After surveying the Eternal Village fence, Baynard felt a surge of anticipation, his mind racing with thoughts of the future that awaited him: seizing control of the village and enacting his revenge.
As soon as his group disembarked from their carriages and wagons, he focused on the aggressive formation of Duke Dayflare’s guard. The men sent by the Duke helped him stay present, minimizing thoughts of how his plans would soon come to fruition.
The cavalry advanced while the archers took their positions, marching in unison with the rest of the approximately 150-strong battalion.
For the first few moments, the built-up area of the village remained out of sight, as the fence lay several kilometers from the heart of the territory. However, it didn’t take long for them to cover the distance to glimpse their target.
Seeing the Eternal Village once more—now slightly larger with an outer camp that hadn’t existed months ago when he fled with his mother—Baynard felt curious about what had transpired since his departure. Yet, he remained unfazed, maintaining the confident smile on his lips.
‘I’ll find out later,’ he thought silently from his horse.
Beside Baynard were the group’s sole mages, mounted on horses like that of the short-haired blond young man, their steeds clad in distinctive equine armor that was hard to overlook.
A group tasked with seizing something as valuable as a community capable of cultivating the Barren Hills of Deepshadow wouldn’t be without mages!
The two middle-aged men accompanying Baynard continued to advance, positioned at the center of the group. Their presence was more for managing the aftermath of the impending battle than for the confrontation itself.
“Is that the greenhouse where they grow their food?” one mage asked, prompting Baynard to glance down at his fingertip and catch sight of the most important building in the Eternal Village.
“Yes, all the village’s produce came from that greenhouse before I left. But within that walled area up front, there are beds where plants are growing,” Baynard said what he knew.
If he had known about the green mana crystals, he would have mentioned them too. However, he had discovered the village’s plants and fled immediately, leaving him unaware of the true nature of the community’s plantations ahead.
“I hope you’re right, young Baynard. If we later find out they’re planting in pots and not in the ground…”
Baynard cut off the mage on his right—the mage’s tone was turning threatening. “I’m sure. Please reserve your conclusions for later, Sir William.”
The black-haired man with the bushy beard looked at Baynard with narrowed eyes, his grip tightening on the reins of his mount. Before he could respond, the other mage remarked, “Looks like we’re heading into battle.”
Baynard and Sir William turned their gaze toward the bamboo gate, where a group of men and animals was assembling. The locals’ behavior wasn’t as organized as that of a professional guard, but it was more coordinated than a completely unprepared force.
Some village members had joined the animals, forming a battalion of fifty individuals—a sight that was both amusing and outdated.
“It seems your initial estimates were off,” Sir William stated. “Even if we neutralize the animals, there are nearly as many guards here as the number of villagers you reported to His Grace.”
“The village may have increased its numbers. When my group joined the area, we significantly boosted the local population,” Baynard said, his gaze reflecting clear dissatisfaction, though he remained unsurprised.
In his view, anything that gave the villagers a reason to resist was troublesome. His aim was not to massacre the place, but to seize control of the area. It would be better if the locals feared him and cooperated!
The group continued to advance, initially only aware of their opponents’ numbers, as the village completed its approach and prepared for combat. But as they drew nearer, the older of the two mages suddenly changed his expression and gave a shout.
“Stop the advance!”
The battalion leader’s command was absolute. His words came abruptly, but almost the entire group halted when he shouted from the center of the formation.
Baynard didn’t understand, but Sir William quickly discerned the reason for his senior’s outcry.
“Beasts!” Sir William exclaimed, noticing mana emanating from some creatures near the Eternal Village group.
“And if there are beasts here…”
The troop commander added to Sir William’s observation. “Then there must be mages!”
Baynard hadn’t anticipated this and finally shed the anticipatory smile from his face, narrowing his eyes as he tried to get a better look at Jonn’s group. He recognized several of the village members he had seen before, but among them were a few newcomers.
Clearly, the village had recruited more groups, just as Jonn had done with Baynard’s earlier group. ‘Have they recruited a mage?’ the blond man wondered, standing his ground, his group only 200 meters away from the Eternal Village force at that moment.
“What do we do?” he asked in an uncertain tone.
Beasts changed everything in battle!
The battalion commander offered his opinion before deciding. “We have more men, so it’s possible for us to win. But a battle would be costly. Perhaps using our numbers and a threat could yield better results.”
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“Will that work?” Sir William asked. “To me, it looks like they’re prepared to fight to the death.”
“That could be the case, or it could be a ruse.” The group commander continued to watch the eagle and the bear—the two creatures that most captivated his attention. “And if it truly is their intent to fight to the death, undermining their confidence is our best move right now. We certainly won’t be able to retreat without a conflict, and facing frightened opponents is our best chance.”
After his statement, the commander signaled for one of his men to advance with a message, while the rest of the troops took their positions in preparation for an attack.
Jonn noticed the shift in the enemy’s behavior and stepped forward alone, leaving his companions behind. Windy carried him toward the negotiation, while his mind raced to understand what was unfolding.
Are you here to issue an ultimatum? Perhaps they’ve already noticed our beasts…
Like mages, the beasts could conceal their mana trails by keeping their mana within their bodies. But not everyone could do this as effectively as Jonn. This was especially true for creatures accustomed to using their mana to intimidate opponents before combat—such as the three envoys from the Triceratops horde.
