1476 times. Do you think the expeditionary force will succeed?
Elio was thankful but also sorry that Synclair decided to stay by his side in the end.
He was alone in the expeditionary force.
Among the four hundred survivors the only one he could trust was Syncrair.
“Okay I understand. Archduke Knauf also said that he would make sure you would not be disadvantaged. “Don’t think about making the emperor look bad just keep doing what you are doing now.”
“yes.”
A smile appeared on Synclair’s face.
Seeing her like that Elio suddenly remembered his daughter’s childhood.
Her daughter also had various emotional changes.
He sincerely hoped that Synclair would receive a title and live happily.
Synclare asked as Elio’s expression softened.
“By the way Master. You said it before right? “Even the Grand Master will die if he is hit by Exitium.”
“I did.”
“But Archduke Knauf didn’t say that?”
“Did Archduke Knauf say he’s not afraid of Exitium?”
“No you said the opposite. Master said we will overcome Exitium. “He transcended the human realm.”
“I?”
“yes.”
Elio said with a bitter smile.
“I’ve been hit by Exitium a few times so far. I got injured every time. “There are traces of Excitium on my body.”
“But he didn’t die.”
“I was completely lucky that I didn’t die. Have you forgotten what I said ‘In front of Exitium humans become equal?’ I too am just a human being with a body. “No matter how strong I am I cannot escape the limitations of my body.”
Synclair looked at his teacher with new eyes.
Only today I felt like I finally knew who Count Elio Lagoa was.
He was not a divine being as rumored but a human being like himself.
“Are you disappointed?”
“no. In fact I like it because I feel closer to my teacher. “When I thought of Master as a transcendent being it was so far away that it didn’t feel real.”
“Anyway the reason I’m telling you this is to instill awareness in you.”
“Alert?”
“Yes I have been protecting you secretly until now… but when I was fighting demons I lost sight of you several times. “It’s like a miracle that you’re still alive.”
“….”
Synclair just listened in silence.
“The Baarak people are at best mid-level demons. In the Abyss there are gods who follow the high-level demons the demon lord and the evil god Shaitin.”
Of course the evil god Shaitin could also appear but that part was omitted because it was too desperate for the conquest team.
“I can’t protect you by fighting them. There’s a saying in my hometown: When fighting you need seventy percent luck and thirty percent skill. But for you now luck is 90 percent and skill is 10 percent. Because I cannot protect you completely.”
It was the same on the battlefield of Hirhera in the past.
Fabian also went through many such near-death crises to get to where he is now.
Synclaire said firmly.
“I will do my best to survive.”
“Yes as long as you survive it won’t be difficult to receive a title.”
It is a matter of saving this world.
Besides with Synclair’s skills becoming a baron was as easy as lying down and drinking water.
“I will take care of you in the airship… but when the ground battle breaks out make sure you join Archduke Knauf.”
“What about you Master?”
“You will be fighting the strongest enemy.”
“Ah… I understand. “Are you telling me to join Archduke Knauf’s troops when a large-scale battle breaks out?”
“okay. Now I understand what you are saying. When there is fighting on the ground do not try to be near me. At that time it will be safest to be by Archduke Knauf’s side.”
Archduke Knauf was the strongest in the expeditionary force so it would have been better to be by his side.
Sync Lair who hesitated opened his mouth.
“Master.”
“huh?”
“Master do you think the expedition will succeed?”
“why? Do you think you will fail?”
“Half of the airship was destroyed by mid-level demons. “If a high-level demon attacks…”
“Don’t worry about that. “The higher you go the more attacks will be focused on you.”
“yes?”
“The intelligence of demons is superior to that of humans. They will focus more on eliminating me than on the airship. “The airship won’t be able to get to the Black Mountain anyway.”
“yes? why?”
“This is because the dark ether covering the black mountain is poisonous. Even Archduke Knauf won’t be able to hold out for long. “Not to mention other knights and musketeers.”
“It’s that strong?”
“Even the sword master Count Omar felt uncomfortable breathing.”
“ha!”
“There’s nothing to be so disappointed about. “Are you training hard on the small heavenly circuit?”
“Yes I trained without missing a single day.”
“Use the little sky circuit and you’ll be fine even in the dark ether.”
“Really?”
“If I tell you I’m lying won’t you try it?”
“You should try it.”
“Yes not only in the Black Mountain but also everywhere in the Abyss. If you find it difficult to breathe try the Little Sky Circuit. “It will work.”
“Yes but you haven’t answered yet whether the expeditionary force will be successful.”
“It will succeed. “Unless I die.”
“….”
Synclair did not ask any more questions.
After standing in silence for a while she said goodbye and went back.
Elio left alone pondered her last conversation with her sinker.
The goal of the expeditionary force and myself was the same.
It is the destruction of the magic stone.
I don’t know how much I can survive in that process.
In just two days six of the twelve airships had already been destroyed.
Of the 1200 expedition members only about 400 survived.
I haven’t even met any high-level demons or divine beings but that’s about it.
She didn’t tell Sync Lair but honestly the situation was hopeless.
Are you going to conquer the Abyss with just twelve airships? The more I thought about it the more amazed I became.
