Chapter 89
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: A Pact in the Desert
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It was a precarious situation.
“Son of a bitch...!”
The Vile Breed’s body was a shredded mess, its life force hanging by a thread.
The biggest problem was the Armian’s power of light, clinging to the wounds and eating away at its demonic energy.
“Aint Armian! Didn’t I specifically tell you not to kill it!”
“I-I’m sorry. It just happened...”
The wounds were widening.
Even for a Vile Breed, with its wounds aggravated by an antagonistic force, it would surely die if left alone.
But he had no idea how to treat it.
The Vile Breed were those who had sold their souls to demons for power.
They were no different from lesser demons, and he'd never heard of any remedy that could heal a demon.
*The Prophecy Book never mentioned anything like this.*
The only silver lining was that he wasn't completely helpless.
“Aint, withdraw your power.”
“Yes.”
The power of light that had been gnawing at the Vile Breed returned to its master. Pernyan shot to his feet.
“Watch this thing for a moment. And do not kill it.”
He headed toward the battlefield, where fighting still raged. The stench of demonic beasts and the heat of battle hung over the land.
*Rumble.* As he extended his staff, the desert sands surged, enveloping the corpses of the demonic beasts.
Dozens of them. A sphere of sand swallowed them all and flew directly over the Vile Breed.
“What are you planning to do?”
“Feed it.”
If their mana was incompatible and potions from this world didn't work, what about the blood of demonic beasts, which shared the same nature?
Considering the regenerative abilities of the Vile Breed, it was a plausible idea.
- Hmm? Feed the blood of demonic beasts to a Vile Breed?
- Not a bad idea. The blood of demonic beasts is imbued with demonic energy. Replenishing its depleted energy should boost its regeneration.
*And since I've withdrawn my power, it's definitely possible, isn't it?*
It was a simple method, so why hadn't he thought of it?
Probably because he'd never considered bringing a half-dead Vile Breed back to life.
*Squelch, crunch—*
The sand that had swallowed dozens of demonic beasts began to compress, bursting their flesh, breaking their bones, and squeezing out their blood.
Black blood flowed from the sand, pouring into the unconscious Vile Breed's wounds and mouth. It was less like 'feeding' and more like 'drenching'.
But it was working.
“Ugh...”
A faint groan escaped the unconscious creature's lips. Its wounds were regenerating, slowly but surely.
*Good.*
Pernyan scanned the area.
Perhaps because their master was unconscious, the demonic beasts were scattering in all directions.
The Ironblood Knights formed a defensive square around the students, while the Madblood Knights, Altriark's elite soldiers, and the late-arriving desert warriors were wiping out the fleeing beasts.
*...It's over.*
They'd caught it more easily than expected, but in any case, the plan to bring Aint and the Vile Breed together had succeeded.
*Ludger's magic did half the work of restricting the Vile Breed's movements, but Aint's power seems stronger than what was mentioned in the Prophecy Book.*
Is it because of the Saint Bird's heart?
Of course. He'd given it away casually, but the Saint Bird was one of the greatest mystical beasts, alongside the phoenix.
A supreme species whose very existence was said to rival a Royal Knight or an Archmage.
Having fed him its heart was like entering a horse race with a top-tier thoroughbred from the very start.
“Aint Armian. You're sensitive to demonic energy, right?”
“Yes.”
“You'll stick by this thing's side until we return to Altriark. If it shows any sign of waking up, knock it out again immediately. If necessary, you can even cut off its limbs with your aura.”
“Its limbs?”
“It's a piece of trash that betrayed humanity for demons. Get rid of any sympathy.”
“...You have a point... I understand.”
Aint glanced at Grad, who gave a slight nod, and Aint quickly agreed.
After restoring the Vile Breed just enough to keep it from dying, Pernyan tossed the carcasses back onto the sand.
Not long after, the battle was completely over.
* * *
The plan to return to Altriark immediately went slightly awry.
It was because of the desert tribe.
“Oh! The Sacred Light!”
“The legend is reborn!”
“O, glorious one!”
Skin with a faint reddish hue, muscles so bulging they'd put an orc to shame.
The desert tribe was almost identical to humans, yet slightly different.
Their bodies were so resilient they could be called blessed; a race whose physical strength was their defining trait.
At the same time, perhaps as a trade-off, their mana sensitivity was near zero, making them a race incapable of wielding mana.
And now, they were kneeling before Aint, bowing their heads.
Not one or two, but all of them—nearly a thousand members of the desert tribe.
“Uh, what is this...”
Aint was flustered by the sudden turn of events.
- Nothing to be surprised about. The desert tribesmen were once...
“The desert tribes of Taklakan are known to have fought alongside the first emperor a thousand years ago.”
