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The view atop the castle wall was, at first glance, the very definition of chaos.

Screams began to seep out from all directions, mingling with the voices of those trying to quell them. The current domain was a nightmarish chaos of those entranced by illusions and those who weren’t.

To quickly assess the situation, I glanced at the status window.

『The area, the western castle wall, is sufficiently soaked in blood.』

『Curses and hallucinations have begun to settle deep in the castle wall.』

『Before the city is consumed by these illusions, hunt down Allen Kalia─

The status window fizzled with noise and vanished once more.

‘This must be that devil’s mischief.’

The World Tree had toyed with the status window, and if it could act like that, what couldn’t a high-ranking demon pull off? Plus, given that the city was steadily being engulfed by its aura, extending its influence would be all too easy.

‘From here on, the role of the hunting squad becomes crucial.’

Even if we caught the succubus, the current situation wouldn’t change, and something might be festering within the city to spread its energies. To be honest, we hadn’t been able to eliminate it for six days already, and given how things are, killing Allen swiftly might just be our best bet.

As I contemplated this, Shione had stepped out from the barracks and was gazing up at the castle wall.

She squinted, looking puzzled at the wall.

“I don’t feel anything wrong, but I sense a considerable aura. Ray, does it look different to you?”

“Yes, it seems a bit different already after being apart from you, Princess.”

“Can you explain what it looks like?”

“There seem to be quite a few bizarre monsters.”

Perfectly noble young ladies would probably faint at the sight!

I wondered how Abel was faring in that beastly realm.

He seemed somewhat distanced from the notion of being “perfectly” noble, so I figured he might be putting up some resistance.

“Most noticeable is a human with six elongated arms crawling around the castle wall like a spider. Blood is spilling down from the upper layers of the wall, and… I don’t yet hear the screams—a hallucination I haven’t heard yet.”

“…Really?”

“Yes, oh, look! That spider-like creature is staring right at us. I think I’ve caught its attention a bit too much.”

“From that far away, it’s looking at us?”

“Well, it’s nothing but an illusion that you can’t see, Princess Shione. It’s likely acting out to destabilize those who are aware of the hallucinations.”

That damned demon loved to play mind games.

After tormenting a person into submission, it caused internal strife, eventually edging teammates into slaughtering each other.

If Abel had any understanding of the demon he was entangled with, I hoped he wouldn’t misuse that aura.

‘The moment we go from a swift resolution to a drawn-out battle, the forces of the Marquis and Count families won’t be able to cope.’

Once the war dragged on, it would spiral into utter chaos.

To be frank, even if the royal family came to support us on top of the Marquis and Count families, all it would mean is an increase in frantic threats under the influence of hallucinations.

Based on the circumstances, it seems the more blood flows—friend or foe—the more dangerous that area becomes, so moving swiftly towards a decisive resolution might be more advantageous for us.

I thought of the one suffering the most atop that castle wall.

“Princess Shione, Young Master Abel is in danger.”

He couldn’t harness any mana.

Unlike me, he doesn’t know how to dispel illusions, and his physical abilities are inferior to mana-infused individuals, so by now he’s either fleeing like a coward or pulling his hair out trying to hold on.

“The northern wall doesn’t seem too bad to my eyes, but the western wall is rather severe. I’m not sure if everyone is seeing the same hallucinations, but if the amount of mana they possess alters their perception—”

Staying there too long wouldn’t do Abel any good.

Then, a frantic sound of hooves and a woman’s scream filled the area around the barracks.

“Support! Young Master Abel Kalia has requested assistance and rescue!”

Shione immediately grabbed hold of a clear-headed knight and commanded.

“Tell the reserve forces to prepare for immediate deployment. Also, exclude those within the reserve who are seeing illusions of the castle wall.”

“Understood!”

She swiftly inquired of the woman who brought the support request about the situation atop the wall.

“The assault on the wall had eased─”

The woman’s words were simple.

Since Abel’s assault on the castle wall had subsided, illusions suddenly appeared.

Soon after, there was a stealth attack from a demon climbing the wall, but due to the sudden hallucinations, identifying friend from foe and grasping the overall situation seemed compromised, leading to an urgent crisis.

It seems there are quite a few who have been disheartened by the newfound confusion just before the battle seemed to calm down.

Having heard the woman’s report, Shione quietly stared at the warhorses tied up in front of the barracks, muttering.

“…Should I take charge?”

It wouldn’t be a light matter for Shione, the supreme commander of the suppression unit, to head to the front lines composed of elite troops.

“Princess Shione, you are currently the high commander of the suppression unit. You must assemble the situation, give orders, and serve as a liaison between the hunting unit and defense unit.”

That was an important position.

However, the organization wouldn’t come to a halt without Shione.

“But as a commander, your skills aren’t quite high yet. So far, you’ve just been following the plans put forth by numerous strategists, listening mostly to the most favorable opinions and then executing their commands. That level of decision-making should be well within the capability of strategists or knights with adequate knowledge of the situation.”

Shione had fought as a knight handling steeds, but she had never practiced battling against strategists with maps and pieces.

To be honest, it was natural to expect the strategists from the Marquis family, who had spent their entire lives engaging in brain games against the Empire at the border, to be reliable. Shione was not a great leader who could manage with only the shallow knowledge of tactics and strategy she briefly read in the library.

