Chapter 249 – Once Alone, Now with Companions

Chapter 249

 Once Alone, Now with Companions

Date : Day 17 of Firstthaw 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.

Yesterday, the plan to defend Akela had been finalized.

All five phases had been accepted. By nightfall, the Adventurer's Guild and Captain Yugold's knights had drafted the division of forces: who would ride in the night ambush, who would stand in the second wall, and which Wood and Iron ranks would carry the wounded. Messengers ran through the streets until well past midnight.

Ina never came home.

Her chair at the dinner table stayed empty all evening. Somewhere in the Adventurer's Guild, buried under maps, rosters and mountains of paper, she was probably still awake, with Fiona swearing beside her.

And now it was morning—Day 17 of Firstthaw. The first phase was about to begin.

Morning light spilled through the windows of Wyvern Street Manor. The dual suns had only just risen, and their gold and silver glow lay softly across the floor of the entrance hall.

Hyoren stood before the tall mirror near the front door and checked his equipment one last time.

The white metal of the Gauntlets of Enduring covered both forearms. Strapped onto the left gauntlet was the Umbral Phalanx in its compact form, a slender black leaf about the length of his forearm, its metallic sheen catching the light. 

Dawn Breaker hung at his hip in its pure white sheath, the large ring guard bearing House Akela's crest.

He touched his left ear. The cool gold of the Null Earring was in place. His fingers drifted down to his chest, where a new pendant rested inside his armor—the Amulet of Magic Power.

Everything's here.

He let out a slow breath.

Soft footsteps came down the stairs behind him. Elise descended first. Her Aerostag Armor hugged her figure, the green leather trimmed with yellow accents. The Moonveil Bow was slung across her back, its silver wood shimmering faintly. At her throat, Sylvana's Lavalier swayed with every step, and her long silver hair was tied into a practical ponytail with a simple green ribbon.

She stopped at his left side and studied his reflection in the mirror. A teasing smile curled on her lips.

"That's the third time you've checked that mirror, Hyoren. Fufu."

Hyoren scratched his cheek.

"Fourth, actually."

Elise tilted her head. Her emerald eyes softened.

"Nervous?"

Hyoren hesitated, then gave her a wry smile.

"A little. It's not every day you sail out to meet fifteen thousand goblins."

Elise reached over and gently squeezed his arm.

"Good. Being a little nervous keeps you careful."

Heavy footsteps thundered down the stairs. Jackey leapt the last three steps and landed with a solid thud. 

His Illusion Viper Hide armor, red streaked with clean white lines, creaked as he straightened. The Bloody Axe hung on his right hip, and the Blackmaw Tomahawk on his left. His tabby cat tail spiraled behind him.

He thrust a fist into the air.

"BIG BRO! I'M READY! Today we whack LOTS of skulkers!"

Hyoren chuckled and shook his head.

"Sorry, Jackey. Not today."

Jackey's ears twitched. He blinked.

"Huh?"

Hyoren gestured toward Elise.

"Today is interception. We stay on the boat the whole time. Arianna, Oria and Elise do the attacking. You and I are only there to guard them in case something gets close."

Jackey's ears slowly flattened against his head. His tail drooped until it nearly touched the floor.

"No whacking…?"

Elise covered her mouth and giggled.

"Fufu. Your turn will come, Jackey. Be patient."

Graceful footsteps sounded on the stairs. Arianna descended in her Royal Mage Robe. The deep-purple brocade flowed open at the front, its crimson lining flashing with each step and its gold embroidery catching the light. Her matching wide-brimmed hat sat perfectly on her head, and her long crimson hair had been combed straight to her waist.

In one hand, she held Quadraflux Weaver. The staff stood taller than she did, its pale silvery-white shaft topped with a large crystal orb where red, brown, green and blue light slowly cycled inside. At her throat, hanging from her purple matinee necklace, was Noctynara's Lament.

She reached the bottom step and gave a graceful bow.

"Good morning, Leader. Mentor."

Her light blue eyes moved to Jackey, and her expression softened at once.

"Good morning, Jackey."

