‘Guess I was wrong. They’ve traveled further than I thought.’
Led by Captain Ordine, the O’Neil Kingdom forces had been on the move for way longer—and much farther—than expected.
When they suddenly took off, I thought their target lair might be close by, but that wasn’t the case.
I’ve been keeping an eye on the kingdom troops and their route from above—but so far, nothing suspicious has shown up.
“Hey, Green, didn’t know you could fly THIS high!”
Grurrrrrlg.
Green tilted their head as if understanding what I said and let out a low growl. It was more like a sound effect than anything meaningful, but I could feel that Green was pretty proud of themselves.
Guess what? My daydream about riding Green for a mission came true faster than expected.
There I was, perched atop Green, fully geared up in my Black Shadow Guild uniform, mask, and gloves. Flying at Green’s maximum height, I was stealthily following the O’Neil Kingdom forces from a distance.
Come to think of it, this was probably the better option anyway.
If I revealed myself to ordinary people, how exactly would I even introduce myself?
Being the mysterious leader of the Black Shadow Guild (Ryu Young, at your service) was way easier than being academy student Ryu. It not only made escaping simpler but also gave me more authority when persuading others.
How the kingdom’s forces will react upon spotting me? That’s another story.
“Still, I’m a little worried how Ordine’s gonna take this.”
A few years back, Captain Ordine had chased me down in an absolute rage. Knowing him, if he spotted me now, he’d lose his cool again.
That’s why I’m hanging back on Green, keeping a safe distance while shadowing them.
‘But what is Nameless planning, anyway?’
Night winds brushing against me as I hovered high above, my mind began to wander. Once again, the infamous 4th Main Quest had begun—completely unannounced.
The objectives this time? Rescue Elaine (who, by the way, appears to have been kidnapped) and stop Nameless’ plan.
And if I manage to clear the quest, ironically, I might even earn the title of ‘Hero of the Kingdom.’
‘Wait, does that even make sense?’
Considering the kingdom probably regards me as their number one enemy right now, it’s all rather ironic.
Grurrrrg.
“Huh?”
I was lost in thought when Green suddenly halted mid-flight, head tilted upward.
Reactively, I glanced below.
Though distant, it was unmistakable—Captain Ordine, leading the vanguard of the kingdom’s forces, had halted and dismounted his horse. The knights around him followed suit, one by one stepping off their steeds.
“They must’ve arrived.”
Grurrrrg.
Green seemed to respond to my words, growling slightly before starting a slow descent.
From here on out, I’d have to be extra cautious not to get caught.
“Let’s move carefully, shall we?”
Green reduced the green flames encircling them to a whisper, preparing for a stealthy approach.
*
“That’s where they are.”
“Where, exactly?”
In response to Professor Amillion’s question, Captain Ordine simply stared at a distant spot.
Amillion followed his gaze but saw nothing remarkable—just a single tree standing there.
‘Hmm?’
Amillion’s eyes wandered aimlessly from the tree but returned when something felt off. There was a subtle distortion—a faint twist in the mana presence. It was the kind of thing someone like Amillion, known as “The Penetrating Eye,” could easily detect.
“What is that?”
“That tree. That’s their lair.”
“…”
Amillion realized it immediately. The warped mana indicated both a barrier and a warp point. A touch of the tree would likely transport someone elsewhere.
“Seems dangerous.”
“…Yes.”
Ordine nodded in agreement, unsurprisingly. This hesitation had been one of the reasons for Ordine’s delay in making a decision. They’d pinpointed where the group’s trail vanished, and they’d detected suspicious magic—but there was no clue about where the mysterious warp point led to.
They’d attempted to decipher it through their kingdom’s mages, but every attempt had failed.
“Is there any way to find out where this warp point leads?”
Having gained confidence in Professor Amillion during their journey, Ordine decided to ask.
Amillion frowned, clearly uncomfortable with the question.
“Perhaps, if we had time to analyze and study it… but it’d take a while. And I can’t do it alone.”
Ordine nodded, unsurprisingly. He hadn’t expected anything immediate. If it were that easy, it would’ve hurt his pride. After all, if Crescent’s mages could analyze things in an instant while O’Neil’s struggled for weeks, that’d be unbearable.
“Guess we’ll just have to take a leap of faith.”
“…”
Ordine’s voice was grave, as if coming to an important decision.
