Chapter 51. Girl with Wolf Ears (3)
Screeeeeech!
Along with the screech of brakes, the vehicle instantly rotated sideways at tremendous speed, making a loud noise.
The vehicle, having lost control while braking hard, spun three times with its large body and barely stopped.
It happened almost simultaneously with the shout of being attacked.
But even in such a chaotic situation, none of the passengers panicked.
Beside Enoch, Askel calmly looked at the surrounding mages and asked.
“Situation?”
Although Askel accompanied as an advisor, he was actually a considerably skilled individual, enough to be in the Follower Family of the 3rd Circle.
Perhaps recognized as quite a senior, another mage beside him was already unfolding communication magic and quickly relaying the situation.
“Lead Car 1 currently stopped. Due to the narrow rocky canyon terrain, following vehicles have also stopped.”
Enoch briefly looked out the window.
Indeed, outside the window, an immense amount of dust kicked up by all the vehicles braking hard from high speed was blocking the view.
Askel quickly surveyed the surroundings and gave low instructions to the mages with a familiar demeanor.
“Visibility blocked. Difficult to respond inside the vehicle. Go out and check.”
One mage sitting near the rear door of the vehicle, upon hearing his instruction, immediately kicked open the rear door and stepped outside.
Thump!
The remaining mages quickly followed behind him, holding their magic gears slanted.
Using the open vehicle door and wheels as cover, they quickly formed positions near the vehicle.
Someone shouted amidst the dust clouds.
“Response ready, secure visibility!”
Immediately, wind-type magic cast by someone instantly cleared the dust, securing visibility.
And beyond the momentarily restored vision.
Unbelievable scenes were unfolding.
-Kiriririririk!
Numerous figures moving with strange cries.
But not simple animals or beasts.
A swarm of ‘Magical Beasts’ resembling giant scorpions.
Each one was roughly the size of a person.
Their chilling eyes, numbering well over dozens in the swarm, emanated a bizarre hostility.
Beside Enoch, Askel muttered quietly in a tense tone.
“Legypion! Of all things, those guys…”
Legypion.
He recalled it was a word in the old tongue of the Elsyde domain meaning ‘army of scorpion Magical Beasts’.
‘Legypion swarms are classified as 「High-Risk Grade Magical Beasts」 even in the original work.’
They were by no means easy opponents even in the original game <Magic Empire Atlas>.
Like typical Magical Beasts, their magic resistance was high, and they moved quickly and organizationally, making them prone to instantly overwhelming and annihilating opponents lacking adequate response capability.
However, for the mages affiliated with the Elsyde family, this much seemed to pose no problem.
“Concentrate fire. Target the lead individuals first.”
Askel calmly instructed those around him.
“Commence engagement.”
Simultaneously with his instruction, a magic circle formed in the sky, and a giant ice spear fell.
Craaack!
It pierced the scorpion-shaped Magical Beast like a huge nail, pinning it to the ground as if stuffing it.
Another family-affiliated mage beside him immediately linked into the attack, instantly crushing the head of the immobilized creature with a rock projectile.
Dark red blood burst in all directions from the head resembling a scorpion's, pierced by the ice spear.
Taking that as a signal, other mages also began projecting their respective main magics, thoroughly crushing the enemy.
Watching this, Enoch inwardly nodded slightly in agreement.
‘As expected of Elsyde.’
These were merely mages drafted from various places within the family for this mission.
They likely weren't mages who had operated as a team before, yet they displayed such seamless coordination.
Moreover, even by rough estimation, they were all around Rank 12 on average, so the power of each magic spell they relentlessly poured out was self-evident.
And crucially, there were still many mages who hadn't even directly joined the battle here.
Enoch briefly looked back.
The personnel who had been boarding the rear vehicles were wary of the potential appearance of other Magical Beasts in the unfamiliar place, taking cover and thoroughly maintaining rear security watch.
‘Teano and the Nemesis Knights who were in the other vehicles are all handling rear security.’
Meaning, the elites who could be called the family's main force hadn't even participated in the battle yet.
