Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Furosange's Downfall (1)
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The old quarter of Vibuwak Castle was engulfed in flames.
The survivors had all fled to the outpost on the rocky plateau.
Thick smoke billowed up from various spots.
"……."
Federback surveyed the castle's interior, reduced to ashes, with his characteristic impassive expression.
Wooden houses reduced to mere frames, roads blanketed in soot, and black cinders drifting through the air.
Every deep breath carried the scent of fire.
Federback passed by the crumbled castle walls, crossing a creaking tin signpost.
Whiiiiiing—
A north wind blew, like the breath of the god of death.
Amid the dark ashes, cattle bones protruded here and there.
One cow skull with a broken horn lay upside down.
Federback gazed at the mound made of piled-up cow bones.
Beyond it lay a man charred black to death.
A cowherd curled up, embracing small calves.
It was the stablekeeper he had met before.
'What sin have these cows committed for you to do this! They're gentle and kind! They've worked hard for humans their whole lives and committed no crimes!'
His shouts still echoed vividly in Federback's ears.
Federback clicked his tongue lightly.
"Retrieve this man's body."
"Yes."
Houndid nodded.
The ten Meursault knights moved the stablekeeper and the calves' corpses to one pile of ashes and buried them.
"Once the war ends, bury them properly in the memorial cemetery."
"Understood."
As the knights nodded to Federback's command,
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Suddenly, a ranger burst out from the ashes.
He lifted his burn-scarred face and glared at Federback.
But.
Craaack!
Federback swung the Dragon Fang Sword Adara, severing the ranger's head.
The severed head fell onto the ashes, producing acrid smoke.
Federback's gaze shifted.
"I heard Furosange's rangers were valiant. It seems there was some truth to it."
"Indeed. They're too good to serve under Viscount Serubret."
Houndid nodded.
He too had already cut down four rangers who sporadically emerged from beyond the embers.
Soon, Federback and the ten Meursault knights entered the rocky plateau made of solid stone.
A low stone wall stretched long around the separate tower built on the hilltop.
The last survivors of Furosange were surely hiding there.
Star Tower.
Serubret trembled in what was no different from a prison cell.
Filling his body with tremors were rage, fear, humiliation, and helplessness.
"Damn it…… How, how could this……"
Serubret sobbed, leaning against the cold wall.
In last night's battle, nine out of ten Furosange rangers had died.
And half of the surviving rangers had sustained disabilities that would plague them for life.
The other half were in such severe mental derangement that combat was practically impossible.
Now, only about ten could still fight.
And even those had survived intact only because they had evacuated early with Serubret.
"How could our Furosange end up like this…… And to just one man……"
"……."
The old rangers turned their heads with sighs.
The eldest ranger stepped forward.
"There are wounded in the back garden of the Star Tower."
"So?"
"Wouldn't it be good if you passed on some warm words of comfort from the patriarch? It would encourage them."
"What good is encouraging dying cripples?"
"……."
The rangers fell silent.
Seeing their expressions, Serubret bellowed.
"Do you think I haven't seen the ones lying in the back garden!? Every one of them is blind, lungs scorched and wheezing, limbs severed or broken, or insane and giggling with drool! What's the use in encouraging them now! Do you think if I go encourage them, they'll fight!? That they'll go out and bring back that loathsome bastard Federback's head!? If that's possible, I'd go encourage them a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand times!"
Then one ranger stepped forward.
"They're comrades who fought for you last night and ended up like that. Is that what you'll say to them?"
"What?"
Serubret drew the sword from his waist.
He glared with bloodshot eyes at the middle-aged ranger before him.
"What did you just say?"
"Did the fire burn your eardrums? The wounded in the back garden. Isn't it all because of you that they're in such a miserable state!"
"You bastard, running your mouth!"
Serubret swung his sword at the ranger.
However.
Claaang!
The old ranger's dagger blocked Serubret's sword.
"You seem too agitated, patriarch."
"You scum! How dare you stand in the patriarch's way!"
"Calm down. We're speaking out of loyalty……"
"Loyalty? If you have any, go out and bring back that bastard Federback's head!"
Serubret swung his sword again.
It pushed aside the old ranger's dagger and lightly sliced his forehead.
Splatter—
Blood dripped to the floor.
In an instant, the expressions of the surviving rangers turned fierce.
But.
"Stop!"
The old ranger blocked the other rangers.
This old ranger named Wuxiado looked up at Serubret, blood dripping from his face.
"Federback. Is the order to bring his head a command?"
"Yes! It's an order!"
