Episode 15
Waiting for something is endlessly long and slow.
But the time spent preparing for something passes by in a short, swift blur.
One day before the deadline set by Aum Linia.
With arms crossed, Roki watched Kankun training in the forest.
"Slash of Light—!"
At her shout, sturdy trees and rocks were smoothly severed.
The thud of them falling echoed throughout the surroundings.
"Isn't this good enough?"
Kankun looked at Roki with a bright smile.
"...No."
Roki shook his head.
Kankun seemed somewhat satisfied, but to Roki, it was extremely disappointing.
"I-Is that so...."
Kankun had heard the news that the Linia tribe would be going to war, along with Kudan.
The moment she heard, she had pleaded with him.
—Please take me with you!
She had learned of the situation through the elders.
Matters had already reached their peak; there was no way to extinguish the sparks of war now.
Only Roki, or Aum.
Only when one of them fell would this war come to an end.
Since Kudan had gone under Aum, Kankun intended to stand beneath Roki and stop him.
And to hear the truth directly from him.
"E-Even this isn't enough?"
"Far from enough."
Kankun looked around, bewildered.
The remains of trees and rocks lay scattered about.
She had trained each day, cutting down as many as her skills would allow.
It was proof of how hard she had worked.
But from Roki's perspective, she was still severely lacking compared to Kudan.
'Yes, that man was quite strong.'
Roki recalled a single strike from Kudan.
It had left a small scratch on his armor.
Given the power he had felt then, Kankun would have difficulty winning.
'Come to think of it, that human named Kudan. He possessed superhuman strength, unlike that of a human.'
"...Still, it should be fine to use a bit of a shortcut."
"...?"
When Roki snapped his fingers, an undead brought a large wooden box and carefully set it on the ground.
Roki gestured with his chin, and the skeleton nodded, opened the lid, and stepped back.
"What... is this?"
Filled with curiosity, Kankun peered at the contents inside.
In the box was a piece crafted not long ago by Rurang at Roki's request.
"This is... armor?"
"A gift."
"Huh?"
"Try it on. The size should fit."
Kankun blinked in surprise, then lifted the armor to inspect it.
And just as she was about to hurriedly change, she glanced nervously at Roki.
"Um... this is awkward."
When Roki snapped his fingers, streams of dark energy wrapped around Kankun, concealing her.
"Done?"
"...You certainly have many peculiar spells."
"I didn't know I had this level of ability either."
Roki couldn't help but be surprised that he could apply and use various skills beyond the ones he had set in the game.
'Since I can learn other magic through skill books, there's virtually no limit to the number of spells I can use.'
Having changed within the darkness, she walked out.
Kankun moved her body.
"...It's light! And very warm!"
"Oho, that dwarf fellow crafted it quite well."
It was leather clothing covered in pure white scales. Tailored perfectly to Kankun's body, the long skirt on the lower half was split into three parts for ease of movement. The boots were wrapped in subtly gleaming teal plate metal.
"D-Do I look okay?"
Kankun glanced shyly at Roki.
Roki gave his honest impression.
"It suits you well."
"Really?"
Kankun smiled brightly.
Roki examined the armor's functions.
'Since Nidhogg's hide has resistance to physical and magical attacks, it should deflect most ordinary weapons... It may not surpass a legendary-grade item, but it should possess stats comparable to one.'
Still, Kankun was in her growth period; her level was too low to face Kudan.
'Better than nothing. And...'
Roki took out HP potions and MP potions.
"If we're relying on items... even a monster would be affected."
He was enjoying the feeling, as if he were playing a character-raising game.
***
"Move them all!"
"Heave-ho!"
Hundreds of Nod tribesmen cut down trees.
They began moving pillars made by tying enormous trees together.
The size and weight of the materials were enough to strain the Nod tribesmen.
They were to be used as barricades.
Watching the Nod tribesmen moving the barricades with all their might right before the war began, Pereu looked at Aum with bewildered eyes.
