Chapter 129
Chapter 129
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: Demon of the Border
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129
7
Boom!
Explosions roared from all directions without end.
The ground shook violently, causing those who had barely managed to stand to lose their balance.
Whether scrambling on all fours or standing firm, the magical bombardment continued relentlessly.
Jin was among those pushing forward.
Even if he fell from the blast's shock, mouthful of sand, he spat it out moderately and ran again.
Screams of unknown friend or foe echoed and clung to him.
The scorched earth from the magic barrages mingled with the fishy stench of blood, stickily assaulting his nose.
Jin fled from all that, steeped thickly in death.
Survive.
Not by killing enemies or leading allies to victory.
With the sole determination to survive, Jin pressed on.
The place he fled toward from death was the border region between the Federation and the Kingdom.
To say the continent had enjoyed long peace here was bullshit.
There were no large-scale full wars, but clashes big and small between the Kingdom and Federation happened daily.
Pouring magical bombardments, charging swordsmen, scattering blood and piling corpses.
Literally, corpses piled like mountains and blood flowed like rivers.
The border soaked in countless deaths was hell, the true battlefield.
Yet no one called the border a battlefield.
To the high-ups, these clashes were mere minor frictions.
Petty squabbles for interests, too small-scale to be called war, thus unknown to the world.
If you fear calling it war, just refuse to recognize the fight as one.
Absurd logic, but the world doesn't run on proper reason.
Feeling that irrationality to his bones, Jin ran.
"Jin! The enemy is retreating!"
Someone called him.
Only then did Jin stop.
Turning, he saw an armored man chasing after his heels.
Blood-soaked armor clanked.
"It's Clak. The enemy..."
"They're retreating, I said. Thanks to whoever stirred up the whole front line."
Only then did Jin look around.
Corpses of enemies who lost their lives to his hand littered the ground everywhere.
"Let's head back. Deeper in is dangerous."
Blood-drenched Clak jerked his chin.
Jin silently followed him to the camp.
This fight wasn't war.
Thus, no proper supplies or camps.
The unit Jin belonged to was ostensibly stationed in a nearby village, maintaining public order.
No ordinary rural village had facilities to house an entire army.
But that was the old story.
Now, with countless casualties, lodging was no issue.
"How many today?"
"16. Bell and Simon too. Even with reinforcements next month, we're short."
"If we don't handle the bombardments, it'll thin us more."
"Heard the front's shifting soon. Combat mages? No chance of reinforcements."
In an abandoned barn, choking down hardtack for meals, talking with Clak was the only time away from the battlefield.
Mechanically swallowing the dry, tasteless hardtack, beside Jin, Clak muttered lowly.
"So, from the start, it's just us left?"
Most comrades who entered hell with him were gone.
Not war, so not listed as fallen soldiers.
Just names on the death list, no cause.
Most without even bodies to bury.
In two weeks, the front shifts.
Calling it a front when it's not war is contradictory.
Shifting might reduce deaths.
"Sleeping. You take first watch."
Vain hope.
Dismissing it, Jin leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.
Don't eat, don't sleep, body won't hold.
Forcing sleep to survive, shallow doze claimed him.
Not quite sleep, any noise snapped him awake.
So the sound of hay crunching made Jin's eyes fly open.
Body moved before mind.
He countered the shadow lunging at him, drew the knife from his thigh, pressed to the throat.
Ready to take life anytime.
But Jin couldn't move the knife.
Held in his grip was a scrawny boy, not even ten.
"Mmph! Mmph!"
Mouth covered, the boy kept yelling something.
Plain clothes at a glance, no weapons or explosives.
Only then did Jin release him.
"Why're you here."
The weighted question made the boy flinch.
Briefly, then he awkwardly saluted with skinny arms.
"I wanna be a soldier!"
"What?"
"I wanna be a soldier like you, mister!"
The boy's eyes were so clear and pure, saying such carefree words.
Eyes unseen on this blood-soaked battlefield, like his past self.
Jin clicked his tongue, waved him off.
"No bullshit. Go home."
"Don't have a home."
"Smiling bright saying that..."
No home wasn't odd here.
Border area, not livable.
Those pushed to the outskirts had similar plights.
Can't survive elsewhere, gather knowing the danger.
