Chapter 32

With time to spare, Woojin spent his days hunting leisurely with the wolves.

He had wondered whether he would need to return to the Wall to participate in the expedition—but according to Bow, it was the opposite. If he waited here, the expeditionary force would come to them.

There were not many dangerous demonic beasts around the Pioneer City. For that reason, the Church Alliance planned to divide the expeditionary army into multiple groups, using each Pioneer City as a forward base and conducting localized operations.

There were officially eight numbered Pioneer Cities. Including the unnamed ones, the total count was even higher.

The role of the First Expeditionary Force was to destroy the Rift Cores near each city and purify the corrupted land, restoring entire regions.

'They said the forces assigned to this side would belong to the Harmonization Order.'

The faction to which Paladin Raymond belonged. Since Bow had close ties with them, things would likely proceed without major conflict.

While he was thinking—

Thud.

Something dropped near his feet. Looking down, he saw a wolf wagging its tail, having brought an inner core.

"Sean, good work."

He praised the wolf and patted its head. Soon, the others returned one by one, each carrying spoils in their mouths.

'Sean, Yan, Misha.'

Those were the names he had given them.

The wolf with dark brown fur was Sean.
The one with black-and-gray fur like a husky was Yan.
And the only female, with light gray fur, was Misha.

He had agonized over naming them for quite some time… and in the end, simply borrowed the names of athletes that happened to come to mind. Fortunately, the wolves seemed to like them.

After distributing the inner cores evenly, Woojin prepared to leave the forest.

"Let's head back and get something to eat."

He walked toward the city with the wolves.

Just as they were nearing the entrance, an unfamiliar sound echoed across the plains. Woojin turned toward the horizon.

After a short wait—

He saw glimmers in the distance. Infantry clad in silver armor were approaching. The clatter of steel and the perfectly synchronized march grew steadily louder.

At the front, a mounted knight raised a banner high. The Church Alliance's flag fluttered in the wind.

The vanguard of the expeditionary force was advancing toward the Third Pioneer City.

It was strange.

'… Isn't this early?'

As far as Woojin knew, the First Expeditionary Force was scheduled to arrive in two days. Had there been some error in the relay of messengers?

It would be best to inform Bow.

Woojin went straight to the training grounds, where Bow was seated in meditation.

"Jin, what is it?"

"The expeditionary force is approaching the city."

Bow blinked in surprise.

"… Now?"

"Yes. They'll arrive within twenty minutes."

"Then we must go out at once."

Bow rose quickly, then muttered with concern.

"… I hope the commander is someone reasonable. I have a bad feeling about this."

Woojin frowned slightly.

"Wasn't it decided in advance? It would be proper to notify us who was assigned here."

"Perhaps because this is the first step of the expedition, there's been much debate within the Order. I heard the candidates were narrowed down to three or four… but opinions were divided, and they struggled to reach a final decision."

This expedition would be recorded in history.

To command the First Expeditionary Force was an immense honor. Several high-ranking knights of the Harmonization Order had vied for the position, and choosing one had not been easy.

Who had been selected?

The two men hurried forward to find out.

Soon, the expeditionary force came fully into view.

While Woojin had gone to fetch Bow, the army had drawn much closer. One of the leading knights stepped forward.

Before long, he stood before Bow. Removing his helmet, long wavy hair spilled over his shoulders. He appeared to be in his early-to-mid forties—handsome and composed.

The man greeted Bow with a warm smile.

"Elder Bow! It's been a long time."

"Roland… good to see you. Judging by the situation, you're the commander. Quite the promotion."

"Haha! I couldn't yield this opportunity to anyone. I've honed my skills greatly—you may look forward to it."

As they spoke, Roland's gaze shifted to Woojin.

"And who is this young man?"

"I'll introduce him properly later. For now, enter the city and let your men settle in. They look weary from the long march."

"You're right. That should come first. I'll visit again later."

If they talked too long, the soldiers would be left standing idly. At Bow's reminder, Roland nodded and returned to his troops.

Watching him walk away, Bow let out a deep sigh.

"… I never expected Roland to be the commander."

"Is there a problem with him?"

"He's strong and capable… but honestly, I'd hoped it wouldn't be him. He's difficult to control. Fond of mad, reckless undertakings."

Woojin tilted his head.

Capable, yet uncontrollable. Could those two traits coexist?

