Ch.192Chapter 192

Several days had passed since Alfodur shared his thoughts and left.

Wendigo began to set things in motion to properly understand the Empire’s situation.

From nobles stationed at the border to merchants visiting the Empire for trade, and even mercenaries who found work in the recently intensified civil war.

Wendigo began collecting information using every resource available.

“The King has sent an official letter?”

“Why are refugees continuing to increase… has something truly serious happened?”

“Tell the warriors with nothing to do to scout near the border! What, friction with the Empire’s nobles? Is this a time to worry about friction?”

Even the bureaucrats and nobles who initially seemed indifferent recognized the gravity of the situation once orders came from above.

They thought that if none other than the King was concerned, there must certainly be a reason.

In the end, their assumptions were correct. Those returning from the Empire all brought uniformly disturbing news.

The Alliance of Prince-Electors, boldly formed to put the resurrected Emperor back into the ground, had been dismantled by the dead Emperor’s army.

Befitting their status as the Empire’s most powerful figures, the Alliance’s army was indeed formidable, consisting of dozens of knights and thousands of mercenaries.

However, the Alliance forces could not overcome the dead Emperor’s army in the three factors that determine victory.

The dead do not yield to spears and swords, so their morale could not be broken.

The Emperor’s army, far from diminishing, continued to grow in number, making it impossible to overwhelm them with manpower.

Finally, their leader, the Emperor, would revive even if his head was cut off, making it impossible to kill the enemy commander.

Mercenaries who had weathered countless battles fled while soiling themselves as if they had returned to their rookie days. Knights trembled and retreated from the horrific battlefield where honor was nowhere to be found.

The Prince-Electors who witnessed their vanguard colleagues dying miserably felt diminished for the first time in their lives.

After a total of three battles, the Alliance of Prince-Electors chose to fend for themselves.

There was no one left to stop the dead Emperor’s army…

“There’s nothing useful among all these rumors. Has no one produced any proper results?”

“The Prince-Electors seem to believe the Emperor is leading an army of the dead. Since they’re responsible for the Emperor’s death, they probably chose a quick decisive battle out of fear of retribution.”

Geron answered Wendigo’s complaint. Wendigo agreed with Geron’s speculation.

It’s inevitable that those with guilty consciences would trip themselves up.

How could they not be concerned when someone they essentially killed had returned alive?

Moreover, he hadn’t returned alone. He came back with an immortal army that feared no death.

From the perspective of the Prince-Electors who had wronged the Emperor, it wouldn’t be strange if every day felt like a nightmare.

“What’s the situation with our warriors? If that army marches north, we’ll need forces that can respond quickly.”

“The troops we can mobilize from the forest are currently stationed near the capital. Orders to draft forces should also be reaching nobles in various regions.”

“Well done. Considering supplies, it would be best if fighting doesn’t occur, but given the situation, we have no choice but to prepare.”

“But I’m not sure if informing everyone about the enemy was the right choice. The enemy we’re facing this time is rather… unusual.”

Geron, who had drafted the outline of the orders according to Wendigo’s instructions, spoke with a worried expression.

He was concerned that the nobles might become uncooperative upon hearing they would be facing the dead.

Geron harbored no naive thoughts that everyone would unite and work together because a great crisis had befallen Manheimr.

Above all, Manheimr was a kingdom that heavily depended on Wendigo. This made it easier to control and ensured loyalty, but there was no denying a certain dependence on the king.

Who knows if cunning individuals might dump their responsibilities on the king while taking credit once they learned they would be facing the dead?

“At least knowing what you’re fighting is less frightening than fighting in ignorance, so it can’t be helped.”

“That’s true, but still.”

“Anyway, let me know if there’s any useful information… hmm?”

Wendigo, who had been reading reports with the help of an attendant, carefully examined a report submitted by a merchant from the Empire.

[They advanced relentlessly with melting skin and corroded armor. They didn’t stop despite arrow rains and flying boulders. Even the blade of an enraged knight couldn’t halt their advance.]

Up to this point, it was like many other reports. Anyone would tremble at an unstoppable army.

However, the merchant who wrote this report seemed braver than other merchants.

[…We waited for the army to pass. The battle ended quicker than expected. The banners of renowned houses snapped like dry twigs, and the dead trampled the flags as they advanced.

When the nobles fled, the dead continued moving without stopping. I naturally thought the dead Emperor would pursue the Prince-Electors, but contrary to expectations, they simply kept walking north.

We gathered weapons and armor from the battlefield they had passed. Though the deaths are regrettable, the items bear no guilt and will find new owners.]

“…This is no ordinary brave fellow.”

Judging by how he followed behind an army of undead—not just any army—to collect items, he must have had quite a sturdy heart.

Wendigo continued reading the report, or rather, the diary of a merchant.

The diary, which initially contained sentences filled with fear, gradually shifted to sentences filled with curiosity rather than fear.

[Amusingly, this army of the dead seems to be the most boring army in the world. They engaged in no looting, no slaughter, not even camping.