Yet, even with just the remaining personnel, they were responding without difficulty to such a Magical Beast swarm's surprise attack.
Enoch watched the battle with interest for a moment, partly to gauge the capabilities of the family-affiliated mages.
But the battle with Legypion wasn't something that would end simply like this.
‘The enemy hasn't gone all out yet either.’
Enoch briefly raised his head. There was a reason Legypion were notoriously infamous Magical Beasts in the Empire.
“Those guys are bait to tie us down.”
Just then, Askel, seemingly having the same thought, urgently issued instructions to those around him.
“There must be a main force led by a chieftain somewhere. Detection mages, scout before they ambush us!”
The reason Legypion were tricky wasn't simply because they moved in swarms.
Their swarms moved strategically. That's why they earned the moniker ‘army’.
Their true strength lay precisely in group tactics.
And the entity commanding the operations of such numerous Legypion creatures was….
“Found them!”
Just then, one female mage beside Askel, who had been concentrating on deploying detection magic, shouted urgently.
“Multiple movements detected at close range to the left, marking the location!”
That mage extended her metal staff into the air, projecting a three-dimensional grid-like image of light.
Visualization of detection magic.
On the image spread in the air like a translucent radar, countless points of light were visible, blinking and moving this way.
Askel, confirming it, immediately deployed communication magic to the remaining mages and shouted.
“That’s the swarm led by the chieftain individual!”
As soon as his words ended.
From the rocky cliff before Enoch’s eyes, another swarm of Legypions was jumping down en masse.
And at their forefront, an exceptionally massive individual was charging towards them.
-Kiriririririk!
Unlike the others, a massive body whose head alone loomed at a height five times that of an adult man.
It was the swarm leader.
The massive Magical Beast army led by the chieftain-grade individual was rapidly approaching this way.
“High-risk target approach confirmed, prepare for response!”
At the much fiercer momentum than the creatures that attacked Car 1, the surrounding mages also seemed tense.
“Lord Enoch, please step back for a moment! We are too close to the Magical Beasts!”
Following Askel’s shouted command, the surrounding mages immediately aimed their magic gears forward, constructed magic circles, and poured powerful firepower towards the creature.
Kwaaaaang!
Sharp elemental magics of the Cryo type, capable of tearing off flesh upon mere contact, and rock-type magics bombarding with huge mass.
All those attacks, crossing the air and fired forth, struck the creature’s body accurately.
However….
“That crazy thing!”
The massive Legypion chieftain charged forward, taking all the magic hits.
Its carapace-like exoskeleton seemed completely unaffected even by the Rank 11 elemental magic boasting formidable power.
Magic resistance strong enough to remind one of Baphomet seen in the Nemesis Knight Order examination grounds.
“Stop its charge first!”
Other mages continued firing magic to halt its charge, forming multiple walls with rock-type magic in its path to create obstacles.
But the creature charged straight towards Enoch, piercing through all attacks like a tank with its powerful carapace leading the way.
Askel, retreating the other mages, urgently shouted towards Enoch standing in front of him.
“Cannot stop it! It’s dangerous, Young Master. Evade!”
But Enoch himself didn't move.
He was calmly assessing the current situation.
Due to the roar of battle, it seemed no one had picked up the sound of such large Magical Beasts moving.
Worse, since they poured down from the nearby cliff all at once, the distance was already too close.
‘To make matters worse, the vehicles are all scattered due to the emergency braking, engaged in individual battles. Cannot expect support from other mages.’
At least the Nemesis Knight Order was nearby, but…
Enoch glanced towards the Knight Order side.
Just then, his eyes met Teano's, the Nemesis Deputy Commander, who was watching from a short distance away.
“…….”
However, they took no action even seeing the swarm of Magical Beasts bearing down on Enoch.
‘…As expected.’
Beyond the dust clouds raised by the battle with the Magical Beasts.
Teano, beneath the shadow of her pressed-down formal cap, was clearly observing him with cold eyes.
Moreover, not just her, but the other Nemesis knights beside her were also watching him observantly, without even twitching.
