Chapter 278: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (71)

A storm of thunder and lightning raged over the battlefield.

Its main cause was Elsie.

She had already emptied several vials of magical potions, projecting all her power.

Ian, who had been unexpectedly struck by the Corpse Giant , was clearly in critical condition.

Those who rushed to save Ian couldn't help but feel desperate.

Of course, this was the same for Seria, who was staring blankly from afar.

Without a second thought, she reflexively issued an order.

"Sir Alex, let's enter the battlefield immediately!"

Unlike her previous timid demeanour, her voice was now only fluent.

However, the response that should have followed Seria's command did not come.

Instead, the Yurdina family’s knights merely stared blankly at her .

Just when Seria’s brow, who was already in a foul mood, was about to furrow even more.

The old knight Alex spoke on behalf of the retainers.

"...Are you serious?"

Serious?

Seria couldn't help but shout in frustration at the question.

"Would I be lying then?! R-Right now, over there Senior Ian is.."

"My Lady."

However, Alex's response was utterly calm.

Neither heavy nor light in tone.

So Seria could only look at him with even more confusion.

Alex's expression didn't show the determination typical of a retainer defying orders.

Nor did it show the demeanour of a soldier quietly carrying out his superior's command.

He simply asked again.

"...Have you memorised the names of all the soldiers?"

Seria bit her lip.

Time was of the essence, so what nonsense is he even talking about right now?

But Seria had yet to earn the retainer's recognition.

In the North, they only follow those who are worth following.

Thus, even though Alex dared to continue this philosophical debate with Seria, no one stopped him. Instead, they watched with apparent interest.

It might have been different if it had been a battle that determined the fate of the Family,but for the Yurdina's private soldiers, this place was just a foreign land.

They had the luxury of time.

The only one who didn't was Seria.

Though she was fuming on the inside, she had to continue speaking as calmly as possible.

"If there are any shortcomings on my part, I will take the time to listen to your advice later. But right now, Senior Ian's life is at stake..."

"Sam's only family is his younger sister."

Alex's words abruptly cut off Seria's speech.

'Sam' was such a common name. Among the thousand soldiers, there were likely several with that name.

Nevertheless, Alex didn't specify which unit or division Sam belonged to.

As if this 'Sam' with such circumstances was only one.

"And that younger sister of his is a cripple. So Sam has been doing everything he could since childhood... He even enlisted in the family's private army for a stable income."

Seria carefully observed Alex's expression with her blue eyes.

However, no matter how much she scrutinised, Alex did not seem to be lying.

At the very least, it was clear he understood the soldier named 'Sam' very well.

But, the stories flowing from Alex's mouth didn't stop there.

"Have you talked with Hanson? I heard he has left behind his elderly mother and a pregnant wife at home. He's usually worried about who will take care of them if he dies."

"Aina is a bit of an unusual one. She comes from a family of hunters in the coniferous forest. She lost her younger brother to elves and enlisted to avenge him. She usually says if not her, who else would?"

"Rex is the eldest of eight siblings, I heard. No matter how much he earned, it was never enough, so he eventually applied to become a soldier. If he's not around, a few of them might end up starving."

Each of these nonchalant explanations perplexed Seria.

She heard about the traditions of the North.

Northerners highly value their comrades.

It was a long-standing custom for a newly appointed commander to memorise the names of their soldiers.

But it was the first time she had encountered a knight who knew such detailed stories.

Perhaps Alex was an exceptionally unique commander.

The unfortunate fact was that it was Alex who was testing Seria now.

Whether she earned his recognition or not.

The weight of Seria's commands would vary greatly based on that.

"The soldiers here are just as irreplaceable and precious to someone as much as Young Master Ian is. As a commander of the North, one should naturally understand such weight."

The fierce soldiers of the North were known for charging into battle without regard for their lives.

This was due to the North’s unique culture of ‘loyalty.’

And relationships could never be one-sided.

