Chapter 228

After returning to the lodging, I took a nap and then met Ludwig.

He hadn’t slept a wink while handling the aftermath of the battle, and his eyes were bloodshot.

“You’ve worked hard. Your dedication has proven itself, so by the time we reach the capital, no one will question your origins anymore. Once I finish tidying up, I’ll lead the troops to join His Highness the Crown Prince’s army… But if you wish to depart first, go ahead.”

“The barrier will be left empty—is that okay?”

If Or-han were to invade during that time, it would all be over.

“To stop Or-han, we must end the empire’s civil war as quickly as possible. Randenburg’s forces alone won’t be enough. We still have some time before Or-han’s main force arrives, so we need to swiftly cut out the rot within the empire.”

“You say we still have time?”

“Considering the size of the army, Ka`har’s marching speed, and the distance, it will take at least two months for them to reach the barrier, even at their fastest. This is information obtained from interrogating a captured warrior, so it’s reliable.”

I thought we had killed them all, but it seems there was a warrior taken prisoner.

Even so, I’m not sure if we can trust their words… It’s strange that a Ka`har warrior would talk just from interrogation.

“Isn’t that a lie? I doubt a Ka`har warrior would sell out their Khan’s information under mere torture.”

“When you pour holy power and healing elixirs into the brain, anyone will eventually tell the truth.”

What?

“Uh… is that some kind of metaphor?”

“It’s literal. An old method of the inquisitors.”

…It wasn’t a metaphor.

Ludwig explained the detailed interrogation method.

They open the skull, remove part of the brain, and before death, use healing magic and elixirs to regenerate it. They repeat this until the entire brain is replaced with regenerated material.

After repeating this three or four times, the prisoner reaches a state where they answer every question.

It was a bizarre and grotesque story.

“The effect is certain. Not a single scar remains on the prisoner after the interrogation, so it can be called the most humane method.”

Humane, my foot. My way would be far more merciful.

—

Anyway, we left the barrier like that.

Since Lacey’s group decided to move with us, our original group of four grew to six.

Me, Rene, Rana, Lacey, Bels, and Liliez.

Rana seemed flustered, acting unlike herself, as if overwhelmed. Despite belonging to a different sect, the other party was a saint candidate, one of the highest priests of the Holy Kingdom.

Liliez found Rana adorable and kept hugging and stroking her.

“Ah, so soft… Your hair is like cotton candy. So cute.”

“Uh, uh… Sister Bianshi? Could you… let go?”

“Call me Liliez. Even if we serve different masters, we’re both priests of the Eleven Gods, right? Got it?”

Rana, sitting on Liliez’s lap, squirmed uncomfortably but couldn’t escape. She was hugged like a teddy bear and continuously petted.

Nigel stayed at the barrier. He was planning to move with Marquis Ludwig’s main force.

It made sense since he was originally part of that group.

I had no complaints about it either.

Lacey didn’t want Ludwig to know about her movements, and if Nigel had come with us, Ludwig would have found out.

Just before leaving, I met Nigel, who had a bandage wrapped around one shoulder.

He said it was an injury from the battle with Jargal.

“That great warrior, Jargal, had an incredible fighting spirit. I didn’t expect them to fight so fiercely against three masters.”

Even with half their limbs severed and their heart pierced, they didn’t fall and even launched a counterattack, which Nigel failed to block in time.

Looking back, it was such a waste of talent, especially for someone like Amin.

Speaking of which, what happened to Amin?

=====[Or-han]=====

“AAAAAMIIIIIN—!”

A thunderous roar shook the barracks. Thick leather sheets tore, and wooden frames split apart.

“Not only did you incite the White Armies to march out on your own, but you also crashed into the barrier and suffered a crushing defeat!”

Or-han’s rage, boiling over for the first time in ten years.

The warriors trembled as his furious voice echoed throughout the camp.

“How dare you, HOW DARE YOU!”

Unable to contain his anger, Or-han struck the messenger who delivered the news.

The messenger, struck down, didn’t even scream as they disintegrated. Their body turned into red dust, sticking to the barracks’ walls.

‘One year, one year would have been enough!’

Or-han’s left foot slammed down violently. The shockwave tore through the ground, flipping it over. The shattered earth screamed.

The massive command barracks crumbled like a sandcastle, collapsing into pieces.

Covered in debris, Or-han roared like a flame.

Even the great warriors dared not stop him.

“Targien! I’ll give you 3,000 troops! Find Amin and drag him back like a dog!”

“Yes!”

Or-han’s eldest son, Ai-shan Gi-or Targien, hastily bowed his head.

In front of the enraged Ser Khan, he couldn’t show his gleeful expression.

Though not a particularly threatening figure, Amin was still his competitor. His reckless self-destruction was nothing short of delightful for Targien.

