“The descendant of the one who monopolized the World Tree. Offering your head to our leader will make a fine sacrifice.”
With the sinister laughter of the wolf beastmen, the coalition of beastmen and elf armies gradually tightened their encirclement.
However, some among them…
-…..
The monster remained rooted to the spot, as if the ground beneath it had frozen.
No, it was actually beginning to retreat slowly.
‘Where do you think you’re going?’
I clicked my tongue as I watched it desperately avoid eye contact.
Its intention was obvious.
Since it hadn’t seen my true form yet, it probably thought it could escape and pretend it hadn’t noticed me.
But…
For someone like me who remembers it from the original story, its desperate attempts were completely useless.
-Bathory, may I borrow some mana for a moment?
-Hmm? Given the current situation, your magic doesn’t seem like it would turn the tides significantly.
I should rather…
-No, I have a plan. Do you remember that kid in the robe?
-Hmm, the atmosphere does feel familiar. Where have I seen it before?
-You don’t need to remember since to someone like you, Bathory, it’s as insignificant as dust.
A brilliant idea quickly struck me.
-Stop. Tamer, my compatriot. I didn’t expect you to gather your gang here.
I see it all.
The flinch beneath the robe.
The subtle glances toward my shadow.
I could confidently say that fear is the most potent emotion to cloud judgment.
Even in his position as a notable figure within the Disaster Cult, he was so visibly affected.
Not hiding my amusement, I whispered:
-Why the silence? You have every right to communicate telepathically.
Why not offer some sort of excuse?
Why do you obstruct the leader’s path?
-Hic.
A voice I had never heard in this place before, not even beyond the monitor, responded telepathically, hurriedly and nervously.
-It’s, it’s not like that! I just needed to replenish my subordinate monsters, and they said they’d help if I did this…!
-Is that so?
The additional three words carried a faint sense of shame, fear, and a deep sense of defeat.
There was no better way to establish dominance over a wild horse than with respectful speech.
What’s the best way, you ask?
Of course, it’s the whip.
-Anyway, what do you mean by replenishing subordinate monsters?
The boy silently looked down at my shadow.
There seemed to be a hint of protest in his silent action.
‘Was the punishment insufficient?’
-Ah, it’s because of divine punishment.
You should have obediently joined the plan like the puppeteer.
What were you thinking, giving in to distrust?
Do you wish to invoke the wrath of the Calamity again?
-I won’t rebel again.
The Tamer, who immediately began to beg as soon as Calamity was mentioned, was pitifully submissive.
I gazed steadily at my shadow.
‘Just how badly did you break him to make him such a coward?’
The once fierce Griffin, who had resisted until the very end, was nowhere to be seen.
Bathory’s havoc must have been tremendous for the strong one to become this timid.
-What are you looking at?
-Did you enjoy your feast?
-Haha, it was so satisfying that I don’t envy the emotions you consumed from the descendant of the great warrior.
The rare blood was exquisite.
Sigh.
It seemed that divine punishment was secondary to Bathory.
Her main purpose was simply to fill his own belly.
A moment of silence for the Tamer who became her sacrifice.
-Still, it looks like you’ve secured a number of monsters.
-Yes. The beastmen actively helped, so while it’s not as much as before, I managed to restore a considerable amount!
Nodding at the boy’s energetic voice, I sent another telepathic message.
-Good. There’s no betrayal quite like getting hit with the weapon they gave you.
-…What?
-What are you hesitating for? Use your ability to control the monsters immediately.
My gaze swept over the beastmen and elves.
Is any further explanation necessary?
Soon, I heard a satisfying reply.
-As the leader wishes………
While remaining cautious, I brought up the status window.
Under familiar manipulation, I summoned the religious system.
[Manage Followers]
[4 Executives, 172 Members]
[Fortune Teller]
[Sword Demon]
[Tamer]
The unbeliever tag that had been next to the Tamer had disappeared.
Extremely gratifying.
Such is the nature of worship.
Humans deify incomprehensible and terrifying natural phenomena, bringing them into the realm of understanding.
The Tamer, too, was merely fitting into that broad category of humans.
‘The real problem is… this.’
I frowned as I looked at the text below.
[Puppeteer] – [Distrust]
Despite her significant role in the major academy terror plot and her dedication to organizing the group as a brain, she harbored distrust toward me, a deity.
Though she bowed in front of me, it was unclear what she was concealing inside.
…I might need to administer divine punishment again someday.
But not now.
Unlike the Tamer, there was no clear reason to punish her yet.
For now, I decided to solve the immediate issue first and think about it later.
-Then, begin. Don’t keep me waiting too long.
-As you command……!
・Screeeech!
“Screeeam! Have these Griffins gone mad?”
“What are you doing?! Tamer! These mongrels are attacking us instead of the enemy… Ugh!”
“What’s happening? Weren’t these monsters supposed to be on our side?!”
The screams of beastmen and elves echoed throughout the jungle.
Even though their bodies were stronger than humans, that didn’t apply to ferocious monsters.
Enemies fell one by one under the sudden onslaught of teeth and claws.
It was the result of the boy’s execution of orders, driven by his desire to avoid punishment.
“What the hell is going on?”
“It seems like there’s some kind of internal conflict.”
Even the academy side was bewildered.
Even Luciana, though she remained cautious, clearly showed signs of losing her composure.
Meanwhile, beastmen and elves continued to fall like straw.
Their numbers dwindled visibly.
With this number, the academy’s personnel could handle it.
But…
‘Well, this seems to have settled it for now. Hm…’
The immediate crisis was resolved.
However, I felt it was too much of a waste to end things here.
‘Although they’re a considerable force, they’re just small fry. Capturing and dragging them back would hardly yield any valuable information.’
