Youngest 244
by Cristae244
“Have the residents been evacuated?”
In response to the Emperor’s question, the captain of the knights answered with unwavering loyalty.
“We’ve finished evacuating everyone in the southwestern area where we anticipate the fighting will take place. The barrier magical devices for the city walls, developed by the capital’s outpost mages led by Asha Drucan, are also operational.”
Barrier magical devices.
The Emperor recalled the appearance of those contraptions, the likes of which he had never heard of, and muttered unconsciously.
“The bell of the watchtower.”
“Huh? That’s something my granddaughter built on the walls of Zelox!”
Balok promptly boasted.
“She was only ten!”
“……”
“To stand against the invasion of magical beasts!”
The captain of the knights gave a round of applause. If he didn’t, he’d have been toppled—he had to clap.
“Q-quite so. The princess. In any case, the existing magic circles were modified and distributed so even lower-ranking mages could create them without expending much magic.”
“What a clever, precocious little brat!”
Balok snorted loudly, then shot another glare at the Emperor.
“Hurry up! What if those battle mages all swarm to attack where our kids are?!”
“All right, all right.”
His skills at tormenting the Emperor were on par with Leviathan’s. Ah, they really are father and daughter.
The Emperor could have completely shut down the incursion of the mages.
But since an assault on Arcadia was underway, it was also his duty to draw Arcadia’s forces away and redistribute them here.
“Let’s take our time tormenting them.”
If they dared to cross the border, let’s give them a warm welcome. If ten invaders came, kill eight and send two back.
Those two would return with a hundred. Then kill ninety and send ten back…
‘The Mage King must be wholly preoccupied with attacking Duke Zevert by now.’
He wouldn’t even realize there was a leak in the bag until he discovered, far too late, he was holding a withered shell.
“Let’s go.”
A radiant smile crossed the Emperor’s handsome face. As if he’d been waiting for it, Balok shot forward like a cannonball.
“This is a defensive battle.”
Arcadia, South.
Father had infiltrated the village alone, stolen the magic devices, and returned in less than an hour.
His speed was truly incredible.
Was our Duke more of a phantom thief than a hero, after all?
“Uunngh. Anyway, I love having a strong dad!”
Half in awe and half in relief, I ran up and leapt into his arms.
The villagers were retrieving stones from the ruins of the collapsed temple, trimming the edges and fitting them into the portal’s frame.
Ideline and I carefully drew the magic circle over it.
As always, Father and Kal stood behind me, guarding my back.
“All right, if I can just finish this section of the formula…”
I rolled up my sleeves when suddenly—
“Elder! Elder!”
Someone burst into the inner chamber, panting.
“It’s terrible—an attack…!”
He was unable to finish his sentence.
Because, at that moment, a massive surge of magic descended and something crashed and shattered with a thunderous roar.
“No!”
Swiftly, I cast three different protective spells over the portal.
It was as if a bombardment had begun—ominous attack magic and screams of panic burst forth, one after another.
“Ruby!”
Father pulled me into his arms, and Khalid pressed his hand to the ground.
“What are you doing, mage!”
At his fierce shout, a senior court mage immediately drew a barrier circle on the floor, and Khalid poured out his magic with frenzied intensity, extending it all the way to the chapel.
KWA-AANG!
With a tremendous shock, the main hall collapsed.
Thick stone walls and debris fell in chaos, but were repelled with a thud, bouncing off the shield deployed by Ideline.
‘High-ranking mages!’
Judging by the flow of magic, this was a direct assault by mages.
‘Have they discovered I’m here?’
I knew it would happen eventually.
But they’d found us much faster than I’d anticipated.
‘No—if the portal had been working, we would have already left and none of this would have happened.’
Within the rumbling barriers, I gazed at the protected portal.
‘Just ten more minutes!’
Cold sweat dripped down my face. My powers were still taxed from using both the crest-breaking sigil and barrier spells in succession.
“Move aside.”
At that moment, Father rose to his feet, sword in hand.