Jackey's drooping ears perked up slightly.

"Morning, Arianna…"

Arianna noticed his slumped tail and tilted her head.

"Oh my. Why the long face?"

Jackey pouted.

"Big Bro says I don't get to whack anything today."

Arianna covered her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Ohoho. Then I shall simply have to clear enough goblins for both of us. You can watch me work."

That earned a reluctant grin. His tail gave a small swish.

Hyoren looked at Arianna. Today, the weight of the first phase rested largely on her shoulders. Earth Fissure would decide whether the interception succeeded or failed.

"How are you feeling, Arianna?"

She lightly adjusted the brim of her hat. Her smile stayed composed, but something quieter flickered behind her eyes.

"The spell itself is no trouble, Leader. I could construct Earth Fissure in my sleep."

She paused.

"What I wonder is whether it will be enough. Everyone in that war room is counting on my magic to thin their numbers before the real battle. I would very much like to live up to that expectation."

Hyoren smiled reassuringly.

"You will. I've seen what you can do."

Arianna held his gaze for a moment. Then the flicker faded, and her usual confidence returned.

"Ohoho. Then I shall not disappoint you, Leader."

Lena and Vina were waiting by the front door.

Lena stood with her hands folded before her. Her drooping fox ears hung lower than usual. Beside her, Vina clutched a cloth-wrapped bundle against her chest, her bushy tail completely still.

Lena stepped forward and bowed.

"Master Hyoren. Lady Elise. Everyone. Please take care of yourselves out there."

Vina hurried up beside her mother and held out the bundle with both hands.

"I made lunch for everyone! Rice balls and leftover roast from last night. So you don't fight on an empty stomach!"

Jackey's ears shot straight up. He reached for the bundle at once, but Elise caught his wrist with a sweet smile.

"Jackey. That's for lunch."

His ears drooped all over again.

"...Yes."

That earned a laugh from everyone.

Hyoren accepted the bundle and stored it carefully in his storage bag. Then he looked at the two Fox-clan Beastkin. One had already lost a husband to adventuring. The other had only just begun a life of her own.

"Thank you, Vina. Lena. We'll be back. All of us."

Vina's lips trembled. She suddenly rushed forward and threw her arms around Elise.

"Sister Elise, you have to come back! You promised to teach me that new pastry recipe!"

Elise hugged her gently and stroked her hair.

"I will, Vina. I promise."

Vina finally let go and wiped her eyes. She turned toward Hyoren and pointed at him.

"You too, Hyoren! Bring everyone home!"

Hyoren nodded firmly.

"I will."

Lena laid a hand on her daughter's shoulder. Her gentle smile returned, though her eyes still glistened.

"We will have a warm dinner waiting. Every night until you return."

Hyoren gave them one last smile and opened the front door.

Freedom Party stepped out of Wyvern Street Manor together.

***

The Entertainment District was quieter than Hyoren had ever seen it.

The music that usually drifted from the taverns had stopped. Several brothels had shuttered their doors. The few people on the street spoke in low voices, and more than one head turned as Freedom Party passed. They recognized the black-haired swordsman with the black leaf on his arm. They recognized the party that had stood beneath the white banner.

A tavern keeper sweeping his doorstep straightened and raised his broom.

"Give 'em hell, Freedom Party!"

Jackey's mood seemed to recover all at once. He pumped his fist into the air.

"WE WILL! HAHAHA!"

Hyoren smiled and raised a hand in return.

The deeper they went into the city, the clearer the change became. Knights marched in formation toward the eastern gate. Wagons loaded with crates and barrels rolled toward the walls. Adventurers gathered at street corners in tight clusters, checking their weapons and murmuring over rosters that had surely passed through Ina's hands.

Akela was readying itself for war.

They turned south. The streets sloped gently downward, and the air grew cool and damp. Between the last rows of warehouses, the Akela River came into view.

It was enormous—far wider than any river Hyoren had known on Earth. Its waters ran fast and gray-green beneath a thin morning mist, rushing west toward the Greyveil Marsh. The far bank was little more than a faint dark line.

