Chapter 344

======[Himmel Border]======

If there’s a painter who wants to depict a scene from hell, visiting this place would be more than enough. The war between the fairies and the demi-humans was a spectacle that seemed to embody the end of the world.

– KWA-KWA-KWA-KWANG!

A deafening roar, as if thunder had been amplified a thousand times, shook the heavens and earth. Sixty cannons deployed at the demi-humans’ fortress fired in unison, and with each direct hit, thick smoke and shattered clumps of dirt soared into the sky.

“How do you like the taste of gunpowder, you decrepit fairies?!”

The demi-humans’ war cries echoed beyond the fortress. They had mobilized every available weapon to counter the fairies’ invasion, which had resumed after hundreds of years.

Machine guns, cannons, tanks, mines, and even automated defense dolls were brought in to compensate for the lack of troops. The demi-humans’ mechanical civilization was said to be five hundred years ahead of the continent’s average.

While they didn’t possess transcendent warriors like other races, they didn’t need them. Even a master-level knight would be reduced to a lump of meat in the face of a machine gun’s crossfire. If only their population had been sufficient, they might have become the rulers of this world.

“AAAAAH!”

Fairies who stepped on mines during their advance were torn to shreds. Severed limbs mixed with the dirt, and the entrails of the exploded fairies clung to the survivors.

“Dwarves, of all things!”

A patrol member drawing his bow had his head blown off by a sniper’s bullet. The 20mm large-caliber round had the power to pierce through the fairies’ basic projectile defense spells.

—

Endless cannon fire made it seem like the demi-humans had the upper hand. However, the expressions of the demi-human warriors pulling the triggers weren’t exactly cheerful. While their weapons had enough firepower to slaughter the fairies, the fairies’ arrows could also turn the demi-humans into lumps of meat.

In terms of versatility, the fairies’ weapons were far superior.

“Don’t retreat! They’re just shooting lumps of metal!”

A fairy patrol leader encouraged his troops and fired a spirit arrow filled with magical energy. The flame, created by crushing and combining fifteen Salamanders, swept across the fortress.

“GYAAAAAH!”

Demi-humans caught in the blaze screamed as they burned. Small figures flailed their limbs in the flames, dancing in agony.

-KWAAAAANG!

The next moment, a fierce explosion followed. Their weapons were steel cannons filled with gunpowder, so it was only natural that they would all explode upon contact with the flames.

The demi-humans, turning into roasted meat, were torn into steak-like pieces by the explosion.

—

The fairies’ primary means of attack were arrows that transformed spirits, infinitely supplied by the World Tree, into magical forms. These so-called spirit bullets had the drawback of killing the spirits after use, as their souls were forcibly twisted by magical energy.

In ancient times, fairies fought alongside spirits as comrades, but no one insisted on such inefficient methods anymore. It was far more effective to sacrifice spirits to create a whirlwind of flames than to communicate with low-level spirits to throw small fireballs.

A storm of flames raged, and lightning distorted the atmosphere. Rising earth formed barriers to block bullets, and ice blades fell like guillotines.

The raging torrent of natural phenomena. Countless low-level spirits screamed their last breaths, dying by the second.

The beings the fairies called low-level spirits. Innocent and childlike mental entities, except for the elemental power bestowed by the World Tree.

Other races didn’t know their true nature, but if they had, they would have been enraged enough to slaughter every fairy. These spirits, who obeyed the fairies’ commands and were used as expendable tools, were—

The offspring of humans, produced through kidnapping, breeding, and forced crossbreeding.

—

The battle at the Himmel border, which turned the surroundings into ruins with relentless firepower, was concluded by three guardians observing the situation. Beings who commanded high-level spirits, fundamentally different from low-level spirits.

One guardian raised a hand, and the earth flipped over, transforming into a rock giant. Another summoned flames that melted the fortress walls made of stone and metal. The demi-humans, who had only anticipated the fairies’ usual attacks, abandoned the fight against the high-level spirits and retreated to the second line of defense.

To face such beings, they had no choice but to bring out their own sealed ancient weapons.

