Chapter 188
Chapter 188
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 188
Chapter Title: 77. Crossroads (1)
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Rolang spurred his horse toward Franchese.
As he'd heard, troops holding torches were blocking entry into Franchese from all sides.
Rolang approached a section where the guards seemed particularly lax.
Several soldiers were huddled together, chatting idly.
He occasionally caught the word "Franchese," but couldn't make out the details of their conversation.
Dismounting, Rolang circulated his Mana Circulation Method as he drew closer.
Thanks to his experiences fighting guerrilla battles alongside Yuri against the Empire's forces, he had a solid grasp of infiltration tactics.
He crept forward as silently as possible, hugging the ground.
The soldiers didn't notice him even as he passed right by.
"Have you been inside Franchese?"
"Nah."
"Sounds like total chaos in there..."
Rolang itched to grab them and demand answers, but he held himself back. He'd see for himself soon enough.
Patiently, he crawled through the underbrush.
The perimeter soon fell behind him.
Franchese sprawled out ahead.
Rolang rose slowly to his feet. Strangely, not a sound could be heard. Only the echo of his own footsteps rang unnaturally loud.
Having left his horse behind for stealth, he'd have to run if he wanted to move quickly. He bolted toward the castle.
Then, suddenly, he encountered a group of people.
Rolang's face lit up.
"Hey..."
There were five or six of them, standing face-to-face in stunned silence.
As the distance closed, Rolang's expression hardened.
They didn't look right at all.
On guard, he spoke up.
"Excuse me."
One turned its head toward him. No reply. A dense tree nearby cast deep shadows, hiding their faces completely.
Gathering silently like this at night was suspicious enough.
Rolang rested his fingertips on his sword hilt.
"Can you hear me?"
The whole group began shambling toward him.
Their gait was off—staggering, limping. And not just one or two; all of them.
"Halt."
Rolang backed away, frowning.
Their forms grew clearer.
He was speechless.
They were grotesque.
Torn faces, bodies riddled with holes. One dragged itself along on its lower half alone, arms ripped clean off.
They let out guttural howls and charged.
For someone at Rolang's level, their simplistic movements posed no threat. They were little better than wild beasts, lunging straight ahead.
Soon, they were all crawling on the ground, limbs severed by his blade.
"What in the..."
Even more horrifying—they weren't dead. Despite being in a state where they should have been corpses, they kept writhing.
Rolang looked down at them in disgust.
Half-smashed teeth gnashing, they strained to bite him.
A thrust to the head stilled them.
The head was the weak point.
Confirming this, Rolang pulverized every skull.
"Like zombies from some ghost story."
He stared silently at the six motionless corpses, then turned toward the heart of Franchese.
"Something's..."
Going on in there.
This might be Sodders' "devil's seed." No ordinary person could stay sane after witnessing this.
Gripping his sword, Rolang pressed on.
Did Brioll's palace know nothing of this?
No.
The troops blockading the area were reason enough to suspect Cedric.
Though Yuri, the third prince he served, shared a deep bond of brotherhood that precluded doubt, Rolang no longer trusted Cedric.
He was either behind this or involved somehow.
Rolang vanished into Franchese's darkness.
Rolang cut down countless zombies as he advanced.
Even as day broke, they showed no sign of stopping.
He had to admit it.
Franchese had fallen.
Or something close to it.
There might be survivors somewhere, but it would never recover its former glory.
"Hey."
As Rolang walked through the ruined village, a voice called out.
"Hey..."
He turned.
It came from inside a shed attached to a house. Peering through the tattered door was a pair of eyes.
"You human?"
Rolang approached and flung the door open.
A girl tumbled backward in fright, falling on her rear.
Thirteen or fourteen, maybe. Her hair was a tangled mess from days on the run, her face grimy and filthy.
"Who are you?"
"I-I'm Stephanie. I've been hiding here because it's scary."
The first living human he'd met in Franchese. Everyone else had turned into zombies.
"You're really human, right?"
"What else would I be?"
"A... human..."
Rolang scanned the shed. Nothing unusual.
"B-but there are monsters that look human. I can't just trust appearances."
"Then don't."
"Ugh..."
Stephanie edged closer to him timidly.
"You're a knight, right? Are you leaving Franchese?"
"No."
"Then...?"
"Going the opposite way."
"Deeper in?"
She recoiled in horror.
"Why? We have to get out. Please, can I come with you?"
"I said I'm going in."
"Why?"
"None of your business."
Rolang fixed her with a cold stare.
The neurosis from his ordeals and Franchese's horrors had left him on edge.
Stephanie shrank back.
"It's dangerous inside..."
Rolang paused in thought. If she stayed, she'd die. But he had to keep pushing forward.
