Chapter 80: Chapter 80

As their numbers were nearly twice that of the previous expedition, it took Cheryn’s army almost a full day to cross the river.

Emerging from the fortress, they marched magnificently, fluttering banners depicting a fortress surrounded by a river representing Palles, the Hasra royal shield coat of arms representing Cheryn, and the family crests of the barons and Viscount of Treba.

The lords south of the Tesen River trembled at the grandeur of the army, offering them places to stay and providing provisions.

Although they had stored massive amounts of food in over dozens of refrigerator wagons, thanks to this, they were able to consume the old provisions and store fresh ones.

Unlike before, when they had moved west to plunder mana stones, this time they traveled along the main road stretching south.

Looking at the surrounding scenery, Shan recalled the time he had headed to Palles with Cheryn in the past.

Back then, there were only a few dozen soldiers and about two hundred refugees, but now an army of a thousand accompanied them.

Remembering that, a wave of pride washed over him anew.

After advancing vigorously during the day, they pitched hundreds of tents to instantly create a small town for camp.

As the aroma of stew made from the meat kept in the refrigerator wagons wafted everywhere, monsters caught the scent and prowled nearby, only to sense the presence of countless humans and hide away.

“Ahgh…”

Inside the largest tent, set up for the commander, Cheryn’s faint groans could be heard.

Letting out sounds mixed with pain and relief, she muttered softly.

“Looking back now, I should have practiced horseback riding harder instead of just running.”

Wearing a shirt and tight leather pants, Cheryn lay sprawled on the bed.

The rabbit-eared female knight, Ravana, pressed firmly on her thighs and calves to massage them out.

“Once you get used to it, you will recover quickly.”

Although she had exercised for a few weeks before setting out, Cheryn was fundamentally a girl unaccustomed to physical exertion.

So when she suddenly rode a horse for over five or six hours a day, it was bound to take a toll.

When she had escaped Hasra to head for Palles in the past, there were many women and children, so they moved leisurely, but now it was on a completely different level because a well-trained army was marching without rest.

“Ugh…”

At the hands relentlessly kneading her buttocks and thighs next, Cheryn closed her mouth to stifle a scream.

Her thighs, which had been strained tightly, ached with muscle fatigue and felt as if her skin were burning from chafing, while her buttocks and lower back, continuously battered by the ride, were stiff and sore.

Had she not massaged her muscles like this, received healing from the accompanying priestess, and applied magic potion, even walking the next day would have been difficult.

Of course, she never let such a side show in front of the other soldiers.

Before them, despite her delicate physique, Cheryn was a steadfast monarch who silently shared the arduous march with them.

Since she had joined the campaign in the first place to project that impression, she could do nothing that would crack it.

Thus, they advanced south, continuously south, for several days.

As they entered the central region of Pendia, beyond the reach of Palles’s influence, the horrors of the civil war unfolded starkly.

“Phew…”

“How horrific.”

“That’s enough to give a person nightmares.”

A small village where around two hundred people had originally lived.

Around the wooden palisade, dozens of villagers hung by their necks, rotting away.

As if passing monsters had bitten into them, all of them had their legs below the knees torn off.

It was impossible to tell who had committed this tragedy.

Whether it was Conrad or Elvin’s army, angry at being unable to collect taxes, Duke of Morayen’s force of plunderers, or even groups of mercenaries whose coin purses had run dry after losing their employers.

There were simply too many candidates to point fingers at as the culprits.

An era plagued by the chaos of civil war.

Anyone could shed the mask of humanity and become a beast at any moment, and there was no master to scold them for it.

As they descended toward the capital, such scenes were seen more and more frequently.

Only large villages or small towns were kept somewhat intact.

Even a monastery serving the Goddess could not escape this fate.

Staring at the front gate where human intestines hung in clusters, Cheryn grimaced and muttered as if lamenting.

“The people of my kingdom are dying. Those who could have accomplished anything had they only stayed alive.”

Although she was mobilizing an army like this right now to drag out the civil war longer, she had to end the fight as quickly as possible.

Because the longer the civil war dragged on, the more everyone living in Pendia would suffer.

*

Passing through ruined villages and heading straight down, they reached Toredle Castle, the place where Shan and Cheryn had met Aran in the past while fleeing from the capital.

