Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Death March (4)
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Support for the Death March was a mandatory event requiring personnel from across the entire Empire, which meant that even within the Imperial Palace, providing personnel was essential.
In other words, it applied without fail to the 1st Prince and 2nd Princess as well.
Truth be told, when it came to the two individuals wielding the Empire's most formidable power, the personnel dispatched weren't your average elites. No one would be particularly tense about that fact.
However, this time was a bit different due to a peculiar 'request.'
Someone had specifically demanded close attention from both the prince and princess's sides.
“...What the hell is this Carlyle Bellfast guy?”
That was probably the common sentiment among the personnel from the prince and princess's factions.
Reporting every single move of some no-name they'd never even heard of? And he was just a student from Cradle, from what they'd heard. Why bother paying such close attention to someone like that?
And honestly.
No matter how elite they were, during the Death March, they wouldn't have the spare moment to worry about such things.
“Flanks, watch the flanks!”
A beast resembling a dog swung its hook-like claws diagonally.
As the heavily armored frontline knight swiftly blocked with his shield, the ranged attacker in the middle—who had prepared an intercept—quickly fired a mana-engineered firearm at the beast's head.
Another beast's corpse piled onto the mountain of bodies nearby.
“...There's no end to them, damn it.”
Everyone looked utterly exhausted.
The Death March was always described with phrases like hordes of beasts blotting out the horizon, but no one had imagined it was literal.
They'd lost count of how many they'd killed. Fighting non-stop for half a day was a first even for them.
They'd heard it was fiercer than usual due to that Black Omen or whatever, but even so, they were reaching their limits.
Yet, no one showed any anxiety in their positions.
During the three days of the Death March, everyone knew what came at this time.
“Well, it's almost over anyway.”
Someone sighed and removed their helmet.
To an outsider, it would look like utter madness—beasts still swarming everywhere, and here they were, exposing themselves vulnerably.
“It's coming.”
But no one stopped them.
They all knew exactly what was about to drop.
“—The 'dragon.'”
As someone grinned and said that.
From the sky.
Death descended.
-⋯⋯
-⋯⋯!!!!!
A dragon with distinctive red scales twisted its body in the sky and opened its maw.
As the breath of destruction gathered within, a scorching heat like an artificial sun had risen scorched the plain where the beasts were surging.
Dragon breath had always symbolized destruction and death in legends, but seeing it firsthand hit differently.
Countless beasts that blanketed the entire area turned to ash in an instant.
“...Paladin, was it? From the Orthodox Church?”
“One of the Round Table. Guests we couldn't even dream of meeting.”
Spirit Knight, Siona Libel.
She wasn't even using her famed 'spirit arts,' just manifesting as her dragon true form and relying on her racial traits, but that alone was enough to clean up this many beasts.
And it didn't stop there.
“Wanna bet who kills more?”
Such words slipped from someone.
“The Spirit Knight or the Mage Tower Lord.”
And.
“—Shine with light.”
With a deep, heavy voice that echoed across the entire plain.
An explosion of light split the plain in half, bursting from the center of the beast horde.
The pinnacle of high-tier mages: grand-scale world magic, usable only by a select few.
Even Mage Tower Lords needed hours of preparation, but its power was absolute.
The horde that had survived the dragon's breath and charged forward scattered without even leaving ash.
As if everything had been erased in a flash of glittering light.
“It's actually kinda easy this way.”
A wry comment emerged.
“Just hold out till a certain point, and those two wipe everything.”
And it wasn't exaggeration. Despite this Death March promising the most grueling march in history, the two dragons' dominance was overwhelming.
Humans like them just had to hold the line moderately, and it all got cleaned up.
But nothing was more dangerous than letting your guard down completely.
“—Wait, a few are coming!”
“What?!”
Spotting a few beasts that had survived that insane bombardment charging their way, the group scrambled to their feet.
How the hell did they survive that?
“Battle stations, battle stations! All gear to max—!”
But once again.
Their tension proved unnecessary.
-!
Someone who burst in like a flash of light.
Drew their sword from its sheath and with a single swing bisected all the beasts charging across the field.
“...?”
Everyone stared in stunned silence.
Sure, slicing through beast hide that shrugged off gunfire was impressive enough.
But how did one sword strike cleave such a wide area at once?
“...Are you alright?”
The orange-haired young man who created the scene spoke politely.
A friendly smile lit his face.
When one of the group hesitantly nodded, the man nodded back with a grin.
“Good to hear. Then I'll head to the next spot!”
With those words, the young man vanished in a whoosh.
Someone mumbled blankly.
“...Hey.”
Probably realizing the most absurd part of what they'd just witnessed.
“That guy did all that 'bare-handed' without using a single ability, right?”
“...Seems like it.”
“...”
“...”