There were too many unanswered questions.
For instance, the earlier alliance between the elves and the beastmen compared to the original story.
The anomaly with the Phantom class and the religious system.
Seeing these changes, I was convinced that the final boss, the Calamity, had also been affected by the DLC.
Suddenly, an inspiration flashed through my mind, and I couldn’t help but lift the corners of my mouth.
‘…Ah, of course.’
Ultimately, there would be limits to the information I could obtain as an academy student.
In that case, why not roam this jungle in a new form?
-Tamer.
-You, you called?
And…
This guy, who trembled just at the sound of my voice, would be perfect for that role.
-Let’s do some acting.
-Acting… you say?
-Yes. Since you’re here, we might as well settle the hierarchy between our revered Calamity and the crude calamity they flaunt.
As I slashed at the arm of a beastman charging at me, I gave orders as the leader of the Disaster Cult.
* * *
‘There’s no end in sight.’
Luciana sharpened her aura to the utmost.
For some unknown reason, the beastmen and elves were injured by monsters.
The only option for those attacked from the rear was to flee in the opposite direction of the monsters.
And among them, some beastmen warriors were charging towards their original formation.
“Damn, the mission is botched. Humans really can’t be trusted.”
“It’s the beastman from a moment ago.”
“Move aside, human woman! I have no business with you!”
Luciana readjusted her grip on her sword.
The beastman warrior seemed quite strong.
His gaze was always straightforward.
And in the direction of his fierce eyes was another scion of the duke’s family like herself.
“Lady Speda..!”
“Don’t worry and hold your ground, Sir Daimon. I will not retreat.”
Luciana’s cold voice carried a hint of suppressed heat.
The situation was delicate, but it also presented an opportunity.
She was curious about the level of southern warriors from different races.
“Lucy, remember, humans are not the only beings in this world.”
“If you’re referring to the demons, I’m not afraid.”
“Haha, I misspoke. Of course, demons are a different race, but the world is vast. Among them are dwarves, who are friendly with us, and beastmen or elves, with whom we have complex relations.”
Recalling her father’s words, she steadied her sword.
If there were demons in the north, there were elves and beastmen in the south.
‘Father said beastmen are like Levains, and elves like vampires.’
This meant that beastmen, like Levains, had superior physical abilities.
They would be a worthy match for her sword.
Luciana’s eyes assessed her opponent.
‘His footwork… it’s on par with Hans.’
He was fast.
The beast ears on his head were not just for show; they proved his agility was akin to that of a wild animal.
“Cough, you’re in the way! You filthy human woman, get out of here right now!”
Blood was seeping from his abdomen, likely from a monster attack.
This outburst might have been his last desperate effort, squeezing out the last of his strength.
“Interesting. However, your limits are clear.”
Luciana’s eyes showed a faint hint of regret.
Hans’s movements were not this simple.
The latent power was immense, but it was completely unrefined.
In that aspect, he was similar to the demon who had invaded the duchy previously.
“What good is speed when it’s shallow?”
“What?”
For someone trained through duels with her beloved attendant, this level was nothing.
She regulated her breathing and predicted where he would land.
Taking a step forward, she thrust her beloved sword.
“Ugh!”
“Speed alone is not enough. It must be difficult to predict to be truly effective.”
Aiming for the heart of the blindly charging wolf beastman was not difficult.
Letting his weight collapse to the ground,
Luciana smoothly drew her sword and surveyed the surroundings.
“Everyone else is also…”
From her close friend Liza to her future husband, the crown prince, none were being overwhelmed by the wounded enemies.
Some were holding their ground well, and some had already finished their battles, just like her.
Among them, of course, was Hans, who was reliable enough to have her back.
“As expected of my attendant. You’ve already dealt with a beastman.”
“I only did my best to live up to my position as your servant, Lady Luciana.”
Amidst the chaotic battlefield, he bowed his head and continued speaking.
“However, we must not let our guard down. Our enemies are not just these stragglers.”
“Indeed.”
She turned her gaze from him to the front.
There stood monsters that had tasted the blood of beastmen and elves, running wild.
Griffons, hellhounds, trolls, and various other monsters seen only in bestiaries were numerous.
“But there’s no need to worry. Compared to the monsters in the north, they are weaker.”
Even so, Luciana was confident in her ability to overcome them.
She had defeated direwolves and yetis with her own hands, and Hans had faced a wendigo.
Together, they had triumphed over the three great monsters of the north.
Therefore, she believed they could easily handle these monsters.
– Rumbling.
Until she felt a slight tremor in the ground.
‘Hmm? Is something approaching?’
Luciana narrowed her eyes and scanned the surroundings.
Her extended senses barely caught the presence of a monster.
However, due to the monster’s special ability, she couldn’t pinpoint its location.
“Hans, be careful! There’s an enemy somewhere…!”
Before she could finish her warning,
“Lady Luciana, you be careful…!”
– Roar!
A monster erupted from the ground.
Right next to where her faithful attendant had been standing.
“A sandworm in the south?!”
Amidst the roar and the thunderous noise created by the monster, Camilla, a lady from the west, screamed, and her voice brushed Luciana’s ears.
‘No, it can’t be…’
Luciana firmly believed.
If it was Hans, he would surely evade such an attack.
“Hans…?”
But the always cheeky yet smooth voice that answered her did not return.
There was only the trace of the sandworm that had dug into the ground in an instant.
For some reason, Luciana’s hand, which held the family’s treasured sword, began to tremble.
No words came out.
No thoughts connected.
“Hans-!”
As if reflecting her feelings, his fiancée and her close friend,
Liza’s scream echoed through the jungle.
Cliche Novel 