Chapter 95: Nameragon
Inside the office, there was a dark elf cowering on the floor, trembling with his head down. It was a pitiful sight.
“Brother...” muttered Adinio.
Ladet, the leader of Nameragon and Adinio’s brother, finally noticed them. His eyes widened in surprise.
“Oh, you’re here, Brother,” said Ladet in a cheerful tone.
Then he repeatedly kicked the dark elf, who was cowering in front of him.
“Argh!” the dark elf groaned as he rolled across the ground.
Ladet—who, unlike most elves, had a muscular physique—was in the midst of beating up a dark elf in his office. He looked around him in search of something and then picked up a leather belt. Then he wrapped it around his hand and repeatedly struck the dark elf, who lay sprawled on the floor.
The dark elf whimpered and begged for mercy, but Ladet stood firm.
“Now, tell me why Arden suddenly changed,” Ladet demanded.
“I don’t know... anything...” said the dark elf.
“I guess it’s still not enough.”
Ladet placed a foot on the dark elf’s head and then spit on him. A glob of Ladet’s saliva dripped down the dark elf’s cheek.
“Brother, he is the traitor,” Ladet explained to Adinio.
“Brother...” muttered Adinio.
“He revealed to Arden that Jamero wasn’t in Nameragon. Fucking bastard.”
Ladet lashed the dark elf with his belt once more. A sharp crack rang out, and blood splattered onto the ground. The dark elf’s screams filled the office.
“This guy gave away the garrison’s information, so most of the troops were attacked and are now unable to defend the City Hall!” Ladet said angrily.
He stepped on the dark elf’s head, pressing his boots firmly onto the dark elf’s face. Then he twisted the dark elf’s leg as well.
Ladet suddenly raised his head and asked Adinio, “Who are your friends over there? Why are they here?”
“This is Crockta. He and his friends have come to help us,” answered Adinio.
“Ohh, Crockta!” exclaimed Ladet.
He promptly dropped his belt and spread his arms wide open.
“Crockta, the one who saved Mount Luclan and drove away the chiefdom from Nuridot! Is it really you?! Welcome!” shouted Ladet.
“Are you alive?” greeted Crockta.
Ladet approached and hugged Crockta. He gave Crockta a slap on the back and laughed heartily.
“I heard the rumors, but I can’t believe you just appeared in my office like magic!” Ladet said.
Crockta wondered whether this man was actually an orc in a dark elf’s body. His stature and mannerisms resembled those of a soldier in Orcrox.
“I’m embarrassed to meet you in such poor circumstances,” Ladet continued as he gestured at them to sit down.
Then, he grabbed the dark elf, who was lying face down on the ground, by the hair and threw him into a corner. The dark elf landed against a wall and groaned in pain.
“Let’s leave him be,” Ladet said.
“He could die,” commented Adinio.
“Countless guards and civilians died because of him. He deserves to die,” replied Ladet firmly.
Crockta pulled over a chair from the back of the office and sat down.
“How does it look outside?” asked Ladet.
“Arden has seized control already,” answered Adinio.
“Dammit. If only Jamero were here...”
“When will he return?”
“He’ll be gone for at least ten more days. He might get here faster if we were able to reach him,” said Ladet. He lowered his head and caressed his chin while considering the situation. “Things aren’t looking good. Especially the guy named Driden...”
Ladet glanced over at his sword on his desk. It was larger than a rapier, which most dark elves used, but it was smaller than Crockta’s greatsword. Ladet’s sword was a bastard sword.
Then Ladet shook his head again and conceded, “No, I’m no match for him.”
“Brother, it’s possible for Crockta,” said Adinio.
Adinio had already seen Driden and Crockta fight against each other. It had only been for a brief moment, but Crockta had been able to hold his ground against Driden. He had even managed to inflict damage on Arden’s group and escape. Adinio firmly believed that Crockta would win against Driden in the right circumstances.
“Is that so?” Ladet replied. He still had a worried look on his face. “But this is a much greater issue than winning a battle.”
“What do you mean?”
“Arden’s influence has suddenly increased. It means that there are citizens who agree with him. They believe in his nonsense of joining forces with the chiefdom! They’ve also raised their weapons!”
Ladet looked at the dark elf who was lying in the corner and breathing heavily. When the dark elf noticed Ladet looking at him, he quickly averted his gaze in surprise.
“This guy is the same. He wasn’t that stupid, but he was strangely bewitched by Arden,” Ladet remarked.
“Are you implying that there could be more to it?” asked Adinio.
“Yeah. I think Arden might be bewitched too. He’s always had a rebellious spirit, but he wasn’t the type of elf who had the guts to do such a crazy thing,” Ladet answered.
He was silent for a while.
Then he solemnly continued, speaking quietly as if he was sharing a secret, “The chiefdom.”
“The chiefdom?”
