Chapter 20
They had imitated the marketplace of House Breio.
“You paid the Hebron commoners properly for their labor, right?”
“Of course.”
Serpens’ guildmaster had produced a rope 1.3 kilometers in length. One was complete, and three more were to follow. The plan was to use them to construct a cloud bridge to the west.
“Where did you learn construction theory?”
“From books.”
Though the task of building the bridge had been entrusted to the guildmaster, he failed to produce results I was satisfied with.
He had expected enormous costs and doubted whether construction could even be afforded.
I had no choice but to teach him the method myself. Naturally, I rescinded the generous tax exemption he had previously received. However, the Serpens’ Guildmaster was promised a prime spot in the new market to be established in Hebron—on the condition they assisted in constructing the western bridge.
“There are books on construction in Hebron?”
“We have copies.”
“I heard this bridge design was first attempted just seven years ago. It’s not a well-known method.”
“So?”
“…It’s impressive, that's all.”
The guildmaster's questions grew fewer by the day.
He must have realized it was more profitable to quietly accept the crumbs of insight I offered, rather than wasting time asking pointless questions.
A cloud bridge spanning the one-kilometer-wide canyon could not be built using conventional means.
The easiest solution would have been a magical bridge, but not even Bartman, a fifth-class mage, could manage such a feat.
Standing before the western cliffs were Sir Brown and Hebron’s soldiers.
After our victory over Nurha, they remained in the western region to hunt beasts. While laborers cleared the path to the cliffside, the soldiers stood guard.
At the edge of the cliff stood three others besides the soldiers and Sir Brown.
The Serpens’ guildmaster, myself, and the wind spiritist El.
El’s outfit was extravagant—perhaps too much so. The skill of my father. I had asked for a robe befitting a spiritist, and he had made something halfway between a robe and a ball gown.
“El.”
“Yes, young master.”
El stood before me, expressionless. Ever since forming a contract with a low-tier wind spirit, she had spent her days naked at the top of Hebron’s estate. There, she trained in the wind-attribute mana technique I had taught her. Fortunately, she grasped the technique well. Perhaps the oyster mushroom suited her constitution—she hadn’t even caught a cold.
However, her skin looked dry and worn. A sign of the hardship she had endured. In return, she had accumulated a significant amount of spirit energy in a short time, thanks to the wind-attribute cultivation method.
‘People really do grow through effort.’
The wind spirit worked tirelessly to keep El alive, and El herself struggled to survive.
Thanks to their combined efforts, the level of spirit energy I had hoped for was finally attained.
“You can carry the rope across and return empty-handed, right?”
Instead of replying, El looked at the wind spirit. The vaguely humanoid form nodded in agreement.
On the far side of the cliff lay a forest. The territory extended to its edge, but with the land split by the canyon, it was impossible to govern that part.
And since that area bordered the domain of Viscount Zylson, unlike with Nurha, we couldn’t simply seize the land.
“Then go.”
The wind spirit lifted El and the rope.
A rope 1.3 kilometers long weighed a tremendous amount, requiring an enormous expenditure of spirit energy.
The reason the wind spirit carried El was due to the limits on the distance between a spirit and its spiritist. While a spirit couldn’t stray far from its summoner, the allowable distance varied with its rank.
When the rope had reached about halfway across the cliff—
Kuwaaaaah!
A deafening roar filled the canyon. Like a whirlwind, the sound reverberated through the cliffs before erupting outward, sending startled animals fleeing in every direction.
I drew up my aura to sharpen my vision.
My range expanded, allowing me to see the opposite cliff.
There stood an orc, marked on its forehead with the mark of a Trickster.
“…Why is that there? Didn’t they say the Viscount Zylson family took care of it?”
Rumors had long circulated of a monstrous orc appearing in Zylson’s domain. It was said that a knight order led by Sir Ambrod was defeated, and that the viscount himself raised an army to take revenge.
The guildmaster responded to my question.
“I heard the same. Looks like it was just a cover-up.”
There had been persistent rumors of strange noises from the forest beyond the cliff—it seemed the orc had been the source.
“Defeating the knight order and crippling Lord Ambrod must have been too much to admit. They probably decided to drive the orc into an uninhabited forest and keep quiet, thinking no one would find out.”
I immediately called El back.
She was a slave, so even when the orc appeared, she had tried to follow my orders.
The Serpens’ guildmaster furrowed his brow. With a sigh, he asked me.
“What should we do about the bridge?”
“We build it.”
“But even if we build the bridge, that orc will prevent anyone from crossing. Worse, we could be attacked before we even finish construction.”
* * *
Kuwaaaaah!
The orc raged wildly. Annoyed by our presence, it bellowed and jumped around like a lunatic. Armed with what looked like a knight’s longsword, it chopped down a massive tree.
“That’s enough for today. El, restore your spirit power. Tomorrow, you’ll cross the cliff with me.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
* * *
“You don’t have to come.”
“Then you might as well cut off my head.”