Grad said with his arms crossed.
The first emperor, who had united six kingdoms and a new religion into one nation, was said to have still felt something was lacking.
It was then that the tribes of the Taklakan Desert caught his eye.
They couldn't use mana or aura, but they were monsters of raw physical power.
He subjugated them, who revered the logic of power, with power of his own.
“But surely they don't still serve the Armians after a thousand years?”
“It is strange. The desert tribes were all but abandoned by the Empire...”
The first emperor became the Khan of the desert tribes and commanded them.
The desert tribes achieved great military distinction, and the emperor, in turn, promised and provided them with much.
But that was only from the first emperor's perspective; the established nobility did not welcome this new power.
Especially when the newcomers were ignorant brutes from a barren desert who knew nothing but strength.
It wasn't exactly oppression.
After all, the desert tribes were among the founding contributors of the Empire.
It was just that, over a thousand years, the support dwindled, little by little.
That alone was enough.
The barren desert could not maintain its prosperity and strength without external support.
Once united to survive, they scattered across the desert once more.
That was the situation now.
“Thanks to you, our tribe has been saved. Please do not let us become beasts who know no gratitude.”
“We must return to report the results to His Excellency.”
“In that case, we ask that at least these people stay for one more day.”
“Hmm, very well.”
“Then the Madblood Knights will also remain for the safety of the academy members.”
The Ironblood Knights and four hundred elite soldiers departed, leaving behind the Madblood Knights, one hundred elite soldiers, nine academy students, and two professors.
The desert tribe slaughtered numerous livestock and roasted the meat. It seemed to be their first festival in a long time, as everyone's faces were filled with joy.
“Aint, how was the Vile Breed?”
“Thanks to Sunbaenim Ludger, it was easier than I expected.”
“Ludger would have a fit if he heard that.”
Of course, he knew that when he did it, but he hated Aint all the same.
Pernyan, holding a cup of strong desert liquor, observed the tribesmen.
*They're poor overall. Well, there's not much they can do in the desert. On top of that, imperial support has dwindled, and demonic beasts have started to run rampant.*
There wasn't anything that looked profitable.
The desert tribesmen truly had nothing but the bodies they were born with.
*Maybe I could arrange for them to form a mercenary group and grow it into a large one? The brokerage fees would be quite lucrative...*
As he was instinctively looking for a way to make money, someone approached them.
“So the hero who saved our tribe was here.”
It was the chief, who sat down beside them with a friendly jest.
“That's too much praise. I didn't defeat it alone...”
“But it's undeniable that you played the decisive role. That's not to say I'm not grateful to the others.”
The chief smiled and urged them to drink. After the three of them had downed five or six cups, the chief left.
“Sunbaenim, I need to use the restroom for a moment...”
“Go ahead.”
As Aint disappeared, the hazy focus in Pernyan's eyes sharpened.
*They're up to something interesting.*
Pernyan hadn't missed the subtle hand gestures exchanged between the chief and Aint.
* * *
“Why did you ask to see me separately?”
Aint, who had said he was going to the restroom, entered the chief's yurt.
“Because I have something to discuss with you, of course. Ah, would you care for a drink?”
“Yes.”
The chief offered him a cup. As Aint took it, the chief poured liquor into the empty vessel.
“Hmm, what would you prefer? Straight to the point? Or should we talk about something else for a while?”
“I'd like to get to the point.”
“A bit impatient, are we?”
“Wouldn't anyone be impatient in a situation like this?”
“That is also true.”
Very well, then. After a moment of thought, the chief began.
“Did you know? Though we are now fractured into many groups, there is a prophecy passed down among all the desert tribes.”
“A prophecy?”
*Thud.* The chief set down the liquor bottle. The story that came from his lips didn't quite seem to answer the question.
“Long ago, the desert tribes were divided. Though they originated from one, they fought for so long that they became worse than strangers. There was one who brought them back together and united them.”
In the Empire, he was called the first emperor, and among the desert tribes, the first Khan.
“That was our most glorious era. United under the Khan, the tribes boasted immense power as a single confederation.”
No one dared to look down on the desert tribes. Instead, they were feared, and others were busy watching their every move.
“While battling demons and demonic beasts across the continent, there was one who represented the tribes under the Khan.”
After the first emperor stepped down as Khan, it was Oswell Valance who became the second Khan.
He was the great warrior of the desert tribes, the strongest and wisest among them.
- Oswell Valance. A nostalgic name. He was a bit simple, but a damn strong fellow.
- Even without being able to use aura, his physical abilities were simply broken.
- The late emperor appointed him as a Royal Knight.
The chief wet his throat for a moment before continuing.
“The prophecy is what he left behind.”
- I have a good idea of what it is.
“What does it say?”
