Ch.193Chapter 193

The Manheimr reconnaissance team crossed the border with pride. Come to think of it, they used to cross periodically in the old days, so it wasn’t a burdensome task.

Above all, this time they weren’t crossing for plunder—no, adventure—but to defeat evil!

“Um, is that how it works?”

“How could an official like you not understand something so obvious? People are dying because of those monsters! Buildings are collapsing!”

“I-I was told we should ignore the buildings and just pass by. That’s what we’re supposed to be scouting…”

“Tsk, how can someone so naive survive in this harsh world? Those who attack the north are! Enemies of Manheimr are!”

“Unlike the teacher here, these ignorant fools have simple minds. Bad things are enemies, and good things are us.”

There’s no way we could be the bad ones, so naturally the other side must be bad.

The morale of the Manheimr reconnaissance team soared to the heavens. And it wasn’t entirely wrong.

If one does good deeds, couldn’t anyone be considered good?

Whenever the reconnaissance team encountered refugees fleeing north, they would attack… no, provide relief.

“Head to Manheimr and His Majesty will look after you. Take this dried jerky and tell us your experiences in return.”

“Oh my, I never expected such kind people!”

“You want to hear about the Dead Emperor’s army? Why would you want to hear about those bastards… but if you insist, I’ll tell you everything.”

Generosity comes from a full storehouse, and a full tiger doesn’t hunt.

With full support from Manheimr, the reconnaissance team literally pulled carts loaded with food, so they had no worries about provisions.

If they could obtain useful information, they could afford to give out jerky generously, telling people to add it to their soup.

The refugees tried their best to share whatever they knew with these benevolent northerners.

“My son was dragged away and returned with a sword stuck in his shoulder. The Dead Emperor said if he couldn’t have the empire, no one could, and he’s trying to destroy it…”

“That’s just what Jonathan said while he was dying. A merchant from the south said the Emperor would return after satisfying his grudge by slaughtering the nobles who betrayed him.”

“How could someone who sacrificed thousands of lives for his own greed ever be satisfied! Jonathan said he wanted to fill the world with dead men who only listen to him, not living people who can’t be trusted… Oh, Jonathan!”

“The elder is having an episode again. I’m sorry. He lost three sons during the civil war, so his mind wanders.”

Most of the stories from the refugees weren’t very useful. Many were simply fleeing out of fear after hearing news from deserters, without seeing anything themselves.

The reconnaissance team had anticipated this, so they weren’t too disappointed. After all, how much could refugees know about the situation, not being nobles or knights?

Still, their efforts weren’t entirely fruitless.

“You’ve all been through a lot. Does anyone know where the army might be?”

“Randel would know. He was drafted into the last war and deserted.”

“Deserted… I was dragged away and treated no better than a slave—can you even call that being a soldier? Anyway, the Dead Emperor was last spotted southwest of here.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes, I navigated by the stars when returning to my hometown.”

Those who survived the war gave directions to the reconnaissance team based on their memories.

The reconnaissance team continued south based on the information provided by the refugees.

Encountering refugees, deserters, and some bandits along the way, the reconnaissance team pushed south and succeeded in accomplishing half their mission.

That is, they encountered the Dead Emperor’s army.

* * *

Though they didn’t express it, the reconnaissance team secretly held some expectations about the Dead Emperor’s army.

What would an army of the dead, something that had never existed in this world, look like?

Some, true to their northern heritage, expected to see honorably fallen warriors marching proudly in magnificent form.

Those with some historical knowledge imagined the empire’s ancestors marching in gleaming bronze armor and weapons.

But what awaited them was an overwhelming… silence.

The reconnaissance team stared at the Dead Emperor’s army in disbelief. One warrior who had held vague expectations muttered:

“That’s supposed to be an army?”

The members of the reconnaissance team found themselves nodding unconsciously at the warrior’s words.

The Dead Emperor’s army wore no gleaming armor, nor did it boast any magnificent heroes. From a distance, their appearance was utterly wretched.

Their melting skin oozed black and blue putrid liquid, giving the impression they would smell of rot.

This foul liquid stained not only their bodies but also their armor and weapons, yet the Emperor’s soldiers paid no attention to it.

They marched with corroded armor over their melting skin. Their appearance was so miserable it was hard to believe they had defeated the Elector-Prince Alliance’s army.

“Even a defeated army would look better than that.”

“No… maybe they simply don’t have emotions? They’re marching with such terrible appearances without changing their expressions at all.”

“I pride myself on my keen hearing from years as a hunter, but I hear nothing except the clanking of equipment and footsteps.”

As they observed the Dead Emperor’s army, the reconnaissance team felt an indescribable disgust.

They could be certain that those serving in that army felt no honor or pride whatsoever.

As if they had no interest in this world, the Emperor’s army kept marching forward, looking only ahead.

“…At this rate, they might really not care even if we’re right next to them.”

“Surely not to that extent. We’re far away now, but wouldn’t their attitude change if we approached?”

“Sir, what should we do?”

Faced with something so different from what they had imagined, the warriors deferred to the official’s judgment.

