Chapter 98

I approached cautiously, though I had warned them loudly not to let their guard down. Even as I spoke, I didn’t truly believe it would happen.

Despite their individual skills falling short, the knights, formed into threes, were supposed to devise defensive strategies to overcome the numerical disadvantage against the numerous barbarian tribes. Yet…

“Oooh!!”

“Show them the strength of Calardvolg!!”

Instead of forming the necessary defenses, the knights were bellowing thunderous war cries and charging forward, completely obliterating the entrenched barbarians with sheer numbers.

Swoosh—!!

With each flash of their swords, three barbarian heads rolled across the cold ground.

Rumble—!!

The barbarians, sensing danger from the knights’ aura, swung their mighty broadswords with all their might in retaliation.

Clang—!!

The knights’ swords, imbued only with physical force and lacking proper handling of hostility, were effortlessly blocked by the Bright Wing Knights’ blades, and the barbarians fell, their blood staining the knights’ weapons.

“The enemy is weak!”

“Let’s finish off these bastards before the demons return!!”

With each swing of their swords, the knights’ confidence grew as they piled up the corpses of the barbarians. The actions of the already spirited Bright Wing Knights became even more aggressive, turning their skirmishes into one-sided massacres.

…Something feels off.

Though they came from different regions, these barbarians were unmistakably the same ones I faced countless times when assisting my brother in Failord County. Perhaps they were exhausted from taking a roundabout route instead of coming directly. Or maybe there was some unknown reason.

Even compared to the numerically inferior Black Wing Knights, who were on par qualitatively, such one-sided slaughter hadn’t occurred during our battles. Seeing the barbarians so thoroughly dominated made me suspicious.

My immediate thought was that they were setting up some kind of trap, luring us in with false appearances.

One might ask if it’s strange to think this way seeing such a large number of barbarians fall like trash. But this isn’t a joke. They used countless stronger barbarian warriors as bait, something I’ve experienced many times but still couldn’t comprehend their tactics.

“Don’t pursue too deeply!! These are crafty creatures!! They’re casually using such a large number as bait!!”

Shouting at the top of my lungs, far louder than I had instructed Elshimer and Katarina earlier, I stopped the knights who had grown enthusiastic about chasing the barbarians.

The knights, not having devised a strategy, continued engaging the enemy heedlessly, but hearing my instructions, they paused their relentless advance.

While I didn’t stop the barbarians from being mowed down, the knights’ chaotic pursuit turned orderly as they regrouped and formed defensive lines. This showed that my orders had been somewhat effective.

Perhaps this was also because Asulin had warned me to treat her directives as my own if she couldn’t give them herself.

“Maintain the deputy commander’s orders!”

“We must follow the advice of someone with much more experience in dealing with barbarians! Form defensive groups of three!”

As senior knights emphasized the importance of my orders while forming defensive lines, I realized that most of the knights participating in this march had already seen my combat skills during the Succession War. This explained why they didn’t protest my commands.

Though I expected them to follow my orders, seeing how readily they did so still surprised me.

Anyway, having restored some order, I could now respond tactically to the barbarians’ movements…

“Deputy Commander Katarina and Guest Knight Elshimer are pursuing the barbarians beyond the range of my orders.”

…But the moment I heard from the highest-ranking knight that two people, including Elshimer, had pushed themselves to the limits to follow the barbarians, I responded:

“…I don’t care about Katarina, but I’ll take responsibility for Elshimer. Don’t serve him dinner tonight.”

After barely controlling my emotions through deep breaths, I issued this terse directive.

Thud-thud-thud—!!

With my legs hardened by the Strengthening Technique, I sprinted toward the point where Elshimer and Katarina had disappeared, as reported by the highest-ranking knight.

Even though I had cautioned them, they had ignored my warning and pursued the barbarians. I felt responsible for this.

In my mind, the thought was clear: I needed to deal with this situation.

“Where have these bastards gone?!”

I had reacted instinctively as soon as I received the report from the highest-ranking knight. Chasing Elshimer and Katarina was more intense than a forced march on horseback.

It wasn’t due to difficult terrain; the sheer number of barbarians we encountered along the way was overwhelming.

It wasn’t that the battle was hard, but the relentless pace of cutting down barbarians and disabling them had worn me down.

Swoosh—!!

“Grrr….”

Plop—!!

As I slashed another barbarian, drenching myself in blood, and simultaneously struck down another trying to ambush me from behind, I felt indifferent even to the sounds of pain.

“Where have these bastards gone?!”

My anger toward the unseen Elshimer and Katarina was boiling over.

I had warned them so clearly, and yet they still managed to get into trouble. How could I not be angry?

Knowing the nature of knights, I understood why this happened. They likely wagered over who could defeat more barbarians, and once things got heated, they delved deeper into the battlefield.

Right now, compared to other knights still engaged in battle, I was one of the top two in terms of skill, so I wasn’t worried about my safety. However, seeing so many barbarians made me realize I hadn’t anticipated this ominous feeling.

“Elshimer!! Katarina!!”

I shouted at the top of my lungs, hoping to find them, but all I heard in response was the barbarian’s defiant cries.

“Get lost!!”

Swinging my sword, imbued with hostility, I sent the barbarians flying, but more kept rushing at me.

“F*cking savages…”

This encounter felt as tiresome as the battles I had fought in Blood Haven long ago.

It reminded me of sinking deeper into quicksand, the rising frustration and mounting anxiety making me increasingly restless.

“Calm down. The two youngsters you’re looking for are safe.”

Thanks to Failord’s calm voice, I regained my composure.

‘Did you sense where they are?’

It amazed me that Failord could perceive their presence despite my sharpened spiritual sense failing to do so.

-They’re safe, but they’ve gotten themselves into a tight spot without realizing it, trapped and unable to move.

Hearing Failord’s voice, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated, even though I couldn’t see them.

-Listen carefully. Head south from your current position. Cut through the demons wearing human skins as you go.

Failord, speaking straightforwardly without his usual arrogance, directed me to where I needed to go to rescue them.

Without hesitation, I followed Failord’s instructions, and as I moved, I delivered icy coldness, Failord’s blade energy, to the barbarians who charged at me like moths to a flame.

Even after an hour of fighting, my strength was still overflowing.

…I felt almost elated, thinking about how I would rescue them successfully.

How many barbarians had I cut down while running?

The boredom from the endless repetition of cleaving barbarians, who couldn’t harm me with their poorly made weapons, was dispelled as I sensed Elshimer and Katarina’s presence, guided by Failord.

“Hmm? This aura…”

As I steadily headed towards Elshimer and Katarina, Failord’s sleepy voice echoed in my head.

“…No way?!”

His startled tone replaced his usual laziness, tightening the tension that was starting to ease.

Rumble—!!

“Be careful. Something is there where those two young ones are.”

Failord’s voice in my hand buzzed loudly, both physically and mentally warning me.

Only the faint traces of the barbarians’ presence could be felt, aside from their spiritual senses. I wondered why Failord was panicking, but only for a moment.

As my steps quickened mechanically, my heart, which had remained steady despite the intense movements, suddenly began pounding violently.

“…This.”

I shivered, feeling an inexplicable unease.

Though I didn’t fully share Failord’s perception, I somehow felt something terrible awaited me beyond.

‘That’s not a choice.’

Yet, I couldn’t stop moving toward them, knowing Elshimer and Katarina were trapped and helpless. Finally reaching them, I saw what waited.

“…Long time no see.”

I stood face to face with a horrifying existence, transformed into a form I couldn’t even imagine, waiting for me with a terrifying smile.