#225
The Calcos Tribal Alliance (3)
Beorsen was a city formed around a large oasis in the middle of the desert and was also a transportation hub leading to other regions in the south.
No matter how much the south emphasized military power, often being looked down upon as a barbaric land by those from other areas, it was still a place where people lived, making trade an important aspect.
Though not quite a metropolis, it was one of the bustling trading cities connecting several regions.
That was Beorsen.
“…It was also the birthplace and stronghold of Balteon…”
Now, the past was nowhere to be seen, as the city was covered in ominous, dark energy, just a little distance behind the sand dunes.
“Things aren’t looking good. I’m glad we hurried.”
Misty, who had guided the Hero Party here, sighed and murmured softly.
A beauty with healthy copper-toned skin typical of the southerners, thick brown hair braided in several strands, and black eyes shining like obsidian.
Appropriately for her title as Great Mage, a magnificent engraving ran from her forehead, past one eye, down to her collarbone, but her eyes looked exhausted, almost closing.
“…Are you okay? You seem to have pushed yourself too hard.”
“I’m not okay, but there’s no helping it. It was a situation that demanded effort.”
In response to Heinrich’s question, she rubbed her eyes and made a painful sound.
Of course, she had to be worn out.
Immediately after encountering the Hero Party, she had struggled significantly to move her warriors in tandem with them.
Even though all the warriors were elite, if they had relied solely on their strength to follow the Hero Party, they would have been exhausted by the time they arrived.
“Anyway, I’m not much help in combat. So, I chose the option with the highest possibility. Meeting you all must be fate.”
Looking at the current situation, joining with the warriors seemed like a sound choice.
No matter how much the Hero Party aimed for their leader, Balteon, they would surely face considerable obstacles in reaching him.
For half a day, the Great Mage Misty maintained spells on hundreds of warriors, helping them arrive here quickly, stealthily, and in top condition.
“And our meeting must also be fate.”
…She suddenly approached Harley, leaning her body against his robust arm, whispering softly.
“Eh?”
“Ah— I’ve never seen muscles this beautiful. This tremendous bicep and forearm… No, from head to toe, it’s a perfect work of art!”
“Uwahaha! Looks like the lady knows a thing or two!”
The sudden action changed the expressions of both the Hero Party and the nearby southern warriors, but the simple-minded Harley just smiled contentedly.
“Ever since the moment I was carried on Harley’s wide back, it was so hard to contain my fluttering heart. I never thought my ideal type, from style to physique, would be so real!”
Her calm demeanor had completely shifted.
Not just her tone but her actions as well.
Now, she was hugging his arm and rubbing her cheek against it.
“This is embarrassing! Hahaha—!”
“How come your laugh sounds so manly?”
Harley, who looked even more like a southern warrior than the southern warriors themselves, appeared as if he stepped out of a dream.
“Cheh, so it seems that handsome men attract women just by standing still! How annoying.”
“Ugh, the noble desert flower, Misty…!”
“Hey, I get it, but calm down. That guy isn’t just a pretty face. If you’re not careful, you might end up a bloody mess.”
The jealous gazes from the male warriors who came along were obvious.
“Ha! Men should be jealous if they need to be. With a gap in levels like that, what’s to be jealous of?”
“By the way, I was keeping an eye on him too, but I never thought Misty would make a move first. Ah~ Look at those arms, I’m jealous.”
“I thought you weren’t interested in men, but it seems you just had high standards?”
A few female warriors glanced at them with disappointment.
“…No wonder, she was burying her head against his back the whole time we were carried.”
Then, Isea, who stood a step away, muttered with an uneasy expression as she watched the scene.
When their mutual interests led to their companionship, Misty had asked Harley to carry her.
Of course, his broad back was more than enough to comfortably carry two women, and being fellow southerners, there shouldn’t have been an issue… but.
While moving, she only thought it was a reaction from concentrating on maintaining her spells, but it seemed she had a hidden motive from the start.
‘Still, it didn’t seem like she was one to act rashly, why now?’
She didn’t seem like the type to lack discretion.
While silently observing Misty, Isea suddenly noticed that her eyes weren’t just blurry; they looked completely vacant.
As if she had fallen into a deep slumber.
‘…Could it be, is she sleep-talking right now?’
For some reason, Isea felt anxious.
In a fit of worry, she approached the group, who were laughing and talking, and gently shook Misty’s shoulder.
There was still no response.
“Uh, Misty? Misty! Get a grip! This isn’t the time!”
Finally, after Isea shouted and shook her body roughly.
“Hah! What? What suddenly…?”
As if waking from a dream, Misty opened her eyes wide and slowly scanned the surroundings.
The gazes directed toward her.
“…”
Then slowly lifted her head, tracing her gaze to Harley’s arm, which she had been clinging to.
As her eyes met the one looking down at her, her dark skin flushed bright red.
“…I apologize. I think I momentarily lost my composure.”
Then, as if nothing had happened, she smoothly slipped her arm away and took a few steps back, pulling her robe’s hood down over her face.
In that moment, an awkward silence fell over the area.
“Uuuh—!”
Misty, slightly wriggling and stretching her whole body, seemed to gather everyone’s attention as Saint Liesta raised her voice.
