Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: While Standing in the Rain....
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“Pour it!”
Splash.
“Lift those stones!”
‘Phew... It really was a hectic month.’
Monster subjugation had begun, followed by endless forced marches.
After the Temir bastards’ attack, Hayton Village was sealed off.
It had been too badly damaged, and if something like that happened again, the soldiers or territory folk could get hurt, so he’d ordered a retreat to Orak Fortress.
And then the monster subjugation resumed.
Riding wyverns to scout from the skies, cavalry charging in to scorch the earth—it had been a full month of advancing like that.
The soldiers’ armor was stained with the green blood of monsters that wouldn’t wash out, and their swords were chipped to hell.
‘Tens of thousands must’ve died.’
They’d hunted up to twenty thousand in a single day at peak.
Most orc and monster settlements numbered in the hundreds to thousands, and those villages were cleaned out in about an hour.
‘It was good for the soldiers too.’
In the past, Ciaris had been the westernmost large-scale fortress beyond Neruman.
A massive fortress that could house over ten thousand troops had returned to their control.
The achievement of driving the monsters toward the Rual Mountains.
Starting from the trade route with Habis Kingdom, they’d secured a safe zone.
“My lord, will that stone powder mix really make the walls sturdy?”
Raiker eyed the mortar—cement and gravel poured into the crumbled or holed sections of Ciaris Fortress—with deep skepticism as he asked.
“Wanna bet?”
“Heh heh. Sure. But if I win, you give me a month’s bonus equal to my salary. Plus a full week of unprecedented vacation.”
“You’re setting terms without knowing the stakes?”
“I’ve never lost a bet in my life. Hell, this whole wandering phase happened because of one. My old man said if I survived five years out in the world unscathed, he’d give me something huge.”
He didn’t know the exact details.
But the words he used weren’t ordinary.
He played at being a mercenary braggart, but he couldn’t hide the noble scent.
His stubborn blue curls were bleached stiff by the sun.
“If we can’t perfectly rebuild the walls with that stone powder mix in half a month, I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Hahaha! Deal. If I lose, I’ll serve you for free for a whole month.”
The clueless fool Raiker, grinning like an idiot.
Ordinary cement hardens after a day of setting, then enters the curing phase.
And with average daily temps over 15 degrees, it’d be fully cured in about a week.
Of course, that wasn’t from experience—it was according to the knowledge his master had implanted.
‘They’ll come charging back soon enough.’
The hundreds of thousands of monsters chased into the Rual Mountains.
A massive counterattack was coming any day.
Even the Vazran Empire had buckled under their brute-force retaliation and abandoned Neruman in the past.
But he was different.
He would defend Neruman and turn it into a place where peace could breathe.
“We’ll need to prioritize road maintenance too. This fortress is too close to the Rual Mountains and far from Denfos. Even back then, they retreated because monster raids made supply lines hell. You’ll need countermeasures for that.”
Jenis, his face tanned black from months of hardship.
Despite holding a formal baronetcy, he’d quietly handled the dirty work under him.
He’d patrolled the trade routes daily, and once monster subjugation kicked off, he barely got off his wyvern.
“We stick with this for now. Once the rainy season ends, we’ll start full road construction.”
Local “road construction” meant just marking a line across the plains for people to follow.
Paved stone roads only existed in cities or fortresses—outside the walls, whatever path wagons or horses took became the main road.
Even that much wasn’t maintained here at Ciaris Fortress.
The assembled soldiers, carpenters, and blacksmiths he’d brought were feverishly repairing the walls.
‘The sweat they’re shedding now will spare blood later.’
Deep into summer’s heat.
Sticky winds from the sea added humidity to Neruman.
But the soldiers didn’t stop.
They knew this was the land they and their children would live on.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
“What will you do, Your Excellency? Petitions demanding his punishment keep pouring in. Not just the Korbein Merchant Guild—which contributes massively to the imperial household and your finances—but Gauss, Ildorian, every magic tower wants something done about him. It’s time to decide.”
“Sigh... I never imagined he was that strong. A high-circle magic swordsman at his age? How...”
“I’m sorry, Your Excellency. We should’ve finished him off back then...”
“No. It’s not your fault. It’s mine for underestimating his power.”
Duke Omer de Pasein, the true power behind the Vazran Empire.
