Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: The Fall of Prossange (2)
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“Hohoho— I told you to stay put, but you just had to rampage and make this mess, didn’t you, Viscount?”
Shedioldis was entering the Star Tower.
She had just ripped out the heart of a ranger right before her eyes.
Crunch— Crunch— Crunch—
Shedioldis bit into the heart as if savoring a plump fruit.
Washado swung his dagger before her.
“Where do you think you’re going.”
Shedioldis raised her arm to block Washado’s strike.
Clang—!
The blade-like scales protruding from her skin repelled the dagger.
...Boom!
A whip-like tail shot out from beneath the hem of her skirt and lashed at Washado’s abdomen.
“Urk!”
Washado staggered backward.
Beyond him stood Viscount Serubret.
“Washado! W-what in the world is this?!”
“...This woman devoured all the wounded in the rear garden. She’s no ordinary youkai.”
As if to prove his words, Shedioldis lifted the body of a fallen ranger.
The ranger dangled limply, still clinging to life.
Squelch—
Shedioldis ripped out his heart once more and swallowed it.
“Oh my, so sweet. Delicious. As expected, a seasoned knight’s heart is so rich.”
Blood smeared on her lips, Shedioldis looked up and glared at Serubret.
“That’s why I told you to stay put, Viscount. Why did you have to stir up trouble and waste these delicious hearts? Hm?”
Serubret’s face turned pale as he stood speechless.
Washado stepped forward in his stead.
“A mad monster after all. I should have separated you from my lord long ago. No, I should have killed you even sooner.”
“Hohoho— An incompetent old geezer whose only talent is his mouth.”
“Let’s see if your mouth or your sword arm holds up.”
Shedioldis swung her tail.
Washado reversed his grip on the dagger and slashed upward.
Shing— Crack!
The mana-infused blade severed the tip of Shedioldis’s tail.
“!”
Shedioldis frowned upon realizing the dagger’s surface was made of silver.
Stab—
Washado’s dagger plunged deep into her left side.
“Gurk!? You old bastard...!”
Shedioldis opened her mouth.
A pitch-black tongue shot out and pierced Washado’s chest.
Washado seized the moment and grabbed her tongue.
“Viscount, I won’t last long. Please escape.”
“......”
“My lord!”
At Washado’s shout, Serubret snapped back to his senses.
But it was already too late.
Shedioldis retracted her tongue.
Washado was dragged toward her.
In that instant.
Twirl—
Washado spun once in midair.
Then, with all his strength, he kicked Shedioldis’s side.
...Crack!
The silver dagger already embedded was driven hilt-deep by his kick.
“Gaaaah! You damn geezer to the very end!?”
Shedioldis seized Washado’s neck.
In their final moment, Washado and Serubret’s eyes met.
“Please survive, my lord.”
Those were Washado’s last words.
Snap!
Shedioldis crushed his neck with her massively swollen hand.
Then, with her other hand, she ripped out his heart and devoured it ravenously.
“Ugh... Damn old man. A nuisance to the bitter end.”
Shedioldis surveyed the ten corpses strewn about.
Prossange rangers, all collapsed with their hearts torn out.
She bared her sharp fangs and clicked her tongue.
“Damn it. There should’ve been way more to eat, but they all burned to death overnight... This is all your fault, Viscount. How are you going to make it up to me?”
Shedioldis turned her head toward Serubret.
Tremble tremble tremble...
Faced with Shedioldis’s clearly inhuman form, Serubret couldn’t even dream of resistance.
A lizardman? No, she resembled a dragonewt from myth.
Shedioldis looked like a fusion of lizard and human woman.
She struggled to extract Washado’s silver dagger from her side.
“Whew— Damn thing’s buried deep. With all these overgrown blade-scales, pulling it out won’t be easy. This is why I hate Prossange ranger daggers. Once they’re in, you can’t remove them without magic.”
“Y-you... what are you?”
Serubret collapsed to his knees in place.
He pointed at Shedioldis.
“Not... not human... Why are you doing this to me? Money? Power?”
“Hohoho— I love how you’re asking yourself and finding your own answers.”
Shedioldis approached.
At that very moment.
“Spare me!”
Serubret dropped to his knees.
Shedioldis halted.
She let out an incredulous chuckle.
“Begging for your life from the monster who just devoured all your subordinates?”
“Y-yes. Just spare my life. I’ll do anything.”
“Oh dear, how ugly. And you’re the patriarch of Prossange House, no less...”
Shedioldis covered her mouth as she laughed.
But Serubret squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his forehead to the ground.
‘I’m sorry... I’m sorry, Washado... And my rangers.’
From an angle Shedioldis couldn’t see, Serubret opened his eyes.
Hot flames of hatred blazed in his pupils.
‘I regret not heeding your counsel sooner, falling for that witch’s words. But what use is regret now? I’ll drag at least that bitch down with me to you. Only then can I face you in death with my head held even a little high.’
