Episode 600

An unprecedented tension hung over Purpato. The fall of Agiar had brought the boundary between life and death dangerously close.

The residents of Purpato, men and women, young and old alike, were all armed and lined the city walls. Children carried piles of stones and sandbags, while women strapped quivers to their backs and took their positions atop the ramparts.

“They’re in sight!”

“Bariel’s scouts!”

Just as expected. Calculating the distance from Agiar to Purpato, it was about time they would arrive.

When the Bariel scouts approached the walls, circled once, and then left, the townsfolk clasped their hands together and lightly tapped each other’s foreheads—a final farewell among those who had accepted death.

“Alright, let’s begin!”

“Yes, Commander Lautan!”

Lautan, originally the captain of Purpato’s guard, now the overall commander of the city’s defense, gave the signal. The gates swung open to either side, and a dozen young men spurred their horses, dashing out like arrows.

Whoooosh!

Thud!

There was no way Purpato’s defenders could hold back Bariel’s tens of thousands. On top of that, Bariel’s forces included mages, magic swordsmen, and sorcerers at the front lines. The power gap was absolute.

Lautan didn’t deny it. Acknowledging reality was the right mindset for battle. But despite that, there was only one reason they fought to defend Purpato:

“To inflict as much damage on Bariel’s forces as possible.”

In Kalamath, the royalist faction was entrenched. Among them, there would be those capable of standing against the mages. So even if they died, they wouldn’t go quietly—they intended to take at least one Bariel soldier’s life with them.

The people of Purpato tightened their worn, threadbare tunics and watched the riders disappear into the distance.

“Hurry up!”

“Yes, Commander Lautan!”

Clack, clack!

Whoosh!

They decided to use the terrain to their advantage. The only thing they could rely on against Bariel was this homeland they had treated as their front yard and backyard for decades.

The horsemen climbed a hill and set down barrels filled with oil.

“This is the first line of defense! Check one last time that the spacing is right!”

“All clear! Once we get the signal, we’ll roll them down and return. Though with the mages around, I’m not sure how effective it’ll be.”

“We’re not trying to win with this! The goal is to lure them to the right!”

Once the barrels were rolled down and set aflame, a massive fire would encircle the hill—a fierce, natural barrier.

Even if the mages could fly, the ordinary soldiers wouldn’t dare cross the flames. They’d be funneled onto a side path—a shortcut the Purpato people often used, a deep, narrow gorge.

“Ready?”

“Yes! Once we release the lever, the rocks will fall immediately!”

When the enemy charged, huge boulders would crash down. Causing casualties was good, but the priority was to split their forces. If the Bariel army was divided by the falling rocks, the survivors in front would face poisoned arrows, while those forced to detour would meet the sword blades.

Lautan scanned the area with a tense expression.

Whooosh—

Whoosh—

As the signal came that Bariel’s forces were approaching, the defenders huddled close, lighting their last cigarettes.

“See you in death.”

“Until we meet again in death.”

“Hope it won’t be too painful.”

“If we make Bariel’s soldiers our traveling companions, maybe we won’t even feel the pain.”

A light tap on a shoulder, then a whistle pierced the air. Bariel’s troops were almost upon them. The people of Purpato pressed themselves low against the earth, holding their breath.

Boom! Boom!

The ground trembled beneath the thunderous charge of tens of thousands of soldiers. Then, in the distance, a Bariel banner rose high, and the defenders pushed the oil barrels down the hill.

“Even numbers first!”

“Even numbers rolling!”

“If they break at the bottom, odds go next!”

“Ughhh!”

Something tumbled down the far hill, causing the Bariel vanguard to halt cautiously. The first barrel bounced off a rock, shattered, and soaked the dry grass.

Kraaaack!

“Fire arrows, ready!”

“Ready!”

“Shoot!”

Fwoosh! Ping!

The flames spread instantly, fueled by the oil-soaked hillside. The hill burst into roaring fire, and the young riders quickly retreated toward the city walls.

Now, only the gorge remained.

“The flames are rising! They’ll be here soon!”

“Hold your positions!”

The hearts of those holding the levers pounded loudly. But even as time passed, no Bariel soldiers appeared. The fire still blazed fiercely, as if ready to burn the sky. They couldn’t just be standing still.

Sensing something was off, they looked around—and spotted a figure hovering in midair.

“Gasp!”

A mage.

The mage they’d only heard about in stories.

“Yes, Ian. Just as expected. There’s a trap. They’re planning to drop boulders. What should we do? Should we clear this side?”

Ziiing! Ziiing!

Tommy transmitted his voice magically and glanced back. The fire raged, but it was easily controllable with magic—just a minor nuisance.

“Clear that side. The slope and oil will make it hard for them to climb. And the smoke is thick.”

“Understood. We’ll handle it.”

Tommy noticed the Purpato archers aiming at the sky. Their aim was precise, and their draw strong.

Swoosh!

