Chapter 116: Riot

Reading Settings

Translator: Soafp

---

We hurried back to the mansion after our exploration of the labyrinth.

I, Mother, and Ashera hastened to the study.

Without bothering to knock, we pushed open the door to the study.

Inside, we found Grandpa and Father looking tired, Marl crying, and El appearing anxious.

We had no idea what was going on, so we wanted to hear at least a rough overview of the situation.

“Joshua, please tell us what’s going on.”

Mother asked Father for an explanation.

Father, with a tired expression, looked at me, El, and Ashera before beginning to speak.

“Listen closely…”

Father then proceeded to explain to us what was happening in Blueling to the best of his knowledge.

Summarizing Father’s explanation, the Blue Ring Knight Corps and the Magician Corps had organized an expedition to the Demon Forest to subdue the monsters.

The plan was to spend one day traveling to the Demon Forest, 2-4 days thinning out the monsters, one day returning, and having 3 spare days, making the schedule range from 4 to 9 days.

However, on the fourth night, just when there was a slightly relaxed atmosphere with the expectation of the return order coming the next day or the day after, the sound of emergency alarm whistles rang out in the camp.

“Enemy attack!”

Followed slightly later by voices announcing the enemy attack were heard from the alarm whistles.

The soldiers quickly donned their armor and grabbed their weapons.

As they emerged into the square of the camp, they could already see that battle had begun near the edge of the forest.

“Everyone, get into battle positions. It’s all-out warfare. Magician Corps, focus your attacks on the west!”

The commanding voice of Grano, the overall commander of this expedition.

Grano, the commander of the Magic Division. He is the brother of a rare wizard called the “Ice-Witch”.

They studied magic under the same teacher.

Rafina was brought to Grano by his teacher as a new apprentice when he was 12 years old. For the next few years, they lived in the same house and grew up together as a family.

At first, her cute appearance and carefree nature stimulated his paternal feelings, and he even had a faint crush on her.

However, as he watched her rapidly improve her magical skills with more than twice the magical power of an ordinary mage, those feelings faded away.

There’s a subtle difference of two years between the ages of 10 and 12, a significant advantage during the growth period. And that talent could overshadow hers.

He managed to keep his jealousy towards himself hidden, thanks to the pride of being the older one by two years. But it took him several years to come to terms with his feelings.

When he turned fifteen, he left on his own to travel. Along the way, he used magic to earn his daily bread. He also registered as an adventurer because it was convenient.

After two years of traveling, he ended up in Blue Ring…

“It just felt right.”

Grano later said, but even he was surprised at how well he fit into the atmosphere of this place.

He was able to join the Magician Corps safely, and after two years, he picked up his pen to write to his teacher and his younger disciple again.

Whether it was because of that letter or not, several years later, even his younger disciple came to Blue Ring, but that’s another story.

Grano mounted his horse to get a better view of the battlefield and assess the situation. As he surveyed the scene from horseback, he couldn’t help but entertain futile thoughts like,

“If only I could use space kicks…”

Whether it was because he had the luxury to do so or because he felt cornered, he couldn’t tell.

From the vantage point of his horse, he finally managed to discern the vague shapes of the enemy: goblins.

Considered the weakest among monsters, they posed no real threat to the knight and mage corps under normal circumstances.

However, the problem lay in their overwhelming numbers, which seemed to engulf the entire field of vision.

Realizing that they were in danger of being overwhelmed, Grano immediately ordered a retreat.

“Everyone, transition to retreat mode! Supply units take the lead in the withdrawal! Singari, focus on supporting the knights! Our priority is for everyone to make it back alive!”

Under Grano’s command, knights and mages swiftly sprang into action. However, despite their efforts, casualties began to mount gradually under the overwhelming onslaught of goblins.

When Grano had decided to initiate the retreat, he had also taken another precaution: sending out a “request for reinforcements.” If only one of the “Shuras” were present at Blue Ring…

Upon receiving Grano’s request for reinforcements, preparations for a rescue mission were initiated in the Blue Ring territory.

Although it was a decision made unilaterally by Knight Commander Miroku due to the absence of the entire noble family, swift action was taken to organize a rescue team. Simultaneously, urgent messages were dispatched to the capital.

Knight Commander Miroku couldn’t help but think: “If only Aldo and Elphus were here in time, Blue Ring might stand a chance.” The reported size of the goblin horde was far beyond what a single Blue Ring territory could handle.

Condense Ray… that unreasonable ultimate magic was needed.

His role was to buy time until Aldo and Elphus returned. However, even if they hurried, it would take at least ten days to round trip to the capital. Even if Aldo and Elphus were fortunate enough to arrive in time, it seemed his own life wouldn’t make it.

The scene shifts back to the Blue Ring mansion.

“…So the enemy is goblins. As for their scale… it’s likely that even the knight and mage corps won’t be more than a temporary deterrent…”

As Father spoke, Grandpa continued,

“I’ve already informed the king, but it will take a week to mobilize the army, another week to prepare supplies, and another week for travel. Even if we rush, it will be three weeks to a month before any action can be taken. The strategy will likely focus on containing the situation rather than outright defending Blue Ring.”

