Chapter 123
Chapter 123
Iron Emperor — Chapter 123
"Dinner already?"
"Yeah. After running ourselves ragged for days, I could go for a proper meal."
"Heh, they'll probably just give us scraps of bread and something like porridge."
"Aw, but maybe they'll at least give us a chunk of meat?"
Samdopyo and his men were lounging around as if they owned the place, chattering away.
Knock, knock.
"Is that them calling us to eat?"
Dupyo, who had been lying around with a sullen expression, got up at the sound of knocking.
Shhk.
At the same time, the other nine soldiers calmly pulled their weapons closer. Seeing this, Dupyo gave a slight nod, and the soldier by the door called out,
"Come in."
At the soldier's words, the door opened and a man in an attendant's uniform entered.
"Marquis Baikal invites you to dinner."
"Got it."
As Dupyo answered, the rest of the soldiers got up and followed him in a line.
Following the attendant, they smiled at the delicious aroma wafting toward them.
A little later, when they arrived at a place guarded by four knights, one of them stepped forward and spoke.
"You must hand over your weapons before entering."
"Heh."
At the knight's wary look, Dupyo let out a snort.
"Fine, take it."
He answered simply and tossed his iron staff as if handing it over.
"Here."
"Hup!"
Thud, thud, thud!
The knight couldn't hide his embarrassment and shock at seeing Dupyo's iron staff drop.
Dropping a weapon entrusted by another was an unforgivable mistake, and the tremendous weight he felt the moment it touched his hands had startled him. As a result, the stone floor where the iron staff fell was gouged in several places.
"Heh, what's this? Is this how you treat a weapon that's a man's life?"
Dupyo's sarcasm made the knight's face flush red. But he couldn't say a word because the mistake was clearly his. Dupyo slowly picked up his weapon and then suddenly drove it into the floor.
Crunch!
"What the—!"
Dupyo's iron staff pierced the stone floor like chopsticks poking through tofu. The knights cried out in alarm.
Thunk! Thunk!
Starting with Dupyo, the rest of the Gauri soldiers all stabbed their weapons into the stone floor. The knights were angered by the sudden situation, but they dared not attack recklessly.
They realized that these were masters who could drive their weapons into the solid floor so easily, and there was nothing they could do to stop them.
Just then, Marquis Baikal's voice came from inside.
"Escort the guests in, quickly."
"Yes, Your Excellency!"
At Marquis Baikal's order, the cautious knights opened the way without another word.
'Hoh.'
Watching this, Dupyo inwardly let out a sigh of admiration. That was how much they trusted in Marquis Baikal's strength and judgment.
When Samdopyo and his group entered the dining room, Marquis Helios Baikal greeted them from his seat. Next to him sat Baron Silen Bels, who had changed into clean clothes.
"I've heard a lot about you. Please, take a seat."
"Will do. Heh, the food looks good."
Dupyo chatted amicably and sat down first, and the rest found their places, though they glanced around as they did so.
"Then, let's eat."
Watching them, Marquis Baikal picked up his knife first and began cutting his meat.
'General, do they eat with knives and forks here?'
'That's what I hear.'
A soldier who was seeing this method for the first time whispered while mimicking Dupyo, who used fork and knife somewhat. Since the soldiers dispatched here were only needed for their combat ability, their table manners varied wildly.
Thunk!
A dull sound echoed off the table. Dupyo and the Gauri soldiers all turned toward the source.
"......Why is this so fragile......."
The soldier who suddenly received everyone's attention didn't know what to do and smiled awkwardly.
On the table, the plate in front of him had been split in half by his knife.
"Don't worry about it."
"Thank you kindly."
As Baron Bels said this to the soldier, who was receiving murderous glares from his comrades, the soldier quickly bowed his head, skewered his meat with a fork, and stuffed the whole thing into his mouth.
After that, the meal continued quietly and ended without further incident.
When the meal ended, an attendant came out and poured wine into goblets.
"I heard you helped Baron Bels. Thank you."
"We simply moved to survive."
