169. The Stone that Rolled In
The Holy Church of the Demon Realm seeks to transform the continent into a demonic wasteland.
Their reason?
"Why is the demon realm inherently wrong? Why can't we see that it embodies the growth and change we need to pursue? Fearing the unknown is natural. But running from it won't solve everything."
It was nonsense, the ramblings of a fanatic.
So why turn the continent into a demon realm?
"Because it's the right thing to do."
Who could fit the term "fanatic" better than these people?
A reason? They didn't have one.
Justification? You wouldn't find it anywhere.
They simply believed. They just thought it had to be done.
Faith without basis—pure fanaticism.
And so the cultists truly were madmen.
That's why the inquisitors burned with zeal to capture and kill these heretics.
In fact, the cultists had made several attempts to demonize regions, with a similar plan unfolding in this land.
They'd gathered a hundred freshly slaughtered young goats as sacrifices, intending to summon gnolls and turn this area entirely into a land of beasts and monsters.
The cultists had started gathering creatures even before the founding of the pioneer village, making it an unpredictable situation from the beginning.
Initially, they sought to establish a gnoll kingdom in this region, which later turned into an outright attack on the village.
With its barricades and watchtowers, the village was built as a frontier settlement, but with some fortification, it could become a small fortress.
An excellent piece of prey had practically walked into their trap.
"A blessing from God."
The cultists truly believed that.
It was as if they'd received a divine command to further fatten the beasts and increase their numbers.
Their prey was offering itself up, cutting pieces of its flesh as a tribute. Thus began the ritual to swallow up the pioneer village.
A Task Not to Be Taken Lightly
The cultists poured all their efforts into their plan. They infiltrated mercenary bands, gathering even more gnolls into their ranks.
The spells of the cult were deeply tied to monsters.
Experts in brainwashing and manipulation took action, with low-ranking followers and priests involved too.
The gnolls, creatures with pack-like behavior much like hyenas, always fought in groups and moved in hordes.
They were naturally inclined to form colonies; all they needed was a leader.
One by one, gnolls were empowered and cursed.
In this way, the cultists formed a gnoll army.
It wasn't a matter of a day or two to build a colony hundreds strong.
This army bore the cult's blood, sweat, and tears.
"A sanctuary shall rise!"
They proclaimed their purpose in the wilderness.
They poured countless krona into arming the gnolls, appointing a leader, and bending its will with spells.
The resources poured into this endeavor exceeded even what it would take to sustain an entire pioneer village.
It was worth it, they believed. Significant returns demanded serious investments.
This was only the beginning of the Holy Church of the Demon Realm's ambitions.
As the cultists spent time and resources, the settlers built up their walls.
This was the full truth behind it all.
For Enkrid, it was a mystery unfolding beyond his awareness.
It was an unexpected development.
But so what?
It didn't matter. Knowing wouldn't change anything.
Enkrid didn't concern himself with the backstory or ask "why."
The monsters were coming, and his only thought was to slay every last one of them.
The monsters and beasts—just kill them, that was the straightforward task at hand.
"What, a monster horde?"
Krais had begun to get a rough sense of what was happening.
A horde like that, suddenly appearing from the wilderness and fields? And fully armed? With spies infiltrating the village?
It made no sense at all.
He had a blade to the village chief's throat, heard the cries from beyond the wall, and in the midst of all this, patched up Finn's wounds as best he could.
Afterward, he rushed up to the watchtower to assess the scale of the monster horde. As his body moved, Krais's mind was racing.
'Cultists.'
This was the work of the cult. They were the biggest troublemakers on the entire continent.
They gathered in malice, raising their hostility for all to see.
Look at this monster horde. What else could it be but malice and hostility?
Krais had only a rough guess, but it was clear that this horde had been built with the blood, sweat, and resources of the cultists.
It was just a guess, though. Knowing wouldn't change anything, so he left it at that.
'What does it matter?'
