Chapter 27
Chapter 27
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: The New Commander
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“…It’s alright.”
Evangeline said, her voice trembling slightly.
“Just as you said, Young Master, it’s nothing more than trash. Even if… it was precious to me…”
“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”
Carlyle wanted to bite his tongue off.
He’d just blurted it out without thinking, his mind chaotic and on edge, but of all things, the bracelet had to be her grandmother's memento.
“Looking at it again, it’s a simple but pretty bracelet.”
“…”
“Your grandmother must have had a good eye for beauty when she was alive, huh? Haha, hahaha.”
“…”
“Haha, hahaha…”
Carlyle shot Maranello a look, begging for help with an awkward smile, but it was no use.
Even for Maranello, this seemed a bit too much to handle.
“Words, once spoken, cannot be taken back. Do you think this old man nagged you to be careful with your words and actions until his ears bled for no reason?”
“…”
Carlyle squeezed his eyes shut.
‘Booo! Trash!’
He could almost hear the jeers of an angry crowd ringing in his ears.
“I’m really sorry. I was just on edge.”
It might have sounded like an excuse, but it was the truth.
No matter how jaded Carlyle was, it would have been stranger if he *wasn’t* on edge when he was about to be sent to a battlefield where people died.
For Carlyle, war was an unknown realm he had never experienced in either his past or present life…
Or perhaps, after playing the part of a scoundrel for so long, harsh words had simply become a habit.
“It’s alright, Young Master. I completely understand.”
Fortunately, Evangeline quickly composed herself and offered a bright smile.
Of course, just because she looked fine on the outside didn’t mean the wound in her heart had healed instantly.
“But why are you suddenly giving me your grandmother’s memento?”
“Because I wanted to be of help to you, Young Master.”
“Help?”
“I’ve imbued it with my mana.”
“Ah.”
Carlyle finally understood what Evangeline meant.
He recalled that spirit users, or mages, could imbue their mana into specific objects to create artifacts.
‘Ah, so that’s why she made it with her grandmother’s memento.’
Not every object could become an artifact.
Of course, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
For example, couldn’t one imbue mana into parchment to create a [Magic Scroll]?
But artifacts made that way were, at best, single-use consumables.
However, with objects that had been cherished for a long time or were very rare, it was possible to create artifacts that could be used multiple times, sometimes even permanently.
It wasn’t for nothing that Evangeline had created an artifact from her grandmother’s memento.
*Ting!*
[Whisper of the Earth]
An artifact created by the earth spirit user, Evangeline, by generously imbuing her grandmother's memento with her mana.
Though crude, it contains the power of the lesser earth spirit, [Gnome].
Grade: Mystic
Durability: 500 / 500
Effects:
- Memory of the Earth
- Guide of the Earth
- Quagmire
‘It has all the prime skills?!’
The [Whisper of the Earth] that Evangeline gave him contained three core skills usable by a spirit user contracted with an earth spirit.
Moreover, its durability was substantial, guaranteeing a whopping 500 uses.
‘This might even be on par with a decent Legendary-grade item.’
The item grades in the game [Overlord] were Common, Mystic, Legendary, Epic, Mythic, and World.
Of course, the grade wasn’t everything, but it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say this was a top-tier item among the Mystic grade.
“Thank you so much. I’ll use it well.”
Carlyle thanked Evangeline with a radiant smile.
“Really?! You’ll accept my gift?!”
“Of course. An artifact made from your grandmother’s memento… It’s a precious object to you. I don’t know if I should accept something like this.”
“You absolutely should! Please accept it! I made it for you, Young Master!”
Evangeline beamed as if she had never been hurt at all.
The radiant smile of the North's most handsome man in uniform was enough to make new flesh grow over a wounded heart…
***
The departure ceremony was simple and modest, without any formal trappings.
However, Carlyle, the star of the ceremony, looked nothing short of spectacular.
He hadn’t particularly dressed up.
He merely wore the uniform of Decaron and the black cloak that only direct descendants of the Sigmund family could don.
But that alone was enough to captivate everyone.
‘So he’s only a genius when it comes to his face?’
‘For the so-called most handsome man in the North, he does have a different air about him.’
‘Tsk. He is handsome, I’ll give him that.’
‘The gods are truly unfair, giving such a handsome face to a scoundrel like him.’
It was so striking that even those who usually disapproved of Carlyle couldn’t help but be inwardly impressed.
And so, Carlyle stood before the Lord of Decaron, basking in the admiring gazes.
“Do not die. But if you must, die honorably as a Sigmund, taking one more with you.”
The Grand Duke said as much, sending his son to the battlefield.
“Yes, well. If I’m going to die, I’ll take at least one more with me. It’ll feel less unfair that way.”
“…That wasn’t what I meant.”
“I know. You’re telling me to die ‘well,’ aren’t you? Because appearances matter more than my inner feelings.”
A chilling silence fell.
Everyone held their breath.
‘That… that madman.’
‘He must have completely lost his mind, now that his time has come.’
‘He’s truly insane.’
The blood relatives, vassals, and knights of the Sigmund family were appalled by Carlyle’s remark.
No matter how much of a scoundrel he was, how dare he spew such venom at the Lord of Decaron.
*Swoosh.* Grand Duke Guntram raised a hand.
The onlookers were certain that Grand Duke Guntram was about to slap Carlyle across the face.
It was so certain that even Maranello squeezed his eyes shut.
But alas, the expected did not happen.
*Pat, pat.* Grand Duke Guntram’s hand tapped Carlyle’s shoulder.
“Yes, you are right.”
“…!”
