Chapter 123: Chapter 1 Ulyseon sliced off the goblin’s head in one swift motion. “My lady! Your barrier!” Maxi snapped out of staring dazedly at the monster’s headless body and prepared to summon her mana. Monsters charged at them from all directions, and there did not seem to be enough time to cast the barrier. Seeing her fumbling, Ulyseon and Garrow pushed her against a tree and crouched into formation in front of her. The goblins had rushed down the mountain slope at terrifying speeds. They clambered up the trees and attacked from above, flying at the knights like cannonballs with axes. The knights slew them two at a time with a swing of their swords. Angry, monkey-like shrieks echoed through the forest. “Hell! There’s no end to them!” Hebaron’s booming shouts cut through the din. Terrified, Maxi kept her back pressed to the tree and gasped for air. He was right. Although the knights were slaying goblin after goblin, the monsters seemed to be pouring out from the other side of the high rock face. “Everyone, move back! I’ll use my blade aura to finish-” “Don’t! That will destroy the rock!” Riftan barked, swinging his sword. “We are at a disadvantage geographically! We are going to fall back!” “Tell me you are jesting! You want us to retreat because of bloody-” Their exchange was cut short when a rumbling tremor shook the ground. The goblin horde split in two and quickly dispersed. Immediately realizing what was happening, Riftan bellowed commands at the knights. “The rock face is falling! Move out, now!” The knights responded almost immediately. Grabbing Maxi by her arms, Ulyseon and Garrow began racing up the steep mountain path. Maxi clutched at Rem’s reins and towed the agitated horse along. Just then, a thunderous boom sent a flock of birds bursting from the treetops. Maxi’s eyes widened at the dirt and rock tumbling down the slope. Dragged along by the squires, Maxi stayed just ahead of the debris before the ground under her feet began to crumble. Maxi was not the only one to stagger and tumble over. The knights, along with their horses, slipped down the heap of dirt. Riftan called to them from further up, but there was no time to shout back. Whenever she tried to get up, the ground seemed to sink like sand, and she kept falling as though being pulled by her ankles. Chunks of rock and dirt began hurtling toward them just as she gained solid footing. Almost reflexively, Maxi began to circulate her mana. A barrier of earth shot up right before the rockslide could bury them. Maxi slumped to the ground and directed her mana around the rune. The barrier rose higher as the mound of dirt threatened to break through. Finally, the rumbling tremors stilled just as Maxi’s mana was almost depleted. Everyone beyond the barricade heaved a sigh of relief. “I feel like I lost ten years of my life just then,” said Gabel as he helped Maxi to her feet. “You did well, my lady. That barrier can’t be easy to maintain. We should move to a safer spot.” Supporting her with one hand, he quickly led her to the side of the slope. “All of you! Get it together and follow me!” Garrow and Ulyseon placated their horses’ frenzied stomping. Even with all the commotion, Maxi continued to seek out Riftan. He was nowhere to be seen. “W-What about Riftan?’ “The front guard should be up there right now,” said Garrow. “The ground began to crumble from the rear, so it was only us that fell.” He did a headcount as he hurried up the slope. “There are about fifteen knights and thirteen juniors.” The knights coaxed their horses and made a swift evacuation as though the barrier could collapse at any moment. It was only after they climbed quite a distance that they were able to see the full extent of the rockslide. The color drained from Maxi’s face when she saw the bulk of the rock that could have crushed her. “D-Do you think... those at the top are all right?” “Please give me a moment, my lady.” Gabel pulled out a finger-sized stick from his tunic and blew on it, creating a sharp whistle similar to a bird’s cry. His call echoed up the mountain. He blew on the pipe twice more, and a similar whistle responded from above. “They say everyone up there is safe as well.” Maxi’s legs gave out, and she sank to the ground. Ulyseon promptly moved to help her up. “Are you all right, my lady? Please tell me you are not hurt.” “I-I am all right. M-My legs simply gave out for a moment...” In truth, she had taken a blow to her back when she fell. It ached now, but it was not bad enough to inhibit her movement. She focused on stilling her shaking legs and only just managed to get on her feet. Rem trotted over nervously and nudged Maxi’s back with her nose. Clinging to the mare’s neck, Maxi struggled up the mountain to a more even surface. When they were safely away from the rockslide, Maxi lifted her spell. The barricade gave way as the precarious mounds of dirt and rock crashed down the mountain. Up ahead, however, a large boulder blocked their path. Staring at the looming rock, Gabel clicked his tongue. “Our path is cut off.” “Could we not climb over it?” said Garrow. Gabel shook his head. “Goblins might be lurking, and the boulder might roll while we are going over.” He took out the pipe again and blew on it four times in a peculiar pattern. There was silence, then another whistled response. “We’ll take the long way up. There should be another path if we head northeast.” “What if we miss them?” “There is a village right below this mountain. I have told them that we would meet there, so stop asking questions and follow me.” He led his horse with quick strides, scanning their surroundings. “We must hurry. We don’t know when the goblins will return.” Maxi hunched her shoulders and surveyed the dense trees and rocks. The thought that monsters might be watching them like hawks from the deep shadows sent chills