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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 14: Flame of Lanyx
After meeting with Hadem and returning, I went straight to see Sharon.
No matter how much my choice was for the sake of the territory and its people, in the end, I had decided to treat my vassal as a weapon.
I thought it was only right, as their lord, to be clear about that with my vassal.
Maybe it sounds like an excuse, but I really did try!
That crazy warlord was just acting out!
“I’ve come to a point where I have no choice but to ask you for help. Sharon, I’m counting on you— for the people, and for me.”
Sharon listened carefully to what I said.
Then, quietly, she spoke.
“It’s alright, my lord. I understand everything.”
She smiled calmly.
It was as if she already knew everything without me having to say it.
“I understand that you’ve been working hard for the people, and even hesitated until the very last moment to use my power.”
She stood, holding her crimson staff.
Suddenly, even I—devoid of magic or blessing—could feel a storm of raw magical power swirling around us.
No wonder a mage like her gets ambushed by bandits every couple of days on the road.
Those bandits must have nine lives to keep surviving out there.
“And that is why I have decided to serve you as your vassal.”
She knelt respectfully before me— the proper form a vassal shows to their lord.
“Give your orders, my lord. Crimson Mage Sharon is ready.”
With her own resolve, she became not just my mage, but the mage of our entire House.
As the beloved lord, it was now my turn to live up to that trust.
“Sharon! Burn every last one of those monsters invading our territory to ash!”
She lifted her head and met my eyes.
Her crimson eyes shone brighter and fiercer than I’d ever seen, even in the game.
“Understood, my lord.”
With Sharon accepting my command, I was ready to launch the ‘Monster and the Lion’ operation—keeping House Raion in check while hunting down the Deeprocs.
Now! It’s time to show them a spectacle worth watching!
＊ ＊ ＊
The first to sense something was wrong was House Raion.
Lagos, the right-hand man of Lord Hadem, was settling near the border, smoking a cigarette, when he noticed it.
“The knights… are increasing?”
Lord Hadem’s orders were clear—the moment any gap appeared, they were to invade Cron’s territory.
Lagos had spent days scouting and had found a weakness.
If knights were moved out to hunt monsters, House Raion could send their knights through that gap and easily take over the land.
But then, knights were quickly stationed in that gap—and then disappeared.
“How do they expect Deeprocs to respond after placing knights like that?”
Lagos had experience in hunting Deeprocs before.
He knew they were no joke and that it would take Cron’s full military strength to defeat them.
As Lagos was thinking this, he saw two figures riding toward him from the Cron side.
One was a white-haired girl, the other a knight escorting her.
The girl who arrived didn’t back down and spoke clearly.
“Hello. I’m Nova, servant of Lord Calyx. I’ve come to deliver a gift from the lord to Lord Hadem.”
“A gift?”
“Yes!”
Nova pulled out a small box.
Inside were black glasses meant to protect the eyes.
“The lord thought it best to protect Lord Hadem’s eyes with these—just in case another sun rises today.”
“I see. Got it. I’ll make sure the lord gets them.”
“Great! That’s all, then.”
With that, Nova left.
Lagos could somewhat grasp Cron’s intent.
It seemed like a warning—Crimson Mage Sharon’s magic was so powerful they had to prepare like this.
But Lagos had fought mages before and seen high-level spells.
Though impressive, he didn’t think it was enough to warrant something like protective glasses.
“Still, better safe than sorry.”
Lagos lived by one rule—’As long as I survive, that’s enough.’
He valued survival above all else, and all his efforts had brought him to this position.
Quietly, he took one pair of the glasses from the box and returned to Lord Hadem.
＊ ＊ ＊
The Rag Coast near where the Deeprocs were advancing had already started to become a scene straight out of hell.
“Auuugh—!!!”
“Arrgh!!!”
The Deeprocs—monsters with grotesque fish heads and arms and legs—gathered in dozens.
They were ravaging the coast, attacking fish, cattle, pigs, chickens, and even rabbits and foxes.
“Disgusting...”
“Indeed, my lord.”
Hart and I watched from a distant hill, our faces twisted in disgust.
Ugh, how can something be this gross? I love sashimi, but after seeing this, I doubt I’ll be able to eat raw fish anytime soon.
While we observed, a soldier came running up.
“We’re ready, my lord!”
“Good work.”
At the soldier’s words, I mounted my horse and rode out. I could feel the eyes of the knights and soldiers below on me, waiting for my orders.
Their gazes burned with determination, but beneath that was fear. Understandable, given the situation.
Most of our main forces were deployed along the border to contain House Raion, leaving us with fewer than 10% of the troops compared to the number of Deeprocs gathered here.
If we clashed head-on, the humans would be slaughtered without question.
Feeling that fear settle in, I took a deep breath and steeled myself.
Stepping forward, I shouted so all could hear.
“Everyone’s scared!!!”
All eyes turned to me.
As the lord of Cron and commander of this operation, I spoke clearly.
“There are too many of them, and we are few. And behind us, those hyenas wearing the lion’s mask—House Raion—are waiting for any chance to sink their teeth into us.”
Everyone here was an elite knight of House Cron. They understood the situation perfectly.
But knowing and overcoming are different things.
For people to summon courage, they need a message that strikes deep—a word that pumps them up—what we call that ‘hype.’
“But we ‘must’ overcome it!!!”
I thought back to my past life.
Recalling countless war stories I had seen, I chose the words that would give me the most hype.
“If we fall, our families and friends will be in danger. Our lands will be toyed with by these fish monsters and those Raion bastards!!”
I pointed toward our lands and the border we had to protect, reminding them of what was at stake.
