Chapter 433
Please visit frđđwn.đžođȘ website to read fastest update
Even though Zich had prepared a countermeasure the most ideal thing that could happen was for the monsters to not attack Pialu in the first place. However not all wishes came true so Lyla headed to the Denest Mountain Range while holding the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls to get rid of the monsters. Since Lyla was a high-level mage skilled in mana control everyone thought Lyla would be better at using it. Above all since Lyla could teleport she could quickly decipher the monstersâ movements and return. Like she had expected she saw an army of monsters coming down from the mountain range and advancing toward Pialu.
âSo itâs finally came to thisâ the commander swiped his face with his hands and sighed. The situation he had wanted to avoid at all costs was edging closer to reality.
âDid the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls have an effect on them?â the commander asked Lyla almost pleadingly.
âIt did to a degree and it caused their balance to break. Strong monsters began killing the weaker ones or they ate them.â
âThen canât you make the monsters get rid of each other?â the commander asked as his expression brightened up. However if this was possible Lyla would have done so a long time ago.
âThat was the extent of influence the pyramid could exert on them. Their forces might have weakened compared to before but they are definitely going to arrive at Pialu soon.â
âIs it because of the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls in the enemyâs possession?â
âProbably.â
âIf we and our enemy both have the same item shouldnât we be able to half-control the monsters?â
âThat may sound reasonable but we donât know much about the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. The effect of the pyramid could change depending on a personâs experience with them or our enemy could have multiple pyramids. Or there could be a completely different reason thatâs preventing us from having less control over the monsters.â
âSo in other words we have to prepare for the monster invasion.â
âYes but donât worry. Zich will come soon. He wonât take too long.â
âI really hope soâ the commander said and strengthened his resolve. Then he got up from his chair to prepare for the upcoming battle.
* * *
They held a meeting. Even those who had gone out to patrol the surroundings were called to question Til. Since there was no meaning to searching for Til anymore they used a beacon to call everyone back in. A heavy silence weighed down the meeting room and all the people who looked at Til in surprise or wariness pressed their lips tightly now.
âSo in short we have to minimize the damages as much as possible before Mr. Zich comes.â The commanderâs firm voice rang in the silent space.
âHow long would we have to endure?â one mercenary asked. The commander shook his head.
âWe donât know exactly.â
âSo are you telling us to just endure without really knowing whatâs going on?â
âThen is there another way?â the commander asked and the mercenary didnât reply. âEven if you order everyone to escape itâs too late now. All we can do is trust Sir Zichâs words.â
âThen shouldnât he have at least told us what his plans are?â The one behind this question was Glen. As if he had felt the danger of the situation Glen had a hard expression on his face unlike his usual self. Then Glen turned to Lyla. âMs. Lyla you said you knew what Sir Zichâs solution was.â
âYes.â
âThen please tell us what it is.â
âI canât tell you.â
ââŠAre you really telling us to put our lives on the line for a method you canât tell us?â
âIf you word it like that I suppose soâ Lyla answered.
Bam! Glen slammed the table hard. Peopleâs eyes narrowed at Glenâs violent behavior but many of them agreed with his feelings. In a way Lylaâs response seemed to be devoid of any sense of responsibility.
âDo you realize how nonsensical you sound?â
âThen do you have a solution you would like to propose Sir Zenard? Please tell us. If itâs reasonable then we can replace ours with yours.â
âNo wouldnât everything be solved if you just tell us what this solution is?!â Glen insisted.
In his head Glen thought âBy solution itâs probably a solution regarding the army of monsters.â Since his subordinates hadnât returned at the promised time Glen had already established that the plan involving Til and Nick was a failure. Thus there was only one thing left for him to do: destroy Pialu so that Zich couldnât earn merits for the achievements he had made in the city.
Glen was shocked when Til first brought the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls with him. He insulted his incapable subordinates furiously inside his mind. However it was still possible for him to call the monsters even if another party had the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. He had engraved it into the monstersâ heads to only respond to the pyramid he had. Although it took a lot of preparation to do this and the number of monsters he could call lessened with this method he had no choice since he couldnât completely shield them from the influence of another pyramid.
âOnly this solution is left now.â Yet Lyla was the only one in the room who knew what this solution was and she kept her mouth sealed. Even at the risk of diminishing his pure holy image he insisted on an answer forcefully. Yet Lyla seemed like she had no intention of opening her mouth.
âOnce again I canât tell youâ Lyla said.
ââŠWhat if we say that we wonât follow your words?â
âThen what else do you all plan to do?â
Glen had a difficult time coming up with a response.
âWouldnât it be good to evacuate the city residents?â One of the leaders participating in the meeting offered a suggestion but Lyla shook her head.
âAgain itâs too late now. If we move people outside the city hastily it might cause more harm instead.â
ââŠThen I suppose we have no choice but to follow Mr. Zichâs words.â
No one disagreed and thus they reached a decision.
