I Got a Fake Job at the Academy

Chapter 663: The Demon King Army's Preparation (3)

The appearance of the Wind Elemental Lord caused tremendous shock.

Could it be that the one Surna mentioned was referring to the Wind Elemental Lord?

"No way, is that one on our side?"

Helia asked with a slight hope in her voice.

If the Wind Elemental Lord was on their side, nothing could be more reassuring but at the same time, there was worry.

The Elemental Lords are beings who have reached the pinnacle of nature, literally.

When they use their power in earnest, they significantly impact the ecosystem, for better or worse.

That's why most Elemental Lords rarely move from their dwellings.

Because they are nature itself, their love for nature is greater than anyone else's.

Conversely speaking, if something occurred that had a huge negative impact on nature itself, it meant an Elemental Lord would move.

While everyone was thinking this, Surna opened his mouth.

"It's not on our side. If it were, it wouldn't have come all the way here."

"So you're saying it's an enemy?"

Everyone tensed up at those words.

Considering that Elemental Lords are living natural disasters in their respective domains, the Wind Elemental Lord is essentially a living, breathing typhoon.

Would it just be a typhoon capable of causing nationwide damage?

If it narrowed its range but increased its power, it could even create hurricanes.

"Don't be tense. It's not an enemy either. Not yet."

"Not yet?"

"That one is different from other Elemental Lords. While other Elemental Lords care only about the ecosystem of nature, the Wind Elemental Lord is rather the opposite."

"How is it different?"

"It's the only Elemental Lord in this world that has made a contract with a single human."

A shocking truth that no one knew flowed from Surna's mouth.

"Even an Elemental Lord is ultimately a spirit. Naturally, it's possible for it to form a contract with someone who resonates with it."

"Who on earth was that?"

"Saint Arkenis."

The true saint who was once the strongest in the Order, admired by all, now dead and gone.

"The Wind Elemental Lord is Saint Arkenis' contracted spirit. That's why it had been in a deep sleep ever since that day, after Arkenis disappeared."

"Ah, no matter how saintly she was, to make a contract with an Elemental Lord. That's just..."

"Elemental Lords have emotions too. They know how to think, how to be happy, and how to be sad. In fact, they're much purer than humans. Among those Elemental Lords, this one is particularly known for its strong capriciousness."

Wind means freedom.

It blows everywhere and goes anywhere.

Wind never stays in one place.

The Wind Elemental Lord was not bound by the compulsion to protect nature like other Elemental Lords because it was the wind itself.

"To that one, rather than this world's vast sky and clear atmosphere, it preferred a girl with eyes the color of the sky."

"Um, isn't that a bit dangerous then?"

Violetta asked cautiously.

"If it's a spirit contracted with Saint Arkenis, wouldn't it be hostile to you, a great demon?"

"That's right. We fought quite a lot. I nearly died at its hands several times."

When Surna answered with a smile, everyone looked at him with surprised faces.

The fact that he said that now meant the Wind Elemental Lord might have come here to kill Surna.

"But it's different now. It won't kill me. To be precise, it can't kill me."

A confident tone.

Indeed, the Wind Elemental Lord that had revealed itself had not taken any action so far.

"After the saint disappeared, having lost its contractor, it didn't do anything and fell asleep. It made such a promise. To remain still until a contractor appeared."

"...But it's awake and moving now?"

"That's because someone who has inherited Saint Arkenis' greatest power, though not the saint herself, has now appeared."

From those words, Rudger could tell who Surna was talking about.

"Rene..."

"Yes, that's right. That child. The girl who inherited the saint's power, [Judgment], which I sought in Theon."

"Weren't you trying to do something by finding her?"

Rudger could tell from before that Surna was trying to find Rene.

[Judgment] was the saint's unique power, and conversely, Surna was the great demon who had fought against that saint.

Although he deliberately hid the fact, Surna eventually found out that Rene possessed [Judgment] and even made contact with her.

But surprisingly, Surna did not touch Rene.

Rather, he even gave her a slight stimulus to help her awaken further.

"For what purpose?"

"I have a connection with the possessor of [Judgment], in one way or another."

Surna evaded the question ambiguously.

It was an indirect way of saying he couldn't tell yet.

"Since the possessor of [Judgment] has awakened to her power, the Wind Elemental Lord has also awakened from its long sleep and is moving according to the contract. However, the fact that it's revealing its power like this now means it's trying to maintain neutrality after assessing the situation."

Neutrality.

That word made Rudger couldn't help but wonder.

Rene is currently in Theon.

She should have no connection to this holy war, so why did the Wind Elemental Lord come all the way here?

'Does that mean Rene got involved in the holy war? Siding with Salesin?'

But if that were the case.

Why is the Wind Elemental Lord still leaving them alone, who could be considered enemies of its contractor?

Why is Surna's attitude so natural when seeing such a Wind Elemental Lord?

'The reason the Wind Elemental Lord is not hostile yet must be here. And Surna is showing composure because he knows that fact.'

Since he said it wasn't an enemy, that was one less worry.

If an Elemental Lord were an opponent, even Rudger would have no choice but to open the Heaven's Gate.

The Fire Elemental Lord was actually better.

Thanks to the Earth Elemental Lord blocking the path of magma, it disappeared on its own.

But what about this one that flies through the sky?

It was hard to even imagine how to fight against a living, moving typhoon.

'Moreover, if I open the Heaven's Gate here, Lumensis will intervene more strongly on this side.'

The reason he could fully open the Heaven's Gate was because Lumensis was unaware of his existence.

It was possible because he secretly opened a backdoor and borrowed power from gods outside rather than from Lumensis.

But now that was impossible.

As a price for using great power once, Lumensis had completely 'recognized' Rudger's existence.

