The Magical Sanctuary Church aims to transform the continent into a place of magical corruption.

Why?

"Why is magic corruption wrong? Why can’t we think that there’s progress and change within it? It’s natural to fear the unknown, but avoiding it doesn’t solve everything."

That’s the nonsense of a ghoul playing a flute.

So why make the continent a place of magic corruption?

"Because it’s right."

Where could such words fit more than with fanatics?

Reason? There is none.

Moral justification? That’s something you’ll never find.

They simply believe it. They just think it’s what has to happen.

A blind, fanatic belief.

And that’s why the cultists were truly insane.

This is why the heresy inquisitors burned with zeal, hunting down cultists to kill them.

In reality, the cultists had tried to turn the land into a place of magical corruption multiple times, and there had been similar incidents in this land.

They had gathered a hundred young goats, freshly slaughtered, as sacrifices, and tried to turn this area into a place dominated by beasts and monsters.

The cultists began gathering monsters even before the frontier village was established, so it was an unexpected occurrence for anyone.

Initially, they tried to create a kingdom of gnolls in this area by gathering monsters. That plan turned into a village raid halfway through.

The watchtower, barricades, and the well-planned frontier village could have been turned into a small fortress if things had gone well.

Such a great prey had come to them on its own.

“God has helped us.”

The cultists truly believed this.

Right now, wasn’t it a divine command to fatten the beasts, to make them grow larger?

The sacrifices were already cutting their own flesh and offering it to the beasts. This event had begun to devour the frontier village.

It was not something that could be done carelessly.

The cultists put their blood, sweat, and tears into this. They secretly infiltrated mercenary bands and gathered more gnolls.

Their cult's rituals were closely tied to the monsters.

Those who excelled in brainwashing and enchantment had their hands involved. Even lower-ranking believers and priests were involved.

The gnoll monsters, who had a nature similar to hyenas, always fought in groups and traveled together.

They had the tendency to form colonies. All they needed was a leader.

Curses and enhancements had taken root in the gnolls.

This is how they built an army of gnolls.

Building such a colony with hundreds of monsters couldn’t be done in just one or two days.

It was a process stained with the cultists' blood, sweat, and tears.

“We shall form the sacred land!”

In the midst of the wilderness, they proclaimed their intention.

Pouring all their Krona into arming the gnolls.

Creating a leader and enchanting them with their rituals.

In terms of resources spent, this was bigger than organizing a frontier village.

It was worth it. In the pursuit of great gains, sacrifices were necessary.

This was the beginning of what the Magical Sanctuary Church hoped to achieve.

While the cultists were investing their time and resources, the frontier settlement erected barricades.

This was the true nature of everything.

Enkrid had no interest in the background. He didn’t care about the “why.”

The monsters were coming, and his only thought was to kill them all.

Beasts and gnolls—he just needed to kill them.

“What the hell, a pack of gnolls?”

Kraiss vaguely guessed the situation.

A pack like this suddenly appeared in the wilderness and the plains? With armor to boot? And they even planted spies inside the village?

What kind of absurdity was that?

He had a knife at the village chief’s throat, heard the howls from beyond the barricade, and treated Finn’s wounds hastily.

Then, climbing the watchtower quickly to check the monster numbers, Kraiss’ mind spun faster.

The cultists.

They were a menace, the worst troublemakers on the continent.

They were full of malice, cloaked in hostility.

Look at that army of monsters. What else could they be but filled with malice?

Kraiss vaguely understood that this army was soaked in the blood, sweat, and resources of the cultists.

He didn’t know it for sure, but it didn’t matter because even if he did, it wouldn’t change anything.

What does it matter anyway?

The important thing was surviving. From then on, Kraiss’ mind began to spin more rapidly.

The conclusion he reached was simple:

There are no trebuchets, no mangonels.

There were no siege weapons. They could only dream of large-scale siege weapons. Was there a lot of manpower? Compared to the number of monsters and gnolls, it was small. They were definitely outnumbered.

The barricades might hold for a while, but the number of gnolls and hyena gnolls had already exceeded several hundred.

Could they hold?

Could they endure like this?

Several gnolls were trying to climb the barricade, scratching at it with their claws.

Wouldn’t there be a place where it would crack? A small crack would soon turn into a hole, and a hole would become a passage and an entry point.

There were many gnolls wielding weapons. They slammed against the walls, and there were gnolls wielding axes as well.

The barricade was already covered with countless scratches.

Was there a weak point? Could it be blocked if breached?

Probably not.

At least, this would be a battle with a limited time frame.

They wouldn’t hold out for long. That was the conclusion. So, they needed to wait for reinforcements.

Kraiss had seen a few birds being kept in the village. Blue-feathered pigeons, commonly used for tight communication.

If he sent one, it was impossible to tell how long it would take for reinforcements to arrive.

The conclusion was the same.

Could they hold out?

Kraiss felt an ominous sensation. When he had talked about the strength of the barricades, he had imagined a more conventional-sized colony.

