Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: How the No.1 Ranked Hero Saves the World
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“Shut up!”
But of course, there was someone who couldn’t just stand by and watch.
From the distance, a knight in silver armor charged toward them on horseback. He was so hot-blooded that he trampled even his own allies in his path.
“How dare some filthy sorcerer use that petty witchcraft!”
His helmet muffled his voice, but it was young and brimming with vigor. Listening to the knight’s shout, I felt my doubts growing stronger.
“Witchcraft, huh.”
According to the memories of the knight captain I’d inherited, magic and skills existed in this world too, albeit rarely.
That was why Damon and the soldiers following me had been astonished and cheered by the sheer power of my strength, but hadn’t questioned its existence.
Damon had even called it a miracle.
Was I overthinking it? Was it just that a sudden enemy like me wielding such immense power led them to label it witchcraft?
But the hatred in his voice was too intense to dismiss so easily...
No. Even if I dug into the details, the System’s noise would just garble everything anyway.
“Get out of my way! I’ll handle him, you worthless scum!”
His booming shout was so fierce that some soldiers, startled by his momentum, halted their retreat.
Well, superiors were always terrifying figures to soldiers, like gods in the sky.
I watched the charging knight, lost in thought for a moment.
Overwhelming that army of a hundred thousand with fear had been pure luck.
I knew that.
The enemy’s front lines had crumbled for now, but they still had a hundred thousand troops.
In the far distance, across the vast plain, their banners still flew proudly.
The ranks in the rear stood firm, unshaken, holding their positions obediently at their commander’s orders.
And the biggest problem was the catapults being built at the rear of the enemy camp.
Five of them.
They looked nearly complete.
They’d surely finish within the two days I had to hold out, and once they did, defending the walls would become impossible.
That was when proper siege warfare began.
The enemy knew it too.
At the center of the halted enemy advance.
A lavish tent and a raised platform came into view. Someone sat atop the high platform.
He watched the front lines leisurely.
It stemmed from absolute confidence.
In the end, all I’d changed was a fleeting moment.
No matter how many hundreds I cut down in a single charge, the soldiers right in front of me might fear me...
But the overwhelming numerical difference remained unchanged.
On top of that, my own situation wasn’t great, even as I stood my ground.
Blood already pooled in my mouth.
In System terms, I could see my total mana as a number, but not how much I’d used or had left. I could only guess by feel.
If they were going to call it a System, it’d be nice if it showed everything like game stats.
Anyway, I had the knight captain’s stats and class bonuses, but that didn’t restore my original abilities.
Even originally, extending the holy sword’s blade to its limit strained my mana too much to do often.
Could I do it one more time?
No, I couldn’t.
I made my call. In my current state, that technique was off the table.
Of course, I hadn’t been blind to this outcome. I’d used it anyway to buy even a momentary halt for the enemy.
So if that charging knight took my head now, the momentum would reverse in an instant.
Then history in this timeline couldn’t flow as the ghost desired.
Damn, what kind of mission was this hard? How was I supposed to win a war already lost with just twenty men? Hell, I was down to one!
As I cursed the mission, the enemy knight arrived right in front of me with ferocious speed.
He rode a white horse that contrasted sharply with my black steed, its silver armor and helmet gleaming spotless in the sunlight.
Jeez, he’s gonna sweat to death in that.
“Evil spawn! I shall pass judgment upon you!”
Hearing that from him made me feel like the real villain. I raised my sword to meet the charging knight.
“Evil, you say.”
Yeah, truthfully, I knew nothing about this situation. I was swinging this sword just to grant a dead ghost’s wish, so maybe I really was the villain, like he said.
“Captain! It’s dangerous!”
“Out of the way, you bastards! Captain!”
But seeing the desperate faces of the soldiers charging from the enemy’s midst toward me, it didn’t feel so bad.
Maybe the knight captain’s emotions had rubbed off on me after the possession.
I smirked and addressed my partner.
“Well, I’ve been a hero long enough. Playing demon king for a change isn’t bad. Right?”
But the black horse shuddered faintly, as if protesting my words. Come on. It’s the same job.
Either way, my goal was surviving by clearing the mission ahead. I’d cut down anyone for that. Even if it made me the bad guy.
Still, I’ll come save you all.
“Die!”
The knight swung his sword at me without slowing.
A clear clang rang out as our blades met.
Instead of deflecting or parrying, I met his swing head-on with brute force. When I didn’t yield an inch, the knight’s eyes widened as he drew close.
“Hey.”
“Shut up!”
“You some big shot?”
“No matter what nonsense you spew, I won’t falter!”
“Yeah, definitely high-ranking.”
He wasn’t listening at all. Guys like this always climbed too high for their station and doomed entire armies.
Our locked blades began tilting toward one side from sheer power. The black horse snorted bravely, advancing step by step into the enemy lines.
“Urk!”
The knight gripped his slipping sword, gritting his teeth. His arm trembled visibly.
I’d worried he might be a tough opponent for me now, but if this was it, I regretted my caution.
“Unbelievable. Blind or what?”
If I were the enemy, I’d have sent my strongest card. Losing here meant total defeat in the initial momentum clash.
With our swords still pressed together, I glanced at the figure on the distant platform.
