Riding a horse through a chaotic, violent mob was very difficult. As such, it was only possible because of the former-orichalcum adventurers, who stood close to the pinnacle of humanity.
Turning his back to the voices that hoped for his well-being, Raeven managed to penetrate the flow of people under the guard of the adventurers.
“That magic caster’s a monster! How can someone like him be allowed to exist in the world?!”
Raeven cursed Ainz as his horse jerked up and down in its top-speed gallop.
“Dammit! We have to do something! I need to think of some way to protect our world — our future!”
Fear was probably the reason why he was subconsciously mumbling to himself. If he didn’t say anything, if he didn’t distract his consciousness, that intelligent brain of his would probably sketch horrific nightmares of the danger approaching him.
When he returned, he would need to sit down with the Prince and the Princess and draw up some form of countermeasure against that magic caster who defied the expectations placed on his kind.
If this goes on, all of humanity will be conquered… No, that’s the best case scenario. In the worst case, all of humanity will become toys for Ainz Ooal Gown, to be tormented until the ends of their wretched lives.
The sound of his tongue clicking, filled with tension and frustration, overrode the sound of the horse’s gallop.
“Not good! My lord, please guide your horse to the right! It’s caught up with us!”
“How did it find us without eyes?!” Lockmeyer the thief shouted. “Lund! Do you have any magic for this?”
“Of course not! Do you think any spells would work against that monster, Lock?”
“Even so, how will we know if we don’t try—”
“Enough! We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it! It might just be advancing in the same direction as us! My lord! Move in front of us! We’ll form up single file!”
Their voices were wavering.
In accordance with the instructions, Raeven ran his horse to the pole position. Then, he turned his horse toward the direction where less people were fleeing.
From the distance, the bleating of a Dark Young drowned out the beating of his heart.
“MEEEEEEEEEHHHH!”
— It was close.
The sweat poured off Raeven’s head like a waterfall. He didn’t dare to turn around out of fear, but he could sense the air behind him getting warmer and warmer.
Then, another—
“MEEEEEEHHHH!!”
“Dammit! No good! It was coming this way all along!…Everyone! Prepare yourselves!”
In response, the team leader Boris cried out and cast his spell.
“ 「Reinforce Armor」!”
“「Lesser Strength」!”
“Good! Then, my lord! Let us receive the enemy’s attack! Do not look back under any
circumstances and continue riding!”
There was only one thing he could say to the adventurers, who had conquered their fear.
“…I’m counting on you!”
“Understood! Let’s go!”
“Ohhhhh!”
He could hear the distance widening between himself former adventurers behind him.
Raeven lowered his head, doing his best to minimize wind resistance. Although he didn’t know how much time they could buy, all he could do was escape as hard as he could — returning alive would be the only way to repay their loyalty.
“Fly! 「Fireball」!”
“「Invulnerable Fortress」!”
As he rode away on the back of the wildly-galloping horse, Raeven thought he could hear the sound of the former adventurers joining battle, and even through the wind whipping past his face and ears.
And then — within two seconds he could not hear the former adventurers any more.
What he did hear was the sound of an enormous hoof falling.
His heart lurched in his chest.
In his field of view from his lowered head, the gigantic shadow he saw below him made Raeven wail in soundless despair.
He recognized that under his feet — his body carried by the horse running at top speed — a thick and long tentacle was reaching out toward him.
“No…”
The horse ran like it had gone mad. It was faster than Raeven had ever ridden it. It might have been the fastest it had ever gone.
Even so, the mighty shadow still stretched out across the earth.
“I don’t want this!”
He screamed. Against his will, he screamed with all his heart.
A warm, wet sensation spread through his crotch.
Raeven forced his eyes open, and without looking back, he forced the horse forward.
He couldn’t die. The country didn’t matter. If it was going to fall, then let it fall.
If taking up arms against Ainz Ooal Gown meant death, then abandoning the country and fleeing was fine too.
An idiot.
What an idiot he had been.
Coming to this battlefield was truly foolish.
Had he known how powerful Ainz Ooal Gown was, he would have stayed in the capital no matter the cost.
He would not think of the Kingdom’s future any more.
“I don’t want this!”
He still couldn’t die.
He couldn’t die while his son was still so young. And… he couldn’t leave his beloved wife alone by dying.
“I don—”
Raeven imagined the form of his son before him.
My lovely boy.
A tiny little life had been born. It slowly grew up. It got sick. Back then, he had made a huge fuss because of that. The image of himself running around half-mad, bellowing orders, while his wife sat there in silence, embarrassed him.
Those soft and delicate hands and those rosy cheeks. When he grew up, he would be the talk of the Kingdom. He believed his son’s abilities would surpass his own. He could already see that potential emerging from time to time.
He was not spoiling him, like his wife kept saying he did.
Raeven was deeply grateful to the wife that had raised his beloved son. However, he rarely said so because it embarrassed him.
It was time for a second child.
If he hadn’t come to this battlefield, he might be able to embrace the two of them.
“…Eh?”
The sound of the hooves had suddenly stopped.
Driven more by curiosity than courage, Raeven turned around. In his eyes, he saw the Dark Young motionless, as though frozen in place.
He had no idea where he was. It was like he had been drawn into a nightmare.
The title of the Four Knights — the title belonging to the mightiest warriors of the Baharuth Empire— now seemed so shockingly superficial.