Ch.249Chapter 249: Lanos (1)

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It was just as Fafnir had promised.

The fortress personnel, who had only been listening from a distance when the speech began.

The princess… since she’s dressed as a man now, I should call her the prince.

Anyway, as the prince’s speech continued, they went beyond merely listening from afar.

They moved their heavy footsteps, gathering to hear her speech from a closer position.

Even though when they first moved, they still clearly showed signs of not having shaken off the shock from yesterday’s fierce battle.

As time passed, light began to shine in the eyes of the soldiers gathered to hear her speech.

It was the same light that had always dwelled in the eyes of those who guarded this fortress—hope, courage, and vitality.

Though the atmosphere among the soldiers and knights was still as gloomy as the black smoke covering the sky, and they had no particular response yet to the prince’s calm yet deeply appealing speech.

That silence didn’t last long either.

“On behalf of the Empire, I, Luka Bright Solarium, express my respect and gratitude for your valiant efforts.”

As the prince concluded her speech with these words.

-WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!-

The response was a thunderous cheer that seemed to shake the entire place.

True Words are truly remarkable.

Even without this, the morale would have recovered naturally given the nature of the garrison troops.

But to raise that morale so naturally and quickly with just a few words—I couldn’t help but be amazed at its effectiveness.

Thanks to Fafnir, I wasn’t affected by the True Words at all, yet even I felt the passion and inspiration that could rekindle a dying ember in my heart.

What more could be said about the soldiers and knights who were consciously or unconsciously influenced by the True Words?

[Hehehe.]

For some reason, Fafnir let out a pleased laugh, seemingly satisfied with having predicted this.

[See? I told you there was nothing to worry about.]

He sought my agreement.

‘I have to admit it.’

I readily accepted it as I had no reason to deny this.

[Even if morale would recover on its own, in a time-sensitive situation like this, there’s a need to accelerate that recovery like this.]

Perhaps because I agreed without argument, Fafnir’s voice echoing in my head became increasingly excited.

And along with his voice, the atmosphere within the fortress was growing more vibrant, which was a welcome development.

[You still seem worried about your sister.]

‘…Yes, I am.’

My concern for my sister grew stronger, having only heard from Fafnir that she was safe but not knowing what had happened to her.

If circumstances allowed, I would go alone… no, if I went, there would be one person who would insist on coming along to find my sister, so it would be at least three of us including myself.

Anyway, I was just thinking about organizing a search party to rescue my sister, whose whereabouts and situation were completely unknown, when—

[…Your sister is more impressive than I thought.]

Thanks to Fafnir’s strange admiration, my thoughts couldn’t continue any further.

From the way he’s talking, it seems like he’s specifically identified where my sister is.

Can’t he just tell me where she is instead of just expressing admiration?

[You’re impatient.]

Reading the turmoil in my heart, Fafnir changed the mood with a soothing voice.

[It looks like she’s in the middle of something right now. Whoever she’s up against, I feel sorry for them.]

…Again, he’s making me anxious with information only he knows.

From what he’s saying, it seems certain that there’s no real problem.

But shouldn’t he at least tell me where to go to rescue her?

[Going there would only get in the way.]

‘What is my sister doing there that would make my presence a hindrance?’

I was about to challenge his certainty out of frustration.

[From the looks of it, she’ll be walking back here on her own within a day.]

But his leisurely words just continued to echo in my head, regardless of my urgency.

…At this point, should I just stop thinking about it and pray, believing that my sister will be safe?

[Even after all these ages, the Ranos bloodline remains undiluted. Completely undiluted.]

Fafnir’s words echoing in my head ended with this somewhat nostalgic remark and didn’t continue further.

From what he’s saying, it’s as if he’s mocking the telegram report that she had stayed behind to protect the remaining forces and then lost contact.

Perhaps she’s steadily making her way toward the fortress, one heavy step at a time, while spectacularly slaughtering the monsters targeting her life.

…I really hope that’s the case.

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In the northern wasteland, where not even a speck of light penetrated, making it unclear where exactly this place was, the sounds remained unchanged.

Goo… gooooo!!