Grandpa’s words amounted to a de facto declaration of defeat… it meant the destruction of Blue Ring.

Marl’s tears now made sense… as he muttered,

“Father, Mother, Levin.”

The mention of Levin indicated the name of Marl’s younger brother, born earlier this year. I understood, having Clara my self, that siblings with a significant age gap were genuinely endearing.

El seemed at a loss with Marl…

“Grandpa, prepare the carriages and horses immediately. If possible, also prepare accurate maps of Blue Ring and the capital.”

There were two…no, three reactions to my words.

One saw hope, Father, who wore a blatantly pleased expression, looking like a child seeing a hero for the first time.

One person looked troubled – Grandpa seemed to be leading that group. He seemed hesitant about whether it was really okay to let us go, as we were the only hope. And then, there was another reaction – confusion. That was from El.

“El… Are you scared?”

Elle looked visibly flustered at my words.

“Elle, remember when I told you not to come on dungeon explorations?”

“Yes…”

“I meant that you didn’t need to put yourself in danger because of my selfish reasons.”

“Yes…”

“But things are different now, right? El, look at Marl.”

El gazed at Marl with a pained expression.

“Your loved ones are in danger. Not just Tab. Yamato, Garl, Berett, Tamei, our loved ones, our cherished places – everything is at risk.”

“…”

“I’m going. Grandpa, please hurry and prepare the carriages and horses. I’ll go to the kitchen now to procure supplies.”

With that, I swiftly headed to the kitchen. I asked the chef to pack as much emergency food as possible into boxes. Of course, I had already packed five days’ worth into my backpack.

As I was preparing, it seemed Ashera and Mother were planning to come along too.

“Ashera, Mother, are you both going?”

“Of course. It’s only natural to protect our own home.”

“It’s not just Aldo. There are many important people and things for me there.”

Somehow, that place had become a land filled with our precious belongings.

We had to protect Blue Ring at all costs. I swore to myself once again.

We needed to do everything we could to prepare. We loaded the food onto the carriage. We also considered sleeping in the carriage and even abandoning it for horseback travel if necessary.

I also wanted to bring the sleeping potion I used in the Knight Order. Being able to sleep immediately and get four hours’ worth of sleep in one hour would be helpful.

As we were preparing, Grandpa called for us, and we went with Ashera and Mother to the study.

“Aldo, this is the accurate map from Blue Ring to the capital.”

Grandpa said, spreading out a map on the desk.

The map only showed the territories of the capital and Blue Ring, with nothing in between. Only the royal family seemed to possess a complete map of the entire country.

But for now, this would suffice. I studied the map to see if there were any shortcuts or alternative routes.

I discovered a significant shortcut.

The route from the capital to Blue Ring circumvented a valley called the “Abyssal Valley.”

If we could ignore this, we could cut four days off the journey. It was a calculation that we could reach Blue Ring in two days from here.

The problem was that I couldn’t take Mother with me, and Ashera and I would be traveling alone. We needed to figure out how to handle breaks, sleep, and meals.

Could we make it with a forced march for two days? As I pondered, the door to the study opened, revealing El, fully armed.

“Nii-sama, I’m sorry for before. After talking with Marl, I realized my misunderstanding. I won’t engage in meaningless battles, but there’s a righteous cause for me to fight in this battle.”

El’s face looked relieved, as if a burden had been lifted.

It felt like it had been a long time since I’d seen El with that expression. I welcomed him with a light punch to the side as he spoke.

Father seems to believe that with our magic, especially Condense Ray, we can manage somehow. He suggests that me, El, and Ashera should cross the valley together.

However, Mother disagreed with both arguments.

According to Grandpa’s argument, Blue Ring probably won’t survive. And based on Father’s argument, even if we defeat the enemy, Me and El will likely die in battle.

Taking these into account, Mother’s proposal is as follows:

Crossing the valley is absolutely necessary. The problem lies in the selection of individuals. Me, El, and Ashera are confirmed to go, with Mother and Halva accompanying them.

El and I will take turns carrying Mother, while Ashera will carry Halva to the other side of the valley.

Once there, we will rest for a full day, ensuring everyone’s magical energy recovers. Then, we will search for the optimal location to launch Condense Ray, using it twice a day to continuously weaken the enemy.

Although it would be ideal to join forces with Blue Ring at some point, under current circumstances, guerrilla warfare seems inevitable. Therefore, we’ll request the fastest possible reinforcements from the mansion to Blue Ring.

That sums up Mother’s proposal. It was a moment where everyone here witnessed the true power of the legendary adventurer known as the “Ice Witch.” While I couldn’t help but wish she had shown glimpses of this power more often…

And so, the plan was decided. The only remaining issue is what to tell Halva and Lush-san… My stomach twisted slightly at the thought.