Chapter 986: Central Front Border Zone (3)
Fwoosh!!
Waves of burning fire swept over the altar, incinerating it.
The altar, built from layers of human skin, evaporated and vanished as if erased by the extreme heat.
The cultists, engulfed in flames, crumpled to their knees, unable to bear the agony.
“Aargh……!!”
“Oh, gods. Please……!!”
[Go!!]
Confirming the priests were neutralized, the Gateway Search Party members simultaneously charged into the flames on their bikes.
Amidst the chaos, they mercilessly cut down the cultists who had collapsed.
Watching from a distance, Lennok retracted the ignition device he held.
“A good start.”
It had been three days since he joined the Gateway Search Party, who were tracking the Headro Warlords.
While heading towards the first Gateway, Lennok assisted the search party, incinerating various threats on the Central Front.
The Guido Cult. The Headro Warlords and the Ability Awakening Warband.
Countless powerful organizations had established themselves on the Central Front, making a name for themselves,
but the actual targets the search party kept an eye on were mostly these remnants, rather than large organizations like the warband or the cult.
The cultists currently being subjugated were, in fact, merely imitators clumsily mimicking the Guido Cult’s human sacrifices, not the cult itself.
“Thank you, thank you…….”
Those who had almost been sacrificed by the cultists repeatedly bowed their heads, their faces vacant.
Having witnessed others die right beside them, they must have been out of their minds throughout the ritual.
“Thank you, Cheonbeon-nim……!!”
“…….”
As they moved to a nearby shelter near the Gateway, people repeatedly bowed to Lennok.
Lennok acknowledged their greetings with a slight nod and turned his gaze away.
Helping the search party was fine, but it was still something he couldn’t quite get used to.
“After about three days, shouldn’t you be used to it by now?”
Uluric, a member of the Gateway Search Party who was guarding Lennok, said with a smile.
“You’re doing good work. You should be proud.”
“……I’m just helping the search party while heading to the Gateway.”
Lennok shook his head with an impassive face.
“After today, these are people I’ll never see again. There’s no reason for me to accept their prostrations.”
“There are far too many superhumans in this world who treat human lives as expendable.”
Uluric replied.
“Compared to them, what you speak of, Evan-nim, is much closer to good karma.”
“…….”
“More than anything, Evan-nim, the man I’ve spent three days with, is a far better person than the rumors suggest. Isn’t that enough?”
“Are you still going on about me being a weapon of war created by Chogyeon?”
“Hahaha!! Let’s go. We’ll reach the Gateway after today.”
Uluric burst into laughter, looking at Lennok who was visibly fed up.
He put a hand to his mouth, feigning a drink, and spoke cheerfully.
“Still, you should have one last drink before you go.”
“Evan-nim. From here, a day’s walk will get you directly to the Gateway.”
The clinking of glass mingled with boisterous chatter.
The ruins of a crumbled cityscape. A wide campsite with bonfires lit.
Members of the Gateway Search Party, holding beer bottles, were gathered around Lennok, talking.
“It’s late, so let’s spend the night here and depart for the Gateway tomorrow.”
“What about you all?”
“We’ll have to continue our search around the Gateway.”
The members grinned at Lennok’s retort.
“We still have a few days until the relief squad arrives. Our schedule changed a bit this time because we were guiding Evan-nim, but……”
“We’ve already reported to headquarters, so when you reach the Gateway, the Gateway Search Party Command will compensate you, Evan-nim.”
“Since a great wizard like Evan-nim helped the search party, the Command will surely take good care of you in various ways.”
“I wasn’t particularly expecting payment.”
At Lennok’s indifferent reply, the search party members feigned surprise, turning their gazes towards him.
“What? After making such a fuss about it for three days, you’re saying that now?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Lennok chuckled, tapping the beer glass in his hand.
“It meant that the Gateway Search Party Command couldn’t possibly match my worth.”
“……Ah.”
Awkward laughter erupted among the search party members who finally understood Lennok’s meaning.
“Hahaha! How did you know we’re always short on budget?”
“Because if the search party had ample strength and budget, the Gateway wouldn’t be operating in its current state.”
“…….”
“I also know that guiding me to the Gateway was a way to borrow my strength while you carried out your operations.”
At Lennok’s quiet words, the atmosphere around them turned silent.
Lennok looked around at the members over the bonfire and said in a light tone.
“We merely traded what we needed. I’ve already received my payment.”
“……Evan-nim.”
“So don’t worry about this matter.”
From the fact that the Gateway was operated under the Order Alliance’s management, it was clear that maintaining it incurred enormous costs.
And it was impossible for the search party to fully cover those costs with their own forces and budget.
Lennok had known all along that the search party guiding him to the Gateway was not entirely an act of pure goodwill.
However, helping or cooperating with someone didn’t necessarily have to be born purely out of goodwill.
Lennok was, in fact, more accustomed to trading and adjusting conditions as needed.
Likewise, his three days with the search party would be sufficient if regarded as such a transaction.
But the search party seemed to have interpreted Lennok’s refusal to accept payment in a different light.
