Chapter 30
“Three of them are crawling up from the right!”
“Mage, prepare Fireball. Ready, fire!”
Boom. The flames licked menacingly through the air, but the bug dodged the attack and managed to crawl all the way up the fortress wall. These bugs were far more aggressive than the few they had encountered before.
“Aaaargh!”
The bug whipped its antennae like a whip. The slicing sound as it cut through the air was sharp enough to make ears ring. The blow was more powerful than expected — a soldier took internal damage and collapsed, coughing up blood. Then, the bug revealed its hidden weapon: razor-sharp teeth like those of a shark.
“T-Teeth!”
The bug’s teeth sank deep into the soldier’s arm. Just when it seemed like he was done for, Vega appeared in front of him. With one swift strike, he sliced the bug clean in half.
Vega looked down at the bloody mouth of the creature with a face full of annoyance. He had heard from Ahom that these things were mutants. The necromancy had succeeded, but because that was the priority, they hadn’t had the chance to dissect them. Who would’ve thought they’d even hide teeth?
Vega hoped his lord would finish the spell to erase the scent of the glass bottle soon.
If Highshan hadn’t fallen ill with a plague, he himself would’ve drawn the magic circle, and Lord Deneb would’ve taken direct command of the battlefield. No one had expected Highshan’s absence to be such a crippling loss. If only he’d been there, his lord wouldn’t be stuck maintaining the magic. Vega clenched his jaw bitterly.
His lord had said the spell would be completed within 24 hours at the latest — meaning only half a day remained. Once the trace of the glass bottle, essentially their homeland’s scent, was gone, the bugs would have no reason to stay in the fortress. Scattering them was the goal.
Yes, they might spread across the continent — but that wasn’t their concern. Since the Empire had caused this, they should be the ones to deal with the consequences and cleanup.
“If we hold out until sunrise, we win. Injured to the rear! Those who’ve recovered, take the front!”
Vega rallied the soldiers and knights.
“Captain Vega! It’s bad. The ones bitten by the teeth — their bodies are burning up!”
The bitten soldiers were showing signs of infection. A terrible development on top of everything else.
Bugs swarming in from every direction. Refugees crammed into the fortress, barely escaping with their lives. There was no retreat for them. Vega thought, If there is a hell, it must be here.
Can we really hold out? Damn it, don’t get weak now.
He clenched his teeth and swung his sword. The bugs were fast — they dodged his attacks in an instant. Their defense was weak, but their evasion skills were exceptional. Vega concluded that if they lost ground here, they wouldn’t survive until sunrise.
Is that really the only way?
Vega decided to use his last resort and jumped down from the wall. It was a high drop, but as a trained knight, he landed without injury. His sudden presence caused the bugs to scatter to either side.
His strategy was simple — get close enough that they couldn’t dodge and strike them at point-blank range. He dashed in the direction the bugs were fleeing, but realizing he was now playing hide-and-seek with them made his expression darken.
Back on the ramparts, the deputy commander of the First Knights opened his eyes wide. Something strange was happening near the outer wall of the village beyond the fortress.
Incredibly, the black bugs were splitting apart like the Red Sea and fleeing.
“The bugs at the edge are acting strangely!”
The deputy activated his mana vision, trying to understand what was happening. His brows furrowed in confusion.
“What on earth…”
He swallowed hard, not believing what he was seeing.
“Captain! People in white masks and robes — they’re attacking the bugs…!”
Everyone, exhausted from the battle, focused on the deputy’s next words.
“T-They’re wrecking them!”
Not the kind of language you’d expect from such a by-the-book man — but seeing the white-robed group’s actions, no other word would suffice. It was complete and utter annihilation.
* * *
She was riding on Yellow’s back instead of speaking. Her eyes were clouded.
But she knew these bugs all too well. Their images kept forming in her mind.
“Ugh.”
[Hey! Don’t puke on top of me, you disgusting human! Ugh.]
Watching Yellow and Arin‘s pale faces, Alpha narrowed his eyes in irritation.
