When I first saw the 4th Base Camp, I couldn't quite describe the feeling...
It was sheer wonder.
Awe.
The towering trees that stretched skyward and the walls visible between them.
No, at this point, they could no longer be called walls.
They were more like towering fortresses.
The height reached several dozen meters, and a deep moat surrounded the perimeter.
And what about the gate?
"...Steel."
I had once asked Picher:
- Why is the defense of the base camps generally so shabby? Is there a specific reason?
- A reason... Well, there is. We can't afford the materials. Didn't you see the monsters on the way here?
The environment isn't suitable for building a fortress.
I gazed at the overwhelming sight and then turned my gaze to Picher, who stood beside me.
"The 4th Base Camp is special..."
"...Is it?"
But as soon as I was about to ask, I realized from Picher's expression that it wasn't.
"...Wow. Wow. Wowww..."
Even this seasoned mercenary, who had seen many things, seemed overwhelmed by the walls of the 4th Base Camp.
The reactions of the others were no different.
"What is this...?"
"It wasn't like this the last time I came."
Even the Aibiot mercenaries, who had spent a long time in the Hameln Great Forest, seemed taken aback by the scene before them.
So, I looked at those who had been at the 4th Base Camp relatively recently.
Obern and Riley.
However...
"Um, well... This is definitely the 4th Base Camp, right? It definitely is... But how did this happen?"
Riley, too, seemed at a loss, rambling incoherently.
Obern, on the other hand, was the most composed of the group.
But he was also flustered.
"...Ah, perhaps... It must be the Master. I heard he once built a castle by himself... Did he carry the materials by hand? Hmm... How did this happen?"
In the end, even he didn't know.
Thus, everyone was overwhelmed by the grandeur of the 4th Base Camp, while Shain tilted his head in confusion.
[Is this a backward civilization? How could it be so primitive?]
The barking started right after that.
[Ah, listen well. That is a fortress. It's made of stone, far stronger than the wooden fences you built...]
"Silence."
[Uh, uh.]
I covered Shain's mouth, which was spouting nonsense, and nudged Picher's side.
"Hey, old mercenary. Are you just going to keep staring? Shouldn't we go in?"
"Um, ah. Right. Yes, we should go in."
"Tell the others to get their heads on straight. Are we here to play?"
At my words, Picher nodded solemnly.
"No, we're not here to play."
Picher then turned to look behind him.
"Hey! Get your heads on straight!"
His voice, possibly enhanced by ether, echoed loudly among the mercenaries.
"Remember what we left behind! Recall the name we carry! Why are we here?"
At his solemn voice, the eyes of the Aibiot mercenaries began to sparkle one by one.
But that didn't last long.
"Hey, Chief. Already waffling?"
"Why come at all? Tsk, because of those incompetent youngsters."
"Here to die, what other reason?"
Casual voices emerged from among the mercenaries, not befitting men who had come prepared to die, but more like street loafers.
But...
[Your eyes are quite lively. Just like mine.]
Shain, who had been silent, let out a sigh of admiration.
I looked at him with a cold eye.
"Shain, you..."
[Hmm?]
"Never mind."
What does a dead-eyed guy mean by having lively eyes?
"Anyway, let's go."
"Got it. Let's go in."
Picher then took command of the mercenaries.
Just then, a voice came from the 4th Base Camp.
"Wow! Who's that!"
A face peeked over the wall, belonging to someone who looked to be Picher's age. He suddenly leaped down the several dozen meters of the wall.
"Picher! Why are you so late? I almost died waiting."
—That was the extent of his free fall.
And when he landed:
Stumble.
"Ugh!"
The old mercenary twisted his ankle and fell to the ground.
I watched this and then looked at Picher.
"Friend?"
"…No."
Picher averted his gaze.
Flan provided the explanation from the side.
"He's Chief Kallion of the 3rd Base Camp, the leader of the mercenary group Phlima. By the way..."
Flan glanced at Picher.
"He's Picher's closest friend."
[Hmm...]
Shain alternated his gaze between Picher and Kallion, then nodded.
[As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together.]
"Old saying?"
[Like attracts like.]
"…I see."
Shain, who usually spouted nonsense, was being unusually talkative.
* * *
Chief Kallion of the 3rd Base Camp personally guided us.
Despite falling from a height of several dozen meters, he only limped slightly, showing incredible resilience.
"By the way, who's that big guy next to you?"
Kallion subtly observed Shain.
"Um, ah..."
Had he sensed Shain's aura?
Picher seemed unsure how to explain his presence, as 'Death Knight' was not an easy concept to accept.
'Especially on the front lines fighting the undead.'
I subtly nodded to Shain, signaling him to hide his aura.
During our journey, Shain had adapted to his body and learned to conceal his presence.
But then:
- Signal.
A message sent via the bracelet's function.
- ...?
- Cut his head off in one stroke.
Shain's hand moved to the hilt of his sword under his robe, and he subtly adjusted his stance, ready to strike!
Fortunately, Kallion's head didn't roll.
"You're quite a big guy."
[...]
"Like looking at my younger self."
Kallion briefly compared his size to Shain's, then limped forward.
- I like this guy.
Shain didn't respond.
"…Hmm."
Thus, we entered the 4th Base Camp.
Inside the walls, unlike the other base camps we had passed, it was bustling with a large crowd.
The most noticeable were...
"...Mages?"
Mages.
Flan added from the side.
