Episode 28

"The Baron is alive!"

"We must escape! Escape and reach the Baron—!"

The death of High Knight Raul had shocked not only the common soldiers but also the Tesron knights. Yet their sense of duty to protect their lord outweighed their fear.

The remaining Tesron knights began gathering to break through the encirclement.

Of course, Logan and the MacLaine forces had no intention of letting them go.

"Surrender now! Death is your only alternative!"

Logan's voice boomed across the battlefield, carrying an overwhelming force—as if he had already recovered his strength.

But even in the face of such momentum and his undeniable achievements, there were still those who refused to accept reality.

"Don't mock me, brat!"

A Tesron knight, easily over two meters tall, charged forward like lightning, swinging a massive two-handed sword.

Despite his enormous frame, his speed was terrifyingly fast, and the sheer power behind his strike remained undiminished. It was a perfect ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠slash, utilizing every advantage of his size and weapon.

But—

Spliiiitch.

The sickening sound of splitting flesh came not from Logan, but from the knight himself.

Thud.

"If you want your corpses left intact, surrender!"

Drenched in the blood spraying from the bisected corpse, Logan bared his teeth and roared again.

His blood-soaked appearance amplified the terror of his overwhelming martial prowess.

"The Grand Prince... cut down a knight in a single stroke?"

"Was His Lordship always this strong?"

Even the MacLaine knights, who had yet to fully grasp Logan's prowess, were stunned. For the Tesron knights, the pressure was suffocating.

"Damn it. Is he a High Knight?"

"Bloody hell! Where did this monster come from?!"

"We're screwed..."

Logan, clad in crimson armor of gore, led the charge of MacLaine knights while their forces encircled the remnants. And Patrick, despite his severe injuries, had already cut down four mid-tier knights.

Only after nine more knights lost their heads in futile resistance did the remaining thirty-two Tesron knights finally surrender.

"Where is Baron Tesron?"

"It seems he fled."

"Oh? Hmph. Not like he has many places to run."

Logan's gaze was complicated as he watched his father slump onto the ground, pouring potion over his wounds without even bothering to find a tent.

"Are you alright?"

"Of course. Couldn't be better."

"That's a relief."

"Though I have many questions for you... we'll save them for after the war."

Logan nodded silently, understanding his father's intent.

"Good. Now, let's finish this war."

Patrick's voice carried an unburdened lightness.

His words weren't entirely empty—his eyes burned brighter than usual.

But that very vigor created a small problem.

"Prepare the knights! We march for Tesron Castle at once!"

Though Patrick's determination was admirable, it wasn't what Logan wanted.

That won't do.

Having anticipated this, Logan smoothly delivered his prepared response.

"Please don't push yourself. Tend to your wounds properly first. I'll take the mercenary band ahead to Tesron Castle and end this war."

Fortunately, his father didn't catch the underlying meaning.

"Hmm... Very well. Do as you see fit."

He simply nodded with a carefree smile.

"Then I'll go."

Logan turned abruptly, inexplicably eager to leave.

"Logan."

Just then, Patrick, who had slumped back down, called out in a quiet voice.

"Yes?"

When Logan turned back, their eyes met. Patrick seemed about to say something but instead waved him off.

"...Never mind. Go on."

Logan tilted his head slightly but turned away again.

"...Thank you."

Flinch.

The words were so soft that even someone standing right beside them might have missed it.

But Logan, with senses honed by his Force Core, heard them clearly.

A strange warmth—thick yet hollow—pulsed in his chest.

It felt like a fragment of the resentment from his past life was melting away.

No. I'm the one who should apologize.

He bowed his head slightly, recalling his past mistakes, yet an odd smile tugged at his lips.

It was the first time he had ever felt this way while reminiscing about his past life.

But the strange dissonance wasn't unpleasant.

His chest tingled with countless things he wanted to say, but none made it past his lips.

"...I'll return."

All that escaped was a whisper, just as quiet as his father's.

The pursuit of Haman Tesron.

At the head of the charge, a faintly relieved smile played on Logan's lips as he rode.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!

A single warhorse galloped desperately across the plains.

"Hyah!"

The rider, reflecting his own agitation, relentlessly whipped his exhausted steed.

Where... where did it all go wrong?

Haman Tesron's face twisted in frustration, his mind a tangled mess on the verge of explosion.

