Chapter 450

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Chapter 450: Rift (1)

The city, which had been peaceful until merely a few hours ago, could no longer be seen anywhere.

Black smoke billowing up from fires that had broken out all across the city blotted out the dawning morning sky, and the buildings burning and crumbling down were more than just one or two.

The heat of the flames, the stench of burning blood and corpses, the screams.

“Aaaaargh!”

“Eek! D-Don’t come near me! Stay away!”

“Mommyyyy…….”

“H-Help! There's someone here!”

A living pandemonium, a scene straight out of hell.

If one were to vividly transfer such words right before one's eyes, this was roughly what the landscape would look like.

The corpses that had risen from the cemetery south of Pervache spread rapidly as they attacked the citizens.

Above all, the people they bit into likewise turned into corpse-like beings before long, lunging forward without even recognizing their own families.

“This way! All survivors, gather over here!”

Clop, clop! Clop, clop!

Gerud galloped through the streets on horseback, shouting at the top of his lungs.

Even while riding at full speed, he cleaved through the corpses with his sword and roared until his throat nearly burst.

“Under no circumstances must you head south! There is a mage present, so to evacuate, go toward the north……!”

His voice trailed off as his chest heaved violently up and down.

Though he had shouted until his breath caught at the tip of his throat, it yielded little effect.

Rather than listening to anyone's words, the citizens were merely fleeing to escape the corpses right in front of them.

“Everyone, come out of your houses! We must leave the city shortly, so remaining inside the buildings is even more dangerous!”

He shouted until blood nearly welled from his throat, but the terrified citizens would not readily emerge from the buildings.

“Eeeek! Let go! Let go of me! You think I don't know you're trying to feed us to those corpses?!”

“What kind of insane nonsense is that?!”

“Cut the bullshit and just get out already!”

It was plain to see that even the soldiers striving to evacuate the citizens were on edge to the extreme.

“……Is there still no evacuation broadcast?”

At Gerud’s question, a knight approached and answered.

“They say the equipment has gone completely dead, making it difficult. It seems to be due to that wave of demonic energy that swept over us a moment ago…….”

“Dammit.”

Even at this very moment, the city's residents were dying, yet there was very little he himself could do.

Saving just one or two people before his eyes was the absolute limit.

“……We do not have much time.”

At the knight’s words, Gerud squeezed his eyes tightly shut.

Soon, gritting his teeth so hard that blood seeped from his gums, he turned his head.

“Thirty minutes. We wait for exactly thirty more minutes. Soldiers and knights are to evacuate as many citizens as possible, even if it is just one more person.”

“Understood!”

Gerud watched the departing knight, then turned his head to look over the city.

His hometown, where he had been born and raised since childhood, was crumbling away with hollow swiftness.

* * *

Oscar and Gilliot sprinted swiftly down the street.

“Kieeeek!”

“Whoa, what a shock.”

Startled by a corpse that suddenly sprang out from an alleyway, Gilli sliced it cleanly in two with the wind.

“Is it because of this hair? My reaction feels a bit sluggish.”

Glancing up at the locks of hair covering his face, he tied them up using a rubber band gathered from who knows where.

Once the hair obstructing his field of vision was gone, only then did Gilli put on a satisfied expression.

“Now I can see a bit better. Master, but where are we heading right now?”

“You will find out once we arrive.”

The two men soon stepped into a secret safehouse.

Upon hearing the sound of the door, Chester, who had been on guard, let out a faint breath.

“Phew, I thought it was an intruder……?”

Trailing off, his gaze locked onto Gilli's face.

At the same time, recognizing him, Gilli grinned and raised a hand in greeting.

“Oh, what’s this? Uncle Chester, long time no s——.”

Rustle!

Lunging without warning to wrap Gilli in a tight embrace, Chester muttered.

“You're back safe. You came back safely. You rascal.”

His eyes having gone wide as saucers, Gilli soon let slip a faint smile and hugged him back.

“……Yes, I'm a bit late.”

Having relied on each other during the White Tower's most difficult times, the bond between the two was truly extraordinary.

Just as the atmosphere inside the safehouse was warming up pleasantly.

“Leave the reunion at that.”

Oscar, pouring cold water over the moment, swiftly laid out the situation.

“Get ready. We must evacuate this instant.”

“Evacuate? What on earth does that mean all of a sudden?”

“A massive outbreak of corpses occurred at the cemetery south of the city. If this continues, everyone dies.”

“In that case, where are we supposed to go?”