“Anyone who stands in your way is a traitor! Tear them apart and throw them into the livestock pens! Even his mother—cut them all down!”

Or-han’s fury was intense. He even ordered his own wife to be torn apart if she interfered.

She was just a woman from a political marriage. There had never been any affection between them.

Now that the opportunity to unify the great plains had been wasted so foolishly, there was no more room for mercy.

With sufficient justification, he would crush entire families if they stood in his way.

“The rest…”

“Prepare for battle, Jin! Since things have turned out this way, we need to return to Ordos as soon as possible!”

Right now, it was impossible to recall the entire army. Other tribes on the Great Plains wouldn’t miss this opportunity—it was obvious they would attack from the rear. So, at the very least, we had to crush them once before retreating.

‘Amin wouldn’t dare defy me. He’s not even capable of such a thing…!’

Though anger boiled in his chest, Or-han’s judgment remained unshaken. His heated mind spun rapidly, coming up with an answer.

This couldn’t be Amin’s idea alone. Jargal merely obeys Amin, and Havar, though aggressive, is a loyal warrior, so it couldn’t be his doing either. Ha-shal-leur’s subordinates have been adrift since she left for the Empire, so they’re irrelevant. Amin wouldn’t follow their suggestions anyway.

Therefore, no matter how much he thought about it, the only answer was that outsiders had incited this. Someone must have given Amin the audacity to disregard even his father’s wrath.

‘I will find them and burn them all to ashes…!’

Clenching his iron-like fist, Or-han swore to the heavens. He would grind all those involved into dust. His hatred shook the grasslands.

—

The journey back to the capital was peaceful. News of the annihilation of Ka`har’s five thousand troops spread instantly, and everyone knew who was responsible.

The warrior who leaped over the barrier, slew the great warrior, and traversed the battlefield engulfed in a whirlwind of flames—it was no ordinary feat. No one could deny that this was a warrior blessed by the gods.

In other words… a nickname he had hoped would fade had become famous again. The title “Divine Punishment.”

“At this rate, I’ll have over ten nicknames.”

From the Whore of Ka`har, the Slayer of Dane, the Beastman Devourer, the Knight of the Goddess, the Carnivorous Beast, the Thorn Princess, Divine Punishment, to the Whip of Flames… If you include the Narcissus and the Prince’s Concubine, it’s already ten. But let’s exclude those. They’re nicknames I’d rather forget.

Anyway, isn’t it too many titles for one person? Even the Empire’s greatest swordsman was simply called the Ghost Sword.

“Isn’t it natural, considering I’ve caused ten times more trouble than others in just half a year?”

Rene shrugged. Indeed, I’ve done a lot—whether good or bad.

“I like the title ‘Knight of the Goddess.'”

“That’s nice, but isn’t ‘Divine Punishment’ better?”

“Sister Lilietze. Divine punishment is solely the will of the gods. For a person to claim such a title is a bit blasphemous, don’t you think?”

The two priests of Elpinel chatted, listing cringe-worthy nicknames. Wait, I never claimed that… Oh, I did write it on a wall. Why did I do that…?

“I like ‘Thorn Princess’! It sounds cool, doesn’t it?”

“Rana, you’re so cute. I get it. You’re at that age where you love cool words. But that nickname doesn’t have a very good meaning.”

Lilietze ruffled Rana’s hair. Come to think of it, Rana is fifteen, right? The age where you love cool words.

—

As we approached the capital, rumors about the civil war began to reach my ears.

Leopold’s Bien-Failun allied forces were swiftly suppressing small rebel groups. The Imperial Army had managed to repel a beastman force descending from the Sky Mountains, but not without significant casualties. Stuff like that.

There were also stories about Freide. She had taken down several beastman warriors with two juniors in tow. She’s growing well. Proud of her.

After a few days of travel, we finally arrived at the capital, Exra-shapel.

There was a knight blocking the gate for inspection, but upon seeing Ludwig’s emblem on the carriage and my face, he let us through immediately. Good thing. It wasn’t time to publicly announce Lacey’s arrival yet.

First, I dropped off Rene, Lilietze, and Rana at Asha’s workshop. Just in case things went south.

“This time, three people… Ha-shal-leur, are you treating my workshop like some kind of secret hideout?”

Asha grumbled. Well, it is a craftsman’s workshop, so dumping three uninvited guests is a bit of a nuisance…

Rene stepped forward and handed Asha a pouch.

“600 gold.”

“Thank you for your patronage!”

A calm remark. Asha bowed at a right angle. Guess it’s too much money to complain about.

—

After dropping off the three, I headed to my destination. About twenty minutes later, a towering spire came into view.

Exra-shapel Cathedral. The headquarters of the Elpinel Church in the Empire and the temporary residence of Archbishop Trier.

It was time to announce the return of the Saint Candidate. A bit dramatically, of course. The carriage sped forward without hesitation.