I prepared everything perfectly.

He had spent three years laying the groundwork.

He reinforced his soldiers' equipment, trained not just his standing army but also conscripts regularly.

To expand his knight order from seventy to a hundred, he had even swallowed his pride and sought help from other nobles.

And then, just recently, his Knight Commander Raul had broken through to High Knight—a stroke of luck.

The moment he confirmed Raul's strength, he had drawn up his plans for the territorial war, certain of victory.

But then those unexpected bastards appeared, reducing all his schemes to nothing.

Those bastards! That mounted unit ruined everything! Especially those weapons!

The rain of death from those unheard-of crossbows.

Even if he had known about them from the start, there was no way to counter them except by committing his knights—a near-cheat weapon that fired from an unreachable distance.

No... even then, could we have stopped them?

Disguised as a common soldier, he had fled the battlefield—but not before catching sight of the red-haired brat cutting down knights as he carved through the ranks.

That same brat had been at the head of the mounted unit, firing those cursed crossbows.

If that one was so monstrously strong... what if the others were too?

"No! Impossible!"

Haman shook his head violently, as if trying to dispel the ominous thought.

Given the red hair, that brat was undoubtedly Patrick's son.

A freak like that couldn't be common.

Even if he was, it didn't matter anymore.

The war he had staked everything on was already lost. His ambitions had crumbled.

But it wasn't completely over.

If I can just reach that place, I can survive. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠And if I leverage the information I have...

Haman whipped his horse relentlessly toward Tesron Castle.

By luck or misfortune, the steed collapsed just short of the gates, blood frothing from its mouth.

Neigh—!

Thud.

Nearly tumbling off, Haman scrambled to his feet and shouted at the guards atop the walls.

"Open the gates! Your lord has returned!"

Though dressed in a common soldier's garb, thankfully, one of the gatekeepers recognized him. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

As he barely slipped inside, panicked shouts erupted behind him.

"Something's coming!"

"It—it looks like cavalry!"

Haman Tesron's entire body broke out in goosebumps.

"Bar the gates! Hold them! At all costs!"

"...My lord?"

Even he knew it was an impossible order for the few dozen soldiers guarding the gate.

But he had no other choice.

"Let no one through!"

Leaving behind those futile words, he sprinted toward the inner keep.

"Hurry! Gather anything of value! Belua—where is Belua?! Prepare our escape at once!"

The moment he entered the inner keep, Haman shrieked like a madman.

Ignoring the bewildered looks of his servants, he shoved them aside and rushed to his study.

Even after fleeing the battlefield and riding nonstop, the enemy was already at his heels.

The cold edge of a reaper's blade pressed against his neck.

Driven by that chilling sensation, Haman slammed the study door shut behind him and immediately headed for his hidden compartment, unlocking the safe.

At least take the gold. With that...

He frantically shoveled his last lifeline—gold coins and jewels—into a shabby bag.

Just then, a breathless servant burst in with dire news.

"The—the gates! They've breached the gates!"

Haman's face paled at what might as well have been a death sentence.

The distance from the battlefield plains to Tesron Castle was over five hours even by horseback without rest.

Despite pushing their mounts to the limit without pause, they had only glimpsed the enemy's back.

The man who slipped through the closing gates wore a common soldier's garb, but no mere soldier would receive such deference from his peers.

"He fled fast."

Logan's brow furrowed, but his orders were decisive.

"Take Tesron Castle and capture the Baron!"

"Yes, sir!"

The defenders on the walls numbered fewer than a hundred.

Tesron Territory had clearly committed nearly all its forces to the battle.

Thus, no one protested when Logan ordered the siege with just over three hundred men.

Leading the charge himself, Logan stormed toward the castle.

"Tesron has been defeated! Open the gates and welcome your rightful victors!"

His voice boomed across the plains, reaching even the soldiers atop the walls.

Watching the Tesron soldiers flinch, Logan grinned savagely.

Only a few arrows flew toward him—hardly enough to warrant covering fire from his mercenaries.

Charging ahead alone, Logan spurred his horse and leaped into the air just before the gates.

Having discarded the mangled heavy armor ruined by the enemy High Knight, his reinforced body and Force-enhanced strength let him scale the walls effortlessly.

"Open the gates. Unless you all want to die."

Before they knew it, Logan's blade rested against the throat of Tesron's gate captain.

