Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Mad Lion Cub
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"We must dispatch an envoy, you say..."
A massive throne forged from gold.
Behind it stood a life-sized gold wyvern with ruby eyes the size of fists, serving as the backdrop.
This was the imperial palace of the Raviter Empire, the greatest power on the continent.
And seated upon the throne was a man.
A young emperor not yet in his fifties.
Emperor Hardberya, with his distinctive curly golden hair of the imperial lineage.
He gazed at the hundred or so imperial nobles standing in the Palace of the Earth with an emotionless, indifferent voice.
He was the only emperor on the continent to have reached Blade Master, hailed as a sage yet known as a ruthless tyrant.
"Your Majesty, dispatching an envoy means we must send another subjugation army! If our empire sends one, the kingdoms across the continent will surely mock us."
"No, Your Majesty. We must bring the prisoners back to the empire without fail. At this moment, when morale is plummeting due to this unexpected defeat, if we earn the disgrace of abandoning our captured men, the soldiers will not draw their swords for the empire."
"What nonsense! What do mere soldiers matter that we should bend our pride! Your Majesty, please understand. We must exterminate that Neruman lord named Kaier now. Only then will the empire's security be assured!"
Among the five great dukes of the Raviter Empire were Duke Garbiant and Duke Rubidium.
Their families had been at odds since the founding of the empire, and time had not changed that.
Duke Garbiant, called the Hot-Blooded Duke, was over fifty yet still boasted vigorous vitality as he advocated for subjugating Neruman.
In contrast, the seventy-year-old Duke Rubidium called for dispatching an envoy to free the prisoners.
"Enough."
The emperor's impassive voice echoed quietly through the grand hall.
"..."
At his single word, the hall fell as silent as a tomb.
"Dispatch the envoy. Duke Rubidium, you will go and meet Neruman's lord."
"I obey Your Majesty's command."
"Accept whatever conditions he demands. And... report back on what Neruman is truly like."
Emperor Hardberya's voice was small but infused with mana, ringing clearly in every ear.
At that voice, the nobles shuddered involuntarily.
Outwardly calm, but behind that steady tone lay the emperor's immense fury.
Neruman's lord Kaier—he would soon face it.
The emperor's wrath, embodying all that was the Raviter Empire, would soon descend upon him and Neruman as a storm of blood...
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"Take the Sky Knights and head to Ibats Island immediately."
"F-Father, what do you mean! Are you telling me to abandon you and this kingdom!"
Count Calderon, who had gone as an envoy to the Bazran Empire, had returned, and King Becadrian of Kranz learned of the emperor's humiliating terms from his lips.
Late at night, he summoned Crown Prince Bjorns.
And ordered him to leave with all the kingdom's Sky Knights.
"Ibats Island is five hours away by flight, so even if the kingdom falls, the empire can't touch it. From a defensive standpoint, it's perfect for resting while holding out, but enemies crossing the sea for five hours will arrive with exhausted wyverns unable to attack. And the island still has tens of thousands of orcs. Using them as food, you can hold out for a year."
"Father..."
King Becadrian spoke with meticulous planning, as if long prepared.
"From now on, you are all of Kranz Kingdom. Survive, and make that mad emperor pay dearly for today's humiliation."
Having transcended death yet unable to shed his resentment and grudges, King Becadrian's voice was icy.
Fierce rage against the Bazran emperor blazed in his eyes.
"The nobles will all surrender. And they will kill their own power. Mark my words: soon, Bazran will head toward destruction. Wait for that moment. Building a castle is hard, but toppling one takes an instant. Bazran will crumble that way."
He spat curses like a prophet.
"Your sisters will have left each capital by now. And when the time comes, the kingdoms will move. Strike then."
"Ah... Father... Ugh."
The king's command was like a final testament.
Crown Prince Bjorns knelt before him, shedding hot tears.
"My son! You must avenge your father's grudge!"
King Becadrian stroked the head of his kneeling son.
"Father!"
Bjorns, the powerless crown prince of a weak kingdom, clung desperately to his father's legs.
To etch into his soul the only father in this world he would never see again after this day...
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"Today's quota per person is three. Don't disappoint me."
"..."
In the hangar of the Aerial Unit where the empire's mages were imprisoned.
The wyverns had been moved to outdoor hangars, and the mages dispersed among five hangars.
Before them were piles of broken spears.
Even made of mithril alloy and tough, many had shattered in combat.
Those spears—externally repaired, with magic circles needing fixes—were tossed before the mages.
"W-We are mages of the Raviter Empire, but also disciples of the continental magic towers. If you treat us like this, the towers won't stand idly by!"
A retort from a mage who hadn't yet tasted hardship.
"Five."
"W-What do you mean?"
"If you don't fix five by tonight, no food."
"Gasp, that's ridiculous..."
"Ten."
"..."
The mage's face paled at the cold declaration of ten.
"Remember: you're not mages—you're my prisoner dogs."
Ones who, unlike regular soldiers adapting to reality, tried to threaten me with their scant power and connections.
They tasted like dog food.