At most thirty to fifty gnolls. But now, that number had grown to ten times that.

This isn’t good.

Kraiss felt the ominous feeling rise within him. He instinctively looked for his squad leader. Enkrid was moving, but there was no sign of worry on his face.

In fact, he seemed strangely relaxed.

Silently, Enkrid walked towards the barricade.

Kraiss knew that his squad leader, despite not looking around, had a sharp mind.

So, when he acted this way, it made Kraiss think that maybe Enkrid had something he was relying on.

In any case, there was nothing Kraiss could do right now.

He treated Finn, went to the watchtower to take a quick look, and…

“Hey, I’m in pain.”

Finn called from below.

“I’m coming down.”

Kraiss went back down. He had wrapped the bandages, but there was a hole in her abdomen.

It was a close call; her internal organs didn’t seem to be damaged.

“You used the Ailcaraz technique for internal injury avoidance, huh?”

Finn said. Was that really a thing?

“It’s a joke.”

If Finn could still joke, she was definitely someone who could endure pain well.

“You sound like Rem’s wife.”

“That’s an insult. I challenge you to a duel.”

“Sure, whatever.”

Kraiss casually said as he checked her injury again.

She couldn’t move vigorously.

But it wasn’t fatal.

“She won’t die.”

“Not now, at least.”

Finn got it too. It was that feeling of anxiety about how long the barricades could hold.

“Well, whatever.”

Kraiss shrugged it off.

If things went wrong, there was a way to withdraw.

That would be cruel to the ones left behind, but he had already prepared a retreat.

As always, Kraiss had prepared for the worst-case scenario.

***

A long shooting lane was created on top of the barricade.

From above, a massive group of gnolls and hyena beasts, howling loudly, were swarming below. At this point, it was almost like a monster field.

"What the hell is this?"

"What’s going on? Why are there so many monsters? Why are there so many—no, there are too many!"

"Fam? Fam’s dead. No, was Ralph...?"

Monsters and the still-warm bodies of fallen comrades.

When Enkrid had gone up, the town guards were still frozen. None of them were pulling their bows.

They were in a state of panic. At least no one was screaming or pissing themselves, so maybe that was something to be thankful for.

Bang!

Grrrgh!

With a strange howl unique to the gnolls, they charged with their bodies against the barricade and the gate.

The barricade, which vibrated with a screech, didn’t collapse, but it was shaking.

Enkrid judged it would hold.

The monsters were charging with their shoulders and kicking the gate and barricade with their weapons.

But it was still holding strong.

The barricade was solid.

However, the town guards' resolve was not as strong.

They were pushed back by the intensity of the gnolls. Everyone was terrified.

"...What the hell is all this?!"

One of the guards was speaking. This wasn’t even the central area of the kingdom, but more on the outskirts. The northern border guard post was a bit farther north, and this place was even further out.

On the Pen-Hanil continent, this area was also considered the north, where monsters and beastly creatures were common.

Still, what they were seeing wasn’t normal. This was an unusual sight.

Fear. Pressure.

The force of the monsters had this effect.

A few mutated gnolls picked up rocks from the mud-covered ground. The so-called rocks weren’t even small. Some were about the size of a person’s head, and when thrown, they collided with the barricade.

The smaller rocks flew into the area where the guards were standing.

"Ugh!"

The guards ducked under the stone as it flew through the air.

Looking at it again, the barricade was well-built.

Kraiss had been certain that, unless it was a massive colony of monsters, it wouldn't fall.

Still, if they left it, it might eventually break through. It wasn’t meant to withstand this many.

The creaking gate and the guards trying to hold it—the situation was dire. If fear took hold, it would be over.

If they waited for the wall to break, only death awaited. The chaos from this morning would have been in vain.

"If you’re not going to shoot, hand it to me."

In the midst of the chaos, Enkrid stepped up, climbing the steep stairs and reaching out his hand.

"Huh?"

"I asked if you were just going to watch."

He took the bow from one of the stunned guards.

It was a shortbow, a weapon with a short range.

While it wasn’t ideal for long-distance shots, the monsters were swarming all around. He could just shoot and hope it worked.

‘I haven’t used a bow in a while.’

He had learned to use a bow before.

Enkrid plucked the string a few times, recalling his old movements as his hands moved.

With his left hand gripping the bow, he extended his arm, aimed, and nocked an arrow. The bow creaked as it bent and twanged. His strength wasn’t lacking.

He aimed at one of the monsters and shot.

Bang!

Just as the gnoll slammed its shoulder against the barricade.

Thwack.

The sound of the arrow being released coincided with the collision.

The arrow flew with a sharp whistle and embedded into the mass of gnolls and hyenas, dodging them all, and embedded in the ground.

But it snapped quickly, as the gnolls stepped on it, trampling over it as they passed.

‘This doesn’t hit.’

He had aimed properly.

“You fight well, but it’s your first time with a bow?”

A voice came from behind. It was the leader, who had climbed up after hearing the noise. He was flustered but still managed to speak as he moved, always concerned about what was behind him.