"Perhaps it's better to call it a study. The mages from the Great Forest gathered here to learn even a little from Master Obern's teacher. They say he doesn't hold back in his teachings."
"Looking for a place to die, huh."
"Haha... In the end, yes."
Thinking about it, it was quite strange.
'Even for a mercenary group...'
While not proper mages, there were usually a few who could cast a spell or two.
'Now I see why I didn't see any.'
Just then, as we were moving.
"Hey, client."
Picher stopped at a certain point.
"Speak, old man."
Picher turned to look at me, his back to Kallion, with a serious expression.
The moment I met the old mercenary's eyes, I instinctively knew our long journey was over.
It had only been about two weeks, but it felt much longer due to the intense time we spent together.
Anyway.
"The mission is complete. Right?"
"Yes, we arrived at the 4th Base Camp safely."
"Right, then this is where we part ways. During this time..."
Picher seemed to have developed some attachment, carefully choosing his words.
I patted his shoulder and ended the farewell.
"See you around."
"…Yeah."
"Even if there's no order, you should die at least two years after me, right?"
"Ha! Yes, that's right. Absolutely."
There was no handshake.
We would face each other again in the battle against the Deathrow.
"I'll be going then."
Flan also followed Picher's steps.
Thus, only four of us remained.
Me, Obern, Riley, and Shain.
"Are you... Ah, the apprentice group the Great Mage mentioned? You look somewhat familiar..."
Kallion squinted and scrutinized Obern, who nodded calmly despite the intense gaze.
"Yes, where is the Master...?"
"He's over there. Let's see... Hey! Nopang!"
At Kallion's call, a mercenary who had been chatting with others rushed over.
"Yes, Chief. What do you need?"
"This is the apprentice group of the mage. Guide them."
Kallion entrusted the task to a mercenary and said goodbye.
"Then, I'll be going. We'll meet again, so no need for formalities. Ah! If we're both alive, that is. Hehe."
Kallion then joined Picher's group.
"This way, please."
We followed the mercenary called 'Nopang'.
As we walked, we could see the bustling atmosphere of the 4th Base Camp.
"Arrows! Hey! We need more arrows!"
"Armorer, does anyone have spare leather? My armor is falling apart."
The mercenaries were checking their equipment.
"So, if the magic circle is like this here..."
"Ugh, we need a mana stone. Do we have any left from the last batch from Phlima?"
The mages were holding magic circle diagrams, discussing something while moving busily.
Shain's voice came then.
- The atmosphere is a bit strange.
- Indeed.
It was a wartime atmosphere, but it was different from what I had imagined.
'...And there are no undead in sight.'
The undead army was supposed to be so strong that it was shaking the ecosystem of the Hameln Great Forest.
Yet, near the 4th Base Camp, there were no undead, not even the characteristic eerie wails.
- Something doesn't feel right.
- What do you mean?
- Yes... While the Master, being a pedantic old man, is probably trustworthy, it's more than that...
Shain glanced at the sky.
- It's the same sky I saw on the day I became emperor.
- What the hell are you talking about?
- A big event is about to happen. We should store up our strength just in case.
Shain then disappeared.
The space he entered was the 'Subjugation Bracelet'.
An internal subspace where subjugated undead could be stored.
- Allow me to use the core's mana. It won't cost much to maintain here, so it shouldn't be a burden.
- ...Sure.
I readily allowed him to use a portion of the core's mana.
Sssss—
The core's mana rapidly decreased, but thanks to the abundant mana in the Hameln Great Forest, it recovered quickly, so it wasn't a significant burden.
However, was that not enough?
- Half. Allow me half. Your mana is efficient, but... I need at least that much.
With that, Shain's presence vanished.
'...Tsk.'
It feels like raising a leech.
But I readily allowed him half of my mana.
"Ugh."
Shain instantly absorbed half of the mana.
I felt a moment of dizziness, but the fatigue quickly subsided.
He was so thorough in taking it that he even took the naturally recovering mana.
The core's mana remained at exactly half.
'I'll need to focus on my breathing exercises for a while.'
Of course, even if I focused on my breathing exercises, Shain would still take just half.
But the more power Shain stored, the more help it would be.
Anyway, like that.
"We're here."
The mercenary pointed to a location and stepped back.
"Here?"
The place the mercenary led us to was in front of a stone building.
One story.
A simple exterior with no special decorations, the only notable feature being the lack of windows.
But...
"...Wow, this is something."
I stood there, staring at the building in amazement.
Despite feeling no mana flow from a distance, standing close to the building, I could sense a massive, pulsating flow of mana.
It was...
Tingling.
So intense it made my skin tingle.
Was this what it felt like to stand before a dragon's heart in legend?
It was as if the mana had condensed into a solid form.
"Senior? What's wrong?"
"Can't you feel it?"
"…?"
Obern, looking puzzled.
"Never mind. Let's go in."
"…Alright."
Obern opened the door and entered the building.
"Master, I'm here."
The old mage slowly opened his eyes at Obern's call.
The moment I met his gaze, I felt an overwhelming pressure that made it hard to breathe.
"...You're here. And you are..."
The old mage looked at me.
"Hmm, has Schwerz finally found an apprentice to pass on the Crescent Emblem?"
I couldn't hear his words clearly.
But...
'Why?'
The only question that filled my mind.
I searched my memories from my previous life, but I had never heard of such an old mage.
I can confidently say:
If the head of the Deculan family, Bahern, was the strongest mage in history, then this old man was...
'The strongest of his time.'
He must have been a mage at the pinnacle of his power.