Shekhinah, who had been standing there dumbfounded for a while, asked again.
“…What did you just say?”
“I told you that it would be best to retreat. If we continue like this, we might get caught up in a fight between dragons and be wiped out.”
Shekhinah asked in a bewildered tone at the calm reply.
“No, but Instructor, didn’t you just say that there are still three people inside? If sothing happens… I don’t want to judge the value of life and death, but isn’t Sir Arendt one of His Highness the Crown Prince’s closest confidants?”
“But I can’t gamble with my troops’ lives in a place like this.”
But Zakar did not give in.
“More than anything, the damage that could occur here is the result that Sir Arendt does not want. Do you rember what he always says?”
“…”
“It is inefficient to keep one’s position solely for the sake of loyalty or righteousness. It is impossible to survive among angry dragons.”
Shekhinah was speechless.
“Jiklin and the priests will surely have a ans of escape. And the ghouls will be remade, so they won’t bother to save their lives. But we are different. Each and every life is precious.”
Zakar continued, looking up at the increasingly rough sky.
“In a situation where nothing can be guaranteed, retreating is not a bad choice. If it’s Sir Arendt’s group, they’ll surely be fine. He’s more resilient than any of us.”
“That’s true, but…”
A strong conflict appeared on Shekhinah’s face.
Zakar faced her again and smiled faintly.
“To be honest, more than anything else, I just don’t want to get scolded by Sir Arendt later. Once Sir Arendt opens his mouth, not even His Highness the Crown Prince or Captain Laius can stop him.”
“…”
Shekhinah, who was about to say sothing, closed her mouth.
“I trust Sir Arendt. He may be a bit reckless, but he is not stupid enough to risk his life in a place like this. And now that Lord Salem and Sir Rider are with him…”
Zakar added emphatically.
“I’m sure he’ll return safely with the other two.”
“…”
Shekhinah t Zakar’s eyes for a mont, her expression conflicted, then lowered her head with a troubled look.
And after a mont, she lifted her head again.
She made up her mind.
“Instructor Zakar, I understand what you an. In that case, it seems our course of action has been decided.”
“Yes.”
Zakar adjusted his grip on his sword.
Since a fierce battle was underway, retreating wouldn’t be easy either.
To minimize casualties, soone had to stay behind and hold the line to buy ti.
That role was clearly assigned to Zakar, Shekhinah, and Ragnald.
Even though their surroundings were completely devastated, Laius and Roger were completely focused on each other.
Occasionally, lightning would strike, destroying the ground and buildings, and the wind would beco stronger and fiercer, making it difficult for an ordinary person to stand upright.
However, Roger and Laius continued to attack each other, persistently trying to take each other’s lives.
Kkwadduk!
Laius’ strike narrowly missed Roger and split the ground right next to him.
Realizing that he had missed, Laius attempted to pinpoint Roger’s location for his next strike, only to find that he had already disappeared from view.
The next mont, he sensed an ominous presence right behind him.
The mont Laius reflexively rolled away, a large explosion occurred where he had just been standing.
Kwaaaaang!
Bright red flas and black magic rushed in at once, aiming for Laius.
“…!”
Hurriedly rising to his feet, Laius drew forth the full force of his holy power and the Shadow of the Strong.
The Holy Sword vibrated and emitted a sacred light. Laius twisted the blade and parried the flas pouring down on him.
Kwaaang!
The flas that collided head-on with the Holy Sword scattered in all directions. Taking advantage of the opening, Roger swiftly approached Laius.
Laius frowned and responded imdiately.
Kaaaaang!
The two n’s swords clashed head-on. A contest of strength ensued.
The blades scraped together, emitting harsh, grating screeches that grated on their ears.
Soon, Laius’ arms began to tremble slightly. The excessive force was starting to take its toll on his body.
But Laius didn’t even flinch, simply staring down Roger right before him.
“…”
Roger clicked his tongue and struck Laius with great force.
Laius, who had taken a step back, quickly charged forward again and swung his sword.
Screech!
The tip of the sword cut into Roger’s chest, and blood began to spurt out. After glancing at his wound, Roger grabbed his sword again.
At that mont, rumble!
A trendous thunderclap echoed through the sky again, and the magical storm grew even stronger.
‘Lord Nikephoros.’
Roger’s face hardened beneath his mask.
The fight between Lexion and Nikephoros was becoming increasingly fierce.
It was a situation where the entire kingdom could be blown away by an angry dragon.
Roger looked again at Laius who was approaching him.
He was bleeding a lot from the wounds here and there, and his hair, which was always neatly styled, was in disarray due to the continuous battles and magical storm.
Yet the hero remained steadfast.
As if the dragon’s presence, which was like a natural disaster, had nothing to do with him, Laius was still focused solely on Roger.
At this mont, it seed as if his sole purpose was to eliminate him.
Roger let out a startled voice without realizing it.
“…You’re really out of your mind.”
The sparkle in his blue eyes seed closer to refined madness than anger.
‘Surely he wasn’t like that at first.’
Humans do not change easily.
