Birthday Trap 8
The older mage who had grabbed Commander Hegaty’s arm was frothing at the mouth with rage, his face crimson as he berated the commander. A trickle of blood ran from his forehead, apparently from a monster’s attack that he had been unable to fend off.
“I—I wasn’t told about this! Why isn’t anyone protecting me?”
Commander Hegaty frowned. Why did the mage think he would be protected by the knights? Mages accompanying a monster invasion are supposed to fight alongside the knights, not be guarded by them. They should at least avoid hindering the team if they can’t be of help, but the "seat warmer" mage clearly had no understanding of his role.
His self-centered attitude was too much to deal with. The mage, intimidated by the icy gaze of the commander, took a step back, reluctantly releasing his grip. However, the mage's pride seemed wounded by this, and he pointed a trembling finger at the commander.
“I—I will report this disgrace to my superiors! Expect a follow-up!”
With those parting words, the mage turned on his heel and walked away from the knight squad. But perhaps due to the anxiety of returning alone through the miasma, he suddenly stopped and looked back over his shoulder, veins bulging on his forehead. “Isn’t anyone coming with me?” he shouted. Of course, no one moved. The knights gave him a cold glance, and the rookie mage, perhaps not wanting to be called by name, quietly hid in the shadow of one of the knights.
“I—I’m so sorry,”
The young mage apologized in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. Clearly distressed, one of the knights, feeling sorry for him, patted his shoulder in encouragement.
On the other hand, the older mage, even more enraged by being ignored, stormed off with his back turned to the knights, growling about the "disrespectful barbarians" and warning them that he would regret it later. Austin glanced sideways at Deputy Captain Eden standing next to him. Noticing the look, Eden responded in a cold tone.
“Leave him be. He’ll die anyway.”
Even seemingly minor wounds from monsters often harbor residual miasma. If left untreated, toxins from the wounds would seep into the body, weakening it further. This meant that even if the mage managed to find his way back alone, he would likely collapse midway and be devoured by monsters. If by some chance the wound didn’t have lingering miasma, a capable mage might be able to protect themselves and drive off the monsters. But a "seat warmer" mage wouldn’t have the capability. If he could do that, he wouldn’t have been left behind in the first place.
It was unclear who in the Mage Bureau had sent him to accompany the knights. However, it was evident that they likely saw him as "replaceable," a fact confirmed by his lack of ability and networking within the bureau. Everyone present shared the same sentiment: it was a pity for the young mage who had been assigned to this task.
The knights, silent, began to walk towards the heart of the monster stampede. The closer they got to the center, the thicker the miasma became. Even without direct exposure, the miasma affected humans. Even with a barrier, those unaccustomed or psychologically vulnerable would struggle to endure the presence of miasma. Especially now, as they moved from areas of lighter miasma to heavier ones, the situation was grueling. Facing such peril and needing to constantly remain alert to potential attacks drained their stamina.
As expected, the rookie mage trailing at the back grew increasingly pale. Normally, mages would position themselves in the center of the group to protect themselves and create barriers for the entire squad. But the young mage’s stamina was already nearly depleted. Eventually, he collapsed to his knees.
“Hey, are you okay?”
A knight, noticing his condition, asked, though he suspected the answer. The mage tried to respond but was unable to do so, instead covering his mouth and vomiting through the gap. The knights glanced at the young mage with indifference. They would not expect him to create barriers around them; if he tried, he would quickly exhaust himself and fall. Collapsing here meant certain death.
“If he can cast healing magic on a serious injury, that would be a bonus,”
One of the knights muttered sympathetically so the mage wouldn’t hear. It was clear to everyone that the young mage had been selected as a sacrificial pawn by the Mage Bureau. Although earnest and perceptive, his magical skills were lacking. Unlike the older mage who blindly believed in his own value, the rookie mage seemed to have realized his unfortunate position. His timid demeanor underscored his lack of confidence.
Thus, no one reproached him. While the mission was not suited for a rookie, this was one of the most grueling tasks they had faced. Therefore, no one held any hope that he would be able to perform healing magic. In his current state of extreme fatigue and vomiting, he could barely protect himself, let alone use the purification spells needed to subdue the monster stampede.
