Episode 299: Attack Plan (2)
“E-Eos… Are you just going to stand there and watch? Stop him, now!”
Slynder shouted urgently at the Empire’s greatest swordsman.
But the swordsman merely shrugged, showing little interest.
“Commander, you’re asking the impossible.”
“What did you say?”
“Damian Haxen isn’t my subordinate. He’s not even a knight of the Empire. I have no authority to command him.”
“Still, you must stop him! He’s threatening to attack Elfheim!”
The swordsman looked genuinely puzzled.
“Damian Haxen is as skilled as I am. In the midst of a war with Pandemonium, you want to make an enemy of such a powerful ally?”
“Didn’t you hear him? Damian Haxen is going to—”
“Damian Haxen, kidnapping is a bit much, don’t you think? That’s crossing a line.”
Damian shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.
“I’ll let it slide this time, out of respect for the swordsman. But don’t try to stop me from leaving Elfheim.”
“Do as you wish.”
Their conversation was interrupted by Slynder, who slammed his fist on the table in frustration.
“Eos! Are you mocking me?”
“Commander, I’m here in Elfheim to repay a debt to my mother. I’m not your subordinate.”
The swordsman’s tone turned icy, causing Slynder to flinch.
“So decide. Will you meet Damian Haxen’s demands or let him leave?”
Faced with the swordsman’s ultimatum, beads of sweat formed on Slynder’s forehead.
A short while later, Damian and the swordsman stepped out of the meeting room.
“Congratulations on joining the attack squad, Damian Haxen.”
The swordsman addressed Damian as soon as they were outside.
In the end, the commander had decided to meet Damian’s demands. It was the only logical choice; without Damian, Elfheim would be in a tight spot.
“You’re really pushing the limits. Honestly, you gave me quite a scare.”
Despite his words, the swordsman’s expression remained unchanged.
“Why are you helping Elfheim despite such treatment?”
Damian couldn’t understand.
The swordsman had both skill and status. He had no reason to be tied to Elfheim.
“They accepted my mother’s remains.”
Damian tilted his head, puzzled. How could that be a reason?
“Elves despise humans. They see us as inferior. They don’t tolerate elves mingling with humans.”
Damian was aware of this much.
Elves possessed many qualities humans lacked. They were beautiful, strong, and could command spirits.
Thus, they looked down on humans as inferior.
Yet, in reality, they were the ones who had been driven to an island by humans.
“If such a thing happens, the elf is exiled from the island, never to return.”
The swordsman gazed out the window as he spoke.
“My mother left the island to broaden her horizons and met my father. She became pregnant with me and my sibling.”
“That must have been a bold decision.”
The swordsman gave a bitter smile at Damian’s comment.
Damian was taken aback. It was the first time he’d seen the swordsman smile so cynically.
“I think it was just youthful folly. After being exiled from Elfheim for bearing us, she longed for it every day. She passed away the year we came of age.”
For a long-lived race like elves, not even living a few decades meant she had suffered greatly.
It was likely the unfamiliar environment and homesickness that took their toll.
“My father wanted to bury her on our family land, but my sibling and I felt differently. We wanted to fulfill her last wish, so we went to Elfheim.”
Though he spoke calmly, it must have been incredibly difficult.
Elfheim was protected by the World Tree.
“Elfheim refused to accept her remains, citing their laws. But Lady Milene showed mercy.”
“So the debt to your mother is…”
The swordsman nodded.
“Thanks to Lady Milene, we were able to bury our mother’s remains in Elfheim. I see it as a debt, but my sibling feels differently.”
The swordsman paused, looking up at the sky.
“I’ve rambled on with a dull story. Come, follow me. There are elves I want you to meet.”
“More elves to meet?”
“Elves who will join you in attacking Pandemonium’s main camp. The operation starts tomorrow, so you should get acquainted… What are you doing?”
The swordsman looked at Damian, who had suddenly started stretching, with a bewildered expression.
“Those elves won’t trust me, so I should demonstrate my skills, right?”
“Oh, there’s no need to worry about that. These ones are different.”
Damian looked at the swordsman, puzzled.
“Just follow me.”
The swordsman led Damian to the training grounds of the royal castle.
There, about ten elves were sparring with each other.
As the two entered, all eyes turned to them.
“Oh? It’s Lord Eos!”
“Is it really Lord Eos?”
The elves dropped their weapons and rushed over to them.
