Chapter 115
Eär was a quiet village nestled in the southernmost reaches of the Great Forest. Unlike the bustling city of Galad, Eär exuded a pastoral charm. And yet, an unexpected group of visitors had arrived, disrupting its peace.
Barad, the elder of Eär, was seated with the visitors. They hadn't come empty-handed; they brought news that could turn the entire village upside down.
"So the pirates and nagas have formed a temporary alliance," Barad said, his voice heavy with disbelief. "It's a story that's hard to believe. Without Earlin's testimony, I might have doubted your words."
His face was lined with deep worry, which was understandable. The news carried by the lone giant and three humans was nothing short of alarming: Pirates and nagas were planning a joint assault on the Great Forest.
"...This is not good," Barad muttered under his breath. "The southern seas of the Great Forest are protected by wards placed by spirit summoners," he explained. "Under normal circumstances, the wards are sufficient to repel their intrusions. However, in three days, a total lunar eclipse is expected. With it comes high tide, and that is when the nagas' mana is at its peak."
Caron frowned, his voice calm but firm as he asked, "And what happens then?"
"The sea route we've sealed off with the wards will temporarily reopen," Barad replied. "Normally, their numbers are small enough that the village's patrols can handle them. But if the pirates join forces with the nagas... I can't guarantee the outcome."
He took a sip of his herbal tea, his hands trembling slightly. His weathered fingers, marked with the wrinkles of age, betrayed his unease.
"A force of over a thousand pirates will have only one place to land," Barad continued. "The Silent Shore. It's about two hours from here on foot."
On the table before them lay a map of the area. The only solace was that the village was far from the range of the pirates' cannons.
Caron exhaled softly, his eyes fixed on Barad, then asked, "How many troops can you muster right now?"
"The patrol has 150 members. Even if we recruit villagers, we won't have more than three hundred fighters capable of actual combat," Barad replied.
"It's not a small number," Caron remarked, "But compared to their forces, it's insufficient."
"Young elves leave for Galad," Barad added. "Only children and retirees remain in the village."
"So, even elves head to the cities for opportunity," Caron mused. "Not much different from humans."
Caron understood the situation instantly. Without resorting to grandiose language, the reality was simple.
"We're doomed," Guillotine's voice echoed bluntly in Caron's mind.
And it was true. They were doomed. They couldn't stop this attack.
Reinforcements from Galad were out of the question. By the time they arrived, the pirates would have already attacked. Worse still, the pirates's exact goal remained a mystery.
Without knowing their objective, preparing a defense was nearly impossible. The little information they had—gathered via Pluto—only revealed the armaments of the pirate fleet.
But just as despair threatened to settle over the room, Barad's voice cut through with a glimmer of hope.
"Of course... It's not as though we're entirely unprepared for such an event," he said, regaining composure.
"Well, that's the kind of thing you should say earlier," Caron said dryly.
"Forgive me," Barad replied. "Our village has installed several defensive structures in anticipation of situations like this."
"Then why did you look as if you'd already lost everything?" Caron asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I suppose fear comes easier with age," Barad admitted with a faint smile.
He then began to explain the village's defenses. To summarize, they consisted of several key measures: Defensive wards, spirit-powered turrets, and underground evacuation routes.
After reviewing all of the village's defensive measures, Guillotine murmured once again, "Hmm, maybe we're not completely doomed yet."
This was a village connected to the roots of the World Tree. It was no surprise that they had prepared countermeasures for the nagas' periodic invasions.
"If only we had just a bit more manpower," Caron muttered regretfully, clicking his tongue.
The pirates certainly had numbers on their side, but at the end of the day, they were still just pirates. Even if some of them were elites, land-based combat wasn't their forte.
On the other hand, the elves wielded Spirit Magic as well as regular magic, a highly valuable and rare kind of combat force by human standards.
If we fight with the village at our backs, we might stand a chance, Caron thought. At least, that was the case if the pirates were their only concern.
...That's assuming we leave the naga out of the equation. The nagas were completely unknown to Caron. All he knew was that they relied heavily on magic.
"I think I need a better understanding of the nagas," Caron said, his tone thoughtful.
"They use a form of mana called Abyssal Magic, powered by the deep sea," Barad explained. "While their magical abilities are formidable, their physical strength is surprisingly lackluster. That weakness becomes especially apparent on land."
"And yet they've still been able to consistently threaten the elves. That Abyssal Magic must be incredibly dangerous," Caron remarked.
"It's a power similar to a curse," Barad replied gravely. "You'll understand why I say that if you ever see it in action."
The nagas and pirates together could be a far more dangerous combination than expected. What the pirates lacked were high-tier combat forces such as mages. If the nagas filled that gap, the synergy could be disastrous.
Worse yet, there were already reports of two Heroes among the enemy, who had power equivalent to 7-Star knights. Warriors of that caliber were game-changers; their presence alone could skew the entire battlefield.
No matter how optimistically Caron viewed the situation, the odds remained stacked against them. Which left him with only one conclusion: There was just one card left to play to turn things around.
Resolving his thoughts, Caron rose from his seat and said, "This has been a valuable discussion, Elder."
Barad, wearing a faint smile, gave him a solemn nod and said, "When you return to our kin in Galad, please convey our regards. Tell them we defended the village until the very last moment."
Caron blinked, surprised by the elder's sudden farewell. He asked, "Huh? What are you talking about?"
"...Aren't you leaving the village?" Barad asked, tilting his head slightly.
Caron scoffed and crossed his arms, saying, "Do you think that little of us?"
While the situation was dire, if things went according to plan, they still had a chance.