“There’s a mysterious sorcerer by the chieftain’s side,” said Ladet with a calm look in his eyes. He was a man who could stay rational even in a stressful situation. “He has mysterious powers. He can make others move according to his will. Some even say that the chieftain is running wild because of him.”
“Then...”
“That’s just what I think.”
Ladet made eye contact with Adinio, Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor in succession.
He added, “It’s not just a simple matter of winning the battle against the chiefdom. They’re wielding some strange powers.”
Crockta’s expression turned solemn.
It made sense. At Mount Luclan, the gnomes had betrayed and attacked their long-time neighbors. In Nuridot, some orcs had used strange magic to infiltrate the village and hold the dark elves hostage.
Now, in Nameragon, a demagogue named Arden was creating a rift among the dark elves, urging them to join forces with the chiefdom. It was completely unlike the battle tactic of orcs. Ladet’s group suspected that there was a cunning strategist behind it all who practiced wicked sorcery.
“We can’t let things play out as the sorcerer intends,” declared Ladet as he got up from his seat. “Let’s first re-inspect the defenses. There is a magic circle installed at City Hall in case of emergencies, so we will be able to hold our ground until Jamero returns.”
He then tied up the dark elf whom he had been beating up and left the office.
***
The members of the garrison and the captain were looking out their windows and shooting arrows while Arden’s group was continuously circling around the City Hall.
“They can’t come inside that easily. If they do something more violent, the citizens won’t hold back any longer. The best option for us is to draw things out for as long as possible,” said Ladet while crossing his arms and looking outside.
Crockta poked his head outside too and saw Arden and Driden. Suddenly, Driden raised his head.
Driden looked at the window where Ladet was standing and scanned the members of the garrison who were nocking their arrows. Upon seeing that, Crockta retreated to keep the existence of the secret passage hidden.
Then Driden began walking toward them, and all of the dark elves by the windows tensed up. This was the demonic swordsman Driden after all.
Driden’s footsteps were slow as if he were on a stroll. Arrows flew toward him, but he cut them down with his scimitars. He had astounding dynamic visual acuity.
“What should we do?!” exclaimed the guards.
Ladet maintained his composure and told them, “It’s okay. This place is protected by magic.”
Even if Driden approached the first floor, he would be flung back by the protection magic and wouldn’t be able to enter. That’s what he believed. He knew that Jamero had painstakingly created the magic circle, which was a barrier that could only be broken down by someone powerful or a sorcerer of the same level.
Driden trembled and then retreated. Each time he tried to enter the City Hall, sparks of electricity prevented him from doing so.
“He cannot possibly enter...”
Yet, as soon as Ladet said those words, everyone inside felt a tremor run through the City Hall.
“...!”
Purple aura rose from Driden’s scimitars as he swung them. Then a magic circle emerged from the bulwark around the City Hall and circled around Driden. Jamora’s magic circle was acting like Driden’s magic circle when it had absorbed Tiyo’s attack. The two formidable magical forces, Jamora’s magic circle and Driden’s purple aura, collided and created a shockwave that shook the City Hall.
“He’s not a magic swordsman,” observed Tiyo. “He is carrying magic swords... and they’re extremely strong.”
Each time Driden struck the bulwark that the magic circle had created, those in the City Hall felt a strange warping sensation in the space around them. It was an unsettling feeling. The City Hall’s magic circle was starting to crack.
“Ladet!” a member of the garrison called up while running up the stairs. “There’s a crack... in the crystal core...”
This was astonishing news. The magic circle couldn’t operate on its own. If the wizard himself wasn’t present, then it needed a corresponding object that had magical powers akin to the wizard. The crystal core was what kept the magic circle running in Jamero’s absence.
“Dammit,” cussed Ladet. Then he grinned and said, “What can we do? We’ll just have to fight.”
The members of the garrison were continuously shooting arrows at their enemies, but it wasn’t enough. Ladet went back to his office and brought his bastard sword. It was highly unusual for a dark elf to carry such a heavy weapon, but it suited Ladet because he had such a muscular build.
“Crockta, can you fight for us?” he asked.
“Of course,” Crockta answered.
“Thank you. We won’t forget your help,” replied Ladet. “I know we dark elves sometimes act hostile toward other species, but if we can capture Arden, I will make sure no dark elf discriminates against other species in Nameragon.”
“Don’t worry. Soon, it won’t just be those in Nameragon but the entire north who will be in awe of me,” said Crockta with a grin. He placed his Ogre Slayer on his shoulder and added, “I’m going to defeat the chieftain, not some nobody like Arden.”
“Indeed!” Ladet exclaimed before bursting into laughter. “I wasn’t thinking big enough! Hahaha! Let’s go, guys!”
Ladet had the ability to raise the morale of those around him. His easy-going attitude gave them the assurance that they could overcome any life-threatening situation as long as they were with him.
