Chapter 121
Wizard.
They are beings who use magical power in a way different from the knights’ stigmata.
The mysteries that manifest by their gestures and voices were so abstruse that ordinary people could study their whole lives and still not understand even a speck.
Dante was no different.
Even though his understanding and control of mana, after awakening his stigmata, were beyond imagination, he could not get a proper grasp of magic’s mysteries.
All he could notice was that magic had been triggered — that was the full extent of his comprehension.
That was how close to the unknown magic and wizards were.
“I didn’t expect Eina’s family to have started from a wizard,” he thought.
Usually wizards don’t run in families. There were households that produced wizards across generations, but those were extremely rare.
Most often, origin didn’t matter; talent manifested regardless of birth, and those with occasional talent continued on from there.
So the wizards of the Mage Tower included nobles, commoners, even those of the lowest class.
“I didn’t think she’d be interested in magic.”
It was the first time, both in his previous life and after his regression, that he’d seen Eina show such lively curiosity.
Whether it was mere interest or because of her family, he didn’t know. What was sure was that Eina seemed to have a deep interest in magic.
“I wonder if she has talent?”
He didn’t know. A knight couldn’t judge a mage’s talent. It would only be known by going to the Mage Tower for a test or by receiving recognition from a wizard.
“I should take her there sometime.”
Dante had no intention of keeping Eina as a maid forever. He wanted her to dream bigger someday — and to support her so she could make it real.
If she had talent for magic, he would spare no support.
“Young master?”
Eina’s blinking voice pulled Dante out of his thoughts.
“…So the founder of your family was a wizard?”
“Yes. Father said he was quite famous at the Mage Tower. Then he was granted a title by His Majesty the Emperor and settled down.”
“So? Do you want to become a wizard too?”
Dante tried to gauge her thoughts.
Eina shook her head with a soft giggle.
“No, I couldn’t even dream of such a thing. My dream is simply to take good care of the young master.”
That was too modest to be called a dream. No — that couldn’t even count as a dream.
Dante looked quietly at Eina and patted her head.
“Besides that, think about what you truly want to do.”
“Huh? But I — as I just said…”
Eina flustered and raised a hand, but Dante smiled at her and turned away.
“For now, you should rest. You must be tired.”
He quickened his pace to put distance between them, as if he wouldn’t listen to anything more.
“Young master!”
A voice called from behind, but he pretended not to hear and approached where Acrasion was preparing to depart.
“She’s hopping around behind us, Eina is.”
“Everyone pretend not to see her.”
Zionhak reported Eina’s movements with a laugh, but Dante cut off his mischief beforehand.
“Ready?”
“We’re almost done. We can depart as soon as the sun sets.”
Trisiel and Eina’s brief delay had been absorbed; nothing hindered the departure.
“Are you sure it’s okay for just us to go?”
Zionhak asked quietly.
It was a reasonable worry. The enemy numbers were uncertain. Even the ones who fled here numbered in the tens of thousands.
Who knew how many more were beyond the border? The chance of battle-crazed fiends being there was high.
And Acrasion alone would go into such a place?
They were a powerful order of knights, but still…
“The enemy isn’t monsters — they’re humans, Captain. You do understand that, right?”
“Yes.”
At Zionhak’s words, Dante nodded without hesitation.
To be honest, until a little while ago he hadn’t really felt it. But after hearing that Eina and Trisiel had run into Caldreon’s remnants, he understood clearly.
These enemies weren’t monsters driven only by instinct to destroy and kill. They had selves, reason, and unpredictable behavior — and they were strong.
For twelve Acrasion members to charge into such a swarm…
“It might be suicide.”
All eyes of Acrasion turned to Dante at that remark.
There was no fear of death — these were people who never feared dying. But they were also genuinely concerned that pointless casualties might occur.
A moment of silence passed. Tension rose, but Dante calmly accepted the gaze of his comrades.
After a long while, Dante spoke evenly.
“That may be true.”
He looked at Acrasion — brave knights. Men who had followed him steadfastly even through battlefields where a single wrong step could mean death; comrades who had saved each other’s lives many times.