In other words, this extermination squad was effectively a sacrificial unit. They had been discarded by the Mage Bureau and the noble class that governs the realm. Everyone present understood this. However, that didn’t mean they could call off the mission. Cancelling the extermination out of spite for the higher-ups would not affect those comfortably protected in the palace. The ones who would suffer are the innocent civilians. Abandoning the people was a direct affront to their spirit and honor.
Yet, the knights were losing their composure.
As they advanced, monsters appeared sporadically. Sometimes there was only one, other times there were swarms. Normally, a monster stampede consists of a single swarm. However, recent stampedes had shown multiple swarms occurring simultaneously, giving the impression of a single stampede. This situation was no different.
Commander Hegaty, the second squad, and Austin steadily fought off the monsters, but the miasma remained unrelenting. The endless extermination wore down their already taxed mental fortitude. Yet, the seasoned knights did not complain.
Despite their valiant efforts, the squad, sent out with insufficient forces, neared their limit. They managed to press on and reached the edge of the forest. It seemed they were on the brink of reaching the center—just then, the air shuddered with unease.
A flood of monsters emerged from the thick, black miasma, far greater in number than before. These monsters relentlessly hurled raw magical power, far purer than the magic humans used. The knights' expressions shifted in alarm. The power of these monsters far surpassed what they had faced before. The attacks from these monsters held overwhelming destructive force.
“Full defensive measures!!”
Commander Hegaty shouted. Instantly, everyone used their full strength to cast defensive barriers. Whether these barriers would be enough to block the monsters’ attacks was uncertain. The mages also scrambled to protect the knights with their spells, but their incantations were too slow.
“Aaaaahhhh!!”
A mage’s scream echoed. Moments later, the sound of bones cracking was followed by the mage’s decapitated body collapsing to the ground, leaving a fresh bloodstain on the earth. Blood gushed from the gaping wound.
Seeing this, Austin forced himself to tear his gaze away and refocus on the monsters.
“Dammit—”
Danhill gritted his teeth and swung his sword. He launched fireballs imbued with wind magic at the mid-range monsters. The hit monsters writhed in agony before turning into charred remains. Meanwhile, monsters that teleported in close were cut down by his sword. The knights, struggling against the stench, fought desperately with their swords and magic. The battlefield was chaotic, with friend and foe intermingled, preventing any coherent formation. The monsters overwhelmed the knights with their numbers and power.
Austin fought furiously against the monsters with wind magic and his sword. However, attacking ground-based monsters with wind magic risked harming his allies due to his current skill level. Reluctantly, he targeted the monsters attacking from the air. Deputy Captain Eden, dispatching the ground-based monsters, gave Austin a brief nod as if to signal that it was acceptable. But Austin was too consumed by the battle to notice.
Commander Hegaty clicked his tongue and drove his sword into the ground. The next moment, the soil beneath the monsters’ feet erupted with force. The upthrust carried the monsters into the air, and they collided with others, exploding into fragments. Simultaneously, the gusts of wind, carefully controlled to avoid injuring the knights, sliced through the monsters, cutting them in two. As rumored, Commander Hegaty’s magic was noted for its precise manipulation of magical power.
But that was exactly the trap set by the monsters. As the knights dealt with the surrounding monsters, their response to the true threat was delayed. Countless tiny monsters, too small to be seen clearly, swarmed their field of vision like a locust plague. There were simply too many to handle, whether by fire or wind. Using magic recklessly risked injuring their own comrades engaged with the monsters.
Despite this, they did not give up. Giving up was not an option. If they faltered, the devastation wrought by this massive monster stampede on the kingdom was unimaginable.
“Guh—”
“Eden!?”
Hearing the deputy captain’s groans from behind, Danhill, who was incinerating countless monsters with fire magic, shouted. Eden had faced and cut down the monster attacking Danhill from behind, but in that brief moment, another monster had bitten through his left thigh, causing him to collapse to the ground. The miasma’s toxins seemed to have entered his wound, turning not only his face but also his limbs pale. Even though the wound appeared ordinary, it was far from it. The toxins that seeped from the wound rapidly spread throughout his body, quickly claiming his life. The deeper the wound, the more severe the effects. There was a chance of survival if the wound could be purified immediately, but if purification was delayed, there was no hope. And now, there was no one who could purify Eden’s wound.