The members of the garrison put on their equipment. The guards who were skilled in archery would remain by the windows, and the rest went downstairs to fight Driden.
“Tiyo, what kind of item is a magic sword?” asked Crockta, who had never met a warrior who wielded a magic sword yet.
“Think of it like my General. Driden fights by swinging his swords and using magic in the moments in between. If he were a magic swordsman, it would be dangerous ‘cause you don’t know what to expect. But in Driden’s case, the magic doesn’t seem to be coming from him. Rather, his sword seems to be imbued with a type of defense magic,” replied Tiyo.
“Defense magic,” muttered Crockta.
Thinking about it now, Crockta realized that he was particularly weak to non-physical attacks like magic or sorcery. After reaching the realm of the pinnacle, he was able to dodge or cut down most attacks, but he would struggle if he ran into a sorcerer of a similar level to him. However, if Crockta had a magic artifact like Driden, he would be able to defend himself against magic.
“Would it suit me?” Crockta muttered to himself.
He imagined swinging a nimble scimitar with his large stature.
“Hmm...” he murmured, concluding that it didn’t look too good.
While Crockta got ahead of himself in his thoughts, the group arrived on the first floor of the City Hall, where Driden was breaking the magic circle at the entrance. Drops of sweat emerged on his forehead. It appeared that he was struggling. He let out a fatigued groan each time he twisted his body and swung his sword to strike the magic circle.
“What are you doing? Break it quickly! You idiot!” shouted Arden. “Break it quickly, you dumbass!”
Crockta squinted as he watched Arden behave disrespectfully toward Driden. He vividly remembered Arden’s smug face from the time he arrogantly declared that Driden only listened to his commands. Crockta couldn’t help but feel a sense of disdain toward Arden.
Then Crockta stepped forward. The eyes of Ladet and the garrison were fixed on his back. Tiyo and Anor were used to Crockta, so they knew what he was about to do. Thus, Tiyo grasped his General even tighter, and Anor clasped the small wand he had received as a gift from the lich in the Black Forest.
Crockta stood at the entrance door and looked at Driden, who was behind it. Their eyes met, and Crockta opened the door.
“...!”
The magic circle disappeared, as the door had been opened from the inside.
“We meet again, Driden,” greeted Crockta.
“...”
Driden was still quiet, but his eyes sparkled as if he was glad to see Crockta. He looked back and forth between Crockta’s greatsword and his face with an excited expression. Driden looked as if he was ready to swing his swords at any moment.
“Let’s wait a bit. There’s no rush,” said Crockta.
“...”
Driden’s dual swords twitched in the air as if they were itching to slice through Crockta and look into his insides.
Meanwhile, Arden’s group drew closer to Driden. They had many members. Even with Crockta’s crew and Ladet’s garrison combined, Arden’s group still outnumbered them by more than twice. Moreover, Arden’s group was holding members of the garrison hostage. They had gathered the personal information of some garrison members from a whistleblower and ambushed them at the same time before they could report to work. Other garrison members who had already been working were also ambushed on their way to the City Hall.
Arden laughed and said, “Ladet, do you remember your days of wandering around as a warrior? How unlike an elf.”
“Yeah, but right now, I’m Nameragon’s mayor, and you are still a wanderer,” Ladet replied.
“Shut up,” Arden growled. His face turned red, but he quickly regained his composure and smirked. Using a dramatic tone as if he were acting in a play, he said, “Ohh God, help us. This long-standing grudge has returned, and it’s grabbing my throat. It continues to exist even as years pass, accumulating like layers of dust. Then it dried up and became a permanent smudge. That cold ember!”
“Are you still writing frivolous plays?”
“What do you know, you ignorant fool? The fact that you’re Nameragon’s mayor is the shame of dark elves,” said Arden.
He nudged the back of Driden, who then took a step forward.
Ladet stared at Driden. Once he took a close look at Driden’s face, an old memory resurfaced in his mind.
“You are... Could it be...”
“Yeah,” said Arden. “Driden is the son of Julio, whom you killed.”
Driden raised his dual swords.
Arden pointed at Ladet as he said, “Driden. It’s time to kill your father’s enemy. My soldier, my sword... use your hands to kill this tumor raising its head in our home Nameragon!”
During his shout, something flew at Arden. Then blood spewed everywhere.
A small dagger had come flying at Arden, and Driden had managed to deflect it. However, the dagger still slid past him and struck the shoulder of the elf standing by Arden’s side.
“Argh...” the elf groaned.
Everyone looked in the direction of where the dagger came from.
“You talk too much.”
It was Crockta.
He continued, “Raise your sword.”
Crockta raised his greatsword and approached Arden’s group. Except for Driden, all of the dark elves each took a step back upon seeing Crockta’s frightening aura.
Driden grinned and raised his dual swords. Everyone could sense it. There was no need for long-winded explanations. Right now, an epic battle between two unrivaled monsters was about to begin.
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