Yuri and her group trailed Pierre.
The effects of the mandragora were starting to wear off. Their plan was to lure Gert to where Pierre was once he got close enough.
“Is that the Grand Library?” someone whispered.
“Looks like it,” Yuri replied.
Soon, a rectangular building covered in wild vines came into view. Compared to the Empire’s grand structures, it wasn’t impressive, but in Adelvine, it must have been quite large.
Pierre’s group made camp in front of the Grand Library, lighting a small fire and beginning to prepare food.
“They’re calmer than I expected,” Yuri observed.
Pierre had said he came to the library to uncover Adelvine’s history. Yuri had thought he’d rush inside immediately, but his reaction was surprisingly subdued.
“Still, something feels off,” she muttered.
Hidden nearby where they could watch, Yuri’s group quietly started eating as well—no fire, just dried jerky and hard biscuits soaked in water.
They prepared to face Gert.
They led their horses to a secluded spot, fed them mandragora, and tied them up. The animals would be fine on their own for a few days without being discovered.
Jose closed his eyes, meditating.
Yuri approached him.
“What are you doing?”
“Calming my mind and body. We’re about to face a powerful enemy.”
“Do you sense him coming?”
“Not exactly, but I have a feeling.”
A flicker of light shone in his eyes.
The others prepared for battle in their own ways.
Though Gert’s presence hadn’t been felt yet, everyone sensed something was about to happen.
Laurent, polishing his sword, stood up and asked, “What do we do when Gert arrives?”
Since Yuri’s group had stopped taking mandragora, if Gert came, they’d be his targets.
“If Gert shows up nearby, everyone take a bite of mandragora.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll lure him in.”
Yuri kept her eyes on Pierre’s group.
“We’ll find out who Pierre really is. If he’s truly an innocent scholar, he’ll fight with us. If not, we’ll see what happens.”
“Understood.”
Since arriving in Adelvine, there had been no sign of Gert. Everyone except Yuri was beginning to doubt if he even existed.
But soon, all fell silent.
Something was approaching from the distance.
“Is that Gert…?” Jared whispered, peering through his telescope from the bushes.
“He looks terrifying.”
“Everyone, take a bite of mandragora.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“Absolutely.”
Yuri’s group each took a bite.
Now, the only enemy Gert sensed was Yuri herself.
His pace quickened.
Yuri watched his figure through the telescope, biting her lip.
“That’s Gert…”
A knight cloaked in tattered rags approached.
He wore full plate armor, battered but not rusted.
His right arm’s guard was broken, revealing stark white bone beneath. Behind his tightly closed helmet lay a weathered skull.
This was the Death Knight who had brought ruin to Adelvine.
Unlike the other Ten Strong warriors they’d faced, Gert didn’t hide his aura—he radiated it fully.
Every step he took whipped the wind fiercely.
“Your Highness.”
“Hm?”
“Do you think you can handle this?”
“I don’t know.”
Yuri’s confidence faltered sharply.
“If it gets dangerous, you’ll save me, right?”
“Yeah, well…”
“They should be catching on soon.”
Yuri stood.
The thought of facing Gert head-on made her palms sweat. She removed her gauntlets, wiped the moisture roughly, put them back on, and tightened the straps. Then she slung Guilty over her shoulder.
“Kori.”
“Yes?”
“Cast a spell.”
“Hmm…”
Without dispel magic, spells could be a big help.
After some thought, Kori spread his hands.
Though he’d focused on physical training, he hadn’t abandoned magic entirely. Under Hernando’s guidance, Kori had become a capable mage.
“Wing.”
A feather-like white light blossomed from his hands, enveloping Yuri.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a speed spell. You’ll probably have to keep running…”
“Running? No, it’s a lure.”
“Yes, a lure.”
“Well, very timely magic.”
Yuri jumped in place a few times.
“Everyone else, hide well.”
“Yes.”
As soon as Yuri finished speaking, the others scattered immediately.
Left alone, Yuri stared at the distant horizon, biting her lip.
The dot was growing larger.
She raised Guilty and waved it toward Gert.
If he had eyesight, he’d come straight here.
Just as Yuri predicted, Gert accelerated. Like a wild dog spotting prey, he charged madly forward.
Pierre’s group seemed to sense Gert’s presence now, growing restless.
Yuri smiled faintly.
The old hunter’s instincts buried deep within her stirred awake.
“A hunt…”
Hunting orcs wasn’t much different from handling beasts. A crazed enemy reacted sharply to stimuli and was easily baited.
Yuri glanced back.
One mercenary was an archer, nocking an arrow and watching Gert’s approach warily.
Calculating Gert’s speed, Yuri lowered her stance. The chilling aura radiating from the Death Knight made the hairs on her skin stand on end.
If she stayed still, she’d be swept away and torn apart.
Though panic urged her to flee, Yuri forced herself to stay grounded.
The Death Knight’s form in plate armor became clearer.
He was faster than expected, gaining momentum.
She had to act now.
Yuri plucked a leafy branch from a nearby plant to conceal herself, then sprang forward like a beast lunging.
She unleashed a burst of mana, creating a deafening roar.
Startled, the mercenary holding the bow reflexively released his arrow.
The arrow, imbued with mana, was fired by a skilled archer.
“Good.”
Yuri changed direction.
The arrow missed her and flew far past, heading straight toward Gert’s charging path.
She quickly threw the leafy branch and ducked behind a nearby rock.
“Phew…”
Wiping sweat from her brow, she peeked out.
At that moment, Gert and Pierre’s group clashed.
“Oh?”
