Ch.45Imperial Invasion (3)

# Roulette Spin and Aftermath

As I spun the roulette and walked along the entrance path, what unfolded before my eyes were the ruins of human encampments. Some were burning with ashes swirling in the air, while others were torn apart or crushed, completely collapsed.

Entering their campsite, soldiers’ corpses were strewn about, and those wearing fancy armor were all missing their heads. It gave me an eerie feeling, as if someone had taken their heads away.

If I were human, this would be a sight I’d never dare to enter.

“All the humans are dead!”

“Moo— (Yes, it seems the Elven Knights have been here.)”

Only they could have killed this many people. After all, they said the imperial main force where I had been was also annihilated by the Elven Knights.

They could have burned this place in an instant and slaughtered everyone who remained. They seemed to have already left, as only the sound of my footsteps echoed throughout this place.

*Thoom— Thoom—*

My footsteps and Mary’s chatter echoed through the campsite. While I was looking for the Elven Knights’ footprints to see where they had gone…

“Wah!!!”

“MOOOOO———!!!”

*CRASH———!!!!*

I smashed whatever suddenly jumped out and startled me with a swing of my fist.

“Moo—!! Moomoooo—!! (Mary—!! What should I do!? I think I killed an Elven Knight!!)”

Something that deceived my senses and suddenly jumped out. Probably only Elven Knights could deceive my senses in this place. Startled, I swung my fist, and beneath it, red blood decorated the ground.

“Hmm—? Ahahaha—! That’s right! You completely smashed it.”

“Moo— Moomoooo—!! (This is no time to laugh!)”

I seriously wondered if this wasn’t Mary at all, but some other being that had taken over her body. Maybe she was replaced by another entity that was pretending to be her after the evolution.

“Ahahaha—! Khan, you’re still weak against illusion magic.”

“Moooo? (Illusion magic?)”

At those words, I looked again at where my fist had struck. The ground painted red looked the same. But… when I touched it, I felt nothing. Not the sticky feeling of touching blood, but rather like touching soil.

“Ahahaha! Were you surprised!?”

Then, the Elven Knights gradually revealed themselves. With smiles on their faces as if they had enjoyed a fun show… I finally realized they had deliberately played a prank on me.

“Mooooo——!! (You really startled me!)”

“Ahahaha! Looks like he’s angry. But wasn’t it fun? What about you, Miss Mary? Was it fun?”

“Yes! Totally! It’s been a while since I’ve seen Khan so flustered! Do it again next time!”

Everyone except me was laughing happily, which made me sigh, knowing they might do this again.

“But why is the Minotaur’s facial skin all peeled off? Is that a fashion statement?”

“Ah!! Is there anyone who can heal Khan!? He fought a powerful enemy and suffered severe injuries where all the skin on his face was blown off, exposing the bone! This is the limit of my healing magic…”

“Hmm… Hey, rookie. Bring a High Healing Potion over here.”

“Yes!”

At Lian’s command, an elf brought a potion and handed it to her. Lian immediately gestured for me to lower my head, uncorked the bottle, and sprinkled it on me.

As soon as it touched me, I felt a tingling sensation, and instantly, my facial skin regenerated.

“Good! As expected of a potion made by Old Man Freon, the effect is excellent. Your facial skin has completely returned.”

“Thanks!! But why are you all here? I was worried, thinking you had already left.”

“Moo— (That’s right.)”

“Ahaha, we were all waiting for our Minotaur and Miss Mary. We’re about to advance on the imperial capital, and we wondered if you’d like to join us. We might not meet again after this is over, so as a memento?”

It seems elves are more sentimental than I thought. I was happy they waited for us for such a reason, and I nodded. The elves smiled brightly, and Mary and I began our advance toward the imperial capital with the Elven Knights.

* * * * *

Rapid County, an imperial territory bordering Elvenheim, was famous for its commerce. Merchants from various countries visited this territory because it offered the advantage of being the first place to trade elven specialties.

The Count rejoiced over his territory that grew on its own without him having to do much, and so decades passed.

His territory was still growing, and it was the kind of place that wouldn’t fail even if inherited by an incompetent successor.

If only the Emperor hadn’t suddenly declared war.

This crazy Emperor, perhaps senile with age, suddenly declared war on Elvenheim. Despite his confident declaration, news that the Emperor was furious due to the lack of progress even after a month had reached this territory at the edge of the empire.

The war had continued for a month. Rapid territory managed to hold out for a week with the remaining elven specialties, but… after that week, they ran out, and merchants had already bought in bulk and moved to other territories.

As these rumors spread, no one came to Rapid territory anymore, and the residents were protesting, demanding countermeasures.

Soldiers were sent to disperse them, but the protests continued daily. The war needed to end quickly, either in victory or with the elves’ defeat, so they could figure out what to do next.

As Count Rapid’s concerns deepened, an incident occurred.

*Thoom— Thoom— Thoom—*

A thunderous sound shaking the earth. Something massive was approaching their territory from the direction of the elven forest.

When the Count went to the balcony of his lord’s chamber to investigate the sound that reached even his castle, he saw a Minotaur, its head rising above the 7-meter wall, revealing itself.

*Moooooo——*

“Aaaaaahhh——!!!!”