Brown was adamant. Even with rumors spreading about a monster so fearsome that the viscount couldn’t contain it, he still stuck to my side in full gear.
He’d chosen light armor instead of full plate, considering the strain on the wind spirit. His weapons were a bow with a quiver, a longsword, and a round shield.
And then, there was one more person tagging along—uninvited.
“Why are you coming?”
“I made a mana oath, didn’t I? If you die, I’m finished too.”
Jansen sighed heavily. Either way, he was facing death, so he figured he’d do what he could to stay alive.
I nodded, signaling it was time to go.
Without the massive rope weighing us down, the wind spirit easily carried us.
“Not bad for a squad. Brown, draw its attention. Jansen, protect Brown. I’ll take its head.”
I’d intended to deal with it myself from the start. It was better for me to end this cleanly than to risk losing Hebron’s promising talents.
I’d fought a marked goblin warrior before. Back then, I was nearly drained of aura.
This time, I hadn’t spent a shred.
“…Didn’t you say even Sir Ambrod was defeated?”
“From what I heard, he let his guard down.”
“But didn’t you say that was probably a lie spread by the Zylson family?”
Brown seemed to remember everything I said.
“If we let a mere orc stop us, Hebron has no future.”
A mere orc had supposedly taken down the knight-commander of Zylson, Sir Ambrod de Zylson.
Such earth-shattering events were unfolding all over the world.
‘Goblins and orcs are just the beginning.’
If my guess was right, marked monsters would keep appearing. The world would grow ever more chaotic, and only the strong would survive.
Even if those marked monsters vanished, strength would always be the only thing that mattered.
Kuwaaaaah!
We’d left before dawn, but the orc’s roar woke the forest at daybreak. Alarmed animals scattered.
“It has noticed us.”
Brown said, pointing into the forest beyond the cliff.
The orc was watching us from between the trees, its glowing eyes glaring through the twilight. Its sheer presence was enough to intimidate us.
‘If I’d come alone, I’d have been in trouble.’
Even if Ambrod had lost, I still had confidence. I had not just swordsmanship, but a mid-tier fire spirit.
“Inferno, Fireball.”
BOOM!
The fireball struck the spot where the orc had been. It didn’t dodge. As if unfazed, it took the hit head-on.
The flames clung to its body, emitting thick black smoke. Yet the orc never blinked—just glared at me as the fire burned.
‘Fine, be my guest. You’re the one taking damage.’
Jansen muttered, clearly shaken.
“That thing’s tough.”
“You don’t think your spells could even scratch it, huh?”
“…I’ll focus on defense.”
Jansen had a realistic view of his abilities—a valuable trait for a mage.
“If you get a chance, bind it. Throw off its timing.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
KRAAAK-KRAAAK!
A tree crashed down, toppling into another. The orc seemed to be building its own training ground, chopping every tree around it.
“Brown, one solid hit and you’re done. Even if you survive, you’ll be laid up for a while. So dodge. If you can, deflect.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
It was easier said than done, but if anyone could do it, it was Brown. Ideally, though, he wouldn’t need to step in at all.
“El, have the spirit kick up dust. Don’t get close—just use it to irritate its eyes, nose, and mouth from a distance.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
My retainers would only step in if I failed to finish it quickly. Given the orc’s toughness, it might take longer than I’d like to break through that hide.
“Inferno, dwell in my blade.”
Hmph!
I activated the Antaria Aura Cultivation Technique, boosting my physical abilities.
The fire attribute aura enhanced the flames of Inferno, which dwelled in my longsword.
Swoooosh!
The flame-infused sword was lethal. If I could drive the blade into its body, the internal organs would be incinerated—instant death.
Kuwaaaaah!
The orc threw a rock. I didn’t think it could reach us from that distance—but it did. Barely. The massive rock grazed past, just missing us.
In that instant, the wind spirit faltered. A low-tier spirit couldn't transport all four of us individually. If it failed to land us past the cliff, we could have fallen off the cliff and been killed.
I pointed to the bushes on the left.
“You three can land over there. But first, throw me to that clearing.”
El was my slave.
She neither questioned nor second-guessed my orders. She simply threw me through the air.
“Y-Young Master!”
Brown shouted in alarm. But he was already suspended midair. Meanwhile, I fell like a meteor into the clearing where the orc had toppled the trees.
A dense canopy broke my fall. But that alone wasn’t enough to absorb the impact. I circulated aura through my body for protection, grabbing onto branches to slow my fall as much as possible.
BOOM!
Even with a proper landing technique, the shock knocked the wind from me.
‘Even if my limbs are paralyzed, I can fix that.’
Thankfully, my mind was still clear.
Crack!
I bit the tip of my tongue to stay conscious and surged my aura, stimulating every nerve in my body.
There was no need to follow the aura cultivation method. This wasn’t aura training—it was closer to emergency medicine.
Buzz.
My limbs shook as if struck by lightning.
Thump, thump, thump, thump!
The orc was running straight towards me. I could feel its presence closing in fast.
No time to think.
I sprang to my feet and sprinted toward it.
