Chapter 20 TSH Vol. 1 Chapter 4 Part 3

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Meanwhile, in a village in the northern territory of Ecclesia—

Sieg had made his decision instantly. He had no choice but to activate the [Teleportation Gate] hidden in the ruins.

It was a two-day carriage ride back to the capital. Even if he rode his horses to their limits and relayed them at villages, it would still take a full day. Even if he ran, using [Flash Step] to augment his speed, it would take half a day. He would never make it in time. If he didn’t get there now, the city would be annihilated.

Images of the people he’d met in Ecclesia flashed through Sieg’s mind. The priests, the high priests, that troublesome old High Grand-Priest, the royal guard Emma, and… Princess Cordelia.

The moment her face appeared in his thoughts, Sieg squeezed his eyes shut. She would never accept retreating to the castle or escaping through the [Teleportation Gate]. She would want to be of use, to be a part of the fight. She would head straight for the front lines. But with her current skill, she couldn’t even stand up to a low-level demon, let alone a mid-level one. The instant she made contact, she would be killed.

Sieg’s face twisted as he imagined her being brutally slaughtered. He shook his head, trying to banish the image, and took a deep breath to calm his racing heart.

Please… don’t do anything reckless until I get there.

The entrance to the ruins on the village outskirts was boarded up, a “Keep Out” sign posted on it. Sieg ripped the boards off with brute force and immediately entered the ruins, forcing his racing heart to calm as he ran down the stairs.

The inside of the ruins was pitch black, but Sieg had the [Sense Enhancement] Blessing. By maximizing his vision, he could move in the darkness as if it were broad daylight. He shot down the stone hallways like an arrow. He occasionally ran into small magic beasts or a pack of goblins that must have wandered in from somewhere. He cut down any monster that blocked his path and left the rest, pushing forward.

After running for some time, he felt a breeze. There was airflow. Part of the ruins must have collapsed, opening a path to the outside. Sieg grimaced and cursed inwardly. If a large monster had gotten in and destroyed the teleportation device, it was all over.

I have to hurry!

He rushed deeper and deeper down the winding passages. Facilities like this were intentionally designed with complex layouts to prevent enemies who captured the [Teleportation Gate] from getting out easily. After a while, he sensed a large, open space ahead. It must be the gate room.

Yes, I’m here. Now I just have to get it working!

He rounded the corner and burst into the room, only to freeze, his eyes wide.

Damn it… I was too hasty!

It was indeed the teleportation chamber, but the magic circle already had an occupant. A large monster with the body of a lizard and the head of a chicken was lying on it. Noticing the intruder, it sluggishly raised its head and looked at Sieg. Its eyes flickered, and Sieg froze.

That monster—…A Cockatrice!

It was a dangerous, large-scale monster with a petrifying gaze and breath. It was apparently using this room as its nest.

I let my guard down… I was in too much of a hurry!

Cursing his own carelessness, Sieg blinked, shook his head, and immediately started moving again. The Cockatrice, looking surprised, made its eyes flicker once more. But Sieg didn’t stop. He wasn’t turning to stone.

Sorry… but your evil eye doesn’t work on me.

As the Hero, he had [Evil Eye Resistance]. Combined with his [Petrification Resistance], there was no way a monster of this level could turn him to stone.

Sieg instantly enveloped his body in a [Mana Barrier]. It was a Blessing that provided physical defense, and he had raised its proficiency significantly. A single layer was already far stronger than a full suit of ordinary armor. He layered five barriers in an instant and used [Flash Step] to close in on the monster.

After confirming there were no control panels on the far wall, he slammed into the monster at full speed.

“GRR!?”

The Cockatrice was sent flying, smashing into the wall at tremendous speed and letting out a short cry. Sieg rushed the monster as it was embedded in the wall, lopped off its head, and quickly stored the head and body in his [Spatial Storage]. He couldn’t risk getting blood all over the magic circle.

Sieg looked around the circle and let out a breath.

Good, doesn’t look like it got dirty. Now, let’s see if this thing still works!

