Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: Those Who Worship Death (10)
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I have a dream.
The thing called a dream was the trail of the life he had lived so far. Once, he had thought himself special,
but in the end, he was blocked by the wall called a true 'genius' and fell into despair. And on that day, he learned compromise.
[Do I really need to be the genius who dictates the era?]
[Wouldn't it be enough to just make a decent living...?]
[Second place... no, fifty-fifth is pretty good. How many people even work at companies anyway.]
He kept compromising, over and over. But the man who had done that could no longer afford to compromise.
At first, it had only been flailing desperately just to survive. But now, it was different.
Defeat Regression. Even using that power, the hell called war took the lives of his people all too easily.
[It's inevitable. It's war, after all.]
"...Inevitable?"
[Yeah. Rather, up to now, the results are more than good enough...]
"Fuck that."
He had compromised on so much until now. He had simply turned a blind eye and lived on. But there was one thing he absolutely could not yield.
I will never compromise on the lives of my people.
Even knowing that some must die no matter what, I will do everything to minimize that number.
For that... I can die as many times as it takes.
"...Ah."
Just as he steeled his resolve, he woke from sleep. Cain sat up slowly with an awkward expression. Just a dream, huh.
But as Cain slowly raised his body, he immediately felt excruciating pain and collapsed back down like he was falling.
It felt like a stabbing, searing agony as if his spine had been pierced by a crossbow bolt. What the hell is this?
"A-Are you awake?!"
"Anna... w-wang..."
"D-Don't push yourself! The Lord's condition is far from normal right now!"
Anna panicked and gently laid Cain, who was trying to get up, back down.
Right after Cain returned, not only priests but even herbalists had been mobilized. The reason was Cain's dire condition.
He had looked fine on the surface, but as time passed, the wounds worsened and even began to rot.
Thanks to that, Morgana had freaked out and immediately summoned priests to treat him.
"Fortunately, you've passed the crisis. The first aid was quick, and many people pitched in to help."
"...".
It seemed there had been parts where he was lightly grazed. Even scratches too minor to call wounds had piled up quite a bit.
Cain let out a deep sigh. If even a slight graze had left him like this, what if he had taken a direct hit...?
Well, he had lost countlessly to Melisto and met gruesome ends. This was nothing new.
"How long was I out?"
"About a month, I think."
"That's a long time."
"W-Wait a second!"
Cain didn't hesitate and tried to get up. He had rested long enough; it was time to get back to work.
At least, that's what would have happened if Anna hadn't stepped in to stop him personally. Cain tilted his head. Why?
But unlike usual, Anna was adamant this time and wouldn't back down. She shook her head firmly.
"The Lord needs more time right now. If you jump back into work, the wounds could reopen, and you might actually die!"
"I won't die from something like that. Aside from my tough body, I'm basically a corpse anyway..."
...Huh?
He laughed it off brazenly and tried to head out of the room. But for some reason, his legs gave out.
It was only natural. Cain had accumulated big and small wounds up to now. Fatal injuries could be erased by Defeat Regression,
but the minor ones too small to trigger it had steadily piled up, on top of an insane schedule.
And amid all that, his body had been slowly corroded by Melisto, so of course it wouldn't be fine.
In the end, Cain's body, unable to endure, found its own way to protest. Forced sleep.
Anna carried the collapsed Cain, who had fallen back into deep slumber, to the bed and planted a light kiss on his forehead.
"Don't think about anything right now. Just rest a bit more."
My knight.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Demonic Realm.
As the name suggested, no one on the continent was unaware of the Demonic Realm's danger level.
Therefore, it was only natural that Cain Blackguard's name, having completely subjugated the Demonic Realm, spread far and wide across the continent.
There had been no one on the entire continent who hadn't predicted that the Demonic Realm might one day be conquered.
But... Cain had done it far too quickly. In just one year, he had wiped out all four major factions of the Demonic Realm.
And with minimal casualties at that. In other words, it was a perfect victory for Cain Blackguard, both tactically and strategically.
"Damn it... Who would've thought the Empire would perfectly subjugate the Demonic Realm in just one year."
"Even for a brilliant general with superior strategy and tactics, the Empire's casualties are too low, aren't they?"
"Someone with the caliber to blatantly lie where it'd be obvious wouldn't have that level of skill."
Cain Blackguard's feats were indeed on a level hard to believe. But inflating achievements?
Could a man of such petty caliber really accomplish the monumental feat of subjugating the Demonic Realm in one year?
The answer was, of course, no. Regardless of the details, the 'result' of conquering the Demonic Realm didn't change.
"That damned kingdom... To chase away a talent like that themselves—what the hell?!"
"Do we really have to bring that trash into the alliance?!"
Naturally, all sorts of complaints were erupting within the alliance. The sudden emergence of a brilliant general named Cain Blackguard.
It meant the Empire's threat was now realistically at their throats. The alliance leader let out a deep sigh.
The alliance leader, too, wasn't exactly thrilled about the kingdom. But... there were no other options.
'We already lost out in the pie fight. To recover even a little, we have no choice but to pull the kingdom into the alliance.'
The continent's territories had given the Empire a slight edge. And now that balance had shattered.
The alliance still had the advantage in the number of Masters, but the Empire had already acquired wyverns and beastkin.
And Cain Blackguard's martial prowess hadn't even been accurately measured. Rumor had it he was on a considerable level...
"Overestimating the enemy isn't good, but underestimating them is even worse."
"You mean..."
"Cain Blackguard... That man has a high chance of reaching the Master realm. Or he's right on the verge."
Cain Blackguard's tales of valor could be found even in the kingdom right away. He had single-handedly charged a fallen castle and recaptured it,
and even faced an army alone to force their retreat—a monster of martial might. Of course, there might be some exaggeration.
But it was fact that he had displayed prowess no less. So the alliance leader had no choice but to judge thus.
'Right now, we need even the slightest bit of power. Even if it's from that foolish kingdom that cast out its own talent...'
He wanted to hold them accountable personally, but with the alliance at a disadvantage, even that wasn't easy.
Instead, he planned to use this as leverage to seize initiative from the kingdom. They had no choices anyway.
And Cain Blackguard's immense fame naturally reached the kingdom, which could be called his homeland.
"Have you heard the rumors? That traitor thriving in the Empire..."
"It's just the Empire's absurd propaganda. Clearly a ploy to shake the kingdom's nobles."
"Exactly. If we join the alliance, the Empire's the one in trouble, right?"
Foolish young nobles or senile old ones tried to laugh it off as no big deal.
But those who could read the situation even a little couldn't smile at the nobles' chatter.
And even the king ruling the kingdom was no exception. The king sighed deeply and muttered,
"We didn't gather here to spout empty bravado. Do you truly have not a single proper countermeasure?"
"...".
The kingdom had chased away a loyal subject who was more than capable—a great general even—but it wasn't filled only with fools.
They had missed the timing, but they were discussing countermeasures in their own way. To evade the judgment that would come someday.
Yet amid it all, one who skipped the meetings and swung his sword alone existed: Crown Prince Andre.
"...Sorry, Anna. Because I was too weak, I couldn't protect you...!"
Even the hopes that he would lead the kingdom's revival had faded into nothing; now he was completely unhinged.
He took only enough food and water to stay alive, otherwise holing up in the training grounds, swinging his sword every day.
The sharp, ferocious sword of Crown Prince Andre was imbued with none other than rage and hatred. And the target was...
"Cain Blackguard..."
You bastard. I will definitely kill you.