Chapter 37

An indescribable feeling turned into certainty. The *Will-o'-the-Wisp* had blown away the watchtower, but the spread of fire within the castle was slow. It wasn't because of concern for the connected villages that the attack was unconsciously relaxed. The defensive walls and barracks, constructed with limited materials, had been treated with baked clay to make them fire-resistant. Moreover, there were extremely few flammable materials. This was not something that could be achieved overnight. Fire prevention awareness had been instilled in the soldiers on a daily basis, and elements that could cause a fire to spread had been removed and isolated.

"An order from Lady Latu. The militia must focus on extinguishing the fire."

"Evacuate the villagers to the mountains through the back!"

"The regulars must concentrate on the attackers! There aren't many of them!"

The movements of each of the foot soldiers were not bad. Rather, despite being caught off guard by the *Will-o'-the-Wisp*, they were regrouping. The spearman who had fallen below had even managed to parry three times and was about to avoid a fatal attack. If it had been a direct spear-to-spear confrontation, the battle would not have been decided yet. Worm, who was planning his next move, voiced his concerns.

"Have we been outsmarted by that militia?"

According to the militia prisoner, the commander of the fort was the dull old general, Latu. In the language of the old world, he was a washed-up bureaucrat who had been sidelined. The Eskisch Fort was not a strategic location and was under the command of an unknown general. Information from Jusitan, a former guard, also supported this. But what was the reality? That militia was quite a player.

"Is he really unknown?"

The general called dull did not jump into the swirling heat of the *Will-o'-the-Wisp*. The pinnacle of his abilities was the *Strong Strike*, which subdued the fireball. The destructive power that shattered the ground and repelled the blue flames could not be countered with just a fireball. Worm, who was planning his next move, became wary of the old general's suspicious actions. He shifted to a defensive stance with his mace, ready to guard against magical or skill-based attacks.

"Listen, knight of the Empire. My name is Latu. I am the commander of this fort. Let us fight fairly!"

"...What?"

He couldn't believe his ears. What did he just say? The old man in front of him was the commander of the fort and the top of the command chain. They were in the middle of a fight to the death. How could he introduce himself so formally? This wasn't a place for formalities or name exchanges. Worm, as a soldier and an individual, was confused. The only exception was the demon mask attached to his face, which trembled as if urging him to respond in kind. He clenched his teeth in frustration.

"Focus, don't be distracted. To open two gates, we need more chaos."

Though small in number, Jusitan's raiding party was working to capture the castle gates. Heroic tales of ancient battles no longer existed in the northern countries. They belonged to a long-gone era of common sense and leisure. Worm, avoiding a response, readied his halberd. The commander, Latu, seemed to take the silence as an answer and instructed his soldiers.

"I will handle him. You must defend the gates."

"But, he's a *Will-o'-the-Wisp* user. Even you, Lord Latu—"

Despite his seemingly reckless words, Latu had a clear view of the situation. Worm had seen through his role as a distraction and a decoy. Latu, ignoring the soldier's words, focused on the imperial knight.

"Rodrigue, it's useless. Help after you've cleared the enemies at the gate."

Latu's two loyal soldiers left the troublesome commander. Worm, thinking he could finish them off from behind as they closed in, was distracted by the sound of the ground exploding.

"You're quite the temptress, aren't you?!"

"Coming at you!"

With his white hair flowing, the old general charged forward, creating a sense of pressure as if the walls were closing in. Warriors on the battlefield often focus on their upper bodies, neglecting their legs. But the acceleration of the approaching giant body was due to well-trained lower limbs.

"Look at me!"

The long arms and the mace, as tall as Worm, had the same reach as a halberd. A poor parry could result in being shattered. Worm dodged the horizontal swing by leaning his upper body to the side and sliding his feet backward. The tip of the mace passed just in front of his chest.

The numerous spikes flying out stirred the air, creating a violent sound, like a weapon designed to intimidate the enemy. The passing mace head was a signal to close in. There was no time to waste. Worm aimed to decapitate with one strike. He had planned for a quick battle, but before the tip of his halberd reached the throat, the handle was pulled back, covering the centerline of the body.

"Defending, huh?"

The steel of the mace and the halberd, both imbued with magic, repelled each other. Worm pressed the edge of his halberd against the surface of the mace and swung it down toward the knee. It was a strike aimed at the joints and tendons, but the giant body literally flew backward. The movement seemed to defy gravity, but Worm was not so lenient as to miss the landing. He avoided the mace swung in response and thrust forward. The thick magical barrier, even through the chest plate, did not allow him to draw blood, but it could not dampen the impact.

"Ugh, gah!"

Worm, aiming at the old general who groaned in pain, expanded the *Will-o'-the-Wisp*. The blue flames enveloped his vision. Latu, using *Strong Strike* to repel the blue flames, found the imperial knight gone when the flames cleared.

"There, is it?"