Everyone was shocked by the Grand Duke’s words and actions.
Only one person.
Carlyle alone stared directly at his father, who was patting his shoulder.
“Even if you cry in fear, cry inwardly. Even if you want to live, do not beg for your life. If you are to die, die honorably, die magnificently. Die so gloriously that you will be remembered for generations as a proud member of the Sigmund family.”
Grand Duke Guntram said, smiling faintly.
He seemed more amused than offended by Carlyle’s irreverent remark.
Perhaps it was because Carlyle had accurately seen through to the essence of a ‘glorious death.’
“I’ll try.”
“That doesn’t mean I want you to die.”
“That’s not something a father sending his son to a battlefield should say.”
“That is also true.”
Once again, Grand Duke Guntram did not deny Carlyle’s words.
“But you know, don’t you? That even as your father, my hands are tied.”
“That’s true.”
“So stop grumbling and go.”
“Yes.”
*Flutter.* As Carlyle turned, the hem of his cloak swayed.
“Don’t you ever forget what I asked of you.”
“Yes, Young Master. You needn’t worry.”
Maranello recalled the request Carlyle had made.
‘Take good care of Frey and Evangeline. Never take your eyes off those two.’
‘Yes, Young Master.’
Frey was a key figure who would later become the Lord of Decaron and one of the main characters of [Overlord], while Evangeline was a talent coveted by the royal family.
If anything were to happen to either of them, it would be a tremendous blow to Decaron.
So it was only natural for Carlyle to entrust them to Maranello so earnestly.
“Please come back safely, brother.”
Frey wished Carlyle good fortune in battle.
Selena had already left for the front and could not attend the ceremony.
“Right.”
Carlyle gave a slight nod, accepting Frey’s farewell.
The relationship between them was far too awkward to expect a display of warm brotherly affection.
‘There is a way to make this a cakewalk. Hmm.’
Even if the sky falls, there’s always a way out.
Carlyle recalled the strategy for the Blood-Soaked Land as he set off with the escort.
***
The reason Kuberin came to be called the Blood-Soaked Land was due to its geopolitical characteristics.
Kuberin was a geographically crucial strategic point.
Thanks to its vast and dense primeval forest, large-scale troop movements were impossible, but forces ranging from a few dozen to several hundred could still pass through.
The barbarians often passed through the Blood-Soaked Land to invade Decaron’s territory, plundering, harassing the rear, and committing other military provocations.
The same was true for Decaron, which would occasionally dispatch detached units to attack the barbarians.
However, the most decisive reason Kuberin became the Blood-Soaked Land was none other than [Mana Stones].
Mana stones, a mystical mineral, were a crucial resource in this world, and Kuberin had an immense amount of them buried within its soil.
It was so abundant that one didn’t even need to dig for them.
Hundreds, even thousands of mana stones, large and small, were clustered on rocks and in the crevices of trees throughout the forest.
Because of this, Decaron and the barbarians had been fighting fierce battles over the vital resource of mana stones for the past several hundred years.
It wasn’t for nothing that Kuberin, with its staggering number of casualties, was called the Blood-Soaked Land.
Bowden, a small fortress nestled deep within Kuberin.
In Bowden Fortress, primarily garrisoned by engineers who mined mana stones, the soldiers of the Raging Claw Reconnaissance Team—a unit in charge of search, reconnaissance, and combat—were tending to their weapons, preparing for the next battle as they did every day.
“Newsflash! Newsflash!”
The reconnaissance team’s rookie, [Piss-Stench] Russell, shouted urgently at the veteran soldiers.
“What’s with all the fuss?”
[The Castrator] Marder asked Russell, pausing his work on his bowstring.
“It looks like we’re getting a new commander at our fortress!”
“…!”
The faces of the reconnaissance soldiers twisted in unison.
“Son of a bitch!”
“Hmph!” He hawked and spat.
Russell tilted his head, not understanding the veterans’ reaction.
“Wh-why is everyone acting like that?”
“Rookie.”
[The Barber] Wilson chided Russell, looking dumbfounded.
“How have you been here for six months and you’re still so clueless?”
“Huh…?”
“Do you think anyone who comes to command a shithole fortress this small is going to be normal? Nine times out of ten, it’s some greenhorn who just became a knight. You want to take orders from some brat who doesn’t know anything?”
*Nod, nod!*
The soldiers nodded their heads in agreement with Wilson’s words.
For these soldiers, who had been through hell and back in the Blood-Soaked Land, a new commander was an inconvenient, unpleasant, and unwelcome presence.
No matter if he was a knight, a newly commissioned one was bound to make mistakes due to a lack of experience.
The problem was that here in Kuberin, a small mistake could lead directly to death, so it was only natural for the soldiers to be wary of a newly appointed commander.
“Heh heh.”
Russell gave a triumphant smile.
“How long do you think I’ve been eating this shit? You think I wouldn’t know that? You can put those worries to rest!”
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
“The new commander is none other than, none other than…!!!”
Russell paused for dramatic effect before shouting as if making a declaration.
“A Sigmund! A Sigmund!”
“…!”
The soldiers’ eyes widened as if they were about to pop out of their sockets.
No matter how much the soldiers disliked rookie knights, a Sigmund was a different story.
Even a hatchling was still a dragon, wasn’t it?
It was common for even a newly commissioned Sigmund knight to display incredible combat prowess and leadership.
“If a Sigmund comes, then those barbarian bastards…”
Russell was saying excitedly, when—
*Thwack!*
Wilson smacked Russell on the back of the head.
“Ack!”
“Hey! Is a Sigmund your friend or something?!”
An angry Russell huffed and puffed.