Nevertheless the reason we cannot criticize him for being reckless is because that is the best of humanity.
With twelve airships and Archduke Knauf it was virtually the same as using all the cards available.
She thought that far and when Elio nodded her head she heard a familiar voice.
“Count Lagoa.”
When I turned around I saw that it was Anna Ramakrish an apostle of the Manaptras Church.
“Apostle Anna? “She’s safe.”
“Thanks to Mana Prass’s blessings.”
A bitter smile appeared on Apostle Anna Ramakrish’s face.
In fact Manaptras was in a state of inactivity so it was sheer luck that she survived.
She knew that if she had been on the six crashed airships of the priests of the Ptras Church she would have surely died.
“But why me?”
Elio glanced at Apostle Anna.
It occurred to her that she had never told her about her black mountain.
That was not the right attitude of the person who sent the chief priest to the north to ask for help.
“I heard it from the Commander-in-Chief. “Count Lagoa said he knew a lot about the Black Mountain right?”
For some reason the questioning tone was a little annoying but Elio didn’t really care.
This is because she herself has no connection with the Order of Manaptras.
She or rather she chose to do things that they would dislike.
She said that everything she said about Manaptras in the past was heretical.
Still she plans to avoid being misunderstood.
“Not really. “I only saw it once by chance while exploring the Abyss.”
“Were you offended because I didn’t tell you about the Black Mountain in advance?”
“It’s not unpleasant. “I wish I had known about it in advance.”
“As expected you said that. “The reason I didn’t tell the Count about that was…”
“I heard it from Archduke Knauf. “It was confidential.”
“It’s not necessarily because of that. I didn’t know that the Count knew everything about the Abyss. That’s why I didn’t even tell you about the black mountain.”
“I’ll say it again it was by chance that I saw the black mountain. “I can’t say I know everything about the Abyss.”
Elio clearly drew her line.
The Abyss is the home of the evil god Shaitin and you know it inside out?
It was a word that could easily be heard as ‘the mouth of the evil god Shaitin’.
“By the way. Can you be sure that the Black Mountain I saw at the oracle and the Black Mountain the Count said he visited are the same place?”
“….”
Elio could not say anything in response to Apostle Anna’s sharp criticism.
She herself doesn’t know about the Abyss.
She has only stepped on a small portion of the land.
She certainly could have seen the difference between the Black Mountain she went to and what Anna Apostle saw.
When Elio failed to answer Anna Ramakrish continued her speech.
“That’s exactly what I want to say. The reason I gave the lead to the Count was because I didn’t know where the black mountain I saw was located. I hope there is a black mountain of oracle wherever we go. Otherwise the sacrifices made so far will have been in vain.”
She spoke as if Elio was responsible for the sacrifices he had made so far.
Elio wanted to punch her in the mouth but she held back.
“I was careless. The black mountain I saw was so unique that I naturally assumed it was there. But even if Apostle Anna had taken the lead… I think she would have gone to check the black mountain I saw first don’t you think?”
In response to Elio’s counterattack Anna Ramakrish quickly changed her stance.
“I didn’t come here to judge right or wrong. “I came to tell you that it is not because I think the Count misunderstands me.”
“I don’t know what I misunderstood.”
“That’s… haha if you don’t know it’s okay. “I hope the Count maintains a good relationship with the Manaptras Church.”
“Me too.”
Elio looked at Apostle Anna with her calm eyes.
That was sincere.
Although she had heretical views she was closer in spirit to Manapthras than to Shaytin the evil god.
She also needs Manaptras’ help to return to her hometown right away.
Apostle Anna Ramakrish said with a grin.
“I’m glad the conversation worked. “It looks like we are getting closer to our destination. Would it be okay if I and the priests of our church moved to the Count’s airship?”
“It might be different from what I saw at the oracle so I think it would be a good idea.”
Elio readily accepted.
In the unlikely event that the Black Mountain differs from her oracle the rain boat she rides must take her lead.
It was a hundred times better for two people to travel together than to communicate between airships.
The second night did not go quietly either.
So many monsters came that I thought ‘Has the wave started?’
As it was an unexplored area it was mainly comprised of high-level monsters but the conquering army was blocked with the help of magical engineering.
Glow-in-the-dark bombs lit up all night and magic cannons and magic guns spewed fire.
Fortunately casualties were limited to about thirty people.
The conquering army who had been driven into battle day and night for two days looked haggard.
The interest of the conquering army also shifted from ‘public achievement’ to ‘survival’.
Sync Lair who said his life’s purpose was to become a nobleman was no longer concerned about public scores.
The next morning.
Just before the airship took off the priests of the Manaptras Church moved from the commander-in-chief’s airship to Count Lagoa’s airship.
The airship took off in a solemn atmosphere.
Priests of the Manaptras Church established themselves as players early on.
This is because you never know when the airship will pass the black mountain.
Elio and Synclair were also seen among the priests.
For some reason Sync Lair kept glancing at his teacher’s face.
“Do you have anything to say?”
“that is….”
At that moment an observer’s piercing cry was heard above his head.
“10 o’clock! Black! No white! “They’re coming!”
Elio quickly turned her head to 10 o’clock.
indeed!
Astaroids with white wings and white clothes were gathering like clouds.