“Your Grace!”
“Make an opening. At this rate, my daughter will collapse first.”
From his broad shoulders, heat shimmered and rose faintly. As Ideline hesitantly moved to widen a gap in the shield—
“Dad, wait!”
The endless barrage of attacks suddenly ceased.
The soaring ceiling had already collapsed long ago. The once-magnificent pillars were half-destroyed, and the area around us lay in ruins.
“They’re trying to assess our situation.”
“Or perhaps preparing a different attack…”
I answered Father, feeling the earth tremble ominously. In any case, this was our chance.
Panting, I struggled upright, and Khalid rushed over to lend me some of his magic.
“Ruby! Are you all right?”
“Nngh. Am I getting a nosebleed?”
“No.”
“Good. I’ll handle the portal repairs. In the meantime, you should gather everyone from the chapel over here.”
Ideline nodded. Beads of sweat stood out on her brow as well.
“If we gather the children, elderly, and injured here and reduce the shield’s range, I can maintain it myself. Let’s hurry before the attack resumes!”
She sprang to her feet.
“And until the portal is reconnected, those of us who can fight…”
“Will have to fight.”
With a growl, Khalid gripped his sword.
Below the low hill, an endless horde of earthen puppets swarmed.
Here and there, blue magic circles spun, and atop them stood dozens of high mages studying us intently.
Leviathan recognized them.
Warriors shaped in the likeness of humans, molded from clay. They were close-combat golems made by the mages.
Massive, ogre-like forms and bulging muscles. Leviathan well remembered their explosive power and ironclad defenses—they’d been rather useful in the Human–Dark Beast War.
“Never thought I’d find myself facing them like this.”
“The numbers are… too many.”
Licht muttered, scratching his pale cheek.
As the wind swept away the clouds, shadows receded, revealing thousands of soldiers packed across the broad plain.
“Then go guard Ruby’s side or something.”
At that moment, Kal, dusting off his shoes, murmured coolly and shot forward like a cannonball.
He tore through enemy ranks without a trace of fear, slashing with his blade without hesitation.
With a single burst of aura, the club-wielding monsters collapsed in heaps.
For a brief instant, the golem vanguard wavered, but soon charged straight at Khalid.
His eyes flashed sharply.
He searched the field with relentless precision and spotted the mage controlling the clay puppets. As the mage hesitated, sensing danger—
Khalid unleashed his magic with explosive force, tearing up the earth around him.
Crack, crack, crack.
Golem warriors floundered and perished in the fractured ground. The high-ranking mage survived by means of a levitation spell, but that was all.
SWISH. The merciless blade severed his head.
“Your Grace, what have you been raising?”
“Did I ever teach him that…?”
Leviathan tilted his head.
“I was planning to finally lock him up for lèse-majesté, but it’ll have to wait again.”
The prince cut down the assaulting warriors with flawless, minimal movements, smiling gently.
“Prison or not—above all, don’t get hurt. Ditrian will kill me.”
“Haha.”
“But, really…”
A sudden question struck Leviathan, and he stared at Licht’s pale face.
“Your Highness, why did you follow us here so willingly?”
“You ask that now?”
“I’ve only now wondered.”
“Well…”
The prince lowered his sword and smiled enigmatically, glancing briefly toward the temple.
“Because something I want is here.”
With that, Licht took the lead, running ahead of Leviathan.
“……”
KWA-ANG!
Leviathan let out a brief groan, tightening his grip on his sword.
Damn it.
“My daughter…”
BOOM!
An explosion erupted, ripping the surroundings into shambles. Muscles strained to the point of bursting, and hot blood pounded from his heart through every vein.
With a mighty sweep of his blade, dozens of artificial warriors were pulverized.
Licht cast him a slightly awed look.
Regardless—
“I raised my daughter too well.”
As Leviathan advanced, black energy billowed from him.
See, Rose? We’re surrounded on all sides…
The eyes of the strongest flared with fierce resolve.