Chapter 54: Breach of the Castle Wall
As I confirmed the fallen knights and mages scattered across the ground, I turned to call out to Rio.
“How did it go?”
“Almost all cleared up, I think.”
The Earth Wall I had shattered was only broken in the center, with both ends still intact. Through that central gap, Rio’s Flame Javelin had surged in, splitting left and right after crossing the wall, piercing through the enemies evenly. Quite a skillful maneuver, considering she couldn’t see what lay beyond the wall.
Speaking of Flame Javelin, it was a mid-tier spell with considerable lethality. Even knights and mages wouldn’t come out unscathed if they took it head-on. They likely never expected it to curve after breaking through the Earth Wall. A few unfortunate souls had taken the full brunt of it.
“W-wait…!”
One knight, using his sword as a makeshift staff, struggled to rise, but there was no way I would wait around for him.
“By the way, I wonder if Tobil is around.”
“He probably wouldn’t show up in a place like this where knights are deployed.”
“Maybe.”
I peeked into the waiting area by the castle gate, but as expected, no one was there. I had thought about offering a greeting, but it seemed impossible.
“I wanted to ask where we should head first, but I guess it can’t be helped.”
Nodding in agreement with Rio, we slipped through the castle gate.
“Wow…”
I couldn’t help but gasp at the devastation inside the castle gate. Rubble was strewn about, and the once neatly arranged gardens and flowerbeds were in utter disarray. There didn’t seem to be any injured, but I wondered where the archers who had been firing from the castle wall had gone. Well, it didn’t concern me as long as they didn’t attack.
Turning back, I was struck by the extent of the destruction on the backside of the castle wall. There were four circular gaps, each about five meters in diameter, where the wall had completely vanished, revealing the interior.
“For now, we have no choice but to follow the path.”
“We should head towards the castle, right?”
“Probably.”
The path from the castle gate led deeper inside. For now, it was a straight shot, and since the castle was visible, we wouldn’t get lost. The spire we had seen from the gate seemed to rise from the center of the castle. There were also three other spires, not as tall as the central one but still quite impressive.
As we walked for a while, a group approached from the opposite side. Surely, it was the knights and mages again, undeterred.
“Ah… Honoka…”
“Huh?”
Hearing Rio’s murmur, I focused on the approaching group. Enhancing my vision, I confirmed that indeed, a classmate was leading the way.
“Are they really showing up here?”
However, there were only four of them. Manaka, Oda Kuya, Hino Kyoka, and Ootori Honoka. I wondered what the other three were up to. …Neguro had just been sent flying yesterday, so he probably wouldn’t be back anytime soon.
“Hey, hey, you’re really alive!”
“It’s been a while. Uh, was it Jobless-kun and Useless-chan?”
“Ahh, ha ha ha!”
Manaka and Hino spotted us and immediately began teasing.
“You two are as lively as ever…”
I had braced myself for Neguro’s transformation, but at least these two seemed to be just as they always were.
“Oh my, Rio-san, it’s been a while… Have you lost a bit of weight?”
“Duhuhuh…”
Ootori Honoka, with her gentle demeanor, was as usual, while the otaku… why was he staring at Rio the whole time? And seriously, stop licking your lips; it’s disgusting.
Just to be sure, I used appraisal, but as expected, it only revealed their names… Wait, I could see their professions now?
Manaka was a Grand Magus, Oda was a Berserker, Hino was a Magic Swordsman, and Ootori was a Saintess… A Saintess is a profession? She seemed to excel in Healing Magic. And the otaku was a Berserker? What kind of creepy laughing Berserker was that?
I quietly conveyed this to Rio, who nodded back, her expression one of surprise. I never expected my appraisal ability to grow here.
“You all are here to support the Hero.”
“Ha!”
The knights and mages behind us were already forming their ranks. Two knights, adorned in splendid armor, stepped forward to stand alongside my classmates. One wielded a hefty sword, while the other bore a heavy shield—likely the captain and vice-captain.
Taking the opportunity, I appraised them. The one with the sword was Henning Fester, a Holy Knight. The one with the shield was Waldemar Reints, a Heavy Knight. This was the first time I had encountered a noble family name; they must be aristocrats.
That meant there were likely leaders among the mages behind as well? And indeed, there was. As I continued my appraisals, I found a Grand Magus named Dafit Georg among them. …What was the difference between him and Manaka’s Grand Magus?
“Is this the maximum combat strength?”
We were missing two classmates, but I doubted anyone could be stronger than this group.
“What are you guys doing here?”
“Huh? We came to capture you rascals causing a ruckus in the Royal Capital. What about you?”
“Huh? Capture us? Don’t you mean come to kill us?”
“Huh? Kill? What a dangerous thing to say. We’re still classmates, after all…”
Was he serious? Or was he just completely unaware of the situation?
“What do you mean…? Rio was nearly killed by Neguro’s stab just the other day.”
“Eh?”
The moment my words reached him, Manaka’s gaze shifted to Rio.
“Ha ha! That gloomy guy stabbed Yuzuki? …What kind of joke is that? She looks just fine.”
It seemed my words didn’t reach Manaka, who laughed it off.