53. Loia

‘Lion Sword Empress, Atlin…’

Just as Erti said. The swordswoman who had just cut down the demonic beast was indeed Atlin.

Beyond the milky white or silver Aura Blades, the Aura Blade that shone like the sun was her symbol.

And the sword in Atlin’s hand was undoubtedly the Holy Sword, Siertia. Erti stopped in place, staring blankly at her former master.

For a moment, Erti reached her hand out faintly. Then she lowered it again.

The Lion Sword Empress before her wasn’t looking at us. I pretended not to notice Erti’s reaction.

“Don’t be afraid, attack! I’ll lead the way!”

Atlin shouted in a fierce voice like a lion’s roar. The soldiers around Erti and me rushed forward again at the sound.

‘Not the real thing, huh.’

Erti and I were in the middle of the battlefield. It felt so vivid that I could even sense the demonic magic, but it wasn’t reality.

Erti, having regained her senses, explained the current scene.

“…As you can see, this battlefield isn’t real. It’s just the Battle of Vernige unfolding based on my memories. But since Roia-nim’s voice commanded me to recall this battlefield, it probably means it’s a significant place for you.”

I nodded. As this trial was Roia-nim’s trial, it wasn’t strange for the Holy Sword, Erti, to hear the voice of the god of that battle.

‘The Battle of Vernige. And the Lion Sword Empress.’

It was a fierce battle that would be recorded in history books, and the battle where the legend of the Lion Sword Empress was created. As Erti said, it was definitely a crucial place for me too.

‘I’ve been in Dungeons before, but this is my first time in such a large-scale battlefield.’

I followed Erti. She pointed to two soldiers nearby. As I stood next to them, I naturally inhabited one of the soldier’s bodies.

“We can’t move or interfere with this body separately, but it’s good to see it from this perspective, right?”

I nodded in agreement to her words.

The attack of the demonic beast horde faltered for a moment. Knights in lion-emblazoned armor and soldiers gathered near Atlin.

It was the White Night Knights and the Essenmund elite troops.

A knight who appeared to be an adjutant reported the situation to Atlin.

“The Imperial troops who came to help us have been annihilated, Your Highness!”

At his words, Atlin’s face paled.

“What about the Essenmund troops?”

The adjutant lowered his head. He clenched his fist tightly, trembling as if he couldn’t believe it, and said,

“We lost most of our remaining forces in the previous engagement. We have about 1000 soldiers left. About 50 White Night Knights remain.”

“Only that many?”

“Yes… Your Highness.”

“Then what about the demonic beast army led by Graiel?”

“They’re intact. We’ve only managed to eliminate about 20%…”

“So that means about 3000 demonic beasts are left. Three times our number. The numbers have been reversed.”

“Yes, Your Highness. And… those demonic beasts have begun to surround us.”

With those words, the adjutant fell silent. Atlin also closed her mouth.

According to the historical records, it was now the second week since the battle began.

The Imperial troops and Essenmund troops sent by the Imperial Palace had desperately held off the demonic beasts in a joint effort. But as the adjutant reported, the Imperial troops were annihilated. The situation of the remaining Essenmund troops was also hopeless.

In an instant. The Holy Sword Siertia in her hand emitted a short resonance.

Atlin and Erti seemed to be having a conversation.

“Aren’t you curious about what they’re saying?”

Erti spoke to me at that moment.

A desperate war situation where you couldn’t see an inch ahead. And a conversation between a renowned Holy Sword and a knight praised as the Sword Empress.

‘It probably isn’t an ordinary conversation. I might gain some enlightenment.’

But soon, Erti betrayed my expectations.

“At that moment, Atlin apologized to me. Atlin promised me that she would definitely find me a partner. I’m a sword made in the ancient empire era. But she said I’ve been a virgin for too long.”

She said, mimicking the lines in an awkward theatrical tone.

“The exact line was like this. ‘I was going to bring a man myself to clear the cobwebs in your pussy. But if things go on like this, it seems like I’ll turn you into a virgin ghost. I’m sorry, Erti.’ That’s what she said.”