The emperor’s brother-in-law and Crown Prince Poltviran’s uncle—every noble in Vazran agreed Omer held more power than the emperor himself.
The emperor had started wasting away from illness recently.
Most people knew Crown Prince Poltviran would ascend the throne soon.
And several backers had come to the empire’s power broker, Omer, with petitions.
To deal with a rat in Neruman.
“Intel says he’s already secured over twenty wyverns. Add the twenty thousand elite troops Count Yaiks handed over, plus knight-order-level mercenaries sticking to him, and he’s built an ignorable force overnight.”
“If he were the type to end it in a head-on clash, the others wouldn’t stay quiet. What a headache...”
He hated wracking his brain over this crap, but the ones demanding punishment were all backers of Omer and Crown Prince Poltviran.
A small wrinkle creased Duke Omer’s brow.
“Why not summon him?”
Viscount Parkes, the duke’s confidant, eyes gleaming.
“Summon him? That’d be ideal, but will he come? He’s no fool—he knows damn well what’s happening...”
“Then dangle bait he can’t refuse.”
“Bait he can’t refuse?”
Even Omer’s eyes lit up at the words from Viscount Parkes, famed for his cunning.
“The emperor’s birthday is soon. Use that.”
“.....?”
Omer raised a questioning brow at the viscount.
“Appoint him official lord of Neruman and grant him a title. The emperor seems to have gotten good word from Count Yaiks anyway—perfect chance.”
“Oh ho! Brilliant. Lure him in like that, catch him slipping, and handle it...”
“Exactly. The moment he steps into imperial territory, he’s a rat in a trap. Just drag him out of Neruman, and everything falls into place. And with that lord’s help, it’ll be even surer.”
“That lord? Ah!!”
The duke’s lips curved in satisfaction as realization dawned.
“Prepare it. Whatever you need, I’ll back you fully.”
“Just trust in me, Your Excellency.”
The two exchanged a few more hushed, vital words.
And so, a new conspiracy was born in the Vazran Empire.
Proving once again that the world always envies the talented.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
“Hohoho. Okay, now Ramis is it. Everyone hide tight!”
“Yes!”
Pat pat pat.
At Armis’s kindergarten-teacher command, the kids scattered every which way to hide.
‘She’s gathered a lot.’
He’d been flying Bebeto all over the territory daily, so he hadn’t dropped by Skywing Group for days at a time.
The Skywing Group he returned to after grinding hard.
It had turned into a full-on kids’ playground.
Exaggerating a bit, there were about a hundred.
“My lord, you’re back.”
Derbal, skin and bones from endless combat and rear support duties.
He looked exhausted, but his eyes shone with fervor.
“Who’re these kids?”
“Orphans, my lord.”
“Orphans?”
“Yes. Lady Armis went outside the city a while back and brought in all the kids who’d lost their homes. If it bothers you, I’ll handle it immediately.”
“Really? Then handle it right away.”
“Yes?”
Derbal blinked, stunned by the instant order—even he was surprised he’d said it.
“Handle it, I said.”
“Uh... that is...”
“No dragging feet. Build a structure for Skywing Group on one side. Temporary’s fine, but make it solid. And prep proper food—no skimping.”
“.....”
Derbal stared at him, face full of emotion again at the command.
It was the obvious thing to do.
He’d just forgotten amid the busyness, but those kids’ fathers and mothers had surely died for Neruman.
Plus, kids were the territory’s future.
Abandoning them was worse than selling your soul.
“Understood!”
Derbal barked the acknowledgment like it was an afterthought.
‘So much to do...’
Things had livened up in Denfos since Armis arrived.
Just one priestess, but her holy power was immense enough to cover Denfos.
Drip drip drip drip drip.
‘Hm?’
Mid-order to Derbal, heading to his office, he suddenly felt raindrops.
Rumble—whoosh!
Clouds had blanketed the sky, dumping rain like they’d been waiting.
Neruman’s fabled rainy season, by word alone.
“Haa...”
The scorched earth cooled in an instant, kicking up misty steam.
And he stood there, getting drenched.
Pure, drink straight from the source, pollution-free rainwater.
He closed his eyes.
Cooling his overheated body and soul.
A gift from the gods, prepared just for him.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
“W-what? That priestess Armis was in Neruman?”