⋯⋯Silence fell over them.
Compared to the two dragons, it was an equally bizarre, 'inhuman' sight.
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“...Last one.”
Carlyle sighed, wiping sweat from his brow.
He'd spent the whole day zipping around the front lines, slashing beasts left and right—nearly dying from exhaustion.
His job was cleaning up whatever survived Siona's breath and Leona's magic.
Over the three days of the Death March, that had been his main role.
⋯⋯Scavenger duty, basically. Pretty pathetic compared to the dragon sisters.
Still, there were gains.
‘The Chairman said my skills improved...’
He could definitely feel it.
Not just handling abilities, but his raw 'combat power' had risen noticeably.
At this level, low-tier demons wouldn't stand a chance.
[You've become usable. You're not just enduring now—you're handling active offense decently.]
Even the Hero was giving that assessment.
‘Which means...’
It was time to try the things he'd been putting off.
[Putting off?]
‘Merging with you for training puts a load on my body and mind, so I delayed it.’
Gray's power sealed in the holy sword was unparalleled, but lately, it fizzled because Carlyle, the 'vessel,' couldn't handle it.
Now that his own specs had risen this much, he could resume training with the Chairman.
As he thought that.
“...Um, hey.”
A voice that sent chills down his spine.
Leona had approached at some point, scratching her cheek awkwardly as she spoke.
“A few beasts slipped by, right?”
“...Yeah.”
“...I, uh, accidentally let them get away...”
“...”
She meant a few survived her grand-scale magic.
⋯⋯It happens.
He should praise her for wiping out that many at once.
But.
“I could've gotten them all. I screwed up like an idiot.”
“...”
So.
What am I supposed to do?
Carlyle gave Leona a damp stare, and she started twiddling her index fingers together with droopy eyes.
“...It was a mistake.”
“Yeah.”
“......A mistake.”
“...”
At this point, he had no choice.
Over the three days of the Death March, Carlyle's solidified role wasn't just cleanup.
Carlyle sighed deeply inside and spoke.
“Leona.”
“...Yeah.”
He stepped close, gripped her chin with his fingers, and tilted it up. His eyes glared at her with a fierce squint.
Leona's lips twitched.
⋯⋯Struggling not to melt.
“How many times have I told you to do it right?”
“...S-Sorry...”
“If I hadn't cleaned up, there could've been casualties. You know that?”
“...U-Uh-huh...”
“Do it again, and I don't know how I'll treat you next time. Useless trash.”
“......Th-That sounds reall—”
Leona paused to catch her breath.
⋯⋯Barely cutting off an inappropriate remark.
“...Not good. I'll do better.”
She grinned dopily, squirming, rubbing against him.
Her flushed face panted as her whole body fidgeted—it was, honestly.
⋯⋯Too much.
He wanted to run.
Scary.
What the hell is with this pervert?
“Carlyle.”
“...Yes, Professor Siona.”
“Honestly, I wasn't perfect either.”
“...”
⋯⋯Another round of the same crap, and Carlyle trudged back to his tent, sniffling.
“I can't do this anymore, Hero.”
[...I see.]
“No, really, I can't. It's killing me...”
[...Indeed.]
The Hero responded hesitantly, unsure how to console him.
Facing the dragon sisters—who eagerly awaited this 'scolding' after every sweep—was immense stress for Carlyle.
No, saying such trash talk to acquaintances was draining. Couldn't they just get along nicely...?
[...Well, your relationship's progressing daily, so that's good. That power of love or whatever—]
“What power of love is this, you mad—!”
Fulfilling masochistic pervert dragons' dark desires wasn't love.
[...If they like it, isn't it love?]
“...”
Was this a form of love?
The world was too cruel, cold, and dark. Carlyle couldn't survive in it...
[Good thing you don't seem to like it.]
“...Why is that good?”
[It just is.]
As the Hero spouted another inscrutable line.
Someone brought more stress.
“...Yes, coming.”
Hearing a cough outside his tent, Carlyle staggered out and lifted the flap.
“...”
“...”
The envoy—who first said Carlyle needed to build 'love's power' with the two dragons—looked at him pitifully.
Probably reading various things into Carlyle's teary eyes.
“You alright?”
“Do I look alright?”
“...”
“More people call me 'Dragon Tamer' or 'Beast Handler' than by name? Do I look alright, you—?”
“...”
Carlyle barely swallowed his words, and the envoy looked skyward, shoving retorts down his throat.
Finally calming, Carlyle spoke.
“What is it?”
“...You look worn out, so straight to the point.”
The envoy sighed and continued.
“Tomorrow's the most dangerous phase of the Death March. We need a meeting for it.”
“And?”
“The Black Lion Margrave awaits. Let's go.”
“...”
⋯⋯Well.
This was a wake-up call.
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