I was momentarily taken aback. Erti had a slightly strange personality. Perhaps it was influenced by her master. Atlin didn’t seem normal either.

‘For a Holy Sword and Sword Empress to have such vulgar conversations…’

And it was strange to hear that the Ego Sword, Erti, had virginity, but perhaps sensing my dumbfounded mood, she added,

“Actually, it’s an Essenmund expression. It means Atlin was prepared to die. Because if she died, she wouldn’t be able to keep that promise. Don’t you think? And even the Lion Sword Empress is just a person, so she’s afraid of death too. She was just joking with me, pretending to be okay to forget that fear.”

At those words, I looked at Atlin’s face again. The despair and frustration felt by the soldiers surrounding her. And fear.

But Atlin was watching all directions with unwavering eyes, just like when she had cut down the demonic beasts a moment ago.

‘So even she was afraid inside.’

The supreme commander responsible for the lives of the soldiers. So she couldn’t recklessly reveal her inner thoughts even in a desperate situation.

‘But not just anyone could do that. To stand so upright like that.’

Soon, Atlin opened her mouth and said to the adjutant.

“Gather all the commanders from the squad leaders upwards. I will personally instruct them on the next operation.”

And Atlin headed to her camp with the adjutant.

---

Night fell.

All the Essenmund troops remaining on the Vernige Plain gathered. And Atlin stood before those soldiers.

She shouted to the soldiers.

“As you all know, I’m not one to talk much. So what I’m about to say isn’t a joke or nonsense.”

The soldiers paid attention to Atlin’s words. Atlin paused for a moment. Then she opened her mouth again.

“Tonight. You will all die here.”

The soldiers buzzed with chatter. I could feel their emotions as I was borrowing the body of a soldier.

The fear of those facing death. And the death sentence handed down by their commander and ruler, Atlin.

The confirmation that there was no chance of winning against the demonic beasts spread a deep sense of despair among the soldiers.

Atlin seemed to have anticipated the reaction and continued calmly.

“There’s no chance of winning already. We’re surrounded by the demonic beast army. If more time passes and the demonic beast army completely surrounds us. The Essenmund troops will be annihilated as they are. Also, it’s impossible for all of you to retreat. As you all know, if the demonic beast army passes through the Vernige Plain. Essenmund has no tomorrow.”

Atlin’s words were correct. The Vernige Plain was the final defense line to stop the current demonic beast army.

The soldiers were agitated by her words, but soon fell silent. They also affirmed Atlin’s words with their silence.

“So our Essenmund troops only have two options. To die now, or to die later. And as I said before, the latter is impossible. You will all charge towards those demonic beasts in a moment and die without exception. I intend to stop the demonic beast army with your lives.”

One of the soldiers, unable to bear those desperate words, shouted.

“Are you telling us to commit suicide, Your Highness!”

Extreme rudeness for a mere soldier to object to the words of the ruler. But since he had already received a death sentence, that soldier couldn’t have been in his right mind either.

Atlin calmly replied as if the rudeness didn’t matter.

“You’re right. Charging into the demonic beast army’s camp tonight is no different from suicide. But I will order you to do so tonight. This thought will not change.”

The soldiers were greatly agitated. But Atlin’s words were not over yet.

“And even if all of you die, only I will survive. I will survive at all costs, even if it means being ugly and despicable, by sacrificing your lives. So you must save me, the Margrave, with your lives.”

“Are you saying that only Your Highness will survive by using us as bait! Are you going to run away!”

“It’s true that there’s hope if the Margrave survives… but are you telling us to die for Your Highness’s escape… No! I can’t do that!”

“Calm down! Everyone be quiet! Isn’t Your Highness speaking!”

The commanders tried to calm the soldiers’ agitation. But once the confusion was ignited, it didn’t go out easily.

At that moment. The Holy Sword Siertia shone brightly. An Aura Blade emitting light like the midday sun. The soldiers closed their mouths for a moment at the flash of the Aura Blade.

