Chapter 174: The Storm Approaches(1)

"After Baron Bull visited my castle and saw that I had fallen into a rather desperate situation, he recommended a merchant to me. As long as I handed over pure young maidens, I could exchange them for gold coins. I thought they were just useless commoners anyway, so I agreed. I never expected the population of the entire territory to start dwindling, and my own body to grow weaker and weaker."

"Scum."

Phield drove his elbow into him, knocking him to the ground, then hauled him back up. "He’s a rebel. You collaborated with the rebels and caused the deaths of countless people. Treason alone is enough to send you to the gallows."

"W-What? P-Please... don’t say anything. I’m a victim too."

"No. All evil will be brought to justice!" Phield declared righteously, then rubbed his fingers together. "However... if you can pay a sufficient price..."

Phield already had a plan. Once the man emptied out his entire fortune, he would kill him. He had already seen his Divine Chosen—and this man was nothing but trash.

Nobles were very good at hiding things. If the wealth was stashed somewhere in the mountains, there was no way he could find it.

At the mention of money, Baron Mountain Ape’s face twisted. In the end, he gritted his teeth and said, "Fifty thousand gold coins—but I’ll need three years."

"You’d better discuss that with the governor of Rick Province. I need something more valuable."

Phield crossed his arms over his chest, unmoved. Fifty thousand? He could earn that just by selling medicine twice.

"Ah! Help!"

Screams rang out from the other rooms.

"My children are in danger—go save them!" Baron Mountain Ape was jolted with fright. He stopped struggling, as if swallowing shattered teeth along with his pride, and said helplessly, "Our family has a hereditary divine artifact, passed down from my grandfather. I’ll give it to you—but you must save my children first!"

"Deal." Phield snapped his fingers with a smile. "Oh, right—your wife is in the wardrobe in my room. Pick up a sword and defend your castle."

"...What?"

Why would my wife be hiding in your room? Baron Mountain Ape’s mind couldn’t process it at all.

Phield ignored him, pushed open the door, and hurried toward the room where the baron’s children were kept—only to find it empty.

Rushing to the shattered window, he could only see a group of red creatures carrying off two children, along with Lady Mai, heading toward the mountains.

"Damn. Those things have intelligence. I clearly hid Mai."

Phield was stunned.

"Beeeeep—"

"Enemy attack! Monsters are approaching the walls!"

The army of Nightfall Domain sounded the alarm. Under the torrential mountain rain, with howling winds, countless red humanoid creatures writhed as they converged on Mountain Ape Castle from all directions.

Amid the storm, it looked like a surging flood.

"Demons! They’re demons!"

"Gods—someone save us! The demons have returned to the world!"

The soldiers of Mountain Ape’s territory fell into panic, screaming as they leapt down from watchtowers and walls.

One fool, in his panic, ran blindly and plunged headfirst onto the rocks below the wall. The sheer force of the fall smashed his skull into pulp, red and white matter spilling out.

The soldiers of Nightfall Domain cursed under their breath as they took up weapons and occupied the nearby sections of the wall.

Phield quickly used the black crow to notify Gogris. He couldn’t shake his worry about the little fox—not just for her safety, but for her state of mind.

Gogris had grown up under pressure and enslavement. After these past few days of contact, Phield suspected she had a severe fawning personality, as well as being timid and withdrawn—possibly with other psychological issues.

Smiling at those who oppressed her was easier than baring her fangs.

So even though he was human—the same kind as those who had enslaved her—after he saved her, she accepted reality without hesitation and kept trying to please him.

Even Ashina, with her good temper, had bared her teeth at him for quite a while at the beginning.

Phield was worried her mental state would affect her.

Inside the tent, Gogris had indeed fallen into inexplicable panic. Although she had already become a Divine Chosen, the howls and curses outside frightened her so badly that her ears drooped flat.

"Are you alright, little fox?"

After the black crow entered the tent, it saw Gogris curled up into a ball. Phield immediately had it land on her shoulder.

"My lord, I—I will fight. Right away."

Startled, Gogris thought the lord had come to hold her accountable. In a fluster, she grabbed her weapon.

"Don’t be so nervous. Even if you don’t fight, I won’t blame you. Just take care of yourself. The army of Nightfall Domain isn’t just here to eat. If you’re afraid, you can stay with Miss Meg. She’s in the next tent."

"I..."

"Go on. I’ve got this side covered with Rosalia. Nightfall Domain has always been one whole—you have the right to be afraid."

After speaking gently, Phield watched as the little fox ran off to find the maid, Meg, then turned his attention back to his side.

"How is this possible... Where did all those monsters come from?"

Baron Mountain Ape had also come to the window. Seeing the monsters covering the mountains and plains, his purplish lips trembled violently.

"Those are your villagers. They’ve come to take revenge on you." Phield patted his shoulder, knocking the weak-kneed baron straight onto the ground. "Pick up your weapon. Muster all the fighting forces in your territory—we’re defending the city."

Phield pushed open the castle gates. The streets were filled with small octopus-like creatures scurrying everywhere.

Two villagers screamed as they burst out of a house, their necks and bodies covered with those octopus creatures.

After being bitten, the villagers staggered forward a few steps, then slowly fused with the creatures. Their skin rotted, sprouting grotesque tentacles and lumps of flesh, transforming into red monsters.

"Fuck! So that’s how these red things are made."

Rosalia and Phield exchanged a glance and immediately raised their weapons, cutting down the infected villagers.

The longsword hummed. The two infected collapsed instantly, crashing into puddles formed by the rain.

Phield heard approaching footsteps. Turning his head, he saw the soldiers of Mountain Ape’s territory had been mustered. There were also a few local mercenaries and rangers—around fifteen or sixteen people in total.

The rest were either dead or had fled.

"Move. To our position."

More red creatures poured into the streets.

Rosalia surged forward, her slender hand shooting out to grab a red creature’s grotesque head. With a casual squeeze, it exploded into a mass of bloodlines. Her greatsword swept out—an effortless strike, yet filled with overwhelming force—cleaving through five or six of the creatures rushing in.

A series of explosions rang out as the charging monsters were instantly blown into fragments.

"What terrifying power."

The sight left everyone from Mountain Ape’s territory utterly stunned.

Phield urged them on. "Move. Don’t stop."

Cutting their way forward, the group quickly reached the Nightfall Domain army’s position within the city walls.