Genius Corpse-Collecting Warrior - Chapter 250
250
Flame of the Knights (4)
The battle was over before long.
While Dallen was performing a dismemberment show with two blue dragons in the air, Akasha quickly bit the neck of a green dragon that was injured and was running away.
On the ground, Bjorn’s bombardment quickly neutralized the demon army.
By the time Sienna’s spell cleared out the remaining monsters and rescued the survivors, Lucia, who had recovered her strength, also came down to the valley to collect the troops and lead them.
“aide. Report survivors.”
“Paradise thirty-four, crusader two hundred and fifty-five. “Out of the total 500 members of the detachment, there are 289 survivors.”
“…The body will be collected later. First, I will retreat into the Holy Law Barrier.”
The three hundred men under Lucia’s command went back the way they came.
The detachment suffered damage that was virtually annihilated and even failed in its mission to recapture the fortress.
My steps were by no means light, but surprisingly, the atmosphere itself was not that bad.
Sometimes, a glimmer of hope seems bigger than the misfortune we face.
The inaction of the party, who literally cut down the true dragon that even a high-ranking knight could not attack, was enough to be seen as a ray of hope.
“Did you see a pillar of fire shooting out of the bomb? I could feel the heat up here. “That dwarf is the famous one-eyed master craftsman, right?”
“Gunpowder is gunpowder, but dragon blood and flesh falling like rain from the sky… This is the first time I have seen such a sight in my life.”
“Isn’t he the dragon slayer of rumors? “The person who cut off Cheongrin’s head a few years ago and then suddenly disappeared.”
“I heard they are all Lord Lucia’s colleagues. “It looks like you started dating when he was dispatched to the northern part of the continent.”
The spark of hope makes you forget even the fatigue of battle.
Whenever there was a moment between marches, the crusaders talked non-stop about how superior their party’s military strength was.
Even for those who fight against monsters on a daily basis, the opportunity to see this type of battle must not have been common.
“That kid is the dragon from before? A blue-scaled dragon biting a green dragon in the sky?”
“They say dragons can disguise themselves as any race they want at any time. “It seems it wasn’t just a legend.”
The Paladins were not much different.
However, compared to the crusaders, the paladins were closer to Lucia, so they had heard a bit about her group.
Therefore, the attention of the Holy Knights was focused on Cheongrinyong Akasha, a character who was not greatly emphasized in Lucia’s story.
“Now that I think about it, if it has blue scales, isn’t it a blue dragon? “I heard that an empty nest and eggshell were found in Cheongrin’s dragon cave.”
“Huh, where are the blue scale dragons? And wasn’t it said that it was a dragon that the dragon slayer carries around? Would you follow the enemy who killed your mother? “Where can you find such immorality?”
“…….”
It’s a sound that will hurt anyone’s heart when they hear it.
Dallon, who was walking at a distance in the lead, scratched the back of his head as he heard the story of the Holy Knight scolding his colleague, telling him not to talk nonsense.
The reason Akasha recognized Dallen as her parent was because of the true dragon’s unique ecology, which was different from other living creatures.
It is said that after hatching from an egg, the first thing they see is the real dragon that they recognize as their parent.
I heard that even in situations where they know who their biological parents are due to their superior intelligence, they willfully choose the first Jinryong they see as their parent.
[This is why it is necessary to have empathy between different species. A dragon’s relationship is completely different from that of a human. Isn’t that right?]
“…I’m sorry, but I’m human too.”
[Okay. Dallen, you are not prejudiced. The years we will spend together will be enough to shake off what little misunderstanding remains between our species.]
Rotten. I can’t say anything about this.
Leaving the ancient dragon, who was starting to fight as usual, Dallon turned his attention to Akasha, who was walking a little away.
I lowered my voice to keep in mind the person involved, but there was no way the Jinryong boy couldn’t hear even a whisper like that.
‘I knew it.’
Ears twitching. Dealing with ambiguous gazes going round and round.
Although they are pretending not to care, it is proof that they are listening with more interest than anyone else.
Fortunately, the boy’s expression didn’t look that bad even though he was talking behind his back.
Seeing the mouth twitching makes me feel a little proud.
“…….”
When our eyes meet, we even see the composure of smiling without saying a word. An expression as if to say, ‘Did I do well?’
This isn’t a dog wagging its tail. As they were just giving a dry look, not knowing what to say, Lucia came between them.
“Akasha. When did you grow up so much? “I almost didn’t recognize you.”
“Thank you, mother. “Mom, you become more beautiful every day.”
“Hmm, who else did you learn those words from?”
Lucia pats her head with a meaningful smile. For some reason, the air felt soft.
Dallon shrugged his shoulders as he looked at the paladin’s gaze.
“Say what I did.”
“no. I just saw it. “Akasha has grown so much.”
“There is still a long way to go before it becomes a full adult. We need to grow further in the future. “I have to become a son that my father and mother can be proud of.”
“…Mothers?”
The hand stroking my head stopped. The atmosphere became cold, as if it had never been softer.
“…Dallen?”
Even the voice sounds sharp. Dallen shrugged his shoulders, trying to avoid the paladin’s gaze.
what. What did I do?
***
The group, which escaped the Wall Mountain Range overnight, was able to arrive at their destination, the headquarters, around dusk the next day.
The location of the headquarters was visible from afar.
The huge silver curtain stretched high into the sky was enough to glow faintly not only in the night sky but also under the midday sun.