He spoke.
"Stephanie."
"Y-yes?"
"I'm heading to the lord's castle. Know anything?"
"No..."
"Even in this state, it'll hold."
Rolang stepped out of the shed without looking back.
"Follow if you want. But I can't promise to protect you."
"I-I'll come!"
She scurried after him.
"Knight, sir, why are you going to the castle?"
"..."
"Can't you just leave?"
"I want quiet."
"Okay..."
Stephanie was talkative. Or maybe it stemmed from her anxiety.
Rolang dispatched every zombie they encountered. They never fled, so once alerted, he could wipe them out easily.
Stephanie said,
"I watched from hiding. There are strong zombies. We should avoid them."
"How do you know they're strong?"
"Their skin's different. Like burn victims. Almost like..."
Trailing behind him, she suddenly shouted.
"Like that one!"
Rolang whirled around.
A zombie emerged from between half-collapsed buildings.
Unlike the others, its skin was blistered and fused like severe burns, eyes glowing with malice.
Its gait was steady, unlike typical zombies.
"That's..."
Rolang eyed the ragged knight's garb clinging to its body. Familiar attire.
He hadn't expected knights to turn too.
"How did this..."
No time for words. The zombie leaped.
Rolang swung.
But it dodged swiftly and slashed with claws.
"Tch!"
He twisted away acrobatically, regained balance, and activated his Mana Circulation Method.
White light gleamed along his blade.
"W-wow..."
Stephanie gasped from behind.
Rolang focused.
This one was faster than average, with some judgment.
But its hunger for flesh remained—it drooled at him even now, barely restraining itself.
Rolang closed in.
"Understand me?"
"..."
"Hear me?"
It lunged.
Abandoning talk, Rolang slashed. After a few dodges, the zombie crumpled, bisected.
He pinned its chest with his boot. It snapped at his leg, but couldn't budge under the weight.
"Last chance. Can you speak?"
"Kieee..."
No.
Rolang crushed its head.
"Stephanie."
"Yes!"
"Let's go."
He turned. She glanced at the corpse and hurried after.
"Amazing. Are you some famous knight? You're incredible with a sword."
"Hungry?"
"Are you a renowned knight...? Yes, starving."
"Here."
Rolang handed her jerky. She devoured it instantly.
He offered another piece.
"Thank you!"
Rolang and Stephanie munched jerky as they traversed the zombie-infested village.
Yuri swung his sword atop the walls.
"Damn it!"
The Empire's assault had resumed. Their knights bounded up using leap gear, slashing wildly once atop the battlements.
Fiore faced the Black Knight.
The Black Knight led a squad of elite knights, preventing Fiore from finishing him quickly.
Fiore dominated the group relentlessly.
Still, he was tied down.
While Fiore was occupied, the Empire's troops swarmed Bezos Castle like locusts.
Ropes appeared, letting even non-leapers climb and fight.
The odds were worse than before.
"Damn, Rolang!"
Yuri cursed himself for calling out absentmindedly.
He was gone.
"Jared!"
"Yes!"
"With me. Rope there now. Cut it."
Even as they spoke, Empire soldiers scaled up.
Brioll archers loosed arrows, but massive iron shields blocked the way.
"Just us two?"
"Grab someone."
"Everyone's busy. If only Sir Rolang were here..."
"He has something more urgent."
"Understood. Let's go."
"Charge!"
They dashed to a key breach point, guarded by a knight order commander.
"Third Prince!"
"That's me!"
"I'm commander of the Spearblade Knights."
"Empire has non-numbered orders?"
"Only Imperial Palace direct affiliates do."
Their blades clashed.
Yuri infused chaos energy from the start, pressing hard. The commander recoiled from the unexpected force.
"Impressive! Haha!"
"Quit laughing like a third-rate villain and die already."
"Such foul mouth!"
"That's it?"
"Unprincely."
"Sue me, you bastard!"
Yuri's sword struck like lightning.
The commander barely parried, then took a kick and fell.
Yuri stabbed down.
He rolled aside. Yuri hammered relentlessly. The commander tumbled away.
"W-wait! You're stronger than I heard! That's enough!"
"What?"
"Let's talk..."
"Die."
"Why so nasty?"
Yuri stabbed the commander's armor.
"Gah!"
"No whining."
As Yuri thrust again, the commander twisted aside. The blade slipped between armor plates without piercing flesh.
They grappled close, like brawlers.
The commander whispered,
"Listen, Yuri Brioll."
"Shut up..."
"I'm here to help you."
"Bullshit..."
"Ekaterina."
Yuri froze. Through the visor, the exhausted commander smirked.
"Ekaterina sent me."