At the commander's question, Oscar retorted curtly.

“We have to move along with the citizens, so we cannot go far. It will likely be the plains beyond the southern walls. From there, the plan is to head south until we join up with the Central Army.”

Hearing those words, Chester’s expression hardened.

“Roughly how many citizens are evacuating?”

“Who knows. The population is a little over two thousand, but…… we have no choice but to hope as many people as possible can make it.”

“Don't tell me you intend to transport that entire number using spatial magic?”

“It's not as if we can all hold hands and stroll out the city gates.”

Oscar shrugged his shoulders.

He replied nonchalantly as usual, but before he could even finish speaking, his stomach churned sickeningly.

“…….”

The feeling was slowly settling in.

Far from showing any signs of improvement over time, this body of his was going to deteriorate further and further.

That was all the more reason he had to make haste with the relocation.

Before his condition worsened any further, he needed to evacuate as many people as possible, even if it were just one more soul.

“Your complexion does not look good.”

“It's just because I'm exhausted. I was fighting like mad out there.”

The commander closely observed the two conversing.

It was likely because it seemed strange for Chester to address him with extreme honorifics.

That fellow did not yet know the fact that he was reincarnated, after all.

Before those doubts could deepen, Oscar spoke.

“If you've gathered everything you need to pack, let's move.”

Having gathered their respective belongings, the group swiftly exited the safehouse.

“Where should we head?”

“The square in front of the north gate. They are gathering the citizens there.”

Kbaaaang! Ka-boooom!

Even while on the move, explosive sounds constantly rang out from the direction of the north gate.

Quite apart from the corpses that had emerged inside the city, swarms of them were still teeming outside the city walls as well.

Buzz, buzz.

Several hundred citizens were already gathered in the square.

From children bursting into tears to people desperately searching for lost family members.

As if each person had hastily gathered only their most essential belongings, they held one or two bundles tightly in their arms.

[Translator - Night]

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“Come this way!”

“Form a line in order here!”

“Maintain order! This place is safe!”

The soldiers were shouting until they grew hoarse in an attempt to keep them under control.

Passing by them, Oscar approached a knight and spoke.

“Where is Sir Gerud?”

“He is currently inspecting the downtown area.”

“I see. Are these all the people gathered so far?”

“Yes, including the soldiers, it is just over seven hundred people.”

Though it was by no means a small number, considering the city's population, it was barely a third.

That meant either there were still many citizens who had not yet managed to join up, or…….

‘Or they already.’

Letting out a heavy breath, Oscar asked once more.

“How much time remains until the targeted evacuation deadline?”

“About thirteen minutes. Prioritizing those who arrive by that time, we will depart first…….”

Kbaaaaang!

At the tremendous roar echoing from beyond the city gate, everyone's gaze snapped toward that direction.

Reading the dread that surfaced across the citizens' faces, the soldiers and knights quickly explained.

“Do not worry! There is no chance the walls will be breached!”

“Rest assured, this place is safe!”

Listening to those shouts, Oscar lowered his voice and inquired.

“How are things in reality?”

“……It appears the enemy has resolved themselves. They are detonating corpses in succession, dealing severe damage to the city walls. It seems they want to break through by any means necessary before we evacuate.”

If the explosions were of this scale, the mage corps would be defending with hearts ready to vomit blood.

Though he wished to help, Oscar clenched his fists tightly.

If he stepped forward with bold bravado right now and ended up unable to cast the portal magic when it mattered, that mistake would be irreversible.

“Giddy up! Hyah!”

A short while later, once the appointed time arrived, Sir Gerud returned leading a group of people.

Their number appeared to be roughly fifty.

“Sir Oscar, let us depart.”

“Pardon? But there are still citizens…….”

“These are all of them.”

Looking at Oscar, who had fallen silent, he spoke once more with gloomy eyes.

“These are all of them.”

“……Let us depart, then.”

Nodding his head, Oscar closed his eyes and drew up his mana.

“……!”

At that instant, an agony akin to thousands of needles piercing through his mana circuits struck him.

Yet Oscar willfully ignored that agony, drawing up even more mana.

Cold sweat trickled down his jawline, and his fingertips trembled faintly.

Crrrack!

As empty air split apart and a sub-space opened, Gerud shouted.

“This way! Children, the elderly and infirm, women, and the wounded are to move first!”

“Do not run! Move after the person in front of you crosses!”

“One by one, single file! There is no need to rush, so do not push!”

Soldiers carried the wounded on their backs, and citizens holding their children's hands cautiously crossed through the space.