The southern harbor sat at the river's edge. Long wooden piers stretched out into the current. On a normal morning, fishermen and merchants would have crowded the docks. Today, most of the boats rocked quietly at their moorings, empty.

All but one.

At the end of the longest pier, The Sailer waited. The Guild's sleek riverboat sat low in the water, and the magic tools at its stern hummed softly.

A familiar figure on the deck finished coiling a rope and looked up. Holley's face split into a broad grin, and he raised a hand high.

"Mister Hyoren! Over here! The Sailer's ready. We leave whenever you say!"

Hyoren returned the wave as they walked down the pier.

"Thank you, Holley. Sorry for dragging you into this."

Holley laughed and slapped the railing.

"Dragging me? Mistress Ina asked me personally. You think I'd turn her down?"

His gaze drifted upstream toward the east. The grin thinned.

"Besides… If those goblins reach Akela, I won't have a harbor to come home to."

Hyoren's eyes moved along the pier.

A small figure stood beside the mooring post, half-hidden in the mist—Oria.

She wore her blue scholar robe, its hem darkened by the river air. The Azure Wand rested in her right hand, its blue gem glinting in the morning light. Her sapphire eyes were fixed on the water.

She hadn't noticed them yet. Her fingers kept tightening around the wand, then loosening, then tightening again.

Elise saw it too. A gentle look crossed her face. Then, just as quickly, it was replaced by a mischievous grin. She raised her voice.

"Well, well. The pipsqueak actually crawled out of her shop."

Oria jolted and spun around. Her pointed ears instantly turned red.

"C-Cow-tits! Don't sneak up on people!"

Elise put a hand on her hip.

"We weren't sneaking. You were just too busy staring at the water. Fufufu."

Oria huffed and looked away. Her grip on the wand had loosened a little.

"Hmph. I was observing the current. A water mage has to understand the water she's working with. Not that your tiny brain would know anything about that."

Arianna stepped forward and offered a graceful bow.

"Good morning, Lady Oria. It is an honor to fight alongside you."

Oria's ears turned even redder. She waved her free hand.

"D-Don't make it sound so grand. I'm only here so you don't run out of Aethell halfway through."

Arianna covered her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Ohoho. Then I shall rely on you."

Jackey leaned in and gave Oria a wide thumbs-up.

"Oria's doing the attacking too? Lucky! I'm just on guard duty."

Oria stared at him blankly for a moment. Then she snorted.

"Good. Keep the goblins away from me, and I'll handle the rest."

Hyoren stepped up beside them and looked down at Oria. His voice softened.

"Thank you for coming, Oria. Really."

Oria didn't answer at first. She looked back out at the river, at the gray-green current that would carry them toward fifteen thousand goblins.

Then she lifted her chin.

"I said I would come, didn't I? I keep my promises."

She turned toward The Sailer, gripping the Azure Wand steadily now.

"Now let's go. Before I change my mind."

***

One by one, they boarded.

Jackey leapt onto the deck in a single bound and set the whole boat rocking. Holley shouted at him. Elise stepped aboard gracefully and offered Oria a hand. Oria glared at it for a moment before taking it anyway. Arianna followed, holding her hat against the river breeze.

Hyoren was the last.

At the end of the pier, he paused and looked back.

Akela rose above the harbor. Its gray walls, its rooftops, its castle in the middle. Somewhere in that city, Ina was still bent over her paperwork. Fiona was barking orders. Sherine was readying the church for the wounded. Lena and Vina were already thinking about tonight's dinner.

Every one of them was waiting for him to come back.

Hyoren turned and stepped onto The Sailer.

"Holley. Let's go."

Holley grinned and took hold of the helm.

"Aye, Mister Hyoren!"

He poured Aethell into the controls. The magic tools at the stern roared to life, and a powerful jet of water burst out behind the boat. The Sailer surged away from the pier and cut a white line through the morning mist.

The bow swung east. Upstream. Against the current.

Toward the plain where the Goblin King's army was marching.

