Genius Corpse-Collecting Warrior - Chapter 279

279

Bastion of Humanity (1)

“…Uh, yes. “What do you say?”

Lucia answered hesitantly. When she agreed, Felber immediately disappeared, taking Akasha with him.

The wizard’s back seems to be in a hurry. The door closed with a thud, blocking the view of the back.

Only then did Lucia notice that her tone a little while ago had been a bit harsh.

Why did you do that? She thought as she took her hand away from the strategy map.

‘…The tower owner’s behavior was unusual.’

Is it because I crossed the line between life and death once? In normal times, Felber was the epitome of composure.

Even though he had been to many battlefields since being resurrected as a member of Dallan’s family, the number of times he had seen him embarrassed or hesitated could be counted on one hand.

Always calm and composed demeanor. A response as skillful as the years of life and the various experiences that come with it.

His eloquence was excellent, and he was often in charge of minor negotiations with the outside world.

While Sienna played the role of an aggressive negotiator within the party, Felber had a strong feeling of being a laid-back negotiator.

‘But just a moment ago…he looked strangely nervous.’

Subtly heavy breathing. Unstable gaze processing.

Even though he was holding a cane, his fingers were slightly trembling and his speech seemed somewhat frantic.

The same was true for Akasha, who disappeared while being led by Felber’s hand.

Jin Rong, who was born under the long-standing arrangements of Qinglin during the Heavenly Dynasty and was full of firearms, only had a blank look in his eyes that he had never shown before.

“…….”

Before I knew it, my gaze was directed towards the door that the dragon and wizard had closed.

A hint of an ominous intuition that somehow tickles my brain.

no. It won’t be a big deal. Maybe I just had something else to talk about. He looked busy looking at the plan, so I guess he meant to talk to me later.

No matter how hard I tried to turn my thoughts around, my heart only became frustrated. Lucia took a deep breath and went outside with her sword.

The walls of the Shunyin district were high and wide. Lucia walked slowly on the secluded castle wall.

The walls of the Pureun Castle, where guards would normally be on tight guard, were quiet. There were quite a few sections where there were no security forces at all.

This is because most of the security forces, except for the minimum number of troops to maintain public order, are receiving special training on how to deal with demons and monsters.

The positions they had vacated were reinforced by the transcendental people of the Diamond Palace, working together to deploy a vast detection network.

‘They said they were consuming hundreds of chests worth of magic ingredients and elixirs every day to maintain the detection network.’

Hundreds of chests of gold coins per day. Geumgang Palace had a lot of money.

After traveling all over the continent for the past few years, that’s about all that Dallen had managed to save.

Actually, because they can spend that much money, they can maintain such a huge city.

“Whoa.”

White breath flowed from the corner of his mouth, caressing his cheek and scattering. It was a headwind.

Climbing the castle wall was a very good decision. The cold winter air cooled my boiling, stuffy heart just a little.

But why is it that a part of my heart feels as empty as the void where the boiling emotions have disappeared?

Lucia rubbed her cold cheek and leaned against the castle wall.

‘…It’s already been over a month.’

A month ago, she and her group were almost thrown out of the labyrinth.

Dallen opened the portal without any warning, opening up the area and forcing his colleagues into it.

The exit of the portal that was spinning before my eyes was a plaza centered around a collapsed tower.

I recognized Lucia right away because I had been here before. The collapsed tower is the barrier tower that was hit by a bomb, and the square is the central square of the labyrinth city’s Sun-eun district.

‘A person came out of the barrier tower! Report it to your superiors immediately!’

‘Are you okay? Rest assured. This is Falcion. You are safe!’

The knights guarding the square made all kinds of fuss. This was because they thought he was an explorer who had been trapped in a labyrinth and escaped through some kind of method.

When the Geumgang Palace personally came by soon after the report was made, the fuss was so great that he was almost on the verge of fainting.

Anyway, putting aside the series of commotions, Geumgang Palace treated the group with the utmost hospitality.

Even with the exception of Dallen, each and every one of them is a transcendental or strong person equivalent to that.