"Does that order take precedence over the previous patriarch's command to protect you no matter what?"
"……."
Serubret faltered.
This was the first time this old ranger, who had supported him all along, had asked such a question.
A question from a battle-hardened veteran who had seen it all since the previous generation.
In that moment, Serubret recalled his father's dying words.
'Son. The greatest legacy I can leave you isn't the family or wealth, but 'Wuxiado.' As long as that friend is by your side, your father has no worries.'
The previous patriarch had assigned only Wuxiado, his longtime friend and guardian ranger, to Serubret.
And he had smiled, saying he had fulfilled all his duties as a father.
And now, Wuxiado was looking at Serubret.
"If so, we will obey that command."
"Do it! Please do! Go get Federback's head!"
Serubret squeezed his eyes shut and screamed hysterically.
He couldn't bear the gaze of that old ranger before him.
A look that seemed to pity him, reproach him, yet reluctantly obey—filled with so much.
Especially unbearable in the current situation, where almost all his loyal rangers were dead or maimed.
Soon, Wuxiado bowed his head.
"Thank you for everything until now, patriarch."
The nine other Furosange rangers followed, bowing their heads.
Far from accepting their farewell, Serubret bellowed.
"Get out!"
"Then we'll take our leave. Take care of yourself."
"No nagging, just go!"
Wuxiado gave a light bow and exited the stone chamber.
The nine rangers followed.
Mostly old rangers with hair turned white.
Serubret looked at the middle-aged ranger at the very end.
The youngest among the ten, a childhood friend the same age as Serubret, but he didn't look back once as he left the chamber.
"Damn it!"
Serubret punched the stone wall.
"What did I…… What did I do wrong…… I just…… I just wanted to make Furosange the greatest house in the North……"
But it hadn't worked.
That was something he shouldn't have done.
At the very least, he should have avoided the teeth of Meursault while extending his reach.
The Meursault House, which he thought had been drained dry, leaving only an empty shell.
Yet from that house crawled a young greenhorn who turned out to be such a terrifying monster.
"Federback, Federback, Federback, Federback, Federback…… Where the hell did that young monster come from? What grudge does he have against me from a past life to destroy Furosange so…… so miserably……"
Federback's image flickered before his eyes.
A devil with white hair and red eyes.
Like a wendigo emerging from a blizzard, baring its teeth.
As if punishing the disloyal vassal who dared betray his lord, just as it would condemn a subordinate who betrayed his master—House Furosange, who sought to topple their liege lord Meursault, was being punished.
"No…… Meursault was clearly in decline…… This was the chance to discard those outdated, musty old customs…… That was the only way to elevate Furosange's prestige……"
Suddenly, Serubret felt a chill.
Whiiiiiing—
The north wind blowing through the window cooled his body.
Serubret shivered and looked around.
Why did the wind, which hadn't felt cold until now, feel so frigid now?
He soon realized why.
The rangers.
With Wuxiado and the others gone, there was no one to block the cold draft from the window.
Serubret realized that Wuxiado had been shielding the north wind coming through the window with his broad back all this time.
And soon, he realized that the young ranger who had protected him since childhood—no, now an old ranger well over seventy—was no longer by his side.
"Wuxiado!"
Serubret jerked his head up as if struck by lightning.
"Wh-what have I done! H-how could I send Wuxiado……!"
Federback's head wasn't the important thing.
The old retainers who had always been with him, so much a part of life they were taken for granted.
Their absence filled Serubret with unprecedented fear and emptiness.
"Wuxiado! Come back! All of you, come back and protect me! As long as you are here, we can rebuild the house anytime……!"
Serubret hurriedly rushed out of the stone chamber.
Right then.
Chaaang! Claaang!
The sound of blades clashing came from outside.
Serubret remembered his last command.
Forget protecting him—just bring back Federback's head somehow.
The rangers, led by Wuxiado, must have drawn their swords to obey that order.
Which meant over there was…….
"Federback! So you're here!"
Serubret drew the sword from his waist.
He intended to plunge the blade into his hated enemy's heart.
With the thought of helping Wuxiado and the Furosange rangers kill Federback, he charged out.
……But the sight that met Serubret as he rushed out of the Star Tower was something entirely different.
"Kuhuk!"
Wuxiado spat blood from his mouth.
A large hole gaped in his chest.
Beside him lay the corpses of nine rangers.
The being who had massacred Furosange's final rangers.
It was.
"Hohoho— I told you to stay put, but you went wild and made this mess, Viscount?"
Shedioldis.