Hyoren stood at the bow with Elise at his left. Behind them, Jackey had planted himself at the railing with both axes ready, scanning the riverbanks as though goblins might leap out at any moment. Arianna stood calmly with one hand on her hat. Oria held her wand in both hands, her eyes on the water.

The wind tugged at Hyoren's black hair, and the river spray was cold against his face.

He rested his hand on Dawn Breaker's hilt.

Phase One... Interception…

Start…

Ahead, beyond the mist—the war was waiting.

***

The Sailer cut steadily upstream.

The jet of water at its stern roared without pause, pushing the boat against the current at a speed no ordinary riverboat could match. On both banks, the scenery slid past. First the last farmlands outside Akela, then stretches of tall reeds, and eventually open grassland that rolled gently toward the south-east.

The morning mist had begun to thin. Golden Sol and silver Luna climbed higher, and their light glittered across the gray-green water.

Hyoren turned away from the bow and faced his party.

They had gathered near the center of the deck. Elise stood at his left, one hand resting on the Moonveil Bow. Jackey leaned against the railing with his arms crossed, his tail swaying lazily. Arianna stood with Quadraflux Weaver planted beside her, the four colors shifting slowly inside its orb. A few steps away, Oria sat on a crate with the Azure Wand across her lap, her sapphire eyes fixed on the river.

Hyoren looked at each of them in turn.

"Before we reach them, let's go over our roles one last time."

Everyone's attention settled on him. Even Oria tore her eyes away from the water.

Hyoren turned to Arianna first.

"Arianna. Your Earth Fissure is the core of this operation. Use it to thin their numbers as much as possible."

The crimson-haired mage gave a composed nod. The orb atop her staff pulsed faintly.

"Understood, Leader."

His gaze moved to Oria.

"Oria. You too. Use your strongest spell."

The small elf huffed and folded her arms across her chest.

"Hmph. Obviously. I didn't come all this way to brew tea."

Hyoren smiled wryly and turned to his left.

"Elise. While they handle the numbers, I want you sniping high-value targets. Focus on the evolved goblins. Archers, Shamans, Lords. Every one of them we remove now is one less leading a squad at the walls tomorrow."

Elise tucked a strand of silver hair behind her pointed ear. A confident smile curled on her lips.

"Leave it to me."

Finally, Hyoren looked at Jackey.

"And our job is guarding."

Jackey's ears twitched expectantly.

Hyoren pointed upstream.

"We'll keep as much distance from the horde as we can. But stay sharp. The river narrows the farther upstream we go. Depending on the terrain, some goblins might try to reach the boat. If they do, we stop them."

Jackey straightened from the railing. His tail spiraled, and he slammed a fist against his chest.

"No whacking. Only guarding! Understood, Big Bro!"

Elise covered her mouth and giggled.

"Fufu. Though if a goblin does reach the boat, I suppose guarding might turn into whacking."

Jackey's golden eyes lit up at once. He looked at Hyoren hopefully. Hyoren only shook his head with a chuckle.

***

Arianna lightly tapped the end of her staff against the deck. Her light blue eyes were thoughtful.

"Leader. May I ask something? Which should I prioritize? The densest part of their formation, or high-value targets?"

Before Hyoren could answer, Jackey tilted his head.

"Arianna, why not just throw your big boom spell straight at the skulker boss?"

He spread both arms wide.

"BOOM! Leader gone! Skulkers run away! Done!"

Hyoren smiled and shook his head.

"It's too risky, Jackey."

Arianna covered her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Ohoho. Leader is right. Earth Fissure covers an enormous area. But it is not instantaneous. A clever enough enemy with enough protection could avoid the worst of it."

Jackey's ears drooped in confusion. His head tilted further.

Hyoren stepped closer and raised one finger.

"First, the Chieftain is Level 35. Its stats will be high, and it'll have plenty of skills. Even if Arianna's spell hits it directly, there's a real chance it survives."

He raised a second finger.

"Second, it won't be alone. It'll be surrounded by its strongest guards. And almost certainly by several Goblin Shamans."

He looked Jackey in the eye.

"Remember the Fourth Floor Guardian? The two Goblin Shamans beside the Caster?"