"Why are you moving those?"
"We need to build walls."
"...Are you planning for a siege defense?"
"Yeah, I prepared them for that."
Aum waved his hand as if it were no big deal.
A siege defense? It was a day—no, mere hours—before the war began.
During that time, the Nod tribe gathered at the frozen lake would be exposed to the freezing cold all day long.
If so, they should be conserving their stamina and resting properly, yet...
Moving large-scale barricades?
Pereu simply could not understand.
'What in the world is he thinking? Besides...'
"Our formation is on the lake?"
"Yes."
"...A siege defense on the lake? No matter how solid it is, that's a bit unsettling."
"That's exactly what I prepared it for."
With nothing but the same answer repeated and no explanation forthcoming, Pereu felt nothing but frustration.
Aum simply looked at Kudan standing far away, wearing his characteristic smile.
"That Kudan fellow is fired up!"
Kudan was waiting for the demon who would soon arrive.
Staring intently at the land connected to the frozen lake....
He stood unmoving, a giant hammer thrust into the ground.
It was a war hammer crafted by dozens of Nod master artisans solely for Kudan.
'May that weapon strike down the swindler—!'
The Nod tribesmen began erecting barricades on the frozen lake according to Aum's orders.
They, too, could not understand why they were doing this.
However...
"Aren't these too flimsy?"
They had been made so poorly that they could easily be toppled with force.
Not weak enough to fall with a light tap, but so shoddy that if the Nod tribe grabbed ropes and pulled, they would collapse in mere seconds.
"Yeah, I made them that way."
"...Hyung-nim, do you realize how insincere your answers have been this whole time?"
At Pereu's sigh-laden tone, Aum simply smiled in satisfaction.
"Good, they were well-made to be flimsy! They'll fall over with a whoosh!"
"Hyung-nim..."
"Trust me, Pereu!"
Having said that, Aum narrowed his eyes.
"Then... let us wait for the swindler's army."
***
It was late in the small hours.
An extreme cold flowed across the ice sheet, already dark enough to obscure one's vision.
The Nod tribesmen, accustomed to such cold, were resting and appeasing their hunger.
Their number reached 5,000.
Moreover, even with barricades and various weapons firmly positioned on the icy path, the frozen lake showed no sign of collapse.
The fact that even fire would not melt it proved how tremendous the cold truly was.
"Hmm...? I didn't expect it to be this solid! Well, when the Ronia Kingdom army invaded ten years ago, 100,000 soldiers marched across safely, so I suppose that says it all?"
Aum tapped the ground with a satisfied smile.
The sun had set, and the declared day of war had arrived.
But while there was a set date, no set time had been given, so the opponent would arrive sometime within the day.
'I even provoked him; with that arrogant personality, he can't help but take the bait.'
"Won't you eat something?"
Pereu approached Kudan, who had been standing firm for several hours.
He held warm soup in his hands, and Kudan looked down at it with a bitter smile, shaking his head.
"I am fine."
"You need to eat to have strength. If you stand like that all day, your body will stiffen, and what will you do if you miss the crucial moment?"
"...My thanks."
Kudan accepted it and brought it to his lips.
Forgotten hunger was stirred by the savory smell.
Just as he was about to drink the soup... a voice echoed through the encampment.
"...They've... come!"
"They're here!"
A warrior on watch shouted, and the cry reverberated through the camp.
Everyone rose in nervous haste, grabbing their weapons.
On the distant land, hidden in darkness and unseen, crimson glowing eyes were slowly moving.
"Hoo... they've come to attack at a time like this? Now that I think of it, undead are said to have good night vision... So that's very disadvantageous for us?"
Unlike the others, Aum appeared relaxed.
Far away, the undead procession continued.
Their number was roughly 300.
The formation was well-organized, as if trained.
In the vanguard were 50 skeleton cavalry with skeletal horses and long lances.