“Kyaaaaa——!!!”

People inside the walls panicked at the sudden appearance of the Minotaur. The Count didn’t know why the soldiers on the wall hadn’t rung the bell yet… but the monster’s attack was already imminent, and he needed to come up with a plan to protect his territory.

“Alon! Contact the Karon Knights immediately and tell them to deploy! And have the guards go to each house to reassure people! Hurry!”

“Yes—!!”

His heart was already aching from not being able to properly profit from the war, and now this cow was troubling him too. He was thinking about selling its carcass when a thought occurred to him.

‘Aren’t Minotaurs usually 4-5 meters tall? But… this one is…’

Taller than the territory’s 7-meter wall. And he had received reports about the existence of such a Minotaur about a month ago.

“Alon! Stop the knights from—”

*Slash—*

*Thud, roll, roll*

“Oh my, you were saying something. Sorry about that.”

“Youngest, playing is fine, but let’s get out of here. It’s time for Sir Minotaur to arrive.”

“Yes!”

Those who suddenly appeared vanished in an instant. On the lord’s balcony, Count Rapid’s head rolled around, and red droplets of blood from the corpse dripped… drip… down from the balcony.

While no one in the Count’s castle realized their lord’s death, the Minotaur had already entered the territory.

The territory’s walls were magically reinforced to withstand even an ogre’s charge, but the Minotaur simply grabbed the wall with one hand and jumped over it easily.

*CRASH———!!!*

The impact of the enormous body flying through the air and crashing to the ground shook the surroundings. Like an earthquake, strong vibrations shook the ground, and where the Minotaur landed, its hooves left imprints, and cracks spread across the ground.

“Kyaaaaaaak——!!!”

“It’s a Minotaur! Run!!”

“What is the Count doing—!!! If he’s not going to send knights or soldiers, he should at least hire adventurers!!!”

Words that would normally result in arrest for insulting nobility were ignored by the guards, who were busy trying to calm people down.

The 9-meter monster had already entered the territory without any resistance. The ground where the Minotaur jumped over the wall was shattered, and nearby shops began to collapse, unable to withstand the impact.

The Minotaur, causing this chaos, paid no attention to the screaming people and headed straight for the lord’s mansion on the hill.

*Thoom—! Thoom—! Thoom—!*

The noise created by the massive body echoed around, and the roads couldn’t withstand the Minotaur’s weight, leaving clear footprints.

The vibrations caused by the Minotaur’s steps shook nearby buildings, making people inside scream, when…

*Thud-thud-thud-thud——!*

The sound of earth-shaking hooves reached the residents’ ears. Hearing this sound, the residents weren’t filled with fear, but relief.

“The knights—, our territory’s Golden Hawk Knights! We’re saved now!”

“We’re saved! Knights! Please get rid of that monster quickly!”

Even residents who usually gossiped about the knights wasting money were cheering for them this time.

Since the territory bordered Elvenheim, monsters didn’t appear often, and when they did, guards or adventurers were usually enough. They had thought the knights were just for the Count to show off his nobility.

But seeing them today, they understood why they were so reassuring. With their shining silver armor, the residents firmly believed these knights could kill the monster that was making them anxious.

They believed.

In just 2 seconds, that belief was shattered.

*THWACK——!!!!*

*Neeeeeigh——!!*

“Aaaak——!!!”

“Oh, no——!! No——!!”

“Kyaaaaa—!!”

The Minotaur swung its tail like a cow swatting flies, sending the charging knights flying.

Though it was called a tail, it was as thick as a human torso, so for the knights, it was like being hit by a flying log. The difference was that it moved at an incredible speed, impossible to dodge even on horseback.

The knights, sent flying along with their horses, crashed into the territory’s buildings and died.

In an instant, the six knights leading the charge died, but the knights didn’t retreat and continued advancing. Were they enraged by their comrades’ deaths?

No. When they came here, they cast Berserk magic on their horses, which were too terrified to move forward. As a result, the crazed horses, drooling, were rushing to send their masters to the afterlife.

The Minotaur, sitting elegantly like a noble slicing meat, began eating the knights charging at it, extending its arm. Like a picky child, it left the horses and only ate the knights.

The spared horses continued their frenzied rush until they were calmed by something invisible and disappeared somewhere.

The Minotaur’s impromptu feast happened in an instant. Its incredible strength that could send knights in full plate and horse armor flying with one blow, its jaw strength that could chew through iron.

Having witnessed all this, the territory’s residents trembled in fear, praying to their gods that they wouldn’t be eaten.

Perhaps their prayers were answered. The Minotaur ate only the knights and continued toward the lord’s mansion.

*Thoom— Thoom— Thoom—*

With the sound of the Minotaur’s footsteps, the mansion grew closer. Everyone who had been inside the mansion had already fled and watched the Minotaur’s advance with bated breath.

*Thoom— Thoom— Thoom—*

The lord’s mansion grew closer and closer. And then…

*CRASH——!!!*

The Minotaur simply stepped on the lord’s mansion as it passed. No matter how beautifully built the mansion was, it couldn’t survive a 9-meter monster walking through it.

And so, the Rapid Count’s mansion, which had stood for over a hundred years, was left in ruins, with only debris remaining in the world.