CH 279.1

A hollow part of the World Tree.

「All right, everyone. I thank you for your cooperation today」

The acting chairman, a slouched-shouldered high elf, said in a polite tone. Several high elves nodded and opened the book, which they held in one hand.

Incidentally, there was no sign of the thin old high elf and the pharmacist old woman. He ordered the guards not to let them through.

(We are about to perform a task that cannot be allowed to fail. We can’t let someone who can only make a fuss interfere)

The commander of the Elven knight order and the best pharmacist in the village.

Until now, the acting chairman had treated the two influential people with respect. But after seeing their behavior, he had a second thoughts.

「Well then, let’s begin」

He takes a deep breath and starts to chant the spell slowly and carefully.

He had nothing in his hands. He had put the entire chant into his head.

『O Sixteen Guides forming a circle with your back facing outward and your wings spread out. Close your wings and channel your magic to the heart in the center of the circle. I command you by the will of the Magi Carta』

The five assistants’ voices continued to repeat the same phrase as the hunched High Elf.

After finishing the phrase, there was silence. The acting chairman, his expression grim at the lack of response, changed the wording and chanted it again.

『Lay your wings with those beside you to prevent magic from flowing in. This is just a part of your role. And I command you again! Tilt your wings to create a gap and guide the magic to the heart now and fulfill your role as guides!』

『Fulfill your role!』

His chant reverberated inside the hollow and faded away.

The acting chairman grew impatient with the silence that followed. However, soon after, a vibration between a sound and a shaking echoed.

It was as if multiple stone walls had moved underground. The A A commotion was raised among the high elves who were not participating in the chanting.

『Our respect to the Sixteen Guides who are faithful to their duties!』

『We give our respect!』

The acting chairman wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and let out a big sigh. Then, together with assistants who helped him chant, he waited for the shaking to subside.

Not long after, the shaking turned into a quiet vibration as if something was moving.

Signaling to the people around him with his eyes, the hunched high elf inhaled and puffed out his chest.

『O executioner of judgment with five-colored spears and arrows. Your Winged Sixteen hearts are now filled with magic power』

He waits for the assistants to finish her chant and continue.

『Arise and wield your power. For the earth is now full of those who deserve to be judged!』

The acting chairman thrust his right hand forward in an exaggerated manner. With that movement, the third level of the magic circle began to emit lightning around that.

Everyone shouted the last verse in unison with all their might.

『The executioner’s heart pulses from the magic power received by his wings. Engage!』

The acting chairman raises his right hand high and waves it down. The five assistants followed suit.

The next moment, with a thunderous burst of lightning, an intense light fills the interior of the hollow.

(How was it?)

Waiting for the sight to return, the acting chairman looks around.

Just as he begins to feel uneasy about the lack of change, he hears a steady heartbeat under his feet, a slower tempo than before, and a roar fills the hollow as if he were standing by a waterfall.

「….It’s a success」

The words that someone had uttered described the situation exactly.

「We will maintain control until it’s activated. Everyone, please leave this area」

With relief on his face, the acting chairman tells the high elves who have been watching.

His voice was very hard to hear because of the noise as if he was near a huge heart. Leaving the acting chairman and the five chanting assistants behind, the high elves held their ears with their hands and frowned as they left.

「That was amazing. I never thought I’d be able to witness the activation of Spirit Cannon」

Once outside the thick mithril silver double doors, the high elves share their impressions.

Most of them seemed to be genuinely excited by the academics. I guess that’s the nature of being a high elf.

Once they had expressed some of their thoughts, the conversation turned to the remaining acting chairman in the hall.

「So they will be in there for a few days huh? It’s humiliating that I wasn’t chosen as an acting chairman, but after hearing that sound, I’m glad I didn’t」

Some of them shrugged their shoulders. They probably agree with him.

As he started to walk up the long staircase, he heard a few shouts and screams from above.

「My, how energetic they are. If they’ve got that much energy left, they should’ve also offered their magic power」

The Commander and the Pharmacist must have felt the tremor and came. The guards seemed to be holding fast to the acting chairman’s orders.

「They’ll surely come to bite us if we meet them. How troublesome」

The high elves smiled wryly at each other.

***

Just south of the Spirit Forest. Across a not-so-wide plain, there is a city in the northern part of the Empire’s territory.

The tents of the Rose Knights lined the outside of the walls surrounding the city, and a B-class with many roses on a black background was stationed on one knee.

「The World Tree is shining you say?」

Inside the biggest tent in the area, Count Rosehip asks his subordinate again.

The time now is just before noon. He said he noticed it during his first scheduled reconnaissance today.

「It’s hard to see in the daylight, but you can see it if you look closely. Also, the light seemed to be slowly getting stronger」

A middle-aged large man with short white hair bent his eyebrows in thought at the pilot’s words.