The knights nearby began stepping forward, solemn expressions on their faces.
“We’ll go in first.”
“No, I go first.”
“Captain…!”
“The strongest should bear the biggest risks—it’s a natural law. Is there anyone here stronger than me?”
Ordine’s tone commanded authority as he addressed his subordinates.
Silence followed his rhetorical question. The knights exchanged worried glances, fear evident in their eyes.
“No stalling. I’ll go in first. If it’s safe, I’ll signal you through communication devices. If I don’t, retreat. We don’t need unnecessary sacrifices.”
The knights collectively gasped as Ordine paused for a deep breath before continuing.
“Listen up. Retreat if necessary. The mission comes first.”
“Captain!”
Elizar was the first to speak up, her voice brimming with protest.
But Ordine’s resolve was unshaken.
“Quiet. No further discussion.”
Professor Amillion found himself impressed by how effortlessly Ordine commanded respect. It wasn’t by chance that he was O’Neil Kingdom’s Grand Captain. His charisma and authority were palpable—comparable even to Lord Royce St. Claire of House St. Claire.
“Alright, I’m—huh?”
“Wait, what?!”
Swish!
Just as Ordine was preparing to step forward, startled voices erupted from the group. Simultaneously, the sound of dozens of swords being drawn filled the air.
Every knight’s weapon was pointed at the same spot—directly in front of the suspicious warp tree.
Suddenly, someone stood where no one had been moments earlier.
A man cloaked in white robes, their identity obscured.
“You, there…!”
Swish!
Ordine immediately drew his sword, targeting the enigmatic figure. The memory of those robes was crystal clear in his mind. They belonged to the one who had dismantled the Silver Eagle with a devastating spell.
“Fall back, everyone! Keep your distance!”
“Pestilent bugs.”
As the captain ordered his subordinates to retreat, the man in white finally spoke. Their voice was barely intelligible, low enough to draw everyone’s attention.
“Let’s set the record straight.”
Whoosh!
“d*mn it! Mages, prepare! Everyone else, get back!”
From beneath the figure’s robes, black fog began to seep out. Its emergence triggered Ordine’s desperate shout. Reacting quickly, his subordinates began scrambling further away.
Just as Ordine ordered, the knights withdrew, replaced by mages clad in mage robes moving to the front lines.
“Set up protective spells!”
Hum!
Before Ordine’s orders ended, the mages behind him sprang into action. A blinding flash illuminated the scene as a shield-like protective barrier formed in front of Ordine. Initially only blocking the front, the barrier quickly expanded into a massive orb that enveloped everyone.
Ordine watched with hope that this barrier would hold against the incoming fog.
Whoosh!
As the protective orb completed its coverage, the black fog finally began spreading.
As if it had waited for the shield to manifest, the fog started seeping outward, slowly devouring the surroundings. The moment it touched the barrier…
Gulp.
Ordine unconsciously swallowed hard as he focused on the impending clash between the two forces.
Ziiiiit!
When the fog connected with the barrier, a crackling, hissing sound erupted as the opposing energies collided.
So far, so good. Magic colliding with magic, defenses absorbing the offensive force. The fog would be restrained by the protective shield.
Hope flickered in Ordine’s heart momentarily.
Whoosh!
“Urgh!”
But his hopes were dashed.
The barrier was supposed to hold. However, instead of stopping the fog, it simply passed through, unaffected, spreading inside the protective sphere.
The barrier hadn’t broken—it was just ineffective.
The black fog continued to seep through, unaffected by any barriers.
“Next!”
Ordine shouted, undeterred.
It was disappointing, but this was expected. The Kingdom wasn’t entirely unprepared after losing the Silver Eagle. They tried desperately to counteract fog magic like this, devising several strategies, including the idea of turning gas into liquid that Amillion mentioned earlier.
“Mages!”
On Ordine’s command, the mages unleashed a barrage of spells from the back lines. Brilliant colors soared toward the black fog, while the mages watched with confident grins.
Surely, at least one of these spells would work.
BOOM!
A powerful explosion erupted, and Ordine looked forward with anticipation.
Perhaps the fog would vanish?
“cr*p…”
Unfortunately, not only did the black fog remain unscathed, it actually grew denser.
Whoosh!
The fog thickened and continued spreading menacingly.
