Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Emperor of the Skies (1)
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Demon Realm.
If I had to sum it up in a single phrase... it could be called a paradise for monsters that weren't welcome anywhere else in the world.
It was a land where countless monsters and different races lived, along with fugitives who had escaped from the Empire and the Alliance just to survive.
The only rule that held sway there was the law of the jungle—the logic of raw power.
In other words, it was an extremely dangerous lawless zone where laws meant absolutely nothing.
That's why I couldn't help but question my utterly unexpected traveling companion.
"But is it really okay for Her Highness the Princess to personally venture into such a dangerous place?"
"If I didn't come along, Sir Blackguard might mistakenly think the imperial family was using you and your people as sacrificial pawns!"
"I-is that so?"
The military carriage, built with nothing but practicality in mind, had no decorations to speak of—just plain wood and iron.
Yet even that rugged simplicity couldn't hide the brilliant golden sheen that gleamed from it. Not even the faint moonlight could dull it.
Morgana's gaze immediately shifted to Anna, who was sitting right beside her.
"But Princess Anna, this is unexpected. There was really no need for you to come all the way to a harsh place like this...?"
"How could I surrender just for my own safety? I want to help the people and Sir Blackguard, even if it's just a little."
"Ugh, wagging her tail like this...!!"
Yes. Incredibly enough, both Morgana and Anna had come along with me.
Naturally, the Emperor had opposed it, but Morgana and Loren somehow managed to persuade him and barely got his permission.
Thanks to that, not only the knights escorting the princess but even Master Grandel—the same one I'd clashed with before—had joined us.
Of course, for former enemies who had once staked their lives against each other, it was an awkward situation to say the least.
"...G-glad to meet you."
"You landed a solid hit on me last time, Sir Blackguard."
"It was just luck."
"Don't say that. How can you diminish the value of a victory won through your strategy and bravery?"
I clicked my tongue at Grandel's stern, lecturing expression, as if he were teaching a lesson.
Still, with a top-tier Sword Expert bordering on Master level, mages, and 50,000 troops, we wouldn't go down easily.
That's what I'd thought just 15 minutes ago. Before the shadow fell.
"...?"
A shadow over a clear sky without a single cloud? And one moving at an unnaturally fast speed?
Drawn by that faint sense of wrongness, I looked up—and clearly saw it.
Dozens of monsters filling the sky...
A pair of enormous wings spread wide with full force, as if to blanket the entire heavens.
A head stretched long and serpentine like a snake, packed with razor-sharp teeth.
If I had to describe it in one word...
"...Dragon?"
"Wyvern! It's a wyvern!"
"Prepare for wyvern attack!!"
Just a few seconds. A mere delay like that could decide life or death on the battlefield.
Soon, boulders rained down from the sky like falling rocks. A sudden barrage turned this place into hell in an instant.
Getting crushed to death under a rock would be the lucky outcome. Limbs mangled, or both legs pinned...
A scene of utter pandemonium unfolded right before my eyes.
"Gaaahhh!!!"
"M-magic! Hurry, use magic to...!!"
"Sir Blackguard! Take command now! We'll all be wiped out like this!"
"R-right. Command..."
A rough hand spun my head around. Grandel, riding beside me, was yelling at me.
Command? Of course. But how the hell were we supposed to fight those things in the sky?
I'd fought the Empire's army before. But flying monsters? No experience there.
That gap had created the hell before us now. The moment that thought hit me, I was already throwing myself forward.
"Sir Blackguard?!"
Grandel, who had been slicing falling boulders with his sword, looked horrified. To an outsider, it might look like suicide.
Honestly, it wasn't wrong. We'd botched the initial response, and the damage was already too great.
So as the commander, I'd take responsibility and fix it. Yes—this was the punishment I was imposing on myself.
BOOM!!
A boulder from the sky finally crushed my body. Immense pressure tore open my gut, organs spilling out.
As the horrific pain wracking my entire body began to fade...
A far too familiar voice rang in my ears.
"If I didn't come along, Sir Blackguard might mistakenly think the imperial family was using you and your people as sacrificial pawns!"
"... ."
I hurriedly looked up at the sky. Still not a single cloud.
How could they swoop in without any warning and drop these rocks?
I didn't have the answer yet. That's why...
"Prepare for wyvern attack!!"
I'd have to die until I found it.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Wyvern.
A monster that dominated the skies with scales tough enough to deflect steel and powerful wings. The undisputed emperor of the heavens.
Rumor even had it that the wyvern lord, their leader, could use magic.
That's why Grandel couldn't help but panic at the shout that suddenly shattered the silence.
"Prepare for wyvern attack!!"
At those words, Grandel—and the soldiers—looked up at the sky. Still a clear blue without a single cloud.
Naturally, not a hint of a wyvern in sight. How could such massive beasts sneak up on anyone?
But a commander was a commander. No matter how suspicious, they had to obey.
The imperial army quickly formed ranks, and the mages deployed defensive spells right away.
In the end, their trust wasn't betrayed. One soldier shouted.
"W-wyvern! A real wyvern appeared!"
"All hands, battle stations!!"
'How the hell did he spot the wyvern attack first...?'
And just like that, a flock of wyverns appeared out of nowhere in the sky. Grandel clicked his tongue in amazement.
The wyverns' sudden appearance was astonishing enough, but Blackguard noticing it first was even more shocking.
Thanks to the advance preparations, the damage from the wyverns was minimal.
The falling boulders couldn't pierce the mages' defensive barriers.
But then Blackguard's shout pulled the nearly slackened tension taut again.
"It's not over yet! Knights, forward! The wyverns will charge into melee soon!"
Melee.
Not a concept that fit wyverns well, but the knights understood the intent and moved to the front.
Sure enough, once the boulders were blocked, the wyverns charged straight at the imperial army.
"I leave command here to you, Sir Grandel."
"What are you planning to do, Sir Blackguard...?!"
"I'll take direct command of the rear."
The knights' aura-infused swords and shields barely fended off the wyverns' razor teeth and steel-tough wings.
A split second slower, and the regular soldiers would have been minced meat by now.
The soldiers weren't idle, though. Instead of closing in, they fired crossbows and bows at the wyverns.
"Soldiers, do not approach! Respond with bows and crossbows! Mages, provide fire support from the rear!!"
Morale surged as Blackguard rode his warhorse at the forefront, swinging a greatsword and rallying them personally.
As the battlefield heated up, the wyverns—starting to lose momentum—took to the skies again.
Seeing the wyverns retreat, the soldiers erupted in victory cheers.
"W-we won!!!"
"We beat the wyverns!!!"
"Long live His Majesty the Emperor!! Long live Blackguard!!"
"Quiet, all of you!! It's not over yet! Check for wounded and get them treatment immediately if there are any!"
One man's voice overwhelmed the cheers of 50,000 troops. The soldiers hurriedly obeyed.
There were quite a few wounded, some who had narrowly escaped death.
Thanks to the swift preparations and treatment, the imperial army suffered zero casualties against the wyverns.
"They ambushed us—the emperors of the sky—and not a single death... What incredible leadership."
"Are wyverns that powerful?"
"Of course. If they stay airborne and just drop rocks, you're done for. Only Master-class fighters can handle them."
At Morgana's explanation, Anna could only marvel anew at Blackguard's command ability.
The imperial army felt the same. Many had doubted his leadership before...
But this ambush had made it clear. He was a brilliant general they could trust with their lives.