After some consideration, the official pulled out a notebook from inside his garment.

“This is quite different from what we expected. But our objective remains the same, doesn’t it?”

“So?”

“Let’s gradually reduce the distance. We need to find out everything we can—how they behave when they encounter villages, whether they ever rest…”

And so the reconnaissance team and the Emperor’s army began an uncomfortable journey together.

As time passed, reconnaissance teams led by other officials joined them, making it look like a small army following a large one.

The warriors ran around trying to learn anything about the army, while the officials observed until their eyes were bloodshot and recorded everything until their pens broke.

After several weeks…

“So all that hard work resulted in this report.”

“Yes, the officials cut out all unnecessary parts as much as possible… but this is practically a book already.”

The report written by the reconnaissance team was delivered to Wendigo. After gauging its thickness, Wendigo ordered an attendant:

“It seems checking this individually would take too much time. Have someone with a good voice and clear pronunciation read this report aloud.”

“Yes, sir.”

An unusually large man among the attendants stepped forward as the representative. He received the report from another attendant.

After clearing his throat briefly, the large attendant began reading the report.

* * *

Combined, the reconnaissance teams dispatched from various regions numbered over a hundred.

This meant there were that many people observing the Emperor’s army, inevitably resulting in a voluminous report.

It was fortunate that the officials had cut out personal emotional descriptions and commentaries, or it would have been even thicker than the book-like document it already was.

[The Emperor’s army was dead in many senses. They appeared to feel no desires whatsoever.

Perhaps they don’t feel their melting skin because they’re dead. After all, corpses don’t scream when stabbed or make a fuss when covered with dirt.

However, these beings neither eat, nor chat, nor sleep, nor wash, and they don’t even defecate.

They simply walk, and walk, and walk with empty expressions.

As we observed them, we felt strong disgust and some pity. Through our observations, we came to understand why Your Majesty is wary of them.]

The most efficient way to recognize danger is to face it directly.

Heeding the warning of their instincts, the officials began observing this bizarrely unnatural army not just because of orders, but with a sense of mission.

[These beings showed little interest in us moving around them. More precisely, they showed no interest until we came within spear-throwing distance.

We learned this fact at the cost of five horses, and based on this, we determined a safe distance and began observing them as closely as possible.

Close enough to observe their appearance with the naked eye, we could confirm their features.

What flowed from their rotting skin, like fruit afflicted with withering disease, was not putrid water. This black and blue liquid flowed through the bodies of the dead as if it were blood.

The liquid seeping through cracked skin contaminated the ground, killing any plants or trees growing there.

When a curious warrior smeared this liquid on an arrow and shot a deer, the deer suffered greatly despite the small wound.]

“So they’re not just reanimated corpses,” Wendigo muttered uncomfortably as he quietly listened to the attendant’s reading.

Dealing with living corpses would be uncomfortable enough, but corpses with unknown poison flowing through them…

The attendant who had briefly paused resumed reading when Wendigo gestured.

Most of the content discussed various experiments and their results.

From less dangerous activities like feeding the liquid to animals to determine its dangers,

To life-threatening actions like shooting arrows at the Emperor’s army or creating obstacles in their path.

[It may not be fortunate to say, but those who died from the liquid poisoning did not reanimate. So we don’t know exactly how the dead are revived, but at least that’s not the method.

Another problem is that there’s no clear way to bring down these corpses. The most promising method seems to be using fire.

During various attempts, many observers noted that corpses hit by fire arrows lost their strength.]

Apart from the liquid flowing through the corpses and their weakness to fire, there wasn’t much useful information.

If they could have captured one it might have been different, but unfortunately, the corpses knew how to break ropes or escape traps set for them.

The end of the long report addressed the issue that Wendigo and Geron considered most important.

[Finally, the Emperor’s army peacefully passed through abandoned villages. They paid no attention to abandoned livestock or animals.

It’s regrettable that we couldn’t determine what these creatures want, why they’re heading north even after destroying the Elector-Prince Alliance’s army.

This concludes our lengthy report.

May this report be of great help to Manheimr and Your Majesty.]

Thud!

And so the report ended. Geron, sensing Wendigo’s mood, quietly gestured for the attendants to leave.

Once they were alone, Wendigo spoke to Geron:

“Fortunately, it seems our concerns have been addressed.”

“Yes, though it’s worrying that the army of the dead is not as easy an opponent as we thought.”

“Still, thanks to the reconnaissance team, we know in advance. When they return, we should summon them to the capital for rewards and perhaps a parade.”

Wendigo tapped the throne with his fingernail, deep in thought. Geron quietly waited for Wendigo to speak.

In the silence, only the sound of fingernails tapping the throne echoed.

Tap!

“We’ll lure them near the forest and strike them all at once. Also, requisition oil from all regions so it can be applied to arrows and warriors’ weapons.”

“I’ll arrange for water and sand to be prepared in large quantities in case our men catch fire.”

With no need to consider the enemy’s numbers or morale, the victory conditions for this battle were simple and clear.

Penetrate the enemy lines with a powerful charge and kill the source of the problem.

And killing was what Wendigo did best.