Jijel knew her condition was better than her friends', but she remained silent.

In Jijel's view, she thought she would be more helpful than Anglago or Bartreck.

"Sir Jangcliff. I don't think I'll be able to give the antidote to everyone in time. Could you select the necessary people?"

"Don't worry about that! I'll prepare right away."

"This is absurd... Impossible! How!!"

The anti-magic extremist lying on the side shouted.

He had a face that was hard to believe.

"How are you using mana!!"

Sir Jangcliff was about to get angry at the evil anti-magic extremist for interrupting, but he suddenly agreed, thinking 'That's true.'

Indeed?

"But are you really okay?"

"I have a lot of mana by constitution, so I don't get easily poisoned."

"What kind of bullshit is that!!!"

"Shut up."

Thwack!

The knight next to him kicked the anti-magic extremist.

It was hard to forgive him for interrupting the conversation when he had ambushed them with poison.

"What do you mean by not getting easily poisoned because you have a lot of mana? Originally, when mana meets external substances like poison, it reacts intensely and resists, but in the case of rockgrass mushrooms, it's a special one that disperses mana, so it doesn't give a chance to resist..."

"Sir Jangcliff, now is not the time for that. You need to prepare! You can ask later, can't you!"

Jijel shouted without realizing it.

Strictly speaking, it was a rudeness she would never do normally as she was still an apprentice knight.

Moreover, Jijel was someone who valued reputation and influence among knight families very much.

'Oops.'

After blurting it out, Jijel immediately regretted it.

If Sir Jangcliff found it unpleasant, Jijel's reputation among the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order would be...

"You're right. I'm sorry! Everyone, move. Knights whose mana hasn't recovered, come this way! Reinforce the doors and windows so the enemies can't come in. Knights whose mana has recovered, go that way!"

Fortunately, Sir Jangcliff moved right away instead of getting angry.

Jijel let out a sigh of relief.

Chuk-

"???"

The knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order secretly gave Jijel a thumbs up, thanking her.

Jijel looked at them as if it was absurd.

"Moradi. Thank you."

"..."

At Yi-Han's words, Jijel was at a loss for words and couldn't speak.

To receive such a good evaluation with a single irrational action.

It just felt like the whole situation itself didn't make sense from beginning to end.

Bagdugul fiercely ran up the hill.

As soon as the signal was given, the anti-magic extremists rushed out.

"They can't use mana! But don't let your guard down. They're still knights after all!"

"Don't worry!"

The shouts of mercenary-turned-anti-magic extremists could be heard everywhere.

Experienced mercenaries knew the fear of knights well, so they also knew their weaknesses well.

In a situation where they had consumed poison, a muddy battle was bound to be advantageous for the mercenaries.

Swish swish swish swish-

At the sound of arrows flying, Bagdugul shouted without being surprised.

"Block them!"

The sound of arrows bouncing off shields was heard. The anti-magic extremists succeeded in blocking without taking any damage.

"I guess they noticed."

"They would since we poisoned them. We were expecting this."

No matter how meticulously they prepared, they never thought the knights wouldn't notice until the end.

Once they had consumed the poison, it was natural to expect an attack.

The mercenaries were not careless at all.

"Surround and go in. Don't leave a single one alive!"

Bagdugul activated the <Piercing Eyes of Antagon> artifact. Even in the darkness, the area around the camp set up by the knights was clearly visible.

As expected, there were no traps around. No matter how much they noticed, there wouldn't have been time to set traps around the camp.

Then it wasn't difficult.

"It seems they're trying to hold out inside the building."

"Ridiculous bastards."

The tent set up for the banquet was much sturdier and stronger than a typical tent, but it was still a hastily built tent. It was a structure reinforced with wood and cloth, not iron and stone, so it could be easily destroyed.

"Shall we break the door?"

"There's no need for that. Why should we play along with the knights' tricks?"

Bagdugul snorted.

They could break through the tightly closed doors and windows and go inside, but why should they fight at a disadvantage?

They had already come fully prepared.

"Set it on fire."

"Yes!"

Setting fire to a large tent was not as easy as one might think. The fire didn't spread just by throwing it.

However, if they were prepared, it wasn't difficult. Fire arrows rose in the darkness and flew towards the tent.

"Hahahahaha!"

"Knights! What are you going to do! Are you going to burn to death? Come running out!"

The mercenaries shouted and stomped their feet to scare and confuse the people inside. The tent caught fire in various places and smoke rose. Anyone could see that the knights would come running out soon.

Clank!

"???"

"What the?!"

Suddenly, the fires in the tent began to go out. Along with the clanking sound from inside, the tent became soaking wet.

As if someone was pouring a massive amount of water from inside.

The mercenaries were shocked.

"Wh, what should we do?"

"Shoot the fire arrows again! They only blocked it once."

Fire arrows flew again, but nothing changed.

'Was it an artifact?!'

At first, they thought they had used an artifact or scroll to put out the fire. They thought it would be fine since it would only be used once or twice at most...

Bagdugul frowned.

Surprisingly, the mercenaries' fire arrows were running out first.

"...It seems they prepared a lot of water. Break the door."

"Understood! Hey. Break the door!"

One of the mercenaries tore a scroll. Then, a fierce wind was released and struck the blocked door of the tent.

Bang!!!

"Enter at the same time. Break the other parts too!"

"Yes!"

Another scroll was torn and the thin wall of the tent was shattered.

And a huge pile of dirt was revealed.

"...????"

"What the?!?"

The mercenaries were shocked at the pile of dirt revealed beyond the wall, as if it were a fortress.