"And if you don't finish today, tomorrow. If not tomorrow, the day after... and if not then, you'll starve to death."
The mages blanched at my threat of starvation.
By convention, captured knights and mages received decent treatment.
High ransoms could be demanded, and the continent's magic towers made harsh handling risky.
But my threat: no work, no food.
For mages, it was their first taste of such threats and utter contempt—their hearts must have shrunk in terror.
And they would believe.
My cold smile held no deception; their instincts would know.
"Better move fast. Some of those might take two days each."
Crash.
No sooner had I spoken than the mages lunged at the piled spears.
"I grabbed it first!"
"I'm your senior!"
"Bullshit, does seniority feed me!"
Thwack!
"Argh!"
Chaos erupted.
Meet a misaligned magic circuit, and you'd starve.
To survive, they tossed aside mage pride like trash.
'Tsk tsk...'
Ones who usually acted lofty turned dog in such situations.
Just as I'd predicted.
'Three a day might be tough?'
Even for me, a bit challenging.
But humans adapt.
I had no doubt the mages would meet my quota.
If not, oh well.
I wouldn't be the one starving.
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Rumble rumble rumble!
'Whoa! Impressive!'
Elves lived up to their spirit affinity.
High spirit Clay uprooted the earth, erecting solid dirt walls on both sides.
Perfectly angled, smooth as ice.
"Stack the bricks!"
Clatter.
Dwarves building the outer castle wall.
Using bricks carried by prisoner soldiers, they stacked steadily.
'Who'd believe this vast wall is nearly done in days?'
Even I could hardly believe this historic feat.
Spirits formed the dirt walls, then solid red bricks filled inside in a flash.
"Friend, pour those here!"
Whoosh.
Even more astonishing: cement and vast sand filling the gaps between stacked bricks.
Whirl.
Wind spirit Jin lifted a whole cart.
"My friend Secuel, mix these please."
Sand and cement powder filled the gaps at blinding speed.
Then water high spirit Secuel mixed it all.
'Incredible mana flow!'
Mid-sixth to seventh-circle mana reserves, but their spirit affinity drew out the spirits' raw power.
The air's mana churned wildly from the high spirits' movements.
'At this rate, two months.'
Not just elves and dwarves—prisoner soldiers drove carts, clearing debris swiftly.
'Next site.'
Elves and dwarves didn't slack like humans.
They thoroughly completed their tasks.
Joyfully, I mounted Bebeto and headed to the next construction site.
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'This one's almost done too.'
From the sky, a salt pan not far from the harbor.
Last autumn's dug site now had its concrete foundation poured and set.
"Careful, easy now!"
Kieeeh!
Kuaaaah!
Fifty dwarves on salt pan duty.
They bellowed at wyverns carrying black marble quarried from the dwarf village.
Worried the black marble for the concrete floor might get damaged.
'Once the marble's laid, we can flood with seawater.'
Eighty percent complete.
Blade-level flat floor via spirits and magic, now black marble slabs cut to exact size with more magic and spirits.
Piiing!
Wind spirits Shriels floated the black marble, casting Wind Cutter spells and enjoying themselves.
Elves weren't the only ones thrilled to manifest in the mortal realm like this.
'No fighting, all good.'
Prisoner soldiers had tidied the salt pan's fringes spotless.
Elves and dwarves were key, but grunt work was vital too.
'Tomorrow'll be hectic again.'
Roads now perfectly linked to Denfos and Habis Kingdom borders. New roadworks begun.
This time, from Ciaris Fortress to Orak Castle.
And tomorrow, full monster subjugation starts.
The territory quartered by wide rivers.
This time, clearing toward the Kobiran Mountains.
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"Find the king!"
"Slaughter all who resist!"
Clang clang clang.
"Arrrgh!"
"Long live Kranz Kingdom!!!"
Kobiran royal castle, in fertile lands split by the Perkon River.
Without declaration, 1,000 Bazran wyverns—beyond kingly dignity—attacked.
No infantry support needed.
Sky Knights had fled with the crown prince, so elite Sky Knights assaulted the castle alone.
The battle unfolded.
By the extreme king's order, soldiers disbanded; only 300 royal guard knights loyal to the end defended the vast castle.
Thud thud thud.
"Arrrgh!"
Brutal and merciless.
Bazran Sky Knights rode wyverns over the castle, hurling Blessed Spears at every visible knight.
"Kahaha! Slaughter all the men! Capture the royal women and maids alive!"
Protected by 100 imperial guard Sky Knights symbolizing Bazran, Emperor Poltviran commanded from above.
Kuaaaah!
His wyvern, smelling thick blood, roared in excitement.
Behavior only flesh-tasting wyverns showed.
"Halt!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Then, in the castle plaza, a group of Kranz royal guard knights appeared.
Protecting King Becadrian at center, they emerged boldly.
"Poltviran, you bastard!"
King Becadrian shouted halt, then pointed and cursed.
"Kahahahahahahaha!"
Far from anger at "you bastard," Poltviran laughed till the castle shook.
