The escape of Yulen and me continued without interruption.
If the Snowfield Mage could dash at full power, it might be a different story, but he had elves piled up on his hands and shoulders. Naturally, running on four legs was impossible.
In other words, it meant he couldn’t catch up with our rush.
I raised my voice to prevent more sacrifices.
“Retreat, we are retreating!”
It was a perplexing sound for the soldiers who were face-to-face with the enemy. Especially for the Urjina Army, it made even more sense.
The tide of battle clearly leaned towards the Urjina side.
The armed status of the elves was poor, and to make matters worse, Senior Elsi and the Imperial Princess were holding firm in the rear. Moreover, the presence of the Lady Virgin Saint significantly impacted the morale of the Urjina Army.
Even if they were injured, they could survive under normal circumstances.
Thus, they were actively exchanging attacks. It seemed evident that the elves’ defeat would soon be assured.
Yet suddenly, a command for retreat came.
I couldn’t carelessly ignore the voice that issued it. The North respected the strong, and the heroic achievements I had built up had become authority.
However, the elves’ reactions were somewhat different.
At first, they were flustered, but soon their expressions solidified with a firm resolve. From that point on, the elves’ offensive became even more aggressive.
They seemed to be risking their lives.
Some elves shouted with their eyes reddened.
“For liberation!”
What that ‘liberation’ meant was obvious.
As the formation staggered, I spotted Sir Alex, who was slaughtering enemies at the front line. His armor was also soaked with bl**d, just like mine.
With a smack, the knight’s sword cleaved an elf soldier in half.
He silently endured the torrent of bl**d as if accustomed to it. He only took a deep breath before wiping the bloodied forehead.
Sir Alex’s seasoned eyes turned toward me.
He must have heard the commotion I had caused.
“Young Master, could you explain? Why should we turn our backs to those elf bastards…?”
“It’s the Dark Cult’s sorcery.”
At my one word, Sir Alex immediately closed his mouth.
In truth, I wasn’t entirely sure what magic the elves used. But as far as I knew, the only place that sacrificed lives for destruction was the Dark Cult.
Above all, persuading Sir Alex was an urgent priority.
The term ‘sorcery’ was favored by older, stubborn knights. It was a term we mainly used when we were being pushed back by the enemy, and this connotation was important.
We were at a disadvantage.
It meant that the tide of battle had shifted due to an unknown force. Sir Alex was a brave knight of the North, but he was not a foolish commander.
His hesitation was brief.
He clicked his tongue and said.
“If we retreat, where to?”
“Just to the camp. From there, I will join the teams providing support in the rear and slay the elf who casts the sorcery.”
“We’ll do as you say, Young Master.”
Immediately after, Sir Alex quietly raised his hand.
Then, from afar, the sound of a horn echoed, and the soldiers began to regroup and slowly pull back.
Sir Alex said to me.
“A commander must always be with their soldiers in the North.”
“I understand… Let our party handle it. Regardless, if Sir Alex suffers even a serious injury, the command structure will collapse.”
I was quite familiar with this.
With a somewhat dissatisfied expression, Sir Alex nodded slightly. He understood that he had to leave but seemed disappointed that he could not struggle alongside us.
However, there was no time left for complaints.
Sir Alex immediately returned to the rear to gather our group. As the soldiers steadily pulled back their formation, Yulen and I took turns bringing down the elf soldiers.
After all, they would be the ones to ambush once the Snowfield Mage arrived.
It was best to reduce their numbers in advance.
Fortunately, our group arrived earlier than the Snowfield Mage.
I couldn’t even tell them the detailed situation.
“The Mage is sacrificing elves to cast powerful magic. So if the elves are thrown, avoid them and provide support from the rear.”
It was an insufficient explanation.
But it was my best effort.
The party, with confused expressions, nodded. I must have been so wary of the Snowfield Mage that even Neoris and Abiyang were standing next to me.
Senior Neoris had a somewhat displeased expression.
After all, being summoned to the frontlines unexpectedly and having to demonstrate hidden skills was a bother. Yet I had to borrow even the paw of a cat now.