Surviving was what mattered. At that point, Krais's thoughts were fixated on how to stay alive.
The conclusion he reached was this:
'No trebuchets, no mangonels.'
There were no siege engines. They couldn't dream of large-scale artillery. What about the troops? They might have a large number of monsters and beasts, but they were still outnumbered. It was clear they'd have fewer soldiers.
Sure, the walls might hold forever, but the number of gnolls and hyena beasts easily exceeded several hundred.
Could they last?
Could they hold out as they were?
Several hyena beasts were already clawing at the wall, scraping and scratching, trying to scale it.
If they kept at it, wouldn't there eventually be a weak spot? A small crack could easily turn into a hole, and a hole would become a passage, a gateway.
There were plenty of gnolls with weapons too. They were slamming their weapons against the walls. There were even some with axes hacking away at it.
Countless scratches and scars were accumulating on the walls.
Was there an escape route? Would they be able to block it once a breach was made?
'Doesn't seem likely.'
At least, this was shaping up to be a fight with a time limit.
They couldn't hold out for long. That was the conclusion. Which meant… they would have to wait for reinforcements.
Krais had seen a few people raise birds. A messenger pigeon with blue feathers was common for quick communication.
But even if he sent one off, there was no telling how long it would take for reinforcements to arrive.
The conclusion was the same.
Could they hold out?
Krais felt a growing sense of foreboding. When he'd talked about the strength of the walls, he'd envisioned a standard colony, maybe thirty to fifty creatures at most. But now that number had increased tenfold.
"This isn't good."
A wave of unease surged within Krais. Reflexively, he searched for his squad leader. His eyes locked on Enkrid, who was moving without a hint of concern, as if he hadn't a worry in the world.
Enkrid moved calmly, steadily heading up to the watchtower.
Krais knew his squad leader, the one who had practically obsessed over training. Though Enkrid didn't usually look around, Krais knew that his mind was always working.
So, when Enkrid acted like this, there had to be something he was confident about.
But for now, Krais had no choice but to keep watching. He treated Finn's wounds, made a quick inspection from the watchtower, and then...
"Hey, I'm hurting."
Finn's voice called from below.
"I'm coming down."
Krais descended, already having wrapped Finn's wounds, though the hole in his abdomen was still concerning. It was a near miss, but Finn's internal organs seemed undamaged.
"I used the Eilcaraz technique to avoid hitting the vital organs."
Finn joked weakly. Was that even a real technique?
"Just kidding."
In the middle of a life-and-death situation, Finn still had the energy for a joke. That made it clear: he was sharp, too.
"That's an insult. I challenge you to a duel."
"Sure, sure."
Krais lightly dismissed it while checking Finn's wound again.
He'd need to be careful with movement.
But it wasn't a fatal wound.
"You won't die."
"Not now, at least."
Finn picked up on it too—the unease about how long the wall would hold.
"Yeah, well."
Krais shrugged it off. In case things went south, he had already found an escape route. Though it would mean abandoning everyone left inside the village, he had already considered every possibility, including the worst-case scenario.
After all, Krais always prepared for the worst.
The long shooting lanes had been set up on the top of the wall.
Below, a mass of howling Nohl and Hyena Beasts crowded together, their sounds like a distant, eerie roar. This scene looked more like a field of monsters than anything else.
"What the hell is this?"
"What is this? Why are there so many monsters? No, there's way too many!"
"Pam? Is Pam dead? No, not Ralph too?"
There were dead comrades among the monsters, their bodies still warm.
When Enkrid had arrived, the vigilante group was still in disarray. Not a single bowstring had been pulled back.
They were in a state of panic. It was lucky no one was crying or soiling themselves from fear.
Boom!
The peculiar howl of the Nohl echoed again as they slammed their bodies against the wall and the gates.
The walls rattled under the impact, but they didn't collapse. Enkrid judged they wouldn't be breached by that force alone.