“We apologize, Evan-nim.”
One of the search party members, whose face was slightly flushed from drink, spoke with a slurred voice.
“To be honest…… I think I’ve been misunderstanding you all this time.”
“Misunderstanding?”
“I thought a pyromancer who’d killed thousands would truly be a hot-headed person in every way……”
“……It’s not that bad. Somehow, the number keeps increasing.”
Uluric, Vigor, Haken, and Ulfhild. Other members who had accompanied Lennok for three days added their comments one by one.
“Unlike this idiot, I knew all about Cheonbeon-nim from what I’d heard.”
“Didn’t you save the Lighthouse Keeper from Adamant Thunder and even buy them time to escape?”
“You’re telling that story again. Aren’t you tired of it?”
Spending three days with the search party, Lennok could roughly confirm how the rumors about Cheonbeon were spreading.
A great pyromancer and an Apostle-Slayer.
A superhuman blindly loyal to the Eyes of Blue, who would go through fire and water for the Lighthouse Keeper.
Contrary to the high praise for his integrity and loyalty, rumors about Evan Martinez’s actions were greatly exaggerated.
That was probably because Cheonbeon had turned the outer regions of Vulcan into a sea of fire, initiating a massive operation, only to eventually suffer defeat at the hands of Adamant Thunder.
However, on the Central Front, even Cheonbeon’s defeat seemed to have become a factor that elevated his reputation.
“When you’ve been in the search party for a long time, you start hearing things from the outside. I’ve heard a lot about Adamant Thunder’s ferocity.”
“It’s rare to find a wizard so infamous even without operating in the Central Front.”
“A great wizard who takes slaughter as their profession. Isn’t it remarkable just to have survived against such a madman?”
“…….”
As Lennok tilted his beer bottle with a bitter smile, the search party members, on the contrary, chattered excitedly.
“Apparently, almost no one has officially fought Adamant Thunder and returned alive.”
“Among the major powers, there were many who said they wanted to meet Evan-nim precisely for that reason.”
From the outside, Cheonbeon was the one who overturned all of Vulcan to save the Lighthouse Keeper, risking his life to fight Adamant Thunder for her.
Although he ultimately lost, the process itself, from an outsider’s perspective, would undoubtedly seem dramatic.
Crucially, with the news that Lapis had survived in Vulcan, and that Cheonbeon had consequently left the Eyes of Blue,
Cheonbeon’s reputation had inexplicably soared, given that the turmoil on the Central Front had ended with an incomprehensible conclusion.
Lennok shook his head with a bitter smile.
“Again, what happened in Vulcan wasn’t like that.”
While Cheonbeon’s reputation and status rising wasn’t bad, he refused to be portrayed as a loyal retainer who risked his life.
Not only was Lennok not such a person to begin with, he had never acted with such a character under the name Evan.
“What happened in Vulcan has nothing to do with me now. There’s no reason to even mention it anymore.”
“Understood. If that is Evan-nim’s will……”
The search party members were honest and rough, but not oblivious.
As Lennok remained silent, the members, guessing his intent, backed off one by one.
“We won’t say anything about the Eyes of Blue.”
“I swear on the search party’s name, I’ll take this conversation to my grave.”
“Vigor. Who said you could swear on its name? I haven’t agreed yet.”
“If you’re going to be like that, do you think we’ll even have graves when we die?”
The members abruptly began a heated debate about where to pledge the search party’s name.
Lennok slowly tilted his glass, watching the members.
He had said the refugees they rescued were people he wouldn’t see again, but the same applied to the search party members.
It would be better to simply conclude and depart in such a lighthearted atmosphere.
Once dawn broke, he would immediately depart for the Gateway.
Thinking that, Lennok was about to gulp down his beer when he suddenly set his glass down.
Seeing Lennok staring intently at the dark night sky, the other members felt an odd sensation and turned their gaze.
“……Evan-nim?”
“Everyone, prepare for battle.”
Lennok pulled out a thick cigar from his pocket, put it in his mouth, and spoke with the drink in one hand.
“Something’s coming from the sky.”
“……!!”
The search party members’ faces immediately hardened. They jumped to their feet and grabbed their armaments.
Having been with Lennok for nearly three days, the search party members understood how keen and sharp Lennok’s senses were.
His perception went beyond distinguishing friend from foe, reaching a level where he could read killing intent directed at them from thousands of meters away.
CRASH!!!
Immediately after, a faint tearing sound echoed above their heads, and a scarlet blaze erupted on the distant horizon.
The members’ expressions twisted as they realized that direction was where they had guided the rescued people earlier that day.
“Damn it, at a time like this……!!”
“Move. We’re heading to check on the shelter right now!!”
The Gateway Search Party was an elite unit that prioritized mobility, operating with all members focused on rapid movement.
They quickly circulated mana within their bodies to evaporate the alcohol, slapped their cheeks, and mounted their bikes.
They swiftly cleared the campsite, gathered their belongings, and armed themselves.
Vroooom!!!