The terrified monsters screamed in fear, revealing their terror as they struggled to flee the situation.

Swoosh-!! Boom-!!

After those screams, the inevitable sound of something being sliced through the air followed by the thunderous noise of objects falling after being cut—these sounds filled the dark wasteland.

In this continuing symphony of sounds,

As the monsters alternated between roars and screams,

…

The sound of slicing that had been relentlessly butchering monsters momentarily ceased.

Had the source of that terrifying sound finally succumbed to the endless waves of monsters, intent on silencing it?

…Gooooo?

With the sudden absence of the slicing sound, doubt began to sprout in the minds of the monsters who had been trembling in helpless fear.

Those who had been faithful only to their desire to destroy and tear apart now found that desire suppressed, replaced by a more fundamental desire for survival.

Because of this sudden situation that shook their judgment,

The monsters, who had only been faithful to their instincts, found themselves in a position where they had to engage in the most intense battle of wits since they were born with malice on this land.

The slicing sound that had been coming from a point they could barely escape from had momentarily stopped.

Had something happened to the source that had been continuously producing that sound?

It was an objectively inadequate judgment based solely on the absence of sound, without considering the surrounding circumstances.

Despite their fellow monsters rushing forward with blood rushing to their heads, and

Despite the extreme fear they felt after repeatedly watching those same fellows being cut in half helplessly,

-Don’t retreat!! The enemy is just one!! Attack! Extinguish the light our master hates!!-

Despite the threatening voice behind them ordering them not to retreat,

Their survival instinct had been fully awakened, and they were slowly backing away, trying to escape when—

Whack-!!

With the sound of a whip cutting through the air, directed at the dismembered corpses of their fellows,

-I said don’t retreat!!-

Compared to facing the same fate as those who received this cold, contemptuous voice,

Those who stopped in place and engaged in momentary thought were among the most intellectually gifted of their kind.

…Whether this should be called intellect or an achievement of survival instinct honed to the extreme would require the opinion of the Solarium Empire’s renowned monster scholars.

….

The inner thoughts of the monsters, who had paused to intensely consider the momentary decision that would determine their fate, were complex.

Should they charge forward with all their might, hoping that the temporarily silenced sound meant something?

Or should they hold their position to avoid being cleanly cut in two like their fearless fellows who had gone ahead?

In fact, if they had any intelligence… or even just a sense of awareness, staying put would be the best strategy—a judgment anyone in this position would make.

Whack-!! Whack-!!

As the slicing sound that had been cutting down their fellows ceased, the cracking sound stinging their backs confused their already complicated thoughts.

“Move forward. Don’t make me say it a third time.”

The owner of the cracking sound, now appearing before them with killing intent, had previously only been heard from a distance. Because of this, their decision was inevitably forced into one direction.

Boom-!!

That direction was forward.

Holding onto hope that the overwhelming sound that had been dealing devastating death to their fellows had temporarily stopped,

Whack-!!

And to avoid becoming sacrifices to the cracking sound encouraging them from behind, they desperately continued their steps forward.

“Hmph. At least they’re still at a level where they’ll listen to a few words.”

Only then did the figure who had been encouraging the monsters to move forward express satisfaction.

Emitting a deep red color—the most revered shade of impurity worshipped by most in this space, including those who had gone ahead.

Judging by the intensity with which this impurity seemed capable of enslaving even ordinary people who merely touched it,

Though perhaps not renowned enough to be known by the Empire’s great demon realm experts,

There was no doubt that this person was a demon with a certain standing in the demon realm.

The demon, satisfied with watching the monsters moving away from him toward the front, placed the blood-red whip that had produced the cracking sound on the ground.

He watched the direction they were heading with cold eyes, completely different from when he had been encouraging the monsters.

That gaze was filled with the same determination to move toward this place as the monsters who had been forced to step forward.

“Let’s watch a bit longer…”

The demon quietly uttered these words, focusing all his attention on observing the front, believing it wasn’t time yet.

In this posture, there was no trace of the violent tendency he had shown when wielding the whip that had turned fleeing monsters into pieces of meat with a single strike.

