In a field not far from the eastern coast, orcs, trolls, and goblins with green skin formed an alliance and started to move.
- Keeek!
These were low-level monsters below rank 6 that couldn't even communicate.
For such primitive creatures to move in groups, there had to be a powerful leader with them.
Who on earth was controlling such a large number of monsters, and of three different types at that?
"We must not fall back!"
An old man with the crescent moon emblem of the Glazier family on his forehead created a massive fireball above his head and hurled it.
Boom!
The mages fought with all their might against the enemy. However, humans were overwhelmingly outnumbered by the monsters and began to be pushed back.
No matter how strong a mage was, there was a limit to the amount of mana an individual could use.
"Captain, there are too many monsters. We need to retreat immediately!"
"No. If we retreat, all the humans in that village will die."
"What does that matter? We are all going to die here!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a voice tinged with laughter came from above.
"That's right, if you don't want to die, you should run away quickly."
"?!"
As the young mage looked up to see who spoke.
Swish-
A silver flash appeared before his eyes.
"…A knight?"
Thud.
The mage's head fell to the ground.
The elderly mage known as the captain recoiled in shock.
There stood a knight in blue armor, grinning as he wiped the blood off his blade.
Swish-
"If you don't want your head to roll, you should speak properly."
"W-why are you here!"
"Hmm? Do you know who I am?"
"Aren't you Hysteria, the third son of Lois?"
Hysteria, the third son of the Strange family, and the continent's most notorious rogue.
He tilted his head in genuine surprise.
"How do you know? Not many people know my face."
"How could I not? I've seen you on the battlefield at least three times."
"Three times? Then you must be quite a capable mage. Most would be dead after meeting me that many times."
They glared at each other, not moving but intensely wary of one another.
"Is all of this your doing?"
"What?"
"The monsters. They're not from the east."
"..."
"And their armor, it's similar to the knights from the south."
Hysteria raised an eyebrow and slowly walked towards the old mage.
Step, step, step.
"Ha! The mage of the Glazier family is making some very dangerous assumptions. Are you suggesting that I, a member of the Strange family, brought monsters into Glazier territory?"
"Yes."
"That I did something that could get me expelled from my family?"
"You're definitely capable of it."
"Capable?"
The mage gathered mana into his hands as he answered.
"I know what you want."
"What do I want?"
"…War."
Zap!
Hysteria closed the distance in an instant, placing his blade against the mage's neck with a smile.
Swish-
"Correct."
"…What?"
"Correct. Those monsters, I brought them. It was boring coming all the way east alone."
"Y-you madman!"
"Madman?"
"Yes, I called you a madman. Do you realize what your actions will lead to?"
"I don't know about that. Just speak properly, old man."
"What?"
"I'm not the mad one."
Swish-
Hysteria sliced off the old mage's wrists.
Thud.
"This world is."
"Argh!"
He stepped on the fallen mage's chest and asked coldly.
"The one who gave orders to those Red Worms, where are they now?"
---
Within the training grounds of the Strange family castle.
Rox, bound hand and foot, screamed with a face twisted in anger.
"Waaah! Give me back my mother!"
"Calm down."
"Give back my mother!"
It was as if he couldn't hear my voice, repeating the same words over and over.
Moreover, his face, glaring at me as if he wanted to kill me, radiated intense malice. What on earth happened to make him this furious?
'I definitely saved her.'
And why was he demanding his mother from me? I had many questions, but I started by responding.
"I don't know where your mother is."
"Liar!"
"Why would I lie to you?"
"Shut up, you liar. I… I no longer trust humans!"
"Believe what you want. The only thing I can tell you is that I didn't take your mother."
I swung my sword and cut the ropes binding Rox's wrists.
Swish-
"But I'd like to hear what happened to you, if you're willing to tell. If not, that's fine too."
"..."
"But you should know one thing for sure. If I don't help you now, you'll soon die. And you'll never see your mother again."
"Shut up!"
Rox grabbed the war hammer lying beside him and charged at me.
Thud, thud, thud.
Rox swung his massive warhammer, which was larger than his own body, above his head, resembling an ogre.
Whoosh— whoosh—!
"Die!"
Whoosh!
I easily dodged and placed my palm on his abdomen.
"Burst."
With a 'bang,' purple light exploded from Rox's abdomen. Unable to withstand the shock, he flew back and slammed into the wall.
Crash!
"Ugh!"