“We are the ‘only’ ones here who can stop them!!”
I could feel the fire ignite in the knights’ and soldiers’ eyes.
Their hearts were filled with hype.
Time to finish this.
“And when fear creeps in, remember—behind you stands ‘me’, the Silver Dragon of Cron!! For Cron!!!”
I’d recently learned that I was called the Silver Dragon of Cron.
Honestly, I don’t want such a nickname that just escalates hostility.
But right now, I had to use every tool at my disposal.
My words hit a nerve. The knights and soldiers erupted in cheers.
“For Cron!!”
“For our lord!!!”
“We will prevail!!!”
“Wooooo!!!!!!!”
They looked ready to charge the Deeprocs right then and there.
Hmm… good morale, but I hope they haven’t forgotten this is a bait operation…
“Now, we begin the ‘Deeproc Extermination Operation’!!!”
“Charge!!! Time to burn those fish bastards’ hides!!”
With my declaration, Brock—my deputy leading the knights in Rikan’s stead—spurred his horse and charged at the Deeprocs.
Though knights, they’d shed their heavy armor and equipped only with light gear, bows, and crossbows.
Brock shouted orders to the Deeprocs’ horde.
“Fire!!”
Shhk! Shshk!
At Brock’s command, dozens of arrows and bolts rained down on the hunting Deeprocs.
“AUUUUGHH!!!”
“GURK!!”
The Deeprocs, now turned into living pincushions by the arrows, glared at the humans who had attacked them.
Roaring with rage, they began to chase after them.
“Good! Move on to the next group!! Hyah!!!”
And so, the knights continued their strategy—firing arrows at clustered groups of Deeprocs along the coastline and then retreating, baiting them into pursuit.
Recognizing the humans as enemies, the Deeprocs chased them relentlessly.
What began as dozens rapidly swelled into hundreds, even thousands.
“Don’t stop!!! If you stop now, you’ll be trampled to death!!!”
“Yes, sir!!!”
Thus began the stampede.
The swelling Deeproc horde picked up speed, trampling their slower kin underfoot. In order not to be caught, the knights rode their horses at full gallop.
Eventually, they reached the final phase of the operation.
“Everyone—disperse!!!!”
“Yes, sir!!!”
They had arrived at the largest canyon in the entire Cron territory.
It was far from any civilian settlement, and due to the oppressive humidity and the occasional swamp, even wild animals rarely ventured here.
At the canyon’s entrance, the knights split off in all directions.
And in the place of the scattered humans, the Deeprocs saw something else—towering piles of wild boar carcasses.
“AUUUUUUK♥!!!”
“OOOOUUUGHHH♥♥!!!”
Drawn to the enormous piles of fresh meat before them, the Deeprocs ignored the knights completely and stampeded into the canyon.
In mere moments, the once-quiet canyon was crawling with hundreds—no, thousands—of Deeprocs.
Everything was now in place.
At a safe location some distance away, I spoke to Sharon, who had arrived ahead of me.
“Sharon, I’ll leave the finale to you.”
“Understood, my lord.”
Sharon lifted into the air.
Before taking off, she turned to me.
“It’s dangerous. Be sure to wear the tinted glasses and stay inside the protection spell.”
“Got it.”
Following her warning, I put on the glasses and entered the barrier she had cast.
Then, high in the sky, she began her incantation.
A crimson energy began to surge and swirl around her.
“Domine Ignis. (Lord of Fire.)”
Though people revered her as the Crimson Mage, there was a subtle but crucial truth they didn’t know.
I only learned this after taking Sharon in as my vassal.
“Incarnatio Draconis. (Incarnation of the Dragon.)”
I had first met Sharon as a game character—I knew exactly how powerful she was.
I knew she wasn’t just strong. She was catastrophic.
“Supplico tibi. (I beseech you.)”
But the people didn’t know that.
Because Sharon had ‘hidden’ her true power all this time.
“Flamma diei ultimis orbis. (Flame of the world’s final day.)”
She had always held back, never trusting any lord enough to show her true strength.
Even when she hunted those orcs earlier, she had only used basic, low-level fire magic.
“Descende. (Descend.)”
Which meant this was the first time she had revealed her full, unrestrained power in front of others.
“Ignis Lanyx. (Flame of Lanyx.)”
『Flame of Lanyx』
The ultimate fire spell, invoking the power of Lanyx, the God of Fire Dragons.
A spell only inheritors of the Crimson Mage Tower were permitted to use.
As her incantation ended, crimson magic gathered above the canyon—shaping itself into the form of a fire dragon.
What did that look like to the Deeprocs below?
One moment, they were feasting on meat.
The next—they looked up, and the sky was burning.
A fire dragon from hell was glaring down at them.
It was straight out of a Lovecraftian nightmare.
“Au… uugh…”
“Ah… ahuuu…”
But unlike Cthulhu, this dragon sought no corruption, no madness.
Only their ‘complete annihilation.’
Lanyx’s flame plunged straight into the canyon.
And then…
WHOOOOOOOOOOM—
Before my eyes, a nuclear explosion went off.
KAAAAABOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!
“AAAGHHH!!!”
Even though I was a good distance away and protected by Sharon’s spell, the sheer blast of heat slammed into me.
When I barely regained my senses and looked at the impact zone…
“…Holy fuck…”
From the canyon, a fiery explosion rose hundreds of meters into the air, forming a towering mushroom cloud.
I remembered her ultimate spell being described as ‘nuclear in scale.’
Turns out… that wasn’t a metaphor.
It was ‘literal.’
That day, I came to possess the nuclear button… in another world.
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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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