He picked up a piece of paper on his desk and wrote something down with strong pen pressure.

「Take this to the Viscountess and His Excellency. I’m counting on you」

He thrust out a folded piece of paper to a Gryphon who was poking his head into a pen holder to pick at it.

The little white bird with hind legs caught it in its beak and flew out of the tent.

『A track record of being fast without making a single mistake』

The pet that had won its master’s trust was now working as a messenger for the Rose Knights.

It managed to reach the two in the city this time as well, and the mature Viscountess and the old warrior soon appeared at the tent.

「I’m sorry to have called both of you here. I thought it would be more convenient for us to meet here, where both of your Knights are stationed」

Count Rosehip offered them a seat and relayed the information from his scout.

The old warrior, the pilot of an A-class Knight, the head of the Imperial Guard. The armored warrior, whose color seemed to have been painted with lacquer, had already been completely repaired.

The same goes for the crimson A-class of the mature Viscountess, the lord of the territory.

「I think we should also go and see it ourselves」

After listening to the old warrior’s words, the mature Viscountess expressed her agreement.

Count Rosehip stood up and opened his mouth.

「Well then, let’s depart right away. With our three A-class Knights, we should be fine even if we enter the range of the Elven Knights」

What he was wary of was a magic attack from inside the forest.

If the old warrior with the magic-resistant shield was with them, they would be able to break away even if they were targeted by the prickly black-green A-class Elven Knight.

After leaving the tent, the three of them climbed into their respective Knights and set off.

Count Rosehip’s A-class Knight, dyed with a large red rose on a black background. Of course, the Gryphon was also in the cockpit with him.

「Don’t eat up the magic now, got it?」

Count Rosehip tells the pet on top of his head. Whether he understands or not, the one who is told only scratches his head with his hind legs.

The three Knights head north and reach the giant wall that divides the small plain into north and south. They are seen off by the soldiers and C-class Knights at the checkpoint and head further north.

Without being attacked by magic from a distance, they made their way to the outer edge of the Spirit Forest.

「…It really shines huh」

Looking up at the World Tree from the Knight’s high viewpoint, over the heads of the forest trees, a rainbow haze of varying colors rises up.

「You should see this too」

Count Rosehip calls out to the Gryphon, who shows interest, and opens the hatch slightly.

A small white bird emerges from a gap in the chest armor and looks outside. It turned around and swooped down to its master’s crotch and started pecking furiously at the Giant Sandworm.

「Did you notice something?」

In an instant, Count Rosehip hardens the Giant Sandworm and bounces it off its beak. It’s a habit of his pet when he’s upset, so he’s used to it.

The calm Gryphon looked up at the Lord and sent a wave of emotion flying.

(This feeling… is it fear? It’s instinctive, like the feeling you get at a huge waterfall or a raging torrent)

Count Rosehip’s expression grimaced and asked again.

「Something bad is gonna happen, isn’t it?」

Its response was a simple 『Yes』.

「When? Is it soon?」

This time, it showed signs of uncertainty. However, from the impatience that was conveyed to him, he judged that it was imminent.

He beckoned to the other two Knights, and they touched their bodies to each other. Then, he emitted a low-volume external sound system, which echoed through the other Knight’s body.

『My Gryphon warned me that something bad is going to happen soon』

The crimson Knight’s body shivered.

『Is it the Spirit Cannon?』

To the mature Viscountess’ question, Count Rosehip replied that he did not know.

After a short pause, the lacquered Knight also vibrated.

『Let’s go with the assumption that it IS a Spirit Cannon proceed with that in mind. Let’s go back for now and make a move right away』

After returning to the Rose Knights’ tent outside the Northern city, they first sent a message to the Imperial Capital.

Next is to do what they can do now. They began to discuss what they could do in the event that the Northern city was targeted.

「I think we should have the main force of Knights pushed to the checkpoint」

The two nodded in agreement with Count Rosehip.

From the checkpoint, there are giant walls built on the east and west sides. This would be the best place to defend.

The next topic of discussion was how to protect the residents.

「We can tell those who have a basement to stay in their basement. Those who live in stone houses, let them stay in the innermost room. For the rest, let’s gather them in the main hall」

The mature Viscountess suggests.

The main hall is a stone building facing the central square. It is relatively sturdy and can accommodate a good number of people.

Since they had anticipated this kind of situation, they had already brought in water, food, and blankets.

Seeing that the old warrior agreed, she turned her face back diagonally.

「I leave the extraction to you. We’re going to the frontlines」

Standing there is a thin man with a thin, old-looking face who looks unhappy. He was the mature Viscountess’ vice-commander.

「Please leave it to me」

After receiving a salute from the vice commander, the three A-class pilots left their seats.