The area around here featured vast, open plains, making it a suitable meeting spot like this.

Far off in the distance, Duke of Morayen’s army, which they had encountered in the past, could be seen waiting for them.

“They’ve grown far more numerous than when we saw them before…”

“Indeed.”

Shan and Roden exchanged a brief conversation, confirming that what both of them saw was not mistaken.

Even at a glance, Duke of Morayen’s army had swelled to more than double the number seen before.

Of course, a significant portion of them appeared to be poorly equipped draftees, but even so, the violence of sheer numbers could not be ignored.

“If we were to fight, could we win?”

“We have to win. Look at the difference in equipment. We’ve trained hard all this time, too.”

Unlike in the past battle, the number of war veterans on Palles’s side was no longer small.

Of course, while this side had experienced it only once compared to their dozens of times, wasn’t going from zero to one the thing that made the biggest difference in the first place?

While the two of them remained vigilant against the party with whom they had agreed upon a temporary collaboration, the other side was also evaluating their opponent’s strength and discussing it.

“…Is that the Witch Princess’s army?”

“Their numbers are far fewer than ours.”

“Still, we can’t underestimate them. Their equipment is even better than expected. Their discipline is well-maintained, too.”

The wariness toward the opposing side was actually even greater on their part.

Although Cheryn’s army was only about half their size by comparison, it was visibly fully equipped.

What stood out in particular was the group of about three hundred heavy infantrymen, all wearing coats and trousers made of black scale hide.

Unlike other armies that lacked uniformity because soldiers usually dressed however they pleased, having hundreds of men outfitted in standardized attire emanated a terrifying sense of pressure all on its own.

What they were wearing was precisely the magic armor crafted from hydra hide.

And above all else, the entity that had frustrated them in the previous battle stood at the very front.

Glowing green eyes spreading a subtle radiance, drawn over a black background.

It was the crest of Shan Barendil, the ‘Demon Knight’ whose name was known not only in Pendia but even over in Libert.

The demon with green eyes, an incarnation of destruction summoned by the Altoans from the deepest parts of the Demonic Realm, a monster born for war.

Befitting none of his known mid-teen age, the young knight holding all manner of terrifying epithets possessed a sturdy, robust physique.

Clearly, he hadn’t seemed that large when they saw him last time…

As he, who had been standing beneath the banner, spurred his horse and approached slowly, several people who remembered the battle back then gasped.

Their demeanors suggested they wanted to turn and flee from this spot at any moment.

Coincidentally, the Altoan mercenaries following behind him each possessed distinctively unique appearances as well, making him truly look like a commander leading a demon legion risen from hell.

Stepping out to the head of the formation, Shan stopped at a distance where his voice would reach and asked.

“Where is Duke of Morayen?”

“Right here, most beautiful knight! You’ve grown quite a lot since I saw you last! The armor fitting your body so perfectly is truly wonderful to behold!”

Duke of Morayen, who likewise rode out on horseback from among the crowd, answered in a sly, slick tone.

Unable to ever get used to this sensation, Shan grimaced with an ‘ugh’ and bowed his head.

“It has been a while, Your Grace.”

“You have no idea how eagerly I have awaited you. I even sent a letter asking you to visit, though I wonder if it reached you. My guess is that your lord intercepted it along the way…”

“That is enough of that, Duke of Morayen.”

The one who sharply cut off the duke’s chatter was Cheryn.

Approaching with a solemn expression, she glared at Duke of Morayen and spoke.

“Surely you did not call for this meeting just to entice my knight.”

“Hm, so you are Princess Cheryn? I see.”

Cheryn and Duke of Morayen glared sharply at each other.

After exchanging probing gazes, both sensed that the other was no easy adversary.

At the very least, the opponent was not one of those dime-a-dozen fools who strutted around relying solely on their bloodline.

“Have you waited long?”

“Not particularly. We only arrived yesterday ourselves.”

“If you have any useful information, I would appreciate it if you shared it.”

“Nothing particularly grand. Just that Elvin’s army is gradually approaching Hasra?”

Since this was information she had already received through letter exchanges, Cheryn reacted with a nod of her head.

“Then let us travel together to Hasra for now.”

“Fine.”

The reason the two factions joined forces was that doing so made it easier to gain leverage against Conrad.

