Chapter 238: Without Any Cost (2)

"It’s here."

Isaac led me around various locations throughout the moonlight zone. He moved with precision, locating the hidden markings as if the altars were his own creation. Every spot he pointed out revealed intricate symbols. I’d never have noticed them on my own

"How are you able to read all of this?"

"That’s just how I am. Next..."

After scraping the dirt, we waded into the cold stream. Symbols were carved into stones beneath the mountainside riverbed. Scraping away part of the existing carvings, Isaac then etched in new ones. The river flowed steadily, unconcerned with what lay underneath. After repeating this a few more times, we climbed out of the water.

Isaac gave a nod. "It’s done."

"Already?"

Not that I minded finishing early. To be able to convert such a massive area into Malphas’ altar with so few markings... It just felt surreal.

"Why take the hard way when there's an easier path?" He shook his beak as if brushing off dust. "The goal in this world is to live as comfortably as possible. Like I said before, just change the name. The Purson followers spent months carving these out with great effort. It’s only polite that we make the most of it."

"Is that so?"

"Just be still and hide for now."

"..."

I couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to the Purson followers who made these altars. According to Isaac, T&T had already fallen two years ago. Unlike the Naneow’s faction, the Purson cult likely weren’t hunted down by the Empire because they’d supported the war. If they were still alive, it’d explain how they managed to prepare such a massive altar.

I remembered my first life with Rena, where I’d been overwhelmed by those followers. I’d defeated one of them—Lime—and grew stronger ever since. What would it be like to face them now? Maybe I could rescue Rena with ease this time. Not that it mattered now that she was dead.

"..."

The shallow summer river flowed quietly and endlessly. I was prepared for the Purson cult to show up and condemn me for desecrating their altar. Still, my overwhelming concern for Rubia dulled any sense of guilt or caution. If they showed up, I’d just kill them. I was actually curious to see how much I’d grown.

***

In the end, the Purson cult didn’t show up, likely busy building altars elsewhere. I passed the time in silence.

As I sat quietly, Isaac kept poking at me. "Hey. Why are you so uninterested in the altar? Don’t you have any curiosity about the Demon King? Where’s your enthusiasm?"

"Does it have anything to do with saving Rubia?"

"Everything in this world is connected, isn’t it? Plenty of people across time would gladly devote their body and soul to me for my teachings... Can’t you show a little reaction?"

"I’d be grateful if you could teach me.”

"Wow, this guy..." Despite grumbling, Isaac poured out a wealth of knowledge like a seasoned instructor. "Now, about the rotation of forces..."

He even taught me about different military units and what a commander should know.

"Not like I’ll ever lead an army. Besides, aren’t battles usually decided by mages or swordmasters flipping the tide in one go? Why bother with tactics?"

Clang!

Isaac pecked my shin hard with his beak. "Idiot. Only one in a million people can affect a battle on their own."

"..."

"The Wizards of Azure are like that. But they’re also strong because they’re together. Nine out of ten battles are fought without such people."

"I see..."

I decided to just shut up and listen to the lecture.

***

Three days passed.

Rumble. Thud. Thud... Clank.

The damp summer field trembled with mechanical footsteps. Despite the thick fog, I could still sense the machines’ size, number, and direction of movement.

Thud. Thud...

Around ten bipedal machines stationed themselves atop the tallest nearby hill. It was the only area not blanketed by fog. Below, along the river and small forest, units of about one to two hundred soldiers were deployed in long formations. Roughly two thousand troops in total.

I stared toward the hill. "Are those the iron men?"

"Yes. The strongest force on this battlefield. Without your interference, the Confederation forces would likely win by a narrow margin thanks to them."

I approached the hill to get a better look. There were ten in total. Standing around three to four meters tall, the humanoid machines clanked as they flexed their limbs. From up close, they appeared less like golems, and more like massive suits of armor. I couldn’t tell how they operated, but their limb movements were eerily human. There was no mistaking the pilots within.

Whirrr...

Despite their immense size, the ten mechanical warriors moved quickly and fluidly. For an armor that seemed at least thirty centimeters thick, their efficiency was astonishing. They seemed to glide on wheels instead of walking.

Isaac watched the machines warming up and clicked his beak in disdain.

"Tsk, tsk... No progress?"

"Progress?"

"Both magitech and engineering have regressed. Those things are junk, powered by pathetic excuses for engines."

"Still, they look quite formidable."

"The bigger problem is who’s inside. They’re piloting them like amateurs."

They seemed pretty smooth to me, but Isaac kept on criticizing. I imagined drawing my blade and going up against one of them.

Again, the armor was ridiculously thick, probably a hundred or two hundred times tougher than a knight’s full plate. Even getting crushed under their weight could be lethal. I didn’t feel confident I could cut through one.

I’d never seen these machines in combat before. If armored knights on horseback were once disasters for Skeleton Soldiers, then these would be disasters for the knights.

"Colonel! I can’t see a thing below due to this damn fog!" the largest iron man, about a meter taller than the rest, shouted.

The voice, distorted with mechanical resonance, echoed across the hill.

"That’s a voice resonance plate."

Isaac pointed his beak toward the machine’s chest.

"A really old one."

