Chapter 433: The Hero Climaxes in Defeat Again Today[R-18] (23)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 433: The Hero Climaxes in Defeat Again Today[R-18] (23)
Meanwhile, in a ruined city on the western border.
A grotesque altar of blood had been erected in the central square, and human women were being dragged to it one by one, their wails echoing through the ruins. At the heart of this place, where screams, blood, and pleasure mingled to soak the earth, sat Graz.
His massive body was easily twice the height of a man. With a mace stained black with blood slung over his back, he gripped a human woman’s stomach and slowly clicked his tongue.
“Tsk… Weaklings. Is this the tenth one already?”
Just then, an orc wearing a hood approached him. The orc, who had a red sigil tattooed on his forearm, knelt and bowed his head.
“Father, the humans have started to move.”
“Hoh…”
A slow smile spread across Graz’s lips. He brought a thick finger to his mouth and muttered.
“So, where are these humans headed?”
“They’re centered around the one who appears to be the highest-ranking. They’re crossing the river and advancing openly toward us.”
Graz slowly rose to his feet. With a vibration that felt like bones being crushed, he stepped onto the stairs of the blood-caked altar and looked up at the sky.
“Hehe, the festival is about to begin. My son, get the children ready.”
“As you command.”
Graz lifted a trembling human woman tied up in the square with the tip of his boot.
“The humans are coming… We’ll need more children.”
Graz laughed, his blood-red tongue darting out.
And a week later.
Rodion Barcheno’s army arrived before the city Graz had occupied.
A gruesome warning hung from the massive city walls.
Baron Erdo Schwarz, the former lord of the city, and his three sons.
Their heads had been torn out, spines and all, and were displayed as if on exhibit. Below them, a sentence was scrawled in blood.
【Welcome, meat.】
Barcheno’s expression twisted as he gazed upon the sight.
“How dare they… mere monsters…”
Gritting his teeth, Barcheno turned to the Knight Commander standing beside him.
“The gate is already destroyed. Reorganize the ranks, then rain fire upon the entire city and advance immediately.”
A noble on horseback next to him asked cautiously.
“Perhaps… there might be an ambush. How about we scout first?”
“You worry too much. How many years do you think I’ve been fighting monsters? Tactics, sieges, ambushes… that’s what humans do. Those things are slaves to their instincts. It was the same 30 years ago, 20 years ago, and it’s no different now.”
At that moment, a massive orc appeared atop the city wall.
It was Graz.
He stood leisurely at the edge of the wall, looking down with his mace resting on his shoulder. A mocking smile played on his lips.
“Khahahaha! Can you hear me, humans!”
Graz’s thunderous voice echoed across the entire army, and Barcheno’s face hardened. A monster was speaking. And in perfect human language, no less.
“An orc is speaking…?”
“Impossible… How can a monster…”
A stir of unease began to spread among the soldiers. Graz raised his mace high and continued to shout.
“We are no longer the stupid beasts you know! We have wisdom, we have strategy, and above all…”
He slammed his mace into the city wall.
—CRASH!
A section of the wall crumbled.
“We have power!”
At that instant, orcs and goblins began to appear from all over the city. They were arranged in an orderly fashion, each holding a weapon and ready for battle.
“The age of humans is over! Your cities will burn, and all your females will become our broodmares and bear our young!”
Barcheno’s face stiffened as he raised a hand, signaling his army.
“For an orc to speak… it’s certainly a novelty, but…”
He raised his hand high.
“In the end, it’s still just an orc.”
The moment his hand fell—
“All forces, attack!!”
The first assault began with a fire attack that engulfed the entire city. Then, the sixty-thousand-strong army let out a unified war cry and charged toward the walls. Thousands of hooves churned the earth, and the clash of steel armor and weapons filled the battlefield. A massive cloud of dust obscured the sky, as if the very ground was trembling in fury.
But Graz simply stood against the backdrop of the burning city, watching in silence.
His figure on the wall was like that of a predator, calmly waiting for its prey to walk into a trap. Graz slowly curled his lips and whispered.
‘A little more… yes, come all the way in.’
As the humans reached the very front of the city gate, Graz’s eyes narrowed. And… the moment they set foot inside the city, he slowly raised his hand.
—FWOOSH!
A single red flame shot into the sky and exploded.
As if on cue, more flames erupted from the surrounding ridges. Dozens of signal flares shot through the night sky, soon dyeing it as red as a wildfire.
And at the same time—
“Kh… what is that?!”
“Behind us… enemies!! They’re behind us!!”
Murmurs and screams erupted from all directions. Soon after, a massive army of orcs and goblins, who had been hiding beyond the hills, revealed themselves in an orderly formation.
In their eyes was the blood-crazed madness of battle. In their hands were sharp spears and massive axes. Their advance… was a harbinger of despair.
“The rear flank is completely—!”
In an instant, the sixty-thousand-strong army was caught in an encirclement. A pincer attack began, with monsters inside the city and the ambush force outside.
*
At the center of the blood-soaked battlefield, Graz’s entire body was covered in deep sword wounds. Red blood flowed freely, but a smile of satisfaction played on his lips.
Clad in bloodstained armor, he looked at Rodion Barcheno, who was lifted into the air, and slowly spoke.
“Human, what is your name?”
“Ghk…”
Barcheno couldn’t answer. A massive hand was crushing his throat, making it impossible to even breathe. Both his arms were already broken beyond recognition, hanging limply at his sides. His bones were shattered, his flesh torn and bleeding.
