Chapter 27: Into the Fortress

It was too simplistic.

Rui had miscalculated the degree to which the demons and the Twilight Fortress amplified the monsters’ strength.

‘I should have considered the distance from the fortress,’ she realized.

Empowered creatures grew weaker the further they strayed from their source of power.

But the Twilight Fortress was practically on Alphares’s doorstep, so the amplification remained at full strength.

‘More importantly, the demon behind this must be quite powerful,’ Rui deduced.

It couldn’t be a different demon from the original story.

The Twilight Fortress was unique to a specific demon’s magic.

Perhaps it was simply a discrepancy between the novel’s description and the reality of the situation.

“Ha…” Rui sighed, her breath ragged from the strain of creating the spell on such short notice.

She felt dizzy, having poured her mana and focus into both supporting her party and developing the multiscale enchanting spell simultaneously.

“Ugh…” she swayed.

“Rui!” Raphilia caught her just as she was about to collapse.

“What did you just do?!” Raphilia asked, concerned.

“I, uh… applied some magic to everyone’s equipment,” Rui explained weakly.

“What…? But everyone has different builds and equipment… Don’t tell me…?” Raphilia trailed off, her eyes widening in realization.

That was precisely why it had taken Rui two hours. A simple mass enchantment wouldn’t have required a new spell. But tailoring the enchantments to each individual’s stats and equipment demanded extensive data collection, calculations, and application.

“That’s insane… insane…” Raphilia muttered in disbelief.

“Rui!”

Aswell, Serin, and Aria rushed over.

“Did you do that?” Aswell asked, gesturing towards the battlefield.

Rui nodded weakly, still leaning on Raphilia for support.

The three stared at her in astonishment.

“Aswell, thanks to Rui, our burden has been significantly lessened,” Serin said.

“That’s true. I was starting to worry about running out of arrows,” Raphilia added.

“Thank you, Miss Rui,” Aria said gratefully.

“You’re welcome,” Rui replied.

The three heroines expressed their gratitude and defended her actions.

“Thank you, Rui. You’ve made everyone so much stronger,” Aswell said sincerely.

Rui glanced at the battlefield. The soldiers who had been struggling moments before were now cutting down monsters with ease.

“Aswell, with this advantage, we should reorganize the ranks,” Serin suggested.

Aswell agreed. The two quickly conferred with the commanders of the three fighting forces.

“The Church’s reinforcements should be here soon. I’ll go update them on the situation,” Aria said, departing.

Rui and Raphilia were alone again.

“Rui,” Raphilia began.

“Yes?” Rui replied.

“It’s great that you’re using your magic to help, but please let us know beforehand next time,” Raphilia said, gently brushing some dust off Rui’s hair. Her eyes were filled with concern.

Rui couldn’t bring herself to retort with a sarcastic ‘No way.’

“I’ll definitely tell you next tiiiime,” Rui promised, drawing out the word.

“Promise? I honestly thought you were going to collapse. I was so worried,” Raphilia said.

“I get it, so please let go,” Rui mumbled, finally escaping Raphilia’s hold.

She put away her Master Key and pulled out her pen. She needed to take it easy for a couple of hours and stick to using her pen for now.

“Raphilia, over there,” Rui said, pointing and handing her a golden inscription.

“Got it,” Raphilia nodded, understanding the unspoken instructions.

The battle raged on until nightfall, when a sudden change occurred.

“The monsters have stopped coming!” a guard shouted.

“Everyone’s taking a break,” Aswell reported.

“They must be exhausted, especially those who came directly from the other gates. They need all the rest they can get…” Aria said sympathetically.

The hero’s party was resting in the central tent provided by the guards.

“Lady Serin, use this. Don’t ruin your hands,” Rui offered, handing Serin a cloth she had made earlier.

“Oh? Thanks,” Serin accepted, using the cloth to wipe the monster blood from her sword.

The cloth had only one simple spell woven into it, but it was perfect for cleaning blades.

‘It’s microfiber,’ Rui thought.

Aswell’s holy sword didn’t get stained with blood, so he didn’t need one.

“…,” Aswell stared at Serin cleaning her sword, then looked at Rui.

“…? Aswell, is something wrong?” Rui tilted her head, puzzled.

“Nothing,” Aswell said quickly, turning away.

“Okay,” Rui replied, still confused by his behavior.

Thankfully, someone entered the tent, breaking the awkward silence.

“Count Alphares,” Aswell greeted him.

“Please, remain seated. You’ve all been working hard,” the Count said, gesturing for them to stay seated.

He brought maids and butlers to attend to them.

“Miss Rui,” a maid addressed her.

“Ah, Miss Maid,” Rui replied.

“There’s no need for formalities. My, your shoulder muscles are quite tense. Let me loosen them up for you,” the maid offered.

“Oh, that’s not necessary…” Rui started.

But she couldn’t refuse the maid’s expert massage. Her shoulders relaxed under the skilled hands.

“Thanks to the hero’s party, the damage was minimal. I truly… as the leader of this city, I thank you,” Count Alphares expressed his gratitude.

“We couldn’t have done it without the help of Alphares’s guards, adventurers, and mercenaries,” Aswell replied humbly.

“I’ll be rewarding them separately. I came here to personally thank you,” the Count clarified.

‘Oh,’ Rui thought, surprised.

The Count looked like he would be more likely to embezzle funds, but his words were surprisingly kind and sincere. He was well-regarded by the citizens in the original story, so perhaps he was genuinely a good person.

Suddenly, Aswell stood up and approached Rui.

“We all worked hard, but… Rui contributed the most,” he declared.

“Eh?” Rui blinked in surprise.