Having dealt with the Cockatrice, Sieg immediately began to inspect the [Teleportation Gate]. He didn’t know the fine details of its operation, but he understood the basics. He channeled a small amount of mana into the activation terminal, and the device whirred to life.

It’s not broken! Yes… I can do this!

Next, he checked the device’s remaining mana. He stared at the gauge, his eyes wide.

There’s not enough mana… Why!? It hasn’t been used in forever, it should be full!

A [Teleportation Gate] required an enormous amount of mana, but that power should be supplied from a leyline in the earth, or at least a mana reservoir. These gates were only built in places where such power existed.

Sieg thought frantically. Did the reservoir dry up? …No, given the size of the original city, there must be a leyline running beneath it. A leyline can’t just run out. Then… is there a problem with the conduit?

Sieg, getting covered in dust, checked the mana conduit pipe extending from underground. He found the problem immediately. A section of the pipe had been petrified and was shattered.

Sieg winced. The Cockatrice! It must have used its petrifying breath! Mana had been leaking from the broken pipe.

What do I do…!?

He closed his eyes, thinking hard. After a moment, he made his decision. The gauge showed he needed two full bars of mana to teleport.

There’s no other way. I’ll have to use my own!

Anyone who truly understood teleportation devices would have laughed at the absurd, reckless attempt. But Sieg had no other choice.

He gripped the emergency mana input terminal, closed his eyes, and focused—

“UWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!”

—and with a roar, he poured his mana into the machine.

The needle on the gauge began to move, but only just. Cold sweat immediately beaded on his skin, and his body began to shake. Mana depletion.

Sieg pulled out every mana potion he had and, downing them one by one, continued to force his mana into the gate. The more he drank, the less effective the potions became. On top of that, his body was starting to reject them from the overdose.

Guh… Endure it… Just keep pushing the mana…!

Fighting back a wave of intense nausea, Sieg kept drinking and kept pouring his power into the device. The empty potion bottles piled up at his feet. In the midst of his agony, the only image in his mind was of the person he cared for, fighting in the capital.

Almost there… I’m coming. So please—

Sieg squeezed his eyes shut, as if in prayer.

—Be safe, Cordie!

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Outside the walls of Ecclesia. Thirty minutes had passed since the first clash with the demons.

“DOOOOOORYAAAAAAH!”

Every time the Knight Commander swung his greatsword, white light exploded, and demons were blasted to pieces. The regular soldiers, despite being in the middle of a battle, roared in approval.

“Amazing!”

“How many did he get in one hit!?”

“The Commander is one chosen by a Holy Sword, after all!”

In the center, the Holy Knights were tearing through the demon ranks. The Commander’s rampage was especially devastating. The sword he wielded was the Holy Sword Durandal, a gift from the king. A holy sword converted its user’s mana into holy energy, and its sacred blade was incomparably effective against demons and the undead.

And on the left flank—

“Guh!”

“They’re hard!”

“My sword won’t go through!”

The soldiers were struggling against the beetle-type demons. Seeing this, the Vice-Commander immediately moved to the front. While the Commander’s charge was a force of nature, the Vice-Commander, who calmly assessed the battlefield, was no less formidable.

“Fall back after you strike! I’m using a Holy Edge!”

Looking more like a courtly prince than a knight, the Vice-Commander moved his rapier in an elegant arc, drawing a pattern in the air. It was a Holy Crest. By drawing these crests, Holy Knights could bestow various abilities upon their blades.

The Vice-Commander slashed vertically and horizontally. Arcs of light flew from his blade, dicing several demons at once. The soldiers stared, awestruck.

“I-Incredible!”

“That’s our Vice-Commander!”

“He’s a prodigy with Holy Sword techniques!”

These skills, unique to Holy Knights, were known as Holy Sword techniques, and the Vice-Commander was a master.

He shouted, “Demons can only be harmed by mana-infused weapons! Soldiers, either have a mage re-enchant your blades or focus on supporting those with mana!”

“““Yes, sir!”””

The soldiers replied instantly. Mages who weren’t busy began re-enchanting their weapons, while knights with their own mana reserves moved to the front.

The battle was a stalemate for a while, but gradually, the knights’ line began to falter. Soldiers and horses were being devoured, and finally, horse-type and humanoid-type demons appeared.

