Published: September 10, 2025
"Are the anti-air magic cannons and ballista squads ready yet?"
"Birdmen squad and wyvern squad, launch in sequence. Form formation in the air."
"Switch the golem squad’s equipment to anti-air artillery!"
"The assault unit is coming! The Flame Staff Squad and Magic Soldier Unit must always be accompanied by an escort squad!"
In the command room of the Duke’s Castle, wind magic users were issuing instructions.
The heir to the duke, vested with the authority of the acting lord, appeared in the command room.
"Report the situation."
"A large airship, believed to be a warship, has appeared over the Duke’s Capital."
"—Appeared, you say?"
On a large water display placed before the heir, the image of a large airship approaching the Duke’s Capital was projected.
The large airship, with organic forms colored in purple and black, gave a sinister impression to all who saw it.
"Soldiers at the watchtower reported it suddenly appeared over the city."
"Not at the outskirts of the capital?"
"Yes."
The heir frowned skeptically at this report.
If it had appeared on the outskirts, one might guess it was hidden by illusions of light magic or cloaked by clouds of water magic. But there was no way such a huge airship could appear unnoticed within the city by the acting lord.
To infiltrate the city’s barrier created by the City Core without the lord’s knowledge, only shadow magic or spatial magic could be used—but neither of these could move such a massive airship.
At least, the heir couldn’t think of anyone who could do that.
"Whose ship is it?"
"Unknown affiliation—"
"Look closely, you fool. They’re flying the flags of the Demon King worshipper group ‘Wings of Freedom’ and the ‘Golden Boar King’."
The sharp nobleman in his around-thirty years interrupted the reporter.
This was Keon Bobino, the current head of the Bobino count family, who once secretly manipulated the ‘Wings of Freedom’ from behind the scenes during the reign of the previous lord.
Hostile glances gathered from those around at his appearance.
The royal guard knights subtly shifted their positions to protect the acting lord.
"So you’re saying you helped that airship?"
"Is this the time for such nonsense, Count Hohen?"
The heir’s impatience was matched by the voice of the heir to Count Hohen.
Keon Bobino dismissed it as nonsense without concern.
"Enough, Count Hohen. Lord Keon’s innocence is guaranteed by hero Nameless."
The heir’s voice, tinged with frustration, intervened between the two tense men.
His words, "guaranteed by hero Nameless," referred to the list of ‘Wings of Freedom’ members that hero Nameless had provided to the duke, which did not include Lord Keon’s name.
"However—"
"If you wish, I can touch the Yamato Stone in the castle once again?"
Seeing Count Hohen’s dissatisfied expression, Keon Bobino offered a simple method to prove his innocence.
Though this would be very dishonorable for a noble.
"No need. More importantly, we must deal with that airship first."
"I agree. Your Excellency, we must destroy that ship before it even reaches the castle’s barrier."
Keon Bobino made this radical suggestion to the heir.
"Shoot down a large airship over the Duke’s Capital?"
If done in such a densely populated city, the damage would be enormous.
"Precisely. But it’s the best option. Your Excellency, have you forgotten the methods of the ‘Wings of Freedom’?"
"…Short Horns!"
The Demon King worshipper group ‘Wings of Freedom’ had previously revived the Orc Demon King ‘Golden Boar King’ beneath the Duke’s Capital, using evil cursed tools called short horns and long horns to transform people into low-rank and mid-rank demons, carrying out terrorist acts in cities within Duke Ouyugok’s territory.
Keon Bobino argued that the large airship was not just a warship but an assault ship carrying demons.
"Where is the airship now?"
"It will soon reach above the arena."
The wind magic user answered the duke’s question.
The arena lay between the district where commoners lived and the noble district.