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The palisade surrounding the village was intact, and at the entrance, the villagers were gathered, armed.

Just as Ian was rushing towards them, Mari called out from behind.

“Master.”

Ian, who was leading the way, turned back.

“Wait a moment.”

He had no choice but to stop, sensing she had something to say.

“What is it?”

“How about going back to the main house first?”

“…Now?”

“At first, I thought it was too late, but it doesn’t seem so. I don’t know how skilled the opponent is, but since they haven’t attacked yet, we still have time. We have horses and saddles in the carriage. You can ride, can’t you?”

“Sorry, but I’m not planning to run away from here.”

“This might be your last chance to choose. If the dark mage attacks, you won’t be able to avoid it.”

“From the fact that they haven’t moved so far, it could be one of two things: Either the hunter, James, was right about them being seriously injured, or they’re not as dangerous as we expected.”

“What if neither of those is true and they’re trying to lure us out?”

Ian smirked.

“Using such shallow tactics means they’re worth fighting. If they weren’t, they would have destroyed this palisade by now.”

The palisade, made of tightly bound logs, appeared very solid and sturdy, but in reality, it wasn’t. It was strong enough, but since it wasn’t magically reinforced, it was just an obstacle to anyone of a certain level of skill.

A small flame would ignite it easily, turning it to ashes in no time. It might take a little while, but a dark mage wouldn’t need long. It’s not without reason that they are considered a threat to humanity.

Compared to ordinary mages, dark mages are much more versatile and combat-focused.

“And how can one always fight only the opponents they wish for? Sometimes, one must face the strong ones as well.”

“So, is this one of those cases?”

Ian nodded, and Mari let out a small, knowing smile.

“And if you die?”

“Then I die. But if I survive facing a strong opponent, I can grow even stronger, don’t you think?”

Mari gave a look of disbelief.

“If someone else had said that, it would have sounded quite convincing, but hearing it from you… well, it loses its credibility.”

……

Ian remained silent.

It was awkward to admit that he had been a person who had wallowed in despair after a humiliating defeat during his coming-of-age ceremony. It didn’t suit him.

The fact that he couldn’t deny this made him feel embarrassed. His face was flushed, and Mari seemed to notice, giving a subtle smile.

“I’m just joking.”

“…Anyway, it doesn’t change the fact that we shouldn’t underestimate our opponent, but rather that it’s worth a try. Who knows? It might be someone insignificant. And if rumors spread that the youngest of the Berger family ran away while the two Red Spear Knights fought a trivial opponent?”

Ian’s resolute gaze made Mari smile faintly.

“May I speak honestly?”

“No, don’t.”

Mari continued as if she hadn’t heard him.

“Even if the infamous young master gets labeled as a coward or a runaway, it shouldn’t be a big problem, right?”

“Trying to provoke my pride like that won’t do you any good. Or are you begging me to stay here?”

“Not at all.”

“Once again, I have no intention of leaving. So don’t waste time trying to persuade me.”

“…Fine. I’ve done what I can. It’s better than nothing.”

“You saw earlier, didn’t you? It’ll be helpful.”

Ian confidently responded while holding his bow. Mael, seeming to have no intention of arguing further, nodded.

He then glanced around, paying attention to the people’s gazes, and approached Ian to whisper softly.

“But just in case, if either I or Mari gets killed instantly without having a chance to act, don’t look back. Focusing on revenge might just lead to a pointless death.”

As he was about to reassure that there was no need to worry unnecessarily, the bell rang again.

“They’re coming! They’re coming!”

Someone shouted urgently.

“I’ll go first, Master.”

“Alright. Be careful.”

“Let’s go, Mari.”

“Okay.”

Mael and Mari rushed off, and at that moment, the hunter who had gone to get the arrows also arrived.

“Master!”

The hunter carried three quivers of arrows.

It seemed like a lot, but better to have too many than too few.

“Follow me with those.”

“Yes, sir!”

Ian stepped onto a foothold and climbed up the palisade. The bell ringer looked surprised, but there was no time to explain.

He gathered his bow and re-strung the loosened string. As he nocked an arrow, he looked outside.

Two Red Spear Knights, armed with shields and swords, were positioned a good distance from the palisade. Beyond them, down a distant hill, Hyolang, who had died once, was moving again.

A dark purple aura shimmered around him like a mirage.

‘Where’s the dark mage?’

He couldn’t see whether the dark mage had revealed themselves or was hiding.

Ian had expected them to be among the Hyolang, cloaked in dark robes.

‘Looks like they’re concealing themselves with magic. They must have suffered severe injuries.’

The dark mages he had encountered so far were always extremely confident.

When hiding their identity, they would lie low and try to avoid detection, but once their identity was revealed or they began their activities in earnest, their attitude would change dramatically.

It was a sign they were ready to face the enemy head-on. The fact that they weren’t doing that now indicated there was something unavoidable going on.

‘…It might be worth a try.’

Ian infused the power of Bane of Evil into the arrow. As the tip of the arrow glowed red, he shot it immediately.

