Chapter 723

Did she sense the sincerity in my persuasion?

Hersela finally let go of her anger and regained her human intellect. As expected, when you speak sincerely, understanding each other becomes possible.

[One day, I’ll definitely make this wench taste her own medicine…]

…Did I understand that correctly?

I thought I heard something ominous, but it must’ve been my imagination. Yeah, definitely my imagination.

Anyway, thanks to Hersela evolving back into a human, I was finally able to tell her the last words Or-han had rambled about.

It was a long-winded speech, but to sum it up, it was advice to ditch all the annoying stuff and live however she pleased.

Honestly, following that would’ve been a surefire way to ruin her life… but since it was his final words, it felt right to pass them on to Hersela.

[So, even in his last moments, he was spouting nonsense.]

True to her Ka`har-style filial piety, Hersela’s response to Or-han’s last words was dripping with cynicism.

[Why bring this up now? I’ve been living the way I wanted all along.]

Well, Or-han probably thought my actions were Hersela’s doing, so he left those words…

But the Hersela inside me still has zero interest in duty or responsibility. She’s as extreme as ever, willing to do anything to achieve her goals.

[If some uninvited guest hadn’t taken over my body, I could’ve kept doing that.]

‘Hey, that was out of my control. I’m a victim too, you know.’

[Victim, huh? For a victim, you’ve been using my body quite thoroughly, haven’t you? Shameless wench.]

Shameless wench? She’s got me all wrong. I’m practically a walking corpse without a conscience, and I’m not even a ‘wench.’ I haven’t told her the truth yet because I’m scared of the fallout.

‘…I’ve been doing my best to fulfill your requests, haven’t I?’

[Ha, unbelievable. Forget the word ‘request,’ but when have you ever listened to me? What exactly have you done?]

Hersela let out a hollow laugh, her sharp sarcasm cutting through. Like a middle school girl throwing a tantrum, yelling, ‘What has Dad ever done for me!’

…She has no idea. Everything I’ve done has been for her sake.

Think about it. Do you really want to survive in a world that’s gone to hell, where monsters with 200 eyes are your neighbors?

No, surviving alone would be a miracle.

Honestly, there’s a high chance that monster could become your 450th husband. Could you handle that future?

I’m doing all this to prevent that future from happening to both of us.

Of course, these thoughts stayed in my head. Saying them out loud would’ve been a disaster.

From my experience, once a woman starts yelling, ‘What have you ever done for me?’, explaining things only makes the conversation worse.

So, in this situation…

‘…You’re right. I’m sorry. I tried to help, but… it didn’t work out. My bad.’

It’s always wiser to take the humble route and apologize.

[Wha…!? Wait, you’re apologizing?]

Hersela was shocked, clearly not expecting an apology.

[You know how to apologize? You? That can’t be. Did I hit your head too hard…?!]

…What do you mean, ‘that can’t be’?

What does she even think of me?

Anyway, since I apologized so readily, Hersela seemed to run out of things to say, and our awkward hearing came to a peaceful end.

After hesitating for a while, Hersela muttered, ‘As long as you understand,’ and fell silent. I fixed my disheveled hair, sat down in a chair, lit a cigarette, and enjoyed the hard-earned peace.

[…Live as you please? Now that I have the power to do so, I can rest easy…?]

‘…’

[Why bring this up now… Why leave such meaningless words as your last…]

I pretended not to hear Hersela’s muttering as her thoughts seemed to spiral.

======[Great Plains]======

Or-han’s warriors.

The annihilation of Ai-shan’s main force. The deaths of War Chiefs Glar and Hatan.

The news of this devastating defeat spread like wildfire across the Great Plains, leaving everyone in disbelief.

“Is it true? That monster is dead? And by his own daughter’s hand?”

All the Grassland People were in shock.

Those loyal to Ai-shan, and those waiting for a chance to rise.

Or-han’s death was like the sun rising from the west instead of the east.

He didn’t die of old age, nor did he fall after an endless battle. He was defeated, his Indestructible Body shattered. It was an unbelievable story.

“Is that even possible?”

The grasslands were in turmoil.

The remaining officials of Ai-shan and the Khans of the tribes who had submitted to Or-han urgently sent people to verify the news, and soon confirmed it was true.

Kagan Or-han had fallen in battle.

Leaving behind a partially collapsed barrier, countless corpses, and an unstable unified grassland nation.

‘With Or-han and his War Chiefs gone, someone must take the throne and restore order. And who else but me has the ability to do so?’

The Khans of the seven tribes looked up at the empty throne, their eyes gleaming with ambition.

‘This is our chance. With Or-han gone, his children and the Khans of the major tribes will fight for succession. Now’s the time to reclaim our independence.’

The tribal leaders who had never fully accepted Ka`har’s unification watched the shifting situation with narrowed eyes, longing for their old authority.

‘The one to carry on my father’s legacy is none other than me, Targien!’

Or-han’s eldest son, Targien, gritted his teeth as he led the remnants of the Black and Red Armies back home.