However, even if Siabel had given her this position, I believed that—

Currently, it would be most appropriate for Shione, a noble capable of taking responsibility for her choices, to hold what belongs to the Count family regarding military control, which seemed to be her rightful place.

“But as a knight, it’s different, isn’t it?”

“…….”

“The only knight in the Marquis family who can perfectly resist these illusions. Even if the soldiers currently assigned to the reserves have not fallen under the illusions, we cannot guarantee what will happen once they go up the wall.”

We do not have complete knowledge of the circumstances atop the wall.

The illusions may be far worse than what we now perceive, and even those who seemed fine could be driven mad upon ascent.

“Even if such a scenario occurs, I believe you can perfectly anchor the center of the unit, Princess Shione.”

With Shione joining the unit, the potential losses among the elite reserve team can be minimized.

“Moreover, the mana of the Count family is exceptional. Among them, Princess Shione’s mana is purer than anyone else’s, which is perhaps why we suffered so much in the Great Forest.”

Additionally, there exists a possibility that she could use her mana to directly and quickly find a way to dispel the illusions.

“However, that’s complete battlefield. It certainly won’t be easy. The choice is… up to you now, Princess Shione.”

Shione fell into silent contemplation.

Executing a successful operation and returning swiftly would earn her great honor through the decisive judgment of a commander. But if she exposed herself to danger unnecessarily and failed, it would severely impact not just the defense unit but also the suppression unit, marking the worst possible judgment.

After a moment, she exited the horse’s barrack, checking the gear she had prepared again. I subtly moved alongside her, readying myself for deployment while Shione looked at me.

“Ray, you can see the hallucinations. Stay here.”

Having already experienced such illusions numerous times, I understood well enough the methods to counter them, so while it would be tough, I had a rough idea on how to handle it.

Besides, it wasn’t as intimidating knowing that the pure magical cleaner, Shione, was right by my side.

“It wouldn’t make sense for me not to go when you’re going, Princess Shione.”

More so since the situation where Shione gets hurt is something I’d want to avoid, so accompanying her ensures I could look after her.

However, instead of thanking me for my words, Shione spread her arms wide.

“Close the tent entrance.”

“Shione, what are you doing all of a sudden?”

“We have to go without letting the illusion be seen.”

Even though it was her own idea, she couldn’t quite meet my eyes, feeling embarrassed.

I couldn’t help but tease.

I exaggeratedly shielded my upper body with overly dramatic movements.

“Are you really thinking of embracing me here…?”

“W-What are you saying…!”

Seeing her eyes darting around in an exaggerated manner made her grumble.

In the end, accommodating her irritation, we shared a brief embrace.

“…….”

Shione’s arms were tightly wrapped around me. She wouldn’t allow me to escape.

“…Shione?”

I learned her new preference.

*

The castle wall was in chaos.

The magical illusions were grotesque, complete with sound and vibrancy that made the horror worse. Raw recruits and inexperienced soldiers were panicking, diminishing the morale of the unit, and the situation was growing dire with the passing time.

“Is support still not here…!”

Abel Kalia gritted his teeth and inquired of his guards.

“The reserve forces have just arrived at the castle wall!”

That was unexpectedly good news.

Feeling the blood-soaked ground of the castle wall underfoot, Abel Kalia walked towards the base of the wall.

‘Princess Shione is leading the reserves directly.’

With silver hair and a bow in hand, there was only one person—Shione Shianella.

To have a family known for their overwhelming power against demons arrive at the castle wall felt like a blessing to Abel.

“Reserve forces! Those who see the illusions fall back, those who are clear-headed, reclaim the wall and rescue those taken by the illusions!”

The support soldiers ascended the castle wall.

The sounds of iron armor and weaponry being drawn added something new to the battlefield. On the wall, the soldiers still retaining their sanity rallied their spirits.

“Hold on! Just a bit longer!”

Abel shouted.

His voice, already strained, echoed against the wall.

How long could he swing a sword without mana? But Abel bore down, having faced a knight once before, continuing to push his sword into those trying to drag themselves back to life.

“Ugh…!”

Yet this was merely a struggle.

The illusions initially appeared vulnerable but grew stronger over time, untouched by swords lacking mana.

Instead, they absorbed the fear that arose from those trying to survive and pressed in on him even harder.

His ankle was seized by a hand that was red and had its skin stripped.

“Guard─”

He was about to call for his guard before he fell to the illusions.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

An arrow struck the illusion holding his wrist.

And then, the approaching man’s sword pierced through.

Although the sword bore no trace of mana, the nightmare was more painful than anything and forced it to retreat.

“Now, the elite reserve unit will provide support.”

Ray. The most renowned figure from the Count family.

As he stood before Abel, the grotesque figure that had been clinging to the wall came into view.

With six emaciated arms, and a body resembling that of a bursting human spider, its face gaping like a sandworm’s hideous maw.

Ray muttered an incantation he didn’t recognize.

“‘Ah, this is a bit…’”

That quiet monologue was like a prayer for victory.

Abel could do nothing but watch in awe at the back of his idol.

‘…What a damn hideous sight, seriously.’

Not having witnessed Ray’s face twisted in disgust was a great blessing for Abel.

 

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