Sensing the presence from the side, Latu tried to thrust his mace, but Worm responded with the maximum strike of his halberd. The difference in strength was negated by the angle and the initiative. The halberd and the mace clashed, but this time the halberd overpowered the mace. Worm aimed the head of the halberd at the chest, where the elbows were raised. *Strong Strike* carved a horizontal line into the chest plate, piercing the magical barrier.

"Shallow, huh?"

Blood seeped from the wound, but the reformed magical barrier suppressed the bleeding. Worm, repositioning his halberd, brought it down like a woodcutter. The mace, raised to the sky, clashed with it. Latu, regaining his stance, had no intention of engaging in a frontal battle with Worm.

At the moment of impact, Worm rotated the handle, striking the mace horizontally and causing it to slide. He aimed to break a few fingers, but the mace, pivoting at the elbow, only scratched the iron armor.

"What's wrong, commander of Eskisch Fort? Are you out of breath for your age?"

Facing the mace repositioned in an upper guard, Worm adjusted the reach of his halberd. Despite the provocation, the encouraging shouts had quieted down. Worm had hoped they were discouraged and their spirits broken, but he realized he was mistaken.

"...It's close, but it doesn't reach. Huh, think. The vision obstruction from the blindfold, caught off guard. Huh, the space and angle. It's not enough. It's not enough at all."

Latu, muttering deliriously, was unsettling. His head, which had been clouded, seemed to have cleared. The unscrupulous mask trembled with excitement.

"You're quite the flirt."

Worm released a *Will-o'-the-Wisp*. He wouldn't give him more time to think. Latu, avoiding the straight blue flames, charged at the imperial knight in a lower guard. His unique stance, wrapping around his body like a tree, concealed the mace. While it made it difficult to pinpoint the source of the attack, it left many openings. It was a high-risk, high-reward strategy, but Worm had no intention of engaging in a power struggle. He aimed to wear down and finish with *Strong Strike*. Measuring the distance, Worm was two steps away, but Latu's action made him widen his eyes.

"You're swinging it!?"

They were four steps away from clashing with the mace. Despite this, Latu swung it with all his might. The sound of the wind changed, and Worm finally realized his intention. Despite witnessing the ground-shattering strike, Worm had forgotten. The mace, once again driven into the ground, sent a large amount of soil flying into the air.

"So, this is your plan."

The heat and flames slightly weakened the impact, but the soil and gravel continued to fly. Ducking to avoid being blinded, Worm was hit by the gravel. The demon mask, struck by the soil and gravel, seemed to scold him for his mistake.

"Not the time for that—"

At the edge of his vision, a log-like leg appeared, swinging from the side. Worm, pivoting on one foot, released *Strong Strike* with the help of the heat. The magic covering the halberd and the mace fused and exploded. The result was a pure difference in strength, with Worm's elbows being forced up and the mace piercing the ground.

No matter how strong one's muscles were, a mace without a proper swing was useless. Worm, aiming to gain the initiative, adjusted his grip on the handle. But he caught sight of something rising from below. The mace, which should have moved slowly, was expanding in his vision. Pulling his chin in, Worm's cheek was grazed by a spike.

He understood what had happened. Latu had kicked the mace head out of the ground to make up for the lack of a running start. The *Will-o'-the-Wisp* swirled, and from the wave of flames, he launched two thrusts as a feint. The small movements of the mace blocked the tips of the halberd.

"Why, such a guy?"

Worm glared at Latu again. His short breaths and heavy breathing suggested fatigue. The wound on the chest plate was a mark of his advantage. Yet, the oppressive presence did not diminish. He exchanged thrusts in an irregular pattern, aiming to cut the limbs with the side edge on the retreat. But the effective strikes were blocked at the last moment.

"Ha, thrust, retreat, cut!"

With each thrust, the mace was thrust out. The trajectory of the halberd, pushed by the mass difference, was deflected, and the mace approached along the handle. Worm instinctively struck the spike with the head of the halberd, causing it to deviate. Adjusting his wrist to the movement of the head being pushed out, he struck the old bones with the pommel. It was not a full-strength blow. By thrusting his shoulder forward, Latu avoided the head strike and reduced its power.

"You've learned some tricks."

Praise and resentment welled up simultaneously. When they first clashed, there were openings to exploit. But now, what was the situation? With each exchange, he learned combat techniques at the cost of injuries, making them his own. These were not superficial skills but techniques that could be immediately put into practice, a testament to the depth of his foundational training.

"Growing in battle is a privilege of the young."

Worm muttered a curse. It was a nightmare for a half-dead old body to achieve such feats. Now, it was difficult to decapitate with one strike. He needed to wear down the magical barrier and weaken the limbs. The iron storm from the mace and the *Will-o'-the-Wisp* clashed, and the halberd cut through the trunk. After dozens of exchanges, the question was how many more strikes it would take to fell the giant. The storm of iron and fire, a feast of sorts, weakened with a shout from outside.

