Ch.14The End of Rebellion (2)

The moment came when duty could not block instinct.

All reason fled from the thirsty demons.

Only war! War! War!

Durin’s power, sufficient to fill the Dark Lord’s void, ignited the legion soldiers. It infused the troops with strength, giving them the most intense pleasure a demon could feel.

“Durin!! Durin!!”

“Kraaaaa!!”

The expedition force’s momentum completely devoured the rebels. Ambushed in the middle of the night, they were shattered before they could react. From the moment they heard the battle cries in the distance, they had already sensed their defeat. The southern warriors had also come to realize just how powerful the expedition force’s commander truly was.

“What are you doing! Stand your ground!”

“Defend!! Defend!!”

Rebel non-commissioned officers, sensing the dire situation, drew their swords and shouted hoarsely. But it had no effect. Instead, their attempts to push soldiers forward only disrupted their formation.

“Kill them all!!”

The result brought the worst outcome for the rebels.

CRASH-!

AAAAARGH!

The demons at the front were pulverized by the legion’s shields. They were shattered with blood-curdling screams. The fortress soldiers trampled them under their military boots before the splattered blood could even soak the ground. The horrifically minced flesh was thrust into the silence of death.

There were no survivors.

CRACK!

BOOM!

Intense explosive sounds erupted everywhere. From the moment they lost the first move, resistance became meaningless. Units that failed to form tight formations melted away instantly like sandcastles before fierce waves. A single collision had disrupted their battle formation.

The legion warriors would not miss this opportunity. Even while fully unleashing their instincts, they could read the flow of the battlefield. Their bodies, trained over long periods, and senses honed through combat experience, triggered strong impulses that stimulated their aggression.

“Push forward! Don’t stop until you’ve taken their lives.”

Verdia’s words, as she led the soldiers at the front, were the catalyst. The legion abandoned even their shields, putting everything into the attack. They pulverized the tough-skinned warriors with war hammers gripped in both hands. Having cleared the path ahead with sheer momentum, their target came into view.

“So there you are.”

After bursting and killing a wolf cavalryman who had rushed out to stop the charge with her right hand, Verdia gazed beyond the dispersing blood mist. Among soldiers wearing crude armor stood a man wearing distinctive leather greaves engraved with unusual patterns. He was just standing there stupidly, still unable to process the unexpected battlefield situation.

At last, she had found the head that needed to be devoured.

“Aurelia.”

“Did you find him, Verdia?”

“Yes. I’ll rush in to take his head.”

“Leave the army to me. I’ll provide you with a charging unit.”

Aurelia sent the signal without delay. Several soldiers changed direction at her gesture. Then they all began stomping their feet toward where the rebel leadership was located. Verdia gripped her sword firmly and followed them.

“The true daughter of the Rock Mother, Verdia, is here!”

When her voice, filled with vengeance, echoed across the battlefield, the rebels’ attention was instantly drawn. She could make eye contact with the old warrior. Seeing his expression full of confusion, she couldn’t help but smile.

I’ll kill you right now. Verdia charged at him in a trance.

……

“We must flee quickly. The traitor is coming this way.”

“Great Chieftain. I will go first to buy you time. Please save yourself.”

Gulan couldn’t gather his thoughts. A tremendous shock had completely rattled his mind. This wasn’t the war he had dreamed of. A miserable defeat would never be recorded in heroic epics. That was a fate reserved only for the enemy. For that purpose, he had set ambushes, engaged in guerrilla warfare, and thrown out every bait to lure them to the desired location. He had struggled hard for the eventual conclusion.

The remnants of a defeated army, thoroughly crushed before the forces of a great warrior. Sacrifices prepared for a predetermined victory.

He had always thought that the warrior holding the sword in that scene would be the great warrior of the south—himself. But the ambition he had so dreamed of was about to vanish like dust in the wind.

And it would end without even a proper battle, after suffering only plunder throughout the war. None of the strategies he had devised had worked, proving only his incompetence.

BANG! THUD!

AAAAARGH!

The guards who rushed to protect their master died horribly. They became cold corpses before the enemy commander without even putting up proper resistance. A few brave soldiers who remained tried to stop her by thrusting spears, but even they were shattered by the Duran charging unit that followed.

“This doesn’t make sense.”

Yet he didn’t want to die like a terrified coward. Reality was saying otherwise, but his mind refused it. Having lost everything, Gulan wanted to deny it.