They threw themselves at the walls with their shoulders, kicking with their legs, and striking with weapons.
But for now, the walls held.
The real issue was the vigilante group's morale.
They were losing their nerve under the onslaught of the Nohl.
"What... what the hell is this?"
One of the vigilantes shouted. This wasn't even within the kingdom's central territory—it was the outermost part of the border, on the edge of the continent. It was an area where monsters and beasts were common, but even here, the sheer number of them was abnormal.
This wasn't something you saw every day.
Fear, pressure.
The Nohl were bringing all of it to bear.
A few of the mutated Nohl picked up stones from the muddy ground, tossing them at the walls. These weren't just small pebbles—they were rocks the size of a person's head, crashing against the walls with a heavy thud.
Some of the smaller rocks flew straight into the positions of the vigilantes.
"Yikes!"
The group ducked beneath the walls to avoid the incoming projectiles.
It was a relief to realize the walls were solidly built.
Krais had said as much—they wouldn't break under the assault of a typical monster colony.
But if they kept this up, they would eventually breach it. This wasn't a situation where the walls were built to withstand this level of siege.
The creaking of the gates echoed, and the vigilantes stood firm, though they were no longer able to hold their composure. If fear consumed them, it was over. They couldn't afford to just wait for the wall to break.
If they did, death would be the only thing waiting for them, making the entire struggle futile.
"If you're not going to shoot, give it to me."
Amidst this chaos, Enkrid calmly ascended the steep steps of the tower and reached out his hand.
"Eh?"
"If you're just going to watch, hand it over."
Enkrid swiftly grabbed the bow from the bewildered vigilante standing nearby. It was a shortbow, with a shorter range than a longbow, but with so many monsters around, it didn't matter. He could just shoot.
'It's been a while since I used a bow.'
He had learned archery some time ago, so he quickly recalled the movements and set his hands to work.
Gripping the bow with his left hand, he stretched his arm out, aimed, nocked an arrow, and pulled back the string. The bow creaked under the pressure, but there was no lack of power behind it.
He aimed roughly at one of the monsters, then released the string.
Thud!
Just as the Nohl slammed into the wall again, the sound of the bowstring releasing and the arrow hitting blended together.
The arrow shot through the crowd of Nohl and Hyena Beasts, narrowly avoiding them, and embedded itself into the ground. It snapped immediately as the Nohl trampled over it.
'That's strange. It should've hit.'
He had aimed directly at the target.
"You're good in a fight, but this is your first time with a bow, huh?"
The squad leader approached from behind and commented. Despite the panic, he still managed to speak clearly, even while keeping an eye on their surroundings.
Enkrid already knew the squad leader had solid nerves—he had seen it in the previous encounters.
He was no rookie in keeping calm under pressure.
The squad leader's presence was reassuring.
Another boom!
The Nohl and Hyena Beasts once again slammed into the walls.
Enkrid had to raise his voice to be heard.
"What did you say?"
"I think I heard it all."
The squad leader responded, but Enkrid could barely hear over the din.
"I didn't hear you."
After a brief exchange, the squad leader looked away from Enkrid and, after taking a deep breath, shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Are you just going to die!?"
His voice carried through the chaos, ringing out in the ears of the vigilantes.
"Forget about Pam! Stop moping over your dead comrades! Do you not see what's urgent right in front of you? Get your heads together! Pick up your bows!"
Krais had said it. The discipline here is well-established.
Thinking back to that, Enkrid calmly surveyed the situation from the top of the wall. On the opposite ladder, Doich appeared. He had once led a mercenary band and was known by the nickname One-Eyed Glave, although now he was simply called One-Eyed due to the patch over his right eye. With his remaining left eye, he shot Enkrid a sharp look before shouting.
"Shoot! The wall won't collapse! Shoot them all before they hit us with rocks!"
The shout rang across the top of the wall. Enkrid wasn't sure how many of the militia were present, but there was no shortage of arrows. There were over twenty archers, and they immediately began loosing arrows.