Finally, the fairies captured the border fortress, but they couldn’t enjoy the victor’s joy. The demi-humans, a paranoid race, had installed self-destruct devices on all their weapons to prevent technological leaks. The fortress was no exception.

What awaited the fairies who entered the fortress was an explosion that turned the entire structure into rubble.

In a flash of light, everything turned to ash. A massive cloud rose above the ground.

The only survivors were the patrol members who hadn’t entered the fortress and the guardians who had immediately deployed high-level spirit barriers upon the explosion.

The first battle between the demi-humans and the fairies ended with heavy losses on both sides.

=======[Hershal]======

Even after the awards ceremony, I had to rest for three full days in Pailoon Castle. Considering the hardships I’d endured, this was an absurdly fast recovery.

Perhaps the stronger I become, the faster my recovery? I hope so.

Anyway, thanks to that, I was able to enjoy a hot spring bath to my heart’s content. Watching Damian, who was drying up day by day, and Milia, whose skin was so glossy it practically sparkled.

Most of my time was spent sitting on the bed.

Of course, I wasn’t just wasting time. While it was difficult to move my body vigorously, I could still review the battles in my head and think about improvements. If I got stuck, I could always ask Hersela.

For example, how to improve my heroic saga, “Reversal of Heaven”…

‘Can I expand the activation range of Reversal of Heaven’s sword to my entire body, not just the blade?’

If that were possible, it wouldn’t just increase the speed of my slashes, but all my movements would explosively accelerate. At that point, I could probably beat Ryurik to a pulp before he could even react.

[…How should I know? It’s your technique, so you should figure it out. Asking me won’t get you an answer. I don’t even understand the activation principle of that technique.]

…Hersela was surprisingly useless when it came to Reversal of Heaven’s sword. Well, even at the level of a hero, understanding how someone else’s heroic saga manifests is nearly impossible.

Even I have no idea how the Ghost Sword works.

Still, Hersela’s advice was quite helpful for other techniques. It was a productive time, as I was able to understand and systematically refine the principles of the techniques she used.

For example, creating chains of life force to momentarily bind an enemy’s limbs, or layering life force like a curtain to block attacks. These were highly versatile methods worth remembering.

I also concluded that the openings after using Reversal of Heaven’s sword could be covered with Hersela’s help. By extending life force thorns in all directions, I could force the enemy to choose defense or evasion instead of attacking.

Even lying in bed, I was gradually but surely becoming stronger. Or perhaps sharper is a better word.

—

Three days later.

Early in the morning, Leonor visited my room with a bundle of papers.

“Lady Hershal, there are letters for you.”

“Letters?”

I received five envelopes, each with the sender’s name written on it: Nigel, Ludwig, Leopold, Lacey, and Ophelia.

I’ll read them one by one later. Nigel and Ophelia’s letters are probably just greetings, but Ludwig, Leopold, and Lacey’s letters likely contain important information.

—

The rest of the papers Leonor brought were re-enlistment applications from former members of the Rose Cross Knight Order.

The Rose Cross Knight Order.

Although Duke Pailoon had transferred their ownership to me, I set one condition instead of taking them under my command.

A simple but crucial condition: ‘Don’t forget who your master is.’

It was a necessary step. The Rose Cross Knight Order was originally Leonor’s personal knight order. Their loyalty had always been to their commander, Leonor von Wettin.

That’s why Rain Wigris, a former member of the Rose Cross Knight Order, cared more about Leonor, my bodyguard, than me. Of course, Rain Wigris was technically a free agent, so it wasn’t exactly rude, but still.

However, with the other knights now under my command, it was necessary to clarify the hierarchy. Frankly, if both Leonor and I were in danger, they’d probably all rush to protect Leonor and leave me behind. They didn’t even know who their master was.

So, I had to make it clear. Their master, the one they owed their loyalty to, was now me, not Leonor.

If they couldn’t accept that… well, they could quit the Rose Cross Knight Order and join the Imperial Knight Order.

My decision was communicated to all the knights through Leonor, and they accepted the condition instead of quitting. They probably only accepted it verbally, but… that’s something I can work on over time.

And so, I finally gained something resembling a private army. Though they were all female knights. It’s strange how only women seem to gather around me. Karma, perhaps?