Chapter 101 : Chapter 101
Chapter 101
While I was continuously bothered by the <Future Diary> vibrating in my backpack as if in anger.
“What are you all talking about so cheerfully?”
The King emerged from the bushes and spoke. His expression was bright as if he had relieved himself refreshingly.
“It is nothing of consequence. His Highness Leonardo was asking about Anakros.”
“Anakros?”
The King repeated in a voice that was, for some reason, profound, then looked at me.
“Leonardo, why that monster all of a sudden?”
“That is…….”
I couldn't say, 'It said in the <Future Diary> that I would encounter a giant snake.' So, I decided to say what I had told Jereuth earlier.
“I read about it in a book a long time ago, and I recalled that the monster was said to live around here, so I asked.”
“A book, you say…….”
The King muttered again in a profound voice before asking me carefully.
“If you were to encounter an Anakros, what would you do?”
“……Philip, what do you mean by that? Anakros does not leave its nest―.”
“I am simply asking. For Leonardo’s opinion.”
The King stopped Jereuth’s words and turned his gaze back to me.
However, I could not answer right away. Because I did not know what the correct answer was.
‘The <Future Diary> hasn’t yet shown how my future self acted. If it had, I could have based my answer on that…….’
Still, since the King had asked, I couldn't give no answer at all, so I decided to give the most plausible one.
“First, I would avoid provoking it if possible.”
“Not provoke it?”
“Yes. Anakros is a monster that doesn't leave its nest its entire life. If it were roaming outside, it would be for a special reason. So, if I do not get on its nerves, I believe Anakros will not bother me either.”
“Hmm…….”
The King stroked his chin and nodded.
“A good thought. It is best not to provoke such a monster if possible.”
“Yes.”
“But what if it heads toward a city in the kingdom? If it becomes a clear threat to the kingdom?”
“If it becomes a clear threat to the kingdom…….”
A difficult question.
Still, my answer did not change.
“Even so, I would watch it for the time being. I cannot hunt it with my own strength. Of course, I would return to the kingdom as quickly as possible and formulate a plan. And…… above all, I would find out why Anakros left its nest. It could be that a major problem has arisen.”
“A wise thought. There is no need to be a moth drawn to a flame.”
The King nodded at me and then asked Jereuth.
“What would you do? If you were to encounter an Anakros?”
“Naturally, I would hunt it. The very fact that such a dangerous monster is roaming outside is a threat to the kingdom. Anything that threatens the kingdom is my enemy.”
“Can you defeat an Anakros by yourself?”
“That, I do not know. Anakros has a regenerative ability that allows it to heal wounds in an instant, so it does not seem easy to kill it with just a sword, without the help of magic. But-.”
Jereuth tapped the sword at his side and finished his sentence.
“I have never seen anything that did not die when I cut it. If it regenerates no matter how many times I cut it, I just have to cut it so it cannot regenerate. No matter how powerful a monster is, it must have its limits. As long as it is not 'immortal,' that is.”
Jereuth’s voice overflowed with confidence. He was indeed a knight called a hero of humanity, beyond just the kingdom.
Just having such an old master by my side was truly comforting to my heart.
“Ah, of course, if Your Highness commands me to observe the situation, I will naturally do so.”
“Haha…… Yes.”
I replied with an awkward laugh to Jereuth, who was speaking while minding my reaction.
The King approached Jereuth and said.
“Then let’s end this conversation here and prepare a meal. I am getting hungry. What should I do?”
“Do not get in the way and just boil some water. Even if it is clean river water, it is best to boil it before drinking, just in case.”
“I know how to dress meat too.”
“We do not call throwing away half the meat ‘dressing.’ Go away.”
Jereuth told the King to go away, but the King still seemed to want to help.
The King and Jereuth began preparing the meal in earnest. I watched them, and then slyly took out the <Future Diary> from my backpack.
Swish―.
I secretly tucked the diary into my bosom and said.
