"This way!
Hurry, my lady!"
Maxi was distracted by the skirmish when she heard Garrow's urgent voice.
Snapping back to attention, she ran across the rough terrain.
It was vital for her to get to a safe location to avoid becoming a hindrance to the fighting men.
Holding her skirt with one hand, she ran through the chaotic city square.
They ran north for a while, finally stopping at the large storage tent.
Soldiers guarded the entrance.
Confident in the soldiers, Garrow said, "The clerics have thrown a barrier around the tent.
The ghouls won't be able to get in."
Inside, Maxi looked around at the sacks of grain piled up like a mountain.
When she spotted the clerics gathered on the floor at the innermost edge of the makeshift shelter, she ran straight toward them.
Idsilla hurriedly got up.
"Lady Calypse!
You are safe!"
“I-Idsilla… are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine, but… S-Selina’s not here.”
Idsilla bit her lip, looking like she was about to cry.
While trying to reassure the girl, Maxi looked at the other women's pale faces.
Many were missing.
Idsilla sobbed as she clung to Maxi's arm.
"We were only able to evacuate...
half of the injured men in the infirmary.
Those who couldn't move were..."
When Maxi tried to remember how many of the injured men lay motionless in their beds like dead people, a terrible pain began to hammer in his temples.
She held her forehead, and Ulyseon quickly came over to support her.
"Don't worry, my lady.
The others will also be hiding somewhere safe.
I will look for them as soon as things calm down."
Desperate, Idsilla clung to Ulyseon and bombarded him with questions.
"How did this happen?
We heard the alarm signaling an invasion.
Didn't the coalition trolls drive everyone away to the north?
Our army wasn't defeated, was it?"
Surprised, Ulyseon waved his hands.
"Of course not!
If our army had fallen, the monsters wouldn't have gotten around to the south gate.
They were waiting for a chance to attack while most of the knights were away."
"So what will happen to us now?
Will we be able to hold out with the remaining men?"
Idsilla's fiery voice echoed through the tent.
Terrified, some of the clergywomen began to cry.
When the noise got out of control, the knight commander of the soldiers outside the tent barked, "Silence!
We are doing our best to fight the monsters.
Once we eliminate the ghouls, we will immediately take up defense.
Stay alert and do as you are told!"
The sobs gradually ceased with the commanding rebuke.
Managing to regain control, Idsilla muttered an apology and returned to her place among the women.
A stomach-churning amount of time passed.
A minute seemed like an hour, and an hour seemed as long as a day.
Just when Maxi was convinced that the howls of the ghouls and the screams of the knights would last forever, two soldiers rushed into the tent.
“We grouped the ghouls in one place.”
The relief in the tent was brief, as the soldier added, "But many of our men are injured.
They need immediate treatment."
The knight commander ordered the clerics to tend to the injured immediately.
The women's faces were a mix of uneasiness and determination as they left.
Ignoring Ulyseon's objections, Maxi followed them.
The scene that awaited them outside was of a devastated camp and soldiers running through the wreckage.
The men cleaned the destroyed tents and made temporary beds for the wounded.
The clergywomen, together with Maxi, immediately began work.
There were about thirty-two in total.
Considering that there were currently a little over three hundred men in Eth Lene Castle, the damage was not insignificant.
After inspecting the conditions of the injured, Maxi used her magic to heal those with minor injuries first.
Reinforcing the number of men healthy and ready for battle was the highest priority.
She spent some time healing when a familiar voice called out.
“Those damn monsters were determined to humiliate us!”
Maxi raised his head.
Not far from her, Hebaron was shouting as loud as he could.
He held a giant claymore in one hand.
"Stop complaining, sorcerer!
You are not my wife!""It's you who should stop acting like a stubborn child, Sir Hebaron!
How are you going to fight with that injury?"
Ruth looked equally furious as she argued with the knight.
"Are you trying to kill yourself?
Is that it?"
"Fuck!
This scratch is nothing!
I've spent too much time being useless in bed!"
Maxi hurried over to them.
The two men immediately fell silent when they saw her approaching.
Before they could speak, Maxi looked up in disbelief at the burly knight clad in heavy armor.
"What the hell are you doing?
You're still hurt."
“Not you too, my lady.”
Stowing the huge claymore behind his back, Sir Hebaron sighed.
“I’m as good as new thanks to the medicine you gave me.”
"T-That medicine...
only numbs the pain!
If you keep moving, your wound..."