Ivan’s sword met Gert’s with a thunderous crash.
Ivan held his ground. The mercenaries took a step back and began attacking Gert.
He was stronger than they’d expected.
“Of course…”
This wasn’t just a mercenary group protecting a scholar.
Yuri saw Pierre move from behind.
Black energy billowed from his hands.
She gripped Guilty tightly.
“A necromancer?”
The aura was the same as the necromancers she’d encountered before.
Pierre wasn’t a scholar.
“So it was true.”
With that kind of power, he could weaken Gert.
Yuri smiled and checked on the others hiding nearby.
They watched the fight like spectators across a river, eyes wide.
Laurent nodded, Jared pumped his fists excitedly, Jose looked like he was holding back from joining, and Simon, Guiness, and Kori huddled together, trembling.
Yuri signaled them to wait a little longer.
“How long can they hold out?”
They were fighting better than expected. Every time Pierre cast black magic, dark energy flickered over the mercenaries, strengthening them, while Gert’s movements slowed.
Gert’s armor was scratched in many places.
But he didn’t back down.
Swinging his sword with the same ferocity as when he charged, the blade tore through the air and ripped up the ground.
One mercenary was swept away and slammed into the earth near Yuri’s hiding spot.
He twitched but wasn’t dead.
Yuri left him and refocused on the battle.
Ivan led the charge against Gert.
Though the gap was wide, Pierre’s black magic support kept them holding.
Suddenly, Pierre shouted, “Gert! Snap out of it!”
Yuri was taken aback.
She’d told them to try talking to Gert if things got desperate, and it seemed Pierre was sincere.
“Your work is done. You can rest now, Gert!”
But it had no effect.
Only Ivan struggled more.
Other mercenaries joined, but it didn’t help much. Gert’s armor deflected every attack.
Yuri wondered whether to jump in or wait until they were overwhelmed.
“If they can weaken him…”
Pierre shouted again.
“Don’t die by Gert’s hand! He absorbs life force and grows stronger! Don’t die! Hold on!”
Yuri stood.
“I see. The Death Knight was born of black magic, so he recovers by feeding on life force.”
In that case, fighting alongside them might be better.
Yuri nudged the mercenary lying nearby with her foot.
The man, sprawled like a corpse, suddenly snapped his eyes open.
“Huh?”
“This bastard was playing dead?”
“No, no….”
“Your comrades are bleeding and fighting their hearts out, and you’re just shirking your duty? Is that what you call mercenary spirit?”
“I’m sorry.”
As Yuri appeared, the rest of the group gradually started to show themselves.
Pierre, who had been fighting Gert, looked at Yuri with a bewildered expression.
“What’s going on here?”
“What do you think? I started a fight.”
“Wait, you didn’t seriously call Gert over…?”
“Yeah. It’s me, you damn black mage.”
“Ugh…”
“A scholar, huh? I’ve read a few books, but you don’t smell like one. What are you trying to fool, some ghost or something…?”
Yuri looked at Pierre with contempt, as if he’d known all along, and slung Guilty over his shoulder. Then, he gave the mercenary standing nearby a sharp kick in the backside, sending him forward.
“Fight. What else?”
Pierre clenched his fists and protested.
“It’s true I’m a scholar. I just happen to be a black mage as well. I’m a full member of the Continental Historical Society. And you, sir…?”
“Shut up, you piece of trash.”
Yuri glared at the dark energy swelling from Pierre’s body with disgust.
Black mages draw life force from living beings.
Usually humans.
The fact that Pierre was wielding magic strong enough to take on Gert meant he’d paid a heavy price in sacrifices.
“Let’s take down Gert first. I’ll deal with you later.”
“Heh heh heh, an uneasy alliance, huh…”
Pierre revealed his true colors, adjusting his crooked glasses with a sly grin.
“Don’t get in my way!”
“You’re the one!”
Yuri summoned his Soul Slash, using its explosive force to charge at Gert.
He struck Guilty down hard.
The sound of the impact echoed like a thunderclap.
The sheer power made even Ivan, standing nearby, and Pierre, providing support from behind, widen their eyes.
Gert’s helmet was half shattered.
“Was it that strong…?”
But it didn’t seem to have caused serious damage.
Only Gert’s skeletal face was revealed, with his eyes glowing a fierce red through the cracks.
His mouth opened.
[Eradicate.]
It was a bone-chilling sound, one that instinctively made you want to cover your ears.
Gert said this as he pushed Ivan, who was standing firm in front of him, aside.
Then he shifted his target to Yuri.
[By command.]
At that moment, black energy swirled and surged like a storm.
It was a sudden attack. Yuri couldn’t react in time and only managed to raise Guilty.
His vision went pitch black.
The sky and earth flipped upside down.
Before he knew it, he was flying through the air, his body crashing against the ground countless times.
“Your Highness!”
Laurent’s voice came from afar, but the ringing in Yuri’s ears made it hard to hear. Even that voice gradually faded away.
His body kept tumbling.
Yuri finally slammed against something heavy and collapsed.
Something welled up inside him. He opened his mouth and vomited. Dark blood stained the ground. A metallic, fishy taste filled his mouth.
He hung his head low, took a deep breath, and slowly pushed himself up.
“No, no….”
Through his half-blurred vision, Gert was approaching.
“You could’ve given me a warning, you bastard…”
Yuri cursed. The pain was so intense he couldn’t hold back the swear words. The energy of Soul Slash surged violently from his body.
“Ten strikes or whatever.”
Yuri grimaced.
“You think you’re that good at fighting?”