Ch.374Night Conversations

After dinner, I returned to my room and talked with Hersella.

From the outside, I probably looked like I was just sitting there blankly, smoking cigarettes by the open window.

‘I wonder how strong Orhan really is? Is he too powerful for me to defeat?’

[Well, he’s never shown his full power in front of me, so it’s hard to say for certain. They say he couldn’t defeat the Ghost Blade in the past, but that’s likely changed by now.]

Unlike Valenstein, who had begun to decline with age and lost much of his strength, Orhan was still a warrior in his prime.

He was nearly ten years younger than the Ghost Blade.

[Moreover, he’s started a campaign to unify the Great Plains, so he’s likely grown even stronger than before. Warriors grow through battle, after all.]

That’s what worried me too.

Unlike Valenstein, who died shortly after his level restriction was lifted, Orhan was steadily accumulating Karma by slaughtering his enemies.

‘This is tricky…’

Not knowing—that was the biggest problem.

In fact, the reason I’ve been stuck here for a month is because I have no idea when Orhan might attack.

All I knew about the Ka’har was from my brief experience during the early days of my possession, and fragmentary information about their forces that wouldn’t appear in the original work for years.

Information that’s basically useless in the current situation.

In the original work, Jahan fought fierce battles against two or three heroes of equal rank, but now he was weak enough to lose one-on-one against Nigel.

Hersella knew the Ka’har relatively well, but even her information was from before Orhan left on his campaign.

How much stronger he might have become since then, whether his warriors had increased or decreased in number—there was no way to know without seeing for ourselves.

…But he probably hasn’t grown as fast as I have.

Taking down one strong enemy is much more beneficial than defeating many weak ones.

—-

[The most dangerous thing is his technique, Unyielding Flesh. If you can’t break through that, there’s no point in even discussing your chances.]

Unyielding Flesh.

The foundation of Orhan’s invincibility in the east.

Unyielding Flesh had a very simple effect for a hero’s power.

It just made his body incredibly hard. That’s all.

The problem was that its strength was at an absurd level.

They say it makes steel seem like nothing in comparison.

‘You mentioned he was cut by the Ghost Blade before. Couldn’t Durandal cut through it?’

[That was a very long time ago. It’s completely different now. Besides, even that wound was barely a scratch, from what I heard.]

Hersella clicked her tongue dismissively.

[Breaking through the current Unyielding Flesh head-on is nearly impossible. He can withstand a Champion’s lance charge directly, or take a direct hit from a fortress cannon without a scratch. I’ve even seen him calmly endure being set on fire.]

…At that point, isn’t he just invincible?

Even dragon scales couldn’t perfectly block large cannon fire.

‘…How on earth did you plan to defeat that?’

And how was he defeated in the original work?

[It’s simple. Unyielding Flesh may be nearly invincible, but it still uses the power of Karma. So I planned to wear him down in a war of attrition until he could no longer maintain it. I was going to create division between Targiyan, Sahakal, and Amin’s maternal family, ultimately making them all attack Orhan. But with Mersin’s betrayal, that plan is no longer viable.]

So she did have a plan.

But it’s definitely not one I can use.

‘In other words, you’re saying we need to throw troops at him until he gets tired… That would be difficult.’

[I didn’t expect you to choose that method anyway.]

Hersella had already guessed I wouldn’t choose that approach.

Following that strategy might capture Orhan, but Landenburg would suffer near-annihilation.

Even if we won, it wouldn’t really be a victory.

‘By the way, wasn’t there someone called Blake? I heard that Landenburg’s first sword had also reached the realm of heroes. Couldn’t the combined attack of two heroes work somehow?’

[How would I know about someone I’ve never seen? Though I doubt a bigger sword would break through Unyielding Flesh.]

‘That’s true…’

If it could be broken just because a sword was bigger, he would have been wounded when hit by cannons.

[Rather, the technique you showed before might be more effective. Not the Defying Fate sword, but the technique that split space itself. Can’t you use that?]

Split space?

Oh, is she talking about Durandal’s power?

I probably can’t use that.

‘That’s not my power but this sword’s ability… I’m not sure, but unless Orhan is some kind of monster, it probably won’t work.’

