A Betrayed Master Will Not Return

33 – The Shakiness of a Suspension Bridge (4)

“They are coming in droves!”

“Prepare for firing, all troops!”

The Imperial Army, arranged in three rows along the ramparts.

Before their eyes, once again, swarms of demons could be seen approaching, a sea of blackness.

“*Huff~huff~huff~~*”

With the unpleasant wails and writhing tentacles, those creatures drew closer.

Facing such fiends, Jeanne, embedded among the Imperial forces, said with an icy voice,

“Their weakness is those shiny eyeballs. Don’t waste time hitting anywhere else. Make sure to aim properly.”

“Be especially alert when those creatures start to slow down, it’s a sign they’re preparing psychic attacks. Aim for those first.”

“All troops ready to fire! Fire!”

-Bang! Bang! Bang!

Following the advice of Jeanne and the other Devil Hunters, the Imperial Army launched their offensive.

The bullets they fired struck true, hitting the demons’ eyeballs.

Though the size of the eyeballs was not particularly large, considering the demons’ heads were covered with countless eyes, roughly half of each head, aiming haphazardly for the eyeballs was sufficient to make a hit most of the time.”

The devils dying in a pitiful manner right in front of their eyes after being shot. The Britannian Imperial Army couldn’t decide whether to like or dislike this situation as they looked at those devils. There was no way they could be satisfied with the current situation, which perfectly fit the expression “lying down with the enemy.” However, despite that, the Imperial Army obediently followed the Devil Hunters’ instructions while suppressing their emotions. They couldn’t admit it, but the Devil Hunters’ performance against the demons was undeniably overwhelming. Individuals who were naturally adept at manipulating magic, able to confront demons who caused fear and confusion just by existing, without any fear. Furthermore, as they knew the demons’ tendencies and weaknesses, their capabilities were incomparable when it came to demon hunting. Even now, the demons, who had been prepared to endure significant damage just moments ago, were steadily falling apart with the Devil Hunters’ mere support. The situation clearly showed the significance of expert advice. As the demons swarmed like ants, the soldiers of the Empire began to feel a glimmer of hope growing in their hearts, regardless of what they did not want to admit. The hope that if they endured until “that day,” they would finally be able to safely escape this hellish place and return home… “Haaah!” As dawn approached, Leone swung her sword, shouting at the empty training ground. Outside, intermittent battles were still taking place, and until just yesterday, the sound of gunfire, cannons, and magic being cast made their ears ring. However, despite that, she continued to dedicate herself to training according to her original schedule. It wasn’t just because Leone had a diligent personality.

The reason she was wielding her sword with all her might, despite there being no one watching.

It was due to her own immaturity that she had come to realize on her way here.

“I’m still far behind… With this level of strength, I can only be a burden to my master.”

Although she had gone against her master’s orders and come this far, Leone had ended up in a position of receiving help instead of giving it.

Reflecting on her bitter experience, she was doing her best to quickly obtain “strength” in her hands.

At that moment.

“Oh… So someone did it at such an early time…”

“!”

A voice reached her ears.

Upon hearing it, Leone automatically felt a sense of unease and turned her gaze in that direction.

“You!”

Leone tightened her grip on her sword, displaying her wariness.

Before her eyes stood the woman she had seen before… Nelson, the commander of the Imperial Army.

“It’s training even at this hour? I never knew there would be someone more diligent than me.”

“W- What do you want?”

Although Leone didn’t know much about the world’s affairs, she roughly knew who this blonde woman with a golden eye was.

At the same time, she knew that she should never get close to her… That she was, so to speak, a bad person.

With such thoughts, Leone kept her position, infusing a faint amount of magic into the tip of her sword and adopting a combat stance.

“Jeanne did the same, saying that all those Britannian Empire guys are just bad people. I may be working together with them for now, but I’m always prepared to strike them from behind.”

Advisor Janne, who Gelert trusted and followed as his second.