Enkrid had noted that the leader had solid resolve from their earlier encounters.

It was evident now.

The leader was climbing the stairs.

Another thud!

The gnolls howled again.

Because of the chaos, it was hard to hear anything unless you raised your voice.

Enkrid cupped his ear and spoke.

"What did you say?"

“I thought I heard you say something.”

The leader’s voice was sharp, revealing that he was still fully aware. He quickly responded, and Enkrid gave him a brief look before he turned his gaze back to the chaos.

“No, I didn’t hear anything.”

After replying, the leader shifted his focus and then, with a deep breath, shouted with all his might.

“Are we just going to die like this?!”

The leader’s voice was so loud it shook the area. His scream pierced through the guards’ ears.

“Forget about the dead! Focus on the living! Do you not see the immediate danger? Focus! Get your bows up!”

Kraiss had said that.

Discipline in the ranks had been instilled.

At the same time, Dolph Fulman, who had once led a mercenary band, was climbing up the opposite ladder.

His nickname had been something like the One-Eyed Glaive, or perhaps it was just the One-Eyed Warrior.

Dolph’s face appeared, and with his one remaining eye, he glared at Enkrid before shouting.

“Shoot! The barricade won’t fall! Shoot before you get hit by stones!”

Enkrid didn’t know how many guards were present, but the arrows seemed plentiful.

There were at least twenty archers.

“Hey, give me my bow back.”

A soldier, from whom Enkrid had taken the bow, approached and extended his hand.

Enkrid handed it back without hesitation.

He wasn’t too accustomed to the bow.

This was just another skill to be learned later.

Soon, over twenty archers—actually, just a bit more than twenty—lined up and shot arrows down below.

Grrrrrgh!

The gnolls’ howls reverberated, almost deafening.

Thud!

As the gnolls charged and slammed their bodies against the barricade.

Thwack, thwack.

The arrows flew.

Unlike the earlier arrow Enkrid had shot, which missed, these arrows hit their marks—heads, arms, and legs—wherever they could pierce.

Some wore poorly attached leather armor, while others were unarmed gnolls.

Where had they gotten these weapons? There were more than five hundred of them.

To arm five hundred soldiers like that, even a noble's back would break.

This was a serious mess.

Was it someone’s plot?

Well, Enkrid didn’t care.

What mattered was that the guards were back on track.

Enkrid glanced at the dying monsters, arrows piercing them, his gaze far away.

He couldn’t find a way out when he was being chased earlier, but now there was no rush.

He had the barricade, he had time, and there was no need to dance to avoid hyena beasts’ bites.

Finding a target was easy.

Amidst the chaos of the gnolls, there was a smaller one standing calmly on a small mound.

This was the kind of position the leader of a colony would need.

To dominate with brute force, you need to be noticed, and lead from a high point.

Among all the screaming, jumping, and frantic weapon-waving, the small gnoll stood alone, poised.

Enkrid had already died by its hands multiple times before.

It was easy to recognize its distinctive appearance now.

If he died a bit more, he’d be able to tell the pretty gnolls from the ugly ones and the ones with unique features.

“I’ll leave this to you.”

Enkrid said, heading back down.

It felt a bit empty to just go down.

Grrrrgh!

Even over the gnolls’ howls, Enkrid shouted.

“Don’t be surprised, just keep shooting! If you see allies, don’t shoot!”

What was that nonsense?

Dolph had been yelling about aiming for the heads of the monsters at the gate, but now Enkrid was telling everyone not to shoot their own.

It didn’t make sense.

But this wasn’t the time to argue about it.

Dolph was a good mercenary. When the situation went south, he immediately identified the priorities.

First, the monsters.

Afterward, he’d deal with the crazy one’s head.

What exactly had made him kill his own men? He’d have to ask him with a sword later.

***

Enkrid couldn't read Dolph's mind. In fact, even if he could, it wouldn't have mattered.

He stepped down between the soldiers who were stacking logs and stones in front of the door.

"Esther."

By that time, the leopard who had been guarding the door trotted up to Enkrid's side.

Enkrid asked politely.

"Can you keep an eye on my back?"

One of the soldiers stacking obstacles in front of the door turned his gaze.

"Why's he talking to the leopard?"

"Meow."

But the leopard nodded as if it understood.

What the hell is that?

It was a strange sight, even in this situation.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

His comrade called him.

"I'm coming!"

They resumed stacking obstacles in front of the door. If the door broke through, they would have to hold it. From that point, it would be hand-to-hand combat.

He swallowed nervously.

Can I fight? He had received training, but his actual combat experience was only twice. He felt nervous.

"Ugh."

His knees trembled. The fact that there was a horde of monsters beyond the barrier made him anxious.

It was that kind of situation.

"From now on, everyone follows my command."

The rolling stone, the newly arrived squad leader, who had been talking to the leopard, had already approached and opened his mouth.

"Can we open the door a little?"

Then he barked. This was the kind of sound that wasn't worth listening to.