Chapter 238

* * *

Royal Palace of Alcanwood Castle.

Chel, seated on the throne, wore a rare smile of satisfaction, contentment radiating from his features.

“So? You’re saying we successfully repelled them?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Good job.”

He could never forget that humiliating defeat at Falaharte Castle, where he’d tasted the bitter sting of failure.

‘Come to think of it, Iren was there too.’

Looking back, the betrayal of Iren marked the beginning of the Brance Army’s downfall. It was around this time that his once brilliant younger sister started losing her edge…

Word had it she no longer belonged to that faction, but even so – there was no way she and Aishias could coexist under the same sky forever.

It was simply a matter of timing.

A clash with Aishias was inevitable sooner or later.

At this point though, Chel didn’t harbor any particularly strong personal grudge against them. When you think about it, wasn’t Lin’s decline what allowed him to rightfully claim his position as ruler?

Living for nothing but battle wasn’t such a bad life, but now that he’d tasted even a little power, he understood why people became addicted to it.

“How’s our prisoner doing?”

“It took some time to subdue him due to his immense strength… but we’ve managed to secure him.”

Indeed, this man called Erhandorf Ariesian. Chel himself hadn’t dared imagine they’d capture such a significant figure. The hero of the Aishias Army – Epinal, Emma, Erhandorf, Anima, Yuri – he was one of their pillars.

Though Chel had always wanted to test his strength against this powerhouse warrior, he hadn’t expected their meeting would be under these circumstances.

“Bring him here immediately. We can’t just keep someone like him locked away indefinitely.”

The soldier, catching the meaning behind those words, swallowed hard before bowing deeply.

“…Yes, my lord!”

* * *

An oppressive silence filled the Audience Chamber.

Flanked by soldiers, Chel Brance sat casually on his throne, his blue hair framing his ruggedly handsome face. Before him knelt Erhandorf, head bowed, his powerful body covered in wounds.

“Raise your head, Erhandorf Ariesian.”

Erhandorf slowly lifted his head to meet Chel’s gaze – no, not meet it, but glare at him with open hostility.

Chel smirked, clearly amused by the display.

“All the glaring in the world won’t bring me down. Surely you’re not stupid enough to think mere eye contact could defeat me?”

“Shut up, Chel Brance.”

At this, Chel burst out laughing, his deep chuckles echoing through the chamber.

“Since you’ve been brought here instead of imprisoned, I assume you understand what that implies?”

Without waiting for a response, Chel continued, unfazed.

“That’s right, Erhandorf. Your choice will determine your fate.”

“…”

“Join me in rebuilding the Brance Army. I have great respect for your talents. Serve me well going forward, and I’ll overlook our minor past grievances. In fact, I’ll appoint you Commander-in-Chief of our forces. On the Brance Clan’s honor, I promise you the highest honors and treatment. Whether you continue living to create new legends with us, or end your journey here… the choice is entirely yours.”

From an objective standpoint, it was certainly an offer that would make most drool. Not many offered such extravagant terms to a captured enemy general, especially one who had clashed blades with them mere days ago.

Even if the newly independent Chel Army was separate from the original Brance forces, old loyalties die hard. This proposal was more about demonstrating authority over potential dissent within his ranks.

“Is that all you have to say?”

“Yes.”

“…”

Erhandorf closed his eyes slowly, replaying Chel’s final words in his mind.

“To survive and write new legends together… or…”

“…end your journey here.”

He forced a wry smile onto his usually stoic face. If his comrades could see him now, they’d be shocked. Especially Emma – she’d probably throw a fit for half a day about how “even you can show emotion!”

Yuri, Epinal, Anima… and Emma.

Sorry.

We were supposed to witness together the day the Aishias flag flew proudly over every castle in the continent.

“…”

Chel looked at Erhandorf again, this time without hostility. His expression conveyed pure indifference, as if asking what kind of response he expected.

“Hmph.”

Of course, Chel understood perfectly the unspoken rejection. He had suspected as much, but still hoped…

The eyes staring back at him weren’t those of a mercenary. They were the eyes of a warrior loyal to the bone, a hound who would never betray his master.

Having such a man serve under him would be invaluable…

But having him serve another as an enemy… was a dangerous proposition indeed.

“What a waste. But this is where it ends.”

Had Chel received proper political training instead of being purely a warrior, perhaps he could have extracted maximum value from this valuable asset like Serpina might have done…

But he remained first and foremost a warrior. To warriors, victory brings glory, defeat brings death.

“You there! Step forward.”

“Yes sir!”

One of the soldiers moved to stand beside the restrained Erhandorf.

“Cut off his head and hang it from the castle walls as a warning.”

“Aye sir!”

Erhandorf sighed softly, feeling not fear but rather regret at not being able to see things through to the end.

In a way, it was fortunate. Among the five of them, he was the least valuable. Unlike Anima’s intellect, Emma and Epinal’s versatility, or Yuri’s leadership, he was merely a strong warrior.

His only hope now lay with Yuri. Please, please don’t let her seek revenge and make a foolish decision…

“The rest is up to you, Yuri.”

Led by the soldier, Erhandorf walked toward his fate – a dark place from which there would be no return.

One of the five stars of the Aishias Army fell to earth that day.

* * *

Jelin Castle Royal Palace

“How about it? Will 8,000 gold pieces do? Maybe we need at least 10,000 to ensure safe return?”

“That should be fine. Unlike Serpina, Chel values gold dearly.”

Yuri and Anima were discussing prisoner exchange negotiations as if it was completely normal. They had never considered the possibility of losing one of their group.

Of course they assumed he’d been captured and imprisoned. Getting him back quickly was the natural course of action.

Anima thought Chel, while impulsive, wouldn’t kill someone when keeping them alive offered more utility…

Rationally, Anima’s assessment might have been correct, but…

“Alright, I’ll send the message. Who should we send as envoy?”

“Schultz or Elisabeth would work, but if they’re unavailable, I could go myself.”

Just as they were discussing future plans…

“L-lord! My Lord!”

A soldier rushed in, panic evident on his face.

“What is it? Surely they wouldn’t attack Jelin Castle so soon…”

As this thought crossed their minds…

“It’s…”

Something was off about the soldier’s expression. Both Yuri and Anima felt it – not rational deduction but primal instinct, a gut feeling.

“What is it?”

The soldier hesitated before finally answering in a barely audible voice.

“General Erhandorf…”

“What about Erhandorf? Speak quickly!”

“…”

Unable to speak, the soldier bowed deeply, tears streaming down his face.

Realization dawned on Yuri and Anima simultaneously.

“!!!!”

Could it be…

Yuri leapt from her seat, grabbing the soldier’s shoulder desperately.

“What happened? Tell me properly! As your ruler, I order you to speak!”

“T-that… General…”

Anima fought back tears, closing her eyes tightly as she gazed skyward.

That day… the day she made a mistake against Serpina’s forces, the day Erhandorf charged alone against overwhelming odds to save her…

Both Anima and Yuri remembered vividly.

“…has passed away.”