“Deputy Commander Arin, please stop dry heaving. If you keep going, I might actually puke.”
He was nauseated too. As he tried to settle his churning stomach, Billy, standing nearby, scolded them.
“We’ve been running nonstop, and now you’re making gagging noises? Save your strength!”
The scolding made Arin and Alpha look hurt, and even Yellow pouted after catching the mood.
“Stupid iron stomach…”
At Alpha’s muttering, Billy tapped his mask and robe.
“Thanks to the mask, there’s no smell. And thanks to the purification robe, nothing filthy gets on me. You two are overreacting.”
“This is why I hate talking to pampered nobles who don’t know the horror of cockroaches! Am I right, Deputy Commander?”
Billy, a noble, didn’t know much about cockroaches. That explained why he could remain so calm. Like a child unafraid of bugs because they’d never seen one.
Billy sighed through his mask, and Arin, now scowling, barked an order.
“Since Billy’s got a strong stomach and no fear of the bug master, he’ll lead the charge. Nobles, you’re the shields — I mean, you’ll carry out the mission!”
The nobles looked incredulous at being called shields.
“Hey now, Deputy’s word is law.”
Grinning with his signature annoying expression, Arin pretended to joke around.
Thus, as the youngest of the noble-born, Billy was shoved to the front. With him in the lead, they took bug spray in their left hands and sharp swords in their right.
At first, the bugs didn’t know how dangerous the spray was. They got hit head-on. But when their comrades started dropping like flies, they panicked and fled.
“Kill every last one of them!”
“Uoooooh!!”
The bugs split left and right, trying to escape, and the group chased after them like hounds. Arin threw fireballs here and there, leaving no remains behind.
Dressed all in white and wildly spraying pesticide, they looked like religious fanatics.
“Die, you disgusting little bastards!”
It made sense. After fighting grain moths in Kogain Village, they were now in a full-blown bug war in the fortress — no wonder they were mentally exhausted.
Whenever the bugs fled to the right, they chased them to the right. Eventually, they reached the fortress wall.
Vega, watching their bizarre behavior, called out to the figure riding the black panther.
“Could it be…?”
Arin roasted the bug remains repeatedly with magic and shouted,
“Upon hearing of the danger, Deputy Commander Arin of the 2nd Knights, along with 10 knights and 5 mages, has come to assist!”
At the word “reinforcements” and seeing their brutal skill, Vega was relieved. He didn’t know how or why, but these fanatics were on their side. Maybe — just maybe — they could exterminate all the bugs before the spell was even complete.
“First Knights! Support the Second Knights in crushing the bugs! The rest of you, hold the walls and protect the people!”
“Yaaah!!”
Morale soared. Like starving wild dogs, they pounced on the bugs.
The Second Knights sprayed pesticide, the First Knights struck with swords, and mages alternated fireballs and purification spells to leave nothing behind.
The most outstanding team was Arin, Vega, and Yellow. Yellow herded the bugs like sheep, Arin sprayed them and retreated, and Vega jumped in at the perfect moment with a sword strike. Arin followed up with overwhelming magic.
As the fight raged on, Yellow’s ears perked up. Twitching his ears, he looked at Arin.
[They’re running!]
Even before Arin could fully understand, the cockroaches twitched their antennae and scattered in all directions at insane speed. Everyone stared, stunned — then Vega burst out laughing.
“Our lord cast the spell! The bugs are retreating. We’ve won!”
* * *
Respan waited in Kogain Village for news of Arin’s victory. As soon as he heard the fortress was under attack, she had rushed out with such confidence.
Foolhardy decisions could lead to disaster, but being able to make fast decisions in crisis was a mark of a great commander. Truly, Altair Duchy was overflowing with talent.
“Uwaaah!”
A cheer interrupted his thoughts. Giran knocked on his door and carefully stepped inside, bringing news.
“They say it was a victory. We’re leaving a minimal force here and heading straight to the fortress.”
“…Understood.”
It was finally time to face that eyesore Deneb. Respan’s usual smiling face twisted into a mask of irritation.
