Chapter 344

The sound of a horn reverberated through the skull.

Armed soldiers were rushing out from various places. Each of them held their own weapons, and their presence was undeniably menacing.

It was a surprise attack in the dead of night.

The location of the Yuridina Clan’s military encampment had originally been confidential. It would have been difficult for the Elves to discover its whereabouts due to their overwhelming disadvantage in strength.

Even if scouts were sent, they would quickly end up in the surveillance network.

Rather, the troops of the Yuridina Clan were already searching the coniferous forest. The chances of reaching the encampment by overcoming countless obstacles were very low.

The Elves were already suffering from a shortage of strength. They had no luxury to consider options akin to attempting s*icide.

Thus, it was indeed a long-awaited night raid from the Yuridina side.

Anyone could have been flustered and at a loss. It was a situation where one had to face the enemy without even having time to prepare mentally.

However, among the hundreds of soldiers, there was no one who appeared startled and dazed.

They simply gripped their weapons calmly, as if it were something they had been expecting.

It was indeed the front line.

A place where one always lived with d*ath looming, the soldiers guarding the boundary of the coniferous forest were already prepared to fight.

It was a fortunate development.

Ultimately, it was my miscalculation that saved Benedetta’s life. If the night raid had resulted in significant casualties, it would have been unbearable.

As I sighed in relief, glancing around.

A familiar voice shook my eardrums.

“……Young Master.”

Despite the battle being imminent, the tone was oddly composed.

When I turned my head, there stood an armored old knight—Sir Alex, a loyal vassal of the Yuridina Clan and a seasoned commander.

With a calm expression, he spoke to me.

Meanwhile, several soldiers brushed past me.

“The Elves have launched a night raid. Fortunately, the sentry spotted them early, but their numbers are somewhat large.”

“How many?”

“It seems to be as many as the soldiers in this encampment.”

The strength was evenly matched.

A groan escaped my lips. Hundreds of Elves could not have readied for war in an instant.

In that case, there was only one answer.

“It’s a prepared ambush.”

“Yes, I don’t know how they figured out our location…”

“Benedetta.”

It was a straightforward confession.

I felt a twinge of embarrassment as I spoke those words, but Sir Alex simply gazed at me in silence.

It seemed he did not initially grasp the meaning of my words.

So, I had to add further clarification.

“I’m talking about that captured Elf woman. She had a tracking device attached to her.”

“Oh, that Elf… Hmm, that’s peculiar. When our mage examined her, no unusual behavior was detected.”

“It seems she underwent some kind of body modification.”

It was still merely conjecture.

However, the gruesome flesh that appeared from Benedetta’s mouth was undeniably similar to what had been implanted in Abiyang’s body.

The only difference was that Benedetta did not possess the extraordinary regeneration abilities like Abiyang.

Perhaps each piece of flesh had its unique abilities. Even with body modification, there must be limitations.

Despite the somewhat shocking revelation, Sir Alex displayed no sign of panic. Rather, he nodded as if it were to be expected.

He chuckled softly.

“Didn’t I tell you? The Elves are not a race to be trusted… It’s better to k*ll them without question or hesitation.”

“……I’ll keep that in mind.”

That advice seemed rather extreme, but as someone who had committed sins, I found it impossible to retort. I could only nod silently.

Noting my gloomy expression, Sir Alex clicked his tongue and tried to comfort me.

“You don’t have to worry too much. Even if the numbers are equal, the qualitative difference cannot be overlooked. Every soldier of our Yuridina clan is an elite. And also…”

The old knight’s gaze met mine quietly.

I was not someone who could fail to read the implication in his eyes. I nodded heavily.

“I’ll join. Myself and my companions as well.”

“Then it looks like we’ll win easily. If they are the ‘Elves’ I know, that is.”

It was a foreboding addition.

I frowned slightly, but Sir Alex moved on, walking steadily toward the coniferous forest, dotted with twinkling lights.

The Elves seemed to have decided that further concealment was meaningless.

They approached, holding the torches they had prepared. Concealed among the trees, I could not determine their exact numbers, but glowing eyes shone from the darkness.

Their gazes were filled with murderous intent.

I spoke to Neoris, who had been silently standing beside me.

“Neoris, for now, support the troops from the rear. And take care of Abiyang as well.”

“Yes, Master I-an.”

Neoris lowered her head hurriedly. After all, her identity was a secret to the outside world. She was hiding the fact that she had reached Expert level.

It was better for her to provide discreet support from behind.

Moreover, I’m sure Neoris did not wish to risk fighting at the front line.