‘Thinking about it, it’s natural.’
Teano had doubted his achievements from before. Enoch, who was a non-mage, suddenly gaining power was suspicious in many ways.
And Nemesis likely intended to ascertain his identity while fulfilling their duty of official certification during the 1st entrance examination.
However, even in the entrance examination last time, Enoch hadn't properly revealed his true skills throughout the test.
From the perspective of Teano and Nemesis who were watching him, it must have been quite an unsatisfactory development.
From their standpoint of upholding the family's precepts, they had no choice but to suspect Enoch.
‘Yet suddenly, at the last moment, he defeated the Special-grade Magical Beast alone in an unseen place.’
Therefore, Nemesis remained inactive even in this sudden situation.
They likely wanted to see if he would use his power to respond to the crisis.
Even if Enoch were truly a dark mage, he wouldn't be able to resist using his power in such a crisis situation if he didn't want to die.
Of course, if he were truly about to die, they would step in as Nemesis to protect the direct descendant.
Then naturally, if he just played dead until the last moment, they would eventually intervene, but….
However, that applied only to Enoch himself.
‘I am aware of Teano’s suspicion. I can certainly make that judgment, but…’
Unfortunately, unlike him, he knew a maid who would absolutely not think that way.
-Swish.
Enoch glanced at the silver-haired girl who had quietly approached his side before he knew it.
Lien.
She was already slowly lifting her skirt, reaching for her thigh.
There was no way Lien would stand by idly watching the threat approaching Enoch.
Thus, paradoxically, this situation was quite unfavorable for Enoch.
‘If Lien joins the battle here, her skills, hidden until now, will be revealed.’
Considering Lien's actions within the family so far, and the experience of seeing her inner world last time, he knew very well how devoted Lien was to the original Enoch.
Therefore, she would surely try to protect Enoch’s body even if he tried to stop her.
If that happened, it meant revealing Lien's skills, one of the cards he had deliberately tried to keep hidden.
‘…But, it’s fine.’
However, even in that urgent moment, Enoch calmly watched the charging Magical Beasts.
‘Because that won’t happen anyway.’
The reason he could remain calm even in such a desperate situation was singular.
-The story specified in the original work.
That was precisely the basis for his belief.
Before he knew it, the script from the original work was flashing through his mind.
「Elsyde, setting out on the Allied Mission, engages in combat after being attacked by a swarm of ‘Legypion’ Magical Beasts en route to the Beast-kin village.」
「However, as a separate detachment led by the Magical Beast chieftain strategically ambushes from a nearby cliff, the closest mages are momentarily thrown into crisis.」
‘Meaning, up until now, everything is the flow of the official history (正史) specified in the original work.’
He knew that being attacked by Magical Beasts in the southern Elsyde domain this time was a predetermined fact.
He hadn't been entirely without the thought that in the worst-case scenario, if attacked by Magical Beasts, Lien might step forward in a critical situation.
Yet, the reason he hadn't specifically prepared for that situation was simple.
The brief background recorded about the Elsyde family and the Beast-kin.
From there, Enoch recalled the future, fixed as undeniable fact, just moments away.
「However, just before Elsyde clashes with the chieftain of the Magical Beast swarm, an unforeseen ‘anomaly’ occurs.」
Enoch was waiting for precisely that anomaly right now.
Because the anomaly mentioned here was content related to the ‘mage he knew better than anyone else’ in <Magic Empire Atlas>.
Appearance and personality. Unique Magic wielded.
Even the past history, all of it.
And to meet that mage, there was no need to interfere with the confirmed future developments.
Because it was something that would happen if he just watched comfortably.
‘Soon.’
Enoch watched the Magical Beasts charging towards him with calm eyes until the very last moment.
-Rumble rumble!
The earth trembled as the horde of Magical Beasts arrived right before him.
Sand dust raised by the Legypion chieftain at the vanguard swept strongly around Enoch.
From behind, other family mages were urgently shouting something, running towards him.
However, Enoch didn't move.
Just stood quietly, waiting for something.
The memories of countless playthroughs of the original work surely wouldn't betray him.