"Hey, can I have my bow back?"
A soldier who had had his bow taken by Enkrid approached, holding out his hand. Enkrid handed the bow back without hesitation. He wasn't particularly skilled with it and would need to train later.
In the next moment, the archers fired in unison. The howls of the monsters echoed as they charged the wall, shaking it as they slammed their bodies into it. The sound of arrows flying mixed with the thuds of the creatures' collisions.
Thwack!
Arrows struck the heads, arms, and legs of the attacking monsters, many of which were wearing poorly fitted leather armor, while others were completely unarmored. The number of monsters seemed to exceed five hundred, and the sheer volume was staggering. Armoring so many monsters would take a considerable amount of resources, possibly something orchestrated by someone behind the scenes.
But Enkrid didn't care about that. What mattered now was that the militia had regained their composure and were working together to fight back the monsters.
As Enkrid watched the arrows fly, his gaze shifted to a small, solitary monster standing on a mound. It was the leader of the colony, a smaller creature compared to the others. Leaders typically needed such positions to stand out—commanding from a high vantage point where their strength and authority could be asserted. While chaos erupted around them, this small creature stood with dignity.
That creature was the target.
Enkrid had already been close to death more than once at the hands of that creature. At this point, he could tell the difference between a "pretty" and "ugly" Nol, and even distinguish the more unique ones. He might even be able to categorize them by appearance if he died a few more times.
"Leave this to me," Enkrid said, then went back down.
But something felt off as he descended. The situation felt empty, somehow, even though he knew his actions were necessary.
The howl of the Nol echoed through the air.
"Whatever happens, don't panic, and keep firing! Don't aim at your allies!"
What kind of nonsense is that?
Doich, who had been shouting at the soldiers to aim for the monsters' heads by the gate, glanced at Enkrid. What the hell was he talking about? Doich had just reprimanded his men for something, but his own subordinates seemed equally confused by his command.
One of his subordinates had disappeared. A sharp one, too. It wasn't the right time to dwell on it, though.
Doich was a decent mercenary. As things worsened, he had at least prioritized correctly. First, deal with the monsters. Then, after that, figure out what the hell was going on with the idiot who had his subordinates' heads handed to him.
Enkrid couldn't read Doich's mind. Even if he could, he wouldn't have cared.
He made his way through the soldiers stacking wood and stone in front of the door.
"Esther," he called out.
By the door, a leopard that had been standing guard trotted up beside him.
Enkrid politely asked, "Can you watch my back?"
One of the soldiers who had been stacking the obstacles turned to look at him, confused.
"Why is he talking to the leopard?"
The leopard, as if understanding, nodded in response.
What the hell? Even in this chaos, the sight stuck out like a sore thumb.
"Hey, what are you doing?" someone else called out to the soldier.
"I'm coming!" the soldier answered, returning to his work.
They were filling the doorway with obstacles, preparing for the worst. If the door broke down, it would be hand-to-hand combat. The thought made Enkrid's throat tighten.
Could they fight? The soldier had been trained, but this was only his second real battle. His nerves were shot.
"Ugh."
The feeling of the monsters pressing on the other side of the wall weighed heavily on his mind.
"From now on, everyone follows my command," Enkrid said firmly, his voice cutting through the tension.
The new squad leader, who had been sent to command and was conversing with the leopard, approached Enkrid and spoke.
"Can we open the door just a little?"
Then, he barked. It was a sound that didn't seem worth listening to.
In this moment of chaos, it was clear that the man's orders were off, his commands not fitting the urgency of the situation. The soldiers were focused on preparing for the inevitable clash, and distractions like this were more of a hindrance than a help. Enkrid knew that the time for hesitation had passed. The door was their last line of defense, and any unnecessary movement could mean their downfall.
The situation was precarious, and Enkrid had no time to entertain any further nonsense.
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