Serubret became aware of the sword at his waist.
Step— Step— Step—
Shedioldis’s footsteps drew closer before his eyes.
‘Just a bit more. Come just a little closer.’
Serubret thought, still on his knees.
Just one more step, and he’d swing the sword from his waist to sever the monster’s neck.
......But.
Halt—
Shedioldis stopped right at that one step’s distance.
And then.
Slam—!
Her tail shot out and crushed Serubret’s back.
“Grk!?”
Shedioldis’s languid voice reached the ears of Serubret, smashed into the floor.
“Very well, Patriarch. I’ll spare your life. But in return, you’ll fight for me from now on.”
“F-fight? Against whom?”
Shedioldis smiled sweetly at Serubret’s question.
“You said it yourself last time. That you’d give everything to kill Federback Meursault of House Meursault.”
“......!”
Serubret’s eyes trembled.
Shedioldis’s voice flowed into his ear like honey and took root.
“Don’t think about anything anymore. Federback will die by Viscount Serubret’s hand.”
Soleil, patriarch of House Meursault.
He had come personally to Bibuak Citadel to suppress Prossange House’s rebellion.
“Unbelievable. Federback really took down Tochika all by himself?”
“Yes. There were ten escorts, but they only handled foraging for food and water or standing watch. They did nothing special otherwise. The fighting was entirely Young Master Federback’s doing.”
Haundid was reporting the recent events to Soleil.
Right up until House Meursault’s army arrived at Tochika, Soleil hadn’t believed the report.
What person in the world could single-handedly breach that impregnable iron fortress?
Against the mighty Prossange House, no less.
But after encountering the refugee procession evacuating from Tochika, and seeing the bunker’s interior reduced to scorched earth firsthand, Soleil had no choice but to believe.
And what of Bibuak Citadel’s interior?
Faced with the ruins where everything had burned away, Soleil was at a loss for words.
Houses reduced to mere bones, mountains of ash, countless animal bones— everyone who saw gaped in shock.
Bibuak Citadel’s interior was utterly devastated.
As if declaring, ‘This is what happens if you defy House Meursault.’
Soldiers whispered everywhere.
“Lord Federback is surely the God of War.”
“No other explanation for taking Tochika Fortress alone.”
“The Tochika refugees calling him Wendigo out of fear makes sense now.”
Right then.
Step— Step— Step—
A single youth emerged from deep within Bibuak Citadel.
White hair and skin, white sword and shield in both hands.
The boy with ruby-like eyes was none other than Federback.
“You’ve arrived.”
“Brought the army as you instructed. But what’s all this?”
Soleil continued with a hearty laugh.
“No need for an army, was there? You subjugated Prossange all by yourself.”
“I tried guerrilla tactics to minimize damage to the main force. It proved more effective than anticipated.”
“Heard you fought for half a month without eating or sleeping.”
“I dug into snowbanks for short naps in between. Drank water and ate jerky when I could.”
“Impressive. Not something just anyone could do.”
Soleil kept marveling at Federback’s responses.
Then.
“Am I invisible or something?”
Queenbits popped up beside Soleil.
With a sullen expression, she continued toward Federback.
“You said there’s some mysterious mage in enemy lines, hurry up and come— and now that I’m here, you’ve ended the war already.”
“Not yet. The Prossange mage’s identity is still unknown. Your mission remains active.”
Queenbits turned at Federback’s words and gazed at the smoke cloud over the Star Tower.
After staring intently for a long while, she nodded.
“Shedioldis, was it? Hmm, I think I have an idea. I’ll look into it.”
“Make haste.”
Federback nodded.
Soleil also directed his knights to reform their ranks.
“Capture Viscount Serubret hiding in the Star Tower. If an old ranger named Washado is guarding him, exercise caution. It won’t be easy to the end.”
“You know the man?”
“I do. He’s quite famous on the northern battlefields. Even crossed blades with him in my youth.”
Soleil grinned, touching the scar by his eye.
“Owe him a debt unwillingly. Time to settle it this time.”
“Before that, I have one request.”
“You? That’s rare. What is it? If your father can grant it, I will.”
Soleil’s eyes lit up at Federback’s request.
This son had racked up immense feats without a single boast.
For him to ask for something for the first time felt not burdensome, but delightful.
The surrounding knights also perked up their ears, pretending nonchalance to hear what the request might be.
At last, Federback spoke.
“There’s a man’s corpse buried in that ash pile over there.”
Gazes gathered where Federback pointed.
Sure enough, a modest grave made of scraped-together ashes stood there.
“Gather that corpse along with the animal bones from this area and hold a grand funeral.”
“Easier request than I thought. Who’s buried there? One of our knights? A soldier?”
“......”
Federback fell silent for a moment.
Then answered in his usual calm tone.
“Innocent weaklings.”
With those words, Federback set off.
Toward the Star Tower where Prossange’s remnants remained.