The Phantom Steed's Return
"Hoo... huff..."
A drop of sweat fell with his ragged breathing. A cool breeze swiftly brushed over his overheated muscles. Yoahim pushed himself to the absolute limit, as if torturing his own body. But the more his body ached, the clearer his mind became. His heart was a serene lake without a single ripple, a mirror reflecting his inner self.
Yoahim stared straight at his reflection in that gleaming mirror. A body packed with muscle, hands callused and tough, a face drenched in sweat. There wasn't a single thing he wasn't satisfied with. He grinned and threw himself even harder into his training.
"Apostle."
The voice calling him was like a single drop falling onto the lake's surface. Just one plop, but it sent massive ripples across the still water. Yoahim's focus shattered there. He dropped the massive rock on his back with a thud and lifted his head.
"Sasha."
"We deploy in an hour. How about washing up and getting ready now?"
Sasha was equipped with new gear instead of her usual clothes. Cowhide pants, a tough cloth top, and chainmail over that. A leather belt slung diagonally secured the bow and quiver on her back, and a longsword hung at her waist—probably for close combat once her arrows ran out.
Yoahim glanced at the Haellagoria crest on the black cloak draped over her shoulders before speaking.
"Where's Leon?"
"At the gate."
Yoahim had proven his training results and shown he was more than worthy to be Haellagos's adjutant. Thanks to that, he'd earned the right to command a unit as Haellagos's adjutant, becoming the leader of a mixed force of demons, dark elves, and undead.
Like the other adjutants' units, Yoahim's had been given a special name: the Vanguard.
Vanguard—true to the name, a unit that stood at the forefront, crushing the enemy. Considering how Yoahim had led the vanguard to glorious victories at Levia Castle, it was a perfect fit.
Leon was temporarily taking command of the Vanguard in place of the training-focused Yoahim.
"I'll wash up and join you. Go link up with Leon first."
"Understood. Oh, and Apostle—Lord Haellagos said to stop by the stables."
"Stables? Why?"
"He has a gift for you."
A gift? With departure for the battlefield imminent, maybe a horse.
Sasha chuckled softly.
"By the way, Leon and I already got ours. I think you'll like yours too."
"Yeah? Now I'm curious. Better hurry over."
"Yes, go ahead. I'll head to the gate first."
"I'll be right behind you."
Yoahim parted ways with Sasha and headed for the Spire Tower. He washed up, changed into his armor, then made for the stables.
It's quiet.
There were hardly any people on the streets. Most had gathered at the gates for the upcoming departure ceremony. Thanks to that, Yoahim reached the stables without hassle from anyone recognizing and bothering him.
"Anyone here?"
He knocked on the wall as he entered. The stablehand emerged from inside at the sound.
"Oh, Apostle! You've come."
"Haellagos told me to drop by. Said there's a gift."
"Ah, that. Just a moment, please."
The stablehand wasn't a dark elf or demon—he was a devil. But unlike others, he was incredibly short, like a shrunken giant devil.
Even devils come in small sizes, huh.
Small or not, a devil was a devil. Grotesque-looking, no cuteness despite the size. Yoahim watched the compact, muscular stablehand lead out a horse.
"This is...?"
"Heh heh, a ghost horse, sir. Made with special care at Sir Aljes's request."
The horse wasn't ordinary—it was a ghost horse conjured by necromancy. Bare bones wrapped in a chilling mist-like aura, with gleaming eyes that made it look anything but weak. Its presence was so intimidating that most monsters would flee in terror.
Aljes's request?
Haellagos's gift, but why Aljes's name? Yoahim tilted his head, then felt a sudden sense of familiarity.
"Hold on—this horse wouldn't be..."
"Heh heh, you recognized it. Yes, sir. It's the very one you rode during the Levia Castle assault."
The ghost horse approached Yoahim slowly, as if recognizing its master even in death. It nuzzled his head familiarly, confirming it was indeed that same horse. Yoahim let out a surprised, joyful laugh.
It was the perfect gift.
"Can I ride it right now?"
"Of course, sir. It's your ghost horse. Ah, but not here—go to an open area."
Following the stablehand's guidance outside, Yoahim leaped onto the ghost horse's back. He'd worried the bare bones would be uncomfortable, but the chilling aura filled the gaps like a cushion, feeling like riding on a cloud.
"Oh, more comfortable than I thought."
"Of course—it's my handiwork. I've been crafting ghost horses here for decades. No devil in the world does it better."
The stablehand puffed out his chest proudly. Yoahim smiled faintly.
"Can I just ride off like this? Got the departure ceremony soon."