"Worm, don't engage! They're abnormal!!"

"It's the head of the guard!!"

"Chase them!!"

The voice of distress belonged to Jusitan, who was being chased by Latu's loyal soldiers and fending off the pursuit with a demonic expression.

"You, that armor, you're a guard of the capital!!"

Facing the former Felius Kingdom guard, Latu raised his long-closed voice. Worm had no intention of engaging in a flirtation with the unscrupulous old man.

"The path is open. Stop the *Will-o'-the-Wisp*!!"

Cutting off the supply of magic, the *Will-o'-the-Wisp* rapidly diminished. The sound of hooves approaching from a distance grew closer. Worm, as if remembering something, turned on his heel and headed for the gate. The scattered bodies were the work of Jusitan and his men.

"Wait, don't go. I won't let you escape!!"

The commander and his soldiers, enraged, started a fierce pursuit with their weapons raised.

"Worm!! Hurry, Worm, help!!"

Jusitan, in a voice of distress, called for help. Unlike Worm, who had distanced himself from Latu, he was being pursued by five soldiers and was literally being kicked in the rear. He fired a mediocre fireball. Though it was a bluff, the psychological impact on those who knew the *Will-o'-the-Wisp* was significant. Taking advantage of the defensive stance of the Yalkuk soldiers, Jusitan ran through the explosion.

"Over here!!"

Douglas appeared, controlling a reluctant group of horses, and entered the castle. The bloodied raiding party competed to mount the horses and pass through the second gate.

"Don't run, don't run, aahh!!?"

"Persistent old man!"

To reject the invitation, Worm fired a fireball at Latu, who was subdued by *Strong Strike* and swung the mace wildly. He looked like he could live another fifty years. Worm, struggling with urgency and poor horsemanship, let go of the reins in a chill. The mace pierced between the horse and Worm, causing the startled horse to bolt in a different direction.

"You did it, didn't you?"

Latu, drawing his longsword, ran over with a delighted expression. Behind him, many soldiers followed. Being left behind in such a group, exhausted, was a nightmare.

"Worm, take my hand!!"

A hand was extended to the flustered Worm. Looking up, Ayane had her arm stretched to the limit. Grabbing the hand, he slipped his body between the horse's head and Ayane. The horse, carrying two people, neighed and complained but still had enough power to outpace the group on foot. Worm glanced at the receding Eskisch Fort. Latu, on his knees, repeatedly pounded the ground and wept.

"Commander, get medical attention!!"

"Any more and he'll really die."

"I, ugh, you, *Will-o'-the-Wisp* user!!"

Latu's cries for the imperial knight echoed over the mountains.

◆

The hooves of the galloping horses, striking the ground at regular intervals, were accompanied by a thin voice.

"It's hot, isn't it?"

Worm agreed with Ayane's sudden words.

"Yeah, it's hot."

The small hands around his waist were trembling. What was she thinking? Was it the heat of her own body, scorched by blood and the *Will-o'-the-Wisp*, or the bonfires of people and the burning fort they had passed through? Worm's deeds were not unseen. The commander's cries of resentment, whose soldiers had been burned, still echoed in his ears. There was no appropriate time to bring it up, but it had to be said eventually.

"...Ayane, I killed Makoto. I'm really sorry."

Worm revealed the secret he couldn't confess in Reven. Despite burning so many, the revealed fact made his hands and voice tremble. His heart pounded like a drum, and he tried to hide it by breathing shallowly. After a long silence, Ayane spoke.

"Worm, you're not to blame. I should have asked, but I was too afraid to."

Her voice was shaky, and a drop fell on Worm's neck. He couldn't turn around, waiting for her to continue.

"I was so focused on myself that I didn't properly see those around me, my friends. I should have returned to Creist. I thought staying in Selta would deter the war. Even though I was praised, I was just a small person. I don't know what to do now. What's right? Is it Yuto next, or Johanna?"

The situation had become so twisted that a peaceful resolution was impossible. Worm couldn't utter half-hearted kindness or lies.

"Ayane, you're doing well. I can't do what you do... But if the pressure, expectations, or reality become too much, it might be better to leave the northern countries. There are places to live in this world other than Myard and Haiselk."

The words, squeezed out, brought back memories. The phrasing was similar to his quarreling brother. They were, after all, similar siblings.

"Would you come with me if I left the war and went there?"

"..."

The request from a fellow countryman, the rise and fall of the homeland, the duty to compatriots—Ayane's question made his head spin. A murky fire of emotion ignited deep within. Don't look away. If you leave Haiselk now, what will happen to the people left behind? What was the sacrifice of those who died in the last great war? After all the killing, are you going to run away again? Are you going to live in peace alone? In the end, his silence was an answer to Ayane. An answer that became one. The hands on his back tightened, and her body touched from the neck to the waist.

"...Hehe, sorry, I