Although he had suffered a severe blow from the king’s dissolution declaration, Conrad had once been the strongest figure dominating the western and central parts of the kingdom.

Even amidst his repeated retreats, he still commanded an army numbering in the thousands.

According to intelligence from spies, was it conservatively around five thousand, or upwards of ten thousand at most?

Of course, most of them would be draftees, but even considering that, it was a staggering force.

“Although we discussed it via letter already, I would like to reconfirm the terms. What you desire is the gateway city leading into Libert and control over all territories connecting to it, correct?”

“Yes. As long as you hand those over, I shall return to Libert within a year. This land is a bit too rough for me, after all. The water of Libert suits my sensitive skin far better.”

Duke of Morayen feigned distress with a bright smile.

Cheryn could easily surmise what atrocities he would commit in the territories under his control.

Just as he was currently doing in the northwestern region, he would undoubtedly squeeze out all resources and forcibly conscript young men to swell his numbers.

The way he built up his power while extorting all of Pendia’s potential was truly like a plague in the shape of an army.

Without a doubt, the greatest crime Conrad had committed against Pendia was bringing that man onto this land.

“Do not look at me with such contempt, Princess. Had your situation been identical to mine, would you have made a different decision? Would you have abandoned Pendia for the peace of Libert’s people?”

Seeing Cheryn’s gaze, Duke of Morayen chuckled with a slick smile.

She could not answer no to those words.

For even right now, she had just made a choice that brought greater short-term suffering upon Pendia in order to secure victory.

“As long as the terms have not changed, that is enough.”

“Ah, I would personally like to add just one more thing.”

The duke said with a bright smile.

“Could I march alongside Sir Shan while on our way to Hasra?”

“Why?”

“Why, because as a knight, I truly respect and revere him as an individual! The Princess will likely never understand even if she dies and comes back to life. How beautiful every single gesture of his is…”

At the sight of Duke of Morayen making an ecstatic expression, Cheryn involuntarily wore a disgusted look.

Turning her head toward Shan, who was walking a short distance away, she asked.

“What do you think, Sir Shan?”

“I shall comply if Your Highness desires it.”

“Very well, then I will entrust the escort of the duke during transit to you.”

At a glance, it might seem as though Shan, who had to enter the middle of the enemy camp, was taken hostage, but in truth, the one held hostage was rather the duke.

Because the moment Cheryn gave the command, Shan would be able to sever the duke’s neck and instantly break out of the formation to return.

*

The two joined armies advanced toward Hasra, nearly packing the vast highway full.

Along the way, there were times when they encountered raiding parties belonging to Conrad and Elvin, but those groups did not dare pick a fight with a massive army numbering around three thousand men.

Thanks to that, Shan was unable to even use battle as an excuse to excuse himself, trapped helplessly under the barrage of Duke of Morayen’s chatter.

“Say, Sir Shan. Are you by any chance interested in music? Among the musicians I once invited to court, there was someone truly remarkable…”

Duke of Morayen behaved like a person who wanted to know everything about Shan.

What food he liked, what kind of woman was his ideal type, whether he might be interested in men, what his faith in the Goddess was like, what his usual hobbies were…

He even had a court musician he had brought from Libert actually play music while speaking like this.

Supposedly, Libert nobles who enjoyed culture were known to never lose their composure even on the battlefield.

Feeling bothered by the attitude of wanting to know his every move, Shan nevertheless answered dutifully.

Because as long as they were in an alliance with Duke of Morayen, there was no need to displease him over trivial reasons.

Moreover, as actively as this young duke expressed his fondness for Shan, even if Shan made remarks that might be slightly offensive, he passed them off with a smile as if nothing had happened.

Meaning that he was actually not a bad conversational partner.

Thanks to this, Shan was also able to ask about various things he had been curious about while conversing with the duke.

“By any chance, are there many relics of Great Emperor Baren remaining in Libert?”

“Relics of Great Emperor Baren? Well, since I am not the king, I have not searched the deepest depths of the royal treasury… but wouldn’t our kingdom possess the most within the alliance? We are the direct bloodline of the Great Emperor, after all.”

“I was curious if there was something like the Great Emperor’s armor, for instance.”