Jackey's ears suddenly shot up.

"The shiny walls! Arianna's lava went GHORO, and the skulker shamans made shiny walls, and the lava stopped!"

Hyoren nodded.

"Exactly. Their barriers stopped even Lava Surge, albeit barely. Against a Chieftain guarded by Shamans, Earth Fissure could end up the same way. Arianna might pour half her Aethell into a spell that only breaks a few barriers."

Arianna's expression turned slightly rueful. She lightly adjusted the brim of her hat.

"Ohoho… A rather humbling memory, I must admit. Their barriers were layered one after another. Each one broke, but together they held.”

Hyoren lowered his hand and looked out toward the east.

"So instead of gambling on something that's heavily defended, we focus on thinning their numbers. The fewer goblins reach Akela, the easier the third and fourth phases become for everyone."

Jackey stared at him for a long moment. Then his face lit up with understanding.

"Ohhh! So that's how it is!"

Hyoren nodded.

"The Chieftain will be well protected, and its level is high. It won't go down that easily."

He turned back to Arianna.

"Focus on the densest groups."

Arianna inclined her head gracefully.

"Understood, Leader."

Hyoren turned toward Oria.

The small elf had gone back to staring at the river. Her fingers absently traced the polished blue gem of the Azure Wand.

"Oria."

She blinked and looked up.

Hyoren crouched slightly so their eyes were level.

"I know what Arianna can do. But I've never seen you fight. Tell me what to expect."

Oria was quiet for a moment. Then she rose from the crate and walked to the railing. She looked down at the fast-moving current below.

"My Water Spirit can't do what Arianna does. It can't open the earth and swallow a thousand goblins at once."

She lifted the Azure Wand slightly, and its gem caught the light.

"But it can keep up a steady bombardment for as long as there's water nearby. The more water, the stronger it gets. And the longer it lasts."

She swept the wand toward the wide river around them.

"And as you can see, we have plenty."

She turned back toward Hyoren and lifted her chin. For a brief moment, the old sharpness returned to her sapphire eyes.

"When Arianna needs to recover her Aethell, leave the thinning to me. I won't give them a single moment to breathe."

Hyoren held her gaze. Then he smiled.

"That's reassuring. Thank you, Oria."

Oria's ears turned pink. She quickly looked back at the river.

"D-Don't thank me yet. Thank me after it works."

Hyoren straightened and quietly ran through the numbers once more.

With Arianna's current Aethell reserves, and the regeneration boost from Noctynara's Lament, she could unleash two Earth Fissures today, as long as she had enough time to recover between casts.

She should save the refill for tomorrow's battle… But the window between the casts will be our weakest moment…

And that's where Oria comes in…

The Water Spirit would fill the gap. Elise would keep picking off commanders. And he and Jackey would make sure no goblin ever reached the three of them.

Arianna strikes… Oria sustains… Elise cuts off the head of every squad leader she can see…

And we protect all of them…

It was a simple plan. But Hyoren had learned that simple plans were the ones that survived contact with the enemy.

***

The Sailer pressed on.

Gradually, the river began to change. The far bank drew closer. The grassland on either side rose into low, rolling hills. Here and there, rocky outcrops jutted toward the water. The current grew faster and rougher, and Holley's grip on the helm tightened as he guided the boat through.

Jackey had stopped leaning on the railing. He stood with both axes at his hips and his ears perked high, his golden eyes scanning the banks.

Elise had unslung her bow. An arrow rested loosely against the string.

Even Arianna had gone quiet. The four colors inside her staff's orb drifted a little faster than before.

Then Holley shouted from the helm.

"Mister Hyoren! Northern bank! Rider coming!"

Everyone turned at once.

On the northern bank, a lone horse galloped along the river's edge, kicking up clods of earth with every stride. Its rider wore the steel armor and insignia of an Akela knight. He was waving one arm high above his head.

Hyoren hurried to the railing.

"Holley! Bring us closer!"

