“Isn’t he just fine?!”

“Shut up and get in there!”

Bakdgul spat.

At this point, Bakdgul knew something was wrong.

Something had gone awry.

Whoever was inside must have been mistaken—there was a magician who hadn’t been poisoned!

“That wasn’t part of the deal… Ugh!”

A mercenary who complained took a spear through the throat. With blood dripping from his weapon, Bakdgul coldly surveyed the mercenaries.

“Anyone else want to die?”

“U-Uwaah!!”

The mercenaries rushed the attack again. In the meantime, Bakdgul said to his subordinate,

“While the mercenaries hold them up, break through the weak earth wall.”

“Yes!”

The subordinate instantly understood.

That tempting-looking entrance was a trap.

Given this much preparation, there was no telling what lay inside, even if it looked easy to enter.

It was hard to believe they’d prepared so quickly, but to seize the initiative, they couldn’t just play the knights’ game any longer.

Thunk, thunk, thunk—

Bakdgul’s subordinates started smashing the weak earth wall.

It was a brute-force method using magic power, but it worked. The thick pile of earth collapsed, revealing a hole.

“Go in— Ugh!”

Jeancliffe, hiding behind the dirt, began slaughtering mercenaries.

Aura flared on his sword, slicing the mercenaries’ metal equipment like paper.

Anyone could see this was a master knight in absolutely top form.

Bakdgul and his subordinates were shocked.

How???

“You filthy anti-magicist scum. You dare hold a grudge after committing your own crimes?!”

“Surround him!”

Bakdgul’s subordinate shouted, fending off Jeancliffe’s attack.

He truly was amazing, but the elite mercenaries Bakdgul brought were veterans. Once surrounding him, they were not easily beaten.

But other knights were waiting beside Jeancliffe. In an instant, the fight turned into a group melee.

Knights, disciplined and well equipped, excelled at group combat. The pressure felt like a wall of steel, and the mercenaries were suffocating.

There were barely twenty knights, and they were supposed to be poisoned…!

Bakdgul drew his sword and charged. He wasn’t aiming for Jeancliffe.

‘If the knights are concentrated there, the front entrance must be unguarded!’

Counter the counter.

Bakdgul gathered magic power and kicked off. With a bang, he soared over the pit.

Lightning struck. Bakdgul rolled to dodge.

Another bolt flew at him. Bakdgul blocked with a blackwood bracelet artifact shaped like seven entwined snakes.

“You little magician! I’ll kill you—”

Bakdgul roared, then froze.

The magician in front of him was much too young.

Was this the magician who put out the fire, raised the earthen wall, and called down lightning?

‘Why does he look so familiar?’

Even in the face of Bakdgul’s killing intent, the kid didn’t flinch and waved his staff.

A giant skeleton warrior charged from the side, sending Bakdgul flying.

Bakdgul gritted his teeth and prepared to use his secrets. He couldn’t afford to underestimate a young magician who could do this.

When fighting a magician, speed was everything.

You had to kill them as fast as possible.

‘I’ll charge in and finish it—’

But at that moment, a summoned green leopard struck Bakdgul. He regained his posture and gritted his teeth.

“Two summoned beasts…”

Then a griffin burst from the ceiling, sinking its talons into Bakdgul’s back.

Bakdgul forgot all dignity and screamed.

“You damn magician brat, I’ll tear you to pieces!”