“I heard from the guards that some sort of black substance was launched from the fortress towards the walls. But thanks to Rui reinforcing the walls beforehand, there was no damage,” Aswell explained.

‘Huh? There’s no need to mention that…’ Rui thought, embarrassed.

But the Count’s eyes had already widened in surprise.

“Is that true?” he asked.

He clearly hadn’t believed Rui’s contribution initially.

“Yes! And she also enhanced everyone’s weapons and armor…!” Raphilia added enthusiastically.

“No, there’s no need to exaggerate…” Rui mumbled, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.

Something was off. Aswell and Raphilia were practically competing to sing her praises to the Count and his entourage. Serin and Aria, who should have been tempering their enthusiasm, were simply nodding in agreement.

“My, Miss Rui, your lips are twitching,” the maid observed.

“Be quiet,” Rui hissed under her breath.

Finally, the excruciating praise session ended. Rui felt drained, like she had weathered a storm. The maid’s vigorous shoulder massage hadn’t helped.

“I see. I’ll personally reward Miss Rui for her contributions,” the Count declared.

There was no need, but Rui reluctantly agreed when he mentioned providing her with high-quality materials.

“I’ll take my leave now. It’s best to leave battle-related matters to the hero,” the Count said, smoothing his mustache and exiting the tent with a courteous bow.

He had come solely to express his gratitude for their defense of the city, not to interfere with their plans.

Once the Count and his entourage left, they began to discuss their strategy for the Twilight Fortress.

“Everyone, I have a suggestion,” Aswell announced.

All eyes turned to him.

“I think… now that the monsters have stopped emerging, this is the perfect opportunity to enter the fortress,” Aswell proposed.

His plan was to infiltrate the Twilight Fortress.

“I agree with Aswell. The monsters won’t stay away forever. We should finish this before they resume their attack,” Serin said.

“As long as there aren’t any traps… it seems like a good idea,” Raphilia agreed.

“If Aswell and everyone else agrees, I’ll follow your lead,” Aria said.

The three heroines supported Aswell’s plan.

A scene from the original novel flashed through Rui’s mind.

[Exhausted from the previous battle, the hero’s party nevertheless formulated a plan: to enter the fortress and end this once and for all.]

[They couldn’t allow any more casualties. This was the driving force behind the hero’s party’s relentless efforts.]

In the original story, they entered the fortress despite being exhausted and unprepared, due to the relentless monster attacks and the demon’s interference.

As a result, they were ambushed by numerous demons inside the fortress.

Separated and disoriented, they were wounded but survived.

They eventually reunited and defeated the demon lord, but at a heavy cost. Many soldiers and civilians died during the demon lord’s final, desperate attack.

It was a chapter of loss with little gain.

This time, however, things were different.

There were no casualties, and the hero’s party was relatively rested. They weren’t being forced into the fortress; they were entering prepared and with a plan.

“Rui, what do you think?” Aswell asked.

All eyes turned to her.

Yes, she was also a member of the hero’s party.

They were asking for her opinion.

Rui stood up slowly and spoke.

“I agree.”

Could they achieve a future where no one got hurt?

It was possible.

“So, we all agree,” Aswell said, looking at each of them with a determined expression.

“Let’s prepare.”

One hour remained before they entered the Twilight Fortress.

People emerged from the numerous tents.

Guards, adventurers, mercenaries.

And not just them.

Priests, cooks, porters, even ordinary citizens.

All of them were looking at the hero’s party.

“Come back safely!”

“Good luck!”

“Go, Aswell!”

Cheers and well-wishes filled the air. Aswell closed his eyes, absorbing their support.

The other heroines looked tense but not afraid.

“Ready?” Aswell asked.

“All set. We can go in now,” Rui confirmed.

The Twilight Fortress had a single, imposing gate.

And now, it stood wide open, as if inviting them in.

“Aswell. Everyone,” Rui called out before they proceeded.

“What is it, Rui?” Aswell asked.

“Take these,” Rui said, offering them bracelets inlaid with mana stones.

She had meticulously crafted them using the skills she learned from Diyursil. Each mana stone was imbued with a tracking spell.

“These bracelets track your location and condition. Serin, Aria, and Raphilia, yours also display Aswell’s location,” Rui explained.

“I see…” Serin murmured, examining the bracelet.

Rui had also inscribed a separate tracking spell for Aswell on her Master Key.

“What about me?” Aswell asked.

“Yours displays the locations of the three of them,” Rui replied.

This bracelet had been the most complex to create, requiring multiple overlapping spells.

“And you?” Aswell asked, noticing Rui wasn’t wearing one.

“Me? I don’t have one,” Rui answered.

“Why?” Aswell pressed.

“Well, if you must know…” Rui began.

Because she could find her own way. But before she could finish, Aswell interrupted.

“I’d feel better if I could track your location too,” he said.

“Alright, alright,” Rui relented, taking Aswell’s hand and imbuing his bracelet with her mana.

“Anyway, with these, we’ll be able to regroup quickly no matter what happens inside,” Rui explained.

She had also included several other protective spells. These bracelets would prevent them from being rendered helpless upon entering the fortress.

“Phew… this makes me feel much better. Thanks, Rui,” Serin said, relieved.

“You’re welcome,” Rui replied.

With the bracelets distributed, it was finally time.

“…Let’s go,” Aswell said.

Amidst the cheers and well-wishes, the hero’s party approached the gate and stepped inside.

Rumble…

A deafening roar shook the ground, and darkness engulfed them.

When Rui regained her senses, she was alone in a dark corridor.

“It begins,” she murmured.

She had finally entered the Twilight Fortress.