Chapter 178
The members of the Extermination Squad gathered at the designated meeting point were truly impressive. It seemed many Knight Commanders had participated, as if determined to utterly crush the Lemegeton.
“Wow. The lineup is brutal, isn't it?”
“Indeed.”
I gave a perfunctory reply to Chae-rin's words and checked to see who had come.
*The 4th Knight Commander...*
Remember that one who fought me when she first came to exterminate me? Reilly, the sole female Knight Commander.
I hadn't seen her in a long time, but it seemed she was participating in this extermination. We weren't exactly on good terms, so I didn't bother to acknowledge her.
The 3rd Knight Commander is here too.
Vivian, the 3rd Knight Commander, is shy in personality but definitely skilled.
The 2nd and 5th Knight Commanders aren't visible.
And the two I often saw were not present this time.
Even if they wage war, they'd need people to protect the country. It seemed they left a few behind.
However, one unfamiliar person was visible. It was the 1st Knight Commander, Eve.
The Empire's First Sword always guarded the Emperor's side. She, who I thought would never participate in battle, was here this time.
I stared at her for a moment with curious eyes. I'd never spoken to her, but since she was said to be a powerful Individual, I couldn't help but be curious.
After that, I continued to look around. There were quite a few who seemed capable of holding their own, even if their faces weren't as famous as the Knight Commanders.
From Knights of the fallen Ruryeon Kingdom to high-level Adventurers who participated in the Amon Extermination, and even Mages.
As expected for a Public Enemy of the Continent, people seemed to have gathered from all over. Many had also flowed into Lemegeton from other places.
Thanks to that, the surroundings were packed with people. Unfortunately, I didn't see many familiar faces.
*Nikki isn't here...*
I thought she'd participate since she's an Adventurer. Perhaps because she was a former Lemegeton Follower, she seemed hesitant to participate in this. After all, they hadn't parted on bad terms.
Or maybe there were just too many people for me to spot her. It wasn't certain yet, so I decided not to dwell on it.
Alright, everyone, attention.
As I was observing, a loud voice came from the front. Turning my head towards the sound, I saw the 4th Knight Commander standing before the crowd. Whether he used Amplification Magic or not, his voice, though not loud, clearly resonated in my ears.
I will now inform you of the important details you need to be aware of.
It seemed he was giving a brief briefing before they officially moved out.
As you all know, the place we are heading to is within the Ruryeon Kingdom. It's now a ruined land and an Imp Lair.
Given that the Lemegeton guys had been openly active for quite some time, a considerable amount of information had spread externally, such as the exact location of their Stronghold, and the capabilities of the crystal balls they possessed.
The number of Imps has recently decreased due to the Otherworlders' consistent Hunting, but no one should let their guard down. Their numbers are still quite high. Everyone, try to stick together as much as possible.
I already knew most of this information. After all, I was the one who brought them that crystal ball. But since there were surely people who didn't know, I was just making an effort to explain.
Because of this, I listened to his explanation with a slightly bored expression. However, what he said next was enough to pique my interest.
Next, I will tell you about the key individuals.
This was because it concerned the Branch Leaders. Surprisingly, the Knights' intelligence here was better than mine. Unlike me, who had only met them a few times personally, the Knights were able to delve into their backgrounds.
First, let's talk about the 5th Branch Leader, Sephiroth. The youngest Tower Master of the Ice Magic Tower, he was highly anticipated before disappearing... and then reappeared years later as a Branch Leader of Lemegeton.
His reason for joining the group was 'survival.' He believed that in a world where demons would soon run rampant, it would be better to hide under the shadow of a demon... For someone who joined a cult, he was surprisingly reasonable and I even received help from him.
Next is the 4th Branch Leader, Harold Cooper. The second son of the Cooper Family, he joined Lemegeton after losing the succession battle with his eldest brother...
I didn't have many good memories of this guy. If anything, we had a bad history. When his name came up, I frowned for a moment.
Then, the 3rd Branch Leader Livia... the 2nd Branch Leader Isolde...
After that, the names of the other Branch Leaders continued to be called out. However, in the case of the two Branch Leaders, only their names and simple appearances were mentioned; their pasts were not revealed.
One joined Lemegeton at the age of 12, and the other was a Manifestor. It seemed impossible for them to trace their pasts.
I'm probably the one who knows the most about Livia...
I had no intention of saying anything. Anything I said would only cause trouble for her. The Knights' lack of information was most evident when they spoke of the last remaining Branch Leader.
And the 1st Branch Leader is...
A look of embarrassment suddenly appeared on Reilly's face.
“I apologize, but we do not know about the 1st Branch Leader. They have never officially appeared, and even the Otherworlders within Lemegeton say they have never seen them.”
“Then isn't the position vacant?”