The arrow flew in an arc and struck the moving Hyolang, which was covered in dark magical energy, with a thud.

Whoosh!

The power contained in the arrow activated, and a blazing red flame engulfed Hyolang. There was no scream; the dead felt no pain.

There was no sign of any attempt to extinguish the flames. The form began to disintegrate after just a few steps.

But the surrounding reaction wasn’t quiet.

The other Hyolangs crouched down and started running. Specifically, they were charging toward Mael and Mari, who were standing at the village entrance.

Ian flinched. Perhaps due to the enhancement of his body by dark magic, Hyolang was much faster than when he was alive.

‘Still…’

It wasn’t to the point where he couldn’t keep up with the movements. Ian narrowed his eyes and nocked another arrow.

There was no time to aim leisurely. Based on his accumulated experience, he shot based on estimation.

Whoosh!

The arrow, with a sharp whistling sound, struck Hyolang, who was charging at the ground, right in the thigh. It didn’t matter where it hit as long as it made contact. The important thing was that it hit.

Afterward, the power of Bane of Evil contained in the arrow would handle the rest. And indeed, it was happening.

However, there was no time to leisurely enjoy the spectacle. Hyolang continued to advance.

To reduce the burden on Mael and Mari before they engaged, Ian had to decrease the number of enemies as much as possible.

Therefore, Ian worked diligently without a break.

He pulled out an arrow, nocked it, infused it with the power of Bane of Evil, and shot it. This series of actions smoothly repeated.

Though mistakes could happen, Ian’s incredible concentration showed no signs of faltering.

Not every arrow hit its target, however.

Hyolang’s movements, too swift and erratic for a dead being, caused many arrows to miss, quickly emptying one quiver.

Immediately, the hunter next to him, who had been observant, transferred arrows from his own quiver to refill the empty one.

But by then, the resurrected Hyolang had finally reached Mael and Mari.

Without a shout, the two skillfully wielded their swords, splitting Hyolang in two with a single strike and using their shields to firmly fend off the approaching Hyolang.

As Ian admired their skill and prepared to support them, he happened to notice something.

“!”

In the space between them, the air shimmered faintly. There was something there. It seemed too artificial to be an illusion.

Mael, sensing something instinctively, turned around. The space distorted, revealing a man in ragged robes wielding a staff enveloped in purple magical energy.

Clang!

In a rush, Mael raised his shield to block, but unlike when he faced Hyolang, he was knocked away, flying like a sack of potatoes.

Mari, now alone, heard the sound and swung her sword at the dark mage.

‘That fool!’

In such a situation, she should have retreated first. As soon as she showed her back, Hyolang might swipe at her with its claws!

Although she was in armor, the risk of injury was significant.

Ian quickly fired an arrow.

Thud!

The arrow struck Hyolang’s nape, and flames erupted. But unlike before, Hyolang didn’t stop even upon seeing the fire.

Fortunately, Mael, who had been knocked down, quickly rejoined and blocked Hyolang.

Ian aimed the tip of his arrow at the dark mage facing Mari.

A knight versus a mage.

In close combat, it was practically impossible for a mage to win, but the opponent wasn’t just any mage; it was a dark mage.

The dark mage was overwhelming Mari. She was helpless against the magic she had never encountered before, and her shield was shattered, causing her to be thrown down. This happened so quickly that Ian was convinced the opponent was a Level 6 dark mage and pulled his bowstring back with more force.

Whoosh!

The dark mage turned to face him and extended his left hand. A purple veil appeared, but the arrow pierced through and struck the dark mage’s right shoulder.

However, no flames erupted. Upon closer inspection, the dark mage was wrapped in a purple aura. It seemed that this was suppressing the effect of Bane of Evil.

“Ridiculous!”

The dark mage blinked, staring at the arrow lodged in his body, and with a scowl, he gripped the arrow and yanked it out.

Blood splattered, and the arrow clattered to the ground. It must have been quite painful, but the dark mage showed no sign of discomfort as he lifted his staff and began to chant. Soon, about twenty magic circles appeared above his head.

Whirring!

There was no time to react. Perhaps due to his considerable skill, the dark mage completed the magic circles almost instantly. One by one, the circles produced black spheres, which were then fired off.

Ian frowned. He had accumulated too much experience to just stand idly by and watch.

‘Intercept!’

Before he even finished the thought, his body was already in motion. He nocked three arrows at once and fired.

It was challenging to aim and shoot three arrows accurately at once, but Ian managed it.

He hit every black sphere flying at him with no magical aid. They were easier to target than the erratically moving Hyolang.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The black spheres that collided with the arrows burst, sending flames sweeping across the area.

Ian hit all the remaining spheres. Not a single sphere reached the palisade.

Perhaps due to the intense focus required, Ian felt a slight dizziness rather than satisfaction.

“Whoa…!”

James and the man who had been ringing the bell stood nearby, awestruck. However, Ian had no time to bask in their admiration or show off.

In no time, his quiver was empty. The one arrow he held was the last one.

———