“Eternal Village, we are envoys of His Grace Dayflare, Duke of Eldoria, member of the Royal Council, and Guardian of the South. Lay down your weapons and withdraw your beasts. Under our rule, you can thrive!” The messenger shouted loudly enough for everyone in the village to hear his demands.
His expression grew increasingly stern as he concluded, “Refuse, and suffer the consequences of a Duke’s wrath! The reprisals will be decisive and unquestionable!”
That was serious trouble!
Jonn halted just 30 meters from the enemy messenger, his gaze deep and dark, hands tense as sweat streamed down his body.
Duke Dayflare… A Duke!
Jonn scanned beyond the battalion in front of him, envisioning the capital of Eldoria and the leader of this troop.
This is bad. Very bad! Even if we kill these people, they won’t stop coming back to the village! Eventually, the news could spread, and various powers might discover what we have in the village!
Using his skills, Jonn assessed the enemies, but everyone there already harbored a [Relationship] of Hate toward him. All he could do was estimate the condition and quality of the enemy’s warlike artifacts. However, he recognized Baynard—even though he didn’t know the man’s real name—and understood that the two next to this traitor were the strongest in the group ahead, likely the leaders.
A few seconds had passed since the enemy messenger’s declaration, leaving both sides in tense silence. Jonn contemplated the situation, shifting his gaze between the messenger, whose eyes burned with fanatical courage, and the pair beside Baynard.
Then, slowly, Jonn raised his spear into the air, still guarding his [Spirit Wand] to catch any enemy mages. He was serious about the outcome of this confrontation, believing there were no alternative paths that would lead to a better fate.
As he raised his weapon, a scream tore from his throat. Windy propelled himself forward, and the entire Eternal Village group responded to their leader’s call to war.
Eliot was among the first to act, nocking an arrow to his magical bow.
The village archer’s bronze-colored arrow glowed with mana, launched from the bow with violent energy, slicing through the air like a lightning-fast projectile.
The arrow followed a parabolic trajectory, reaching the enemy messenger in just three seconds. It pierced the man’s esophagus; the weapon traveled through his body and armor before embedding itself in his horse’s back.
The horse cried out in agony as it collapsed to the ground, dragging its horrified rider, who could do nothing but watch blood seep from his grievously wounded body.
The village animals charged at the enemy battalion, followed by the guards, who trailed behind more cautiously, shouting to bolster each other’s courage.
They were confident in their beasts, believing they could thin out the enemy ranks before their time to engage in close combat. However, the enemy outnumbered them, and the average soldier could use strategies and tools to overcome low-level beasts.
Having beasts on their side did not guarantee victory!
As the village guards raced forward, their minds blank and hearts pounding with adrenaline, the enemies advanced as well.
The commanding mage grimaced and signaled for his troops to move forward, prompting the cavalry to charge while the archers adjusted their weapons to a slightly diagonal position.
“Ready!” shouted one of the sub-leaders to the group of archers.
“Fire!”
A volley of arrows rained down from the battalion’s position, while the infantry followed behind the cavalry, armed with spears and some bearing large wooden shields.
Jonn observed the enemy’s movements as he sprinted ahead, analyzing the trajectory of the incoming arrows and using [Analysis] to predict their exact landing spots—areas where some of his fellow villagers would soon be traversing.
Seeing no alternative, he swapped his ordinary spear for his wand.
[Air Palm!]
-40x8 Mana!
From his wand, an intense surge of mana flowed, forming a semi-transparent palm aimed at the volley of arrows arcing through the air near the peak of their trajectory.
Jonn’s air attack was powerful, but it wasn’t the only one. Anticipating that enemy mages would act now that he had initiated his {Spell}, he was strategic, deploying his most potent weapon against the multitude of foes.
[Meteor!]
-80x10 Mana!
The sky suddenly shifted to a faint orange hue as ten fiery orbs condensed, descending from above with increasing speed and mass.
Jonn felt the strain of casting the {Spell} but deemed it necessary, targeting a squad of nearly a hundred soldiers advancing between the cavalry and infantry.
His enemies were many and on the move. Unleashing one meteor wouldn’t suffice!
The enemy mages identified their major opponent for the day, recognizing in Jonn’s actions a mana density several times greater than that of Eliot’s initial shot.
“Acolyte! A high-level one, to make matters worse!” the commander exclaimed as he adjusted his mount, mirroring Sir William’s movements.
The two summoned their own weapons from their space storage items, advancing with grim expressions as they expected an even fiercer confrontation because of the presence of the surrounding beasts.
Baynard stayed behind while the two high-level Acolytes sent by Duke Dayflare acted, they both activating their {Spells} to counter Jonn’s movements and weaken him.
Yet, there was no way to completely avert the worst of Jonn’s maneuver. The ten flaming meteors descended from the sky, causing the cavalrymen and infantrymen to look up in horror, worrying less about the enemies they were attacking and more about their own lives being in danger.
Jonn’s meteor shower struck the area where the enemies were passing through, scorching the ground as magical forces surged from both sides of the battlefield, igniting the first magical war for the current Eternal Village!
The battlefield erupted into flames, while the surrounding ground trembled with explosions, accompanied by horrendous screams of agony, cries for help, and indecipherable shouts.
Once again, in its recent history, the Barren Hills of Deepshadow were stained with toxic mana, blood, and the remains of living beings!