A storm and thunder were pouring down on the battlefield.
The main cause of this was Elsi.
She had already emptied several potions of magical power and was projecting all her strength.
Ian, who had allowed a sudden blow from the Corpse Giant, was clearly in critical condition.
Those who had rushed to save Ian could not help but be anxious.
Of course, this was the same for Ceria, who had been standing by in a daze from afar.
Without passing through her mind, she reflexively gave an order.
“Sir Alex, let’s enter the battlefield immediately!”
It was a fluent voice, contrasting her previously timid demeanor.
However, the knights of the Yuridina Clan, who should have responded to Ceria’s command, did not do so.
Instead, they stared blankly at Ceria.
Just when Ceria, who was already feeling irritated, was about to furrow her brow.
Sir Alex, representing his retinue, asked.
“…Are you serious?”
Serious?
Ceria could only shout in frustration at that question.
“Then would it be a lie?! I-Ian is over there right now…”
“Miss.”
But Alex’s voice in response was merely calm.
Not heavy, nor light in tone.
So Ceria could only look at him with more bewilderment.
There was no sense of defiance from Alex’s expression.
Nor was it the stance of a soldier silently carrying out a superior’s command.
He simply asked again.
“…Do you remember the names of the soldiers?”
Ceria bit her lip.
What was he saying at a time like this when every second counted?
However, Ceria had not yet gained recognition from the retinue.
The North only follows those deemed worthy to follow.
Thus, there was no one to stop Alex, even if he dared to engage in a verbal spar with Ceria. Instead, they watched with apparent interest.
If it were a battle that involved the fate of the Yuridina Clan, that might be different, but for the Yuridina soldiers, this place was merely a foreign land.
They had leisure.
The only one without leisure was Ceria.
She was furious, yet she had to calmly attempt to persuade him.
“If there are shortcomings, I will certainly take the time later to hear your counsel. But right now, Ian’s life hangs in the balance…”
“Sam has only one sister in his family.”
With that statement from Alex, Ceria was momentarily at a loss for words.
“Sam” was an exceedingly common name. There must have been several soldiers among the thousands who had that name.
Yet Alex did not bother to specify his affiliation.
It was as if he implied that “Sam” was the only one with such circumstances.
“And that sister is lame. So Sam has done everything he could since childhood… Even joining the clan’s retinue was for stable income.”
Ceria’s blue eyes carefully observed Alex’s expression.
However, no matter how much she examined, Alex did not appear to be lying.
At the very least, it seemed clear that he understood well about the soldier named “Sam.”
The stories flowing from Alex did not end there.
“Have you spoken with Hanson? That friend left behind only his elderly mother and pregnant wife. He’s worried about who will support them if he dies.”
“Eyena is a bit of a unique friend. A hunter from the coniferous forest, she lost a younger brother to an elf and volunteered for vengeance. She said, who else would take revenge if not her?”
“Rex is said to be the eldest son of eight siblings. No matter how much he earns, it’s never enough, so he ultimately volunteered as a soldier. If he’s gone, several of them might have to starve.”
Each one of those calm explanations threw Ceria into confusion.
Ceria had heard of the traditions of the North before.
Northerners value their comrades.
It was an old custom for newly appointed commanders to remember the names of their soldiers.
But this was the first time she had met a knight who knew such detailed stories.
Alex must be a particularly extraordinary commander.
The unfortunate truth was that it was Alex who was testing Ceria.
Whether she could gain his recognition or not.
Depending on that, the weight of the commands Ceria issued would vary greatly.
“Just like Sir Ian, the soldiers here are also irreplaceable beings for someone. A commander from the North should understand that weight.”
The strong soldiers of the North are famous for throwing themselves into battle without fearing for their lives.
This was influenced by the unique culture of “loyalty” in the North.
And the relationship was never one-sided.
As much as the soldiers trusted their commander, the commander also only chose battlefields worth the lives of his soldiers.
It wasn’t a trial that someone who looked as urgent as Ceria could pass.
But it didn’t matter.
Yuridina was a clan of lions, and trials always come when one least wants them.
Ceria was not unaware of this.
After gnawing on her lip for a while, Ceria thought.
What of it?
What did it matter whether Sam, Hanson, or Eyena died?
Ian was over there!
In comparison to Senior Ian, Ceria felt that her own life was insignificant.
She was not someone who could be swayed by Alex’s arguments.
However, Ceria pondered.
How would Senior Ian have acted in this situation?
Just as she fell into that thought, her mind immediately arrived at an answer.
And in the next moment.
With a bang, Alex’s body flew up into the air.
Alex, who had been mounted on his horse, had no time to react.
He could only accept the blunt impact of Ceria’s pommel as she launched herself from her saddle.
Having received an unexpected blow to his chest, Alex stumbled and rolled on the ground.
The shock must have been more than he could imagine, as Alex coughed in surprise.
Over Alex’s neck, a cold voice approached.
“…Sir Alex, I am also from the North.”
It was a tone colder than a blade.
Ceria’s blue eyes now had no shadow of hesitation.
“Having come here under the orders of my legitimate sister, the rightful heir of the Yuridina Clan, it included instructions to support Senior Ian in times of emergency.”
The dazed gazes of the knights turned toward Ceria.
The soldiers, who had been watching the situation with apparent amusement, seemed equally enthralled.
It was hard to find anyone who wasn’t wide-eyed.
“Sir Alex, do you want to live? Or is there someone amongst the soldiers you called for who wants to live? If so, then run away immediately.”
Silence prevailed.
Northerners value their honor above all else.
Fleeing like a coward was one of the greatest shames of all.
“If not, do you want victory?”
