Chapter 447: Tightening the Screws
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 447: Tightening the Screws
The war ended so quickly it felt almost anticlimactic. Fearing heavy casualties while attempting to lay siege to the ice fortress, the command headquarters hastily issued an order to retreat. It was a fatal mistake born from the complacent assumption that the difference in military strength would be negligible.
They were at a relative disadvantage.
The problem was their delusion that firearms could suppress beings who wielded power on the level of a natural disaster.
Given that they should have been dragging out the clock with a defensive siege, pushing all their forces toward the enemy's fortress walls made the outcome all but inevitable.
The dwarves on the central wall suffered few casualties, but most of the humans who went with them were annihilated, cut down by the scythes of Choi Seulgi of the North and Jang Ye Ri, the Queen of the East. The enemy had taken almost no damage, while the ground before the ice fortress had become a mountain of corpses and a river of blood.
The number of prisoners taken was immense, most of them dwarves. While there were some human captives, there was no such thing as international law on this continent. They were afforded a minimum of humanitarian treatment, but out of sight, acts that could only be described as petty retaliation were taking place.
Having suffered a blow that would have made unconditional surrender a reasonable option, the command’s decision was to withdraw—to preserve their remaining forces after abandoning the continental front.
Amidst this situation, Anne struggled to adapt to the continent’s volatile state of affairs as she stared down at what was in front of her.
‘Choice brisket…?’
She wasn’t the only one. The hundred or so survivors—those who had seen the most death, or rather, those who had managed to live—found themselves staring at the brisket that had been distributed as rations, with no time to steady their trembling minds.
Sssssssssssss
The continuous sizzling sound was definitely not a hallucination. The group gathered here numbered only about a hundred, including herself, and it seemed no precautions had been taken against a potential uprising. They had been completely abandoned amidst those raising a toast to victory.
“You couldn’t even call it a war.”
“Did you see the heads fly off those bastards who insulted our Queen? Pwahahaha!”
“It was a magnificent sight.”
“To victory!”
“To victory!”
“This brisket just melts in your mouth!”
The chatter of soldiers began to drift in from all around. They were well-trained elite troops, every one of them a veteran warrior who had survived countless battlefronts. They might not possess great magical power or individual strength, but they were all capable of protecting themselves and fighting on the front lines.
“…”
In contrast to the noisy surroundings, a strange silence hung over this area. No one knew how they were supposed to act. Just a few hours ago, everyone here had been in hell, struggling desperately to survive in a place shrouded in screams and death. Some had abandoned their comrades to save themselves; others, like her, had raised their weapons against their own allies.
The events that had transpired there were too surreal to simply rejoice in their survival. They were terrified, frightened, trembling. In the boisterous hall, this was the only place where a heavy silence had fallen.
Of course, that silence didn’t last long. Someone, unable to bear it any longer, quietly spoke up.
“What are they thinking… I never thought we’d end up here too…”
“Who knows. What that man is thinking… why he let us live…”
“Th-th-there…”
A mage who specialized in water magic started to speak, then shut his mouth. He had probably been about to bring up what happened back there. Overwhelmed by the mood, he had silenced himself. It was only natural to want to forget the events of that place. Among those present were some who had clashed swords until that man had ordered the fighting to stop.
Everyone had decided to forget that incident. Though nothing was said, it was an unspoken agreement.
It was then, as they were all cautiously watching one another, that a few figures slowly approached. Even without looking, it was obvious who would be coming here. It had to be the one who had bestowed this… thing… upon them.
‘Blood Dagger.’
To his left was Choi Seulgi of the North, and to his right was the plant woman she had seen before. As Blood Dagger drew near, a few of the humans began to tremble violently. They were undoubtedly remembering things they wanted to forget.
He sat down with an indifferent expression and began to look down at the assembled survivors with the same arrogant look he’d had before.
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
“…”
It was a question directed at no one in particular. As everyone hesitated to answer, the plant woman beside him spoke quietly.
“He asked if you are not going to eat.”
Her voice was quiet but sharp. Anne found herself speaking up in a hurry, feeling that someone had to answer the question.
“Ah… um, why are we here… and why are we separated from the other prisoners… I don’t quite understand…”
“Prisoners? Hmm, are you referring to those captives over there?”
“Yes…”
“The reason you are separated from them is quite simple. Your positions are different. They are people who were captured against their will, while you are people who came into my embrace of your own volition. Is that not so?”
At Blood Dagger’s words, Anne lowered her head. She hadn’t come willingly, but the man wasn’t wrong. The people here had made a choice, even knowing it was the wrong one, and as a result, they had survived.
“Yes… th-that’s right.”
“It is a joyous day. For now, let’s eat.”
He looked a little different from the last time she’d seen him. He was still undeniably majestic. A man who stood above all others. The way his eyes looked down on people was incredibly natural. A smile played on his lips, just as before, but the atmosphere around him felt strangely different.