The iron man beside him answered, "That’s true. But thanks to the fog, the enemy knights’ power will also be significantly reduced. With ten iron men forged using our finest technology, the advantage will overwhelmingly be ours in close combat."

"Colonel! Are you saying I should be reprimanded for not predicting the weather? Even I know the basics of that!"

"They’re having a great time. Just leave them be for now... We’ll clean them up once they start fighting each other."

Leaving the Confederation command post behind, we descended the hill.

"First, we’ll eliminate the Confederation forces below. Then, we’ll trap them by surrounding the survivors with elite imperial troops."

"..."

"You could just follow me and be done with it... But I figured I’d let you in on the plan."

We kept moving with the fog. With Stealth skill fully active, even broad daylight couldn’t expose us. There was no need for words as I studied the soldiers up close, hidden in the mist. They were armed with spears, shields, and longswords at their hips. I counted their numbers.

"Still stuck on 160-man units, huh? Haven’t changed a thing,"

Isaac grumbled beside me.

True to his words, each unit numbered around 160. Peering through the fog, I examined each formation. They skillfully held their lines, with decent supplies.

"Getting nervous?"

"I’m not sure."

"Among those men, maybe one or two could survive a single strike from your blade. That’s about it."

I wasn’t nervous about that. There was something... off. The war dragged on for ten years and ended with a decisive imperial victory. However, we were well into what had once been Confederation territory, which wasn’t even the edge of the Empire.

I’d seen larvae, assassins, and the depth of the imperial arsenal in many forms. The sight in front of me didn’t line up with their grim, meticulous preparations for war.

Passing by the tightly packed soldiers again, I noted their faces. Many were worn with fatigue, and more than a few had eyes full of fear, desperate to flee. Yet they couldn’t. They were trapped in this tight formation, boxed in on every side. Once the ranks were formed, individuality vanished. They had no choice but to march forward as gears in the machine.

After watching their unfamiliar faces through the mist, I turned toward the north of the moonlight zone, where hoofbeats echoed. The thunder of hooves grew softer as they entered the fog. Roughly three hundred cavalry, and about a thousand infantry trailing behind half of the Confederation foot soldiers.

"They're slowing down."

"Exactly..."

As I sensed the advancing cavalry, Isaac said,

"Just because there’s fog doesn’t mean cavalry is at a disadvantage. Not when the commander is someone like me."

Another boast, I thought, but I didn’t have anything better to do, so I listened.

"Someone like you...?"

"Someone who memorized all the landscape and can perfectly predict the enemy movement. I can attack where the enemy least expects it, an unlimited number of times."

"..."

I ignored him. Instead, I focused on the cavalry approaching through the mist. The rising dust wasn’t made by machines, but by the distinct shapes of humans and horses, each with their own expressions.

I looked at the faces of the men I was about to kill. One rider, his reins slack, muttered that he wanted a drink. Another beside him, riding shoulder-to-shoulder, said he’d rather have a bath. A third sighed without a word, his helmet slightly askew. As they drew closer, I saw the dried sweat clinging to their skin.

Not many of them spoke of glory or killing, which surprised me. The infantry following behind was even less interested in any such ideals. What I sensed from them was overwhelmingly universal: exhaustion. Their marching resembled the dirt clods being crushed beneath their boots—aimless and silent.

Remaining hidden with my Stealth, I watched them closely. Each thought and emotion felt like it was being tossed at me. Today, I would kill them all, gathering their life records into me. These humans were prey to one large herd of experience points, as indicated by the blue window that floated faintly before me.

Clop. Clop.

I crept beside the imperial cavalry, completely unseen in the fog. No footsteps, no detection.

Their commander issued his orders. "Divide into seven squads of forty. Scout the enemy line, then..."

"This is going to get boring. But keep exposure to a minimum... Jump in only after at least half are dead. Safety first. Give it an hour."

Isaac’s voice didn’t sit well with me. Something about walking among the imperial army felt too familiar. An hour? I didn’t feel like sitting and waiting.

I sensed the nearby archer unit to my right. Seventy meters. Sixty... Fifty.

Wind Blast. Double Cast. Wind Blast.

Fwoooooosh!

"What the!?"

"Why’s there a sudden gust!?"

"The fog is clearing!"

The thick mist between the Confederation archers and imperial cavalry on the right side had vanished. The enemy was now exposed, clear and visible.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

A flurry of arrows flew toward the cavalry's flank. It was a panicked volley, fired at the sudden appearance of a target. Not many of them hit.

Isaac was flustered, clearly realizing I’d acted.

"You little...!"

The cavalry commander didn’t hesitate. He gave the order to charge with excitement. "Charge! Heaven grants us this chance!"

Tudududu!

Instead of scattering for formation, the cavalry surged forward in a single mass toward the disoriented archers lining up for their second volley. Startled by the commotion, the four spear units on the archers’ left and right flanks began shifting their dense formations sideways.

"Protect the archers!"

Clop clop clop!

Of course, I didn’t do this to aid the imperial forces. I killed the last rider in the rear and mounted his horse.

"You crazy...!"

"If you’re going to follow me, come."

This was the altar, and I had simply decided to begin the first offering a little early.