It would be strange not to be happy that a small, powerful elite force has been created ahead of the war.

“…….”

Of course, apart from such treatment, Lucia could not leave the room for a while.

For the first few days, I was wondering why.

Why did you send me back?

Why didn’t we fight together?

Was a paladin with only a sword and divine power really that bad? What about other colleagues? What about the Archmage and the Dragon? What about witches and explosives experts?

We have already been together on numerous battlefields. As we overcame a seemingly unwinnable battle together.

The mixed feelings of doubt and self-reproach became closer to resentment. I was prepared to criticize him as soon as he came back.

About three days later, I started training again, and about ten days later, I thought that way while participating in establishing detailed operations.

And time passed.

A month passed and Dallen did not return.

“…It’s time to come back.”

A murmur muttered while biting one’s lips. The tip of my nose tingled. Lucia closed her eyes tightly. It seemed a little cold.

It’s not that I haven’t made various efforts to hear news from Dallon.

Regularly communicating with the white-eyed seer through Eberron, the face of the comics, was part of that effort.

Of course, the only answers she got back were vague things she didn’t like.

It is said that it is difficult to read the deeds of someone who is not subject to fate.

Or, it is said that it is nearly impossible to predict a river that has overflowed and lost its destination.

“Damn spellcaster.”

[It’s embarrassing, so can you please refrain from talking behind my back? Caw—]

“……?”

A cackling sound that came out of nowhere. At some point, a crow was picking feathers on the castle wall.

It appears to be gently preening its feathers with its beak and then quivering. The bird raised its head and chirped.

“…I wasn’t talking about that.”

[know. I just tried it. It’s hard. Who wouldn’t be a paladin? Cluck cluck.]

“If you came here to argue with cack cack, go back. “Why did an intelligence merchant come here when he has a lot of work to do?”

“I also need time to cool off. is not it?”

The last one was a human voice.

***

Ttogak. Again.

Low-heeled shoes click cheerfully on the castle walls. Lucia turned her head.

The person who came up the stairs of the castle wall was a woman with black hair.

Black eyes as well as long hair. Long, fascinating eyelashes covering it.

The furry clothes had a luxurious sheen. Before I knew it, the crow had disappeared.

“…Siena.”

The greatest intelligence merchant in the labyrinth city and the most powerful witch of feathers among our ancestors.

Sienna shrugged her shoulders. She said.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Did I do something wrong?”

“no.”

“Then can I sit next to you?”

“…okay.”

A witch sits down on a nearby wooden box as if she’s been waiting. Lucia looked at her with anxious eyes.

In fact, for a Holy Knight, she was not the type to reject people of shady places. But the witch in front of me was a bit uncomfortable.

To put it bluntly, he was a trustworthy colleague, but he was also someone who made me uncomfortable for no reason.

“It’s cold.”

“…….”

“Well, because it’s winter. Of course it’s cold. Our paladin doesn’t even wear armor or fur clothes? “Isn’t it cold?”

This time it was Lucia’s turn to shrug. Sienna muttered while rubbing the area under her nose.

“I’m the only one who’s cold. Anyway, it’s either a dragon or a human with a half-dragon body. “I don’t know the sadness of being a weak spellcaster…”

“Why did you come up?”

“I told you. “You said you came here to cool off?”

Ha – white breath spreading out. The witch laughed at Lucia’s absurd reaction. She said.

“I came up because I was worried.”

“…what?”

“Lucia Castachald, the demon slayer and the sharpest sword of the war god. Even if you are a hero of the Knights who everyone looks up to, you are still human in the end, and because of your incredible reputation, there are very few people who want to take care of you, right?”

“Why are you taking care of me?”

“Because that guy, Dallon, cares about you. A lot of that too.”

The witch grinned. The corners of the eyes are rounded. It was a smile that would captivate any man.

“don’t worry. Because witches have a long lifespan. “It may not be as long as a true dragon that lives for tens of centuries, but if nothing happens, it can easily last up to a thousand years.”

“…….”

Lucia did not answer. It was because I felt like I was losing for some reason.

