Chapter 108
Chapter 108
Iron Emperor — Chapter 108
Passing through the Reganza Mountains, Baron Levion Gowin and his knights were struck speechless by the sight of Gauri. Their population was small, yet the quality of the soldiers guarding the place left nothing to be desired. And the unimaginable sight of orcs and minotaurs kept as livestock sent their very sense of reality reeling.
They had even entertained the absurd thought that these people might truly be the Demon Tribe. A futile notion, of course. As he sank into such ruminations, a voice roused Baron Gowin from his thoughts.
"Baron Gowin."
"Ger—. No. Sir Ung-sam."
Perhaps because the name Gerard was still so familiar to him, Baron Gowin nearly called Ung-sam by that name before correcting himself. Meeting Baron Gowin's eyes, Ung-sam gave him an apologetic smile.
"It seems you will have to move with us. Immediately, at that."
"What do you mean?"
At Ung-sam's declaration that they had to move at once, Baron Gowin could not help but ask for an explanation.
Move where, from here?
"It is His Majesty's command. Moreover, it appears the whereabouts of the twenty thousand soldiers you raised have been located."
In that instant, a light flared in Baron Gowin's eyes. No man can remain composed before the fruits to which he has devoted his entire life.
'The Yeolje...'
Curiosity about this "Yeolje" who commanded a warrior like Ung-sam welled up within Baron Gowin. In any case, refusing to move was not an option, not when Ung-sam had come to him wearing an apologetic look. And having followed them all this way, he understood full well that he could hardly expect to be treated as a guest.
"I will prepare at once."
"I apologize for giving you no proper chance to rest."
As Baron Gowin nodded and rose from his seat, Ung-sam dipped his head once more, as if genuinely sorry.
"Not at all. The matter requires us to move without a moment's delay; I understand."
"Then I shall go and make ready."
Ung-sam gave Baron Gowin another modest bow before hurrying outside. Baron Gowin likewise rose to inform his own knights.
"Ah! You just stepped on the line!"
"...."
"Hey! I told you to come in without smudging the magic circle!"
"...."
Inside an enormous magic circle, Gye Ung-sam, Mong Ryu-hwa, and the others were watching Siaron Risel's every move with close attention. In contrast to Baron Gowin's party and their astonished eyes, the Gauri soldiers, Ung-sam included, wore deeply skeptical looks.
"It is finished."
Despite Risel's satisfied smile, the thought lingering in his companions' eyes was unmistakable: "What on earth is he doing?"
"The road ahead is long, and instead of setting out, he's just been sitting there drawing on the ground."
"You said it. We'll be up all night at this rate."
Listening to the grumbling soldiers, Baron Gowin could not comprehend their attitude. The work underway was unmistakably the drawing of a warp magic circle. Yet the soldiers were looking on as though watching children doodle.
"Whew, it's done."
Risel looked at the completed magic circle with a proud expression. At that moment, Yeon Hwi-garam approached from behind, his equipment already secured.
"You have worked hard."
"You've come."
As Hwi-garam spoke with a smile, Risel bowed his head slightly in greeting.
"Salute! Gye Ung-sam and fifteen others are ready to depart."
"Good."
Hwi-garam nodded and stepped into the circle, prompting Ung-sam to open his eyes wide and speak.
"What—General, you are going too?"
"Yes."
The news that even Hwi-garam would be going told Ung-sam that some major battle was imminent.
"But what is this thing?"
Having not dared to ask Risel—who had been so intently drawing his picture—Ung-sam posed the question carefully to Hwi-garam instead.
"A warp formation."
"A warp... formation?"
When Ung-sam repeated the term with a puzzled look, Hwi-garam raised a finger and pressed it to his own lips.
"Shh."
"...."
Ung-sam immediately shut his mouth and asked no further questions. As everyone held their breath and watched, Risel stepped into the center of the formation and slowly parted his lips.
"Oum Sala di Krei Um Taha."
As the preliminary incantation summoning mana was chanted, the twisted infinite ring wrapped around Risel's heart began to spin furiously. With it, the surrounding atmosphere poured into the magic circle as though being sucked inside.
"O powers of mana that compose the world, grant me your strength. Borrowing the smallest yet most needful of your powers, I beseech you..."