Dupyo bowed his head slightly in response to Marquis Baikal's thanks.
"How can we trust you?"
The Gauri soldiers, who were bringing their wine to their lips, all froze.
"This is the first time I've even heard of the country called Gauri."
"Heh. Thank you for the meal. In that case, we'll be taking our leave. We'll depart shortly."
When Marquis Baikal expressed his distrust, Dupyo put down his glass and stood. The rest of the group also rose.
"Aren't you being too hasty?"
Marquis Baikal's tone turned informal.
"It is His Majesty's command."
Dupyo's speech lost its formal tone.
"Insolence!"
The knights guarding Marquis Baikal inside the dining room shouted at Dupyo's rudeness and drew their swords in unison.
Shing!
At the same time, the Gauri soldiers and Dupyo picked up forks and knives and threw them.
Whish!
Clang!
"Argh!"
The forks and knives flew everywhere and embedded themselves in the knights' wrists, turning the dining room into chaos. In an instant, eight knights were wounded and fell to their knees.
"Do you think you'll walk out of here alive after this?"
As Marquis Baikal's killing intent exploded from him, Dupyo and his soldiers flinched for a moment, then picked up the weapons the knights had dropped as if preparing for combat. At that, a murmur of admiration escaped Marquis Baikal's lips.
"Hoho, impressive."
Every one of them radiated a fighting spirit that refused to yield. Marquis Baikal knew very well how strong an opponent could be when they showed such determination to fight regardless of the situation.
At the very least, Marquis Baikal was not someone who couldn't distinguish between a foolhardy challenge and a determined stand. That's why he was expressing admiration.
"Do you think you can defeat me?"
Shrrring.
Marquis Baikal slowly drew his sword and looked at Dupyo and the Gauri soldiers. Under the heightened pressure, the Gauri soldiers glanced at Dupyo.
"Hmm. He's a step above me. At least someone like Daesaja Gerard or Daesaja Gye would be needed."
As Dupyo responded to his men's looks with a tone of resignation, the soldiers each chimed in.
"Tch, can't be helped."
"Probably General Yeon or His Majesty will take care of revenge for us."
"General, you should have trained a bit more..."
"Ugh."
At his men's words, Dupyo was at a loss for words. Yet he felt a peace in one corner of his heart. However, hearing their conversation, Marquis Baikal's expression changed.
War God of the East.
This title was not merely earned by winning countless wars. It could easily be said he earned it by cutting down countless warriors on the battlefield. As the highest among living Sword Masters, it was only natural that their conversation piqued his curiosity.
"Wait, by Gerard, do you mean Gerard of Lightning?"
"Heh, that's right."
"Hoh...."
Marquis Baikal was surprised once again. Not only that, but Baron Bels and the knights clutching their wounds could not hide their shock.
"Then this Daesaja Gye is even stronger?"
"He defeated Daesaja Gerard."
Marquis Baikal looked increasingly astonished.
The name Gerard of Lightning, Free Knight Gerard, was famous across the continent. He was famous not so much for being a Sword Master, but for having reached such a level at a young age.
If someone had defeated him, that meant they were at the Sword Master level. But the names they mentioned were ones he had never heard before.
Shrrring, clack.
"Let's leave it at that."
When Marquis Baikal shook his head and sheathed his sword, the Gauri soldiers looked at Dupyo.
"Why are you looking at me? Put down those chairs and sit!"
"Yes."
When the standoff ended so absurdly with Marquis Baikal's action and Dupyo's words, it was the wounded knights who were taken aback.
"Everyone, go out and get treated."
"Marquis, but...."
At Marquis Baikal's order, the knights hesitated, looking at Dupyo's group. He then cut them off once more.
"That's an order."
"Yes."
Once the knights departed, the dining room in disarray held only them. Lifting his wine glass to his lips, Marquis Baikal asked Dupyo:
"What would have happened if I had cut you all down?"
"It would only increase your enemies."
"Is the value of ten men like you really that high?"
Marquis Baikal asked again, seeming amused by Dupyo's answer. Dupyo then chuckled and spoke.