These creatures just kept walking as if they were born solely to walk northward.

When they quietly passed through an empty village, I could confirm my thoughts were correct.

They didn’t seem interested in looting or slaughter, nor in attacking the Prince-Electors’ territories.

They even passed peacefully through villages that obstructed their path. What on earth do these creatures want?]

The merchant’s diary ended with this question.

“Where did this diary come from? Do we know where this merchant is currently?”

Wendigo asked the attendant holding the diary. The attendant quickly checked the personal information submitted with the diary.

“The House of Vanhof purchased it from a merchant visiting from the Empire, and the merchant has returned to the Empire after buying food supplies.”

Wendigo clicked his tongue.

This merchant was the only one who had observed from such close proximity over an extended period.

It was truly regrettable—inviting him to hear his story in detail might have yielded more useful information.

Still, it wasn’t entirely without results.

“They didn’t touch the villages, huh.”

Does this mean a body without a head only aims to retrieve its head and doesn’t inflict unnecessary violence?

Thinking about it, it wasn’t strange. Alfodur had never mentioned any instances of them attacking first during decades of harassment by heroes.

Moreover, apart from the Prince-Electors who blocked their path, there were no reports of casualties. If anything, there were more reports of damage from the Prince-Electors’ exploitation.

If he truly had no interest beyond retrieving his head…

“Perhaps it would be better to lure them to the forest and attack. They’re too absurd to face with a possessed body.”

“What? But that’s too dangerous. Wouldn’t it be better to attempt to repel them externally at least once?”

“If they were an army that could be whittled down, that would be good, but these aren’t. If we can’t finish them in one go, our warriors might become imprinted with fear of the dead.”

The sense of helplessness against an insurmountable entity was terrifying. Warriors wouldn’t easily become powerless, but the first strike was always the best opportunity to drive them back.

“Even the ancient heroes, who were far stronger than we are now, were slaughtered by this entity. Underestimating such a being would be beyond arrogant—it would be foolish.”

“I understand. However, I think it would be best to verify the contents of this diary before finalizing our plan.”

Geron said, waving the diary. Wendigo nodded.

As he said, if the contents of the diary weren’t true, choosing to lure them would be an impossible option.

He could only hope that the diary of this nameless merchant wasn’t a fabricated tale.

* * *

When Wendigo’s orders were delivered to the border via the swiftest bird, officials began selecting the bravest among Manheimr’s warriors.

The officials didn’t particularly hide the contents of the dispatch. There was also an order to convey the facts as they were, without the need for concealment.

The officials conveyed the situation to the warriors very concisely:

“You must observe the army of the dead marching toward Manheimr from close range. Naturally, we cannot guarantee your life, nor can we promise to recover your body. However, if you return with useful information, honor and compensation are promised.”

In simple terms, it was asking them to risk their lives for a job with a high probability of dying like a dog. Naturally, the warriors’ reactions were intense.

“Select me right now! I’ll cut off even a corpse’s nose and bring it back!!!”

“Shut up. We’re supposed to observe the corpses, not touch them. I can even sleep with corpses, so choosing me would—”

“I’ve spent more time on horseback than walking. For monitoring enemy movements, many things are needed, but isn’t mobility the most important?”

“Horse-lover, get lost! Rather than someone who thinks of running away first, someone with the guts to extract information until the end like me… ack!”

“Heeheeheehinny!”

To be more specific, their reactions were positively intense. After all, it was the king’s order, so honor was not just guaranteed but overflowing.

Romanticism, which had slowly begun to sprout with the return of the gods, ignited the hearts of the warriors.

“Act like a madman and you won’t be selected, so calm down!”

“I’m a northerner too, so I feel awkward saying this, but… northerners seem really obsessed with honor.”

“This… this kind of proposal actually works?”

Of course, the officials, who belonged to the most rational group in the north, couldn’t easily understand, but that’s beside the point.

Still, they couldn’t deny that the job had become easier. The officials selected the most suitable talents from the overflowing applicants.

Those who were fearless, perceptive, and composed enough not to wield weapons out of competitive spirit.

Ironically, finding such individuals among the numerous applicants was the challenging part.

“Return my honor!!!”

“I told you to be quiet… Should we depart as we are?”

“Yes, one of the officials will accompany you and take overall command. However, to prepare for emergencies, someone to command in battle should also be decided in advance… Calm down, put away your weapon!”

There were some minor issues in selecting the most combat-capable individual, but that could be considered a trivial problem, couldn’t it?

The final issue was crossing the Empire’s border…

“What’s the problem with that?”

“I’m just saying such a problem might exist. In fact, we don’t particularly care either, so you can forget I mentioned it.”

“The official is talking nonsense…”

No one cared about entering the Empire’s territory without permission. The king’s solemn command took precedence over the powerless protests of the Empire.

After various twists and turns, the selected reconnaissance team crossed the Empire’s border and set out on a journey to find the rumored army of the dead Emperor.