-And the next moment,
Flinch.
Lien, lifting her skirt, stopped her movement abruptly.
It was due to something that suddenly happened right before her eyes.
“…?”
Lien’s silver-blue eyes looked upwards with a puzzled emotion.
Meanwhile, Enoch, confirming the direction she was looking, smiled faintly, unnoticed by anyone.
Whooosh!
Right in front of Enoch.
As if blocking the path of the Legypion chieftain charging straight ahead.
Someone fell from the high sky.
-A small-statured girl.
Moreover, a young girl looking no older than fifteen at most.
Taat!
She landed, raising an intense sandstorm around her, and pushed herself up.
Above her light attire revealing white bare legs without even shoes.
Her long red hair billowed greatly in the wind.
Her eyes, looking up slightly this way, shone brightly like rubies in the sunlight.
A slender, cute girl with pretty features that anyone seeing would agree upon.
However, among the girl’s features, there was a part that stood out even more.
Twitch.
Sprouting sharply above the girl’s red hair, a pair of red wolf ears.
And behind her back, a bushy wolf tail swayed naturally.
“…Beast-kin?”
Lien muttered quietly.
Everyone’s attention momentarily focused on the Beast-kin girl who jumped down from the high opposite cliff.
At the utterly sudden appearance, not only the surrounding mages but even Lien momentarily paused her movements.
But unlike the bewildered surroundings, Enoch smiled faintly, unnoticed even by himself.
At least to him, it was an utterly familiar sight.
‘Found her.’
The character always recruited as a main party member in the original work, the Tier 1 mage inducted into the Follower Family as the main character in countless repeated playthroughs.
There was no way he wouldn't know about her.
Therefore, he also knew very well how she first appeared before people.
「-The ‘Chieftain’s Heir’ of the Beast-kin, who had set out on a Magical Beast hunt, appeared before the mages of the Elsyde family engaging in combat with Magical Beasts.」
And the next moment.
Tap.
The girl, facing the huge Magical Beast, lightly tapped the ground with the tip of one bare foot.
Red light mana flickered around her slender ankle, instantly wrapping around it like a thin accessory.
Paaat!
The next moment, the Beast-kin girl pushed off the ground and leaped high into the air.
An explosive movement leaving afterimages.
Instantly rising beneath the chin of the Legypion chieftain, she swung her leg upwards, kicking the creature’s head.
And as soon as the kick she delivered accurately struck the creature’s jaw-
Kwa-jajajajajak!
A dry roar echoed in all directions.
With the single upward kick she delivered, the next moment, the Magical Beast chieftain’s jaw was torn from its neck.
The creature’s head flew high into the sky, along with shattered teeth fragments soaring up.
“Heok…!”
Not only the mages who were rushing over to support Enoch amidst the battle, but even Askel beside him, clutching his staff, showed reactions as if his eyeballs would pop out.
“What is that…”
Clearly, they all understood that the Beast-kin girl had used some kind of magic.
But even so, the destructive power and boldness, seemingly impossible to come from her small frame, were truly astonishing.
It was actually understandable.
The chieftain of the Magical Beasts, against whom even the magic spells rapidly fired by Rank 11 mages just moments ago were ineffective.
For a girl to appear and shatter its head with a single blow?
While the surrounding mages were momentarily shaken by her impactful entrance.
Amidst the crowd where such commotion arose, Enoch quietly recalled only the content of the original work.
「…That was the first moment the Beast-kin and the Imperial citizens formally reunited after countless ages.」
And eventually, Enoch murmured quietly within his lips, unheard by anyone.
‘Sirocco Lycaon.’
The figure he wanted to meet most since becoming Enoch Elsyde, the mage he intended to recruit as his Follower Family from the very beginning.
Also the main character he always employed in his party when playing the original work.
‘The strongest close-combat mage boasting undisputed Tier 1 performance in the original work.’
The individual he had marked from the very beginning, saying she must be welcomed as the first Follower Family.
It was the most familiar reunion with her, and simultaneously, the moment they met for the first time.