"Slow."
I stood still, waiting for him. He charged at me repeatedly.
How many times did we repeat the same outcome? Eventually, Rox realized he couldn't defeat me no matter what he did and finally spoke.
"You attacked our village and took my mother…!"
"I told you, I didn't take your mother."
"That's a lie."
"Why do you think that?"
"Because you're a Strange."
"Because I'm a Strange?"
Rox showed me a torn piece of cloth. It was definitely the inner lining of the armor used by our family's knights.
He explained that knights with a cross emblem on their backs attacked their fortress, committing indiscriminate slaughter, and took his mother, Galavant.
'Could it be him?'
"Do you know what their commander looked like?"
"…A man with blond hair wielding a huge two-handed sword. He was giving orders to the knights."
"Blond hair and a huge sword?"
A cross emblem signifying the Strange family and a man with a two-handed sword giving orders.
Anyone hearing this would immediately think of the same person.
The eldest son of the Strange family, known as the Golden Tiger of the East.
'Gunter.'
It seemed he attacked the ogre fortress instead of Glazier.
'Hoo.'
Perhaps my attack on Edward twisted the causal loop.
Originally, the Glazier family was supposed to attack the ogre fortress, but things turned out differently.
"I know who the blond man is, and I think I know where your mother is."
"R-really?"
I pointed to a portrait hanging above the door with my index finger. It depicted my eldest brother, Gunter, staring straight ahead with a solemn expression.
"Is the man second from the left him?"
"Y-yes!"
"He's my eldest brother."
"Eldest brother?"
"Yes."
"So he's your family?"
"That's right."
Before I could finish speaking, Rox charged at me.
Wham!
With a face turning red and blue, he grabbed my collar and shouted in anger.
"You bastard! Humans are truly untrustworthy!"
"Rox."
"So it was your family that caused all of this."
"Calm down."
"Shut up, I won't listen to you anymore."
"Rox, I told you. Calm down."
I once again detonated 'Burst' on his abdomen.
Crash!
He flew like a paper doll, rolling across the training ground floor.
"Ugh!"
"If you don't want to listen, fine. But know this for sure. If I don't help you now, your mother will die soon."
"Wh-what?"
"The person you described is my eldest brother, the heir of the Strange family, Gunter."
"Gunter…."
"He's not the type to show mercy, even if he wins. He has no use for slaves, so he'd likely use her as an experiment or kill her."
"Th-that."
"Rox, think carefully. If you really want to save your mother, should you be fighting me right now or asking for my help?"
There was no need for more conversation. Rox would have to decide for himself what to do next.
I sat in a chair at the corner of the training ground, remaining silent. After a long time, Rox approached me, panting, and asked.
"What do I need to do?"
* * *
I intended to delay my contract with Brunhilde as much as possible. If it became known that someone could use two Guardian Spirits, the repercussions would be significant.
Too much power could turn even allies into enemies.
If such talent were known at a young age, enemies would increase not only within the castle but also outside of it.
Siegfried floated in front of me, raising an eyebrow.
"What makes you trust that kid with the Soulstone?"
"What do you mean trust?"
"What if he activates the necklace and forms a contract?"
Master was full of complaints today. I had confined him with the Soulstone in a small forge within the Strange castle.
"That won't happen."
"It will."
"It won't."
"It will, I said."
"It won't."
"Are you defying me now?"
I shook my head, neither affirming nor denying, simply refusing the conversation.
"Hey, answer me!"
"Master."
"What?"
"Why do you think Brunhilde became a Guardian Spirit?"
"Why she became a Guardian Spirit?"
Siegfried rested his chin on his hand, pondering, then smiled brightly as if he had found the answer.
"Isn't it obvious? To become a god."
Bingo.
So, who would Brunhilde want to form a contract with if she aimed to become a god?
"If Brunhilde really wants to become a god, would she form a contract with Rox? To become a god, one must climb to the top of the tower."
"…Ah, you're right."
"If I were a Guardian Spirit, I'd want to contract with someone who could conquer the tower."
"That makes sense. But still, he's her kin, right?"
"You don't just contract with anyone because of kinship. You know this better than anyone, right? You waited for me all this time."
Siegfried nodded emphatically.
"That's true."
I knew who Brunhilde wanted and what she desired.
So, what I had to do now was simple: meet her conditions in advance.
"Emma. Can you call Tony, Johnny, and Ronnie?"