What Shan recalled was the armor of Great Emperor Baren he had seen when he stabbed the hydra in the past.

How sacred the sight of him scattering a bright halo behind his back had been.

“I do not know about that. However, if such a thing existed, I imagine someone would have taken it out to wear long ago. Or perhaps the Holy See hid it away secretly. They are an insidious bunch, after all.”

“I see.”

“By the way, why did you suddenly become curious about Great Emperor Baren? Is it a goal of yours as a knight, perhaps?”

“Not particularly… no, perhaps that might be it.”

He did wonder how wonderful it would be if he could become as strong as Great Emperor Baren.

With that power that swept through giant monsters as if they were small fry, he could have brought the civil war to an end simply by riding out alone on horseback and abruptly kidnapping Conrad and Elvin.

“At any rate, in my eyes, you are a knight even more perfect than Great Emperor Baren. If there were someone comparable, perhaps Marquis Abel… though he feels a bit forced, if you ask me.”

“A forced feeling?”

“If you are the largest, most perfect gem crafted by nature, Marquis Abel is like a work painstakingly carved out by a craftsman, shall we say? While things made by human hands possess their own aesthetic value, it is far from my taste.”

Saying so, the duke pointed toward the black-clad army over in Princess Cheryn’s camp.

“Aesthetically speaking, I quite like them as well. A unit where everyone wears clothes made of the same material… why couldn’t I come up with an idea like that? When I return, I should order coats made for everyone in my army to wear.”

“Your Grace, doing so would bankrupt us.”

“Quiet down.”

As another retainer beside him put on the brakes, the duke spoke grumblingly.

“Honestly, I want to take everyone gathered here and march into Libert. If only I could do that, I would eradicate all the kingdom’s traitors and save my poor nephew…”

“Come to think of it, how did you end up being pushed out by Count Balik, Your Grace? I heard before that the Morayen region is not a powerless place.”

Among their companions were Ravana and her subordinates who had personally participated in Libert’s civil war, but being mere mercenaries, they did not know why Duke of Morayen had been defeated.

They only knew that as they fought and fought as ordered, they somehow found themselves having lost.

At Shan’s question, the duke’s retainers standing around grimaced.

It was only natural, considering he had posed a question to their lord that sounded like an interrogation, asking how a duke of all people could lose to a mere count.

However, Duke of Morayen showed no sign of displeasure whatsoever, laughing as he shook his head.

“Ah, there were truly many twists and turns in that! But to sum it up briefly, shall we say I had too many enemies? Especially on the capital’s side.”

“Do you mean the capital nobles were hostile to Your Grace?”

“They did not fight openly. However, they put on the brakes in all sorts of insidious ways. Selling grain and military supplies only to that barbarian bastard, or allowing that fellow’s soldiers to pass through their territories…”

The reason the capital nobles engaged in such slanders and scheming was simple.

Unlike Count Balik, Duke of Morayen was royalty with a right of succession to the throne.

“They insisted that if I became regent, I would surely push aside my young and ignorant nephew to ascend the throne myself. Furthermore, they dismissed my claim that Count Balik was the one who started the war first. A transparent excuse. Obviously, they were afraid that as regent, I would make them vomit up the vested interests they had been sharing among themselves.”

By contrast, Count Balik, the king’s maternal grandfather, would find it difficult to exert such strong influence even if he became regent.

Since he was not royalty, and despite holding strong military power as commander of the north, his financial base was weak.

“A foolish thought. Count Balik is no idiot either. I heard that Libert is currently noisy again as those fellows divide up the spoils among themselves. Though the barbarian fellow will likely win.”

Saying that the three knights serving Count Balik were exceedingly strong, Duke of Morayen brought up their names and characteristics.

Among them was also ‘Black Spear’ Feonil Alten.

“The Black Spear, the Goddess’s Shield, and the Wanderer… all three fall short compared to you, but they are monstrous individuals. So, speaking of which…”

“I have no intention of following Your Grace to Libert.”

“How impudent of you to cut off my words! Yet that only makes me covet you more!”

At the duke’s still greasy tone, Shan shook his head.

Thus, spending several days conversing idly with the duke and returning to the main camp when it was time to camp.

Finally, the city that was Roden’s hometown and Shan’s second home, Hasra, the capital of Pendia, approached before their eyes.