Their reaction was starkly different from the commanders’, and Damian couldn’t help but blink in surprise.
“Eos! Why are you only coming now?”
“We’ve been waiting for you!”
Two elf women clung to the swordsman’s arms, their faces brimming with joy.
“We heard the news! The counterattack starts tomorrow, right?”
“We’re counting on you, Eos!”
Despite being flanked by two beauties, the swordsman’s expression remained unchanged.
“Mata, Hata. I’ve told you not to do this countless times.”
“Oh, come on. It’s not like we’re doing anything wrong.”
“Cut us some slack before the big day!”
“No.”
The swordsman firmly shook them off. The two elf women, Mata and Hata, looked disappointed.
“You’re quite popular, it seems.”
Damian whispered in the swordsman’s ear. The swordsman replied nonchalantly.
“It’s because I taught them a few weapon techniques. They see me as their mentor.”
Damian tilted his head. The reaction from Mata and Hata seemed more than just admiration for a teacher.
“Oh? Eos, who is this human?”
“Are you silly? How could there be another human in Elfheim?”
“Then could it be… Is this man Damian Haxen?”
“Yes, your guess is correct. This is Damian Haxen, who rescued Cynthia and fought the Lord of Flames.”
Mata, Hata, and the other elves looked at Damian with awe.
“Damian Haxen, let me introduce you. This is Mata and Hata, the only sisters in Elfheim who can summon a Spirit King.”
“There used to be three of us, but the Lord of Flames killed one and stole the Spirit King.”
Mata added with a bitter expression.
“And these elves here… They are spirit summoners capable of calling forth high-level spirits. They will all be part of the attack squad.”
Damian looked at the elves in surprise.
Spirit summoners who could call forth high-level spirits were said to be more powerful than most master-class warriors.
Two spirit summoners capable of summoning a Spirit King.
Eight spirit summoners capable of summoning high-level spirits.
It was no exaggeration to say that Elfheim’s entire force was gathered here.
“Tomorrow, Damian Haxen will lead you in the operation.”
“What? Wasn’t Damian Haxen supposed to stay behind?”
“Damian Haxen volunteered for the attack, so we switched.”
The swordsman spoke casually, but the elves’ reactions were less than enthusiastic.
“Eos isn’t coming with us?”
“We know this human is strong, but without Eos…”
The swordsman shouted at the murmuring elves.
“I vouch for Damian Haxen’s skills. He is my equal.”
It was similar to what he’d told the commander, but the reaction was different this time.
“If Eos guarantees it, then… I suppose we can trust him.”
“After all, he didn’t back down against the Lord of Flames, right?”
“I heard not a single hostage was harmed.”
As the swordsman had assured, the elves here trusted his word.
“Didn’t I tell you? These ones are different.”
“They really are.”
Damian chuckled, surprised. He hadn’t expected the young elves to be so open-minded.
“The operation begins tomorrow. I’ll create a diversion outside the castle to draw Pandemonium’s main forces. Then you and the elves will strike the main camp.”
“Are you sure you can handle it alone?”
Damian asked, concerned.
Currently, Pandemonium housed the Lord of Flames, the Four Great Demons, and even the leader of Pandemonium.
Perhaps the Empire’s greatest swordsman would have to face them all.
When Demian posed his question, the Empire’s top swordsman tilted his head slightly and asked in return, “Are you joking? Sorry, I can’t laugh at that.”
That night, Demian left his bedroom and climbed up onto the fortress wall.
No matter how long he lay there with his eyes closed, sleep wouldn’t come.
Just thinking about Dorgo made his entire body burn. His blood boiled so fiercely that rest was impossible.
“Tomorrow… it all ends.”
Since his return, Demian had only one goal.
To kill Dorgo.
As long as Dorgo lived, Demian could never find true peace.
He never knew when or where Dorgo might appear to drag him and his family into hell.
“That damned bastard.”
Demian clutched his face with his hands.
Memories of what Dorgo had done to him crawled back from the depths of his mind.
The despair he felt when they first met, when Dorgo massacred the mercenary group.
The excruciating pain of being transformed into a Death Knight by Dorgo.
The sensation in his hands when he beheaded his family and drove a sword into their bodies.
The screams, curses, and resentment of those he killed as a Death Knight.
“I will… kill you… with my own hands…”
Demian hugged himself tightly, his body trembling uncontrollably.