“I will be back after relieving myself for a moment.”
“Ah, then I shall escort you―.”
Jereuth tried to follow me.
The King grabbed Jereuth’s shoulder.
“Let him go alone. Leo has learned the sword, so he is no longer a child.”
“……I am concerned there might be some danger.”
“You said it yourself. That every monster in this vicinity has vanished without a trace. And animals do not harm Leonardo. What problem could there be?”
“…….”
Jereuth glared at the King with displeased eyes, but the King did not back down in the slightest.
Instead, ignoring Jereuth's glare, he turned to me and spoke.
“Go on. Whatever your business may be, I hope it is resolved refreshingly.”
***
Rustle―.
Thanks to the King's help, or lack thereof, I was able to comfortably relieve myself alone.
‘Though I don’t actually have to poop.’
My real purpose was to check the <Future Diary>.
I had to check just what kind of event was going to happen, either in the near or distant future, that made the diary vibrate so furiously.
After moving a suitable distance from the campsite, I took out the <Future Diary> from my bosom.
I would first check the near future.
Chwarak―.
…….
“I like mysterious human items, so if you happen to have any, I’d like to take a look―!”
The moment Grondar was speaking.
Sssssssssssss―!
I heard the unpleasant sound of a snake flicking its tongue.
Along with it, a massive shadow that obscured the setting sun passed over my head.
I instinctively raised my head and looked up.
And what I saw was.
‘……What is that.’
……A snake.
It was not my first time seeing a snake. I saw them often in the military.
I had even helped the administrative supply officer catch them to make snake wine. I had even caught snakes for the wine myself.
But those snakes, no matter how big, were less than a meter long.
However…… this snake was different. It was so massive that I could not even guess its length.
‘Is that…… Anakros? Jereuth said Anakros was a snake of about 5 meters…… but that thing looks like it would easily exceed 10 meters?’
Ssssssssss―.
Anakros raised its head high and skillfully passed through the trees. Despite its massive body passing through the trees, it barely made a sound. The trees did not even break.
As if it had a clear ‘destination it needed to get to,’ Anakros headed east.
“Your Highness, danger……!”
Jereuth shouted in alarm and pointed his sword toward Anakros.
However, perhaps recalling my words, 「“As long as Anakros does not attack first, I will not attack first.”」 ―Jereuth quickly sheathed his sword again.
“……Your Highness, please come this way. We must hide.”
Having sheathed his sword, Jereuth spoke quietly, grabbed my arm, and pulled me strongly. We hid behind a tree.
Ssssssssss―.
Fortunately, Anakros showed not the slightest interest in us. It just continued on its way.
―…….
Me, Jereuth, and the King.
And the Giant ‘Grondar,’ who had joined us at some point, held our breaths and waited for Anakros to move away.
But then.
Whoosh―!!
Anakros suddenly turned its head towards us. It was clearly looking at us.
At its sudden movement, all the birds in the mountain fled into the sky, and dozens of trees broke, raising a cloud of dust.
Naturally, we were startled too. Grondar even made a sound unbecoming of his large frame.
-……?!
-……?!
-……?!
-……Hgek?!
Tak―!
Jereuth placed his hand on his sword again.
However, perhaps recalling what I had said earlier, he did not draw it. Instead, he seemed to be preparing to charge forward at any moment.
A touch-and-go situation.
It was then.
―It has been a long time since I have seen a human with elven blood. 600 years, perhaps.
A voice suddenly echoed in my mind. It was a mysteriously calm voice.
‘……?’
―You can hear my words, human. I do not know who you are, but by the pact with the elves, I have no intention of harming you.
‘Who……? The snake?’
As I answered in my mind without realizing it, a reply came back.
―To call me a snake, how rude. I am Anakros, right before your eyes. Perhaps the oldest Anakros on the entire continent at present.
‘…….’
―As per the pact with the elves, I shall warn you. Leave this land.
A pact?
‘Leave? This land?’