With that, Tesron Castle's gates opened far too easily.

"Move out! Find Haman Tesron!"

Locating the man took no time at all.

The servants pointed the way without even needing threats—a clear sign the Baron wasn't well-liked.

Led to the inner keep, the head servant subtly gestured toward a gap in the study's bookshelf. There, pressed against the wall like a trapped rat, was the Baron.

"Eek!"

Haman Tesron had long abandoned any pretense of noble dignity, trembling like a man facing a ghost.

"Finally caught you."

Grind.

Logan gritted his teeth, pouring lifetimes of resentment into the sound.

Because of this bastard, my family was destroyed in my past life...

But as he stepped forward with murderous intent—

"I—I surrender! By the customs of territorial war, I'll pay reparations—whether in compensation or tribute! Just spare me and my family!"

The Baron dropped to his knees, his tone shifting abruptly.

"Customs?"

Logan nearly laughed at the absurdity.

"You declared war on us and invaded within a day, yet now you talk of customs? Haman Tesron, do you even have a conscience?"

He strode toward the cowering Baron with eerie calm.

Step. Step.

Haman's panic escalated under Logan's murderous gaze.

"Honor among nobles! Prisoners taken in territorial wars are guaranteed their lives—!"

"Noble honor? Fine. The MacLaine family respects honor, so we'll follow custom. Thus, I guarantee your life, Haman Tesron, and grant you time to gather your family and valuables before exile."

"...Th-thank you."

Haman exhaled in relief—but Logan's killing intent didn't waver.

"Why—why are you looking at me like that—?"

"My father would've said exactly that. He'd accept your surrender without conditions. Because to him, honor is everything."

"G-gah!"

Haman shrieked and scrambled back ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as Logan took another step.

Ignoring him, Logan plucked an ornate dagger from the open safe.

"...A pretty blade."

"T-take it! It was crafted by Sepina, the kingdom's finest—"

Haman babbled under the suffocating weight of terror.

But Logan slowly shook his head.

"No. This belongs to you."

"W-what?"

"Here—"

Schwing!

Logan drew the exquisitely crafted dagger and forced it into the Baron's hand.

He smiled brightly at the Baron's confusion.

And then—

Stab.

"Guh—kghk!"

Logan guided Haman's own hand to plunge the dagger into his solar plexus.

"You—you said you'd spare me—!"

"My father would have."

Grind.

Ignoring the Baron's instinctive resistance, Logan slowly dragged the blade downward.

"But I'm not him."

Logan grinned savagely at the Baron's contorted face.

I could've pierced his heart in one strike...

But he had no intention of making it quick.

His cold eyes hardened as he added more pressure.

"Ghh... N-noble... honor..."

"Ha! Do you know how many died for your greed? Noble honor? What about basic human decency?!"

Even without counting the grudges from his past life, how many of his people had perished in this war?

"Let your ugly life end here."

Riiip.

His abdomen split open, spilling his entrails—yet the Baron couldn't even scream.

His jaw hung slack, eyes bulging as if ready to pop, body trembling uncontrollably.

Anyone could see he was suffering unbearable agony as death rushed toward him.

"Be grateful it's this quick."

Had he been caught fleeing across the plains instead of in his study, Logan would have made his death far more excruciating.

But too many had seen the Baron enter his study.

And the man's talk of "customs" had nagged at him—hence this roundabout method.

Did Haman hear him? His wide eyes stretched further—then, with a final twitch, his breathing stopped.

Watching Baron Haman Tesron's final moments, Logan smiled brightly.

Not out of sadistic pleasure at his enemy's suffering.

"Finally..."

But from the sheer relief of having overcome a critical hurdle.

It finally felt real—that he had averted his family's crisis.

Ah. Now for cleanup.

Still basking in satisfaction, Logan wiped the smile from his face and shouted outside.

"Baron Haman Tesron has attempted suicide!!"

His voice echoed through the castle, sparking immense repercussions.

The Baron, heartbroken by his defeat, had slit his own belly in a moment of lax surveillance.

Grand Prince Logan, despite being drenched in blood, had tried desperately to save him—but by the time the priest arrived, he was already dead.

Though many were bewildered by the rumors, none dared question Logan for the truth.

And so, Tesron Castle fell completely into the hands of House MacLaine.