No movement.
It was starting to feel pathetic, dueling like this.
I stopped holding back and smashed his sword away properly.
Clang!
With a sharp ring, unable to withstand my strength, the knight and his horse staggered back together.
I swung a few more times. Just enough for him to parry.
Each time the holy sword arced, chips flew from his blocking blade.
His arm shook under my overhead strikes.
Before long, the eyes peering through his helmet brimmed with fear, as if beholding something incomprehensible.
“Told you. Retreat, and you won’t die.”
“You insolent...!”
“But you’re in my sword’s reach.”
As I raised my arm for another overhead strike, the knight’s shoulders flinched.
Just for an instant. But his hesitation and fear would spread to the enemy.
Don’t forget. I had to win this hopeless battle. Whatever it took.
Instead of swinging, I kicked off the saddle and leaped lightly into the air.
Nymph’s Wind enveloped my body.
If I had to bluff, might as well overdo the theatrics. I couldn’t sprout wings like Lee Woo-yeon, but!
My body spun once in midair.
In the air, I grabbed the tail of the knight’s helmet with my free hand. His head jerked after me.
“Urk!”
He clung to the saddle with his legs to hold on, but I kicked his armored thigh with the hand gripping his head.
Unprepared for the unexpected attack, the knight tumbled off helplessly.
“Argh!”
His heavy armor crashed to the ground with a thud, and the startled white horse reared up, bolting riderless into the distance.
A flashy, pathetic defeat.
Not even a proper sword duel—nothing more humiliating for a knight.
I planted one foot on the fallen knight’s chest.
He groaned beneath me. The helmet I’d yanked off rolled loosely on the ground.
Cries of anguish rose from the enemy ranks.
The revealed face belonged to a young man in his mid-twenties.
Striking blond hair, arrogant blue eyes.
Groaning from the fall, he snapped to his senses and glared at me, grinding his teeth.
“You cowardly bastard! Don’t shame me—fight fair!”
Sure, it was cowardly. I’d ditched the sword mid-fight for a brawl.
But I wasn’t a knight.
I shrugged.
“How easy is ‘fair’ against a hundred thousand?”
As my blade touched his throat, uproar erupted from the enemy lines.
Hm, from the reaction, he must be pretty important.
I equipped the Screaming Mermaid’s Trumpet I’d used before and shouted to the bewildered enemy troops and our still-fighting allies in between.
“I’ve captured an enemy knight!”
A bit of a gamble. Unsure of his hostage value, but I had to use everything I had.
Unexpectedly, another mounted knight rode forward from the enemy formation.
“Stop, cease this!”
Huh.
Jackpot?
I looked down at the young man struggling desperately to rise from the dirt.
Meanwhile, Damon and the soldiers, hearing my call, broke from the enemy ranks and rushed to me.
The cavalry were wounded and fewer, but their morale burned bright.
“Captain!”
Damon was even waving his hand. Drums thrummed from the walls.
Of course. Halting the enemy advance was the primary goal, and we’d basically achieved it, so spirits were high.
At the same time, the other knight who’d ridden forward cried out in a grief-stricken voice.
“My lord!”
“...My lord?”
I glanced down at the youth grinding his teeth in the dirt. He glared back with murderous intent.
My lord? Was he some top brass in the enemy? No, if he was that vital, why charge in recklessly?
That puzzled me, but seeing his hate-filled face, I understood why this happened.
Sharp gaze, stubborn features. The type who ignores everyone. He’d blown off any warnings and charged.
Idiots like him weren’t rare.
Anyway, what mattered was his hostage value.
Keeping my sword to his throat, I addressed the approaching enemy knight.
“If his life matters, fall back.”
“Absurd!”
The knight bellowed like thunder. In his rage, he hurled his helmet to the ground.
“Our lord wouldn’t wish to surrender! To dare inflict such shame!”
The youth’s eyes glazed over at those words. His thrashing limbs froze.
I was stunned too.
This wasn’t a jackpot—it was a dud. Fancy talk, but basically, kill him, we don’t care.
Could be a bluff, though. With no info, I had no basis to judge.
“Ridiculous!”
But Damon was different.
Galloping up beside me, he wheeled his horse and roared.
“If you don’t want to see your precious heir die, fall back!”
Jackpot after all? Damon dismounted, sword to the youth’s throat alongside mine.
He was grinning.
“To think this lowly wretch would one day point a blade at Your Highness. How often I’ve dreamed of this day.”
“You dare!”
“What are you waiting for? Bind him and drag him away!”
A few soldiers dismounted, bound the youth’s limbs with cloth, and hoisted him like luggage onto a horse.
He struggled to lift his head despite the bonds. Heartbroken cries burst from the enemy ranks.
For a moment, I glimpsed hope.
What if we could win just by holding this guy hostage...
That was when it happened.
“How dare you.”
The platform at the enemy’s center. The figure seated there slowly rose.
With my enhanced stats widening my view, I saw him clearly.
Shining white armor like the captive youth’s.
A grandly unfurled cloak, a scepter in hand.
Banners trailing behind.
Without shouting, his voice dominated the battlefield in an instant.
“Do you filthy vermin dare insult my heir?”
Magic.