Now, the moment he opens the Heaven's Gate to borrow divine power, none other than Lumensis will be the first to intervene in that passage and exert his power.

While he might be able to borrow power from other gods through threats or persuasion, Lumensis, who wants to make him a puppet, would never listen to Rudger.

'It's better not to use it as much as possible. Or else, open only the first level sealing formula to use it minimally.'

It was a thousand fortunate things that the Wind Elemental Lord didn't rush at them, since he needed to conserve his strength for the upcoming battles.

"So, what is the Wind Elemental Lord trying to do here now?"

"It seems like it wants to check something."

"Check?"

"It seems like it wants to interfere in this battle minimally."

"Minimal interference?"

"You can relax. It has no intention of affecting the ground."

Surna grinned.

"But the sky seems different."

-Kururung.

The Wind Elemental Lord spread all its wings wide.

The dark clouds covering Bretus Holy Nation multiplied and began to spread beyond the island.

"You just asked how to handle air defense, right? This is the answer."

Surna said, facing Caroline.

"The Holy Crusaders are now blocked from moving through the sky. The Wind Elemental Lord didn't allow it."

If Surna's words were true, this was nothing short of a golden opportunity for their side.

More than 2,000 airships couldn't completely cross over because of a single Wind Elemental Lord.

The enemy forces they had to face were reduced by almost half.

Of course, even the remaining half was enough to wipe them out.

The difference in power was still like that between a dwarf and a giant.

"This will do."

The sudden appearance of the Wind Elemental Lord was unexpected, but the outcome wasn't bad.

Caroline nodded with satisfaction, arms crossed.

"Just blocking the enemy's air units has opened up tremendous possibilities. You said we just need to hold out, right? Then it's definitely possible."

The battle situation quickly formed in Caroline's mind.

First, from the 3rd checkpoint city to the 1st checkpoint city.

If they utilized geographical advantages, they could definitely slow down the enemies' movements.

"The path leading to the fortress isn't that wide. If they want to come inside, they must pass through the checkpoint cities."

They had to consider the possibility of enemies coming around from the side, but there was no need to worry about that.

Not only was the path to other places narrow, but it would also take an enormous amount of time for such a large army to move around.

They would create a path to come?

That would be even better. If part of their forces were diverted and gave them time, it would be something to welcome with open arms.

Bretus Holy Nation did not assume external invasion.

It's not because they were careless, drunk on absolute power.

It's because even if enemies came, they had an environment capable of stopping them sufficiently.

"Everyone heard that? I'll take command from here. I still have more practical experience in this area."

"Ha. Hearing that really scratches my pride!"

The one who responded to Caroline's bold statement was Ambella Burke.

"Hey, you tiny human."

"What? Tiny human?"

Veins popped out on Caroline's forehead.

The Monarch Mercenary Corps gasped at Ambella's provocation.

Ambella had said what should never be said to their leader, Caroline!

Indeed, Caroline showed her anger, her hair swaying, as she glared at Ambella.

"Who are you supposed to be? Are you really an elf?"

With hair like a lion's mane and a ferocious smile, Ambella looked more fitting among beast folk.

A large build and considerable muscles despite being a woman, plus an eye patch on one eye.

Could there be another elf in the world whose pointed ears looked so out of place?

"What's a barbarian doing here?"

"What did you say? Barbarian?"

Ambella twisted her face fiercely.

Her intimidation was so great that even fellow elves would tremble, but Caroline did not avoid Ambella's gaze and glared back.

It was like a scene where a ferocious bear and a vicious lynx bared their teeth at each other.

"Something seems to displease you? Barbarian."

"Yes. Entrusting defense to a little kid like this? It would be much cheaper to put a bow in a child's hands."

"I am the leader of the Monarch Mercenary Corps and a 6th rank magician. Our Monarch Mercenary Corps has never lost the first place in this industry and has participated in numerous civil wars and battles in various countries."

Caroline proudly beat her chest with her fist.

"On the battlefield, there is no one who knows better than me how and where to deploy people."

-Woooooah!

The Monarch Mercenary Corps shouted in response.

"Ha! What is this? I thought you had something, but you're just talking about small-scale squad battles? I am Ambella Burke. The head of the Burke family that defends the Elf Kingdom from external invasion. In the Great War 100 years ago, I protected the Elf Kingdom from enemies. Defensive battles? Our Burke family can be said to be the most proficient in defensive battles in this world!"

-Waaaaaah!

The elves of the Burke family roared in response.

The two organizations entered a psychological warfare, glaring at each other intensely.

Since they were all individuals with sufficient pride, such conflicts were inevitable.

"Small-scale battles don't suit defensive warfare. Elves have their own way."

"Ha. That only works in large-scale siege warfare. Look at the current situation. Our forces are just a handful compared to the enemy. Obviously, we need to hit and run like guerrillas with as few numbers as possible."

"Each individual's combat power is elite. In this situation, do you think mercenary tactics used for ordinary mercenaries will work?"

-Pazzik!

Sparks flew between Caroline and Ambella.

Seeing this, Surna stepped in to mediate.

"Come on, everyone. Take it easy. You both have a point, so it's not about who's right or wrong, but simply a difference of opinion, right?"

Oh.

Sedina, who had been worried that Ambella might start a fight, quietly exclaimed in admiration at Surna's smooth handling.

Though she had betrayed and left, there was a time when, as a Second Order, she had vague imaginations about the existence of the Zero Order.

Someone who could control such a secret organization without being detected by anyone must also have excellent people management skills.

Such expectations and hopes of Sedina completely collapsed with Surna's following words.

"Listening to you two, who are inferior to me, talking just makes me feel exasperated. So here, listen to me."

"What did you say?"

"This bastard!"

The situation became even more chaotic.