As much as the soldiers trusted and believed in their commander, the commander also chose battlefields worth sacrificing the soldiers' lives for.

It didn't seem like a test that Seria, who appeared visibly impatient, could pass.

But that didn’t matter.

The Yurdina family was a family of lions, and tests always came when one wanted to avoid them the most.

The blood vessels in her arms, which guided the mana, were bursting and becoming bruised. Each newly formed bruise brought her excruciating pain.

Several times, she couldn't suppress her groans, causing her incantations to falter.

Has I ever felt pain worse than this in my life?

With her mind now hazy, Elsie asked herself.

Was it when I fought alone against the hunting dog long ago?

It hurt then too, but only for a moment. This was the first time she had voluntarily endured such pain.

Her whole body ached, and her lungs felt like they were being violently squeezed.

Her eyes, long since dry, sent stabbing pains with every lightning strike.

Tears continuously streamed down her face.

She wanted to collapse immediately, to run away crying.

But Elsie endured.

Brushing aside her family, it was the first time she had chosen her fate.

Therefore, she had to rightfully submit to that fate.

Even if it meant dying a dog's death.

But the Corpse Giant, as if mocking her , raised its fist high.

If that fist came down, Ian would surely die.

So, Elsie smiled.

"...Judgement of Light!"

BOOM-RUMBLE! The sound of thunder shook the battlefield.

Normally, thunder should follow after lightning strikes, but this thunderous sound was merely a harbinger of the magic that was yet to follow.

As the electric sparks crackled, the Corpse Giant involuntarily lifted his head.

Above his head, electricity was gathering.

And then, in the next moment.

CRACK-BOOM! With a sound that tore through the air, a spear of lightning struck down.

Its power was incomparable to any large-scale magic she had used before.

The Corpse Giant shuddered and momentarily convulsed.

But even so, it wasn't enough to deal a decisive blow to it.

But what Elsie had hoped for was just a chance to capture its attention, even for a moment.

The Corpse Giant's head began to slowly turn towards Elsie.

She already had no strength left to move.

Lying on the ground, she chuckled.

"You grotesque bastard... can’t you see me?”

With her trembling arm, she propped herself up on the ground.

Trying to make herself as noticeable as possible.

"Hey, you cowardly piece of shit! Who are you trying to mess with, leaving the Great Elsie hanging here, huh? I’ll, I’ll take you on, so....”

So just leave my master alone.

Elsie pleaded while panting.

Before long, her blue eyes had become hazy.

But her wish didn't reach the Underlying of the Evil God.

That monster just stared at Elsie briefly before losing interest.

It seemed to regard Ian, who had managed to land a hit on it, as the more threatening opponent.

Elsie's eyes widened in panic.

"Hey, hey... hey, what are you doing! I'm here! There's someone here, you son of a bitch!"

The Corpse Giant raised its fist again.

And just as it was about to bring its massive fist of flesh down on Ian.

Geometric patterns suddenly began to appear in the sky.

Anyone could tell it was the harbinger of a powerful Enhanced Spell.

Before the Corpse Giant could react, chains of light shot down from each vertex of the magic circle drawn in the air.

It was lightning.

The elemental magic that was practically synonymous with the Rinella family.

The chains bound the Corpse Giant like shackles. No matter how much the Corpse Giant struggled to break free, the chains of light didn't budge.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-!

Its enraged roar echoed across the battlefield.

Elsie, who had watched the scene unfold from beginning to end, was left in a daze.

She had seen that magic circle somewhere before.

It was not a miracle that a single mage could produce.

It was an Enhanced Spell that only a systematically trained Mage Corps could perform.

What snapped Elsie out of her daze was the sound of a potion bottle rolling on the ground.

A potion bottle rolled and stopped right beside Elsie.

The bottle bore a symbol of two laurel trees intersecting.

Elsie's eyes blankly turned to look behind her.

There stood a very familiar figure.

"...Drink it."

It was Reynold.