Cold sweat dripped from Eden’s forehead, and his eyes wandered vacantly. The rapid change in his condition sent a chill through Danhill’s heart.
“Eden, stay with me!”
Danhill called out, but he knew. Eden was beyond saving. In this situation, it was even impossible to carry Eden back. Within minutes, Eden’s breathing would cease.
—Eden would not have been injured if he had not protected Danhill.
Eden had always been by Danhill’s side. Although he was the legitimate son of the Earl of Calvert and came from a commoner background, their relationship went beyond that of a mere captain and deputy. They were comrades. Initially, Eden had opposed Danhill, referring to him as a noble brat, but he had eventually come to always support Danhill. It was because Eden remained calm and steady beside the flamboyant Danhill that Danhill was able to serve as the captain of the second squad at such a young age. Even when Danhill’s spirits faltered, he could move forward by hearing Eden’s words. In dangerous situations, Eden would shield Danhill with his own body, refusing to back down even when told to stop.
On Eden’s body were numerous wounds from protecting Danhill.
Danhill bit his lip, the taste of iron spreading in his mouth. Yet, there was no time for sentiment. Monsters continued to appear, their attacks unrelenting. For Danhill, even a momentary lapse of focus proved fatal.
“Ugh—”
A sharp pain shot through Danhill’s back, and his strength drained from his entire body. His refusal to let go of his sword was a testament to his pride as a knight.
“—Captain!”
Austin shouted.
“Wait, Austin!”
The commander tried to stop him. But Austin had already begun to run toward Danhill.
To Austin, Danhill was a figure of admiration. He had long harbored a desire to catch up to Danhill’s level. It all started when Danhill told him not to carry the burden alone, always looking out for him. Danhill had invited Austin to a recommended restaurant when he struggled with his relationship with Riley. Such gestures were unprecedented for Austin.
It was Danhill who first taught Austin to imbue magic into his sword. Over a meal of herring stew, Danhill had cheerfully said, “You could be a magic knight.” Danhill had explained that being a magic knight would prove his worth and might even get him appointed as a prince’s guard in the shortest time possible.
—Danhill was Austin’s idol.
A monster bared its fangs at Austin. A creature with the body of a wolf, wings of a raven, and the head of a serpent, it opened its maw to devour Austin, scattering poison as it did. The attack was swift. Austin sensed the danger and took a defensive stance, but it was a moment too late. That delay was fatal. Just as he thought he was about to be devoured, Austin’s vision darkened.
“—!?”
The monster’s broken fangs pierced Austin’s left shoulder. Intense pain coursed through him, draining the blood from his body. As he collapsed and nearly lost consciousness, Austin’s eyes widened in shock.
He couldn’t believe it.
“D—”
The commander—?
Danhill’s back, stained bright red, lay on the ground. He had shielded Austin, and the monster that attacked Austin lay dead, a sword embedded in the serpent’s head.
“Ugh—”
Groaning lowly, Commander Hegaty struggled to rise. Unable to muster strength, he gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his face. Though many monsters had been slain, more remained. They had to fight on, or everyone would die. But few knights were left able to fight.
Hegaty reached a conclusion in less than a second.
“Retreat—”
To make this decision now was against his pride. He had wanted to fulfill the mission to the end, to stop the monster stampede. Yet, with only a handful of knights still standing and many more fallen, further advance was impossible.
Gathering his last strength, Hegaty began chanting the teleportation spell to withdraw all surviving knights. The transfer array embroidered on his gloves began to glow golden as it reflected the last of the commander’s magical power.
Just before the incantation was complete.
[The ancient blessing of the star’s light, the clarity of the moon’s lamp, the judgment of the sun’s flames]
—It felt like a vision was heard.
The world turned completely white, and the miasma—cleared.
The spell to purify the miasma also cleansed the toxins from the knights’ wounds. Those whose breathing had nearly stopped, and who should have been excluded from the retreat, regained their breath. However, no one had time to recognize the fleeting twist of fate. Even the commander, who was chanting the teleportation spell, had no time to sense the anomaly.
In an instant, the teleportation spell ensnared the revived knights in an invisible web. At that moment, the figures of the knights who had gone out to exterminate the monsters vanished from the scene.