Chapter 96 : Fate Repeats Itself (1)
Chapter 96: Fate Repeats Itself (1)
After the Dragonkin disappeared, Gina called the Vampire Lord.
She could not believe the current situation, but she had to say it anyway.
“Ardel, the White Castle was being attacked by Kyle Ragnar.”
“……What?”
“It seemed Kyle Ragnar detected the presence of Dark Elf scouts and dealt with them.”
“Hah, are you saying that the trap we bled ourselves dry preparing until now became meaningless?”
“We’ll have to abandon the White Castle.”
“But the White Castle is…….”
“We have to break the pact for the Dark Elf Clan to survive. I already thought it would be difficult to deal with the Ragnar Family without this level of sacrifice.”
Although the Dragonkin had withdrawn, Gina intended to see things through to the end.
She drew her sword and turned the once-peaceful mountain range into a wasteland.
One Monarch had died, and the Ork Clan had been driven to the brink of annihilation.
She did not want the battle she had started to end meaninglessly like this.
“If that’s your choice. But where are the Dragonkin? They suddenly disappeared.”
“Lord Reinhardt met Kyle Ragnar.”
“What?”
“Because of that, the Dragonkin withdrew from this battle. They said that to deal with Kyle Ragnar, Lord Reinhardt had to commit all of his strength. If that’s true, this might be a hopeless fight.”
Ardel, the Vampire Lord, pressed his lips shut after hearing Gina’s words.
Reinhardt.
The one who wished to establish a hierarchy among the Monarchs by using the Dark Elves and the Vampire Clan.
He was the only Monarch who had fought the First Head of the Ragnar Family and survived, maintaining his life until now.
To the Monarchs, he was more than just a frightening existence.
That such a being evaluated Kyle Ragnar as his equal meant that, as Gina said, this fight might indeed be hopeless.
“When have we ever fought only easy battles?”
“…….”
“The Vampire Clan already chose to fight to the end together with the Dark Elf Clan. Even hearing that, we won’t waver.”
“Thank you.”
At Gina’s words, the Vampire Lord grinned.
“It was you who first reached out to us, who always hovered around the mountain range like loners. Gina.”
A blood-crazed clan, madmen lost to insanity.
Most races in the Monster Mountain Range evaluated Vampires that way.
Because of that, the Vampire Clan had wandered around the outskirts of the mountain range for a long time.
“Even if you tried to use us, it doesn’t matter. I believe you genuinely regarded Vampires as friends. We can sacrifice ourselves as much as needed for our friends. So have confidence. If you say we’re going to the White Castle, the Vampire Clan will move together.”
Fight fiercely, and if it still didn’t work, then die.
That was the belief of the Vampire Clan.
“……Alright. Since it’s come to this, let’s go all the way to the end.”
“Then tell me what you truly want.”
“I want to move to the White Castle. That place is also the foundation of our clan.”
“So the Dark Elves were moving busily because the decision had already been made.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to say that. If that’s what you want, we will naturally comply.”
After confirming that Gina’s expression had noticeably brightened, Ardel nodded and turned his body.
“If the decision is finished, let’s go. To the White Castle.”
Having seized the White Castle with only three hundred Dwarf warriors, Kyle climbed atop the defensive wall and looked out over the mountain range.
“Kyle-nim, by now the news should have reached the Dark Elf Queen.”
“Any word from Yul?”
“He reportedly entered the Lizardmen tribe. We were told to be cautious, as the offensive stopped at some point.”
“As expected, they were preparing to take me down.”
Kyle closed his eyes tightly.
Then Reinhardt, who had been watching him lost in thought, spoke.
“What are you worrying about? Dark Elves and Vampires cannot be your opponents anyway.”
“……Stop chattering beside me and just watch.”
“I’m merely offering advice.”
“I don’t need advice. No, what are you even curious about that you refuse to leave my side?”
Seeing Reinhardt press his lips shut, Kyle let out a small sigh.
He did not know what intention lay behind Reinhardt’s refusal to leave his side, but leaving it alone also felt unsettling.
“Do you want me to embrace the Monarchs?”
“……That’s something you must decide yourself. It’s not something I can interfere with.”
“It seems like you’re staying by my side to see that, isn’t it?”
“I am curious. About what choice you will make.”
He already had to take responsibility for Yul and Iron, and on top of that, the Dragonkin.
In this state, taking responsibility for the Dark Elves and Vampires as well would only give him a headache.
When he first entered the mountain range, he had only intended to kill the Monarchs and erase their power.
But suddenly, such a thought crossed his mind.
Was it really right for him to defy his ancestor’s will and erase their existence?
After all, the First Head of the Ragnar Family could have annihilated them, yet instead imprisoned them all within the mountain range.
“You said you knew the First Head of the Ragnar Family. What kind of person was he?”
At Kyle’s serious question, Reinhardt momentarily revealed a distant look in his eyes.
The First Head of the Ragnar Family.
And the one who personally confined the Monarchs who nearly brought chaos to the world within the mountain range, voluntarily taking on the role of their watcher.
“He was a benevolent human. He was also the one who reached out to me, who hated and resented humans. But if he judged someone an enemy, he was merciless.”
“……Why did he let the Monarchs live?”
“That’s not something I can tell you. It only has meaning if you realize it yourself.”
No matter how much he agonized over it, an answer would not come.
Deciding that it was not too late to clash first and think afterward, Kyle looked at Iron.
“Tell Yul to come to the White Castle.”
“Yes, sir.”
After Iron received the order and went down below the defensive wall, Kyle asked another question.
“One last question. Was the emotion he showed toward the Monarchs and the various races pity?”