“It is a sacred law barrier centered around the main altar and sanctuaries. “I didn’t know it was true this time, but I heard that the location of the main altar and sanctuary itself has an extensive magic lineup in preparation for times like this.”
Lucia explained.
Of course, Dallan also knew this. The headquarters of the Holy Knights is the final cordon blocking the entrance to the rift.
However, strong walls and water-based weapons alone are not enough to stop the devil’s army. For this reason, the pioneers who founded the Holy Knights more than a thousand years ago prepared a final means of defense in case of an emergency.
‘A sacred law barrier that only the knight commander can access.’
The sanctuaries built throughout the vast plains surrounded by the Barrier Mountains do not serve only as simple supply depots or armories.
The locations where the sanctuaries were built were actually the focal points of a huge drinking ritual.
The holy law barrier established based on the headquarters and sanctuaries was a strong defensive wall that not only the great devils but also evil spirits could not easily penetrate.
It’s similar to how Falcion operates as a huge barrier within the city itself.
The times when it was built are also similar, so there may be a connection between the founders.
‘Ask Edgar and he’ll tell you. I probably won’t have much time to spare now that the barrier is in effect.’
Dallen stopped in front of the silver curtain, letting his thoughts go.
In any case, what was immediately important was not the origin of the sacred law barrier, but its function.
Only the leader of the Holy Knights can activate and maintain the Holy Law Barrier’s ability to fundamentally block demons and monsters.
It is unclear whether they will be able to withstand the evil god’s all-out attack, but it was enough to buy them some time.
Tsuzuzuzu….
The group passed through the sacred law barrier and headed straight to the headquarters.
When Dallen and Akasha passed, the veil trembled slightly, but no major problems occurred.
This is probably because it is Knight Commander Edgar himself who controls the Holy Law Barrier. In fact, it was clear that he had been concentrating all day without resting even for a moment.
Of course, everyone in the Holy Knights was the same as not being able to rest properly.
The dragon army’s attacks have been going on for several months already.
The fortresses inside the rift had already fallen, and the Holy Knights were struggling every day to retake even an inch of the defense line.
“Ballista this way!”
“The eastern wall needs more boiling oil!”
“I just came back from a rift. There’s an injured person! We need healing prayers!”
“Carel! Karel!”
Is it appropriate to say ‘father-in-law’?
A squad of crusaders running in a hurry. Mules and carts carrying arrows and spear knives. Those who seemed to have just finished a battle were covered in blood and dust, and the procession ended with the cries of a paladin clutching the cold corpse of his comrade.
“I can’t believe my eyes. “Is this the Holy Knights, which boasts a thousand-year history?”
“I heard the news, but I never thought it would be like this…”
“I need to return to the Diamond Palace as soon as possible. “If the Holy Knights are at this level, the situation in other parts of the continent will be more serious.”
The group also seemed quite shocked. It was natural.
Knowing the majesty of the Holy Knights who have protected the rift for a thousand years, it would be even more difficult to accept.
Even Dallan, who had seen the fall of the Knights on the other side of the monitor dozens of times, could not help but harden his expression at the scene unfolding before his eyes.
The bloody smell that paralyzed the nostrils and the air filled with gloomy heat were realities that could not be conveyed through a simple combination of polygons and codes.
Lucia, who was leading the group, sighed with a confused expression.
“…Everyone in the detachment should get some rest. “Changes in affiliation depending on future schedules or casualties will be notified later.”
The surviving contingent troops were dispersed according to their ranks and affiliations.
The group, exhausted from their travels, also followed the guidance of one of the Holy Knights and went to rest.
Dallen and Lucia headed to the hall deep inside the main altar. The two had work to do before they could rest.
Ugh…
in front of the huge dome-shaped building in the center of the headquarters. As the two approached, the heavy door slowly opened as if waiting.
Inside the gate was a large hall. A hall without even a single crack, let alone a window.
Edgar Reinhardt, leader of the Holy Knights, was kneeling in the middle of it all. He raised his head.
“…You came.”
Unfocused eyes stared at the entrance to the hall. As Dallan and Lucia entered, the door to the hall closed again.
Even though the only entrance door was closed, the inside of the hall was surprisingly not dark.
This was because of the lines and letters that were heavily engraved from the ceiling to the walls and floor.
‘It is the central magic circle of the Holy Law Barrier.’
In a hall without any torches, the characters of the magic circle glow softly, illuminating the sight.
Occasionally, silver waves would slowly fill the hall, forming a hemisphere around where Edgar sat.
Lucia took a step forward. She opened her mouth.
“Captain. I have returned from my assigned mission. Unfortunately, the Gateway Fortress cannot be recaptured…”
“I know, Lord Lucia. great job. He went beyond dropping Jinryong’s head and even jumped headfirst into his breath to protect his comrades. “I was deeply moved.”
“How do you do that….”
“God showed me last night.”
Edgar smiled faintly. Dallen nodded.
“You are indeed a guide.”
If you think about it, even when they first met, Edgar was waiting for Dallan and the group, anticipating them in advance.
Even though he had no control over the blessing of foresight given to Edgar, its precision and usefulness were comparable to those of the White Eyes.
The leader turned his unfocused gaze towards us. He continued.
“God showed me about you too, Dallen.”
“me?”
“Because God is always watching you. “Not long ago, he even appeared to you in person.”
The faint smile became a little deeper.
“You have come to go down through the rift into the labyrinth. “Is the Wishing Stone really your goal?”