This was especially true for soone as steadfast as Laius. However, it seed that his foundation had been severely twisted in the process of being chosen by the Holy Sword.
There was no ti to dwell on other thoughts for long.
Laius gripped his sword and lunged towards Roger again.
Roger also increased the power of his artifact to respond to him.
‘The only thing that is certain is…’
The point was that Laius had beco an even more dangerous figure due to a change that even God Luce could not have predicted.
The strong storm caused his mask to flutter. The long robe’s hem billowed, and fiercely flying debris tore at the collar.
He had a feeling that if he delayed any longer, he would get caught up in the dragons’ fight and have his limbs torn off.
But Roger could not let Laius go like this.
It was because he had a vague premonition that the hero, having awakened to hatred, would relentlessly chase after and crush the Chernion camp.
‘This is getting tricky.’
The premonition he felt could also be called fear by another na.
Kieeeek!
An indescribable roar ca from just above his head.
The huge magical vortex created by the dragons gradually ca closer to the ground.
Black and golden wings occasionally revealed their presence among the swirling vortices.
But even in the midst of all this, Laius was focused solely on his goal: Roger.
Eventually, Roger gave up on backing down and activated the artifact again.
‘Even if my body is torn apart right here…’
I had to go to hell with the knight.
It would be better if the dragons’ powers would bite and hang on until they killed Laius.
As the murderous aura he felt from Laius grew stronger, Roger also tensed up.
But just before the hero rushed towards him.
“Captain!”
Soone’s urgent voice burst through the typhoon.
Laius, who seed about to rush at Roger at any mont, stopped and turned his head.
In the midst of the violent storm, Arthur was seen teetering precariously, but sohow maintaining his balance.
“…Arthur?”
As if he had suddenly co to his senses, Laius absentmindedly said his na.
Arthur, with injuries all over his body, was panting for breath as if he might collapse at any mont.
“Our side is… cough, reorganizing. Captain, this isn’t the ti for this! We need to retreat imdiately.”
Arthur stood stubbornly in the midst of the fierce storm and shouted at him.
Laius asked with a hardened face.
“Retreat?”
“Huff, huff, the communication port isn’t working anymore. The magic is fluctuating like crazy!”
Despite Arthur’s persuasion, Laius was unable to make up his mind.
He was well aware of the situation.
If he got caught up in a dragon’s fight, regardless of if his body was protected by the Holy Sword, he would still be torn apart.
“…”
Lexion and Nikephoros were forbidden from directly touching those who had received the grace of the gods, but it seed unlikely that this restriction would have any effect on the two dragons who had already lost their minds.
However, there was still a hateful enemy before him who hadn’t been defeated.
“You go first, Arthur.”
Laius looked away from Arthur and back at Roger.
Strength entered the grip holding the Holy Sword again.
“Captain! I told you it wasn’t the ti for this!”
Arthur, seeing that sight, shouted again in frustration. But Laius remained unmoved.
“I still have work to do. So go ahead. Retreat to the safe zone with the others. That’s an order.”
“Captain!”
Arthur also began to grow increasingly irritated by Laius’ stubbornness.
Arthur clenched his fists, clenching his teeth.
“If you keep doing that…”
He added, glaring at Laius with poisonous eyes.
“You’ll get cursed a lot by Arendt later.”
“…!”
Laius, who had been stubbornly standing his ground, faltered.
The further inside they went, the darker it beca. The continuous downhill slope gradually led Rider and Arendt downward.
“This is ridiculous, seriously…”
Rider sighed without realizing it.
It was enormous in scale.
They had walked quite a while, but the hallway still showed no end. Despite being deep underground, breathing wasn’t difficult, suggesting there must be so ventilation system not visible to the naked eye.
“What on earth is this place?”
“It must be similar to what was underground in Count Motier’s estate in the Nephele Kingdom.”
Arendt, who was walking ahead, gave a candid answer.
“We’ll soon find out if it’s an underground temple or sothing else. It’s definitely not sothing trivial, considering that damned giant reptile was trying so hard to destroy it.”
“Why are you so calm even at a mont like this…? It’s so unrealistic.”
Rider muttered in a weary voice, but Arendt ignored his words as if they were nothing more than a passing remark.
How much further did they walk?
Arendt, who had been leading the way, suddenly stopped walking.
“Hah…”
A sigh escaped his lips, as if he was catching his breath. Rider noticed it and frowned.
“What’s wrong? Is sothing wrong? Are you having a hard ti?”
“It’s none of your concern, senior.”
But as if nothing had happened, Arendt gave a blunt answer and then stepped aside.
It was to allow Rider to see what he was facing.
“Why should I care, you bastard? If you collapse here, the one who ends up suffering is …”
Rider who had been grumbling irritably realized sothing a beat later and closed his mouth.
In the thick darkness, a huge wall blocked the path of the two.
“What, another dead end?”
“Seriously, your observation skills… look closely. How is that a wall?”
“What?”
Annoyed by the reprimand, Rider frowned and examined it more closely.
And after a while, he realized that what was blocking their way was a tightly shut iron door.
“I guess we ca to the right place?”
Beside him, Arendt shrugged his shoulders slightly.
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