Vwoooooom!
As light surged from the magic circle, those inside the formation and those watching from outside alike flinched, their eyes flying wide in astonishment.
"Re-forge an instant into eternity... Warp!"
FWOOSH!
Risel's final syllable echoed, and a flash erupted. Perhaps because it was their first experience, Ung-sam and his men, who had shut their eyes, flinched as a massive current of air suddenly crashed over them. Collecting themselves, they shouted.
"Ugh-guhg, what in the world is this!"
"My head's splitting! No, seriously, what is this?"
Like his grumbling soldiers, Ung-sam swore under his breath as he opened his eyes.
"What the devil—!"
"So that's how it is with you, huh? Looking to get yourself wrecked for the first time in a while?"
"...."
Right before Ung-sam's eyes stood Eulji Buru, who should have been in South Roselin, toying with the handle of his axe.
While Eulji Buru and Gye Ung-sam, reunited after a long separation, were exchanging tearful greetings, Yeon Hwi-garam and Siaron Risel emerged from the center of the magic circle and stepped before Jin-cheon. At once, as if by prior arrangement, every soldier inside the magic circle dropped to one knee and cried out,
"Salute!"
Only when the shout rang out did Hwi-garam and Risel kneel on one knee as well.
"Summoned by Your Majesty, Supreme One of All Heavens who embraces all people and all things, I, your servant Taedaehyeong Yeon Hwi-garam, have arrived."
"...That really was fast. This is going to make things easier."
At Hwi-garam's formal greeting, Jin-cheon muttered something to himself. Risel, for his part, experienced the sensation of cold sweat running down his back.
"Buru. That's enough."
The dust cloud rising on one side ceased at Jin-cheon's single sentence. Struck by this bolt from the blue, Ung-sam barely managed to pick himself up off the ground and let out a sigh of relief.
"Today isn't the only day we have."
But the additional remark Jin-cheon appended made Ung-sam chew over the lesson that one must always listen to Gauri words right to the end. Silently, he returned to his place.
"Hwi, Risel, and Ung-sam—escort our guest and follow."
"As commanded!"
Without another word, Jin-cheon turned his back and walked away. Those whose names had been called fell in step behind him.
"Let us go."
"Are you... all right?"
"...I'm suffering."
At Baron Gowin's worried question, Ung-sam voiced his true feelings in a single word, then walked on after the others.
Watching them, a peculiar light kindled in Baron Silen Bels' eyes.
'The Hawk of the Battlefield!'
Baron Bels, who had recognized Baron Gowin, could not hide his astonishment at encountering such an unexpected figure.
The twenty thousand soldiers on their way to South Roselin right now were clearly the army of the Haian Kingdom. Yet here, of all places, he was seeing Baron Gowin—the man who had commanded Haian's main fighting force. He could not help but be stunned.
"Just what in the world is going on..."
Baron Bels could only shake his head at the increasingly incomprehensible situation. However things stood, he could only hope it would aid the war effort.
To the left of Go Jin-cheon, seated in the place of highest honor, sat Yeon Hwi-garam and Siaron Risel. To his right sat Eulji Buru and Uru. In front of them were Gye Ung-sam and Baron Levion Gowin, and at one end sat Baron Silen Bels.
"Everyone's gathered."
Jin-cheon spoke unhurriedly. As if he had been waiting for just that, Buru spread a map over the table. Once the map was open, the gazes of those present naturally converged upon it.
"Originally, I planned to make Vihanen Fortress our last stop before pulling out."
At Jin-cheon's words, Baron Bels' complexion shifted slightly. He still needed these people to stay. But whether or not he knew what was in the baron's heart, Jin-cheon rubbed his stubbled chin with a detached expression and continued.
"But, you see. An unexpected variable has appeared."
"You mean the Haian Kingdom's reinforcement unit?"
When Hwi-garam calmly interjected, Jin-cheon inclined his head. Smiling slightly at the gesture, Hwi-garam turned to look at Buru.
"Taedaesaja, has their location been identified?"
"Only a rough direction so far."
When Buru answered with a slight bow of his head, Hwi-garam shifted his gaze to Baron Gowin, seated beside Ung-sam, then returned his eyes to Jin-cheon and spoke.
"This is Baron Gowin."
