Chapter 238: Formula (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 238: Formula (1)
In the end, Alon and his party managed to break through the overwhelming number of believers and reach the Allied lines.
"Th-they’re alive? They made it back?"
"For real?"
The soldiers, confirming that the believers were no longer in pursuit, muttered with dazed expressions.
They had run like madmen. Looking back at the path they had traveled, all that remained were thousands of footprints.
The believers who had chased them with frantic madness.
The monsters that had dripped saliva in their wake.
None were to be seen.
A heavy silence settled over the land.
The soldiers, who had been staring blankly at the path they had just fled, unconsciously threw down their weapons and—
"We’re alive!"
"I can't believe we made it out of that hellhole!"
They embraced one another, celebrating their survival.
The joy of living. The relief of escape.
Swept up in hopeful emotions, they let out shouts that seemed to shake the entire forest.
"Heugh... huff..."
Beside them, Penia was panting heavily with her tongue out like a dog.
Alon also let out a rough sigh and leaned his back against a tree.
We managed to get out somehow.
Once he caught his breath, Alon scanned the soldiers.
There were many survivors. However, as expected, their numbers had dwindled significantly compared to when they first set out for the front.
It was inevitable.
Even if Alon had killed dozens of enemies and an Apostle—instilling fear and despair in the foe while giving hope and courage to his allies—the overwhelming difference in military strength was bound to result in sacrifices.
"..."
A bitter feeling washed over him.
As Alon scanned the survivors, familiar faces entered his view. Ryanga and Ar were hugging each other, looking happy despite their labored breathing. Nangwon and his sister were shedding hot tears. Beside them was Rangban, his sword thrust into the ground as he took deep breaths, his eyes shining with the relief of survival.
As he watched them blankly...
"...Thank you."
A delicate voice reached his ears.
"...?"
Alon turned his gaze to find a young girl bowing her head. She looked familiar—
"...The one who fell earlier."
"Yes. If it weren't for you, Lord, I would have died."
Alon realized then. She was one of the girls whose life he had saved just moments ago.
"I'm glad you're safe."
"Thank you. Truly, thank you so much."
The girl bowed even deeper.
He had only seen her for a split second when she tripped while running, but Alon remembered her clearly.
It was because her race was 'human.'
It was a rare thing for there to be a human among the troops currently following Alon.
"Thank you, Lord!"
"If it weren't for you, I—"
Following her lead, those Alon had saved began to greet him one by one, their voices filled with respect and awe.
After accepting their gratitude, Alon soon urged the group forward again. Although they had broken through the lines and shaken off the believers' pursuit, they had yet to officially join up with the Allied Forces.
As Alon led the group onward, Rangban approached him.
"You say something is strange?"
"Yes."
Unlike before, Rangban’s brow was slightly furrowed.
"If we have walked this far, we should have encountered the Allied front lines by now. It is strange that they are still nowhere to be seen."
"Is there a chance we took the wrong path?"
"No, this is the correct way."
"Then you're saying there's a possibility something happened on the Allied side...?"
Rangban remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"...It's not impossible that a problem has arisen, but it likely isn't anything major. If the worst-case scenario we imagined had occurred, there's no way the believers wouldn't have sent a pursuit force after us."
"Then the problem is—"
"What I find strange is that if the front line has retreated this far, it would be natural for them to send a pursuit party, yet they haven't."
"...Didn't you say the soldiers we rescued from the last altar were the most recently captured?"
"I heard it had been about three weeks, but even they find this strange."
Alon pondered this for a short moment.
"Still, let's keep moving for now. We don't have any other choice anyway."
"Understood."
Alon chose to continue the march. Rangban nodded immediately.
The procession moved forward without stopping, aiming to reach the Allied front.
* * *
About three days passed.
During the march—which felt both long and short—Alon discovered only one fact.
The Allied front, which should have been there, was missing.
Of course, he hadn't heard any specific intel or seen anything definitive. However, the circumstances were bizarre.
Alon and the soldiers had broken through the Baarma believers' lines and had been walking east toward the Allied side ever since.
The front line was nowhere to be seen.
Yet, from the moment they broke through, the believers of Baarma acted as if the Allied front was still standing firm, sending no pursuit force after them.
The soldiers couldn't help but feel the growing strangeness of the situation.
"Did you say it would take about another week to reach the Union?"
"At our current pace, that should be enough time to arrive."
Night fell over the gray sky amidst the restless atmosphere. Alon nodded slowly at Rangban’s report.
"I hope we can find some answers once we arrive."
"...I feel the same."
Rangban let out a faint sigh.
"However, I am certain we will learn something once we reach the Union."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. As we crossed into the eastern region, I checked various spots and saw signs of a retreat. I don't know why the believers haven't pushed forward and are maintaining that line, but..."
We'll find out when we get there, Rangban concluded.
Soon, a young girl approached Alon.
"Lord—here."
"Thank you."
Nod, nod.
The girl handed Alon a sweet potato as if she had been waiting for the chance. The beastkin girl, who had large ears like Seolrang, fiddled with her very fluffy-looking tail while staring intently at Alon.