"Then what if we had killed Baron Bels here? What would you have done?"
"Hmm. Still, for me, the situation takes priority."
"Heh, that's unexpected."
"Is it?"
At Dupyo's snort, Marquis Baikal smiled. Dupyo spoke again.
"Well, I understand, but... His Majesty would probably be the first to come running."
"As a leader, that's unrealistic."
At Marquis Baikal's sarcasm, Dupyo chuckled and said:
"The fact that he leaves his country and goes around fighting wars is already unrealistic."
"Indeed."
Marquis Baikal smiled amid their exchange.
"Then shall we discuss the operation?"
The curtain was about to rise on the Battle of the Dimallion Plain, which would decide the fate of South Roselin.
Chapter 34: Those Who Are Meant to Die Will Die, and Those Who Are Meant to Live Will Live
While the sun had not yet reached high noon, around forty thousand troops, including the Hawk Corps, were lined up with perfect precision. A hastily erected platform to one side awaited the one who would step onto it.
Clank, clank, clank.
Go Jin-cheon, wearing Chalgap armor unfamiliar to the local people, moved toward the platform. Only the metallic clanking of his steps echoed across the vast earth.
Standing atop the platform, Jin-cheon surveyed the wide array of troops. Among them were soldiers who had fought alongside him from the moment they were brought here, and on one side he saw soldiers who had been with him since the Reganza Mountains.
On another side, soldiers with enmity toward North Roselin and the Holy Empire stood swearing vengeance. Behind them, the thirty thousand soldiers who had risen under Daesaja Revion Gowin to live as men looked at Jin-cheon.
All these soldiers waited for the words Jin-cheon would speak before they marched to war.
"Hmm."
After stepping onto the platform, Jin-cheon had looked around at the soldiers without a word, but now his lips slowly parted.
"You've grown in number."
Because it was quiet?
His first words carried far into the distance.
"There are those who have fought alongside me for a long time, and those who haven't."
Jin-cheon's voice carried to the forty thousand soldiers in formation.
"War itself is a goddamn shit show."
It was a crude and unrefined statement, yet every word carried an unassailable dignity.
"Here, now, I am your Yeolje. But as one who has taken up arms and entered war, I am also just a warrior."
The soldiers listened in silence, but in their heads, they were stunned by each word.
The image they knew of a king or emperor was a godlike being who ruled above. Yet Jin-cheon was denying that.
"We are going to do this mad thing called war. War is something even beasts don't do."
His voice spread through the soldiers' ears, into their hearts, out into the sky and across the earth.
"Anyway, those who are meant to die will die, and those who are meant to live will live. That's war. It's natural. There's a man who stabs, so there's a man who gets stabbed. That's natural. Because there's a man who wins, there's a man who loses."
It was obvious.
"I have no desire to die doing this shit. You there."
Jin-cheon, who had been speaking like a street ruffian, suddenly raised his hand and pointed at a soldier standing behind Gowin. The startled soldier looked left and right, realized he was the one, and threw himself prostrate on the ground, shouting.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"Just give a military salute!"
"Yes!"
As the soldier stood back up and saluted at Jin-cheon's sharp command, Jin-cheon asked him.
"Do you want to die, or do you want to live?"
"I want to live!"
The soldier answered loudly, feeling the sweat running down his back. Jin-cheon nodded and said.
"Good. Live. If you die before me, you'll be dead by my hand."
Jin-cheon looked back at the soldiers and shouted.
"The way to survive war is simple. Stab before you're stabbed. That's the best way. And trust your commanders. I don't appoint idiots who deliberately get soldiers killed in a war they're trying to win. Listen, commanders."
"Aye!"
"Kill those who don't trust you. Those bastards get your comrades killed. In other words, they're enemies."
Jin-cheon's fierce voice carried across the ranks. Having said this much, Jin-cheon slowly scanned the troops again.
"Let's go to war."
With that, Jin-cheon stepped down from the platform, walked to his beloved horse Gangsoe, and mounted.
The great army of forty thousand began to move.