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Path to Prosperity - B3 Chapter 13
🕑 Added 2024-10-29 11:00:06 +0000 UTCThe following minute was filled with frantic movements. Melissa told everyone what was going on while Percy ordered the coachmen to pull the carriages back and retreat. Melissa brought the combatants among the noble heirs to fight by their sides, but they didn’t seem optimistic. The fear reflected in their eyes was anything but helpful.
As long as they don’t stand in my way mid-battle, I will be fine. But they…I hope nobody will die. What a hassle!
Percy cursed in his mind. He didn’t want to force anyone into battle, but the noble heirs had been trained as the kingdom’s pillars of support. They were supposed to be good at fighting.
A few more curses escaped his lips, which earned a confused reaction from Fiona, but Percy paid no attention to it. He summoned the Blueflame Hawk and willed it to fly high into the air with [Hawk Eyes] activated.
There is nothi–...Nevermind. Shit!!
The Blueflame Hawk scanned the surrounding area quickly and found what must have triggered Fiona’s [Danger Sense] Augmentation.
On their right was a small town. It was larger than Raewood, but not by much. Percy wouldn’t be surprised if they did not have more than three Gold Rank Adventurers. That, as great as it may seem at first glance, was definitely not enough to deal with the black and purple masses coming their way.
The town is still a half-an-hour ride away. Maybe ten minutes if we urge the horses to rush over, but that shouldn’t be necessary. ‘They’ are coming our way.
The black and purple masses charged in a straight line to the envoy. They would pass by the town and should ignore it.
“A large Infernal Lair. It’s collapsing, though,” Percy commented when he focused on the images the Blueflame Hawk showed him. It was still difficult to communicate with his monsters, but their bond was strong. It was a strong bridge that endured the toll of conveying everything they wanted through their feelings and images. Percy and his monsters had yet to attain a high mastery in advanced communications, but it was enough for the time being.
“But…there are at least three Greater Demons leading groups of two, probably three dozen Elite Demons and a horde with more than 200 Lesser Demons,” Percy informed everyone in a neutral voice. He craned his neck while his mind rattled to come up with a wave to deal with the Demons easily, but they didn’t have much time.
“H-How can that be? We…We have yet to leave the kingdom’s middle region. How can there be three Greater Demons and a horde of Lesser Demons?!” One of the nobles stuttered, tears trickling down his cheek.
Percy was about to respond and reprimand the noble for his behavior when more images sent by the Blueflame Hawk reached him.
“The Demons are not coming after us anymore. They changed their course and area, now heading for the town,” He cursed, “Fuck!”
The demons didn’t move fast and wouldn’t reach the town before Percy and his people reached them if they were to move out at once at full speed. But was that feasible? No, that kind of question didn’t matter. They had to make it!
The same teary-eyed noble as before muttered, “Let’s avoid them and travel pas–...”
Melissa charged at the noble and punched him in the face before he could finish the sentence. Blood spurted through the air, and the noble heir fell to the ground. His tears mixed with the blood streaming down his face, but nobody paid any attention to him other than Fiona, who used her Ego to coat the heir in a warm, soothing hue until his bleeding stopped.
“Good job,” Percy muttered to Melissa while glaring at the teary-eyed noble, “I will report your cowardice to the crown. Your family won’t be happy about your actions. You, just like your family, are the kingdom’s pillars of support. However, you seem to have forgotten that the kingdom is nothing without its citizens. No, the citizens are the kingdom!”
He had much more to say and felt like punching the teary-eyed noble when the heir stared at him in defiance as if he was about to say something stupid, but he let it be.
“We need to move out. Now!” Percy ordered, infusing a trace of his purified mana into his mount before closing his eyes, Show me how fast you can go. I need you to give your all!
Maybe the horse couldn’t hear him and might not understand his words even if it wanted to, but Percy was certain the horse comprehended his intent.
He held the reins tightly in his hands and ushered his majestic horse to storm into the town. At this moment, he didn’t even care if the others would follow him. All Percy wished for was to protect the town.
We should make it in time. The Demons have yet to accelerate and don’t seem particularly worried about…anything. In the first place, I have never seen a worried Demon. No. That’s not the truth. I saw Demons in fear once. In the Wintermoon Estate. But that was something else. There are Greater Demons here. Too many to deal with at once. The Imperials will have difficulties stalling time, and I…don’t know if I can defeat them.
Percy shook his head, trying to dispel the worries plaguing his mind, but it wasn’t that easy. He was restless and urged his majestic mount to go faster even though it galloped faster than any mount Percy had seen. The horse was like a whirlwind and raced across the dry soil at a shocking pace.
It reached the town walls with more than five minutes left before the small hord would reach them, but Percy couldn’t calm down. The horse wasn’t dead-tired yet, but it needed a few minutes of rest before charging ahead.
“Demons are on their way to the town!” Percy roared at the top of his lungs while infusing mana into his vocal cords to enhance his voice. The people who manned the wooden gates stared at Percy in shock. They’d sensed that something was wrong when Percy approached them in a flash, but the words escaping the unknown rider’s lips solidified their worries.
Percy conjured a [Frostbite] icicle while standing up from the horse’s back. He found the bell tower in the center of the town thanks to [Hawk Eyes] and released the icicle with a burst of mana.
The icicle drew a beautiful arc across the sky and hit the bell at the top of the central tower, which started chiming loudly as it was set into motion.
“It looks like becoming the crown prince didn’t stop you from training diligently,” Melissa mentioned as she arrived beside him with Fiona.”
Percy’s eyebrows arched.
“That means ‘nice hit.’. Take it as a compliment,” She added a little bit more seriously, “I’m glad you kept working hard. We need as much power as possible to survive this.”
Percy nodded in acknowledgment and looked back to see the Imperials and heirs following behind. The fear in their eyes was evident, but it wasn’t like Percy was eerily calm and unaffected by the horde of Demons coming their way.
He was also scared. He didn’t want to die either.
Percy closed his eyes while retrieving Dragon Fang from the obsidian Syreablade Mark. He unsheathed the blade and held it in both hands to feel the full intensity of [Dragonblood]. Dragon Fang pulsated wildly, reflecting how he was truly feeling on the insides. Even though his weapon exposed his true feelings to everyone smart enough to realize that the pulsating crimson streaks reflected his pulse at this moment,
Nobody seemed to notice that though, other than Fiona, who was looking in his direction. She couldn’t see anything, but her mana exposed everything happening around her in full detail.
Don’t laugh at me. Being afraid is normal. I am not some fearless idiot who overcomes the fear of death. Learning how to live with fear, on the other hand, is something I can handle.
He wanted to tell Fiona but remained silent instead.
I just…don’t want to live with regret.
Listening to the crimson streaks’ pulsating – the perfect replication of his heartbeat – was oddly calming.
A thin smile blossomed on his lips, and he circulated mana through his body to loosen his sore muscles and tired bones. Percy was still tense, but it wasn’t too bad. It would not restrict him mid-combat. That was good.
At last, he summoned the Gnoll Warrior and handed him his old Silvron Sword Artifact with the [Sharpness] Augmentation] while ordering the Blueflame Hawk to cautiously take out a few Lesser Demons using [Frostbite] icicles.
“Everyone prepare for battle!” Percy roared, “We’re going to survive this. No one is allowed to die, or I will kill you!”
Melissa rolled her eyes at that, but the Imperials followed Percy’s guide and roared at the top of their lungs.
They were ready to fight and die alongside the crown prince!
