Chapter 87

Chapter 86

At this point, it was already too late to wield an Aura Blade.

However,

-It can cut through anything that does not exist in the material plane.

The problem is that, just as he prepared, there are ways for me to catch him even if he escapes to a second dimension.

Swoosh!!

With a chilling sound, the intense flow of mana suddenly stopped.

And, the frozen Baron Lington, feeling a strange sensation, stared wide-eyed at the blue blade attached to the halberd hanging from his neck.

"What... what is this...?"

"Curious? 500 gold coins."

Swoosh!!

Bright red blood splattered in all directions in the control room.

35. I've always wanted to try this.

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!!!

About 200 cavalrymen quickly crossed the gate of Ordem Manor and entered the estate.

"Your Highness! There are bodies!"

"Damn! What the hell happened... Baron Gorneo!!!"

At the same time, a boy on the leading horse threw off his helmet and urgently shouted.

The boy was none other than the actual lord of Ordem Manor, Winry's twin brother, and David's younger brother, Baris.

The return was much later than expected.

"Search! The 1st and 3rd Knight Orders, quickly arrest Baron Lington and Baron Collio! If they resist, don't recklessly fight back! And the 2nd Order, search for Baron Gorneo! The rest, find and protect the estate residents!"

"Yes!!"

"Remember! This is not a last stand! Save as many as you can!"

After a strong response, the knights quickly dispersed, and he urgently spurred his horse.

Most of the estate residents had been isolated in quarantine facilities when the disease broke out, abandoning all their livelihoods.

As a result, the once bustling estate became eerily quiet within a few days.

What happened?

The bloodstains and the bodies of the Extermination Knights scattered everywhere indicated that someone had massacred them.

While he was away, did Lington cause trouble and clash with Baron Gorneo's knights?

Scratching his head in frustration, the more he rode, the more bodies he saw.

Arriving at the treatment center, he was shocked to see the bodies piled up like a mountain.

"These... they're all knights!?"

Dozens of them.

At this point, it was safe to say that most of the Extermination Knights in the estate were dead.

Baris entered the treatment center without hesitation, as if in a trance.

Despite the disease known to spread through the respiratory system, his urgent mind didn't consider it a major issue.

Inside the treatment center, he saw Baron Gorneo treating patients calmly and steadily, as if the chaos outside didn't concern him.

"Baron Gorneo!"

"Hmm? No! Prince Baris, have you returned?"

The overly calm tone made Baris's eyes twitch.

"Yes, as the Baron said, I searched the bandits' base and found evidence. I sent a messenger bird first, but what happened here?"

His shout was filled with questions about the current situation and the dead knights outside.

After the disease control team arrived, Baron Gorneo joined a bit late.

Given the dire state of the estate, Baris had to transfer most of his authority and wait anxiously day by day. Later, he heard an unbelievable story from Baron Gorneo.

That someone, possibly instigated by Baron Lington, might have intentionally spread the disease in the estate.

Baris had left the estate under the pretense of preventing exposure to the disease.

With Winry, the only family he had to protect, gone, he felt relieved that she wouldn't return until he did.

After several days of continuous searching, Baris finally found a few potion bottles with the disease control team's mark buried in the ground.

He immediately turned his horse and returned, but the situation was beyond his comprehension.

"What... what happened here?"

Trying to calm his shocked mind, he asked angrily.

"Prince David came here."

"My brother?!"

"And he developed a cure for the disease without any trouble."

"..."

Baris's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes, honestly, I was shocked. The disease that our disease control team's doctors couldn't even find a hint for in years, Prince David solved in just four days."

"Then the bodies of the knights outside...?"

"The problem lies there. It seems Baron Lington had other intentions. He ordered his knights to bury us."

"Brother! Then what about Winry?!"

Baron Gorneo answered calmly to his agitated shout.

"Calms down, there's no need to worry..."

"No need to worry!! The cure is important, but my brother and Winry are more important to me! What about my brother! What about Winry?!"

"Prince Baris..."

"Are they safe? Tell me!! If anything happens to them... especially to that trusting Winry...!!"

