I Got a Fake Job at the Academy
Chapter 459: The Battle of the Seven Roots (3)

"Listen, fellow countrymen!"

Darish Floheim shouted in a thunderous voice in front of the army gathered to attack the east gate.

"The House of Lifrey has betrayed the kingdom. They dared to conspire with a survivor of the treasonous House of Plante, attempting to claim the World Tree we serve as their own!"

At those words, hot emotions welled up in the eyes of the soldiers standing in formation, it was anger.

They had heard about the House of Plante until their ears were numb.

Those who dared to receive the World Tree's blessing closer than anyone else yet harbored even greater greed.

They were eventually expelled and disappeared, and the House of Lifrey took their empty place but now, after many years had passed, Lifrey was trying to repeat the same mistake.

"Listen. We are not starting a rebellion now! This is judgment! This is justice's iron hammer! We are punishing those who dare to use the World Tree as they please!"

-Waaaaaah!

Highly motivated cheers echoed throughout the forest.

Darish looked at the scene with satisfaction and pointed to Serendel's outer wall.

The highest barrier they had to attack and overcome.

"All troops. Advance!"

The shield-bearing elves at the front walked steadily forward.

The defensive forces on top of the wall watched the scene with stern faces.

"Don't worry, everyone. This outer wall of Serendel has never allowed anyone's invasion."

The commander of the east gate lightly reassured his frightened subordinates.

Indeed, Serendel's walls were sturdy enough to prevent any intrusion.

The outer wall was built considering the need to block not only external enemies but also fellow 'elves.'

Elves with their light and quick footwork could easily jump over any wall.

The Forest Walk performed by excellent warriors made them free from gravity.

Thanks to this, elves left no footprints even when running on snow, and could run up even natural fortress walls with just their two legs.

As long as there was even a slight foothold, elves could climb anywhere like mountain goats living on cliffs.

Built to counter this, Serendel's outer wall boasted a smooth surface with no footholds.

Even with Forest Walk, it was absolutely impossible to climb.

"Fire the ballista!"

However, the attackers weren't unaware of this.

Darish fired the ballistas they had prepared in advance.

The giant wooden siege vehicles fired huge harpoons in succession.

-Phu-phu-phuk.

The flying harpoons stuck into the outer wall, creating a porcupine-like pattern.

They didn't expect this to destroy the wall or take down the defensive forces on top of it but it was enough to create footholds to climb up the wall.

The elven warriors quickly jumped up the wall using the stuck ballista bolts as footholds.

The defensive forces tried to block them using spirits and natural powers from when the ballistas were fired, but they couldn't overcome the numerical disadvantage.

Far more ballistas were stuck in the wall than those they managed to block or deflect.

Moreover, even the druid spells they used for containment were countered equally by the enemy druids, preventing them from having much effect.

The soldiers who instantly climbed up the wall entered into all-out combat with the wall's defenders.

* * *

"They've started over there too."

Although the distance between the west and east gates was very far, the commotion of a large army moving could be clearly felt even from afar.

Since the Three Noble Houses moved to attack the east gate, they needed to strike the west gate to throw off the enemy.

"Head of the House, what shall we do? We'll move immediately at your command."

The retainers who had long stayed by her side spoke in unison.

They were prepared to jump into a fire pit without hesitation if Ambella ordered it.

Ambella shook her head after finishing the cigar she had in her mouth.

"No need. We don't need to send soldiers."

"Pardon? Then are we going to wait and watch for now?"

"Of course not. Do you think I came here just to hold a picket sign and protest? Of course we need to fight. That's why I came."

"Then..."

"I'll go alone."

The retainers' expressions hardened at Ambella's words.

However, no one tried to stop Ambella, saying it was reckless.

Rather, they stepped back one by one as if understanding.

Vierano, who stood with them, couldn't understand the scene.

"Head of House Ambella. What are you trying to do? Surely you're not thinking of jumping over that wall alone and opening the gate from inside?"

"Head of House Vierano. Such a thing would be impossible."

"Then..."

"I'm simply going to charge in head-on, break down the gate, and open it."

"..."

"Why bother climbing over the wall and opening the gate from inside."

Ambella said this while extending her hand toward her retainer.

As if prepared in advance, one of the retainers struggled to bring a huge box they had readied.

It looked like a coffin that would hold someone's corpse.

Vierano's surprise peaked when he saw what was contained inside.

"A, greatsword?"

The weapon Ambella brought was a massive greatsword too heavy to hold even with both hands.

The blade width alone exceeded 50cm, and the length far surpassed 2m.

It was a weapon shaped like an enlarged version of what's commonly called a claymore.

Ambella lifted it easily with one hand and swung it around.

The movement was so light it was impossible to think she was wielding a heavy weapon.

Though it might have seemed just large in appearance but actually light, the sound of the blade cutting through the air was terrifyingly fierce.

It was probably far heavier than it appeared to the eye, definitely not light at all.

"Hmm. This will do."

After muttering that, Ambella left the battle line alone and walked toward the west gate.

No one could stop her, nor did they try to.

While the soldiers of House Dentis were bewildered, the soldiers of House Burke remained calm.

Finally, Vierano Dentis personally followed Ambella and stood by her side.

"What are you planning to do?"

"Didn't I tell you? I'm going to break down the gate and go in like this."

"Alone? Serendel's outer gate isn't something that can be broken just because you want to break it. It's made by weaving the oldest trees and roots, treated with chemicals, and reinforced with spirits and magic on top. Even the tanks and steam golems used by humans can't break through that."