"Go wherever. Soldiering ain't the decent job you think."
"Then what do soldiers do?"
"Kill."
Strip the grand justifications, Jin's job was killing.
Hands stained with blood that no scrubbing removes anymore.
"Don't care. As long as I can protect my sibling, I'll do anything."
"Sibling?"
"Yeah, little sibling, three years younger. Sick a lot, so I gotta get strong to protect them."
The boy showed no doubt in his words.
Voice unshaken, like reason for living, Jin frowned.
"Whatever. Why me?"
"'Cause you're stronger than other soldiers, mister?"
Not wrong.
But doesn't mean Jin has to teach him.
That day, the boy was chased from the barn, Jin snatched short sleep till his watch.
Problem came after.
Next day, day after, the boy kept coming to Jin.
Begging to be taught each time, naturally.
Persistence like obsession.
Eventually, Jin surrendered.
Reasons aplenty.
Front shifting reduced fights.
Time surplus, nothing for Jin to do.
So Jin taught the persistent boy, Byron.
In under two weeks till shift, brutal training even adults couldn't endure.
Byron always smiled, kept up.
Abnormal obsession birthed a miracle.
Perhaps why.
Parting, Jin felt attached to Byron.
Teaching him patched some humanity worn away surviving countless fronts.
Taught all basics.
Hope next meeting, he's a comrade soldier.
Five years passed since parting.
Jin still at border.
Shifted fronts multiple times, crossed corpse mountains and blood rivers, survived.
Now rarely called by name.
"Border Demon" nickname replaced it.
No intent to deny.
With blood on hands, demon suited better than human.
So that day too, Jin slew the foe before him.
Federation soldiers charging masked for some reason no different from usual.
Sole difference: one tougher than expected.
Small build, but movements decent.
Easy for Jin though.
Could read next moves somehow.
"Report this."
First masked enemies.
To report up, Jin removed the downed foe's mask.
Froze in place.
Five years passed, but recognizable.
Under the mask, the enemy's face was Byron.
Why's Byron here.
No, why in Federation uniform.
Above all, why try to kill him? Unfathomable.
Seconds felt hours.
Brain melted, spinning.
Nausea rising, reflexively clamped mouth.
Still couldn't swallow vomit.
Later learned: Byron lost sibling to Kingdom army, defected to Federation.
Soon after, Border Demon vanished forever.
8
Jin exhaled smoke, face utterly expressionless.
How often see perfect blank on human face?
Mouse before cat... no, head on guillotine. Chills ran spine.
Briefly.
Stubbed cigarette, Jin waved lazily, annoyance full.
"Go back."
Didn't wait for reply, turned and walked.
To his back, one last question.
"Can't you at least think it over?"
No one fitter than Jin.
Non-negotiable.
Got it? Jin half-turned, sighed.
"Haa... Fine, I'll think. Won't change mind though."
9
"Whew..."
Can't convince Jin now.
Said he'd think, so hope for change.
First, handle what I can.
Back at dorm finally, cross-legged, deep breath.
Felt intense heat flow with breath.
Circulation spots hardened like rock-clad.
Stamina up decently, unnoticeable now.
"Earth Dragon's Heart indeed. Solid effect."
Slowly opened eyes.
Heart melded well, condition peak.
Could pull all-nighters few days no issue.
Instant effect, as rare elixir.
No stamina worries for most things now.
Once safely hand incidents to Leon, can finally take that postponed trip.
"But why up there?"
Casual ask, Pudding coiled on head tail-poked face.
-Kyu!
"...Mad? Out too long?"
-Kyuaa!
Poke poke, tail kept hitting.
Not mad seeming.
"Hungry then?"
-Kyuuu!
Poke once, yep answer.
Haven't fed directly awhile, gotta care properly.
Tried lowering Pudding... stuck tight to head, gave up.
Instead peeled Pudding treat, down in flash.
Meanwhile, fed Choco, haggard from childcare.
Ahh, our kids best.
Watching eat fills heart.
So much in a week...
Stay peaceful in dorm awhile.
Watching warm scene... suddenly Pudding leaped to desk.
Checked: gnawing pure gold button from Marlon, grinning.
Cherishing gold button rolling, crow or dragon?
"Fine if likes."
Thus, pure gold button's role set.