CHAPTER 39: LET THE BATTLE BEGIN

[North of Schoeller Property]

"To Charlemagne!"

Around the campfire, the adventurers gathered with drinks in hand, cheering the name of the goblin-slaying Paladin. Of course, while the boisterous warriors celebrated, the man himself only partook in a crisp sip of water.

Leon sat among the group, sandwiched between possibly the hairiest person he’d ever seen, who was one step from being a gorilla, and on the left, a demi-human mole, who carried a stave.

"Am I in your way?" The mole demi-human asked with a surprisingly deep voice considering his small frame.

["Ganu"] [CLASS: Mole Mage] [Level: 13]

"Ah, no, you’re fine," Leon assured.

’How exactly did I get in this situation? On one hand, this dude’s arm hairs feel like a porcupine, on the other hand, this mole-dude smells like he hasn’t bathed in weeks...I guess bathing isn’t part of adventuring, is it?’ He questioned, grimacing as the fuzzy fellow to his right raised his mug in joy, causing his hairy arm to brush against his cheek.

"Cheers to the young lord! Without Lord Schoeller, we’d be fighting in the dark out there!" The hairy man shouted, holding his mug high.

["Boar"] [CLASS: Warrior] [Level: 15]

"Aye!"

"Aye!"

"To Lord Schoeller!"

The sudden toast to him was unexpected, though he wore a smile and raised his cup, as he should. As nice as it was to share in the joy of the adventurers who had seen much of the world, he couldn’t help but feel they were being distracted from their watch.

As he looked ahead at the Paladin across the campfire, he was given a wink as if the man could read his worry.

"Yeah...To Lord Schoeller! I love you, man...!" Phoenix claimed, sniffling with teary eyes and a runny nose.

Leon found himself on the receiving end of a hug from the red-haired man, who definitely stunk of booze.

"You’re already drunk?!" He called out, grabbing his friend’s shoulders, moving him away.

The lack of natural resistance to booze by Phoenix reeled hearty laughter from the others, though the lightweight didn’t seem to care.

"It’s just...I really appreciate what you’ve done for me, ya get it?!" Phoenix said, talking with potent breath.

"Get it together, would you?" Leon said, trying his best to help the tipsy man to settle down.

A part of him was tempted to sober his companion up with a fist to the nose, though he brushed that notion aside with a sigh. While a pair of men decided to begin arm wrestling, and the others wagering on it, he decided to take a step away.

If only to clear his head, he watched the quiet walls, waiting for the inevitable invasion to continue. As he stood there, listening to the adventurers roar as one finally lost, he was welcomed by the presence of the Paladin.

Charlemagne walked up behind him as a short-lived breeze passed, "Trust me, this is the best way they know how to stay ready."

"By drinking themselves into a frenzy?" Leon responded.

"Alcohol calms the nerves, or so I hear," Charlemagne shrugged with a smirk.

"Yeah? I don’t think a Paladin

would know that."

"Well, I didn’t always have this blessing. That aside...Just ease up a bit, yeah? I’ve been on the frontlines of multiple eclipses myself," Charlemagne recalled. "If you stay tense, it’ll wear you down."

"I think there’s a middle ground..." Leon said, looking towards the rowdy camp.

"Trust me," Charlemagne assured him. "The greatest danger of the Eclipse is letting it break your spirit. If people are able to laugh and smile, that’s a good sign."

"I guess you’re right."

"Besides, I’m here, so honestly you should be pretty at ease," Charlemagne confidently claimed with a lack of humbleness, brushing his hair aside.

"Right," he ignored the remark.

As he accepted the Paladin’s advice, he looked towards the campfire, finding Phoenix now in the midst of an arm wrestling contest with a man twice his size. Of course, the drunken redhead was doing his best to win as the onlookers cheered.

Around the tents in the near distance, the people talked among each other with not much panic on display from what he could see.

He headed towards the campfire, ready to try his best to ease up before–

A howl through the wind snatched away any thought of sitting down as he turned. The rowdiness of those around the camp was silenced as everyone looked towards that ominous sound. A hole was blown right through the northern wall, sending stone chunks flying with dangerous momentum.

Leon stepped to the side as a slab passed by, keeping his eyes forward on what emerged past the barrier–

A horde of nefarious invaders erupted into the isolated land, from goblins, orcs, and even to the dead that walked. The sheer number made his blood run cold for a moment as he breathlessly drew his sword, attempting to count the force of the inhuman army–dozens, perhaps a hundred, maybe more–he couldn’t track them all.

["Amber Goblin"] [Level: 13]

["Deathbringer Orc"] [Level: 24]

["Undead Knight"] [Level: 18]

["Forsaken Ogre"] [Level: 20]

The adventurers around the campfire rose, erupting into roars of battle-cries, raising their weapons as if the booze in their systems had no hindrance on their will to fight.

Boar hoisted his great-axe into the air, "I’m slaying a hundred monsters tonight!" The hairy warrior claimed.

A woman with a face covered in scars, dual-wielding maces larger than her head laughed in response to her comrade’s proclamation, "It’s two-hundred for me, then!"

["Nela"] [CLASS: Breaker] [Level: 18]

"Three-hundred-and-one here!" A man completely covered in dented, silver armor with a beast’s pelt around his neck added.

["Killer"] [CLASS: Broken Knight] [Level: 21]

In front of the scarily enthusiastic adventurers, Leon stayed on the frontlines, facing down the incoming wave of goblins that led the monstrous invasion. With a wave of his hand, gateways opened in the air around him, conjuring an assembly of silver-plated cannons.

["Possession Manifestation"]

"Fire!" He commanded, clenching his fist.

All at once, the magic-fueled weapons released, breaking the wind with each shot. The opening assault rained explosions of cerulean mana upon the frontline of monsters, blowing away the charging goblins.

[EXP: +15000]

[Level Up!] [28] [5000/65000]

[Physical Attributes: +5]

[Magical Attributes: +5]

[New Skill(s) Obtained: Lesser Servant: Light Knight]

It was a bit surprising just how effective the cannons were, but he used the opportunity to ignite the spirit of those behind him, shouting out, "Alright! Don’t let a single one through!"