Kerra, Caron thought.
If that guy, who by now should have reached 8-Star, joined them, that would more than offset every other variable.
"I'm not the kind of guy who abandons his friends, Elder," Caron declared firmly.
This was a perfect opportunity to secure a debt of gratitude from the elves without even breaking a sweat. He would never let that slip through his fingers.
"Trust me," he added, a sly grin spreading across his face.
***
Fortunately, the communication orb in the elder's house was still connected to Galad. Thanks to that, Caron was able to contact Orion without much difficulty.
When Orion heard Caron's report of the situation, he couldn't hide his outrage. He growled, "...I can't believe those lowly pirates have teamed up with the damn nagas."
The fury in his voice was palpable from start to finish, but despite his anger, Orion's judgment remained razor-sharp.
"Caron, take the remaining villagers and leave that place. There's no need to risk everything to protect the village," Orion instructed.
"But this is where the World Tree's roots are. Can we really give it up so easily?" Caron asked, his tone doubtful.
"The roots can't be corrupted by those scum so quickly. It's a process that takes a very long time. Even if we lose that place for now, we can take it back later. I'll personally lead a force to intercept you, so meet us at the midpoint," Orion said.
Orion's calm assessment reflected a broader perspective, prioritizing the long-term over the immediate. In many ways, his strategy was the safer one.
"So, you're saying it's fine to abandon the village?" Caron asked flatly.
"Yes," Orion replied without hesitation.
"All right. In the worst-case scenario, we'll fall back. That's good enough for now," Caron said with a nod.
"You sound like you have a plan," Orion said.
"It's more of an idea than a plan," Caron said with a small smirk. "Give me two days. I'll contact you then, and we'll decide whether to proceed with the evacuation."
"Understood," Orion replied.
The communication ended there, and Caron stepped out of the elder's house without delay. As soon as he opened the door, he saw his comrades waiting for him outside.
"How did it go? Did everyone gather anything useful?" he asked.
Before meeting with Barad, Caron had instructed his comrades to collect information about Kerra. The location marked on the regent's map was only about an hour's walk from Eär Village, so he had assumed the villagers would know something.
And as expected, Caron's hunch had been correct.
"There's a small hill to the southeast. Apparently, even spirits avoid the area," Leon reported. "A few hunters attested to that."
"How long has it been like that?" Caron asked, intrigued.
"Quite a while, it seems. About three months. Even monsters steer clear of it," Leon replied.
The information was peculiar. A place even monsters avoided reeked of something suspicious. It was the perfect hiding spot for Kerra. It wasn't the first time Caron had encountered such a location, either.
The lair, Caron thought.
The lair of the Accursed Dragon Etyron had been similar. It was a place no other monsters dared approach. But this time, the situation was different. Back then, they'd had the option to avoid it. This time, avoidance wasn't an option. No matter what dangers lay in wait, they had to break through.
"Just so you know, we don't have much time," Caron said, looking at his comrades. "We have three days. The pirates and nagas will attack then."
The group nodded grimly at his words.
"Our job is simple," Caron continued. "We find Kerra, and together, we wipe out the nagas and pirates. That's it. Easy, right?"
The so-called plan was laughably simplistic.
Leon frowned slightly and said, "Kerra Acht... Do you really think he'll cooperate with us? Let's not forget, he's the one who escaped from our surveillance. We don't even know why he ran."
"We'll figure out his reasons once we find him," Caron replied confidently.
"He was a knight of the Malevolent Emperor. There's a good chance he harbors treacherous intentions," Leon pointed out.
Her concerns were valid. To those unaware of the full story, Kerra would easily seem like a villain.
Even Caron couldn't completely dismiss the possibility that Kerra had changed. Fifty years was a long time—long enough to alter any man. Still, he had one reason to believe Kerra would help.
Because that's just who he is, Caron thought.
Kerra was a man with a kind heart, someone too stubborn to abandon others. He was the kind of person who would choose to die together rather than survive alone. That was the Kerra Caron remembered.
"He'll help us. I'm sure of it," Caron said firmly.
Leon didn't press further, nodding as she said, "If you're that confident, I'll trust you."
"Not going to ask me anything else, Leon?" Caron teased.
"There's certainty in your voice. What other reason do I need?" Leon replied.
The others nodded in agreement with Leon.
"If I start arguing, you'll just raise your fists again," Leon added, shaking her head. "I'd rather not get punched, Caron. Do whatever you want."
"Kerra Acht... I remember him as a warrior of great honor. The thought of meeting such a legend excites me," Utula said, his tone brimming with admiration.
Their trust in him was clear, and Caron couldn't help but smile. He said decisively, "Alright, let's move."
There was no reason to delay. And so, they set off toward Kerra's hiding place without hesitation.
***
An hour later...
The small mountain nestled to the southeast of Eär Village stood before them.
"Caron, are you sure this is right?" Leo asked, gripping his sword, Sylphid, tightly in one hand.
Caron let out a low sigh, shaking his head, then said, "I'll admit, this is not what I expected."
"...You said this would be easy," Leon replied, her tone dangerously calm.
"Well, it is easy if you think it is—wait, Leon, why are you pointing your sword at me all of a sudden?" Caron asked.
"Because it was my mistake to trust you," Leon said, her voice cold. "So, let's call it even with one good stab. That's fair, right?"
They had thought finding Kerra would be a quick and straightforward mission.
Caron sighed deeply and muttered, "Ha... My life is always like this."
He turned his gaze forward, his expression grim.
Whoosh.
A dozen massive golems emerged from the shadows, their movements precise as they raised their weapons toward Caron and his comrades.