down her spine. Garrow stepped closer to Maxi in a protective stance and asked Gabel, “Do you think they also caused the rockslide?” “Probably. I’d wager that’s how they have been attacking bigger monsters or merchants traveling through this mountain. There might be more traps around, so stay vigilant,” Gabel said, jumping over a small boulder blocking their path. Maxi sweated buckets as she crawled up the rock with the knights’ help. Every inch of her body screamed with the effort. Her wrist stung, and she surmised that she must have sprained it. ... “Are you all right, my lady?” “Y-Yes.” She was far from all right, but she answered out of habit. Gabel assessed her condition carefully, then looked around the gloomy mountain path once more. His lips tightened to a thin line. “It would be difficult for us to rest right now, my lady. Please endure until we find a safe place.” With an arm slung over Rem’s back, Maxi desperately tried to keep up with the knights as they weaved through the trees with their swords drawn. “Do you think the goblins will come after us?” “They saw us fall, so they will. You can bet that they will go after the smaller party.” “Indeed... they would not give up so easily after preparing such a big trap,” a knight muttered apathetically, ducking his head to avoid a branch. “We can just do away with them should they come after us. If it weren’t for that trap, those damned goblins would all be-” “Don’t make light of them just because they’re goblins. Have you learned nothing from what just happened? They might not be high-level monsters, but they possess astonishing collaboration skills even among the monsters of the Ayin race. They’re a pain to deal with in large numbers just like that horde back there. They use their heads. They’re nothing to scoff at when they use the land to their advantage like that.” Gabel walked at the head of the group and led the knights through the thick trees. Wiping the droplets of sweat trickling down her forehead, Maxi looked up at the birds soaring above them. ... Before long, the blazing sun was dimming into a hazy light. Though it was still bright, mountain sunsets were abrupt. There was no knowing when darkness would descend. Maxi knew Gabel was right – they could not afford to dawdle in a forest like this. She desperately trudged on. “We will get back on our horses once we reach even ground, so please take heart until then, my lady,” Garrow said anxiously in an effort to encourage Maxi. She kept lagging behind as he carefully led their party through the trees. Maxi did not know how long they continued to walk, but the slope soon became noticeably gentler. After surveying their surroundings, Gabel raised his hand to signal that they could take a short rest. Maxi slumped to the ground and tried to catch her breath. Ulyseon uncorked a waterskin and handed it to her. “This is a pellet made with sugar and salt, my lady. Please take it with some water. It should help you replenish your energy.” Maxi washed down the round, candy-like pellet, and though she spilled half the water on her dress, it was hardly evident because her clothes were already soaked in sweat. After handing the waterskin back to Ulyseon, Maxi chewed on mandrago root from the pouch tied to her belt. She had to recover what little mana she could. “We should go on horseback from here. They look exhausted, but they should be able to manage a low climb. Do you think you can ride, my lady?” Maxi nodded. Once she managed to catch her breath and regain some energy, she climbed onto Rem with the help of the junior knights. She was fairly certain that she could stay on without falling off. They rode along the quiet mountain path in silence. The knights remained vigilant with one hand on the hilt of their swords. Terrified that monsters would leap out at any moment, Maxi threw nervous glances at the shadows in the thickets and between the trees. She had an eerie feeling that something was watching them from the dense vegetation. Gabel abruptly raised his hand and signaled for them to ride faster. Maxi galloped behind the knights in confusion. Leaning her body close to Rem to avoid falling off, Maxi looked over her shoulder and saw goblins ferociously chasing after them. The knights fired arrows at the charging horde. “My lady! Please keep looking forward! The path is full of obstacles,” warned Garrow. Maxi tore her gaze away from the goblins and frantically spurred Rem through the thick forest. There was an unpleasant ringing in her ears. As she raced on, something fell from the trees. Maxi was too out of breath to scream. She clutched at the reins as Rem reared to buck off the goblin that had latched onto her head. Maxi clung onto Rem’s neck for dear life. The goblin let out a strange sound and maintained its vicious grip. After working up to a frenzy of bucking and rearing, Rem changed course and began to gallop down the mountain. Maxi yanked at the reins, but it was no use. The goblin bared its teeth and secured itself by stubbornly coiling its arm around Rem’s neck. Maxi instinctively made a fist-sized flame spark on the monster’s face. The goblin screeched and let go, finally falling off the horse. The graceful front legs of the well-proportioned mare ruthlessly stomped on the goblin’s enormous head. Maxi squeezed her eyes shut. Rem continued to trample the corpse for a while, but she eventually stopped and dropped her head in exhaustion. Hot tears streaked Maxi’s cheeks as she clung onto Rem. She felt as though she had been tossed about by a tempest. When she finally managed to collect herself, she looked around in silence. She had no sense of where she was. Rem had galloped down the mountain at such speed that it had apparently taken no time for Maxi to be separated from the party. Taking shallow breaths, Maxi waited for the knights to find her.