“Everyone, calm down the horses! Riddy! Go to the front and find out what is going on!”

As soon as the roar resounded, Iriya dismounted the coachman’s seat while urgently shouting.

“Yes, my lady!”

“Whoa, whoa!”

She skillfully calmed the horses and the livestock belonging to the Mandy family.

“What is the situation? Are the horses and the supplies safe?”

Iriya ran back and forth while inspecting the carriages and the horses, then called for some of the older workers from the Mandy family.

“Yes, my lady. Some were surprised and left the ranks, but the Pendragon Duchy’s orc warriors stopped them from getting too far.”

“Is that so?”

Iriya was slightly surprised at the porter’s response. She turned her gaze. Orc warriors were waving their hands towards her, their upper bodies covered with thick metal armor just like human knights. She gave a polite bow towards them before letting out a sigh of relief.

“Phew, that is a relief. Anyways, whatever could be going on…?”

At that moment, the boy who had run towards the front at her command sprinted back while gasping for breath.

“There is a problem, Lady Iriya! Stones! The stones fell!”

“Hmm? What do you mean by that? Take your time and speak slowly.”

“Yes, yes! Dozens of rocks rolled down the sides of the mountains! The debris completely blocked the middle of the road, and they can’t see His Excellency Duke Pendragon and his force anywhere!”

“What?”

Iriya felt her heart sink, and her black eyes quivered violently. But she quickly moved her steps in a resolute manner while biting on her lips.

“Please take care of the horses and double-check the supplies. I am going to head to the commander-in-chief. I will be right back.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Although Iriya was a young maiden, the workers knew her talents to be just as great as her beauty. They responded in one voice and began to busily move about.

***

“Commander-in-chief, sir! Because of the falling rocks…”

Iriya saw Viscount Moraine hurriedly heading towards the rear of the force on his horse and called out.

“The situation is urgent! I will talk to you later!”

But Viscount Moraine rushed by her while shouting.

“Ah…”

Iriya blankly stared at Viscount Moraine as he moved further away at a rapid pace. Suddenly, he stopped his horse and looked back.

“Ah, I almost forgot! Lady Mandy, please tell the two Pendragon ladies and Baroness Conrad to not worry. Everything is going as planned by His Excellency the Duke!”

Viscount Moraine did not wait for her answer as he resumed riding. Iriya’s eyes grew slightly larger in realization as she continued to look towards him.

“Everything is going as planned by His Excellency? Perhaps…?”

“Soon, we will have fewer troops than we do now. 200, 300 people maybe. We will have more food too.”

Iriya’s heart began to pick up pace as she suddenly recalled what Duke Pendragon had said to her in his tent a few nights ago.

***

Rumble…!

“…..!”

Mia became surprised by the earth-shaking roar, then wrapped her arms around Lindsay.

“W, what do you think is going on, my lady?”

“I am not sure.”

Lindsay and Irene took on worried expressions. Their maids also became flustered at the unexpected situation.

“I will go find out. Please wait here for a moment!”

Leon quickly ran out of the carriage, then returned shortly before speaking with an agitated tone.

“There has been a rockslide. The road is completely blocked.”

“What?”

“Isn’t that a huge deal?”

The two ladies showed shock and worry. However, Leon’s following words hit them like a bolt from the blue.

“Well… It seems that the lord and the detached force have been separated from the main force by the blockade.”

“Ah…!”

“What?”

Lindsay’s face turned ghastly, and Irene involuntarily let out a shriek.

“Sir Isla and the griffon unit are heading towards the front. It will take some time because the road is narrow, but they will be able to catch up with the lord soon. There is no need to worry too much.”

Leon hid his agitation as much as possible in order to reassure the ladies in the carriage.

“But it is already getting dark…”

Nevertheless, Lindsay and Irene felt an uneasiness in their hearts. Their concerns were clearly visible in their expressions. Then, someone’s voice called out from outside the carriage.

“Ladies, and Baroness Conrad.”

It was the calm voice of a woman.

There was only one other woman in the entire coalition except for the three Pendragon ladies and their maids in the carriage.

“Lady Mandy?”

Lindsay opened the carriage, and Iriya bowed her head before speaking.

“You must be quite unsettled. Could I take a moment of your time?”

“Of course, come on in.”

After leaving El Pasa, Iriya Mandy had only politely nodded when she ran into the ladies. It was quite unusual for her to suddenly visit their carriage. Noticing the strangeness, Irene nodded her head.

After entering the carriage, Iriya looked around the ladies before speaking in a hurried tone.

“Do you know about the current situation?”

“Yes, His Excellency was… isolated because of the falling rocks. Lady Mandy, do you happen to know anything else?”

Lindsay tightly held Iriya’s hand while speaking. Lindsay seemed to be on the verge of tears, but she was trying her best to maintain a calm voice.

‘Hmm…!’

Iriya was quite surprised. Baroness Conrad must have been aware of what kind of relationship Iriya was going to enter into with Duke Pendragon, but she was treating Iriya without reserve… In addition, the eldest lady of Pendragon, who was known to be as fastidious as her beauty, was looking towards her with worried eyes. Not a hint of disdain could be found.

‘They are good ladies…’

Iriya had been slightly worried when she was on her way to the carriage to deliver Viscount Moraine’s words. She felt relaxed in an instant, and she calmly recounted her encounter with Viscount Moraine.

“The commander-in-chief has just informed me. His excellency the Duke and the detached force separated from the main force and…”

***

Raven stood motionless on his saddle as he observed the cavalry draw closer to his location. It was obvious to anyone that he was shocked frozen.

“Uhehehehe, hehehehe…”

Simultaneously, someone’s grim laughter rang out from behind.

“Hehe! Hehahahahahaha!”