“Yes. Per the info guild commission, she’s in Denfos, the major city in Neruman—Vazran’s affiliate territory.”
“Grrrr... So that’s why we couldn’t find her. She ran that far...”
Head Priest Hed or had spent agonizing days since Armis fled.
He gnashed his teeth at the news.
She hadn’t done much good, but no great harm either.
He’d accommodated her fully—just make holy water, and she could live peacefully in the capital.
Yet the priestess Armis had vanished without a word.
“Bring her in.”
Head Priest Hed or ordered his temple’s holy knights to fetch her.
“Impossible. Priestess Armis is under the protection of the local lord, Kayer. Right in Skywing Group, smack in the city center.”
“You idiot! Who told you to grab her yourselves? Use an assassin guild—it’d be simple!”
“.....”
Hed or jabbed a finger at the holy knight, who served the gods, calling him “you” like scum.
But the holy knight couldn’t retort.
He’d tasted the black money from Hed or— he was no holy knight anymore.
Just a devil’s lowly minion.
“I’ll see it done.”
“Money’s no object—bring her back intact. Not a scratch, got it? Careful.”
Head Priest Hed or had endured nightmare months.
He’d scraped by on stockpiled holy water, but it was nearly gone now.
And he’d finally tracked down the elusive Armis.
‘When she’s back, I’ll lock her in the underground temple. She’ll never see daylight again. Heh heh heh.’
Hed or let out a sleazy chuckle.
He had no idea.
The calamity touching Armis would bring crashing down on him.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Drip drip drip drip drip.
Days of steady rain soaked Denfos’s walls.
Not a downpour, but like the saying “drizzle soaks your clothes”—a spring rain drenching the earth.
‘Feels like a place where people live now...’
Rainy season meant monsters and enemies hunkered down, bringing a brief peace.
He shed his ever-present air plate armor.
Draped in a waterproof traveler’s robe, he circled the castle.
Then to the walls.
Even in the robe, his black hair gave him away—territory folk knelt in the mud, so he’d rushed to the walltop.
‘Corn’ll ripen soon. Potatoes too, wheat...’
Denfos’s vast plains before it, safer than anywhere.
Not wildflowers or grass, but crops to sustain Neruman’s lives, racing green.
Thanks to blessing the seeds with disinfection, weeds lost out—grains blanketed the fields.
Seeing them swelled his heart with pride.
Soon, next year or the years after, such abundance would overflow all Neruman.
No—he’d make it so.
In his paradise, no one would starve or suffer.
Squelch squelch.
‘Hm?’
Soldiers saluted and vanished quietly at his appearance.
So he’d had the highest walltop to himself, but tiny footsteps approached.
“There you are.”
‘Armis...’
She’d been busy with the orphans lately.
Every morning making the holy water he’d requested, then guarding Skywing Group all day with love—an invisible protector.
Armis approached with a bright smile.
“You’ll catch cold if your clothes get soaked. Why come out?”
“Pfft, you’re worried about me?”
“.....”
Armis pouted.
Thump.
His heart fluttered.
Her cute pout, lips pursed through the rain-soaked robe.
Any guy whose heart didn’t race was the weirdo.
“Fine...”
She sidled up beside him, gazing at the land’s bounty beyond the wall, murmuring approval.
He followed her gaze, drinking in the earth again.
“I’m happy...”
Armis’s words, simple yet laden with meaning.
“Even more... because of you, Kayer.”
Her crystalline voice wove through the raindrops.
Swoosh.
Without thinking, he took her hand.
Flinch.
Her hidden hand trembled softly in his grasp.
No thought of a priestess bound to serve gods forever.
He just wanted to hold her warm hand.
Drip drip drip drip drip.
‘It was like this back then too.’
On Earth, that rainy day Seo Ye-rin flew in, saying she wanted just one shoulder wet.
Thinking of her, he couldn’t hold Armis’s hand.
Squeeze.
As he tried to pull away, Armis gripped back—softly, but firm.
KABOOM!
“M-Mommy!”
Lightning crashed near the wall.
“.....!!”
A young bird dove into his arms.
Drip drip drip drip drip drip.
Sky-blue raindrops mocked him and her.
And so the two of them lingered where time had stopped.
Standing in the rain...
Just like that....