“What on earth….”
When they hurriedly went outside, monsters were truly ramming their entire bodies into the barrier.
Everyone’s steps halted at the absurd situation.
“Aren’t they crazy? Does this make sense?”
The mercenary companies and knight orders were also at a loss in front of it, watching the situation. The defensive barrier had shaken, but it hadn’t broken yet.
At that moment, a knight who spotted Edner approached.
“Vice-Captain! What should we do about this? Should we go out and clean things up a bit?”
“Aren’t there too many swarming for that? It doesn’t seem like something that will end just by cleaning up.”
“Wouldn’t it be safer to just quickly move to another villa?”
Various opinions came out. Even during this, the monsters kept increasing.
“It’s dangerous, so please stay inside.”
“Mmm, I don’t want to. I want to watch too.”
A squabble also broke out between Rowy and Van. Naturally, Van couldn’t win against Rowy. After pondering for a moment, Van pulled Rowy close to his side. Even during this, Rowy kept staring at something while thinking.
“Hmm….”
“What’s wrong?”
“That looks like it’s about to break soon.”
“What?”
Van hurriedly looked where Rowy was pointing. It was just as Rowy said. The barrier stone was shaking precariously, as if it would crack at any moment. If it really broke like that, they would be helplessly surrounded by monsters.
“Should I do something about it?”
“Would that be possible?”
“Mmm? Of course.”
“Then, I’m counting on you.”
At those words, Rowy immediately reached out toward the barrier stone. It really looked like it would break at any moment.
“…….”
Along with an incomprehensible incantation, soon thick blue magical power flowed out from Rowy’s magic tool and was sucked into the barrier stone. At the same time, the shaking barrier began stabilizing at a rapid pace. The monsters, who noticed the change, rammed their bodies even more forcefully. However, the barrier strengthened by Rowy’s magical power became even more powerful, not even budging.
“Did Lord Rowy do this? Then, is the barrier okay now?”
Dwyne approached and asked. Rowy nodded.
“Mmm, it should be fine as long as no one breaks it from the inside.”
And… at that moment, it happened.
“What the!”
Edner, who had somehow approached nearby, suddenly struck the barrier stone with his sword.
“…Vice-Captain?”
“…Huh.”
Everyone froze at the unexpected situation. Even Edner himself, who had swung the sword. Fortunately, the barrier stone didn’t break. It was partly because Rowy’s magical power was still working… and also because Edner had released the strength from his hand at the last moment.
“What… what is this now.”
Edner, shocked by what he had done, quickly withdrew his body. Van asked Edner again, whose eyes were shaking greatly in bewilderment.
“…Are you carrying the coin?”
“Coin? What coin all of a sudden?”
“The coin with a goat engraved on it.”
“Coin… Right, I picked up a coin. But that’s nothing.”
It’s nothing…. Edner kept shaking his head. Van, who had been watching that appearance for a moment, suddenly called Maro.
“Captain Maro.”
“Y-yes?”
At the unexpected call, Maro, who had been observing the situation in front of the barrier, cautiously approached Van.
“Why me….”
“Could you lend me your charm?”
“What? The charm? Ah, yes!”
Even at Van’s out-of-the-blue words, Maro immediately rummaged through his bosom and pulled out the charm. As soon as Van received the charm, he abruptly placed it in Edner’s hand.
“Vice-Captain. This is all the demon’s doing. Free yourself from the demon.”
“What…?”
Edner, who had received the charm in confusion, quietly looked at it.
‘Demon Exorcism, Great Fortune Prayer.’
“…….”
Is this a joke? For a moment, Edner’s face turned cold. However, the Elysion Temple’s charm, at least when it came to demons, showed a definite effect. Clarity returned to Edner’s eyes for a moment.
“The coin… Right, I brought the coin out from the cave.”
“Yes, where is that coin now?”
“The coin… wait a moment.”
Not long after Edner began rummaging through his bosom, he soon found the coin. Just as he had said, it was a coin with a goat engraved on it. Van examined it carefully.
“…It’s definitely a demon’s relic.”
“I definitely threw it away… I don’t know how this happened.”
“This is the very power that relics possess. Now, to me.”
Edner held out the coin to Van. However, that motion was very slow. Van patiently waited for Edner to release the coin from his hand himself.
“It’s all right. You can drop it on the floor.”
“Well, this is a strange feeling.”
Edner was a swordsman who had reached a high level through long training. Eventually, Edner succeeded in shaking off all those unknown temptations and threw the coin to the floor. Not missing that moment, Van immediately drew his Holy Sword and struck down the coin.
Kieeeek! Kyaaaak!
And at the same time, the monsters began rioting all at once. However, the barrier strengthened by Rowy’s magical power maintained its form intact even through the violent collision.
“…….”