“Hell's fury is not yet over; the world will once again fall into sorrow. But the Sacred Light shall return; a new sprout will grow on the red sands, and it shall lead us to the promised glory.”
“...Excuse me?”
- The late emperor merely said that the demons would one day rise again, so we should prepare, and that future generations would pay the price. They've interpreted it rather grandly.
- You have to admit, those desert tribe folks have a flair for the dramatic.
Gardner clicked his tongue.
“To be honest, I had considered it to be nonsense, but today I learned that it was not at all.”
“Uh...”
“The demons have begun to rise again... and the Sacred Light has descended like this. How could it be false?”
“Does that mean...”
“Yes, we will serve you as our Khan. Please, lead us to a place of glory.”
As the chief abruptly bowed his head, Aint stammered in bewilderment.
“...You'll serve me as Khan based on that one prophecy?”
“Is that strange?”
“Is it not?”
At that, the chief burst into laughter.
“Hahahahaha...! A jest. Of course, I wouldn't do something so rash!”
*Gulp, gulp.* The chief drained the large cup in one go.
“Everyone knows that desert folk like to make their stories sound impressive. They're a mix of exaggeration and lies, so you have to filter them.”
“......”
“I know that you are the Sacred Light, Lord Aint. But I do not believe you will unconditionally guide us to a place of glory as the second Khan's prophecy states.”
“Then your offer to serve me as Khan was also...”
“No, that was sincere.”
The chief shook his head.
“But not because of the prophecy. It is because it is beneficial to us.”
His eyes narrowed sharply.
“I am not a good liar, so I will be frank. Despite fighting alongside the Empire against the demons, the desert did not receive its due rights. It would be more accurate to say they were slowly taken away.”
As the Empire's nobles forgot their gratitude to the desert people and began to see them as savages, support gradually diminished.
With the support gone, the desert tribes lost their prosperity and reverted to the era before their unification.
- But if you think about it, doesn't that mean these guys did nothing and just leeched off the Empire for a thousand years?
Aint did his best to ignore Gardner's words.
“The Empire, the continent, has advanced, but we, on the contrary, have regressed.”
At this rate, there was no future for the desert.
“That is why, in a way, we are pleased by this moment.”
“What do you mean?”
“The second Khan, along with the first, united the desert tribes. Many lives were lost in the war against the demons, but in return, we shone more brilliantly than ever before.”
And now, war was approaching once again.
“I believe this is the opportunity given to us. The last chance for the desert tribes to survive.”
War takes much, but ironically, some profit from it.
For the desert tribes, it was a lifeline thrown to them for survival.
“We want to fight under you, Aint Armian. We will become your warriors and tear the demons apart. In return, you will promise us concessions, money, and land for us to live on.”
Then, we will become one.
“And serve you as our Khan.”
It was not because they believed in the prophecy.
Nor was it because they were chasing past glories.
“We will use you.”
It was a purely practical matter.
“So you, too, must use us.”
It was for the sake of survival.
* * *
“......”
Aint could not answer rashly.
He agonized and deliberated.
After a long silence, he finally opened his mouth.
“Honestly, I might fail. I have no confidence that I can defeat the demons and become emperor.”
“We know.”
“Why me? Is it because I am a descendant of the first emperor?”
“Because you are the only one who will need us.”
It was a purely practical matter. The Armians lacked power.
Due to the first emperor's misjudgment, most of the Armian territories had been reverted to the emperor, and subsequently, most of it was handed over to the Schwabens.
An Elector family that was a mere shell of its former self.
A former imperial family that could do nothing but bask in its past glory.
Therefore, if they were to aim for the throne again, they desperately needed a powerful force.
The desert tribes were the perfect force to scratch the Armians' itch.
“...Very well.”
“An excellent choice!”
“Uwahahaha!” The chief roared with laughter. He filled a huge cup with liquor and offered it to Aint.
“Among the desert tribes, we drink together when forging a bond of master and servant. All in one go.”
“This is a bit...”
But the cup was already in Aint's hand.
*Clink.* As their cups met, the chief's Adam's apple bobbed, and Aint had no choice but to down the liquor as well.
“Khaaaah! Drinking in such a fine situation makes the liquor taste even sweeter.”
“...Yes. It's... sweet.”
Aint barely swallowed the urge to retch.
“From now on, I will serve you as my lord. First, I will convene a tribal council to install you as Khan. It will take some time, as we must follow the proper procedures.”
“Yes, I'll trust you. Ah, and if possible, this fact should...”
“We will keep it as hidden as possible, so it does not leak to the outside.”
With that brief conversation over, the two returned to the festival.
They did not know.
- *Whir?*
Of the existence of a tiny golem, hidden behind a tent pole.