The witch who was fiddling with her hangnail soon turned her head. The gaze is directed towards the downtown area of a huge city that extends far inside the castle walls.

“People are gathering. “Isn’t it amazing?”

Sienna said softly. The paladin’s gaze naturally followed the witch.

“The pharmacist who treated us was the most skilled in the western part of the continent. I even know Shania. The best healers and priests from all over the world gathered in this city. According to the official count, there are well over 100 magicians who are said to be difficult to find.”

Lucia nodded. It wasn’t wrong.

This megacity has been accepting refugees and reinforcements from all over the continent for the past few months.

It was already a publicly known fact that the size of the newly organized troops was several times greater than the existing regular army.

“Not only the Three Kingdoms of the East, including the proud Kingdom of the Knights, but also the Elves fled into exile, dragging their entire dynasties with them. The Tsar also sent over ten thousand reinforcements. High Orc Warchief…was it Tarum? It’s been a while. “It looks like they left their family in the north and brought the entire clan with them.”

The same was true for the Western Guild Federation.

Mercenaries and technicians, as well as enormous amounts of supplies and weapons, entered the city in procession every day.

In the southern part of the empire, some nobles who had revolted against the imperial family sent troops.

A decision that clearly shows a political intention to gain support from the Labyrinth City in the future. However, Geumgang Palace did not reject this.

In any case, the private armies of several knights and nobles of the empire would be of great help now that the decisive battle was imminent.

“You know, I don’t trust humans. “There are some exceptions, but most humans have an ugly nature.”

Sienna crossed her legs and leaned her back against the castle. She continued speaking in a slightly drowsy voice.

“I can’t believe that the power of people can come together like this. “After all this time, you’ve been fighting so bitterly for just a piece of gold that is your reputation?”

“The fortune tellers and prophets all mention the Labyrinth City as the location of the final battle. “What value are thrones and gold when the entire continent is gone?”

“well. People are not as logical as you think, Paladin. Even if you die tomorrow, having a loaf of bread to eat today is important.”

“know. I’m not saying this isn’t surprising. “If it weren’t for Dallen, it wouldn’t have been possible for the continent to become one like it is now.”

Before I could gather my strength and do anything, I would have been torn apart. Lucia added.

The witch’s gaze, who had been quietly listening to the story, turned to the paladin. She was smiling with satisfaction.

“okay. That’s right.”

“…what?”

“You remember what Dallen did while wandering around the continent, right? So, let’s trust it this time too.”

The corners of the witch’s eyes drew an arc once again.

“I don’t know how strong this new evil spirit is, but I believe that the Dallon I know would have been able to overcome it. That guy will get the wishing stone without us. And…”

“Are you saying you’ll just show up as if you’re in danger?”

“I know.”

Lucia sniffed lightly. It seemed like it was really cold with only the armor on.

Sienna was right.

How many times have you overcome seemingly insurmountable odds and how many times have you turned the tables on a fight that was impossible to win?

Trusting someone when you don’t know what’s ahead is true trust. It wasn’t that difficult to trust him at least once, as he had already proven his track record several times in the past.

“…thank you.”

“It was nothing.”

The witch laughed lightly. This time, Lucia was also able to smile.

Feeling a bit frustrated, she stretched and turned around.

The sunset was setting over the western plains that stretched far beyond the walls of Shunyi Castle.

The scarlet sun touching the horizon. The sky is turning purple and dark blue.

Three whitish lines blooming against the background of that dazzling light.

white line? Lucia opened her eyes wide.

‘performance…?’

It was a signal fire. A beacon lit up from the western fortress.

One line is fine. If there are two lines, an error occurs.

Invasion in three lines.

“Paladin, is it possible that I’m looking at it wrong?”

Sienna, standing next to her, asked. Lucia shook her head.

Pooh—

Soon, the sound of war trumpets continued behind the two people.

A chorus of dozens and hundreds of trumpets burst out at once from the watchtowers of the seven walls and resound throughout the streets of the city.

It was the sound announcing the beginning of war.