“We are in crisis, my lady,” he said flatly.
“I will obediently receive treatment again once this fight is over.”
Ruth cursed out loud.
"Do you think you will survive to receive treatment?
Don't make me laugh.
You will be the first to die if you fight in this state, Sir Hebaron!"
“Pray for it, why don’t you?” Hebaron said between clenched teeth, glaring at Ruth.
"You said it yourself!
There's a good chance that the monster that cursed me is out there right now.
It would be a hundred times faster for me to kill that demon than wait for you to find another way to break the curse!"
"Damn...
right!
Do as you please!"
Hebaron shrugged and quickly headed towards the city gate.
Maxi was about to follow him when Ruth grabbed his arm.
"Let him go, my lady.
He won't listen to anything we say."
"B-But… we can't let him fight under these c-conditions.
You know that too, don't you?
He's in no condition to swing a“"
"Nothing's going to stop that stubborn guy from brandishing that huge weapon.
I doubt he'd even blink even if his flesh was falling off," Ruth said tartly, then sighed.
“We’ll have to pray that the magical devices hold out for as long as possible.”
Hearing the bitterness in his voice, Maxi anxiously watched Hebaron's retreating figure.
Surprisingly, the knight showed no signs of being injured as he mounted his horse and stood next to Duke Aren, who was organizing the men.
The soldiers' grave expressions as they prepared for battle made Maxi's blood run cold.
“Wh- What did Sir Hebaron mean… when he said the monster that cursed him might be out there?”
“Exactly that,” Ruth replied after a while.
He rubbed his face roughly and pointed.
Maxi turned in the direction and gasped.
The pile of ghoul corpses began to twitch despite the spears impaling them.
Looking at the squirming monsters, Ruth said calmly, "They keep coming back to life even after the priest performed the purification ceremony.
Which means there's a high chance that the necromancer controlling them is currently outside the city."
“A necromancer?”
"An occultist, my lady.
There are certain monsters capable of advanced dark magic.
It is highly likely that the necromancer is the same black lizard that cursed Sir Hebaron." Ruth's face suddenly became serious.
"We are dealing with a creature far more dangerous than the average monster.
Attacking our gates is a creature with powerful magical abilities that can lead and command a legion of monsters."
Maxi shuddered.
How dangerous must the monster be for one of the continent's greatest sorcerers to describe it like that?
“H-How long will it take… for the coalition army to get here?”
“We have already sent the message, but as for them arriving in time…”
At this moment, a deafening roar echoed.
Maxi covered his ears.
Sparks flashed beyond the gates, followed by a violent gale that crashed into the barriers.
Ruth swore.
“We must strengthen the magical devices immediately!”
At his command, the mages stood up in unison and ran towards the wall's stairs.
Wanting to help with her scarce mana, Maxi was about to follow when Ruth blocked her path.
"You must stay here, my lady.
It is very dangerous."
"R-Now is… not the time to worry about such things.
If the barriers fall… that would be more d-dangerous!
If I could be of assistance“"
Ignoring her, Ruth looked over her shoulder to call out to Ulyseon and Garrow.“What are you two doing, not escorting Her Ladyship to safety?”
At his reprimand, Ulyseon grabbed his arm.
Surprised, Maxi looked at the squire with wide eyes.
Ruth turned on her heel and climbed the stairs.
She watched him leave as Ulyseon began to drag her in the opposite direction.
"W-Where are you taking me?
Please let go of my arm!" she cried, utterly shocked by the squire's lack of courtesy.
Paying no attention to her objections, Ulyseon remained silent as he led her to a secluded area.
Maxi furiously tried to free his arm while staring at him.
"D-Didn't you hear me?
I said, let go!"
“Please forgive my insolence, my lady, but we need to get you out of the castle.”
Maxi looked at him in shock.
The two squires quickly led her along the isolated forest path toward the city walls.
Up front, soldiers were waiting for them with three horses.
Ulyseon quickly ran to grab the reins.
“Mount, my lady.”
"D-Do you realize what you're saying?
We're… trying to escape… while everyone else is fighting?" Maxi asked in disbelief.
Ulyseon's face darkened.
He pursed his lips and lowered his eyes.
After a moment, his face became determined.
"We are not fleeing.
As the carrier pigeon may have failed to reach the army, we will seek out the White Dragons to inform them of the invasion."
Maxi frowned.
His words didn't make sense.