Right after issuing my instructions, I followed Sir Alex’s lead. In front of the command tent, which I suspected was the tent of command, all my companions had already gathered.

Starting with Senior Elsi, the Lady Virgin Saint, Yulen, and Emma, alongside the Imperial Princess.

Except for Emma, they were all personnel immediately available for deployment.

The first to notice me was the Lady Virgin Saint, fidgeting anxiously.

“I-an! The Elves have initiated a night raid…”

“This is a battlefield.”

I said that without showing much concern.

Only then did the somewhat chaotic atmosphere among my companions settle a bit.

I was the one leading the group. It was critical for me to keep us centered.

“It’s not surprising to be attacked at any moment. We came to support the Yuridina Clan, so we will assist the Yuridina troops here.”

“Um, how do we do that?”

The question slipped out unexpectedly.

The eyes of my companions turned toward its source. There stood the Imperial Princess, unable to sit still.

Her eyes were filled with tears.

Looking at the girl with a sorrowful face, I felt a bitter expression form on mine.

I understood her feelings.

She had been pampered in the imperial palace since childhood. Not just her, but the rest of my companions, excluding Yulen, showed subtle signs of reluctance.

Elves were sentient beings.

Unlike the clear monsters they had been killing until now, this was a far more murderous act.

To k*ll someone.

Unless one were a born killer, it would be a hesitation impossible to overcome. Even so, this was a battlefield.

“…We have to k*ll them.”

With that one sentence, the atmosphere among my companions sank heavily.

The Imperial Princess opened her mouth to say something but eventually sealed it, unable to deny the logical correctness of my words.

I made an effort to ignore her downcast eyes and continued speaking.

“Emma, you stay in a safe place for now. Lady Virgin Saint, for the time being, please focus on treating the wounded from the rear. Senior Elsi, please engage with the mages of the Yuridina Clan in interception… Yulen?”

“I’m already looking forward to how the Elves’ swordsmanship will fare.”

Yulen grinned fiercely, stroking her sword.

She was always a strange one.

When she wasn’t wielding a sword, she was sociable and perfectly fine, but why was she like this?

Anyway, it was advantageous for me.

The aftermath of m*rder was most intense at the front. One had to fully endure the sensations of killing with their own hands.

However, Yulen seemed to have completely shed any aversion to m*rder.

An excellent companion to entrust my side to. I stepped forward with a bitter smile.

And in the next moment.

With a sharp sound, I kicked off the ground, propelling myself forward. The space was cut through in a straight line, and the cold wind from the north slapped against my cheeks.

I sensed Yulen following closely behind me.

The Elves who closed the distance beyond a certain point had halted. The closer I got to the front, the more the identities of the lights embedded among them were revealed.

It wasn’t just torches.

Fire arrows.

The Yuridina soldiers wielding shields advanced to the front, as if they were already aware of such a strategy.

“Fire!”

A faint voice echoed.

It must have belonged to the commander leading the Elves. From that command, they unleashed a flurry of fire arrows, blotting out the sky.

The flames in the night sky resembled stars.

The only difference was that with each passing moment, the approach of d*ath drew nearer. Despite being arrows shot from within the forest, their trajectories expertly avoided the trees.

It was the legendary skill of the Elves’ archery that I had only heard about.

Wasn’t it said that they could alter their trajectories using spirits?

However, the rain of fire arrows couldn’t stop me.

I drew my sword and hand axe while maintaining my sprinting posture. The hasty draw resulted in a sharp sound cutting through the air.

And with every step I took, multiple arrows broke and sank into the ground.

My sword and hand axe intersected rapidly. As if they were precision gears meshing perfectly, the arrows were rendered motionless, broken mid-flight.

In just four steps, all the fire arrows that passed by me were embedded into the earth.

With fluid motions, I traversed the snowfield, moving forward without a hitch. In contrast, it was the Elves who found themselves in disarray.

They probably never expected a human would charge straight through the rain of fire arrows.

With a few leaps, I landed with a thud among the ranks of the Elves. The expression on the faces of the Elves, who had been shooting arrows, was one of shock.

“What, what is that…?”

“A human.”

With a curt response, my sword traced through the air.

And one Elf’s head soared skyward.

Their expression was that of someone who still couldn’t comprehend the situation.

bl**d burst forth as the head rolled, spraying a warm rain around. The surrounding Elves gasped in shock and screamed.

“It’s an Expert!”

“The Expert has joined the fray! Call the swordsmen!”

It seemed that the term “Expert” was synonymous with terror among the Elves.

There were a few more of us, though.

I concealed the heartbreaking news within me like a blade and flicked the bl**d from my sword.

I felt awful.

Very much so.