In that short time, they had piled up an earthen wall behind the tent wall?

Unless there was a mage...

"Isn't there a mage?"

"If there was, the guy inside would have said so. Don't be fooled. Break through the other side! The knights are struggling."

Bang!

A hole was made on the other side of the wall. However, a thick earthen wall was waiting there as well.

At this point, the mercenaries' eyes began to waver. Bagdugul glared at the tent with hatred-filled eyes.

Not all the mercenaries were thorough anti-magic extremists. Some had participated out of desire for gold.

Such people would not hesitate to run away if the situation twisted even a little.

Bagdugul felt the need to give a strong order.

"The fact that the knights are poisoned doesn't change. To the door! After shooting the remaining scrolls at the door, enter!"

Fortunately, the inside revealed beyond the main entrance of the tent had no earthen wall. It seemed the knights couldn't build it that far.

When the remaining scrolls exploded, a roar spread around the main entrance. It was a shock that would have blown away the knights waiting behind the door.

The mercenaries rushed in with a war cry, holding their shields in front.

At that moment, the floor sank below.

"!!!"

Everyone was shocked at the pit trap, not just ankle-deep, but deep enough for the entire body to fall.

When did they make such a deep trap?!

"Shoot!"

Arrows flew in from inside. The fallen mercenaries screamed for help, but their comrades were too busy blocking the attack to do so.

"Make a foothold and go in!"

Bagdugul had no intention of saving them either. Now was not the time for that.

Siege equipment they had brought in case of unexpected situations flew over the pit. As the mercenaries tried to rush in again while blocking the arrows with their shields, lightning flew in from inside.

"!!!"

The mercenaries, without even the chance to breathe, fell into the pit without even screaming at the lightning that flew toward them.

Lightning magic had a particularly vicious power even among elemental magic. Even if blocked with a shield, the mercenaries flinched and retreated from the magic that penetrated and tore their muscles.

"I think there really is a mage!"

"Isn't he fine?!"

"Shut up and go in."

Bagdugul said brutally.

At this point, Bagdugul also realized that the situation was strange.

Something had gone wrong with the plan.

The guy who went inside must have misunderstood something, but there was a mage who hadn't consumed the poison!

"Isn't this different from what we were told... Ugh!"

Blood splattered from the neck of a mercenary who was arguing. Bagdugul looked coldly at the mercenaries, holding a skewer-like sword dripping with blood.

"Anyone else want to die?"

"Uw... Uwaah!!"

The mercenaries began their charge again. In the meantime, Bagdugul said to his subordinate.

"While the mercenaries are buying time, we need to break through the weak earthen wall."

"Yes!"

The subordinate also understood right away.

The entrance that looked like it could be broken through was now a trap.

Even if it looked like they could easily enter with that level of preparation, they didn't know what was inside.

It was unbelievable that they had prepared so quickly, but to avoid being played by the knights any longer, they had to seize the initiative.

Thwack, thwack, thwack-

Bagdugul's subordinates began to break the weak earthen wall.

It was a crude method of striking with mana infused, but the effect was certain. The thick pile of dirt collapsed and a hole was revealed.

"Go in... Ugh!"

Jangcliff, who was hiding behind the pile of dirt, began to slaughter the mercenaries.

The blazing aura burning from his sword cut through the mercenaries' metal equipment like paper.

Anyone could see that he was a lively knight who had reached a realm and was not tired.

Both Bagdugul and his subordinates were shocked.

How???

"You damn anti-magic extremist trash. Where do you commit sins and arrogantly hold a grudge!"

"Surround him!"

Bagdugul's subordinate shouted while taking Jangcliff's attack.

He was certainly a great knight, but the elites Bagdugul had brought were also veteran mercenaries. If they just surrounded him, they wouldn't lose easily.

However, there were other knights waiting next to Jangcliff. In an instant, the fight turned into a group versus group battle.

The knights, who were well-equipped and in formation, were masters of group battles. The mercenaries were suffocated by the oppressive feeling as if a steel wall had been erected.

At most, there were only about twenty knights, and they were supposed to be poisoned...!

Bagdugul rushed in with his sword. He wasn't aiming for Jangcliff.

'The fact that the knights moved like that means, conversely, that the main entrance is empty!'

Piercing the reverse of the reverse!

Bagdugul gathered mana and kicked the ground. With a 'pak' sound, the ground cracked and Bagdugul's body flew over the pit.

Lightning flew out. Bagdugul dodged by rolling his body.

Lightning flew out again. Bagdugul blocked the lightning with an artifact bracelet of seven intertwined snakes made of black spirit wood.

"You damn mage bastard! I'll kill..."

Bagdugul, who was shouting, widened his eyes.

The mage in front of him was too young.

This mage was the one who put out the fire, built the earthen wall, and summoned the lightning?

'Moreover, why does he look familiar?'

Even with Bagdugul's murderous intent, the opponent was not shaken and waved his staff.

Then, a huge skeleton warrior rushed from the side and blew Bagdugul away.

Bagdugul gritted his teeth and prepared to use a secret technique. With this level, he couldn't underestimate the young mage.

When facing a mage, speed was life.

He had to kill as quickly as possible.

'I'll rush in with a single blow and...'

But at that moment, a green leopard summon rushed in and struck Bagdugul. Bagdugul regained his posture once again and gritted his teeth.

"Two summons..."

Finally, a griffin jumped out from the ceiling and dug its claws into Bagdugul's back.

Bagdugul threw away his dignity and wailed.

"You damn mage bastard! I'll tear apart and kill you!"