“If I said all this has nothing to do with me, would you believe me?”
Ian stepped out from behind the wall where he had been hiding.
Now, he finally understood where the sense of abnormality he had been feeling came from.
It seemed Aetherinra hadn’t believed his excuse at all.
Otherwise, why would she have sent Veronica to tail him?
“I have no obligation to believe a pervert.”
Veronica’s tone was ice-cold, and her entire presence radiated a sense of keeping everyone at a distance.
Ian felt quite embarrassed.
‘Just what kind of existence am I in the eyes of others?’
Despite the awkwardness, Ian stepped forward to argue his case.
“I have no reason to do something like this. There’s absolutely no benefit in it for me. Besides, you don’t have any evidence to prove that I’m behind this.”
Hearing Ian’s words, Veronica bit her lip.
She wanted to speak but didn’t know what to say.
It was true; she was currently only speculating that Ian was related to the Magic Beast attack.
She had no substantial evidence.
As the two stood in a standoff, the situation on the city wall shifted again.
“Archers, fire!”
Following the Guard Captain’s order, the archers on the wall, who had been ready and waiting, released their arrows in unison.
After a round of volleys, the Magic Beasts’ advance slowed, but they were far from being completely wiped out.
Soon, a new wave of Magic Beasts swarmed from all directions.
“It’s no use, Captain! There are too many Magic Beasts. We can’t stop them!”
“Dammit, we have to stop them even if we can’t! Do you have any idea what will happen to the entire Far East City if our defenses are breached? We have to hold out at least until reinforcements arrive.”
The Guard Captain then issued a final, solemn order to the surrounding soldiers.
“Hold the line! Even at the final moment of our lives, we must not retreat a single step!”
Seeing the dire crisis before her, Veronica could no longer afford to waste time confronting Ian.
She turned to look at him and said, “If this really wasn’t your doing, then please prove it to me through your actions.”
Leaving those words behind, Veronica turned and flew toward the top of the city wall.
Gazing in the direction she had gone, Ian lowered his head in thought.
From what he knew of the Game Plot, the scene before him was likely the first major event — the Far East City Beast Tide.
This Beast Tide was a crucial part of the story, acting as the precursor to the next major event, the Labyrinth Subjugation Event.
In short, the Labyrinth Subjugation Event occurred when a Labyrinth suddenly appeared outside Far East City.
The Beast Tide happened because the Magic Beasts inside had lost a territorial dispute with other beasts and fled, setting their sights on the human territory of Far East City.
What Ian couldn’t understand was why the Beast Tide had started so early.
‘If I remember correctly, there should still be about one week before the Beast Tide begins. And even more confusingly… why is only Veronica here?’
In the original story, Aetherinra and Veronica were supposed to face the Magic Beast attack together.
They would fight side by side during the Beast Tide, unleashing immense power and forming a bond that would eventually transcend friendship during the Labyrinth Subjugation Event.
So why was Veronica the only one present?
Ian was filled with confusion regarding the current situation.
However, after thinking quickly, Ian came up with what he believed to be the optimal solution.
‘Since Aetherinra and Veronica will develop feelings beyond friendship during the later Labyrinth event anyway, it shouldn’t matter whether Aetherinra is here for the Beast Tide. Besides, this Beast Tide has created the perfect opportunity for me to leave the city. If I use the excuse of subjugating Magic Beasts to head out, I can find the medicinal herbs I need. Not only can I brew the potion to dispel Lilian’s murderous intent toward me, but I can also clear myself of any suspicion regarding this incident. It’s truly killing two birds with one stone.’
The corners of Ian’s mouth curled upward as he mentally gave himself a thumbs-up for his brilliance.
His thoughts concluded, Ian stepped forward and whispered an incantation.
“**DARK MAGIC — DARK CLOUD!**”
This was a low-tier Dark Magic spell that allowed the user to ignore terrain and travel a certain distance.
The moment he finished the incantation, a dark cloud appeared out of thin air beneath Ian’s feet, carrying him up to the top of the city wall.
“Young Master Ian, why are you here?”
The Guard Captain, who was currently discussing matters with Veronica on the wall, saw Ian’s arrival and stepped forward to question him. “It’s too dangerous here. Please retreat back into the city.”
Hearing the Guard Captain’s words, Ian waved his hand.
“Protecting Far East City by slaying Magic Beasts is the duty of every Mage living here. How could I retreat in such a moment of crisis?”
The Guard Captain was stunned.
He had heard that the Duke’s son was a useless, wicked youth with poor magical aptitude, but how could someone with such patriotic sentiment be as wretched as the rumors claimed?
Standing nearby, Veronica found Ian’s words grating.
‘This pervert is truly shameless when he lies.
What “duty of every Mage living in Far East City”? If I didn’t know his true nature, I would have almost been fooled by that righteous act.’
“In that case, Young Master, let me brief you on our operational plan.”
Wasting no more time, the Guard Captain immediately began to explain the plan he had just devised.
“These wolf-like Magic Beasts outside the city are called Fang Wolves. Although their combat power is formidable, they have a fatal weakness: they lack intelligence. All of their actions are controlled by a leader beast. Therefore, we only need to find that leader and kill it to successfully stop this Beast Tide.”
“Initially, our plan was for Lady Veronica to head out alone to kill the leader beast while I remained behind to command the Guard Corps and provide cover for her. However, the success rate of that plan is very low. Even though Lady Veronica is a Third-rank Mage, it would be difficult for her to slay a protected leader beast amidst the Beast Tide.”
“But now that you are here, Young Master, the situation is different. You will stay here to command the Guard Corps, and I will go out to pin down some of the beasts to create an opening for Lady Veronica. This will greatly increase the success rate of the plan.”
After hearing the Guard Captain’s words, Ian felt a sense of admiration for him.
‘He was able to identify the type of Magic Beasts, find their weakness, and formulate a reasonable plan in such a short amount of time. He really is a rare talent!’
After praising him internally, Ian shook his head and spoke to the Guard Captain.
“Your plan is good, but there’s one thing that needs to be changed.”
“What is it?”
“The person going out to draw the Magic Beasts’ attention will be me.”
Ian pointed to himself.
There was no way he would agree to that plan.
If he did, his entire reason for coming out would be for nothing.
“No, that’s absolutely impossible! If something happens to you, how could I ever answer to the Duke?”
The Guard Captain refused immediately.
“This is no time for such concerns. I am a Second Tier Mage, while you are only a First-rank Mage. I can draw away more Magic Beasts than you. Furthermore, I am not familiar with the Guard Corps’ situation. You commanding them will provide much more value.”
Seeing the Guard Captain still hesitating, Ian struck while the iron was hot.
“Think about how many citizens will lose their homes if the city falls. Is my life really more precious than theirs?”
The Guard Captain finally made up his mind. He gave Ian a salute and said, “Then I leave everything to you, Young Master.”
“I will not fail the mission,” Ian replied, returning the salute.
Veronica, who had witnessed the entire exchange from the side, looked at Ian with an expression of disbelief.
‘Is this still the same Ian who was so afraid of death?’
Veronica didn’t realize it herself, but at that moment, her opinion of Ian had begun to shift, just a little.