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  2. Althea: The Legendary Saintess [Shoujo]

  3. Chapter 145: – Althea & Oliver’s Perspective –
Althea: The Legendary Saintess [Shoujo]

Chapter 145: – Althea & Oliver’s Perspective –

Time before Althea lose her consciousness...

After sensing the activation of the Complete Defensive Magic Stone, Althea swiftly entered the tent, attempting to establish contact with whoever had triggered it. She focused her energy, following the magical thread connecting her to the stone.

"…Can… you… hear me? Is anyone… hearing this?"
"??"
"Can you hear me? Is anyone there?"
"I… can hear you, but… who is this?"
"... That voice... it's unmistakably Lord Oliver, isn't it?"
"Ah! Althea?! But how…?"
"This is my magic stone, after all. I'm tracing the magical energy I infused into it to communicate. I can't maintain this for long, so I’ll be brief. Where are you right now?"
"We’ve just left the port of Litonia. We were moving slowly to avoid detection by the monsters. Judging by the time, I reckon we're about halfway to the harbour."
"Right. If you used wind magic to speed up, you’d reach the principality in about three hours, correct?"
"Well, yes, probably. But using wind magic would increase the chance of being detected by the monsters. Moreover, whoever casts the wind magic won't be able to fight. We're already stretched thin as it is, and if more monsters come after us…"
"If you continue like this, it’ll all be over once the defensive magic wears off. You need to act before that happens. You’ve heard the saying, ‘the best defense is a good offense,’ haven’t you?"
"That may be true, but we can’t afford to go all-out on the attack. Right now, the wind mages are gathering magic to cast a cloaking spell before the defense fades."
"That won't do! I have a plan, Lord Oliver. I’ll dispel the current defense magic from the stone, then, using its residual power, I’ll recast the Complete Defensive Magic from here. That way, you’ll be free to focus on the attack, without worrying about the time limit. Place the stone in the centre of the ship, somewhere no one can interfere with it. Then instruct the wind mages to cast their highest-speed magic on the ship so you can reach the principality as quickly as possible. Everyone else should focus entirely on attacking the monsters."
"Recasting the Complete Defensive Magic from afar? Is… is that even possible?"
"It’s not about whether it’s possible. It will be done."
"!!"
Oliver was left speechless, overwhelmed by Althea’s resolve.

"Don’t worry. Even with the defense magic up, attacks from the inside will pass through. Lord Oliver, I’ll signal you, and five minutes after that, I’ll dispel the defense. Make sure you’ve carried out all the instructions by then. Also, be aware, there will be a brief moment when there’s no defense, after the old one is dispelled but before the new one is cast. Hold out during that gap."
"Understood."
"May fortune favor you. Now, let’s begin."

At Althea’s signal, Oliver sprang into action. He dashed down to the ship’s lower deck, where the engine room was located, placing the magic stone in a spot where no one would disturb it. Then he hurried back to the deck, gathering the mages. He quickly separated those capable of wind magic from the others and issued orders. A few raised questions, but there was no time to answer them — they had only five minutes.
"I know some of you find this strange, but trust me. Once we’re through this, I’ll explain everything. For now, just follow my instructions."
His words were met with resolute nods from the mages, who quickly took their positions.

As the wind mages began chanting their high-speed spells near the engine room, five minutes passed, and the Complete Defensive Magic around the ship dissolved.
In an instant, flying beasts soared down from the skies, heading directly for the ship. At the same time, sea monsters, sensing the wind magic, began converging on their location.

'Can we really hold out? No, I can’t be the only one with doubts. The mages who haven’t even been told why they’re doing this must be more anxious than I am. But Althea said it herself, "It’s not about whether it's possible, it will be done." In that case…!'

Summoning all his strength, Oliver cast a massive fire spell towards the sky, incinerating the first wave of airborne beasts.
"We did it! Even though he’s young, the commander is truly remarkable!"
But before they could celebrate, Oliver shouted,
"It’s not over! More are coming!"
The second wave of flying beasts was already swooping down on the ship. One of the creatures' claws came hurtling towards a young mage stationed at the bow.

'Damn it! We won’t make it in time!'

Just then, a wave of protective magic burst from the ship’s centre, repelling the beast’s claws. The force sent the creature flying several metres into the air, leaving it momentarily stunned, as if unable to comprehend what had just happened.

The young mage, believing his end had come, closed his eyes tightly. But when the pain he feared never arrived, he cautiously peeked through his lids. Before him stood a menacing flying beast, unable to breach the barrier, attacking in frustration from a safe distance.