Holley eased off the throttle and swung the bow toward the northern bank. The Sailer slowed and drifted within shouting distance. The knight reined in his horse at the water's edge. Both he and his mount were breathing hard, and sweat streaked the horse's flanks.

The knight cupped a hand around his mouth.

"Freedom Party! I bring word from the forward scouts!"

Hyoren gripped the railing.

"Go ahead!"

The knight drew a deep breath. Even across the water, the tension in his voice was clear.

"The goblin army is advancing along the river! Their vanguard is moving as we estimated! At your current speed… You'll make contact in less than an hour!"

Silence fell over the deck.

Hyoren's grip on the railing tightened. Then he forced himself to relax.

"Understood! Thank you! Get back to the city and report!"

The knight gave a sharp salute. Then he wheeled his horse around and spurred it west, back toward Akela. Within moments, he was only a dot on the grassland.

Hyoren turned around.

His party was already watching him. Elise's hand had tightened around her bow. Jackey's tail had stopped swaying entirely. Arianna stood perfectly still, her staff gripped firmly in one hand. Oria held the Azure Wand against her chest with both hands, her knuckles white.

Hyoren looked at each of them in turn. Then he nodded once.

"You heard him. Get ready."

He turned toward the stern.

"Holley! Full speed!"

Holley grinned savagely and poured Aethell into the controls.

"Aye, Mister Hyoren!"

The magic tools at the stern roared. The Sailer leapt forward and carved a white path through the narrowing river.

Elise drew an arrow from her quiver and checked the fletching. Jackey rolled his shoulders and loosened his grip on his axes. Arianna closed her eyes, and the four colors within her orb began to swirl faster. Oria stepped up to the railing beside her and stared down into the rushing water, as if speaking to something only she could see.

Hyoren stood at the bow and looked east.

The hills ahead blocked the horizon. But beyond them, faint and distant, he could almost hear it.

A low, rhythmic rumble rolling across the grassland—the sound of fifteen thousand goblins marching toward Akela.

He rested his hand on Dawn Breaker's hilt.

Here they come.

***

Slowly but surely, the rumbling grew louder.

At first, it was only a low tremor beneath the roar of The Sailer's engine. Then it became a steady, rolling thunder, felt through the deck boards and in the soles of their boots.

Then came the sounds.

Guttural snarls. Hundreds of them, then thousands, overlapping into a single, endless growl. The clank and scrape of rusted weapons knocking against crude armor. The shrill, barking cries of goblins calling to one another across the grassland.

Jackey's ears flattened. His tail went rigid behind him.

Over the crest of the hills to the northeast, a haze appeared. It started as a faint brown smudge against the morning sky. Then it spread, thickening and rising, until it swallowed the horizon.

A cloud of dust.

Kicked up by fifteen thousand goblins marching at once.

For a moment, no one on the deck spoke. Even Holley's hands had gone still on the helm.

Hyoren drew a slow breath. Then he barked his order.

"Everyone, to your positions! Arianna! Prepare your first Earth Fissure!"

The deck burst into motion.

Hyoren left the Umbral Phalanx strapped to his left gauntlet in its compact form. With his right hand, he drew Dawn Breaker. The pure white mithril slid free of its sheath with a clean ring and caught the light of the twin suns.

Then he raised his left hand. Aethell flowed into the ring on his finger.

"Spear. Come out."

The Ring of Arsenal pulsed. The air above his palm rippled, and a weapon materialized in his grip—Étendard Sacré du Lys.

The pure white mithril spear settled into his left hand as though it had always belonged there. Beneath its spearhead, the white banner unfurled in the river wind. On its face, the black Aetovacus spread its rigid, obsidian wings, soaring upward once more, with two hazy rings of dark mist trailing behind it.

The moment the banner caught the wind, Hyoren felt it.

A subtle current rippled outward from the standard. It washed over Elise. Over Jackey. Over Arianna. Every one of them who looked to him as their leader, and who could see the white banner flying above the deck.

Jackey's ears shot up. He flexed his fingers around the handles of his axes and grinned.

"There it is! Big Bro's flag power!"