Baron Gowin, who had not even had the leisure to properly introduce himself until that moment, slowly rose as Hwi-garam presented him.
"I am Baron Levion Gowin."
"I hear those were troops you raised."
In place of a greeting toward him, a direct question came flying.
"That is correct."
At Baron Gowin's unruffled reply to the question—couched in casual, unadorned speech—Jin-cheon curled one corner of his mouth upward. He wore the look of a man eyeing an amusing new toy.
"Soldiers too precious to give away."
Jin-cheon's eyes were locked with Baron Gowin's.
"Find them."
"...."
"I'll take them in."
It was simple.
No conciliatory persuasion, no honeyed words. No customary flattery. Only those two short sentences.
'Find them. I'll take them in.'
Yet Baron Gowin's expression showed little change. And it was not only Baron Gowin. The other Gauri commanders also remained still, as though this were perfectly natural. Only Baron Bels failed to grasp the meaning of this strange exchange.
"I may be the one incurring a loss, you understand."
Baron Gowin's composed voice came across toward Jin-cheon. The content of the words, in contrast to the calm voice, was enough to make the watching Baron Bels break into a cold sweat down his back.
'If he is the head of a faction that even commands an Archwizard, then he is not someone one can speak to carelessly—whether he calls himself king or Yeolje or anything else. Why on earth is he talking that way?'
While Baron Bels held his breath and wracked his brain, Jin-cheon let out a soft, derisive snort.
"Considering you couldn't even keep custody of twenty thousand troops, I'm the one being generous by taking you in."
"You leave a man with nothing to say."
Like a conversation between skilled diplomats, or perhaps a comedy routine, the exchange of words produced no particular reversal or shift in atmosphere, despite the content.
"Do you think finding them is possible?"
This time, Baron Gowin asked first. With his chin still propped on his hand, Jin-cheon turned his eyes toward Ung-sam. Meeting his gaze, Ung-sam did not flinch. Without even glancing at Baron Gowin, Jin-cheon continued speaking from that position.
"I call him Gurajaengi, but he's not someone who can't read people. And I wouldn't have entrusted him with it if I couldn't trust him."
The tone was unhurried, but Baron Gowin was no fool—he understood the trust those words conveyed. Bending halfway at the waist, he placed one hand over his heart.
"I request support... Your Majesty."
For the first time, the words "Your Majesty" came from Baron Gowin's lips. Still holding Ung-sam's gaze, Jin-cheon moved his lips.
"Ung-sam."
"Salute!"
"Provide support as you see fit."
"As commanded!"
That was all.
As though it had been a trivial matter, Jin-cheon turned his eyes back to the map. Even Baron Gowin was looking toward the map now, like a man who had been with them for ages. Only Baron Bels, seated off to one side, wore the expression of a child left out of the game.
"Baron Bels, will you join in?"
The question came from Jin-cheon.
But Baron Bels found himself unable to answer at once.
The plan of these people had been to destroy North Roselin's main army to a certain extent.
* * *
The reason was simple.
If South Roselin were to collapse too quickly, their own traces would inevitably be exposed that much faster. It was necessary to give South Roselin some breathing room in order to draw the war into a protracted stalemate.
Even possessing the military strength that had annihilated twenty thousand troops, if they refused to send support to the battlefield where the Eastern Army was fighting, that would be pure nonsense.
It would be the same as advertising the existence of a third power. Once that happened, all manner of incidents that had been buried in the chaos of the battlefield would be investigated anew, and even if the Gauri army was hidden in the Reganza Mountains—a natural fortress blessed by heaven—it was obvious without looking that holding out would become an ordeal.
In the end, they had to make it appear that the force which obliterated the twenty thousand had joined the Eastern Army, and they had to achieve a certain level of martial success. Only then would the South Roselin front turn into a prolonged war, giving the Gauri army room to withdraw at its leisure.
Baron Bels was not unaware of this reality. He knew it, which was precisely why he was doing this. To some degree, this helped South Roselin's side, but it did not help the overall war situation.
Of course, if things were drawn into a protracted war, a peace treaty might become possible, but that would be nothing more than a result that extended the kingdom's lifespan just a little longer. He had opposed this plan at first, but the handle of the blade was in Jin-cheon's grip.