The Altar, having retreated from the wall without any particular gains, was unexpectedly calm. Al Rhos, staying in the Altar’s Sanctuary, found that strange.
No, the ecosystem of this Sanctuary itself was bizarre.
“This Sanctuary is divided into quite a number of facilities, I see?”
As they walked down a dark corridor, Al Rhos asked a low-ranking priest he had grown somewhat close to in recent days. The priest glanced at him and answered.
“Lodgings, a school, a dining hall, and a training center for fostering combat priests. We have carried on our lives here for decades.”
“In this darkness?”
“Yes. But soon, there will be no need for that. When God manifests, He will punish the godslayers of the continent and live with us in a new, clean world.”
These people held very strange beliefs.
Their view of history and the world was utterly different from that of the continent.
“Godslaying.”
“Yes. In the distant past, the people of this continent slew God and founded their nations. It is an unforgivable mortal sin.”
The people of the continent—or, to be precise, their ancestors—had killed God. Therefore, all their descendants were godslayers as well.
On the other hand, the “Altar” were apostles of justice who followed the already dead God, and the only religion permitted on this continent.
Their supreme task was God’s resurrection, and the God who manifested thus would bring punishment down upon the continent…
That was their claim.
“What will you do, with the wall still intact?”
Their plan had been to smash the wall with their vanguard, then block the escape route around the time the Ten Thousand Demons marching south arrived, annihilating all of Reccordak.
However, because Deculein had displayed a power befitting his confidence, an utterly ridiculous situation had occurred: the vanguard retreated only ten minutes after sortieing.
“……”
The priest did not answer. His lips were certainly sealed more tightly than those at the very bottom.
Rattle—
He opened one of the doors in the corridor.
“This is the workshop you will use. Enter.”
Al Rhos looked around the interior.
From top-grade mana stones to carving knives for work, thread and needles, awls and saws—everything necessary for doll-making had been prepared.
“It doesn’t look like anything is lacking.”
“Of course not. However, before that.”
The priest gathered demonic energy in his palm. Then, as though conducting an inspection, he scanned Al Rhos from head to toe with a ziiiing—
“……You do not seem to be carrying any separate mana stones or devices. Go in.”
Al Rhos nodded and entered. Then he took out a very small electronic device he had kept in his pocket.
“Will the work be easy?”
“I think I can make several fairly good dolls.”
“I thought so. Work hard, savage. Your cooperation will be repaid with survival in the future.”
“……Survival?”
“Yes. I’ll be going now. The elder will bring down the detailed sheets.”
Rattle—
The door closed again, and after the priest went outside.
Al Rhos pressed the machine’s button—click, click, click—sending a certain message.
Morse code.
Since not only his actions, but also his words and behavior would be monitored here, he decided to use another coded transmission method he had developed….
* * *
I received Al Rhos’s code.
It was not particularly good information. I already knew all of it.
“……Should I expect him to go a little deeper?”
I muttered, then looked ahead.
Before my eyes now was the wall. The wall’s right side, which had been battered by countless demonic beasts until now, and in particular had been tormented to the brink of collapse.
It seemed there was not much time left for the thing, already crumpled to a certain extent….
I placed my hand on that wall and closed my eyes.
With “Comprehension,” I began communion with it.
My talents were fire and earth. Combined, they formed metal, forged as steel.
Of course, my “Metal Enhancement” was not yet complete, but this understanding was a prerequisite in preparation for its completion.
Even if I completed “Metal Enhancement,” I might find myself in trouble due to a lack of mana.
─……I won!
Then a voice rang out.
I looked in that direction. Yulie, and Raphel.
─I finally won!
Yulie was shouting loudly, as though she had won a spar.
I had not watched closely, but if she had beaten Raphel, it meant she had grown quite a bit. She had kept losing before.
—Finally! Finally!
“……Are you that pleased?”
I chuckled.
After listening to her keep shouting Finally—! Finally—!, I finished my “Comprehension” once more and climbed up onto the wall.
“Comprehension: 53%”
The understanding I had gained by expending more than half my mana on “Comprehension.” This much was satisfactory.
“Boss, you’re here.”
Ruina, who had been standing night watch in my stead, smiled brightly. I nodded and sat down in the chair.
This day, too, would soon be over.
* * *
“……It’s been kind of peaceful lately. Chew, chew—”
Atop the wall. Epherene muttered as she ate.
There was not much to call a menu. On her tray sat only a few chunks of meat and a bowl of porridge.
“Chew, chew— chew, chew—”
Epherene was chewing it like gum as well. How many minutes had she been eating a single piece of meat?
“A storm will soon arrive. Prepare yourselves.”
