Chapter 82
-Bwooooo!
The sound of a horn echoed nearby. Soon after, dozens of flags pierced through the white clouds of snow swirling over the snowfield and came into view.
The imperial forces led by hundreds of knights and the majesty of the main force from the Black Citadel—a truly spectacular sight.
At the forefront stood Commander August, three archduke households, and the military of the Incensus Order.
Commander August raised his hand. The eyes of the advancing host turned to a target: the 6th Fortress, standing tall amid the Taigar great forest.
Abe, riding a skinny horse worn down by the bitter cold, spoke up.
"... We've finally arrived, sir August."
"You have all truly suffered much. Yes, yes. Hoho."
August laughed it off, but everyone was secretly amazed by the commander's strength.
No matter how you looked at him, with his genial physique, he seemed far removed from the battlefield. And yet, he walked without breaking a sweat or showing any sign of fatigue.
If anything, he took the lead in battle, always fighting at the front. Whenever he was present on the battlefield, you were always grateful he was on your side.
Milon answered August.
"It was thanks to your excellent guidance, commander. Still, you seem very familiar with the terrain."
"I often roamed about here in my younger days."
"... Were there large-scale operations like this before?"
"No, back then I would go around with Chief Inspector Mikhail here. Hoho."
Milon's and everyone else's eyes turned triangular with surprise.
'... He roamed around here?'
While coming to this place, they'd had to fight Barbarians again and again.
At first, they'd underestimated the Barbarians, but after battling them, such thoughts vanished.
The farther from the Great Wall they traveled, the more often Barbarians appeared.
Even now, this massive expedition force was finding it hard going—and yet he spoke casually about traversing it with just one companion.
A chill ran down Milon's spine.
But that was that, and he became curious.
"By the way, I understand my Lord already came to the 6th Fortress about a month ago...."
"Are you worried?"
Worried?
Milon smirked.
Ever since that resurrection spectacle, he hadn't really worried about wherever Erich went.
More than that, it would be absurd to worry over a monster who'd surpassed human limits, someone at the level of a Swordmaster.
"No, not at all. I only regret not being there by his side."
"You are truly loyal. Centurion Erich is just as loyal to the Watch. Like lord, like vassal."
At August's playful jest, Milon gave a hollow laugh.
However Erich had become ingrained in the Watch, only Incensus could judge how much of that "loyalty" was real.
Anyway.
Thus, the allied army pushed deeper into the forest where the 6th Fortress stood. The thick undergrowth rendered visibility near zero.
Imperial soldiers picking their way through these woods were on edge, haunted by the memory of Barbarian ambushes.
And knights were no different; cold sweat dripped from armor caked with blood.
But that was only for a moment.
Once they encountered the fortress's sentries, everyone's faces instantly brightened.
Seeing Commander August, the sentries bowed their heads immediately.
"Thank you for traveling such a long way, commander. I am the Outpost Commander of Greenstag Outpost, under the 6th Fortress."
"I see. This place is quite well maintained. With such a large force passing through, is there no risk?"
"None, sir. All Barbarians in the vicinity have already withdrawn."
"Withdrawn, you say?"
A look of surprise appeared on August's face. Usually, the chronic problem of the 6th Fortress was the threat of Barbarians on all sides.
But now he was being told nearby Barbarians had retreated entirely? Hard to believe.
"... It seems Centurion Erich has done his job a little too well. Let us continue."
Led by the outpost commander, the army headed for the 6th Fortress. As promised, there were almost no threats from Barbarians anymore.
The moment they crossed into the fortress's borders, the pressure vanished, replaced by a strange sense of unease.
And when they finally reached the 6th Fortress—Commander August's eyes widened as if they'd pop from their sockets.
Not only did the 6th Fortress stand solidly, newly repaired as if freshly built,
― Kyaaaah!
― If I catch you, you'll be sorry!
but children, apparently of mixed Barbarian and Imperial blood, were running and playing everywhere.
Everyone collectively forgot to breathe.
*
Inside the 6th Fortress, Richter greeted August. He was met with the commander's fury.
Even in front of the highest leaders of the alliance, August roared like a lion.
"What in blazes is the meaning of this?"
"I will explain everything."
"Depending on your answers, this 6th Fortress may very well be evacuated, and all here will face immediate execution!"
August's anger shocked even the imperial lords, and the veteran Watchmen, used to seeing him, were even more astonished. Never had they seen kindly, serene August this enraged.
― Screeeech.
The door opened, and Erich entered. All eyes fixed on him. Ordinarily, he would have waited to be summoned from a corner. But not today.
Instead, he stepped forward before the commander.
"Centurion Erich, reporting: I have completed my mission."
"... Did you conceive this farce?"
Disappointment flickered in August's gaze. Erich respectfully knelt on one knee and nodded.
"I did not expect you to lose all sense of judgment like this. Not only did you fail to report vowbreakers in the Watch, you tacitly approved their misdeeds?"