“Even if she was born wrapped in the light’s aura, a natural powerhouse, she’s still just an unblessed human who can’t maintain that aggressive stance forever.”

Rather, his cunning nature was prominent as he treated the monsters he had pushed forward as expendable, expecting blood for his whip.

“Well, even if I charged in right now, I’m confident I could kill her with a single strike, but I should be cautious until I’m certain.”

He spoke with such high confidence in his abilities—bordering on arrogance—that

The nameless demon who had been encouraging the monsters from behind was certain.

Upholding the near-prophetic instructions given by his revered master who had awakened from a long slumber,

He had been certain since the moment they had opportunely ambushed another army rushing to rescue the iron fortress built by the hateful humans, shattering their fighting spirit.

That certainty was of victory, and

Even in a situation where victory was almost assured, he didn’t give up.

It was a certainty filled with the ecstasy that he would finally be able to make the human woman who had been slaughtering monsters with just a few gestures a sacrifice for his whip.

Soon, the monsters he had encouraged to move forward would face the human woman hiding in that dark place, who would exhaust her last strength cutting them to pieces.

And he would face that exhausted opponent, achieving the greatest results with minimal investment.

By killing the best sacrifice worthy of strengthening his whip, which grew more powerful with each taste of human blood.

“Heh… hehehehe.”

A sinister laugh escaped the demon’s lips, unable to contain the ecstasy just from imagining it.

Thinking that with this one act, he would fulfill his ambition to become a being comparable to a quasi-deity who claimed to be the mistress of the obsidian palace far away, based on the power he had steadily accumulated.

“HUEHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

His maniacal laughter burst out uncontrollably at the certainty that his position, which had not even allowed him to laugh freely until now, would be elevated at once.

Because of this, the demon’s response was delayed.

With his head bowed and eyes closed, trying to suppress the twisted emotions released in that one burst of laughter,

Woooong-!!!

He barely sensed through his closed eyes the brilliant light that suddenly erupted from where his prey was, bright enough to momentarily blind him.

If he had seen this light coming directly toward him,

The nameless demon would have at least offered some resistance by swinging his whip with all his might against the approaching light aura that loomed large before him.

But with his head bowed and eyes closed, at the crucial moment when he should have swung his whip,

“…Huh?”

All he could do was utter this simple, somewhat foolish-sounding single word.

It would also be his last words, as he couldn’t do anything else before—

Slash-!!

With the sudden cutting sound that pierced his ears,

His vision, which had no problem discerning objects even in this deep darkness, was suddenly disturbed.

He tried to speak, realizing his mouth wasn’t functioning properly.

He struggled to raise his lowered head and open his closed eyes.

But recognizing that his open eyes were pointing at meaningless empty space,

The demon realized that his neck had been severed by something indescribably sharp and was now flying through the air, but even if he opened his mouth,

“…S…huh…”

Only strange, unintelligible cries came from his lips, which were struggling to function from his severed head, accompanied by the sound of air escaping.

So there was no doubt that his foolish-sounding single word from earlier would be his last.

As death was confirmed and consciousness faded,

The demon’s senses registered very few final perceptions.

In the darkness that revealed itself as the brilliant light that had momentarily blinded even his closed eyes faded, silver hair that seemed to shine alone, creating an illusion of light.

“Ah, my ear was itchy, so I swung my sword two breaths later than I initially planned.”

And the grumbling voice of the woman who owned that appearance, expressing dissatisfaction with the current situation.

“…Is someone talking about me in Night Haven? I wonder if they’re saying bad things about me.”

She expressed her situation in a somewhat indifferent voice.

In a brief moment, the demon had concisely displayed everything a being shouldering impurity could show—the ferocity and cunning of a demon, and the composure to calmly proceed toward his goal.

But his end was not much different from that of the monsters he had ruthlessly exploited from behind, in that

“Come on, I’m busy right now. If you’ve got about ten lives to spare, don’t hesitate to come at me. I don’t have a hobby of overkilling.”

The image of this woman, who threatened monsters by continuously emitting light aura in this dark place just by breathing, would remain an absurdity to the demon who had lived worshipping impurity.

Though it would have no meaning to him, as his breath had already been cut off and his existence erased.