“Aaaaah!”

“H-Humanoid types have appeared!”

“They’re strong!”

“Don’t break the line!”

Overwhelmed by the new forms, the formation began to crumble.

The Vice-Commander shouted. “Commander, the line is about to break! We need you to unleash a major attack and force them back!”

“Got it! Buy me time!”

The Commander began to channel mana into his holy sword. The Vice-Commander issued new orders,

“Shield unit, forward! Use shield bashes to keep the demons back!”

The shield unit, protected by defensive magic, slammed their shields into the surging wave of demons. The creatures were knocked back and staggered.

“Shields, pull back! The Commander is releasing his Holy Strike! —Commander!”

“Right!” the Commander replied curtly. His holy sword was now pulsing with a brilliant white light. When it reached its peak, he raised it high.

“Demons, taste this!—[HOLY CANNON]!”

With a fierce roar, he swung the blade down at the demonic horde. A massive orb of light shot from the sword, arced through the air, and struck the ground. The next instant, a holy explosion erupted. The demons at the point of impact were vaporized, and the blast of sacred light tore through the surrounding monsters. The swarm was blown apart, and even the demons on the periphery were riddled with holes, dissolving into black mist.

Witnessing the overwhelming destruction, the knights and soldiers roared in triumph.

“We did it!”

“What power!”

“That’s the Commander for you!”

The technique was [Holy Cannon], a devastating area-of-effect attack that fired a shell of holy energy.

The Vice-Commander immediately barked new orders.

“Reform the lines, now! The mages’ next spell should be ready soon! Hold out until then!”

The troops scrambled to reform their ranks. But in that short time, the demons that had been pushed back were already swarming forward again. They devoured the fallen soldiers and knights, and more and more humanoid forms were born.

The Commander, for once, sounded worried. “Tch, there’s no end to them! Where is that magic attack!?”

The Vice-Commander returned to his side, looking back at the capital. “It is taking too long. No demons should have broken through our lines, so I doubt their incantation was interrupted…”

It was at that moment—a signal of light magic flashed from the city wall. But it wasn’t the signal to begin the magic attack. It was the signal for ‘Problem Occurred.’

The Commander grimaced. “A problem!?”

“Commander! A familiar is coming!”

A bird-type familiar, used by the mages, flew toward them. It landed on the Commander’s outstretched arm and spoke in Chief Mage’s voice; this bird could mimic human speech.

“Demons have appeared inside the walls! A mole-type! It seems they dug their way in! We’ve put up an underground barrier, but we can’t stop them from multiplying! Send reinforcements, immediately!”

The Vice-Commander gasped and immediately gave his counsel.

“We’re in a bad spot here, but the forces inside the walls won’t be able to hold them! We have no choice but to split our forces!”

The Commander nodded, his face pained, and spoke to the bird.

“Understood! We’re sending half our men back! We still have to fight out here! Tell them to hold on with those reinforcements! —Go!”

He swung his arm, and the bird flew off with the message. The Commander looked at the battlefield and growled. The demons were absorbing the life force of the land and the fallen, multiplying endlessly. They were diversifying, using countless attack patterns. His own knights, meanwhile, were growing exhausted and dwindling in number. It was only a matter of time before they were overrun by sheer, overwhelming numbers.

The Commander looked past the demons, toward the far-off horizon, his expression grim. The Vice-Commander saw his gaze and spoke. “The Cordelia Squad… It seemed like a ridiculous plan, but in this situation, I find myself hoping it works.”

The Commander nodded. “Aye. To think we’d be pinning our hopes on the princess…”

He had intended for that mission to be a polite way of keeping her off the front lines. No matter what she claimed, she was royalty. He had wanted to keep her out of direct combat. But in this desperate situation, he had no choice but to pray her plan succeeded.

The Commander let out a breath and roared, his fighting spirit reignited.

“Alright, men! Let’s hit them again!”

“All units, wedge formation! Follow the Commander!”

The Commander spurred his horse and charged back into the fray. He offered a silent prayer.

Gods… Valgrath, God of War… Please protect Princess Cordelia, and grant her success!