Of course, I had no high hopes for Abiyang.
It was a battle against their kind, and they had been terrified long before in the bloodied scenery of war.
I merely hoped to follow Senior Neoris closely.
If I or Senior Neoris were not around Abiyang, the collar that was placed would activate and lead to d*ath.
It was just after I had managed to SORT things out.
“Humans!”
The cry of a wounded beast echoed across the battlefield.
The party stiffened their expressions upon confirming the source. The language had the qualities of an intelligent being, yet the form was that of a monster.
Those who made contracts with the Mage and the Neutral.
This made the relationship between the elves and the Dark Cult unequivocal.
Nonetheless, the Snowfield Mage continued its ardent cries.
“You have driven us to this place! We were prepared to d*e here, but you have given us an even more miserable life! Thus, we shall sacrifice our lives for our liberation.”
“…Let’s go.”
As I gestured to Yulen and Senior Neoris, three shadows tore apart.
The speed of the three individuals racing in different directions was fierce. Especially Yulen looked with admiration at Senior Neoris’s powerful abilities.
After all, Senior Neoris was already a seasoned expert.
It was at that moment that two elves soared into the sky.
They closed their eyes in resignation. Judging by the parabolic trajectory, they were descending toward me and the rear.
But we were not unprepared either.
“…Starlight Feast!”
Perhaps due to the aftereffects of my first k*ll, my voice wavered slightly.
Nonetheless, the effect was definite.
Dozens of light bullets lined up and struck the elves soaring in the air. With each strike, the sight of the elves’ corpses being torn apart made the Imperial Princess cover her mouth again.
I felt pity, but it was unavoidable.
If I didn’t want to lose my life, I had no choice but to take theirs.
In an instant, I regretted bringing the Imperial Princess to this cold North. No matter how much the future ‘me’ may have intentions, the princess was still too young.
Separately from that, her performance was dazzling.
The elf corpses, struck by dozens of light bullets, exploded. The impact was such that my body staggered momentarily.
If I had to take that power head-on, how much could I endure?
Two hits?
No, it might end in a single blow. I stepped cautiously, trying to minimize my exposure.
Before long, the distance between the Snowfield Mage and us had been narrowed considerably.
As if it hadn’t given up yet, once again, elves were scattered into the air.
There were two once more. It was a natural outcome since the Mage only had two hands.
There was no need to worry then.
Not to mention Senior Elsi, even Senior Neoris was already waiting in ambush. No matter how quickly the elves were thrown, the two ladies would surely be faster.
As if to prove my prediction, two spears from Her Highness flew through the air, leaving blue trails.
Smack, smack.
As a skilled Mage, there was no waste. Each spear targeted one elf, and the shocked elves screamed as they exploded.
Now the distance to the Snowfield was a matter of merely a few leaps.
However, as always, it was impossible for the battle to be that easy.
Liquids of a terrifying quantity splattered around the exploded elf corpses.
One was transparent, and the other was dark and murky.
I had no choice but to retreat in confusion. I leaped several times to get out of the effective range.
At least it was fortunate that I was not in the center of that area.
Senior Neoris and Yulen were unfortunately caught in the middle of those splattered liquids. Yulen was dodging back and forth, trying to avoid the dark liquid.
Senior Neoris was similarly engaged.
The identities of the two liquids soon became clear.
Ice spikes began to rise above the transparent liquid.
There were countless of them. Even slightly avoiding the puddle would not be enough to escape.
Senior Neoris bit her lips and instantly lunged into the air. The sight of her gliding elegantly amidst the slippery ice spikes resembled that of a swan.
Yulen, similarly, was ardently focused on escaping.
The black liquid hissed and began to corrode the ground. Consequently, the puddle widened, gradually eroding the ground Yulen stood upon.
I could hear him cursing.
Yes, indeed.
It seemed that the power each elf could produce by sacrificing themselves was different. Furthermore, the type did not merely end in explosions.
The realization sent chills down my spine.
Thus, there was only one solution.