On the left and right flanks were skeleton shield soldiers with long spears and giant shields, 50 each.
In the center were 50 skeleton warriors with greatswords.
In the main camp were 18 skeleton assassins equipped with robes, daggers, and chains.
2 skeleton musicians with instruments.
In the rear were 80 skeleton longbowmen with great bows positioned.
Among them, in the main camp, the skeleton assassins held lavishly decorated banners, supporting a palanquin with their remaining hands and shoulders.
On the palanquin, upon a magnificently prepared throne, Roki sat in an arrogant posture.
Aum muttered incredulously at the sight.
"300? Against 5,000? ...Isn't he underestimating us too much?"
It felt like being completely ignored.
Not only had he appeared boldly, but he sat arrogantly on a plainly visible palanquin, as if to say, "Catch me if you can!"—as though he were the protagonist of this stage.
Of course, that must mean he was overflowing with confidence.
"...Isn't that terrifying?"
"Hearing about it and seeing it are indeed different...."
The Nod tribesmen began to stir.
The undead army they saw now felt threatening merely to behold.
The red glowing eyes burning with hatred and rage, and the weapons they wielded, were enormous and menacing, unlike anything they had ever seen.
Their builds, too, seemed a whole head larger than ordinary skeletons, making them look like the legendary Knights of Death.
"That demon!!"
The one who reacted the loudest was Kudan.
He gripped the war hammer and roughly hoisted it onto his shoulder.
As he tried to step forward, Pereu blocked him.
"Pereu, stand aside!"
"...Kudan. You are truly impulsive! I lack patience as well, but you are even worse."
"If you know that, stand aside."
"No, if you move, the strategy hyung-nim prepared with great effort will be ruined."
"Strategy?"
"I do not know the details either. But hyung-nim said your help is desperately needed. Hyung-nim wants you to strike down that demon with a single blow. If you wish to win without fail...."
Pereu pressed down on Kudan's shoulder.
"Follow hyung-nim's orders."
"......"
As the Nod tribesmen grew agitated at the sight of the undead, Aum climbed onto a podium he had prepared in advance.
And as if to show off to the distant Roki, he sent a smile and shouted to the Nod tribesmen.
"Silence, all of you!"
"......."
In that instant, everyone's movement stopped.
They shut their mouths tight, faced Aum, and gripped their equipment firmly.
The chaotic sounds from moments ago vanished, and only silence filled the air.
"Good! To think you can become this quiet with a single word. Even those mute ones far away will be shocked!"
It was a joke Aum had uttered. The Nod tribesmen neither laughed nor played along.
Rather, they concentrated, as if unwilling to miss a single word he spoke.
"Anyone else would have laughed. This is why people say Nod tribesmen are no fun! But... that must mean this moment is just that important."
Aum smiled deeply, drew the sword from his waist, and thrust it into the podium.
"The enemy's number is 300! Ours is 5,000! We have overwhelming numbers. But can we truly think ourselves cowardly upon seeing that? No, I think the opposite. The enemy are tireless specters, each and every one possessing strength comparable to a Death Knight!"
At Aum's words, the Nod tribesmen trembled slightly for a moment.
But that was all. They knew well that this fight was not at all favorable to them.
"Isn't the enemy the truly cowardly ones? Though few in number, they possess overwhelming 'force.' We are powerless weaklings! But..."
Aum struck the sword's hilt.
With a cracking sound, the blade embedded deep into the podium.
"We are the Nod tribe. Warriors who know no fear and possess pride! Would such warriors flee in fear of mere specters?!"
"......!"
"We are raiders! Bury them, and plunder what they have! I ask you. Who are we!"
"Nod! Nod! Nod!"
"Yes, we are the Nod tribe, the raiders!"
"Ooooooh—!"
"Let us fight. Overcome despair!"
Aum shouted at the top of his lungs.
"We are Nod. The conquerors of the North!"