"I understand what you are saying. But I would like to report what occurred here first—may I ask that any punishment come after?"
Tension rose steadily. August's murderous aura spread, making even seasoned knights' skin prickle.
Even Milon, who usually had absolute faith in whatever Erich did, held his breath.
Yet Commander August ground his teeth, swallowing his anger. Slowly, he spoke.
"Fine. Let's hear it. Report."
"These people are essential to the Watch. I had no choice but to allow their presence."
"Explain. What use are they?"
Erich glanced toward the door. At that cue, Frederick, who'd been peeking in, entered with a mixed-blood Barbarian child.
Mikhail, on seeing the child, looked especially discomforted, while August brooded briefly and then wiped the rage from his face.
"Come here, child."
Once again in a gentle tone. The child, frightened, stepped toward August.
Erich took the child's wrist. In his other hand, he summoned flames.
― Whoooosh.
"... Do you see it?"
"This is..."
August's eyes narrowed. Only two in the room—August and Mikhail, both Swordmasters—understood what was happening.
"... What on earth?"
From Erich's hand, the power of aura, albeit faintly, was manifesting from the child. It was exactly the same type of power.
Which meant this child was born with aptitude for aura, perhaps even able to use it already—
Erich spoke:
"This child was born with a power identical to my own."
"... Impossible..."
Commander August rose from his seat and examined Erich and the child up close.
But instinctively, they already understood: Erich spoke the truth. But Leonor of the Central region, who didn't know better, broke in:
"I wish you would explain this to us as well, sir August. What in the world is happening?"
"Sir Abe. This child... bears 'power'. The same kind of 'aura' wielded by a Swordmaster."
"That, that's..."
Abe was dumbstruck. Even if a mere child had such a power, it was hard to accept.
But at those words, Sven, representative of the northern Harald family, couldn't hide his discomfort.
"What does that matter, commander? Let me remind you—our purpose here is to eradicate those Barbarians, not roll in the muck with them."
Sven emphasized that the Watch had broken their vow, and that Barbarians were the enemy.
Northern lords in particular had no love for Barbarians.
Partly because they shared a border, and partly because they sent more kin than anyone else to the Great Wall.
Such resentments, built up over centuries, don't vanish so easily.
Moreover, the protest didn't come only from the North. A priest of the Incensus Order also stepped forward.
"That's right. The 'vow' is more sacred than anything. Barbarians are heretics who follow false gods. To consort with them is a sin in itself."
Commander August suddenly found himself in a tight spot. He seemed about to protest, hand raised—but—
At that moment, Erich stood up and looked Sven square in the eyes.
"Sir Sven. At this moment, nothing is more important than this child. Killing this child would be an act diametrically opposed to the will of God."
"What sort of nonsense is that now?"
Sven's scowl deepened, but Erich's next words left everyone agape.
"After Incensus's blessing revived me, many of you confirmed the power that dwells in me. And as for the divine aspect of my flame, the Order knows it well. My point is, the power residing in these Barbarian children is not mere strength, but the very 'divinity' Incensus bestowed upon me."
The priest before him trembled, then asked again as if in disbelief.
"B-but Incensus wouldn't grant such a power to heretics...."
"But it has been granted. What does that mean? Will you still claim that executing this child would be the wish of Incensus?"
The priest fell silent, glancing nervously around. Erich barely suppressed a laugh.
'God's will, huh.'
Frankly, Erich didn't care about God's will. For all he could guess, neither did the Order.
During Erich's resurrection, the Order had recognized him as God's Apostle for their own reasons—it won them prestige.
But accepting Barbarian half-bloods now offered them nothing, causing their logic to falter.
'Time for a little extra showmanship.'
Erich's flame flowed along the child's body, then radiated with a brilliant glow.
And so—
"
"......!"
"
Unlike the flustered priest, the fanatically devoted holy knights of Incensus fell silently to their knees.
The aura flowing from Erich marked him as a transcendent. His flames were, by doctrine, the signpost of divine will.
The priest followed suit, bowing his head.
"... I was foolish, O Apostle of Incensus."
Erich next looked to the knights, as if to say, what will you do?
'Well, it's not like there's any other option, anyway.'
Regardless of whether they believed in Incensus or not, these men had come to slaughter Barbarians under the banner of 'following the Apostle'.
Thus, they too had no choice. This was all a simple game operating atop the board Erich himself had arranged.
Milon knelt next, giving a small, helpless chuckle.
One by one, all knelt. Lastly, Sven of the North dropped to his knees.
"... You are correct."
Erich's gaze shifted to find August and Mikhail, whose lips twitched. They knew full well this was a stage managed by Erich.
But the blow was not over. Erich now declared:
"... And from this point, our main enemy will no longer be the Barbarians—but the dead."
"... The dead?"
Just as August wondered what he meant, Erich pulled a cord, and a curtain at the back of the fortress commander's office came down.
There, nailed to the wall, hung the corpse of a six-armed dead— a necromancer.
Now, it was time to change the rules of war.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】