Chapter 383: Bread and Dagger (81)
Chapter 383: Bread and Dagger (81)
A blizzard was raging across the desolate plains.
It was proof that an Agent of the Evil God had descended. The Demon Realm was a world of eternal winter; whenever a passage to that place opened, snow and wind would pour out like rain.
The North was already cold and dry to begin with.
The snowfield, drenched in the perennial snow of the Demon Realm, was so white it felt grotesque. A world where everything had been bleached carried such a profound sense of alienation.
And then there were the masses of flesh covering the distant horizon.
The boiling flesh was endlessly spewing beams of light. Perhaps because the snake heads had proliferated too much, the individual power of the beams had weakened, but they were still more than enough to claim a life.
Perhaps it was because no one had provoked the flesh monster yet.
The beams the snakes spat were aimed toward the sky. Pillars of light were fired one after another, punching holes into the gray world above.
It was as if they were trying to force the heavens open.
It might have been a reflection of their hatred for the Heavenly God.
With every breath I took, white mist scattered into the air. Behind me, as I stared silently at the horizon, stood a shrinking girl.
She was a beauty with striking dark blue hair and pale gray eyes.
The Flower of the Imperial Palace, the 5th Princess, Cien.
She hadn't been able to even meet my eyes since I returned. A sense of guilt, which had been absent for a while, was bleeding into those pale gray pupils.
And along with it, a strange sense of defeat.
I didn't intentionally pry into the details.
When the time was right, the Princess would be the first to speak.
Until then, I intended to respect her will as much as possible.
"S-Sir Ian... can I really be of help? That monster is so large..."
"You just need to contact me on time."
I firmly pressed a small stone into the Princess's hand.
It was a communication device I had received from Senior Neris. It was an item designed to react with the magic characters engraved behind my ear, allowing her to relay words to me even from a distance.
It was as expensive and rare as it was convenient.
However, I had the Imperial Household at my back. At least within the Empire, there wasn't much that couldn't be done with Dragon Blood Runes.
The Princess still seemed hesitant, but she nodded with effort and took the device.
The Princess wasn't the only one standing behind me.
"Ian, the preparations are complete."
The voice was incredibly reluctant.
When I glanced over, I saw the Saintess standing there with a pouting expression. Since I was essentially violating the promise we had made a few days ago, her anger was justified.
I found myself at a loss for words.
But what else could I do?
I still had work to do.
This was an opportunity to resolve the long-standing conflict between humans and elves and to comfort the vengeful spirits buried in hatred.
I likely wasn't the only one suited for the task. Nevertheless, I was certain that this was the right path.
I gave a bitter smile and spoke.
"Thank you for humoring my stubbornness, Saintess."
"Hmph, as if you mean it."
Her words were a sharp rebuke delivered with a pout.
My expression grew even more awkward, but this was a place of parting.
She couldn't keep pretending to be angry forever.
Eventually, the Saintess gripped my hand tightly with both of hers, her eyes filled with worry.
"I'm definitely going to collect on this debt. You know that, right? I don't do things that result in a loss... So, you must come back alive."
"Rest assured, the debt will not go unpaid."
I replied with intentional bravado.
In truth, I was a bit afraid of how the Saintess would choose to collect.
But I had already racked up so many debts to her that I wouldn't be able to refuse if she asked for a favor anyway.
It was better to soothe her heart like this.
Finally, the last person.
Seria's eyes were filled with anxiety.
"Sir Ian... you'll be okay, right? No, you have to be okay. I will definitely protect you."
A faint madness flickered in her deep blue pupils. Her fingers, clenching and unclenching, betrayed her state of mind.
It looked as if she wanted to seize me and lock me away.
I started to let out a small chuckle and say something, but I stopped.
The blood-stained letter suddenly came to mind.
And the secret surrounding Seria's birth as well.
The urge to smile vanished instantly. Forcing the corners of my mouth up, I patted the shoulder of Seria, who was staring at me with shadowless eyes.
At my touch, Seria snapped back to her senses.
"Ah," a soft gasp escaped her.
Only then did I bring up the main point.
"And the army?"
"Ah, yes! They're—they're ready! My sister personally handed over full authority to me, so..."
"I'm counting on you."
With that, my body kicked off the ground and shot forward.
My lunging form tore through the landscape. The path, stretching out like a solid line, aimed for a single target.
The mass of flesh in the distance.
It didn't take long for the unrestrained body to notice the anomaly.