The moment the bikes’ engine roars echoed across the parched wasteland.
Something falling from the sky instantly turned the campsite into a sea of fire.
Whoooosh……!!!
CRASH! BANG! BOOM!!!
Something vaguely distorted fell from the night sky, relentlessly pounding the ground.
It was as if an unseen force had aimed its muzzles at them and launched a preemptive strike.
“It’s an ambush!!”
“Evan-nim!!”
The search party members, who had swiftly moved their bikes to evade the bombardment, called out to Lennok, but he didn’t look back.
“Go on ahead.”
“But……!!”
“More are coming from the other side.”
Lennok said, gazing at the dark night sky that shimmered faintly.
“I’ll cut off the pursuit, so move first. I’ll follow shortly.”
“……We’ll be waiting!”
They were soldiers.
Everyone knew that in such a critical situation, unnecessary hesitation decided life and death.
The search party members gritted their teeth, turned their bikes around, and began to speed across the wasteland.
The ruins were utterly devastated, making the moment just before, when they sat around a bonfire and clinked glasses, feel like a lie.
“You’ve bitten the bait, so why don’t you come out and talk now.”
Lennok gazed at the ruined campsite with an impassive face before turning his eyes away.
“Weren’t you waiting for me from the start?”
Bombarding the area near the shelter to lure the search party was deliberately intended to separate Lennok from them.
And their purpose wasn’t to kill Lennok or the search party, but for some communication beyond that.
Lennok had detected the presence hiding nearby the moment the ambush began.
Hiss!!
At that moment, five airships, previously hidden beyond the night sky, abruptly revealed themselves directly above Lennok.
The steel airships, having disengaged their stealth fields, took form. All were war machines uniformly produced to a consistent standard and size.
Such a clandestine preemptive strike and operational capability could only be achieved by an extremely vast and systematic military organization.
On the Central Front, only one faction was capable of such a feat.
[Deadrise 3rd Legion Air Assault Unit. Currently moving to execute operations.]
A heavy, middle-aged man’s voice boomed from the airship’s speaker.
[We’ve received intelligence that cultists have infiltrated the civilian shelter and are currently proceeding with a ‘selection.’]
“……Selection, you say.”
Lennok looked up at the airship with an impassive gaze and asked.
“Is that the justification your Legion has put forward for intervening in this matter?”
[Our general staff has determined that the Gateway Search Party, currently organized under the Order Alliance, cannot function properly.]
A firm voice flowed from the speaker, now tinged with a hint of vitality.
[That is also related to the fact that the Gateway Search Party, by operating with you, has lost the neutrality it is bound to uphold.]
“…….”
[Cheonbeon Evan Martinez. You, a Watcher of the Eyes of Blue, why are you moving with the Gateway Search Party?]
From beyond the airship, Lennok felt an immensely powerful presence, strong enough for him to sense, observing him.
[Be aware that depending on your answer, the main forces of our Legion may directly intervene right here.]
“The Central Front Legion General Staff seems quite slow on the news.”
Lennok, smoking his cigar, exhaled smoke and spoke.
“It’s been months since I left the Eyes of Blue. The Lighthouse Keeper’s mission has nothing to do with me anymore.”
[No. A man who risked his life for Lapis Falcia would not try to sever his ties with the Eyes of Blue so easily.]
The man’s voice, echoing through the airship, turned resolute.
[Considering your actions in Vulcan, your withdrawal from the Eyes of Blue must also be a calculated move.]
“……What?”
[It’s possible you intend to seize the Gateway with the search party and transfer its ownership to the Lighthouse Keeper. At the very least, our Legion will never overlook such a threat.]
For a moment, Lennok felt as if someone from beyond the airship was sharply glaring at him.
[Evan Martinez. Our Legion never underestimates you. For a man like you to set foot on the Central Front at this time, it must surely be for a grand cause.]
“…….”
[I, too, can understand, for I bear a similar grand cause in my heart. Sometimes, there are things one must push forward, even by setting aside all other priorities!]
Even just listening through the speaker, it was clear he was an upright soldier.
A soldier who had risen beyond merely obeying orders, reaching a rank where he directly issued and commanded them.
But it was clear that such a soldier, appearing before Lennok at this moment to question his intentions, had another objective.
Especially if he had come to meet Lennok in such a grand manner, using the shelter and the search party’s work as a pretext.
“You have something to say to me.”
Lennok realized this and replied in a lowered voice.
“What do you want?”
[In this battlefield, there is only one thing I wish to hear from a capable commander like you.]
Clank!!
Dozens of turrets sprang out from both sides of the airship, spreading wide like wings.
A powerful roar, as if it were arming itself and entering battle readiness on the spot.
[Serve in Deadrise, Evan Martinez.]
Simultaneously, the heavy, firm voice of the man boomed resoundingly from the speaker.
[On the eve of a great turning point that will decide the fate of the Central Front, our Legion is seeking a new Legion Commander.]
“…….”
[Stand on the side of victory in the great war. The position of the Fifth Legion Commander is yours!]