―Yes. Soon, this land will be covered in chaos and fear. The monsters are gathering in anticipation of the Minotaur’s revival. Not a single human will survive. Beyond this peninsula kingdom, the Plank Kingdom, the history of humans on the continent will be erased.
‘…….’
―The Anakros, including myself, love tranquility, so we do not wish to do such a thing. Not just us Anakros, but there are likely many other monster species that do not wish to attack humans either. But we cannot stand against the Minotaur, so for us, it is an unavoidable choice. I will say it again. Leave this land, human. The remaining time is approximately six years from today, or thereabouts. If you flee to the end of the continent, you might be able to live.
Ssssssssss―.
Having finished speaking, Anakros went on its way again.
It continued to head east.
Once Anakros was out of sight, Jereuth and Grondar finally let out sighs of relief.
“For Anakros to just pass by……. Your Highness’s words were correct. But I wonder why on earth Anakros was outside…….”
Jereuth said in a calm voice, as if relieved.
But I could not be genuinely happy despite Jereuth’s praise.
Because Anakros’s words were bothering me.
‘……The monsters are gathering to attack humans?’
I had a vague idea of it. The <Future Diary> had mentioned a future where the Minotaur revives and leads a monster army to attack the kingdom.
So, the fact that monsters were gathering was not surprising in itself.
What bothered me instead was.
‘……What happens if I stop the Minotaur’s revival? Will the monster army’s attack not happen then?’
This was the future closest to the newly written present.
‘It’s a relief that Anakros just passed by, but…….’
That was true, but.
‘The monster army that has already started gathering in the Monster Mountains is on my mind.’
And there was still an unresolved question.
The very question I had asked myself at the end of the diary.
‘……It didn’t say what would happen if I prevented the Minotaur’s revival. But Anakros said it would be forced to attack humans because of the Minotaur’s revival. So…… if I stop the Minotaur’s revival, Anakros might not attack the kingdom.’
If that was the case.
‘What about the other monsters besides Anakros? Will they just disperse like Anakros?’
Come to think of it, Jereuth had said something like that earlier.
Thirty years ago, monsters had gathered in the Monster Mountains in anticipation of the 'Triple Head Ogre's' birth, but when he killed the mother carrying the Triple Head Ogre, the monsters dispersed.
‘So, perhaps this time too, if I stop the Minotaur’s revival, there might not be an attack from the monster army―.’
Just as I was having hopeful thoughts that I should not have again.
Chwararararak―!
The diary roughly, even more roughly, flipped to the last page.
The part where my end was written.
…….
I stopped the Minotaur’s revival.
Five years ago.
After stopping the Minotaur’s revival, the kingdom was peaceful for that time.
Thanks to the efforts of Ronak and the lords of each region, the bandits were all either recruited or eliminated.
Thanks to the efforts of Olivia and Heinshtangl, the kingdom was run stably.
The harvests were bountiful every year. As the previous king had said, perhaps due to the elves’ blessing, the sky was high and the horses were fat. Animals gave birth to many young and grew quickly.
Moreover, there were no reports of monsters attacking small villages or merchant guilds.
Thanks to that, our kingdom was able to stably grow its agriculture, commerce, and military power.
Everyone in the kingdom, including myself, was happy.
However…… all of that turned to bubbles in just one week.
No, it became a sea of fire.
―Charge!!! Anyone who retreats will die by my glaive!!! Just as I killed your lords and chieftains who insisted on peace with humans!!
The shout of a black orc riding a giant wolf-like monster.
Despite the roar of the monster army that filled the plains before the royal capital, that bastard’s voice was clearly heard.
That was how terribly loud his voice was.
His name was ‘Krokas.’
A Black Orc Lord. Generally, orcs were not a prominent species among monsters, but he was different.
Because he was a 'Black Orc.'
―Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
―Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!
―Peeerereeree―!
―Gyaaaaaaaak!! S, stop!!
―Just kill me, you sons of bitches!!!