“Thank you, thank you so much……!”

Every passing citizen bowed their heads incessantly, yet Oscar could not offer a single reply.

Because he felt that if he parted his lips, a groan would slip out before anything else.

As the procession of citizens crossing over in turn neared its end, Gerud shouted.

“Pull back the forces atop the walls! We are crossing over as well!”

Watching his subordinates descending the walls, he turned his head.

“Sir Oscar, are you all right? Your complexion looks very poor.”

“……I am fine, so please, the people first.”

At the words squeezed out through his teeth, the entrance to the sub-space swayed unstably.

Having seen this, Gerud nodded heavily and led the soldiers through.

From that moment on, Oscar kept his eyes shut.

Even if he were to open them anyway, nothing would be visible except dizzying spins.

‘Not yet, not just yet.’

An agony like the tearing apart of his innards surged forth.

Yet if he lost consciousness right now, not only those currently crossing over, but also all those remaining in the city would perish.

With superhuman mental strength, Oscar seized hold of his consciousness.

“Now, let us pass through as well.”

Having confirmed that even all the military forces had crossed over, Gerud looked around the surroundings and spoke.

“Hold on for just a little, just a tiny bit longer.”

At his plea, the moment Oscar weakly nodded his head.

Screams rang out incessantly from the buildings on the other side of the alley.

“……It is too late. We cannot wait any longer.”

After that, his memories were not very clear.

With the scene of the city narrowing down to a slender slit as the final image.

Along with the sensation of someone slinging him over their shoulder, Oscar’s consciousness snapped as well.

* * *

No sooner had he lifted his heavy eyelids than the smell of various medicinal supplies stung his nose.

Barely managing to raise his upper body and look around, Oscar realized that this place was a sickroom.

“…….”

Where is this?

The last thing he remembered was evacuating the people.

Did the people evacuate safely?

Did his consciousness give out halfway through?

Pondering as he groped through fragments of memory, he parted his lips.

“Excuse me.”

“Gah! What a fright.”

An old man facing away in a doctor's gown flinched, then approached him with relief.

“You've awakened. Are you coming to your senses?”

“Yes. By any chance, is this place……?”

“It is a sickroom in the Carden Gorge Fortress. A full day has already passed since you lost consciousness.”

If it was the Carden Gorge Fortress, it was a place situated about 12 km south of Pervache.

“……Did the citizens of Pervache escape safely?”

“Yes, it is all thanks to Sir Oscar. I, too, was a physician running a small clinic in Pervache.”

Offering a gentle smile, the doctor continued speaking as he checked Oscar’s physical condition.

“While we were fleeing across the southern plains, the corpse army pursued us closely from behind. The soldiers, knights, and mages joined forces striving to halt their pursuit, but it was beyond our power. Just when the thought crossed our minds that, ah, we are all going to die here…… miraculously, the Central Army joined up and rescued us.”

The Central Army, they arrived without delay.

The moment Oscar let out a sigh of relief.

The sickroom door opened, and a middle-aged man he had never seen before stepped inside.

“Hm? It seems you've regained consciousness.”

“……Who might you be?”

“I am Arman Becker, a commander belonging to the Central Third Army. I have heard so much about your exploits that my ears are practically ringing.”

“I am Oscar Crucian, a 7th-circle mage of the White Tower.”

After exchanging a light handshake, Oscar asked him.

“What is the current situation?”

“Hahaha, having been through such an ordeal, it is only natural to be worried. However, this place is safe.”

Wearing a gentle smile, the commander continued.

“The number of Central Army troops under my personal command alone is five thousand, and there are many fully armed knights. The caliber of the archers and the mage corps is of high standard as well. The corpse army is gathering one after another before the fortress, but…… even so, casting their covetous eyes on this place, a gorge fortress, well, it won't be easy for them.”

“Hmm.”

Certainly, if it was a gorge fortress, halting the enemy was far easier than on an open plain like Pervache.

Of course, going so far as to believe this place was already secure was beyond his comprehension.

It was precisely then.

Hurried footsteps echoed from the corridor, and a soldier burst inside as if running for his life.

“Commander!”

“What is it?”

“The enemy army has sent an envoy.”

“……What did you say?”

Arman frowned between his brows and asked back.

Because the enemy army, and a corpse army at that, sending an envoy was something that made no sense whatsoever.

Facing that bewildered expression, the soldier swallowed hard and replied.

“Before the fortress, a corpse is demanding to speak with the commander.”

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