"Ah, one moment—please dismount. I have something for you, Apostle."
Yoahim nodded and hopped down, landing lightly. He looked at the stablehand, who offered a silver ring.
"What's that?"
"A ring holding the horse's soul. Wear it, and you can summon the ghost horse anytime."
The silver ring centered an amber gem swirling with smoke-like wisps. Exquisite craftsmanship and beauty.
"Apostle, ghost horses can normally be resummoned with enough mana even after death. But if the ring breaks, it's gone forever—the soul's trapped in that gem. Be careful not to break it."
Yoahim nodded at the warning and slipped the ring onto his right hand—his third ring now.
◈ A ring containing the soul of a dead horse. Allows summoning of the ghost horse upon wearing.
Yoahim fingered the gem as he spoke.
"Thanks. I get to ride my horse again because of you."
"No thanks needed. Just doing my job."
Yoahim smiled at the humble stablehand, then mounted up to head for the gates.
"Apostle!"
As he was about to kick the ghost horse's side, the stablehand called out. Yoahim turned.
"What?"
"Win this! We believe in you and Lord Haellagos!"
Yoahim waved lightly instead of replying. The ghost horse's hooves pounded the ground fiercely.
"Hyah!"
Fast. A simple, intuitive impression.
A ghost horse's power differed fundamentally from a living one's. Bare bones, yet bolstered by necromancy and mana, it surpassed its living strength. The thunderous hoofbeats alone spoke of its overwhelming might. Plus, it never tired, needed no food or water—dominating short sprints in speed, long hauls in endurance. No wonder cavalry commander Gellios oversaw the stables personally.
Yoahim imagined a cavalry charge of ghost horses and felt a chill down his spine.
"So many..."
Arriving at the gates on his ghost horse, Yoahim swallowed hard at the vast army. Tens of thousands by rough count. Demons waited outside the city too. Joining forces already at Biljera Castle, they'd easily top a hundred thousand.
"You're late."
The departure ceremony had begun. Haellagos's voice boomed magically into his ears.
Yoahim turned to find his unit. True to Vanguard, they stood at the front—Leon and Sasha commanding in his absence.
Yoahim wasn't the only one who'd grown stronger in the Withered Land. Leon and Sasha had advanced beyond compare. Seeing them in Haellagoria-crested cloaks, expertly managing the troops, brought an involuntary smile.
"...But victory is what matters in the end. We go to end this war..."
Arriving mid-speech, Yoahim couldn't catch the full content. But the enthusiastic crowd and sky-high morale said it all—Haellagos was masterful.
Yoahim slowly guided his ghost horse toward his unit. Then a massive voice struck his ears.
"We hold the greater cause, the righteous claim, and Kakarli stands with us! Proof is the Apostle Yoahim! The Apostle promises us victory! Behold—our Apostle is here!"
Rooooar!
Yoahim flinched at the thunderous cheers. A bolt from the blue while heading to his spot. All eyes converged. They awaited the Apostle's words, and he had to deliver.
No slipping away quietly in this atmosphere. Yoahim reluctantly drew his sword from his waist and shouted.
"...We will be victorious. For Kakarli!"
For Kakarli!
The unified roar shook the walls. Yoahim tried returning to his place amid the cheers, but Haellagos beckoned him close.
"Apostle Yoahim, your place is here."
Right beside Haellagos. No adjutant but Administrator Halbert could stand there. And Halbert stayed to guard the city in the Grand Duke's absence.
In other words, only Yoahim could stand at Haellagos's side this war. Because he was no ordinary adjutant.
"March out!"
The gates opened at the booming command, the army surging like a tide. Yoahim gripped his ghost horse's reins and followed Haellagos.
They'd head to the nearest mana spring, then gate to the battlefield. The massive army would take time just to reach it.
Riding abreast, Yoahim spoke lowly.
"Why'd you do that?"
"Do what?"
Playing dumb. Yoahim scowled.
"Why shout my name at the end? Everyone stared."
"Because it was necessary."
"Necessary? For what?"
"They must remember you. Know who you are, what you do. Every soul in this land, without exception. Why? Because I cannot last forever."
Haellagos's voice lowered. His eyes gazed not at the barren wasteland, but farther beyond.
"Even the gaudiest bloom wilts eventually. Even the mightiest power fades. I am no different."
What future did the great demon see? Yoahim waited silently.
"I cannot last forever. But Kakarli will endure eternally. Apostle Yoahim—when my era fades and yours dawns..."
Haellagos met Yoahim's eyes. His gaze stretched into unfathomable depths.
"...You shall become the Grand Duke of the Withered Land."