KOR 47

Chapter 47…

Steep.

It wasn’t just the mountains themselves.

The monsters they kept encountering as they climbed made it feel even more so.

At most, one or two.
Sometimes five.

Compared to the thousands and tens of thousands they had once faced, it was nothing.

But what if those were Behemoths?
Or if several Balrochs or Gorgoths appeared at once?

Then it wouldn’t be “nothing” anymore.

“Haaah—! Haaah—!”

The ragged breaths of knights echoed around.

As two Balrochs collapsed, the tightly drawn tension gradually loosened.

“What are the casualties?”

Dante, sheathing Arpheon, asked. Zionhac stepped forward.

“We have none. But the Lumiere Guard…”

At his words, Dante turned his gaze.

Knights in massive silver heavy armor stood there—about thirty of them.

Their heads were bowed, faces grim.

Five dead.

Among the heavily armored Lumiere Guards who had stood at the very front and blocked the Balroch’s assault, five had lost their lives.

Armor so thick that most knights couldn’t even wear it had been ripped apart like paper and melted away.

The corpses of the fallen were unrecognizable.

“Already more than thirty.”

It had been only two days since they entered the Murodia Mountains.
And already, thirty-two knights were dead.

The losses were so great that the morale of the expedition chilled rapidly.

“Find good ground nearby and lay them to rest. We’ll bring them back when we return.”

Isabella gave the order with a stiff voice, and the knights obeyed silently, answering with action rather than words.

The damage is far worse than expected.

They had thought themselves prepared.

Two hundred of the finest knights, the mage corps, and Isabella herself.

And yet, casualties steadily mounted.
That was how dangerous this place was.

Thirty-two means about fifteen percent, doesn’t it?

In just two days, they had lost nearly 15% of their knightly force.

This wasn’t simply a loss in numbers—
it weighed heavily on the minds of the survivors.

Especially since the Lumiere Guard was renowned for their courage and resilience.
If even they couldn’t escape death, it meant the monsters here were far stronger than anticipated.

At this rate, their forces might collapse before even finding Erevos.

“Your Highness.”

Beratis approached Isabella carefully, seemingly sharing Dante’s thoughts.

“Speak.”

“Our losses are too great. Would it not be better if we used our power to carve the path instead?”

It was a reasonable suggestion.

The mage corps’ spells possessed destructive power on an entirely different scale than ordinary knights.

With their wide-area magic, both the treacherous terrain and the monsters of the Murodia Mountains could be dealt with.

But Isabella shook her head.

“No.”

Her voice was firm.

“Your power must be reserved for Erevos. We cannot afford to waste it now.”

“But…”

“And if you do open the path? When will you be able to use magic again?”

That was the flaw of magic.

Its power was immense—
but so was its cost in mana.

Once used, it took days at minimum to recover.

Unless there was another mage corps here, they couldn’t expend such power merely for passage.

“Your duty is to prepare for the fight against Erevos. We’ll clear the path ourselves.”

She turned away, refusing to hear more objections.

“Is it done?”

“We buried them in a suitable spot. We also left markers, so finding them on the way back won’t be difficult.”

“Well done.”

Isabella patted the Lumiere Guard’s captain on the shoulder when he reported.

“Then let us move on.”

Pushing her grief aside, she began to lead the way once more.

“Please fall back.”

At that moment, Dante spoke up as he followed.

“Hm?”

Isabella’s eyes widened slightly.

“For the same reason Your Highness gave earlier. We will stand at the front. You should conserve your strength.”

His voice was calm, but resolute.
Just as she had refused to hear Beratis, Dante left no room for debate.

“In the battle against Erevos, what we will need most is not the mage corps’ magic—
but Your Highness’ sword. Please, heed my words.”

“…Very well.”

She had been about to snap back, but in the end only pouted and moved toward the rear.

Watching her, Dante raised his gaze upward.

So high and wide he couldn’t even see the end.

No wonder they called it “the spine of the gods.”

We need to find it soon.

They had to discover Erevos while they still had strength left—
only then could they reduce casualties.

After gauging direction for a moment, Dante raised his hand.

“Akrasion will take the lead. Everyone, follow me.”

The Lumiere Guard withdrew from the vanguard, and Akrasion’s knights moved forward to replace them.

Not the summit.

The memory was faint—
in truth, aside from the name “Erevos,” he knew almost nothing.

Still, he vaguely remembered: on Isabella’s fifth day in Murodia, she had encountered Erevos.

You can’t climb to the peak in just five days.

Especially with Behemoth-class monsters appearing as they were now.

Somewhere around mid-mountain?

Most likely.
And there had to be a place vast enough to hide such a massive body.

Hmm.

Dante suddenly recalled an event from years ago—

The Kalothes Mountains.

The time he had obtained the relic known as the Sacred Flame.

Even then, it had been hidden where no ordinary person could easily find it.

If that’s the case…

Then there would also be an opening for the monsters birthed by her to come out.
And it wouldn’t be small.

Noirgaron alone had been tens of meters tall.

Focusing his mind, Dante released his stigma.

Fwoooosh—!

His senses sharpened to an inhuman degree.

Mana flows.
The tremor of the earth.
The faintest killing intent.
The current of the wind.

Everything around him became vividly clear.

Hmm.

The first thing he felt—was overwhelming mana.

So vast it felt suffocating.

This is Erevos’ mana.

But Dante wasn’t shaken.

He had felt this power several times a day since entering Murodia.

Mana squirming like a living mountain.
He focused, seeking its source.

He had never been able to pinpoint it before—
but this time he concentrated entirely on mid-mountain.

That was where the highest chance lay.

In the storm of massive mana, he sought the densest, most ominous trace.

Like searching for a single thread in a tangled skein.

Sweat formed on his brow from the extreme concentration.

And still, no trace…

Hmm?

He felt something.

But not from outside.
From within himself.

Along his mana circuits, something warm was circulating.

“Ah.”

It was the Sacred Flame.

The remains of an unknown incarnation, long lost.

Dante’s eyes gleamed.

Until now, he hadn’t truly felt its value.

He instinctively knew it burned brighter against corrupt beings—
but against monsters, it had been useless.

So he had nearly forgotten about it.

But if it reacts now…

That meant Erevos was indeed a corrupt existence.

Fwoooosh!

The Sacred Flame blazed, resonating against the vast, ominous mana.

Like a compass pointing through darkness, it tugged faintly in one direction.

“This way.”

Dante turned his gaze.

The sudden declaration made Miléon, Zionhac, Elaine, and the rest of Akrasion’s knights glance at him in confusion.

“Did you find something?”

Miléon asked quietly as he came alongside.

“Yes.”

It was certain.

Not mere intuition or guesswork.
The compass pointed clearly.

“Sir Zeke.”

“Speak.”

“Take the knights and scout that way—about one kilometer out. There’s a high chance of a hidden or natural cave. If not, return immediately if you see anything suspicious.”

“Are you sure?”

“We’ll know once we check.”

Zionhac nodded and left with several others in the indicated direction.

Erevos.

Dante glanced at the place he suspected was the nest of the Crimson Mother, then turned back to Isabella.

“What is it?”

She had already noticed the change in Akrasion’s movement.

“I believe we’ve found it.”

“Really?”

She didn’t ask what he meant.
At this point, there was only one thing Dante could mean.

“I sent a scouting party. We’ll have confirmation soon.”

For knights, one kilometer was nothing.