“Ah, can’t speak because I’m choking you? My apologies.”
Graz let out a sneer and continued.
“Still, you were quite something, human. Of all the countless foes I’ve fought, you were the most capable.”
Graz lowered his head to look at the deep wound carved into his chest. The gash, from which red blood dripped, was the mark of Barcheno’s final blow.
“You’re the first to leave a wound like this on my body. So, as a reward—”
A sticky tongue emerged from between his teeth.
“—I will devour you myself.”
In that moment, his massive mouth opened, and an indescribable terror filled Barcheno’s eyes.
“Ugh… ughhh…!”
“Consider it an honor, human.”
The massive jaw bit down on Barcheno’s head in a single motion, then slowly chewed and swallowed. Blood splattered everywhere as his body went limp and was tossed to the ground.
Graz wiped his mouth in satisfaction and turned to an orc who had approached him.
“Father. Shall we advance immediately into the humans’ empty lands?”
Graz glanced at the sky and muttered quietly.
“No… it is time to carry out Mother’s command.”
“But shouldn’t we replenish our depleted forces?”
“We have losses, but it’s not a problem. There are females everywhere along the way.”
He surveyed the battlefield and hoisted his mace onto his shoulder.
“We’ll camp here for the day. Feed the warriors plenty of the hunted human flesh to restore their strength. Tomorrow… we head south.”
“I will obey your command.”
He looked toward the southern sky and licked his lips. Soon, he would meet the Hero.
*
Upon arriving in Rubernia, the capital of the Sivern Kingdom, we headed straight for the Alcladion Marquisate’s private mansion in the heart of the city.
After briefly washing away the fatigue of the long journey, I changed into formal attire bearing the Alcladion family crest and made my way to the royal palace for an audience with the king.
As I passed through the grand gates of the royal castle, a long corridor lined with golden tapestries and classical statues unfolded before me.
The royal guards stationed throughout snapped to attention, raising their spears in salute, while servants guided me with flawless efficiency. Soon, I arrived before the audience chamber of the Rubernia Royal Palace, the very heart of the kingdom.
A gatekeeper blew a trumpet and announced.
“The ruler of the South, Marquis Jin Alcladion, requests an audience with His Majesty!”
As the voice echoed from the high ceiling, the massive double doors slowly swung open.
Inside stood the king of the Sivern Kingdom, Sivern Calios III, and beside him, Duke Baran, ministers, and nobles representing various factions, all wearing solemn expressions.
Their gazes fell upon me in unison.
Without a hint of hesitation, I walked toward the center of the corridor. The sound of my shoes echoed throughout the quiet audience chamber.
When I reached the king and stopped, I respectfully knelt and bowed my head.
“Marquis Jin Alcladion, I have come in response to Your Majesty’s summons.”
The king nodded with a satisfied expression.
“Rise, Marquis. It must have been a long journey.”
Sivern Calios III was a dignified man in his mid-fifties. His graying hair, sharp eyes, and the charisma born from long years of rule were evident in his bearing.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
I rose, my gaze fixed on the king.
“More importantly, congratulations on reaching the level of Sword Master. To achieve such a feat at your young age is truly remarkable.”
“You flatter me.”
“Not at all. It is a joyous occasion, for a pillar of the Sivern Kingdom has grown stronger.”
The king looked at Duke Baran, who stood beside him.
“Don’t you agree, Duke?”
“Of course, Your Majesty. Marquis Alcladion’s ascension to Sword Master is an honor for the entire kingdom.”
“Haha, I am glad to hear it, Marquis. By the way… I’ve heard there have been some troubles in the south recently.”
Before the king could even finish, a noble stepped forward.
“Your Majesty, Marquis Alcladion executed a noble who was granted a title in the name of the Sivern royal family, without a trial. No matter that he is a Sword Master, if we allow a precedent of ignoring the kingdom’s laws, other nobles and the common people will also cease to fear the law.”
As he finished speaking, even the king glanced at me for a moment, and a long, cold silence descended upon the throne room.
I slowly turned my gaze to the noble. A corpulent body, epaulets adorned with gold, narrow eyes, and a sly smile.
Marquis Laet.
He was one of the nobles Alfredo had warned me about before I left the Alcladion territory. And now, he stood as one of the central figures of the noble faction opposing the king’s party.
Some nobles shook their heads at his statement as if it were absurd.
I clearly heard the faint mutter of one of them.
“That pig… he’s finally lost it. Picking a fight with a Sword Master, does he want to die…?”
It was a low voice that others likely couldn’t hear.
Just as that noble said, I couldn’t fathom his motive for confronting me so directly, but daring to oppose a Sword Master was tantamount to suicide.
The king frowned and spoke.
“Marquis Laet. From what I’ve heard… the man was suspected of treason, and the Marquis executed him according to the proper laws. Is that correct?”
I nodded in response.
“Yes, Your Majesty. We secured clear evidence of his collusion with the Kairosen Kingdom, as well as intentional tax embezzlement and incitement of civil unrest within the territory. Documents and circumstantial testimony were found in his mansion.”
“Hmm… In that case, it was a just execution.”
The king gave a short nod and looked at me again.
“Then, I will conclude this matter by acknowledging the Marquis’s judgment.”
The king leaned back slightly in his throne and continued.
“That is all for today’s discussion. Everyone but the Marquis is dismissed.”
At this, the nobles quietly bowed their heads and began to file out.