The reason it was so peaceful was simple. The other demonic beasts had fled from this vicinity, pressed by the might and aura of the Ten Thousand Demons soon to descend.
“Is that so?”
Deputy Director Primienne answered. With a portable stove clutched to her body, she was still remaining in Reccordak.
─……Hup! Haaaaap!
Then, a shout rang out from below the wall.
I looked down there.
Clang— clang, clang——!
Syrio and Yulie were sparring.
Sparks flew as sword met sword, and Yulie’s movements as she threaded through the space between blades were more natural than ever before.
Bang—!
The sword Yulie swung. Yet the explosive sound was like that of a mace striking.
─Oh!
Syrio, who had defended against the sudden sword strike, shouted in surprise and leapt back.
─Oh? Yulie. Your skills have improved a lot! What was that just now?
─……
Yulie silently corrected her grip on her sword. Syrio asked again with a broad smile.
—What was it?
—Variation. You may have been using my patterns until now, but they will no longer work.
—Oooh….
Yulie’s skill had clearly improved. Naturally, it must have been thanks to my advice.
The other knights were thinking the same.
The proof was Raphel and Gwen, who were lingering beside me while pretending otherwise.
“I hear you lost to Yulie.”
Flinch— Raphel and Gwen’s shoulders twitched. The two of them worked their lips, then ahem— coughed at the same time.
“Rather than lost…… it was a momentary trial and error. Right, Raphel? Should I say Yulie’s sword suddenly became a little dirtier?”
“That is correct.”
I silently turned a page of the book.
The book was still “The History of the Imperial Family.” It might look like I was reading it because I had nothing else to read, but this magically treated book contained five hundred thousand pages in a single volume.
It was the essence of history, containing everything from when the Empire had been a kingdom, and when that kingdom had been a tribe; the book among books.
“……Can’t you analyze us a bit too?”
Then, at last, Gwen brought up the main subject. I lifted my head at an angle.
“No…… I think our way of thinking was a bit wrong. It definitely helps. Since you seem to have somewhat of an eye for these things…….”
“That is true.”
Raphel added to Gwen’s words.
“I will consider it.”
At that, Gwen widened her eyes and asked back.
“Consider? Why?”
“That too will be decided according to your performance this time. First, survive, and kill as many as possible.”
That was all I answered. Raphel and Gwen seemed to accept it to a certain extent as well.
“Well…… winning comes first, for now.”
Whoosh—
A cool wind blew. Raphel went down from the wall, and Gwen approached Drent, who was drawing a magic circle on paper.
“……”
I also took my eyes off the book. For a moment, I looked around Reccordak.
—Here, we’ve brought firewood.
A cart of firewood the residents had gone out to the forest and chopped. Mages of the transmutation line combined wood and steel, processing them into arrows.
—And here, some snacks. You must be hungry, so have some as you work. Hahaha.
They handed pieces of taffy and the like to the mages, though where they had found them and how they had made them was unknown. Since sweet foods were precious, the mages did not refuse.
—Sending the arrows up.
The arrows made in that way were sent up onto the wall, and aside from them, buckets filled with oil, metal grenades, and other weapons necessary for a siege were supplied one by one.
“Professor. I think we’ll need a lot of oil. I tried experimenting, and if you use fire-attribute magic on oil, the power increases up to threefold.”
“You always speak as though you have realized the obvious.”
“……What did you say?”
That was when Epherene was chattering.
Thud——!
A massive tremor occurred.
Atop the wall, inside the wall, everyone’s movements froze at once.
Thud——!
I rose from my chair. Then I sent Delric a glance.
He nodded and spoke to the people below the wall.
“Those excluding knights and mages, return.”
Words announcing the battle that would soon arrive. The residents hurried back to their lodgings.
“……What is it, Professor?”
Epherene, who had come to my side, asked.
Beyond that horizon, a legion shrouded in dense fog. Among them, there was an especially conspicuous individual.
“There is a gunboat.”
“……Pardon?”
A gunboat.
Literally, a vessel equipped with a cannon.
It was a demonic beast resembling a turtle, four meters tall at the shoulder. On its shell was a cannon made of living tissue, and from within it, the creature fired demonic energy like cannonballs.
It was one of the chimeras developed by the Altar.
Thud——!
Thud——!
The turtle, slowly approaching as it shook the earth, soon seemed to reach firing range and turned its body to designate the target of its bombardment.
Goooooo….
Watching the demonic energy and gale condense at that muzzle, I quietly recited.
“Prepare for battle.”
Prepare for battle——!
The other knights picked up my voice, and it amplified throughout the entire wall, awakening everyone.
Kwaaaaa───!