The laughter grew into a maniacal shriek, and Raven turned his head around. Jian, who had been following him closely until a little while ago, was laughing crazily from a distance.

“Heuhehaha! Are you surprised, Duke Pendragon?”

“…..”

“Kekeuk! Coalition? Detached force? I need to be familiar with the battle formations and train? So that we can save the South? Pu, puha-hahaha!”

As if finding Raven’s immobility amusing, Jian continued to giggle again and again. He continued while holding back his laughter.

“Did you say you were coming to save the South, oh 

Your Excellency

 Duke Pendragon? Ah, right. Since you are a renowned hero throughout the empire, you could probably save the South. But can I tell you a secret…?”

Jian spoke in a sly voice before pausing, then unsheathed a long sword hanging from his saddle with a fish smile.

“I think you might have to worry about saving yourself first.”

Shishing!

Those behind Jian also unsheathed their weapons, following Jian’s action.

“W, what?”

“What’s going on…?”

However, the soldiers were unaware of the situation, and they stood in place with blank faces.

“What are you all doing!?”

“Draw your swords! Prepare to attack!”

The soldiers flinched at the shouts of their masters and held up their spears and swords.

“Listen up everybody! We are not a part of the coalition against the monsters, we are the Southern Liberation Army!”

“The Southern… Liberation Army?”

“What is he talking about…?”

The soldiers stared at Jian with confusion, and Jian thundered once more.

“That is right! We are the liberators who defend our land and the land of His Excellency Duke Arangis from the sly, evil tricks of Duke Pendragon. He is trying to use a clever trick to take control of the South! We endured the humiliation of joining the so-called coalition force for a moment in order to bring a stern judgement on that wicked Pendragon! So!”

Jian pointed his sword straight at Raven and raised his voice.

“Along with the Knights of the Red Wheel, we must kill Pendragon in order to establish justice in the south and… Huh?”

Jian started to shout triumphantly, then frowned at an unexpected sight. Just until a little while ago, Duke Pendragon had been looking towards him with an agitated, bewildered look. But now, his expression had changed completely.

No, rather, the expression was not the only thing that transformed.

Fwoosh…

Unprecedented energy began to flutter like a haze over his armor, which was colored red under the glow of the setting sun.

“T, that is…?”

Jian broke the silence with a baffled expression, and the energy quickly manifested into a huge flame-like spirit.

Fwooooshh!

“Keugh!”

The momentum of the silver-white waves crashed into everyone from the detached force.

Neiigh!

Surprised horses began to run wild and rear on their hind legs, and the 200 soldiers faltered without realizing it.

“Save myself?”

Even though he was far away, Duke Pendragon’s voice weighed as heavily and violently as the suppressing spirit.

“Thank you for going through all the trouble to present me with a third-rate skit, Sir Jian. But let me tell you a secret as well…”

“W, what…?”

Jian felt goosebumps climbing all over his body, and he managed to stutter a response.

Shing.

Raven drew his longsword and the scimitar from both sides of the saddle. Then, he continued while looking down at the 200 soldiers with a sharp, cold gaze.

“From now on, you might, no, you will have to worry about saving yourselves.”

Kiiiing!

The White Dragon’s Spirit spread its majestic wings over the violet-colored sky, and Raven’s horse charged towards the narrow path where Jian and the soldiers stood.

***

“Huh?”

Oran narrowed his eyes. He had been slowly riding towards the duke, who was now like a rat trapped in a jar. He was around 100 yards away from Duke Pendragon, and he could see something swaying over the duke’s body.

At the same time,

“Hmmm!!”

Oran’s expression hardened.

Even though he was quite far away, he felt a little stinging sensation on his armor-covered skin as a heavy, sharp spirit passed over him.

“What is going on?”

Oran murmured while observing Duke Pendragon. A slightly ominous feeling overcame him.

“Huh?”

His eyebrows quivered. After exuding an unidentifiable spirit, the Duke of Pendragon started to gallop his horse back towards where he had come from.

“Is he… trying to run away?”

Oran’s rather handsome face distorted, and he tightened his grip on the reins. It appeared that Duke Pendragon had been frightened by the appearance of the Red Wheel Knights and himself, and was now trying to escape.

“We will begin the dragon hunt! Attention! Char… Huh?”

Oran started to shout vigorously towards the knights who lined up behind him, then suddenly jerked his head. His senses were stimulated by the appearance of a new spirit.

“Hm…!”

Oran had never been stunned into silence during the many battles in the southern war, but he could not help but widen his eyes.

Fwoooosh…

Under the red drapes of the setting sun, a warrior of an overwhelming size was wading towards them while emitting a spirit that was even redder and more intense than the flaming sunset. The spirit was evocative of an intense inferno.

“Keheuh! Now, shall we see how well the southern scarecrows fight? Don’t worry, I will be fair. If you are as good as our one-egged scarecrow, I will let you go after smashing each of your eggs. Keururuk!”

“…..!”

The orc warrior approached while effortlessly swinging a steel mace that was almost the size of a man. The Knights of the Red Wheel were stunned speechless.

“Kwwwwwaaaggh!”

Bursting a wild roar that threatened to burst the eardrums of the knights, Karuta, the strongest Ancona Orc, kicked off the ground with his large foot.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The knights froze for a moment as Karuta rushed in like a beast, scattering Orc Fear from his eyes and the entire body.

They had fought against the orc tribes in the South and the inland sea, but they had never faced such an overwhelmingly strong Orc Fear.

“Everyone, wake up!”

“Keugh!”

The knights quickly came to their senses at Oran’s shout. They were a renowned order of knights in the south and they had experienced countless battles.

But the short moment of petrification was enough time to differentiate between life and death.