episode_0263

* * *

“We won! We won!”

“I really won!”

When they heard that 200,000 people were coming, no one would deny that although each of them had their own determination, in the end, a sense of despair could not help but well up in a corner of their hearts.

In fact, most of them fought with the mindset that if they could help Luna, who was trying to resist Vanessa’s tyranny and Karelia, who was being manipulated by it, even just a little bit, then that might be enough to fulfill their role as a soldier – they might die in this war.

In that battle, they – won. They were victorious. They defeated an absurdly large army of 200,000 men, with overwhelming odds! The victory celebration was ours!

And, at the forefront of this life-or-death battle… … the soldiers watched with their own eyes the overwhelmingly powerful figure of Luna, who was unyielding to anyone.

The sight of him, despite being a monarch, taking risks and literally slaughtering enemy soldiers.

For the enemy Karelian army, he must have been a nightmare… …but for our Lunalian army, he was different.

Her appearance is like――the goddess of the battlefield.

None of those who fought alongside her behind her back would dare to spit out that title.

“Long live Lunalian Inian!!!”

“For Lunalian!!!”

Luna, sitting on the horse, looked around her.

… … won.

Hearing the soldiers’ cheers, he realizes once again that he has defeated the Karelian army.

Having won such a tough battle, she should have been overwhelmed with emotion and roared along with her soldiers, but right now, the soldiers’ spirited shouts were nowhere to be heard in her ears.

The only thing Luna could hear in her head right now was that person’s voice.

“If we make it to the end, we win.”

‘I won… … ! Mr. Swen, I… … I did it… … !!’

Luna closes her eyes and clasps her hands together.

Only his words were her compass.

Until she made her decision, nothing had more influence than his words.

The man who sacrificed his life to save us.

At the last moment, he told me to never give up.

The man who told me that if I believed in him, he would give me the world…

Tears flowed from Luna’s eyes.

The soldiers far away probably wouldn’t notice. No, that didn’t matter anyway.

That man, Swen-nim, was absolutely not wrong… … because he was more than happy about the fact that he had proven it with his own power.

I took the opportunity as you said.

I haven’t forgotten my promise to Swen.

I really, really miss you so much, Swen… … .

Look up at the sky.

After a dark night of fighting all day, a new sun was rising again.

Now… … it was time to move on.

* * *

After the battle.

The one who received the most attention was the female general Tifa, who suddenly gained incredible power.

If it were the usual Tifa, she would have grabbed people and talked about how great she was all day long, but-

“Are you feeling better?”

“Grandpa Cain is here. No, is it Mr. Kyle now… … ?”

“What is your name? Call me whatever you want. I’m not used to hearing you say such things.”

“Hehe, yeah. You damn old fart. Whether it’s Cain or Kyle… … you’re just a regular old fart to me.”

“That’s right.”

Tifa said, lying in bed, sweating profusely.

“You used magic. You know that, right?”

“What… …I guess it’s magic, I guess.”

“When did you first become aware of that power?”

Kyle asked in a very serious tone.

“I don’t know. I thought I felt some kind of energy while practicing… …but this was the first time I felt it flowing through my body.”

“Then was that Mana… … ?”

“Maybe it’s Mana.”

Tifa and Kyle turned their heads to hear the old man’s voice.

Jinor, the current national strategist of the Lunalian Army, was walking towards this place.

“Because wizards and mana are real.”

“Bookstore inspiration… … .”

“It seems that General Tifa has awakened to magic. As proof, isn’t she lying in bed unable to move?”

“What did you say… … ?”

“When a wizard uses mana, he consumes stamina in proportion to the amount used.”

“You seem to know something about wizards?”

Genor thought for a moment at Kyle’s question.

“… … Well, I guess you could say that.”

“You speak as if you have actually seen it?”

“We can talk about the details later. Right now, what’s important is General Tifa’s physical condition. If a magician uses magic too strongly for his or her ability, he or she will lose that much energy.”

As Jinor said, Tifa lost consciousness and fell from her saddle as soon as the battle ended.

Fortunately, he didn’t suffer any serious injuries despite falling from his horse – and with the help of soldiers, he was somehow carried to bed.

“I lost my energy… … So, did I lose consciousness at that time… … .”

“I guess that’s right. In order to use magic again, you need to get enough rest.”

Tifa smiled bitterly.

“I thought I finally got stronger, but it seems I’m still stuck in the same place.”

“That’s not true, General Tifa. If it weren’t for you, we would never have won this battle.”

“Even if I tried to cheer them up… …the mercenary guys joined as reinforcements.”

“Still, the enemy’s superiority in manpower was overwhelming. In the first place, what kind of wealth and honor would this old man enjoy by supporting General Tifa?”

“Ha! Now that you say it, I can understand.”

To Tifa, who said that and smiled bitterly, Jinor spoke in a serious tone without any trace of playfulness.

“General Tifa. The ‘you need to get enough rest’ I just mentioned wasn’t just an empty phrase. Get some rest. If you continue to use magic too much… …the mana will be used too much, and your life will be in danger. ”

“… … !!!”

Jinor was the most knowledgeable person on the continent regarding magic.

I consulted countless texts, collected folktales that sounded like legends from the past, and researched every remaining historical document that contained any record of wizards.

There is only one reason… …because wizards exist.