"W-What in the world...?" he murmured, bewildered.

Oliver, his commanding officer, swiftly reprimanded him.

"Stop standing there like a dazed fool! The battle isn’t over yet. Stay sharp!"

"Y-Yes, sir!" the young mage replied, quickly scanning his surroundings. He saw the other mages' spells hitting the flying beasts in the sky. With a deep breath, he began chanting his own attack incantations.

The flying beasts in the air, assaulted by magic from below, slowly began to dwindle in number. One after another, they fell from the sky, crashing into the sea below. However, the waters weren’t safe either. The fallen creatures were immediately swarmed by ocean monsters, and soon the sea turned crimson, stained with their blood. It seemed the oceanic creatures were feasting on the defeated aerial beasts.

The sight made the mages' stomachs churn. Though they'd studied the habits of monsters in books, witnessing such carnage firsthand was a different matter entirely. Several mages couldn't hold it in and vomited where they stood.

"Focus on the skies! Don't look at anything else!" Oliver barked, snapping them back to their tasks.

With trembling nods, the mages returned their attention to the flying beasts, launching spell after spell. Yet, despite their efforts, the onslaught seemed endless. For every creature felled, more seemed to take its place.

The battle raged on for nearly an hour when, suddenly, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air. As if on cue, the remaining beasts turned tail and soared high into the sky, retreating.

"Did... did we make it?" one mage dared to whisper, his voice filled with disbelief.

A wave of relieved cheers erupted from the others, but Oliver wasn’t so quick to celebrate.

"Not yet!" he bellowed, cutting through their moment of victory. "The ocean monsters are still out there! They're too busy feasting now, but once they're done, they’ll set their sights on us. We need to put as much distance between us and them as possible. Those of you still able to fight, form up at the rear. The injured, get yourselves treated."

"Yes, sir!" the mages responded in unison, quickly following his orders.

The ship, already moving at breakneck speed, surged forward even faster, propelled by powerful wind magic. At this pace, it was nearly impossible for an ordinary sea monster to catch up. But the very thought that something might be able to keep up was terrifying. If there was indeed such a creature out there, it would be far more powerful than anything they'd encountered so far.

Tension filled the air as the ship cut through the waves, racing towards the safety of the principality.

Two hours until landfall.

We must make it without being caught.

That was everyone’s hope, but just as the coastline began to appear on the horizon, a great splash rose from the waters behind them. The splash grew closer and closer. A monstrous sea creature was gaining on them. Had it evolved by feeding on the flying beasts?

"Prepare for battle!" Oliver called out. "Sir Arnes, do we have any skilled archers or spearmen?"

Arnes, captain of a small squad within the Fourth Knight Squad, grinned. "Of course. They’re already in position at the rear, waiting for your command."

"Good. If the arrows hit their mark, we’ll see it thrash in the water. That’s when we’ll strike with magic."

"We could probably take it down with arrows alone," Arnes boasted. "And if it gets any closer, my spearmen will finish the job."

"But these creatures have been feeding on their fallen kin. We can’t risk them growing even stronger. We must be certain they’re reduced to nothing but ocean foam."

"I see your point. Understood. The final blow is yours," Arnes conceded with a respectful nod.

"Then give the order to fire," Oliver commanded.

"Archers, ready yourselves! Loose!" Arnes's voice rang out.

A volley of arrows flew through the air, several striking the pursuing creature. It let out a terrible screech as its half-submerged body surfaced. The upper half of the monster resembled a grotesque hybrid—a fish’s head with the body of a man.

Was it a merfolk? Or some horrifying fish-man hybrid? Whatever it was, its gaping maw was lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth, leaving no doubt it was a predator of the highest order.

From behind the archers, a barrage of fire and lightning magic shot forward, striking the creature squarely. It thrashed violently in its death throes before being consumed by the flames, sinking into the sea as ash and foam.

After that, a few smaller creatures attempted to approach, drawn by the wind magic, but they were easily dispatched. The ship sailed safely into the principality's harbour.

As they docked, Althea, the one responsible for the protective barrier that had saved them all, finally released her spell.

"Thank goodness…" she whispered before collapsing from sheer exhaustion. Laila caught her before she hit the ground.

"Are you all right, Lady Althea?"

"Mm… Sorry, I’ve used up all my strength. I can’t move anymore. Laila, please… let my brother know… Oliver… has made it… safely to the principality…"

With those words, Althea slipped into unconsciousness, her body completely spent from the effort.

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