And Atlin raised her sword and pointed in one direction.

“No. You’re misunderstanding. The place I’m heading to isn’t the retreat route to the south. I’m going to the same place as you. Towards the enemy camp. And I will definitely survive even in the midst of those demonic beasts.”

The soldiers’ agitation stopped. Those words were completely different from what the soldiers had thought.

Until just now, they thought she was going to break through the encirclement and retreat based on the soldiers’ sacrifice.

But the place Atlin pointed to was the very heart of the enemy camp. She continued.

“Soldiers, sacrifice yourselves! And you must send even one more White Night Knight forward with your lives. And all the White Night Knights who survive that way must also give their lives.”

The knights all paid attention to Atlin.

“And that sacrifice will allow me to reach the place where that goddamn demonic beast lord is. I’ll say it again! You must clear a path for me with your lives!”

At those words, the eyes of all the soldiers changed. Everyone waited for the next words.

“Save me and send me to that Graiel! If you do that, I will survive even if it means being cowardly, and I will definitely cut off that Graiel’s head. If you do that, you will all die tonight. But instead, Essenmund will survive. Your families will survive and pass on the pride of the Essenmund people to future generations!”

Only then did the soldiers know Atlin’s true intentions. She had ordered the soldiers to give their lives, and said that she would survive.

But in fact, Atlin was also going to carry out a suicidal charge. She was also saying that she would die today.

A reckless raid attempted on a night full of demonic magic with no moonlight. But it was also the only operation with a chance of success.

Type 1 Demonic Beast, Graiel.

The only one who could face that disaster, who had surpassed the power of Type 1 by commanding an Imperial-class legion, was the Lion Sword Empress.

Atlin closed her mouth after those words. And after a while.

All the Essenmund troops knelt on one knee towards Atlin. They all shouted in unison.

“Glory to the lion’s valor that subdues even the north’s biting wind!”

An hour later. The Essenmund troops launched a surprise attack on the demonic beast army.

---

The surprise attack was also unexpected by the demonic beast army.

Night was a favorable time for demonic beasts, whose senses were much more sensitive than humans. And the demonic beast army had already surrounded the Essenmund troops.

Demonic beasts that imitated humans to create legions. They also imitated human tactics.

But because the demonic beasts moved with a more rational command system than humans.

The insane surprise attack carried out by Atlin and the Essenmund troops worked. Not a retreat to escape the encirclement.

But a surprise attack towards the demonic beast army’s headquarters in the opposite direction.

The demonic beast army couldn’t respond quickly and immediately to the surprise attack in the middle of the night. Erti, who was moving together by inhabiting the body of a soldier, said.

“That’s why this operation was possible. But it was inevitable that the soldiers would die.”

But it was unchanged that the Essenmund troops were at a disadvantage. As Atlin had predicted, the soldiers cleared the way with the determination to die.

A fierce advance without sparing their lives. And their momentum, having confirmed Atlin’s determination, was as fierce as a raging wildfire.

Nevertheless, they were quickly killed by the demonic beasts.

“Oh dear. All the soldiers are dead. Let’s move the body to a knight.”

And the knights charged through the path cleared by the soldier. The surviving knights were all elite knights capable of using Aura.

They cleared the way again. But they too were eventually killed.

“Still, many more survived than Atlin expected. When they arrived at Graiel’s headquarters. Not only Atlin, but 5 knights survived.”

Those 5 knights confronted the executive-level subordinate demonic beasts.

And Atlin finally confronted the demonic beast lord, the Fallen Angel Graiel.

“Ah. Now I understand. Why Roia-nim specifically chose this battlefield as the beginning of the trial.”

“What do you mean?”

I asked Erti the meaning of those words.

“If you’ve learned the Lion Heart Sword, you’ll know. That ultimate technique. About the White Night.”

“White Night? I’ve already mastered the White Night.”

“That can’t be. If you’ve already mastered the White Night. It’s clear that it’s not the real White Night.”

Just as I was about to get angry at her subtly belittling tone.

The battle between Atlin and Graiel began.