However,

It seemed that Nelson, the woman he called Nelsen, didn’t care about Leona’s cautionary attitude, and spoke to her with an interested expression.

“You don’t need to be so scared. I’m just here for morning training. Besides, even though it’s temporary, I wouldn’t do something foolish like harming an ally.”

“Uh…”

Leona looked skeptical, even at Nelson’s words.

Thinking that her appearance was quite cute,

Nelson reached out and lightly tapped her shoulder, saying,

“And even if something were to happen, I wouldn’t lay a hand on a little kid like you. Remember, this is just a matter concerning adults, so rest assured.”

“…”

Nelson smiled warmly,

But Leona’s face still showed lingering unease. However, from Nelson’s perspective, her expression was rather cute.

“Well, if you can’t trust me, then there’s nothing I can do. Just know that. Little Miss.”

After speaking in a lighthearted tone, Nelson shifted his gaze towards the sword Leona was holding.

Even though it hadn’t been made for long at a glance, it had teeth in various places. Seeing this, Nelson could imagine how much training this child had done until now.

“I noticed that you were cautious since I saw you when you came out at this time, but you seem quite diligent indeed, even though you’re still young.”

While observing the girl, who reminded him of his own training days, Nelson couldn’t help but feel a slight sense of regret.

“If that man Gelert and his disciple, this guy, were in our Britannian Empire, they could have literally dominated the world…”

Feeling disappointed that there seemed to be a lack of talented individuals in his country recently, Nelson also drew his sword for training.

Right after that, the magic power began to flow naturally as the sword started to coil around it.

Nelson held the golden lightning in his hand as he slowly approached the training scarecrow in front of him.

And…

“Hat!

-Pak!!

With a light swing of his sword, the scarecrow shattered as if struck by lightning.

For her, it was a simple move of a sword, but the strike of the strongest being in the Empire contained a power and precision that even skilled individuals couldn’t imitate.

At that moment.

“Wow…”

Leone’s expression showed admiration as she looked at him.

Her momentary resentment seemed to have disappeared, and she watched Nelson with sparkling eyes.

“hehehe… So, even if you try to act tough, you’re still a kid. Well then, should I try to surprise you a bit more?”

Feeling slightly excited, Nelson swung his sword once again.

The sword gracefully followed a natural curve, and golden lightning flickered at its tip.

With each of her movements, the scarecrows in the training yard turned into ashes, and Leone’s face filled with deeper admiration.

“Amazing… How do you do something like this?”

“Do you want to know?”

“Yes! Please tell me!”

Leone’s eyes sparkled as she eagerly asked Nelson.

Feeling a slight rise in his spirits, as if his lips were curling up involuntarily, Nelson gently caressed her head and said,

“I’m sorry, but even if I wanted to, I can’t do it like that. This requires more than just allowing magic to flow, it involves wielding the magic. To reach this level, extensive training is necessary.”

“Hmm… Is that so? Then how much practice will it be necessary?”

“Heh-heh, that all depends on how much effort you put in. In my case, it took roughly five years, but for you, it could be shorter or longer.”

“Five years…”

Nelson spoke the harsh reality without sugarcoating it.

Yet, rather than showing any sign of disappointment, the girl seemed to be ignited with an even greater determination.

Her expression was the very picture of pure passion for learning.

Although she might become an enemy in the future,

For Nelson, who personally had a fondness for children, this rare scene brought an unexpected joy.

And with that feeling,

Nelson smiled and said to her,

“Well, here’s a tip: always try to encapsulate the shape you want to create at the tip of your blade. In my case, I started by continuously visualizing lightning flickering around my sword.”

“Imagery… Hmm… It seems like something I might grasp, yet not quite…”

Leone showed a subtle expression.

Of course, it wouldn’t lead to a dramatic change just by this alone. Having offered a light tip, Nelson began to warm up and refocused on his personal training.

In that moment,

He had no imagination of what results his words would bring about.