“T-Then why are you“”
“Forgive me, my lady.” Garrow held her waist and lifted her onto the horse.
"It's an emergency.
Please trust us for now."
His obstinacy made it difficult for Maxi to ask any more questions.
She held the reins as Ulyseon and Garrow mounted their own horses.
They signaled the soldiers with their eyes.
At their silent command, the soldiers ran their hands over the stone wall and pushed away a loose brick.
A part of the wall slid aside, revealing a small opening.
Ulyseon entered the passage and said over his shoulder, “Close the entrance as soon as we leave.”
"Yes sir."
Reluctantly, Maxi followed, and the entrance closed behind them.
The darkness was disorienting.
Garrow rode beside her and seemed to sense her discomfort.
He said in a calm voice, "There is a secret exit at the end of this passage, my lady.
There is no way for the monsters to know about it, so rest assured."
“I-It’s so dark.”
"If you give me the reins, I will lead your horse.
You can hold on to the saddle."
Maxi obediently handed over the reins.
For about ten minutes or so, the only sound was the horses' hooves hitting the ground.
Ulyseon stopped in front of the group and knocked on the wall.
Seconds later, light filtered into the passage as a narrow exit opened.
"As soon as we recaptured Eth Lene, Sir Riftan ordered a thorough inspection of the castle space.
That's how we discovered this secret passage."
Maxi squinted as sunlight flooded the room.
An uneven forest path, covered in thick trees, led away from the opening.
Going forward, Ulyseon encouraged them.
"We have to get out of here before dark.
We'll have to ride fast, so try to keep up, my lady."
“H-How long will it take… for us to reach the coalition army?”
There was a pause.
“We should get to them tomorrow if we hurry.”
“D-Do you think the city will be able to maintain itself until then?”
"Wizard Ruth is with them.
He won't let them fall so easily."
Maxi pursed his lips at the strange tension in the squire's voice.
They rode in silence for a while until she could no longer contain her doubts.
“You took me out of town… b-because you determined that Eth Lene would fall?”
Ulyseon shivered, and his face was pale when he turned to meet her gaze.
Maxi bit his lip.
In fact, she found it strange that they were taking her on a mission that required maximum haste.
Now, seeing the truth on the squire's face, his heart sank.
“If the situation was that serious… we w-shouldn’t have… evacuated everyone through that place“”
"The monsters would have discovered us if we tried to evacuate hundreds of people at the same time.
And escaping with the injured would have been difficult," Garrow said, firmly cutting off his speech.
“Now, informing the coalition army about the invasion is our best option.”Feeling reprimanded, Maxi hurried her horse.
They rode with frantic haste along the winding forest path.
Soon, a steep rock showed itself between the dense trees.
Changing course, Ulyseon rode along the rocky ridge.
Maxi was galloping behind him when she abruptly stopped her horse.
Garrow, who was riding in the rear, reined in his mount with a perplexed expression.
Maxi's face hardened as she checked the position of the sun above the forest.
"W-We're not going north.
Where...
are we going, exactly?"
“My lady…”
"I want the truth.
Are we really trying to meet with the coalition e-army?"
Ulyseon's face paled.
He pressed his lips together and lowered his head.
That was all Maxi needed as an answer.
As he turned his horse, Garrow quickly blocked his path.
"If we go around this cliff to the southeast, we will come to a fortress maintained by Baron Gideon, which has so far been safe from monster invasion.
It may be a little far, but it should be the safest place.
Sir Riftan has ordered us to take you there immediately in case of any trouble."
“And then… who will inform the army about the invasion?”
“We have already sent a messenger.”
Maxi turned red with anger at Garrow's calmness.
"If we don't go to the coalition army...
I-I'm going back to Eth Lene's Castle.
I can't just escape alone!
Not when Ruth, Sir Hebaron...
and the clerics are still inside“"
“My lady,” said Ulyseon, his voice heavy.
Maxi shivered and clamped his mouth shut.
The squire approached her and continued darkly: “Do you know who those ghouls were originally?”
Before Maxi could say anything, Ulyseon began a quick explanation.
"A corpse turns into an undead when it is contaminated by magic.
The ghouls were the original inhabitants of the city before falling to the monsters.
When they captured Eth Lene, those demons turned the human bodies into ghouls and buried them.
If we return to the city now...
we will face the same fate."
Maxi covered his mouth with a shaking hand.
When Ulyseon's words finally sunk in, she was suddenly overcome with the urge to vomit.