In that instant, a cannonball of demonic energy surged in.
Its target was the right side of the wall.
The most vulnerable point, already crumpled enough.
* * *
Kwaaaaaa─────!
A direct hit from the demonic energy bomb.
A single explosion had carved a wound into the wall that had once been so sturdy.
“……Ah.”
Delric stared at the crack in shock.
Of course, it was still only a very small gap, but….
Thud———!
With the second bombardment that immediately followed, it spread like a spiderweb. The crack, crack— of it rang in his ears like an auditory hallucination.
Delric feared this wall collapsing.
Thud———!
The third cannonball.
An offensive arriving like artillery fire.
Delric and his knights entertained, even for a very brief moment, the thought of fleeing, but it soon died away.
To them now, Deculein watching from atop that wall was several times more frightening than the wall collapsing, than being bitten to death by the surging demonic beasts.
If they died fighting here, at least their families would live, but if they fled, even if they themselves survived, their families would die.
……No.
If it was Deculein, he would surely find and kill even those who had fled.
“……What are you doing! Sir Delric!”
Yulie, who had approached then, awakened their senses. Delric turned in that direction and flinched in surprise.
Deculein was beside her as well.
Delric and the knights forgot the situation and bowed their heads.
“Y-you have come, sir.”
“You look at ease.”
“No, sir. Because of this wall—”
Deculein said so as he approached and looked at the wall. Together with Ihelm, who was of the support line.
Thud———!
The fourth bombardment.
Bits of debris slid down from the wall with a hiss. It was the most serious omen of collapse.
Tsk— Ihelm clicked his tongue.
“This doesn’t look salvageable, I’d say. Unless even Roserio comes.”
Delric quickly added as well.
“……Yes. Yes. It’s going to collapse, Professor. So please, some kind of countermeasure—”
“There is already a countermeasure.”
Though he had never attempted it even once yet.
Deculein did not add that unnecessary detail.
Thud———!
The fifth bombardment. By then, even Ihelm’s face had become quite grave.
“Where is that thing firing from?”
“I already sent Ganesha.”
In separate operations and mobility, there was no Named who surpassed Ganesha. Lia and Leo would be with her as well, so the success of the mission was only natural.
“I will go with them as well!”
“You.”
He blocked Yulie, who tried to step forward then. Yulie stopped in the very posture of about to run.
“Do not get carried away. A sick person like you will not be of the slightest help. You become crippled in demonic energy. Do you intend to go and become a burden?”
“……”
It was a demonic beast that released demonic energy like cannonballs. Therefore, if its belly were split open, an enormous amount of demonic energy would explode.
“Know your place, and get lost.”
At those harsh words, Delric and Ihelm also flinched in surprise. The demonic energy spreading like fog across the wall was making Deculein violent.
“……Yes.”
Yulie moved aside and went up onto the wall, and Deculein placed his hand on the wall.
To Deculein, who had closed his eyes lightly, Ihelm asked.
“……What do you think that will do?”
“……”
He said nothing.
Kwaaaaang——!
The sixth bombardment.
The wall slowly crumbled, and its upper portion was already utterly ruined, on the verge of caving in.
Even so, Deculein remained as he was.
Calm and composed, simply closing his eyes, as though conversing with the wall.
─────!
The seventh bombardment.
The moment a part of the wall was completely pierced through, and Delric and the knights staggered backward.
Deculein muttered a single word.
“……Demonstration.”
To prove in reality.
At that one word from Deculein, woodsteel came into contact with the wall.
From the steel clinging to the wall, he executed a certain protocol.
“Metal Enhancement.”
Performance akin to grand magic, reinforcing the entirety of this wall and restoring its dulled parts.
Though it was not yet complete, it was an output performed with a mastery approaching 99%.
Goooooo….
The fragments of earth on the road surface, caught in Deculein’s mana, rose into the air.
─────!
Even amid that, the eighth bombardment followed.
The march of the Ten Thousand Demons had begun. Beyond the wall, their endless wave revealed itself.
“……”
And Deculein opened his eyes. Looking at the woodsteel clinging to the wall, he preheated his entire body.
Circulating mana like mad, he activated the magical “circuit” engraved into his flesh.
As if responding to him, a brilliant metallic cluster of light rose.
A form in which mana had formed a specific aura.
The entirety of that technique, completed by consuming all four thousand of his mana…….
Was displayed as a very simple message.
[Overcoming Achieved: “Metal Enhancement” Completed]
◆ Purification of Mana Quality
From Deculein’s perspective, it was a sufficiently satisfying result.
Shaaaaa….
Dazzling light flowed from the wall and the woodsteel.