One of the mercenaries listening to the briefing raised his hand and asked. Reilly shook his head.
No, that's not it. There's no reason to leave it vacant. They must be acting in a way that avoids drawing attention.
It was more of a guess than clear evidence. Reilly, knowing this, immediately added,
Of course, as you say, it could be vacant. But since we don't know when or where an ambush might appear, everyone should remain vigilant.
At his words, everyone nodded. I thought his speech was almost over, but there was one more thing to discuss.
Next is the Chairman.
The Chairman is the head of the Order that leads Lemegeton. Unfortunately, I had never seen this person. He didn't seem to be active publicly either, as I'd never heard of any sightings of him.
But the Knights seemed to have some inkling, as Reilly opened his mouth with a slight frown.
This is also a speculation. But I'm almost certain.
He pulled an item from his sleeve and continued.
*Strange Sage* Kyle Venegert.
The item he pulled out was a familiar-looking crystal ball, the same crystal ball I had taken from a Lemegeton guy when I explored the Imp Lair last time.
Since it was a familiar item, my interest naturally grew.
Quite a long time ago... he was a Mage known as a Sage. He possessed vast knowledge and wisdom, and many Kingdoms sought his counsel. Then one day, he suddenly started spouting strange words and abruptly vanished. They say. Everyone thought he had died...
He held up the crystal ball for all to see.
But recently, traces of him have been found.
Come to think of it, Odelia had said something when I handed her that item. The crystal ball's material itself was common, but the Technique embedded within it was incredibly complex.
They said even most Mages would find it difficult to replicate..., but it seemed they at least got a hint from it. I repeated the Chairman's epithet to myself.
“*Strange Sage*.”
The nickname was the Strange Sage. Unfortunately, it was a nickname I had never heard before. It just struck me as a rather peculiar nickname. Other Otherworlders and young Adventurers seemed to feel the same, merely tilting their heads.
However, some of the older personnel nodded their heads, as if surprised. Based on their reaction, he must have been a person who was active quite some time ago.
He wasn't young even back then... So, if you encounter an old man with a staff, everyone should be careful.
With those words, Reilly concluded the briefing.
Now, let's really go.
And so, we headed towards the Imp Lair.
*Indeed, the number of Imps at the entrance was very small, confirming that their numbers had dwindled. An Extermination Squad of this size could probably just wipe out the entire Imp Lair from the start. Thanks to that, we were able to advance smoothly without obstruction.
*Swoosh!*
“Kieeeek!”
With every swing of a spear, Imps fell helplessly. Perhaps because the formation was set, it was much easier to deal with them than last time. Perhaps because I was heading to the enemy's Stronghold with mixed feelings, I felt no particular emotion.
*...I have to deal with the Imps anyway, I guess.*
I tried to soothe my uneasy feelings with this thought.
There was another reason for our smooth advance. Not a single one of the Lemegeton guys had intervened in the battle.
It made things easier, but my mind grew even more uneasy instead.
“I thought they'd put up a huge Deterrent Maneuver right away... but it's surprisingly peaceful?” “That's why it's even stranger.” “Maybe they knew and ran away beforehand?” “...Could be.”
I nodded at Haneul's words. It wasn't impossible. Since the extermination had been publicly announced on a large scale, Lemegeton couldn't possibly be unaware. It would be better to flee than to remain in a place destined for annihilation.
However, even with such thoughts, I couldn't shake off a sense of doubt.
Livia clearly said she would fight.
If so, there was no reason for them to abandon This Place. Unlike us, who were blindly pushing forward, they had an orb that allowed them to ignore Imps. They had a Terrain advantage, so if they were going to fight, there was no reason for them to leave This Place.
But contrary to that thought, no matter how far we went in, not a single one of the Lemegeton guys was seen until we were almost at their Stronghold.
*Did they change their minds?*
It was around the time this thought began to surface.
*Stop.*
The Knights walking at the vanguard suddenly halted. A dead-end wall stood before us.
Just as I wondered if we had taken a wrong turn, the Knights called upon the Mages and had them chant a spell. Immense mana surged around the Mages gathered in Unit formations.
*Shimmering—.*
As they chanted the spell, the wall before us melted away, revealing a massive village. The wall we had seen was, in fact, an illusion.
Huh.
A person from the Ruryeon Kingdom muttered in disbelief.
I wondered how those guys were in our Kingdom. This is truly absurd.
It seemed quite absurd to him that Lemegeton was in their Kingdom.
Now we are in the heart of Enemy Territory. Everyone, stay alert.
Anyway, we slowly entered their Stronghold, maintaining a moderate level of tension. And we thoroughly searched the village where they had lived for a long time.
And we could conclude.
...They all left.
The guys had truly all left, leaving behind only faint traces of their stay.