Acrasion was Dante’s pride and his most trusted people.
“Have we ever fought an easy battle?”
He could say with certainty they had not. Acrasion’s fights had been like walking through hell where death could come at any moment.
This was no different. Some might call it suicide. They might truly not return alive.
Yet Dante still intended to go. Because that was the only way to protect the lives of the northern corps’ soldiers and the ordinary subjects of the empire.
So they had to go.
“Of course, that doesn’t mean we have to annihilate them completely.”
At that, Trisiel and Kain snorted out laughter, lightening the mood slightly.
Dante smiled and continued.
“For now, inflicting enough damage that they can’t even think of crossing the border will be sufficient.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Zionhak bared his teeth in a meaningful expression. Dante nodded.
“Yes — we have one objective.”
A battle-crazed fiend.
To cut off the enemy’s head.
“This way.”
Milleon, a human guide who could lead the way more accurately than anyone when given enough information, pointed to one side.
Dante didn’t ask a single question and turned in the direction he’d indicated.
“He’s amazing. How does he always find the way without error? He only has the moon to rely on. Ah, is it a trait advantage?” Zionhak chattered nonstop.
If Eina had been beside him, she would surely have scolded him for making noise.
Fortunately for Zionhak, Eina had remained at Baiyes Fortress.
“Anyway, he knows a lot. That’s fortunate for us, right, Kain?”
“Yes, yes, that’s right.”
Kain gave a bored-sounding agreement to the question.
For knights heading toward the enemy stronghold packed with tens of thousands, there was barely a hint of tension. They seemed relaxed as if on an evening stroll.
Dante didn’t reproach them. He understood it was their own way of relieving stress.
“So how much farther, Sir Leon?”
“…I told you not to call me that.”
No matter how many times he had seriously warned him, it did no good. If it were so easy to fix, it would have changed in the past four years.
“Uh, I don’t like it.”
Like arguing with a neighborhood kid, Milleon sighed and scanned the sky and surroundings.
“We should reach in about thirty minutes.”
He seemed to be confirming their position by the stars and the terrain.
“Thirty minutes…”
Dante nodded. This was Caldreon’s land. They had long crossed the border. From now on they had to move as quietly as possible. It wouldn’t be strange to encounter enemy scouts at any time or place.
Acrasion slid across the moonlit field with their horses’ hooves making almost no sound. The faint moonlight was absorbed by their black armor, and the trailing red cloaks muffled noise.
‘Caldreon has no fortresses.’
Whether from lack of resources, construction technology, or sheer confidence, the borderlands of Caldreon had no fortresses. That gave them mobility. They could abandon their positions and charge the enemy at any time.
So…
‘Twelve will be enough.’
If they had been hiding behind walls, Dante wouldn’t have planned such a rash surprise attack. But if the enemy relied only on tents and sentries?
‘We can do it.’
Pierce the unguarded body and in one stroke cut off the head — penetration and decapitation. It was a method Dante and Acrasion had used countless times.
“Hoo—.”
He took a small breath and adjusted his grip on Arpheon’s hilt. His pounding heart calmed a little.
“Dante-nim.”
At that moment, Milleon, who had been guiding at the front, raised his fist. At the same time, Acrasion came to a stop.
Off in the distance, beside a low hill, lights began to appear — hundreds of torches.
“Their camp.”
It was vast enough to fit five Baiyes Fortresses and still have room left. With that scale, the number of guards watching would also be large.
“Where would their command be?”
When Dante asked, Milleon and Sierra had a brief exchange and answered.
“Likely forward of the center.”
“And why?”
“Because it’s Caldreon.”
It was persuasive. Considering their belligerent nature, it was more likely their command would be positioned forward rather than rear. The army that attacked Baiyes had been the same.
Dante did a quick calculation and his eyes shone.
“I see.”
Ssshhh—.
Arpheon revealed its silver, elegant blade. Acrasion drew their weapons as well.
Not a single trace of mana leaked — perfect silence.
Dante’s quiet voice tore through the late-night darkness.
“We break through.”