From the moment he met the young Reika, who was shooting flames from her hands, wasn’t he convinced that if he had this power, he would be able to shake up the continent in chaos, so he went into seclusion and filled his head with countless pieces of knowledge.

“But-”

“There is no need to say more. If you really want to be of help to your lord, don’t push yourself too hard. Your lord needs you more than anything.”

“Need… …to do.”

Am I now someone Lunalian needs?

In fact, Tifa also knew. As a warrior, she couldn’t keep up with Lunalien. It was just that she was the monarch, so there were many times when she stepped forward.

But, I gained magical powers – and now I can be of help to Luna, to the Lunalian Army… … .

“… … Okay. I guess I’ll stop being so stubborn and just do as the old man tells me to do.”

“Well, feeling guilty will only last for a day or two. It’s quite enjoyable to just play and do nothing.”

Tifa also seemed to relax a little at Kyle’s joke.

“Did you hear, Mr. Bookss? This gentleman is so pathetic that you wonder if he is really a royal. I heard that you were a prime minister or something? Let me ask you. Is this gentleman really a high-ranking person? ”

Tifa was unable to finish her sentence and stared blankly at an empty space for a moment.

“… … gone.”

I realize that Genor has already left the room.

“He’s a ghostly friend. Jinor. He’s been appearing without saying anything since long ago.”

“… … Was he like that from the beginning?”

It seemed that I had no choice but to change the person I was asking about.

* * *

General Tifa was a sorceress.

No, to be precise – General Tifa has awakened to the power of magic.

Jinor left the room and reviewed the current situation once more.

Someone who had just opened their eyes to the power of magic, and unlike Reika who was initially incompetent, Tifa was able to use magic with that level of destructive power from the start – there was a very high chance that she would lose her life if she continued to abuse magic without proper knowledge.

Of course, if there was someone who could advise her that ‘it’s dangerous to handle magic carelessly’, her survival rate would increase exponentially. Just like she is now.

‘……under.’

Really, isn’t it a situation where everything seems to be going back to Lunalien?

It was no longer fear, but a kind of awe.

Anyway, we defeated the 200,000-strong Karelian army.

This battle was not a simple battle. The Karelian army mobilized most of the troops it could muster, risking the fate of its country, and our army was also desperate because if it lost this battle, all of them would have been put on the execution stand immediately.

And, here, our Lunalian army won-

At the same time, it meant the end of the era of the Karelian Army.

All that remains is to clear the Karelian military’s virtually empty territories.

‘I’m going to be busy for a while.’

Jinor sighed softly and asked a question to someone who couldn’t hear.

‘Swen, is all this just a picture you drew?’

If so, then I… … .

* * *

The royal palace of Tepelo Castle.

Before Luna’s eyes, four people were kneeling and looking at her.

“Gustav, Aaron. And Kalle and Jonah… … It’s so nice to see you all again.”

Gustav, the leader of the Raven Mercenary Corps, and his vice-leader, Cale.

Aaron, the leader of the Chilean mercenary group, and Jonah, the vice-leader.

Those who had promised to rejoin the Lunalian Army long ago when it once again made its appearance in history – they did indeed return.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment, Luna.”

“I will definitely repay the favor I received back then.”

The ‘favor received’ would mean the free transfer of troops.

The life of a mercenary corps depended on how many troops they could deploy, and troops that had been well-trained as members of a nation would have felt quite valuable to them.

“Without your help, I wouldn’t have been able to win that battle. Thank you so much.”

After saying that, Luna approached them.

“But, shamelessly… …I have something to tell you.”

“Please give me whatever you want.”

“I think you will have to continue fighting for the time being. I think you will be busy with the mercenary group’s work… …but I will make sure to reward you accordingly.”

Gustav and Aaron nodded, seeming to understand what Luna was saying.

The task of clearing the territory of the Karelian Army was not difficult, but it was also a task that required a long and bloody process to be completed.

They look at each other’s faces for a moment.

And then… …both of them looked at Luna’s face at the same time and said.

“Luna, please help us-”

“Please formally incorporate me into the Lunalian Army.”

“… … Yes?”

Unlike Luna, who was surprised by the unexpected words, the two spoke in a calm tone, as if they were not that flustered.

“The mercenary corps is ultimately a job that allows you to make a living because the continent is in chaos. If Luna-sama can correct the chaos on the continent… … I would gladly entrust this body to Luna-sama’s cause.”

“This is a decision that both of us have made after a very long time. Please be gracious. I will not hold Luna back.”

“You’re grabbing my ankle! If you two join us, it would be more secure than anything else for our military… … But, are you really okay?”

“All members of our mercenary corps are positive about joining the Lunalian army.”

“… … .”

I thought about giving up one more time, but-

… … No. If this is an opportunity that has come, I can’t miss it. Because I made a promise with that person.

I have to quickly become stronger and defeat Serpina, who is strangling that person… … so I made up my mind.

“… … Thank you. Then, please. ”

At those words, Aaron, Gustav, and the two vice-captains knelt again and paid their respects.

“Yes, my lord!”

“From now on, I will be loyal to my lord!”

He won the battle and also incorporated a mercenary group.

So now all we have to do is… …move forward.

And the road that unfolded before my eyes was―

The idea was to remove the ‘Karelia Army’ from the map.