"That alone doesn't tell me much."

"You'll see soon enough."

Bow replied curtly and headed toward the army, apparently intending to greet Raymond among the knights.

Still—

Despite his apprehension, Bow acknowledged Roland's competence. That meant the man was undeniably qualified to sit in the commander's seat.

'What kind of abilities does he have?'

He would find out soon enough.

***

Two days later.

Well-rested soldiers and knights marched out of the city. Woojin, Bow, and the wolves followed behind.

Roland's forces consisted of 400 infantry, 14 paladins, 30 squire-knights, and 6 priests. Of the infantry, 60 were heavily armored with thick plate and shields.

Considering the expeditionary force had been divided into eight detachments and dispatched to each Pioneer City, the total strength of the First Expedition likely numbered around 3,600 troops.

At first glance, their numbers seemed small.

But every one of them was a proven elite, and considering that the demonic beasts near the Pioneer City were relatively weak, this was more than sufficient—almost excessive.

"Doesn't look like we'll have much to do."

At Woojin's remark, Bow nodded in agreement.

"This is only the outer edge of the Demon Realm. Neither you nor I will have much cause to step in. If they struggle here, the expedition might as well be called off."

"True enough."

If they faltered at this level, attempting a deeper incursion would be meaningless. If even a handful of true monsters from the depths appeared, the army would be annihilated.

So Woojin intended to remain seated and observe, gauging the Church Alliance's strength.
If their level proved lacking, he would leave. He had no intention of burning alongside moths foolish enough not to know their place.

…Before long, their destination came into view.

A massive rocky hill. Its surface was riddled with holes of varying sizes—like an enormous termite mound.

Around it prowled creatures roughly half the size of an adult man. They looked like a cross between monkeys and rats. In their hands were crude wooden spears.

'Kobolds.'

Weak individually, but intelligent and fond of pack tactics—annoying opponents.

How would the Church Alliance handle them?

"… I suppose it's time to offer a melody to the Goddess of Harmony."

Roland murmured.

He removed the pack from his back and drew something from within.

A pure white violin.

With the instrument tucked beneath his chin, Roland walked alone toward the rocky hill. The soldiers remained in place, watching their commander advance.

'What is he planning?'

Just as Woojin wondered—

Ziiiiing—

Roland drew the bow across the strings.

The violin's cry echoed outward.

He began to play as he walked, sawing the bow across the strings with fierce intensity. The passionate melody reverberated thunderously across the rocky hill.

Naturally, the kobolds reacted.

Dozens poured out from the holes, charging to kill the intruder.

Slash!

A kobold's body split apart, blood spraying outward. Paladins had already surrounded Roland, cutting down the approaching enemies with swift precision.

Even amid the chaos, Roland closed his eyes and plucked the strings with his fingers as if strumming a guitar. His hands moved without pause—a technique known as pizzicato.

The Goddess of Harmony, Ea, loves melody.

Thus among her priests and paladins were many who manifested divine power not through prayer, but through song and performance.

Roland's armor began to radiate a pure white light.

After finishing his performance, he handed the violin to a squire and drew the sword at his waist.

"Charge."

He spoke softly, yet his voice carried a strange resonance, as though it, too, were an instrument.

The resonance reached the soldiers' ears.

"Waaaah!"

They roared and surged forward.

A peculiar exhilaration pushed them on. The kobolds, overwhelmed by the momentum, faltered in fear and began to scatter.

Bow clicked his tongue.

"It's always like this with Roland… He ignores carefully drilled formations and tactics and just charges. What's the point of all that training?"

"Still… his ability to raise morale is impressive."

Now Woojin understood why Roland had been placed in charge of the vanguard.

No matter how elite the soldiers, stepping into the Demon Realm for the first time would weigh heavily on their minds. They needed a leader who could ignite their spirits.

Of course, as Bow implied, such reckless methods would hardly work in the deeper reaches of the Demon Realm.

'… But it does look fun.'

Standing idly by felt somewhat unsatisfying.

Glancing sideways, Woojin noticed Rex and the other wolves watching him from the corner of their eyes, as if thinking the same.

Their gazes met.

Woojin set down his pack.

He reached inside and pulled out Skull Crusher.

"I'll go have some fun."

"… Indeed. Jin, you're not exactly normal either."

Leaving Bow chuckling in disbelief behind him, Woojin dashed forward—wolves at his side.