Half an hour before the planned attack of the Armakea, Kyran left the Eidum's HQ. He warped to the weakest location of the Eidum's border where the supposed sneak attack would happen.
Nahir told the Eidums during his address that their border's defenses were enough to handle that area. Thus, they did not have to worry about it. He was right about this. After all, he witnessed Kyran enhance the border's array formation. Although he did not completely understand what the younger man did because the formulas looked foreign, he knew his Lost Technology knowledge was legit.
At the very least, Nahir trusted Kyran's knowledge of Lost Technology. Nevertheless, that did not mean he would leave that area unattended.
Initially, Nahir thought of having Azikh and his team monitor that area. However, Kyran volunteered to go himself.
The younger man reasoned that if he stayed with them to assist in countering the Armakea's direct attack on their border, the Eidums might act complacent and not perform to the best of their abilities.
Nahir agreed and allowed Kyran to do as he pleased.
Like Kyran, Nahir also wanted his people to gain real combat experience by going into battle. He did not want them to experience just any battle— but a life-and-death one. If Kyran were with them, the chances of that happening would be close to zero.
Kyran stood atop the border's steel wall and looked toward the darkness-filled clearing below. His brow furrowed because he failed to sense Achim and the others.
'Master.'
Gael's voice sounded in Kyran's head before emerging from his shadow.
Gael had been staying there waiting for Achim because he would be working with them. Kyran did not plan to make a move himself and would only watch them in the dark. But if anything untoward happens, he would step in.
'I don't sense Achim and the others,' Kyran said in response to Gael's call.
While there was still half an hour before the scheduled sneak attack, the detailed information of the mission mentioned Achim and Captain Hohen's group should have arrived at a specific point five hundred meters from the Eidum's border an hour before that.
"Yes, master," Gael replied, kneeling on one knee. "It is the same with me. I have tried expanding my range but failed to sense their presence."
Kyran frowned at this.
Gael's ability to sense everything in the shadow spans three hundred meters and could be extended up to five hundred if he entered the shadows. That range should be enough to sense Achim and the rest.
Kyran's frown deepened. The truth was he thought of several scenarios where Achim and his group would be delayed or even discovered to have changed. Even so, they could handle any unexpected situations with their experience, knowledge, and skills.
But there was one scenario that Kyran found would put Achim and the other five servants in a disadvantageous situation: if an all-out battle happened, they would be outnumbered.
Though Haji was a Legendary, and Achim and the remaining four were Arch Maguses, that would not be enough to handle a hundred or so Arch Maguses. Of course, this was given that the knights who swore allegiance to Achim chose to rescind their pact and did not suffer any repercussions. Add their numbers to Captain Hohen's group, however, they could easily number to around three hundred and fifty.
Kyran took a deep breath and considered his next step. It was still too early to assume Achim's group had been discovered. Besides, if they were in trouble, Kyran would be the first to realize it.
Unlike his Sigils, they were directly connected to his magic core. He would sense it even from afar if their life were in danger.
"I'll go and check on them," Kyran decided after a short pause. He opened his eyes and looked at the distance before him. "Stay here and keep watch. In case another group plans to attack this spot that Achim and the others are unaware of."
"Master," Gael started, hesitant to let Kyran go. "Why not let me go instead? You really should start making full use of us, your Servants."
Kyran never openly called Gael and those he absorbed as Servants, but somehow, Gael used it to refer to themselves.
"I wanted to see what has happened with my own eyes," Kyran replied.
"I understand. However, I sensed something sinister lurking around us."
"Sensed? You're not referring to something you sense with your magic, right?"
"You are right, master. It is more of a gut feeling. Do you not sense it?"
Kyran did not respond simply because Gael was right.
"If you are unable to sense it, master. I suggest you consider thinking about why that is so. If not, it may become your boon."
"You seem to have an idea. Tell me."
"Sometimes, we fail to sense danger directed on your person, especially when directed by someone you trust."
Kyran's eyes flashed as he turned to look at Gael. An invisible force rammed him from above, almost crushing him to the ground.
"Gah!" Gael spat out a mouthful of blood.
Obviously, Kyran knew who Gael was referring to from his words.
Cyneah.
"F-Forgive me, master. I-I've overstepped my boundaries," Gael sought forgiveness at once.
If this had been any other time, Kyran would think Gael was trying to sow discord between him and Cyneah. But the older man had been reborn through his Void magic and knew he would not say something that could easily be interpreted as blasphemous.
Kyran knew anything his Servants or even Sigils would dare say was meant for his good. They would never say anything that could harm him.
Kyran closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. After a while, he waved his hand, instantly healing Gael's internal injury.
"No, I'm sorry. I... acted based on my emotions."
Kyran could not help but groan inwardly as he admitted that. He thought he already had a better hold of his emotions, but apparently, he was still the same.
At least, his emotions tended to go haywire when it came to someone he considered as one of his people.
"Please, master. I am the one in the wrong—."
"That is enough," Kyran cut him off as he opened his eyes. "Go see what happened to Achim and the others. In the meantime, leave a minion or more here to keep watch. If there is any problem, inform me at once. I will return to the HQ."
Gael got back on his knees and lowered his head in respect, "Understood."
Three shadows emerged from his shadow as three figures bearing beast-like features materialized before them.
These three knelt before Kyran and cried in unison, "Lord Master."
"You know what to do," Kyran told them.
"Yes."
"I'm leaving."
Without waiting for them to respond, Kyran returned to the HQ.
He warped right on the edge of the chasm that overlooked the clearing between the two borders.
The confrontation between the two sides had already started.
Kyran was not surprised because the Armakea's forces here were meant to keep the Eidum's forces from noticing the sneak attack from Achim and Captain Hohen's group.
Watching from above, Kyran scanned the battlefield to understand the current situation.
Since the confrontation had just started, it was still early to see who was advantaged or disadvantaged. Nevertheless, because there were three magical beasts among the Armakea forces, it would not be long before they got the advantage.
Looking at the situation from the Eidum's side, they were actually doing good despite being outnumbered. Almost all of them no longer wasted their energy casting offensive magic. Instead, they were grouped into several teams and focused on casting support magic.
Three groups focused on casting restraining magic, and another three focused on casting movement magic. Since they targeted the enemies, they cast slow magic.
There was another, consisting of five groups that focused on casting lethargy on a much larger scale.
Then there were those Eidums who Kyran taught hand-to-hand combat. These Eidums, which consisted of more than five groups, were the ones who attacked directly. They targeted the ones their fellow Eidums had already cast with lethargy, restrain, and slow, reducing the number of the enemies at a certain pace.
Kyran felt a sense of pride watching them working together but had to put aside that emotion because he had other things to do.
While scanning, Kyran saw Nahir leading an attack in the middle, with Gidan and the five veteran fighters he took to the wilderness. Judging from the direction they were going, they planned to confront the three magical beasts.
Kyran turned his attention to the three magical beasts.
Unlike the one he encountered, the three magical beasts did not possess a large frame. They were still huge, however, and looked as powerful as the high orc.
Kyran already learned from Gael what kind of magical beast the Armakea would dispatch.
A Basilisk, Comodo, and a Dryad.
Looking at the basilisk, Kyran could not help but remember Bas and Iss. Still, that did not mean it was similar to them. After all, Bas and Iss were mutated basilisks, while this one was normal.
It made Kyran wonder how this basilisk was considered a magical beast and not a normal one.
Then there was the Comodo. This one was larger than the ones in the Human plane. As a matter of fact, it looked more like its original name from legends.
Earth Dragon.
Despite the current situation, looking at the Comodo brought a small smile to Kyran's lips.
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