“……He pitied us. And at the same time, he genuinely cherished us. That’s as much as I can say.”
What exactly did it mean to both pity and cherish them at the same time?
Kyle mulled over those words, then soon put the thought aside and raised his head.
“Thank you for telling me.”
“I hope you make the right judgment.”
As if he no longer wished to speak, Reinhardt spread his wings and ascended into the sky.
Despite his actions, Kyle’s gaze remained calm.
Without paying it any mind, he simply took in a portion of the mountain range with his eyes.
Meanwhile, the Dark Elves and the Vampire Clan began a large-scale movement toward the White Castle.
Gina spoke softly to Ardel, who was beside her.
“Ardel, let’s not use the thralls.”
“……Why?”
“Let’s just do it that way. Okay?”
“Alright. If that’s what you want.”
Countless emotions were contained in Gina’s gaze as she looked at him.
That was only natural, because the thralls Ardel had created were Monsters.
If even Monsters, Ragnar’s greatest enemies, were set in motion, there would be no way out.
‘I’ve confirmed your faith, so now it feels like it’s my turn.’
She felt sorry, as if she were betraying even the last bit of trust of Ardel, who had lived a lonely life, but if she didn’t do this much, she felt she would regret it.
Gina pressed her lips tightly together and walked forward.
In her mind, the words Ardel had spoken when she first saw him surfaced.
― A Vampire Lord lives alone for his entire life. Until death.
After some time had passed, Ardel’s words from then still seemed vividly audible.
― If my bride were you, that might be fine.
Not only were they of different races, but the Vampire Clan could not reproduce. They were a race that had given up reproduction in exchange for power.
The Vampire race had at times been human, and at times elf.
Countless races that had lived on this land became Vampires after becoming intoxicated with power.
Ardel was no different.
He had originally been an Elf before becoming a Vampire, but because of his clan’s rigidity and personal resentment, he chose to become a Vampire himself.
“If we survive this battle, I’ll become your bride.”
“…….”
They both knew that although their roots were the same, they were a relationship that could never be joined.
And yet, Gina smiled more radiantly than ever.
“It doesn’t look like there’s a chance for both of us to survive, but I felt like I’d regret it if I didn’t say this.”
She had tried to use Ardel to achieve her dream.
Because she had a dream she wanted to fulfill, because she simply needed a strong companion, she reached out her hand to him, who was alone.
But Ardel stayed by her side even though he knew these feelings of hers.
Only then did she reflect on her actions of the past.
She realized they were mistakes born from hatred being greater than emotions like affection and friendship.
And today, it seemed she would once again have to sincerely apologize to him.
‘I’m sorry, Ardel.’
At present, the Dark Elves and the Vampire Clan were the largest forces with the greatest number of deployable troops.
With those two forces merged into one, their numbers reached as many as ten thousand.
Of course, to humans, the number ten thousand was neither particularly small nor particularly large.
However, inside the mountain range, it was different.
At present, no other force possessed more than ten thousand combatants.
That army of over ten thousand stopped right in front of the White Castle.
And Gina, who stepped forward to the very front, shouted toward those standing atop the defensive wall.
“I request an audience with the Heir of the Frostfire.”
Upon hearing Gina’s shout, Iron tried to dissuade Kyle from stepping forward.
“Yul will be here soon. It would be better to wait just a little longer—.”
“It’s fine. It seems there’s a need to listen to what they have to say at least once.”
Shaking his head, Kyle leapt down from the defensive wall.
Landing lightly on the ground, he slowly approached her.
“……Gina, is that person the Heir of the Frostfire?”
“That should be him. I heard from the previous king that white hair and red eyes are traits symbolizing Ragnar.”
At the sight of Kyle walking toward them with ease, Ardel frowned.
He couldn’t understand what confidence allowed him to walk toward an army of over ten thousand.
Gina gently brushed Ardel’s shoulder.
“We’re just going to talk. Nothing will happen, so don’t worry.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“No, stay here. There’s something I want to say to him personally.”
Leaving Ardel behind, Gina walked alone toward Kyle and spread her hand.
Even as magical power surged from her hand, Kyle did not take on any attack posture.
He sensed there was no hostility.
Soon, a barrier made of transparent magical power formed around them.
A high-level magic that blocked sound. Unless one was inside it, no voices would leak outside.
After confirming that the magically created barrier completely covered the surroundings, Kyle finally nodded while looking at her.
“It seems you have something you want to say.”
After staring at Kyle’s impassive face for a long while, Gina gently bit her lip.
“Please spare him.”
“…….”
Begging for a life out of the blue…….
It was absurd, yet at the same time, not strange.
Desperation dwelled in her eyes.
“I don’t care if I die.”
“……”
“Please, at least spare the Vampire Lord. If you promise that, I’ll fight you without regret.”
Interpreting it as her refusal to surrender meaninglessly, Kyle shook his head.
“I don’t see why I should grant that request.”
“Did you know? Before the Dark Elves were trapped in the mountain range, they were the race that suffered the greatest damage at the hands of humans.”
“I didn’t.”
“Dark Elves were nothing more and nothing less than tools for venting humanity’s filthy desires.”
“……That doesn’t change anything.”
“Just listen. No matter what judgment you make afterward, I won’t resent you.”
When Kyle tilted his head slightly, Gina steadied her breathing.
She wanted to tell him why they lived on as Dark Elves, starting from that.
“Dark Elves were born when Elves who became tools of humans committed massacres and became intoxicated with blood. That is also the reason Elves, who should live their entire lives preserving nobility and purity, fell into becoming Dark Elves.”