"I'm not a tank or steam golem."

Ambella glared at the gate while opening her remaining eye fiercely.

"I am Ambella Burke. I'm much stronger than those things."

"That's..."

"And for someone who came to stop me, you're not being very assertive. Despite what you're saying, are you planning to help me?"

"...No matter what, I can't send a fellow warrior to fight alone."

Ambella burst out laughing "Puhah" at Vierano's awkward response.

"Fellow warrior. I haven't heard those words in a long time."

"Although we may not have fought on the same battlefield, didn't we fight for the same purpose of protecting the forest?"

"Yes. I know that from what I've heard. Dentis fought to protect the forest. So sometimes I think about it. They say the head of Dentis at that time was quite frightening when he entered battle."

"Ah, that... it was just a time when I was full of vigor... I'd rather forget about it."

"You're quite good at jokes too. Even 100 years ago, weren't you already a seasoned head of house? Besides, from what I can see, you still seem to be overflowing with that vigor."

Though Vierano would firmly deny it, Ambella could tell.

Even now as they steadily approached the gate, far from being tense, Vierano's spirit was actually growing stronger with excitement.

"Even so, breaking down the gate with just the two of us is a bit..."

"Hmm. Then let me put it this way."

"What is it?"

"If we don't break that down, our retainers and subordinates, and the children of the future who must protect the forest, will die or get hurt. Is that acceptable?"

At those words, Vierano's expression hardened.

"...I suppose we have no choice."

"Looks like I gave you too perfect a justification."

By now, they had reached within the defensive range of the wall guards.

The commander guarding the west gate shouted.

"Stop! If you approach any further, we'll consider it treason and respond accordingly."

Ambella clicked her tongue "tsk" at the commander's warning to retreat.

"Look at these folks. How long have they not fought to become this undisciplined? Do they think we came for a walk with our army? They should have shot immediately without warnings and such."

Of course, even if they had done so, they wouldn't have been able to stop the two.

Ambella stopped at an appropriate distance.

She gauged the distance between herself and the gate with her one eye.

"Head of House Ambella?"

"Watch. I didn't come out alone just to show off."

Ambella adjusted her grip on the massive greatsword and took a stance to swing.

Simultaneously the muscles in her arms writhed as the surrounding air began to gather around Ambella.

-Kwak.

She gripped the sword handle even more firmly.

The ground where Ambella stood trembled, then sank as if pressed down by something.

"Sh-shoot!"

Feeling something wasn't right, the commander shouted, and a rain of arrows darkened the sky.

Ambella didn't try to retreat or defend at that sight because by her side was a fellow warrior she could trust and rely on.

A gust of wind swept through, scattering and deflecting all the countless arrows.

Though the arrows carried the power of wind, they were helpless before an even stronger wind.

Ambella smiled in thanks instead of using words and twisted her waist deeply.

The massive power drawn up from below the ground climbed up her legs and passed through her waist.

As it rose, that power grew stronger like a surging wave, and finally, as it climbed up her twisting shoulder and arm to reach the sword tip.

It became a strike that would cleave the world.

-Jjeoeok.

Without sound or roar, the sound of something splitting echoed across the battlefield.

The sound was so clear that everyone present had to hear it.

It was as if the world had snapped with a 'ttuk' sound.

The gate's defenders and the neutral faction's soldiers lined up for battle all united in heart and mind to look at the west gate.

There was a diagonal trace carved across the center of the gate.

Following that trace, the gate slid smoothly, maintaining its sharp cross-section as it was cut away.

"Wh-what?"

The commander guarding the west gate couldn't properly speak at that sight.

He couldn't distinguish whether what was unfolding before his eyes was reality.

The sturdy outer gate of Serendel had been cut down by just one person.

It wasn't even a surprise attack from behind to turn the gate's pulley.

She walked up from the front, held a sword, and swung it just once.

That was all.

Yet the gate was cut away, and deep furrows remained in the earth where the sword had been swung.

Is this possible? Is that Burke head of house who made this possible really an elf like us?

Vierano was equally surprised by that sight.

It was swordsmanship that was amazingly strong yet focused into a single point.

"Phew. It really worked. But I must be getting old. Looking at how my body's already straining after doing just this much."

Ambella, who had created that unbelievable sight, groaned while rotating and loosening her shoulder.

"What kind of swordsmanship was that?"

"How about it, interesting right? There were quite a few folks who handled swords like that outside the forest. This is why they say the world is vast."

"Who on earth..."

"He was a young swordsman wandering the world at the time. A very strong man. He was born with enormous power, so he couldn't properly control it."

"So there was such a human."

"Yes. I taught him how to handle power. In return, I learned the technique of compressing and releasing power that I just demonstrated. Makes me nostalgic."

"If he was that skilled, he must have been quite a famous knight, do you know who he was?"

"Hmm? I didn't particularly ask his name. Well, I'm sure he's living well somewhere. More importantly, that's not what matters right now."

Ambella pointed to the breached gate.

"The path is open, shouldn't we go in?"

"Indeed."

Vierano summoned a spirit to signal the main force.

Those who had been distracted by Ambella's feat soon charged toward the outer wall with thunderous cheers.

The soldiers guarding the west gate could only watch with pale faces as the enemies poured in.

'Well. I've drawn their attention for now. What are you planning to do next?'

Ambella glanced briefly at Rudger's figure mixed among the soldiers.

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