“…Miss.”
Coughing, Alex struggled to get back on his feet.
In doing so, he even tightened his grip on Ceria’s blade with his gauntlet.
Ceria could have severed those fingers with but a hint of her aura, but fortunately, no accident occurred.
“It’s an obviously difficult situation to win.”
“And so?”
It was a single word.
A question had been spat out as she intently stared at Alex, who slowly raised his head while pounding his chest.
He wore a spirited smile.
A chuckle escaped his lips.
“It means this is a splendid battlefield to gain honor… splendid, Miss. Yuridina should indeed be like this. Strength over logic, honor over compassion!”
As he said this, Alex immediately drew his sword.
Then the remaining knights quickly drew their swords in response, and the soldiers stomped their feet in anticipation.
The sharp sound of metal rubbing and the thudding noise made her head spin.
“…Let me show you the skills that were once called ‘Yuridina’s lunacy.'”
Hearing the excited voice of the veteran knight, Ceria sighed in relief inwardly.
After all, Northerners…
It was fortunate that she could support Senior Ian.
Having completely forgotten that she herself was the most Northerner of all.
Thousands of soldiers rushed into the battlefield like a tide.
The corpses and flesh that had been targeting Ian were beginning to be slaughtered while oozing blood.
The puzzle of war was being pieced together, one by one.
This was just before Ian regained consciousness.
Storm and lightning were pelting down haphazardly.
The chunks of flesh and corpses that were approaching Ian’s vicinity had all already long been incinerated. Once the Yuridina Clan’s soldiers charged in, no further reinforcements came.
The tide was overwhelmingly favorable for Ian.
If only that “Corpse Giant” weren’t here.
The Corpse Giant seemed a bit startled by the sudden rain of lightning.
However, that was only for a moment, as the monster, which had already completed repairing its head portion, was glaring at Ian.
Ian was still unable to regain his senses.
Elsi was crazily drinking potions and casting spells repeatedly.
With each cast, her blood was pounding wildly.
She felt as if her blood vessels were drying up, and the blood vessels in her eyes had long since burst.
It hurt.
The blood vessels in her arms, which guided the magical power, were tearing, leaving her in bruises. The ever-increasing bruises brought terrible pain to Elsi with each moment of birth.
Several times, she was unable to suppress her groans and had to halt her spellcasting.
Had she ever been in more pain than this in her life?
Elsi was now questioning herself with a hazy mind.
When she fought a hunting dog long ago?
It was painful then too, but it only lasted for a moment. This was her first time deliberately inflicting such pain on herself.
Her whole body ached, her insides felt like they were being brutally squeezed.
Her eyes had long since dried up, so every time the lightning struck, stabbing pain shot through her.
Tears streamed down her face.
She wanted to collapse right away, she wanted to cry and run away.
Yet Elsi endured.
Having left her clan, she had chosen her own fate for the first time in her life.
Then she must dutifully comply with that fate.
Even if the end was a useless death.
But the Corpse Giant raised its fist as if mocking Elsi.
If it came crashing down, Ian would surely die without escape.
So Elsi laughed.
“……Judgment of Light!”
With a resounding roar, thunder shook the battlefield.
Normally, thunder should strike after the lightning, but that thunder was merely a precursor to the magic that was to follow.
As the electricity crackled, the Corpse Giant’s head naturally began to lift.
The electricity was gathering above its head.
And in the next moment.
With a crackling sound that tore through the air, the spear of electricity descended.
Its power was incomparable to the great magic she had used until now.
The Corpse Giant shuddered briefly and convulsed.
But that alone did not give a valid blow to the Corpse Giant.
What Elsi hoped for was merely a chance to capture the Corpse Giant’s attention.
The Corpse Giant’s head began to slowly turn toward Elsi.
However, Elsi no longer had the strength to move.
Lying flat on the ground, Elsi chuckled.
“You ugly bastard… aren’t you going to open your eyes?”
With her trembling arm, she touched the ground.
To stand out even a little more.
“Hey, you cowardly bastard! Who do you think you can touch before me? I’ll, I’ll take you on, so…….”
So, please do not touch my master.
Elsi gasped and pleaded.
Her blue eyes were now fading.
But the girl’s hope did not reach the retinue of the evil god.
The monster glanced at Elsi for a moment before losing interest.
It seemed to view Ian, who had landed a hit at least once, as a more threatening opponent.
Elsi widened her eyes in surprise.
“Hey, hey… hey, what are you doing! I’m over here! There’s a person here, hey you bastard!”
The Corpse Giant again raised its fist.
And just as that massive chunk of flesh was about to target Ian.
Suddenly, geometric patterns began to engrave in the sky.
It was clearly a portent of a powerful grand spell.
Before the Corpse Giant could react, beams of light shot down from the vertices of the magic circle drawn in the air.
It was lightning.
Elemental magic that was synonymous with the Rainelle Clan.
It bound the Corpse Giant as if it were a leash. The Corpse Giant struggled to escape, but the chains of light did not budge.
Uooooooohhh-!
A roar filled with rage echoed throughout the battlefield.
Elsi, who had watched that scene from beginning to end, was dazed.
That magic circle, she had seen it somewhere.
It wasn’t a miracle that could be created by a mere master mage.
It was a grand spell that could only be achieved by the systematically trained magic troops.
The sound of a potion bottle rolling on the ground jolted Elsi’s dazed consciousness.
One of the potion bottles rolled to a stop right next to her.
That bottle bore the emblem of two intersecting laurel trees.
Elsi’s eyes were absently directed toward her back.
There stood a person so familiar.
“…Drink.”
It was Raymond.