Feeling a silent pressure that seemed to say, Eat it right now, Alon naturally began to eat the sweet potato as he recalled her name.
Was it Ria?
She was one of the people Alon had saved three days ago, along with the human girl, while tearing through the enemy lines. Since then, as if to repay him, she had been bringing Alon a sweet potato at every meal.
The girl had brought one. However, Alon was eating nearly four sweet potatoes every meal.
No, it went beyond just four. Recently, despite the food shortage, Alon had been eating quite sumptuously.
There were two reasons for this. The first was—
"Ah! She beat me to it!"
"It was my turn!"
"The audacity!"
"Eh..."
It was because of the children who were competing to bring him sweet potatoes.
Ryanga and Nangwon clenched their fists in frustration, while Ar and the girl Alon had saved let out low groans of disappointment.
Watching them, Alon accepted all the food the children brought, as he did every day.
...Actually, if it had ended there, it would have been fine.
"This... is food brought from over there—"
"It is quite alright."
"No! You must stay healthy, Lord!"
"Please do not make us look like insolent fools who do not know how to repay grace!"
The problem was that he had to eat other food as well.
"Then, I shall eat it with gratitude."
"Not at all...!"
The soldiers bowed and backed away. In the spot they had vacated, a mountain of various fruits was piled up alongside the four sweet potatoes.
This was the reason he had no choice but to overeat.
"...I see it every time, but it really is a lot, Marquis."
"Indeed, Godfather..."
Penia and Line, who were sitting nearby, shook their heads as if they were fed up.
Alon also let out a secret sigh.
The adoration from the soldiers had begun three days ago after they broke through the lines. While it didn't feel bad, it was true that it was a bit burdensome.
Even now, it was the same.
The soldiers who had given him the food seemed to have disappeared, but in reality, they were secretly watching from afar to see when Alon would eat what they had offered.
Because of that...
I hope we arrive soon...
Alon forced the sweet potatoes and fruit into his mouth.
...The sweet potatoes were still delicious, though.
* * *
About another day passed.
Alon arrived at 'Dharma,' a place located before the Union's headquarters and the place Ryanga had asked him to take her when they first met.
Dharma looked almost exactly as Alon had expected.
The village was in a wretched state.
The houses were reduced to black ash and charred wood, likely destroyed by arson. The fields were covered in gray soil.
Aside from that, there were glimpses of bloodstains, and various farm tools and walls lay broken and scattered everywhere.
It was almost exactly the image of a raided village that Alon had imagined.
However, if there was one thing his prediction had missed...
...It was the corpses gathered in the village square.
Alon’s expression, usually stoic, contorted into a grimace.
It was a scene that gruesome.
Even Alon, who had seen countless bodies, felt a surge of nausea.
"Ugh—"
"Crazy—"
The voices of the soldiers reached his ears.
And then.
"...Eh?"
He heard Ryanga’s voice—the girl who was usually so spirited.
It was a voice as fragile as a glass bead, sounding as if it might shatter at any moment.
* * *
Yutia Bloodia.
She was staring blankly up at the night sky.
The Milky Way was beautiful. So beautiful that anyone who saw it would say the same.
"..."
However, there was no particular emotion on Yutia’s face as she looked at it. Her lips remained a straight line, and her entire face was devoid of anything but apathy.
Nevertheless, Yutia continued to stare at the Milky Way, as if trying to engrave its image into her red eyes.
At that moment.
Thud.
A very small sound was heard. A very shallow, thudding sound.
Without looking away from the Milky Way, Yutia turned her body toward the source of the noise.
Seolrang was there.
Seolrang’s face was turned downward, so it couldn't be seen. However, even without seeing her face, it wasn't difficult for Yutia to grasp Seolrang’s emotions.
The emotion Seolrang was showing now was one she knew all too well.
Yet, Yutia spoke calmly.
"Seolrang, I believe I told you? Do not leave your post unless absolutely necessary."
A monotonous voice. A voice that Seolrang feared.
But despite her words...
"You heard it, didn't you?"
Seolrang questioned Yutia instead. Without a hint of fear.
In fact—
"...Well? Tell me, Yutia. You must have heard. Why did you order us to stay still?"
She was dripping with thick resentment.
"Why are you so calm? You heard the report, didn't you? That Mentor... is dead... I said Mentor is dead! We have to get revenge on them, don't we? On those Hungry Ghosts... right?"
Even in the face of Seolrang, who was radiating intense killing intent, Yutia simply spoke serenely.
"Seolrang, be rational."
After a moment of silence, Seolrang spat out:
"...I feel sorry for Mentor."
"...What?"
"Mentor lived for you, Yutia... whether you were there or not. But you aren't like that."
Before she knew it, Seolrang had lifted her head. Her eyes were swollen from how much she had cried. Those eyes were deeply saturated with clear betrayal and hostility.
"That's why I feel sorry for Mentor."
The sentence was spat out as if she were chewing on it.
In the heavy silence, Yutia, who had been expressionless until a moment ago—
"Ha."
She suddenly burst into laughter. A small, hollow laugh.
And then.
"...It seems you need a lesson, Seolrang."
Yutia raised her index finger, her face now filled with a rage she had never shown before.