The heavy sound of footsteps and drums.
The mind-numbing sound of flutes.
And the sounds of the monster army torturing the captured knights, soldiers, and people.
They approached us, beating drums and playing flutes, tearing apart and eating the captured prisoners in real-time.
All of that combined was the sound of the monster army’s advance.
No, there was one more thing.
―Kieeeeeeeek!
―Kyaaaaaaaaak!
―Kiyaaaaaaaaak!
The ‘Gargoyles’ from the Minotaur’s dungeon.
Perhaps there were other gargoyles outside the dungeon as well, as they covered the clear sky with their crimson-black wings. It gave a different, more ominous feeling than Seria’s crows.
……The land and the sky, everywhere was the monster army’s domain.
―*Shiver shiver shiver……. *
I could feel the trembling of a soldier near me.
But no one reprimanded him.
Because everyone in this place was afraid.
No, in the first place, the soldiers who remained here were truly indescribably loyal subjects.
Because…… countless soldiers had fled.
‘After Jereuth and Grondar’s counterattack failed, the morale of the kingdom’s army plummeted…… and desertions began. Massive desertions.’
That was right. As soon as rumors spread that the monster army was overturning the entire kingdom, the morale of the kingdom’s army hit rock bottom.
Then, when the news that Jereuth, Grondar, and the elite knight order had failed their mission and been annihilated became known, a mass desertion began.
Now, only about 600 soldiers remained.
In this desperate situation, I might have stayed because I had nowhere else to go, but why did the other soldiers remain?
I was curious about that even in this situation, so I asked.
To the soldier who was trembling the most right next to me.
“Why did you stay without running away? No one is holding you back.”
“……!”
The soldier was flustered by my sudden question but managed to answer in a trembling voice.
“M-my younger siblings are young and weak! S-so, it will take them a long time to evacuate. They probably couldn't get a ride on a carriage either……”
“…….”
“I have to buy time for my siblings to escape. T-that’s why I stayed. Probably all the soldiers who remained here have similar reasons.”
I see. They stayed to protect their families.
I was not disappointed even if it was not out of loyalty to me. Throwing away one’s life for something as empty as loyalty was the role of 멋진…… no, foolish people like Jereuth, Grondar, and the knight order.
‘To protect their family…… is it.’
While I was continuing my useless thoughts.
The monster army advanced to a very close distance. Close enough to see their faces, equipment, and the flesh and entrails stuck to their swords and axes.
I think the distance between them and me was about 30 or 40 meters.
On the verge of death, I wanted to say some last words.
I asked the soldier I had just spoken with.
“What is your name?”
“I-it’s Hans.”
“Hans.”
“Yes. And Your Highness. Thank you.”
“Thank me?”
“Yes. Thanks to Your Highness, my siblings and I have eaten our fill for the first time in our lives.”
“…….”
“I remained here to buy time for my siblings to escape…… but still, it is an honor to be able to fight alongside Your Highness.”
Hans smiled.
Hans, a very common name.
Still, I will try to remember it.
―Kill them all without a single one left!!!
Almost simultaneously with Krokas’s shout, I died.
Along with the 600 or so soldiers who remained to protect their families, not the kingdom.
I accepted that moment calmly.
This was my newly written end.
And as soon as I read it, I knew. Why the <Future Diary> had vibrated and gone berserk, telling me to read it.
‘……Sealing the Minotaur wasn't going to stop the monster army’s attack. The war happens regardless of that. That’s what the <Future Diary> wanted to tell me.’
I thought sealing the Minotaur would solve everything, but it was not so.
“Huu…… shit.”
After letting out a deep sigh and a fitting Korean exclamation.
I closed the <Future Diary> and put it back in my bosom. If I took too long to poop, Jereuth would worry, so it was time to return to the campsite.
My head was a mess.
But still.
‘There must be a way. A way to defeat the monster army…… some kind of way.’
I have to find it. A way.
……Can I find it?