He drew both axes from his hips. The Bloody Axe in his right hand. The Blackmaw Tomahawk in his left. He tossed them into the air at the same time. They spun end over end, flashing in the sunlight, before he caught both by the handle without even looking.

His tabby cat tail spiraled behind him. He planted himself at the northern railing.

"Ready to whack… err, I mean, ready to guard! Big Bro!"

Hyoren chuckled despite himself.

Elise had already moved.

She grabbed the edge of the cabin roof and swung herself up in one smooth, practiced motion. Her silver ponytail whipped behind her as she rose to her feet atop the highest point of the boat. From there, the whole northern bank lay open before her.

She drew the Moonveil Bow. An arrow was already nocked. She pulled the string back until it rested against her cheek and held it there, perfectly steady. Her emerald eyes narrowed toward the approaching dust cloud, already searching for the first squad leader to show itself.

She spoke without lowering the bow.

"Ready, Hyoren."

At the center of the deck, Arianna and Oria glanced at each other.

Neither of them spoke. Arianna gave a small, graceful nod. After a moment's hesitation, Oria nodded back.

Together, they walked to the bow of the ship.

Oria stopped at the railing, her small frame dwarfed by the open river before her. She clutched the Azure Wand in both hands, its blue gem glinting. For a brief moment, her eyes went wide, and she glanced down at her own hands. Then she looked back at the white banner flying above Hyoren's head.

Something in her expression shifted. Her grip on the wand steadied.

"I'm ready, Hyoren."

Beside her, Arianna raised Quadraflux Weaver high above her head. Inside its crystal orb, the four colors drifted in a slow dance. Red. Brown. Green. Blue.

Her light blue eyes were calm.

"I am ready as well, Leader."

Hyoren nodded firmly.

"On my mark, both of you begin casting your Branch Magic."

He turned his attention to the river.

Here, it was nothing like the river at Akela. Near the city, the Akela River was so wide and fast that no one could hope to swim across it. Here, upstream, the banks had pressed close together. The current still ran swift and rough, but the river was only a few dozen meters wide.

Narrow enough that a determined group of goblins could force their way across.

Hyoren spun toward the stern.

"Holley! Stop here! Hold this position, but move us as close to the opposite bank as you can! We need as much distance from that army as possible!"

Holley's grin returned, sharp and focused.

"Aye, Mister Hyoren!"

His hands moved across the controls. The jet of water at the stern sputtered, then shifted. The Sailer glided toward the southern bank and slowed. Then, as Holley adjusted the flow of Aethell, the magic engine began pushing back against the current with exactly the same force.

The boat stopped.

It didn't drift. It didn't sway. Even as the rough current churned white around the hull, The Sailer held its position near the southern bank, as though it had been anchored to the riverbed.

Hyoren glanced back at Holley. The ferryman's eyes never left the water. His hands made constant, tiny corrections to the controls. Every surge of the current was met and cancelled out before it could move the boat a single handspan.

A faint smile touched Hyoren's lips.

As expected of the Guild's ferryman…

He turned back to the north.

The dust cloud had grown enormous. It towered over the hills, blotting out a whole stretch of the sky. Beneath it, along the ridge line, the first dark shapes were beginning to appear. Dozens. Then hundreds. A tide of green bodies, rusted blades and crude spears pouring over the hilltop like a flood breaking through a dam.

The snarling had become a roar.

The ground on the northern bank trembled beneath their feet. Small stones bounced and rolled down the slope into the river.

Hyoren tightened his grip on Dawn Breaker in his right hand. On Étendard Sacré du Lys in his left. The white banner snapped in the wind above him, and the black Aetovacus soared against the morning sky.

He looked at his party one last time.

Elise atop the cabin, her arrow drawn. Jackey at the railing, his axes ready. Arianna at the bow with her staff raised high. Oria beside her, clutching her wand.

Behind them, Holley held the boat steady against the current.

Half a year ago, he had faced the goblins of the Forest of No Return alone. Now, he faced fifteen thousand of them—and he was not alone at all.

Hyoren raised his voice above the roar of the horde.

"Everyone. Let's do this!"