* * *
Lara returned to her lodging after a while. Lying on the bed seemed to relieve the fatigue of staying outdoors for several days. Lara had been searching for signs of Til with Hans. It was a much harder task than patrolling the city. However Lara enjoyed this task despite her fatigue. Moreover she felt that it was much more meaningful work than staying in Glenâs party and getting ignored and looked down on by Glen. It was also a great experience to work with Hans.
After meeting him a few times Lara thought that he was an extremely hardworking and good person and her thoughts were confirmed by working with him the past few days. Searching for someone was an extremely boring task since they needed to persistently work on an uncertain goal and look for a person that they might never find. There was also a high possibility that all their efforts would be in vain.
However Hans continued to press on with extreme persistence and hard work. Moreover when they happened to cross a monster he never let a single one escape. He was also very caring and kind to Lara. With all these factors combined Laraâs heart felt comfortable for the first time in a long while. However this only lasted for a very short while. When a beacon was raised on the next mountain as a sign for them to return to Pialu Lara realized she felt extremely disappointed.
[I hope this helps you find the part of yourself you lost.]
These were the words that Hans had told her when they separated in the city. As he said Lara felt like she had returned to the person she was when she first began her journey. However when she returned to her partyâs lodging she felt as if this feeling was a shining memory from a long time ago.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
âMs. Browning! Mr. Glen is calling for you!â Lara heard Chelseaâs voice. It seemed as if Glen was gathering his party members. In the past Glen used to call her personally but from a certain point onwards he never knocked on her door again. Lara lifted her body and opened the door. There was no one there. Chelsea seemed to have already headed towards Glenâs room. Wasnât it normal for comrades to wait for each other in situations like this? However Lara was used to this treatment. She went to Glenâs room and knocked on the door.
âCome in.â When she opened the door and went in she saw Glen Chelsea and Pina. It seemed as if she was the last person to arrive. Lara pulled out a chair for herself and sat down without complaint. When everyone arrived Glen began explaining what happened in the meeting he attended just now.
Chelsea slightly frowned and said âThen do we have to just blindly listen to Zich and defend against the monsters until who knows when? Thatâs so irresponsible of him.â
âI share the same thoughts.â Glen nodded. âBut even then itâs already been decided so we have to follow his words.â Glen contemplated deeply about what choice he should make but in the end he decided to defend against the monsters on the frontline. The biggest reason why he made this decision was because of the countermeasure that Zich talked about. âI need to figure out what his plan is.â
Since there were so many variables in this timeline it might be a countermeasure he never imagined before. âIt might be possible for me to hinder him.â Then Pialu might get destroyed like Glen hoped for. âIf that happens I can push the responsibility of Pialuâs annihilation onto him.â
Moreover based on the image that Glen had been building it was also expected of him to face the monsters on the frontline. In every possible way it was only natural that Glen should take the lead in this battle.
âPerhaps does he have some kind of suspicious plan? Itâs already strange that he suddenly brought the captain of Wolfâs Canine. The captain of Wolfâs Canine was the most likely culprit at one point after all.â Chelsea already had hated Zich so she used this opportunity to insult him. Of course she pretended like she was carefully suggesting a thought on the surface.
âThereâs no way thatâs true.â Lara thought this in her mind and was completely shocked. She didnât imagine that sheâd take Zichâs side. She hadnât thought very well of Zich initially but it seemed as if her favorable impression of Hans had also spread to Zich.
While Lara was shocked by her change in thought Glen continued âWe donât have any evidence. Letâs avoid baseless suspicions for now.â Glen spoke with principles but everyone could see that he was not pleased to say this.
âAnyway since the city has decided on its policy we have to do our job.â Glen exchanged glances between Chelsea and Pina and said âBoth of you follow orders from the top of the walls like youâve been doing so far. Pina you use magic and Chelsea heal those who are injured.â
âGot it.â
âYes I understand.â
Both of them nodded their heads. Glen continued âAnd Lara kill the monsters climbing up the city walls.â
âThen what about you Glen?â
âWe decided that those who are skilled will go down the city walls and face the high-level monsters since thereâs a high possibility that the city walls would collapse if they make contact with the walls.â
Lara would have just quietly followed Glenâs orders if she acted like usual. She would have ignored and suppressed her opinions with the reasoning that Glen was the leader and she needed to follow him. However Lara was different from usual today.
âCould I also go down the city walls?â
ââŠLara you want to?â Glen looked slightly surprised as he didnât expect Lara to question his order. His expression didnât look pleased and Lara flinched. The words she wanted to say hovered around her mouth; on one hand she wanted to just accept his orders like before and quickly get over this situation but Lara took one step further today.
âYeah. With my skills I think Iâll be helpful in stopping the high-level monsters.â
[Youâre strong Ms. Browning.]
The words that Hans told her before they separated circled inside her mind.