Chapter 169: Secret (2) (2/2)
Josephine closed her eyes for a moment and organized her thoughts. Professor Deculein still loved Julie and left his position as her fiancé for her safety. And now, even under Sophien’s pressure, he protected her. If he became disliked by Her Majesty, his end would be in death.
“…”
Josephine opened her eyes again and looked up at the sky. Deculein, the man with the purest heart. Contrary to his appearance, he was a very beautiful man. Perhaps, he loved Julie more than herself.
“However… it’s a secret until you get better.”
Josephine put her hands together and prayed. She wished for her happiness while watching Julie.
Please, get well soon. Get well and fly happily.
* * *
Advancement began early in the morning the next day after the blizzard had stopped. Each team was armed, and some prisoners were recruited as porters. This would be the first planned thinning.
─I will open the door!
Along with that shout, there was a roar of cogs whirring. The huge wall of Reccordak opened. Beyond that, Julie, Epherene, Drent, Allen, and several other Named were going on an expedition.
“…”
I watched them from the middle of the mountain that wrapped around the right side of Reccordak. Not everyone needed to be sent on the mission, and we needed some to protect the base. In addition, the concentration of mana in the North was quite thick. Surrounded by trees on all sides, its density was great. In other words, it meant it was the best place to practice.
“…Whew.”
I made a chair in the middle of the mountain, then sat and took a deep breath. It was a practice known as Studying. The purpose was to complete Memorize.
◆ Memorize Status
: Intermediate Psychokinesis (36%)
┏Intermediate Fire Control (22%)
┣Intermediate Earth Control (31%)
┗Metal Enhancement (99%)
And to imprint that 99% metal enhancement on my Psychokinesis, I had to start by circulating mana through my body with breathing and then complete the circuit of strengthening with that mana. It was time to turn the hard work of the last half a year into tangible achievement.
“…Ha.”
Inhale and exhale. There was a pain as if my raw flesh were being torn, but there was no need to overdo it.
Black smoke burned from below the ridge, standing in stark contrast to the pure white world. It was a warning that an outsider had appeared. I looked at my watch. Three hours had already passed.
─Fire arrows!
A shout rang out from not far away. I rode down the slopes on the wood steel.
─Fire!
At the Wall of Reccordak, prisoners were firing bows under the guidance of the guards. Their target was an ice wolf beyond the barrier. They must have attacked as soon as they confirmed the large-scale deployment. Wolf-type beasts had exceptional intelligence, after all.
The wolf died without a sound as my wood steel pierced its neck.
“Professor!”
A guard pointed from the wall, and I followed his line of sight. In a snowy field not far away, several more white beasts were forming into an attack formation.
Wheeeeeeeeeeing-!
I sent the wood steel floating up and quietly looked over the battlefield. The ranks of ice wolves stretched out downhill, likely numbering in the hundreds.
Grrrrr—!
As I watched, the wolf vanguard roared and rushed forward. I put the wood steel through its snout, splitting its head in two. Suddenly, another one appeared from the side. The steel-cut through its throat neatly. However, the numbers hardly decreased. More than a hundred wolves rushed forward, and more began to circle to the flank.
Whatever they intended, I focused on killing the wolves in front of me. I slammed a piece of wood steel beam down on their foreheads. Their skulls ruptured, and their brains splattered, but all splashing filth was blocked with Psychokinesis. Like chopping firewood, I walked through the snow, slaughtering all the raging beasts. Those who ran at me from the front were smashed, and those who jumped at me from the side were torn apart.
While I was walking like that-
Boom-!
A mole burrowed off the ground and bit at my wrists. I tore through its torso with the wood steel, sending bone shards and intestines flying all over.
“…”
I casually looked at my wrist. It was only a scratch. No, even that was already healing with the help of Iron Man.
─Professor! We’ll help too!
The guards and prisoners came off the wall with their weapons raised. As if to respond to the replenishment, a new horde of enemies arose in the distant field. The nineteen wood steel seemed a little insufficient, so I stole the weapons held by the prisoners and guards with Psychokinesis.
“Huh?!”
The guards were bewildered, but I propelled their axes forward. Like a boomerang, the blade flew, killing dozens of wolves. Their maces were used similarly. Nineteen pieces of steel and, of course, dozens of weapons floated in the air, cutting down wolves…
…
The prisoners and guards were speechless. They blankly watched the scene of carnage Deculein created alone. He was breaking the pack of wolves, tearing them apart.
“Huh…”
The weapons revolved around Deculein like satellites. The monsters caught in the orbit were torn to shreds, dead before they could even scratch him. In the midst of that, Deculein gracefully strolled through the swamp of carcasses. He was an out-of-standard existence that crushed the battlefield.
“What are you doing? Cover these guys.”
“Do we need to?”
“…”
But it wasn’t surprising. They just forgot for a moment the Demon Hunter, Yukline. The lineage and long tradition of that family was by no means a lie, and Deculein was the most legitimate heir.
“…Still, we can’t let him be just like that! Charge!”
The rest rushed in late.
* * *
Meanwhile, at the same time, in the peaceful palace.
─Here! It’s a letter!
Sophien received a reply from Deculein. The specially recruited adventurer delivered the letter without being noticed by the eunuch.
“…Hmm. A reply. I told you not to send one.”
Sophien looked at the envelope with a rather dissatisfied face. It was neat and sophisticated, as expected from Deculein, and sealed with mana.
“Tsk. What kind of grandiose statement did you write?”
Sophien twisted her lips as she pried it open. Deculein’s writing was famous on the continent, so she was sure it would be like poetry. She opened the envelope slowly and carefully read the letter.
[Yes. I will do my best according to Your Majesty’s will.]
“…”
Three seconds was enough to read the whole letter.
“…”
She looked at it blankly, then turned it over. Was there more on the back?
“…”
There wasn’t. She flipped it over again.
Swish-
Then again.
Swish-
There wasn’t anything new.
“…”
Sophien tilted her head. If the Emperor sent a long message of more than 20 lines, shouldn’t he at least return her sincerity? Could it be that this savvy bastard believed ‘no reply is necessary’ straight away?
No, of course, she didn’t need a reply.
“…Ah.”
Then a thought suddenly came to mind. One more letter, maybe? She took the envelope and looked inside.
“…”
There wasn’t one. Nothing.
“…”
Deculein’s letter was, indeed, one line. Sophien grabbed the letter tighter.
“…Fuck.”
She threw it away and lay down. She had work to do today, but she didn’t want to do it anymore. It felt like she had been insulted for some reason, so Sophien suddenly became annoyed with state affairs…