Black Summoner – Chapter 167

Trisen Castle is structured with Trisen Main Castle at its center, surrounded by the four wings of each knight division’s sub-castles. It’s easy to understand if you consider the “Ironclad Knights,” who excel in defense, near the main gate, the “Dragon Rider Corps” on the right wing, the “Mixed Beast Corps” on the left wing, and the headquarters of the “Magic Knight Corps” in the rear. The “Dark Division” does not have a sub-castle as it is a unit that is not publicly disclosed.

If Trisen were in a state of complete readiness, the paramount prerequisite for conquering the castle would be to defeat the Ironclad Knights. This veteran unit, led by the old general Dan, is clad in platinum armor and boasts unparalleled cohesion. Dan himself is renowned as the strongest warrior in the country, making it an extremely difficult task to defeat this army and infiltrate the main castle. Furthermore, if time is wasted, dragoons will rush in from the sky, trained monsters will arrive, and a nightmare of magic rain will pour down from the rear.

However, currently, the Ironclad Knights are fighting alongside Kelvin, and the Mixed Beast Corps and Dragon Rider Corps, having lost their main forces, have only the strength of reserve units stationed in them. The Magic Knight Corps is also being led by Tristan, but the former commander, Clive, has been officially reported as deceased. While the remaining Dark Division has suffered almost no damage, they are, by nature, an intelligence unit, and their combat capability is inferior to direct engagement. There is also a separate unit assigned to guard the main castle, but they lack practical combat experience. The reality is quite different from the illusions the populace paints. Moreover, it is not only the populace who are living in a fleeting dream.

This is the Central District of Trisen Main Castle. It is a vital facility where Royal Court Mages gather and manage the castle’s defenses and the capital’s barriers. It is one of the most heavily guarded places, and the front lines of any conflict are far away. This facility, which should normally be dominated by silence, was uncharacteristically engulfed in a turbulent atmosphere.

*Crack, crack…*

“What is that sound? …! Hey, what’s happening to the barrier?!”
“Wh-what! Report! The barrier is being damaged by an attack from someone!”
“What?! Send magic to the castle wall immediately!”

Shouts flew around as the Royal Court Mages offered their magic on a vast magic circle as if in prayer. An anomaly occurred in the barrier, which should have been the last resort of defense. The head of the management quickly sensed the situation and ordered the mages to reinforce and repair the barrier. However, it was already too late.

*Shatter!*

“Cor-correction! The barrier has just been completely destroyed!”
“Im-impossible… This barrier, which should have no problem defending against dragon attacks… Tch, prepare for barrier redeployment and urgently report this situation to all units. And to the King!”
“B-but, the King is currently refusing visitors and has ordered no one to be allowed through…”
“Idiot! This is a national crisis! Be prepared to lose your head! I’m going too!”

The leader took the initiative to head towards the King.

“Oh? That barrier, was it really that amazing?”

Suddenly, a woman’s voice was heard from behind the leader.

“Of course! It’s a magic castle wall created with the pinnacle of Trisen’s magical technology, and the magical power that is the source of its energy is generated by Royal Court Mages chosen from across the country! Magic power is supplied without rest every day, and its strength is—”
“Mhm, mhm.”
“Its strength is— Who are you!?”

As the leader was delivering his grand speech, a red-haired beauty, Sera, appeared from who knew where. At Sera’s feet were the remnants of the magic circle’s light that occurred during the summoning, and the figures of Royal Court Mages lying on the ground. The subordinate he had been speaking with just moments ago had also become one of them.

“You’re slow to notice. I was bored, so I took them all down.”
“Inn-in an instant… to Royal Court Mages of the highest caliber… N-no, more importantly, from where did you come!?”
“Ah, enough with that already.”

Sera dripped a single drop of blood onto her fingertip and lightly jabbed the leader’s forehead. Of course, this was from Sera’s perspective; the leader couldn’t even perceive what had been done to him.

“So, what was the anomaly again?”
“No! Everything is operating normally! Lady Sera!”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s a peaceful day today too.”