"So this is the price of your kingdom's sealed loyalty to the empire all these years! Your late father must wail underground! Mad emperor, your father knows Bazran will fall because of you!!!!!"
Facing inevitable death, King Becadrian unleashed curses from the heart.
"Kek, brave till death."
"...I'll die first, but even in death, I won't leave you be! My soul will pray fervently to the gods by your side until your heart is torn out! Even in hell, take you with me!"
Curses turned to maledictions.
His benevolent face now blackened with killing intent and rage.
"Kill him."
"Yes, sire!"
Poltviran smirked vilely, sentencing death.
Stab!
"Guh..."
No need.
Suddenly drawing a sword, King Becadrian slit his own belly.
Agonizing pain incoming, yet he glared at Poltviran without flinching.
"Kek... wait for it, the moment you die..."
Guts and vessels severed, blood refluxing from his mouth, yet he cursed Poltviran.
"Your Majesty!"
"Ugh!"
Thud! Thud thud.
The last twenty knights guarding their lord slit their own throats.
Clang.
Splatter.
Rumble.
Swords that beheaded their master fell; red fountains sprayed skyward; half-decapitated bodies collapsed.
Even in death, guarding their king, they fell beside him.
Bazran Sky Knights watching their heroic end felt tragic awe.
Could they prove loyalty so in that situation?
"Kahahahahahahaha! Burn them! Leave not even ashes—incinerate the lot!"
But awe turned to chill disappointment.
Their emperor, half-mad with bloodlust by their own eyes.
King Becadrian's curse writhed in their minds.
The late emperor wailing underground, Bazran's imminent fall—echoing, unrelenting.
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"Ryker, take the 3rd Air Wing and support the right flank infantry in mopping up the orcs."
"Yes, sir!"
Kueeeek!
"Push them! Just a bit more!"
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Thud thud thud thud.
Keruk!
Kueeek!
Raviter infantry in five-layer wedge formation, shields and spears driving monsters.
"Fire!"
Swoosh.
Thud thud thud thud.
Karruk!
Archers loosed volleys into orc packs charging the assaulting infantry.
'Amazing organization!'
Raviter imperial army, continent's finest soldiers.
Their true worth shone in monster sweeps.
'Using the enemy to suppress enemies. Who but me could pull this off?'
From beloved Romance of the Three Kingdoms: the idiom of using barbarians against barbarians.
Unfolding before my eyes.
'So a 100,000-strong army wields such power.'
Sky Knights scouted monsters, spearing large ones first; infantry mopped the rest.
In a week of subjugation ops, they achieved goals triumphantly.
Swoosh.
I landed Bebeto on the ground.
Twenty elves descending behind me.
'Sorry, elves.'
Ideally call after cleanup, but needed immediate borders—brought earth spirit elves.
"Narmias, erect a seven-meter dirt wall from here to there."
"Understood, Kaier."
Orc corpses and foul blood-mist below, yet elves just grimaced slightly.
Confirming elves' ruthlessness toward nature's mutants: monsters.
"Clay, descend here!"
"My friend Noim, answer my call!"
Grumble.
Boom boom boom.
Earth spirits manifested instantly to elf summons.
"Make solid dirt walls!"
Rumble rumble.
Walls sprouted at their request.
"That's enough."
Seven-meter walls appeared in a blink.
"Friends, extend the dirt wall straight along here!"
Rumble rumble rumble.
Elves dashed with unique gait, positioning.
Using earth spirits, they built a one-kilo barrier in moments.
'All like a dream.'
No time to look back, rushing nonstop.
Yesterday, a wyvern from Rubis Merchant brought word.
Mad thug Poltviran lightning-invaded and destroyed Kranz Kingdom.
Felt personal.
Raviter won big from complacency, but my foes weren't just them.
'That bastard might flip anytime. Stockpile power before then.'
Neruman's victories likely reported to that lunatic too.
A hothead following heart over head might attack Neruman.
I had to finish my tasks first.
'Ugh! Sun's already setting.'
Reached monster target zone; only now noticed the sun.
That's how hectic life was.
Rumble rumble rumble rumble.
Amid it, elves moved, building earth barriers.
Unaware they'd become Neruman citizens.
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"Great victory? Raviter got crushed in Neruman?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Second Prince Alskein and Duke Yanobis led 200,000 infantry and 500 Sky Knights to a crushing defeat."
"Puhahahahahaha!"
Emperor Poltviran of Bazran, who conquered Kranz castle and indulged in mad revelry.
For a fortnight, he raped captured royal women, maids, noble ladies—screams echoed daily in the once-peaceful castle.
Now back at imperial palace with hundreds of female prisoners, he heard of Neruman.
"Interesting... very interesting... kekeke."
A beast eyeing new prey.
Reporting Duke Omer's heart froze at the emperor's escalating madness.
Plans derailed.
Puppet Poltviran to toy with Bazran—but he refused.
Mad as a lion's cub is still a lion: Poltviran crushed court and nobles with mad dignity.
Now beyond Duke Omer's control.