Acceleration, acceleration, and more acceleration.
With every step I took against the earth, my speed increased. As it did, more and more snake heads atop the boiling flesh turned to stare at me.
It was a hideous sight.
The spectacle of dozens, hundreds, perhaps even thousands of snakes all watching me.
It was truly the worst.
Instead of a greeting, I hurled my hand axe.
Thwack! A silver line was drawn through the gray atmosphere.
Even as blood began to spray, the snake heads failed to react. The axe blade, thrown at such high velocity, did not lose its fierce momentum.
One, two, three.
No, even more snake heads exploded in succession, scattering blood and flesh. Just as the hand axe's power began to wane, I added forward force using the Secret of Stillness in Motion.
Blood erupted along the straight line carved into the world.
Only then did the monsters scream.
Kieeeeeeeek!
Despite the suddenness of the ambush, the snakes' reaction was swift. Having so many heads seemed to have improved their reaction speed.
Though in other aspects, their strength felt degraded.
Compared to the snakes made from elves possessing 'Blessings,' these were incredibly frail.
It seemed that no matter how much they swallowed indiscriminately, there was a limit to the quality of the snakes they could produce from such materials.
That was good news for me.
The silver aura surrounding my blade began to burn fiercely. The gathering cluster of light was on the verge of forming crystals.
It was a sign that Aura Blooming was near.
Just one small step, one chance encounter, and it felt like it would happen.
Hiding my growing impatience, I twisted my blade.
In response, beams of light carved lines through the air with a low thump and a faint vibration.
The snakes' skulls emitted an explosive light.
However, their first volley didn't achieve much.
I had already mastered the countermeasure during our previous encounter.
Secret Ritual Technique: Flow.
The subtlety of one of the only three Masters existing in this era was being showcased in the far North.
Kieeeeeek!
Kyaaaaaaaak!
With a chorus of screams, the surrounding snake heads were wiped out in an instant.
Some tried to resist with their own beams, but most were incinerated as the beams swept through in a fan-shaped arc.
Whoosh! The rising flames devoured the blizzard.
Even so, it wasn't enough.
The number of snake heads was simply too high. No matter how slight the time difference, there were dozens of beams being fired simultaneously.
It was impossible to parry them all individually.
That was why I had prepared a countermove.
"...Saintess!"
I didn't know if my scream-like shout reached her.
However, at the perfect moment, the sight I had hoped for entered my vision.
Light bombs of divine power filled the sky, turning it pure white.
After the connection between the elves and the Dark Cult was revealed, the army of the Holy Kingdom had personally come to the North.
Normally, they would have been fighting on the front lines. However, after I persuaded the Saintess, they had agreed to support me from the rear today.
Even if it was just rear support, the army of the Holy Kingdom was powerful.
Furthermore, their opponent was the subordinate of the Evil God—their natural enemy. The flesh monster could do nothing but shriek through its many snake mouths.
Even if a few survived, they were no match for me.
And so, I spent hours cutting, crushing, and killing as I advanced.
I pushed my blood-soaked bangs back. My ragged breathing and pounding heart echoed in my head.
At the end of my gaze, I saw the one I had been searching for so desperately.
A middle-aged man whose lower body had melted and fused with the mass of flesh.
The moment he sensed my presence, his eyes snapped open.
"Ah, how loathsome... this society where the strong prey on the weak, this landscape of barbarism! The structure that exploits the weak, the privileged class! And all of you!"
His pupils, though lost, burned with a golden light.
"Ian Percus... I smell the thick scent of blood on you! How much blood have you stained your hands with? The blood of those abandoned by the world!"
It was Leoric.
Only then did I let out a hollow laugh.
I had truly, earnestly wanted to face him.
"It's been a while, you bastard."
My smile was drenched in blood.
*
Yurdina Castle, where all the vassals and private soldiers had departed for war, was silent.
The ancient castle, submerged in stillness, looked like a ruin amidst the blizzard. It was a structure that created a bleak and lonely atmosphere by its mere existence.
Inside, in one of the few places where warmth remained, a man and a woman stood.
The aged man had his back to the woman. Even though the blizzard was battering the window fiercely, he was staring out at a landscape he couldn't even see.
After a long silence, the old man spoke.
"What is it?"
His blood-red eyes glanced back.
Standing there was a woman who possessed the same blood-red eyes.
"...My daughter."
Marquis Yurdina and Delphine Yurdina.
It was a late-night reunion between father and daughter.