The monsters, which had been rioting for a while like that, eventually began slowly retreating. The relic’s dominance had exhausted its power. Those who had been holding their breath watching that scene finally let out sighs of relief.
“The monsters are really going back.”
“I can’t believe all this happened because of just that one coin.”
“…Is this what it feels like to be bewitched by a demon, which I’ve only heard about?”
At the absurd situation, everyone just looked at each other’s faces. It really felt like being bewitched by something.
“Ah, Vice-Captain! Return the charm!”
At that moment, Maro frantically snatched the charm from Edner. Then, carefully putting it in his bosom, he seemed to be deeply impressed after seeing the charm’s efficacy with his own eyes.
“Since I confirmed the demon exorcism ability with my own eyes… the great fortune prayer will come true soon too!”
…It seemed full of self-interest, but anyway.
“Where do you get that? Tell me too!”
Rona, who had been watching the entire situation from the side, immediately clung to Maro. Then the Flame Knights members also began stealthily approaching there one step at a time.
“Where did you get that?”
“This is from the Elysion Temple…!”
Van, who had been watching Maro elaborate his praise of the Elysion Temple for a moment, turned his head back to Edner.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes. Well, this feels like being bewitched.”
“You were actually bewitched.”
“…You’ve been dealing with these kinds of things?”
“…Yes.”
Edner lightly patted Van’s shoulder. Thus the curtain fell on this strange monster rampage. In a way, it was an anticlimactic ending.
“Phew, that was surprising. Is it all over now?”
Van tightly embraced the shoulders of Rowy, who had been watching the situation from the side and was only now letting out a sigh.
“You worked hard. It all ended well thanks to you, Master.”
“Mmm? I didn’t do anything though.”
“Isn’t it because you reinforced the barrier stone that it ended so smoothly? Where else is there someone who can fix a barrier stone so quickly besides you, Master?”
“Hmm, that is true.”
Rowy immediately became haughty. Van smiled at such a Rowy and led him inside the villa.
“Now, please really go in and sleep. You’ve been sleepy since earlier.”
“I’m wide awake now though.”
“You’ll get sleepy if you lie down. We have to move tomorrow too.”
Edner, who had been watching the backs of Van and Rowy returning to their room stuck closely together, nodded.
‘There’s no one better as son-in-law material than him.’
It was a thought that would have truly delighted Van if he had known.
* * *
From the next day on, the group’s journey continued smoothly. As if the monsters had never attacked, they traveled on peaceful roads, so reaching their destination was quick.
Thus, the group arrived at Banayl two days earlier than expected. Although it wasn’t the promised date, fortunately they could use the transfer magic circle right away. Perhaps the Duke of Irad’s influence had worked.
“This is the transfer magic circle!”
Rowy’s eyes, seeing a transfer magic circle for the first time in his life, sparkled brilliantly.
‘I want to see it up close!’
Rowy stomped his feet, wanting to take apart and examine each formula directly. And… everyone watched that appearance closely. They were worried that Rowy might do something impulsive. For example, suddenly rushing recklessly toward the transfer magic circle….
“Ugh.”
Chills ran down at the imagination that suddenly arose. Kyle shook his head to dispel the ominous thought. Surely, that guy next to him wouldn’t let it happen.
However, don’t ominous imaginations always become reality?
“Me! I’m going first!”
“No, you can’t!”
“Hehe.”
With a laugh full of mischief… Rowy suddenly dashed into the magic circle. The knights nearby couldn’t stop Rowy, worried that he might touch an important part of the magic circle.
“I-is it okay to jump in so recklessly like that?”
“Of course it’s not okay but… well, since he’s a mage.”
“Won’t something terrible happen? Like landing somewhere else!”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
Van asked the staff member with a flustered expression. However, the staff member was equally flustered. Probably… it’ll be fine? Since it’s that Rowy Irad.
“Then, me too!”
Van, who had lost Rowy before his eyes in an instant, shouted.
“Hey, sir knight, you can’t go like this. You’re not a mage.”
“Then when can I go?”
“First come here. Once you’ve familiarized yourself with all these precautions….”
Kyle, watching from a step away Van, who was stamping his feet not knowing what to do because of Rowy who had jumped into the magic circle, spoke to Dwyne.
“It was really strange. Every time the Vice-Captain kept saying there was a goat engraved on the coin, I got such chills!”
“I know, right.”
Thus, this journey remained in everyone’s memory as a strange and bizarre incident. Dwyne, who had been listening to the story, also thought it was truly peculiar.
‘Really strange. Why doesn’t anyone remember that there wasn’t just one coin? It really feels like being bewitched by a demon!’
Fiddling with the coin in his hand, Dwyne finally stepped into the spatial transfer formation. They would arrive at the Empire in the blink of an eye.
