Chapter 77
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Chapter 77
"Is that all you wished to say?"
"There's one more thing."
"Please, go ahead."
Claude's serious gaze turned toward me.
"I'd like to extend the time I spend airborne."
"Pardon?"
The question came not from Claude, but from the knights.
I met the eyes of Claude and the other knights as I continued.
"Until now, I've only observed the areas near the Military Camp before descending quickly. Because of that, there are still many places I haven't confirmed."
Frequent exposure to magical energy offered no benefits. Using my abilities also consumed considerable stamina.
That's why I had only briefly surveyed the subjugation zones on days with fair weather before descending from the sky.
But now I realized I couldn't afford to move so passively anymore.
"With Lucian's situation derailing our plans, the only way to complete the magical beast subjugation quickly is for me to take a more active role."
Casualties were mounting, and Lucian was growing exhausted. To end this tedious subjugation safely and swiftly, I had to step forward.
"Until now, I've only operated within the mages' line of sight, but this time I'd like to expand that range and venture further."
"That's out of the question."
Claude shook his head firmly.
"Flying beyond the mages' line of sight is far too dangerous. We must also consider your stamina, Miss Rilprey."
"My stamina is fine. I'm only sensing magical energy, not purifying it like Lucian does."
"It's still dangerous."
"I promise I won't create dangerous situations. We have communication magical tools, so I can stay in contact even beyond visual range. I won't move on days with poor weather."
I'm not foolish enough to disregard my own life.
"It's still not acceptable."
Despite my earnest attempts at persuasion, Claude remained unmoved. He continued to refuse my proposal on the grounds of safety.
"What exactly is so dangerous about it?"
I asked genuinely bewildered.
"If we're measuring danger, the knights fighting on the front lines are far more at risk than I am, hiding in the rear."
"What if you fall from the sky?"
"That's precisely why Ahin and Melissa operate as a pair. If one makes a mistake, the other can compensate."
"...."
Faced with my flawless logic, Claude found it difficult to open his mouth.
"Forgive me for interjecting, but Commander."
It was Raven who broke the increasingly tense atmosphere.
"I agree with Miss Rilprey's proposal."
"What?"
Claude's expression darkened as he looked at Raven.
"Our objective is magical beast subjugation. We brought Miss Rilprey and that young child here precisely to complete the subjugation sooner, did we not?"
Yet Raven continued undeterred. Only Raven could make such a move.
"To accomplish our goal of subjugation more quickly and safely, we must proceed as Miss Rilprey suggests."
"I share Raven's opinion as well."
Xenon carefully raised his hand.
"While it may seem dangerous, from a long-term perspective, it would be safer to proceed as Miss Rilprey suggests. The safest approach is to leave this Forest as quickly as possible."
"Xenon."
"When you think about it, it's not really that dangerous, is it? Being exposed to magical beast attacks is far more perilous than flying through the sky."
As even Xenon, the vice-commander of the Subjugation Unit, stepped forward, the other knights began nodding in agreement.
"Ha...."
Claude's expression grew troubled by the knights' successive support.
'I never intended to put Claude in a difficult position.'
I'd actually expected him to be the first to welcome my proposal. If anyone wanted to finish the magical beast subjugation more than anyone else, it would naturally be Claude.
'It's not even that dangerous—why is he being so sensitive about it?'
I even felt the illusion of being overprotected.
"Shouldn't you also consider the dangers your members will face?"
"For now... let me think it over."
Faced with the members' continued support, Claude ultimately chose to back down.
For some reason, I had no choice but to leave the Military Camp with a sense of guilt.
"Sigh."
After leaving Claude's Military Camp, I hastily rinsed my face and teeth at the nearby Spring, then returned to the Military Camp where Lucian was. It was time to get some sleep.
"Everything's safe today, right?"
Melissa, who had finished her preparations, asked me. She meant whether there were any magical beasts nearby.
"Yes. I don't sense anything."
I nodded. Thanks to diligent subjugation throughout the daylight hours, there was no magical energy to be felt.
"Thanks to Lucella, we can sleep comfortably tonight too."
"You're too kind. Melissa worked hard today as well."
Speaking in hushed tones so as not to wake Lucian, we pulled our blankets over ourselves and lay down.
Soon we fell into a deep sleep.
* * *
"Graaaagh!"
At the sudden shriek, I lifted my heavy eyelids.
I was so drowsy that I couldn't distinguish whether the sound I'd heard was a dream or reality.
"Lucella, wake up quickly!"
It was Melissa who woke me.
Her expression as she shook my shoulder was grim.
"What's happening?"
I rubbed my eyes and sat up. The ground was trembling beneath us, and the sound of clashing metal echoed from all directions.
"It's a werewolf pack attack! We need to escape quickly!"
At that word—attack—my mind snapped awake.
I shook Lucian, who was still wandering in the land of dreams.
"Mmgh...."
"Lucian, you need to wake up. Now!"
"What do you mean, Aunt?"
"I'll explain that later."
I hoisted Lucian, who was cradling Luto, onto my shoulder.
"Come this way. Quickly!"
Melissa led us out of the Military Camp. There, the Physicians without combat ability and Ahin had gathered.
"Stay as still as possible and hold your breath. If the werewolves catch us, we won't even get a chance to fight back before we die."
At Melissa's words, the Physicians nodded. Ahin even covered his mouth with his hand, worried that his breathing might give them away.
The scene before my eyes was brutally cruel. Blood—whether from the magical beasts or humans, I couldn't tell—was splattered everywhere, and dead werewolf corpses lay scattered about. Even among the wounded, soldiers continued to swing their blades.
"Lucian, let's purify them. You can do it, right?"
I asked while covering Lucian's eyes with my palm, worried that witnessing such a brutal scene might frighten him.
"I can, but I don't think I'll be able to do much. I used too much power yesterday."
"That's fine. Let's do what we can."
I set Lucian down on the ground, still keeping his eyes covered.
"Hyah!"
With a short cry, the purification began.
Contrary to his claim of having expended much power, Lucian swiftly purified the pack of werewolves.
The werewolves, which had been driving the soldiers forward with their sharp claws bared, turned to ash and vanished in an instant.
"Phew..."
As the werewolves disappeared, the soldiers holding their swords collapsed where they stood. Their legs had given out.
"Are you alright?"
"Bring the wounded over here!"
Melissa, Ahin, and the Physicians immediately rushed toward the injured.
Only after confirming that even the werewolf corpses had been completely purified did I remove my hand from Lucian's face.
"Aunt, did I do well?"
"Yes. We survived today because of you, Lucian."
I gently pinched Lucian's soft cheeks without hurting him, then led the child back to the Military Camp.
"We're short on hands, so I'll need to help too. I'll be back soon, so go to sleep first. You can sleep by yourself, right?"
"Yes."
Lucian, who would normally have whined, simply nodded without complaint. He had grown much more mature since joining the magical beast subjugation.
"Then I'll be back soon."
I gave Lucian a quick kiss on his cheek and hurried out of the Military Camp.
The moment I opened the tent flap, the acrid stench of blood assaulted my nostrils.
"Ahin, what should I do first?"
"Ah, Lucella. You've arrived at just the right time. Would you fetch some clean water from the Spring?"
"Understood."
I immediately grabbed a bucket and headed toward the Spring.
After fetching the water, I treated the soldiers' wounds and moved the treated injured to the Physician's Office.
Meanwhile, those who remained uninjured repaired the collapsed Military Camp and accounted for casualties.
By the time I finished these urgent tasks, the sun was beginning to rise in the distance.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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