Receiving a sharp, well-executed salute, Sera returned a pleasant smile.

“Alright, suppression here is complete! As expected of me! It seems this is indeed the center of the castle, as planned, so let’s immediately…”

While the leader remained motionless in his salute posture, Sera concentrated her mind. Danger Perception, Danger Perception, Magic Power Detect, Concealment Detect— Using all her skills, she added the castle’s interior layout to the three-dimensional map that Kelvin had created based on previous information and uploaded to the subordinate network. Information on the deployment of enemy forces, where enemies Kelvin might favor are located, and even the positions of hidden doors and traps. After a few seconds of meditation, Sera slowly opened her eyes.

“Part of the castle’s top floor, there’s a section I can’t read… Well, whatever! By elimination, there’s nowhere else to go!”

As Sera placed her hands on her hips and nodded, telepathy from Kelvin arrived.

“Sera, the map is sufficient. You did well. How’s the situation on your end?”
“I’ve completed the suppression. And I made a good discovery too.”
“A good discovery?”
“That thing, you know, that thing.”

In the direction of Sera’s gaze was an inanimate object resembling a torii gate. It was a Transfer Gate.

“I’m so lucky! Already a major discovery right after being summoned!”
“Oh…! As expected of a central area, it seems to have been an important sector. I never expected for us to stumble upon the thing we were looking for.”
“I’ll expect a reward later!”
“Be… be reasonable. Can you activate it?”

Looking at it, the Transfer Gate appeared to be completely non-functional.

“Command, activate the Transfer Gate.”
“Wh-what! The Transfer Gate is currently stopped! To activate it, authentication by someone with the appropriate authority is required! Unfortunately, I do not possess such authority!”
“Huh…”

If the Transfer Gate could not be activated, its discovery was meaningless. Sera reported to Kelvin dejectedly.

“Is that so… Hmm? Eh, seriously?”

Kelvin seemed to be talking to someone on the other end of the telepathy.

“Sera, Rion will bring Colette to you now. He said he can activate it, albeit with limitations.”
“Eh, Colette can do something like that too? But how will they get here? This is deep in enemy territory, you know.”
“Thanks to your perfect work, Sera, the route there should be manageable.”

***

Trisen Main Castle – Above

We were in the sky above Trisen Main Castle, riding on Dahak and Mudopharak. In front of the main gate, Gerard, Boga, Sabato, and their party remained, initiating a frontal assault. The rest of our party, along with Colette and Pritia, were with us.

Sera’s infiltration by summoning was successful, and information about the castle became an open book. Furthermore, a Transfer Gate was discovered, which we had planned to search for anyway, but she somehow pinpointed its location instantly. Sera’s luck is terrifying.

“Efil, aim for that spot. Also, fire a few shots into an area with no presence for a diversion.”
“Understood.”

A powerful fire arrow was loosed from the Fire God’s Bow held by Efil. The arrow accurately pierced the spot I indicated and exploded immediately. The explosion created a hole in one corner of the main castle. Simultaneously, multiple other arrows opened holes in various locations.

“Impressive. Well then, let’s begin our descent as planned. Colette will be wrapped in a cloaking cloth and carried by Rion… Anyone need assistance with flight?”
“I’m fine on my own. I’ll just land.”
“I’ll be carrying Colette, but will my ‘Acrobatics’ skill be enough? If all else fails, I’ll have Alex catch me.”
“Rion-sama and close proximity, Rion-sama and close proximity, Rion-sama and close proximity—”
“Colette, at least keep that in your mind… Everyone seems fine? Efil, Dahak, Mudopharak, I’ll need your support attacks from the air. I’ll give you instructions using the map as needed, so please cooperate.”
“Leave it to us, big brother!”
“““ROARRRR”””

Mel Fina alone remained within my magic. Well, considering the enemies this time…

“Alright, here we go.”
“Yes. Bon voyage, Master.”

Without hesitation, we leaped into the enemy territory.