* * *

“This is ridiculous. What do they think they’re doing? The Imperial Knights aren’t even here yet, and they dare to order an evacuation? Hey, stop! Guide them properly so they don’t get in trouble!”

Dreyfe ordered his men, who were busy trying to control the fleeing villagers. The knights couldn’t restrict their movements due to the strange visions, magic, or whatever, but they could at least guide them out of harm’s way.

“……Cocky bastards.”

From their introduction to their behavior, there wasn’t a single thing Dreyfe liked about them.

Sorin and Jeriel were equally puzzled by the mercenary corps’ arbitrary decision, but they took their message to mean something else. Outside the gate, there was something more dangerous than they could have imagined.

And when they reach the front of the gate.

“What are those monsters?”

An army of bizarre monsters, the likes of which had never been seen on the battlefield.

Though human in form, the monsters were stripped of all their flesh, revealing their red muscles, and they looked more like devils than monsters. They were being summoned from an unidentified magic circle some distance away, and the woman casting the summons had an unusual aura about her.

An army of monsters stretched as far as the width of the gateway. Only a swordsman, a magician, and a…….

“That, those wings are…….”

A man gliding through the air, hurling ice spears. Jeriel’s eyes widened as he realized the pair of wings on his back. He was no different from the others. For the briefest of moments, the eyes of all the Knight Order were on him.

Fairy.

Translucent wings that glistened in the sunlight. An unreal ability to unleash a steady stream of magic of immense power. Hearing a familiar chuckle in the distance, they realized that it was the fairy who was responsible for the visions they had heard.

“There’s a fairy in the mercenary corps……?”

Normally, Sorin would remain calm no matter what, but the appearance of a fairy whom he only saw in books shook him to the core. Even though everything he knew defined the being in front of him as a ‘fairy’, it was hard to believe.

And one cry that called him out.

“Are you the reinforcements? I’ll explain the situation later, but for now, I need you to stop the Red Men in their tracks! Don’t let them get to the gate!”

Sorin’s gaze shifted. A man in long robes and a hood pulled down deep. His face was obscured by the shadow of the hood, but from the sound of his voice, he was a young man. Sorin sensed a vast flow of mana emanating from him, and he turned and barked an order.

“Guardian Knight Order! You are about to repel these monsters in front of you. Show the might of the Knight Order that not a single one will cross the gate!”

Behind the knights, who rode into battle with a thunderous shout, the three battalion captains gathered. Normally, the battalion captain would have led the way, but for now, gathering information for command was a priority.

Sorin turned to the man in the robe and spoke to Jeriel.

“Jeriel, you will cover your men and identify the enemy’s weaknesses. We don’t know the monsters’ identity, so don’t let them surprise you.”

“What, isn’t that man the mercenary commander? You’re so mean, not letting me even talk to him.”

“You, as a magician, are the most suitable for monitoring the battle situation.”

“Tsk, I can’t help it.”

Swallowing his regret, Jeriel slipped through the gap in the line, and Sorin moved in front of the man with Dreyfe.

* * *

“It’s the Red Men commanded by a High Demon. She’s a big shot beyond your imagination.”

“Celeb hasn’t made any direct moves yet, but as soon as she stops producing Red Men, she’ll start acting, and a collision is inevitable.”

“Are you saying that the Red Men only move forward until they reach the gate?”

“Yes, but they are aggressive as soon as they arrive. They have an unbearable level of fighting power, so if you allow the armies to enter, it will be difficult to protect the gate.”

Cadel replied, tugging down the brim of his hood. Sorin stared down at Cadel’s half-obscured face.

“How did you find out who they were?”

“The High Demon was summoned right in front of my eyes, and I just happened to hear about her.”

Beside Sorin, who nodded in understanding, Dreyfe snorted. His hostile gaze scanned Cadel’s body unhappily.

“It seems like everywhere the Scarlet Scales Mercenary goes, demons appear. Perhaps this is how you led the battles in the White Kingdom?”

“I was just collaborating with the Twilight Knight Order. I don’t remember leading.”

“Aha. So you’re going to team up with the Guardian Knight Order again to repel the demons? If you’re planning on riding on our coattails to grow your reputation, I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to help you, and you’d better back off because the Knight Order is more than enough for this place.”

Did he say his name was Dreyfe? As soon as they first met, he showed a disapproving attitude, so Cadel wondered why he was so uncomfortable with them, but it seemed that his perception of the mercenary corps itself was not good.

‘Well, who cares, I can’t back down from this.’

Curling the corner of his mouth slightly, Cadel spoke in a stubborn voice, avoiding Dreyfe’s gaze.

“Without us, the gate would have fallen long ago, and the late-comers would have struggled to figure out the identity of the High Demon as well as the Red Men.”

“So―”

“I’m not looking to make a name for myself with the Guardian Knight Order, I’m already pretty well known as a mercenary. I just want to prevent a tragedy where a demon harms innocent civilians, so I hope you don’t misunderstand me.”

There was nothing to say in response. It wasn’t even a situation where he could nitpick and grumbled. In the end, Dreyfe decided to put up with the pesky mercenary corps for a little while longer. They’d either talk of rewards as the battle dragged on, or they’d run away.

“Hmm, we’ll see if it’s a twist or not.”

“Enough, Dreyfe. And Mercenary Commanderder. You seem to be infusing quite a bit of mana into the barrier surrounding the gate. We’ll need the power of a magician to deal with Celeb. The gate will be guarded by the Knight Order, so conserve your mana.”

Very well. Cadel replied briefly and withdrew the fire barrier. He was just thinking that he was using too much mana.

Cadel chewed on the herbs he’d brought with him to replenish his mana, leaving the sounds of tactical discussions between Sorin and Dreyfe behind. His gaze drifted to the front lines of the battlefield, toward Van and Lydon.

With the Blood Flow Sword unleashed, Van and Lydon were engaged in a battle that bordered on ‘slaughter’. Swirling sword energy and aura pierced the Red Men’s bodies, while the rain of ice spears pierced the monsters and disrupted their movement. The tempo of the battle favored the mercenary corps, despite the fact that the freshly arrived Guardian Knight Order should have been far superior in physical strength. This was despite the fact that they were not exactly evenly matched in number.

‘We’re fighting well…….’

Since the Knight Order had joined, it was time to start conserving their power.

「Quest success rate: 15%」

While killing monsters was important for contribution, it was not as important as dealing Sellev a good hit. With the reinforcements in place, there was no telling when Sellev would return to action, and that was when the mercenary corps would show their true colors.

‘We will have to slowly pull out.’

Cadel decided to call in his far-flung subordinates.