Dreaming of the moment he would crush his half-brother Sahallyeon’s six thousand Blue Army and wipe out Meiharin’s entire family, leaving no survivors.

And then,

Or-han’s second son, Sahallyeon, and his mother Meiharin…

—

“Fools.”

Meiharin looked down at Ordos, where a tense atmosphere was beginning to brew, and laughed at the Grassland People swelling with futile ambition.

Unlike the First Queen Biasiren, who had reportedly secluded herself and stopped eating upon hearing the news, Meiharin showed no sign of shock. She calmly sipped her tea, her expression unreadable.

Was she oblivious to the signs of the approaching crisis? Her composure was almost unnerving.

“Is everything going according to plan?”

The man sitting across from her, Sahallyeon, rested his chin on the table and spoke softly as he looked at his mother.

“Yes.”

Meiharin answered calmly.

Perhaps her calmness was unsettling, as Sahallyeon let out a light sigh and spoke again, his face expressionless.

“Mother. If this continues, Ai-shan will soon be torn apart. And it will take decades to restore the glory we had when we first unified the grasslands.”

“Exactly. It needs to decline enough that it takes decades to restore. Otherwise, it’ll be a problem.”

Despite her son’s pessimistic view of their nation’s impending collapse, Meiharin smiled and revealed her true intentions.

The fall of Ai-shan into civil war was exactly what she wanted.

…Sahallyeon couldn’t understand her answer.

“Why?”

Meiharin set down her teacup and explained to her son why she wanted—no, why she had subtly orchestrated—Ai-shan’s civil war.

“Think about it. If Ai-shan doesn’t tear itself apart in civil war, do you think the Westerners’ Empire will leave us alone? They’ll likely march here and tear us apart themselves. To ensure the Great Plains no longer pose a threat, they’ll be ruthless and thorough.”

Without Or-han, the invincible shield, the Great Plains had to split. If it didn’t weaken, it would be crushed by the Empire.

“And at the forefront of that… would be that mongrel wench who’s started being called ‘Abha Gisaka.’”

The one who shattered the myth of the Indestructible Body and thwarted Ai-shan’s ambitions. Ai-shan Gi-or Ha-shal-leur.

Since the rumors spread of her descending like a meteor from the sky, standing in Or-han’s path, and defeating him, she had gained a new title among the Grassland People.

Abha Gisaka.

The name of the legendary Grand Sorcerer who brought calamity to the grasslands. The title ‘Death of the Sky.’

Though Ha-shal-leur didn’t know it yet, she had already become the Heavenly Demon of the grasslands.

“…You mean Ha-shal-leur. If the rumors are true that she single-handedly defeated Father… then the only way to oppose her would be to surround her and wear her down until her strength gives out.”

“That won’t be easy. That wench could kill thousands without showing any signs of fatigue.”

Meiharin shook her head.

Unlike Or-han, who could eventually be overwhelmed by sheer numbers, Ha-shal-leur was a different story.

While Or-han weakened when his feats were exhausted, Ha-shal-leur wielded not just the feats of a warrior, but all kinds of power.

An Indestructible Body that didn’t drain her stamina.

Flame Sorcery that could erase vast areas in an instant.

And a Divine Sword that granted her near-infinite stamina.

To wear her down, it would take at least tens of thousands of soldiers.

“If we threw all of Ai-shan’s forces at her, we might win… but unless the Western soldiers are all dummies, they wouldn’t just stand by and watch that happen.”

While tens of thousands of warriors attacked Ha-shal-leur, the Empire’s knights and soldiers wouldn’t just stand there watching.

So, the idea of throwing tens of thousands at her was just wishful thinking.

“That’s why we need to make the Empire ignore the Great Plains. Without Western support, even that wench wouldn’t dare take on the entire grasslands alone.”

That was why Meiharin wanted to split Ai-shan.

If Ai-shan tore itself apart in civil war, the Empire would delay its attack on the Great Plains and focus its forces on more urgent matters.

“If Ludwig were alive, he might’ve pushed for an attack on the Great Plains… but since he died in the last battle, we can rest easy.”

“…I see. So that’s why you let Biasiren escape. If she were in our hands, Targien wouldn’t dare act recklessly.”

“That’s… right. In the end, that’s how it turned out. I didn’t expect the noble First Queen Biasiren to disguise herself as a lowly slave and endure the guards’ taunts to escape.”

Meiharin glanced away and nodded.

In truth, unlike Sahallyeon’s assumption, she hadn’t planned to let Biasiren escape.

Even if Biasiren were in their hands, provoking Targien into a frenzy would’ve been too easy.

With his temper, seeing his mother treated like a dog would’ve driven him mad.

But Biasiren had fled Ordos before Meiharin could capture her.

Disguised as a slave, wearing only the barest of clothing, and enduring the guards’ lewd taunts, she escaped with only her closest aides.

Meiharin hadn’t expected the First Queen to be bold enough to use such means to escape, so she was caught off guard and let her slip away.