As arrows flew, Tommy raised a protective shield and dove toward them. Under strict orders not to harm the Purpato people, his options were limited.

Ziiing! Ziiing!

Bang!

Using magic, he stabilized and shattered the boulders. He expanded the shield’s range to protect everyone nearby.

“…!”

The sight left the Purpato people speechless and frozen. Was the power of a single mage really this overwhelming?

They’d heard tales, but this was far beyond what any ordinary soldier could handle. No matter how many fire arrows they shot or rocks they rolled, they could never win. Even though they had accepted defeat from the start, an undeniable sense of helplessness washed over them.

“We’re going to die.”

Unaware of Tommy’s protective shield, they closed their eyes tightly, waiting for death.

But then came an awkward voice in Burgos.

“Purpato? I wish to meet your commander.”

“W-what?”

“Bariel does not wish to fight you. Return to the city and deliver this message: let’s resolve this through dialogue, peacefully.”

Then, without hesitation, the figure turned and walked away.

The people of Purpato stared blankly, then slowly backed away and mounted their horses. They needed to quickly relay the mage’s destructive power and Bariel’s intentions.

“Move out! Hurry!”

Tommy watched from the sky as they returned, signaling to the main force below that the path was clear.

Bwooo—

Bwoo!

It wasn’t long before the unfamiliar sound of a water buffalo horn echoed. Bariel’s army, having bypassed the gorge, approached Purpato’s walls. The women on the ramparts aimed their arrows warily, and Tweller stepped forward.

“I am Maxim Tweller, Minister of Imperial Defense of the Great Empire of Bariel! Our destination is not Purpato, but Kalamath. If you open the gates, there will be no armed conflict. This is the Emperor’s will—you may trust it.”

Lautan appeared, quickly trying to locate the Emperor. Was that large carriage in the middle of Bariel’s camp? It was far beyond reach.

“My name is Lautan, commander of Purpato. Is Bariel now demanding we betray our homeland? Just as you love Burgos, we love it too. We will not open the gates.”

Purpato’s stance was firm—until those who had witnessed the mages’ power began to speak up.

“He shattered boulders with one hand. He even flies. Commander Lautan, wouldn’t it be better to open the gates and plan for the future? If Bariel’s main force moves south, we might have a chance to retake Agiar.”

“The Emperor’s name is on this. He will keep his promise.”

“Absolutely not! We’d rather die! Opening the gates is betraying our country. What meaning is survival then?”

“Yes, let’s fight! We’ve already accepted death!”

Lautan remained unmoved, even as his subordinates argued behind him.

With no movement from Purpato, the mages whispered to Ian.

“Ian, should we show them the branch?”

“Yes. If we say a local deity or something—a deer leading the way—it might ease things. The spirit is strong.”

“Not easy, though. Oh? Minister Tweller is looking this way.”

Tweller also looked to Ian, seeking his thoughts. Ian thought for a moment, then shook his head.

“No. For now, it’s better to keep the details of the deer’s pact secret.”

“What? Why?”

“As everyone’s sensed, their spirit is a significant variable. For those willing to die, that becomes a weapon.”

At Ian’s muttered words, the mages let out small gasps.

Twellar seemed to share the same view, refraining from rashly bringing up the ‘forest’ or the ‘stag.’ Instead, they stood their ground, waiting for dissent to arise within the Purpato ranks. If their stance didn’t shift over time, then the next move could be made.

“Waaaaah!”

Suddenly, a strange voice echoed from afar, as if demanding attention. It was a middle-aged man, shouting at the top of his lungs from horseback.

“Bariel cannot harm the Purpato!”

“…Who’s that guy?”

“Bariel cannot harm the Purpato! He swore it in the Purpato forest!”

“That must be the son of the old man we brought earlier.”

“Yeah, they look exactly alike. But we sent that old man back home, even carrying his meat carefully for him.”

“Looks like he’s already turned against us.”

“Repaying kindness with enmity—how poetic.”

While the mages clicked their tongues in disapproval, soldiers under Twellar’s command charged to stop the man.

But he was Purpato too. Killing him wasn’t an option, so they only knocked him off his horse with the butt of a spear. As long as he lived, a broken bone or two didn’t matter.

“Who is he?”

“He’s Mato, from the outskirts!”

“So the Purpato forest has appeared? Really?”

“Lord Lautan, what should we do? If they passed through the Purpato forest, they must have permission. Maybe we should open the gates…”

“No! We don’t know if they were granted permission or if they destroyed the Purpato forest to get through!”

Ian traced a branch lightly with his fingertips, trying to gauge the mood inside the fortress. It was difficult from so far away and so high up, but then he seemed to sense something and gave orders to the mages.

“…Expand the protective barrier.”

If they weren’t to kill the Purpato, then Bariel’s soldiers couldn’t be killed either.

At that moment—

Lautan drew his sword.

Shhhhk!

“Whether it’s true that they can’t kill the Purpato is something we can verify ourselves. If it’s true, then we’ve gained an enormous shield. All units, attack!”