Contrary to the blood-crazed fiend or the demon toying with humans he had seemed to be, the expression he wore now was quite human. In particular, the way he looked at the women on either side of him was so starkly different in temperature from his previous gaze that it sent an involuntary shiver down her spine.
Perhaps she had stared too intently at the demon’s face. Choi Seulgi, beside him, muttered.
“Recognizes a handsome face when she sees one, huh? Fucking staring.”
“…”
She had no choice but to quickly lower her head. She could see the plant woman staring at her as well. The man just clicked his tongue as if this were a common occurrence and said nothing more, but to Anne, the spot felt like she was sitting on a bed of thorns.
A woman’s jealousy is a fearsome thing. Anne, being a woman herself and having roughly grasped their relationship, knew exactly how she should act. She deliberately turned her gaze to the meat on the grill below and expertly flipped it over.
Sssssssssssss
Once again, the sound of meat cooking filled the air. Despite her complicated thoughts and the events of before, a strange appetite was stirring within her.
It was absurd, but considering her own army’s poor supply situation, her current reaction was quite natural. It had been over two weeks since she’d had a proper meal. The situation had been slightly better before the final battle, but even then, the nutritional quality had been poor.
The others were in the same boat. A few wore displeased expressions, but some were cautiously eyeing the meal, a sight they hadn’t seen in a very long time.
“He told you to eat. That is the second time now.”
At the cold voice, it was only natural to pick up a fork and knife. The earlier incident had threatened to ruin her appetite for a moment, but the aroma wafting up from the grill was already unbearable. A few people were already bringing the food before them to their lips, their faces showing expressions of happiness that didn't fit the situation. Anne, too, squeezed her eyes shut and chewed what was in front of her.
‘It’s melting.’
The words of that man, who seemed to mock them daily, had not been a lie. The meat, the first she’d had in a very long time, truly felt like it was melting in her mouth. Her hesitation was momentary; her treacherous brain seemed to have forgotten everything that had happened before.
As she was busy moving the morsels to her mouth, the man’s voice was heard once again.
“You must have many questions, so I’d like you to ask them slowly. I will answer what I can.”
Naturally, the atmosphere was not coercive. She thought the people gathered here must have realized, while eating, that this Green Skin truly wasn’t going to harm them. At least, that’s how it felt to Anne.
He had insisted they eat comfortably and was actually trying to create a comfortable atmosphere. Of course, for her, it was hard to call it comfortable thanks to the women on either side of him, but on the faces of the others, the fear of death and the dread of the unknown situation were beginning to fade.
The first to speak was Kain, the axe-wielding warrior. He was the one Blood Dagger had first asked, “Who are you?”
“What is it that you want from us? We may think of ourselves as somewhat capable in our respective fields, but compared to y-you, we are insignificant. I believe there was no re-reason to spare us. I-I’m sure you have some purpose, but I’m curious about what will happen to us… and why we are here.”
Though his words were jumbled and incoherent, it wasn’t a bad question. In a way, it struck at the heart of the matter.
‘What does he intend to use us for? What will happen to us from now on?’
That was the question. Whether it was for simple amusement or because he thought they were necessary, the events in that hell had meaning. The hundred people here were accomplices, bound by the same crime. They were accomplices bound by a bond they never wanted, all according to the will of the man before them.
They had survived by stepping on their comrades. Whether they had been consumed by madness or not, that was an undeniable fact. The question was why he had gone to such trouble to keep them alive.
“It’s nothing special. I happened to be in need of people, so you can call it a whim. Seeing capable individuals must have moved my heart. Hmm… I’ll answer your question simply. First, you need not worry about your own safety. It is an undeniable fact that I have decided to accept you.”
“Ah…”
“What you must do is also simple. In a few days, you will go out into the continent. It will end with you carrying out a few operations. It seems you will be moving with the one you call the Golden Saintess.”
“…”
They had heard she died in the Black Rock Mountains. It was unbelievable enough that she was still alive, but the fact that they would be working with her was even more absurd. She didn’t know if the Golden Saintess had gone through the same process as them, but the idea of working together was just as hard to believe.
The conditions were also incredibly generous. It was the complete opposite of what she had expected—being assigned all sorts of dirty work. In fact, one could say the conditions were extremely good. The war wasn’t over yet. No treaty had been signed, and the leaders of the two continents had not agreed to an armistice. If he really let them go free on the continent, then from that moment on, everyone here would be free. That is, unless they had complete control over the major and minor cities.
Outside of working hours, they could have their own time.
It was an absurd level of confidence. An act only possible because he believed the people here would not betray him, because he believed he could control them.
As expected, it was Michael Shawn who spoke up again.
“What if we betray you or… or run away?”
It was a useless question, not even worth answering. But at that question, the man’s lips curled into a smile as he answered with great care.
“I suppose those who can take responsibility for what happens next might make a similar choice.”
His voice was casual, as if he were just tossing the words out. In response to that voice, no one else could say a word.