A puzzled voice reached his ears, which were burning with anger.

"Anything happens?"

"I'll declare war on the empire and seek revenge... if anything happens."

His eyes, burning with rage, paused.

Then, like a broken machine, he turned his head stiffly.

"Hmm... Prince Baris seems to care for Winry much more than you said."

"Hey... why are you suddenly...?"

Silence enveloped the treatment center.

* * *

Lington's eyes, which had been wide open, froze as he collapsed, not knowing why his body was cut or how the magic he had activated was canceled.

His pupils, as if pleading for understanding, were fixed on me, but there was no point in explaining the S-class ability that Qingdan possessed to a dead man.

-You ended up as a miserable corpse.

"If you did subhuman things, you should have been prepared for this. Anyway, I tried not to kill you easily."

Searching through Lington's tattered body, I found several small bottles containing liquid.

They were the cures for the fusion acceleration virus I had created in four days.

Only I and Baron Gorneo knew the method to make this cure.

Since he didn't know what the medicine was made of, he seemed to have stored the entire sample.

At least the value of this cure is considerable now.

-David, what about this facility?

"It needs to be destroyed..."

BOOM!!!

It seemed there was no need.

-What is this?!

Seeing the facilities start to shake, I immediately drew Hongdan and wielded an Aura Blade.

Then, I boldly cut through the ceiling and rose up.

"Let it collapse without any trouble."

That's exactly what happened.

Lington had apparently planned to destroy the entire facility to eliminate evidence before leaving.

Following his plan, the explosive force from below began to completely demolish the facility.

-David, look there.

While dodging the falling debris and using it as a stepping stone, Perseus's voice reached my ear.

"What's that?"

-Chimera...

Realizing what it was, her mutterings made my face show a look of disbelief.

It seems the black mage was elsewhere.

While most of the chimeras were buried with the collapsing facility, some with flight capabilities or large sizes managed to escape.

-Grrr!!

-Kiaaaak!!

Their numbers quickly increased from a few to hundreds, and they began to head in a certain direction as if by agreement.

-Ordem Manor!

Realizing the direction, she opened her eyes wide and shouted, and I immediately blocked the path of the nearest, grotesquely shaped chimera.

A massive monster, about 4 to 5 meters tall.

It had muscles similar to an ogre, troll-like skin color, and a bizarre form that didn't resemble a basic organism.

-Its head and organs are haphazardly attached.

The head is on the chest, eyes on the shoulders, and there are mouths all over its body.

It was a gruesome sight that would make a weak-stomached person vomit.

-Kaaaaa!!!

The chimera, as if demanding not to be obstructed, immediately charged at me.

"Fast and strong."

Thud!!!

My fist, which penetrated instantly, shattered what seemed to be its head and crushed its body.

Though not completely destroyed, the blow was quite fatal, and the chimera fell, but my expression was not light.

"Hard? Did you shorten its lifespan to maximize performance?"

-If used in a short-term war...

"It might already be too late."

If there's no direct connection, it's not my concern.

However, the monsters that have escaped are heading towards Ordem Manor, using the forest as a shield.

"Even if I try, it's hard to catch each one in this vast forest."

-Why not quickly return and defend?

Some of them were similar to wyverns that could breathe fire.

If left unchecked, even with my help, significant damage would occur.

I didn't ponder for long.

Looking up, I saw dark clouds gathering, as if it was about to rain.

"Humidity is just right."

Silently extending my hand into the air and slightly stimulating mana, a faint spark appeared.

"Let's do this."

If there's no way, I'll create one.

I must keep my word.

Though it's a mana-intensive spell, by stimulating mana appropriately, my body began to rise due to an invisible force.

Simultaneously, I drew Hongdan and quietly swept the blade.

"Come on, Hongdan, I'm sorry, but I need to borrow some mana."

By normal standards, a 5th Circle mage can't use large-scale magic.

However, if it's just a matter of bringing something already created, it's possible with my 5th Circle mana and Hongdan's 7th Circle mana.

Quickly flying through the air past the chimeras, I blocked their path, lifted Hongdan into the air, and clapped my hands loudly.