“AAAAAAHHH!!”

With a scream close to a wail, the southern great chieftain drew his sword. The remaining distance was now about fifty paces. He could swing at least once. Thinking this, he put strength into his trembling hands when—

THWACK!

A spear from somewhere pierced through his shoulder. He couldn’t even open his mouth from the intense pain. His sword fell to the ground with a clang. The loud metallic sound announced that the battle had turned. His collapsed body was now in a state where resistance was impossible.

“Ah, no…”

It was a spear thrown by an ordinary soldier. There was no clash of heroes. He couldn’t even recite the tragic fate of daughter and father. The miserable death he had dreaded approached.

In the moment when even his last hope vanished, Verdia, who had rushed in, swung her sword.

#

“The rebels have been annihilated. No more barbarian forces threatening Laktelun can be detected.”

At the same time, the city’s Senate was receiving real-time reports of the battle scenes through a sorcerer.

The messenger repeated the same information twice, but they couldn’t believe it. Even seeing and hearing the facts, they simply couldn’t grasp it.

One week. That was how long it took for Durin’s forces to scorch the southern continent and march proudly toward the enemy’s capital.

Conquest. Destruction. Despite all the talk, the war ended quickly. They could only laugh hollowly as they watched the red dots being erased from the map.

“Even without a king… the fortress can truly sustain itself. This, this really makes me laugh even seeing it with my own eyes.”

“The reason that childish Dark Lord could ascend to the throne was because of the Regent, wasn’t it? It’s a natural result for a demon said to be able to face an archangel alone. Rather, we should be ashamed. I don’t know how we should face the Regent when he returns from the battlefield.”

“Still, since Aurelia went with him, it should be fine. She may not have achieved proper merit, but she’s somewhat redeemed herself through this battle.”

“That’s for the young ones who joined the expedition force, not us. We, as nobles of the Senate, need to quickly find a way to survive. We can only survive by presenting the answer the Regent wants.”

The old nobles of Laktelun did not celebrate. Because once the enemy was gone, they would be next. The garrison had fulfilled its duty by driving away the rebels and protecting the city, but they had yet to accomplish anything. If Durin were to express displeasure…

“…..”

No one wanted to see that sight. Therefore, the Senate hurriedly racked their brains.

First, they examine their duties.

If they wanted to enjoy privileges in this city, they first needed to rebuild the damaged infrastructure. In this situation where the entire southern border had been reduced to ashes, the fortress would recognize their efforts if they worked toward normalization.

Everyone focused on the meeting agenda.

“First, we need to set up tents to accommodate all survivors. Food can be supplemented from the spoils of war.”

“No, there’s a high possibility that the southern continent itself will be incorporated into the fortress this time. With nearly hundreds of thousands of southern barbarians having no choice but to come here rather than the harsh lands, food will inevitably be scarce.”

“The Regent had devastated all farmland as it was rebel territory. In fact, Laktelun is practically the only habitable land in the south now.”

“It’s hard enough to take care of ourselves, how can we look after them? Let’s just expel them.”

The situation was too dire. They tried to formulate a plan, but the only answer was:

Support from the fortress.

When Durin returned with news of victory, they would have to beg, “This is our situation, please show mercy.” If they failed, the only path left would be starvation in a desolate land.

“So in the end, our south cannot survive on its own.”

“Could this also be part of the Regent’s plan?”

“It serves multiple purposes. A conqueror always takes more than one thing from a single land.”

The shrewd southern nobles had no choice but to accept. The border cities had been saved from rebellion, but at the cost of all surrounding land becoming barren, making it impossible to stand alone.

“There’s no choice. We must accept the fortress’s rule and become a direct territory.”

The positions and privileges they could obtain in the southern lands could only be enjoyed if they survived first. Once the conclusion was reached, action followed quickly.

The Laktelun Senate sent messengers to the expedition force in the southern continent. The main content was a declaration to relinquish all sovereignty they had held and enter under the Regent’s command according to the laws of the demon realm. They added one condition—requesting the guarantee of tax collection rights for the territories held by southern nobles. They promised to always provide the troops Durin required if this condition was met well.

[The children of the Rock Mother are now yours, Regent.]

This was the phrase written at the end of the parchment.

In this historic moment when the south, which had been at odds with the central authority for centuries, wished to come under the fortress’s rule, an empty wind blowing from the collapsed bosom of the Rock Mother heralded the beginning of change.