I glanced down at Durandal quietly fastened at my waist.

What an inflexible sword.

It seemed to acknowledge me as its master back then, but since then it’s been selective about showing only parts of its power depending on the situation and conditions.

It was the same with Valenstein and Isabella.

Even when facing Rurik, it didn’t show the same power as that time.

How can it not help even once?

Couldn’t it just close its eyes and use its full power just once?

The first of the Great’s Twelve Knights managed to use this sword just fine.

—-

In the end, finding a way to counter Unyielding Flesh was postponed.

If we put our heads together for a month, we might come up with a good solution.

Next, we discussed the enemy’s total forces.

Hersella estimated Orhan’s forces at a minimum of 30,000, maximum of 50,000.

The exact number would depend on the losses from his campaign and how many tribes he had subjugated.

‘Without the wall, we would have been annihilated long ago… So, how many Champions does he have?’

[Champions? Let’s see… with Havar and Jargal dead, about seventeen.]

…Seventeen?

No way. That’s insane.

True, Hersella had more under her command in her prime… but still.

‘Seventeen…?’

It was an absurd number.

Even combining all the Masters from the Empire’s mainland, Faelrun’s forces, and the high mages from the magic tower, there would barely be thirty people, yet Orhan, who hadn’t even completely conquered the Great Plains, had seventeen under his command.

‘That’s way too many… We might need to call Leonore and Demian’s group as soon as the enemy’s advance is confirmed.’

[Yes. Those four would make useful cards to play. Especially that perverted archer girl—she’d be quite useful against mounted Champions.]

Perverted girl? That’s too harsh.

It’s not wrong, but couldn’t you phrase it more delicately?

‘So Landenburg’s forces are currently around three or four thousand… which means each soldier would have to face about ten cavalry.’

Perfect way to die.

One Ka’har cavalryman could slaughter ten infantry even while drunk, and now they’re asking one soldier to fight ten cavalry? Is that even possible?

Of course, if Orhan really attacks, the Empire would send reinforcements, but with the 1st and 2nd Legions completely decimated, they couldn’t send that many troops.

[That’s why your role is more important than anything. Killing thousands of weaklings is your specialty, isn’t it?]

‘Couldn’t you phrase that better? Like, I’m skilled at handling multiple opponents, or something like that.’

Seriously. She deliberately chooses words I hate.

[Do I really need to?]

Hersella giggled mischievously.

‘Even I can’t handle that many troops at once.’

I did once overwhelm tens of thousands of troops at the Zeren Plains with what was called the “Heavenly Horse Dominance Step,” but that was only possible because they were conscripts rather than proper soldiers.

I doubted a technique that used intimidation through widely spread killing intent would work on Ka’har soldiers.

‘…Though you might be able to.’

[Oh? That’s quite generous coming from you.]

I wasn’t exactly complimenting her.

I meant that you’re much closer to being a human slaughterer than I am.

In fact, facing multiple enemies was Hersella’s specialty, not mine.

I was just imitating the techniques she deployed using her Karma of Murder.

When I fought in Isabella’s nightmare, she was like a human blender, wrapped in Karma of Murder.

I think the technique was called Jinyelyun?

She spun like a cogwheel dredged from hell, grinding Isabella’s monsters to pieces.

Not only that, but Hersella’s Tale of Heroes shown in the original work was also good for facing multiple opponents.

If I could use that technique, this difference in military power wouldn’t be a problem. The problem is I can’t use it.

…I can’t use it, right?

Since I’m thinking about it, I might as well ask.

‘Speaking of which, do you see yourself reaching beyond the realm of Champions, or developing a Tale of Heroes… something like my Defying Fate? Honestly, you’re too weak to call yourself the “Heavenly Horse” with your current skills.’

[……]

Hersella was silent for a while.

Is it still too much for her?

Well, if she could use it, she would have bragged about it to me… but you never know.

I waited for her answer with a glimmer of hope.

She might have reached the realm of heroes and been hiding it, and I might have just hit the mark.

[Heh, hehehe… Well, who knows? Want to try and guess?]

…Guess not. Judging by her bluster, she can’t use it.

She’s weak, so weak.