“…What do we do now? It’s getting dark. If the Undead King has intervened, fighting in the darkness wouldn’t be ideal. But then again, delaying here isn’t good either.”
However, the topic she brought up certainly raised a valid point.
Beorsen, shrouded in thick darkness, didn’t seem like the best choice to enter at night.
Heinrich cautiously surveyed his group.
Though they had been running for some time, his party members were not in a state to be diminished by this level of exertion.
The southern warriors had joined in, adjusting their pace.
Moreover, thanks to Misty’s spells, they were in fairly decent condition.
The only one completely exhausted was Misty, who had been maintaining the spells for nearly an hour’s rest.
As they pondered, brainstorming sessions began anew in their minds.
-Harley: I can fight right now!
-Heinz II: Do we really need to take risks? Waiting until dawn seems the better choice.
-Hubert: It’s frustrating to have our connection cut off. Going after dawn is certainly safer. Even if Hans has gone mad, he wouldn’t initiate a fight against Heinrich and Harley, but who knows about the other party members.
-Howard: I believe that if we’re ready, we should go right away! Would that bastard Hans get stronger at night or weaker during the day?
-Hugo: That’s true. But who knows what tricks he might have up his sleeve? The warriors could face significant losses.
-Hesperon: …No, thinking about it, we have no choice but to go in now.
However, as Hesperon’s claims began, the discussion started to tilt toward a single direction.
-Hesperon: Right now, Hans is consuming the whole city. He’s likely gathering soldiers to be mobilized for war.
-Hubert: It’s probable that civilians will get caught up in that too.
-Hesperon: …True. And once that job is complete, Hans will move on to the next place, leading Balteon to devour the remaining soldiers.
-Hugo: Now that you mention it, those soldiers were rigidly obedient to Balteon’s orders. They couldn’t resist even if the Undead King showed up.
-Heinz II: Indeed. The energy enveloping this city is proof that Hans is still in there.
-Hesperon: This is a crucial moment. Once Hans starts moving, we can’t catch up with that mobility. If we’re going to stop it, we must act immediately.
The brainstorming session concluded there.
From the moment they realized victims were still arising inside, the conclusion may have already been reached.
-Heinrich: We will charge in immediately. And…
Heinrich, the party’s final decision-maker, spoke his mind, and his companions nodded in agreement.
Of course, the southern warriors accompanying them also moved according to the decision.
-Heinrich: …Without fail, I will drive the holy sword into Hans’s heart.
With frustration and rage filling him, Heinrich’s steps headed toward the city where Hans resided, Beorsen.
*
“Trust only us, Harley! Even if it means dying, I won’t let the minions take a single step closer!”
“Actually, that’s about all we can do.”
“…But the former chief leader Balteon isn’t the problem. I never expected the Undead King to be behind this.”
The trio of southern warriors with Harley whispered softly as they approached the city, seemingly at ease.
During their journey here, they had shared their thoughts, discovering they were all well aware of why they were here.
Being from the south, they kept in touch with their hometown while living as mercenaries, and in that time, they caught wind of suspicious happenings back home.
As they conversed, they realized they all shared the same uneasy feelings.
Thus, they stopped by the Hubert Association, entrusted a letter to Harley, and headed straight back to the south.
“Oh, speaking of which, I wrote a lot of embarrassing things in that letter back then. Harley, it’s probably best to just toss it and not read it.”
“…Hmm, I think so too.”
Having come down to the south, they serendipitously met Misty, who had just escaped captivity and was being pursued.
Subsequently, they helped her, and after a few twists and turns, they managed to rally the remaining warriors who hadn’t been taken by Balteon and made it here.
‘Seems these guys have had quite the tumultuous adventure as well.’
But who could say otherwise than Harley himself?
He nodded satisfactorily and lifted his gaze to the gates of Beorsen.
Although it was a desert city, there were still quite a few monsters roaming around, so solid brick walls made from compressed sand surrounded the city.
In the middle of that, the firmly shut gate blocked their path.
“…The gate is closed, but there aren’t any soldiers guarding it.”
Heinrich tilted his head slightly.
The quietest method would be for everyone to sneak over the walls, but knowing Hans, he would already be aware of their approach.
Then, it’d be best for a few to force the gate open…
Before he could finish that thought, Harley stepped up without a second thought right in front of the gate.
“Wait, Hal…!”
“Huahh—!”
He swung his massive fist toward the gate.
Kwah-aha-aaa—!
Without any physical transformation or using the scales of the Bone Dragon, his punch accelerated beyond sonic speed and crashed right into the gate.
Kru-thud—! Kurung! Kwah-aha-aaa—!
The massive metal door was sent flying inside the walls like a cannonball.
And the significantly dented gate echoed with the sounds of something breaking and collapsing from within.
What a splendid signal to commence.
“Ugh!”
“Urgh—!”
Immediately after, as if provoked, grotesque, furious cries began to boom throughout the insides of the castle.
“Huh? What? You called for me?”
“…Nothing at all. Well done, Harley.”
Though it was sudden, this helped confirm that quite a number of enemy troops were in hiding inside.
And they were already beyond rational thought.
“Let’s go. We’ll take the lead.”
“Alright! Sounds good!”
Thus, the Hero Party surged forth.
A force set to eliminate Chief Leader Balteon and Undead King Hannibal Strauss entered the city.
