Ch.654What’s Wrong With the World These Days?

The news of Orhan’s defeat spread across the Great Plains.

The defeat of the Unyielding Flesh, who had reigned invincible for the past twenty years. Everyone who heard the news couldn’t hide their astonishment.

“Defeated by Haschal, you say? By a mere nineteen-year-old girl? That girl was that powerful…?”

Even Biyashen, the First Empress who was handling Clan Aishan’s affairs in Orhan’s absence.

“…To think she could cut down the Unyielding Flesh. Whether she inherited divine blood thicker than her father’s, or has blood mixed with another god’s blessing… she’s too dangerous to leave alone.”

Even the woman who led the prairie sorcerers and called herself the ‘Great Sorceress of the White Valley.’

“Indeed, even the mighty Orhan couldn’t easily cross the wall. If he dies in battle, I couldn’t ask for more.”

Those who had surrendered to his power but never abandoned their ambitions. The tribal chiefs who had been waiting for an opportunity to rise again while on their knees also heard the news.

“If only he would die… I could have everything he possessed under my feet. The gold, the women, that city.”

The very few tribal chiefs who had made various excuses to avoid participating in this war listened eagerly to news from the west, their eyes gleaming with ambition.

If Orhan were to die now, it would be a golden opportunity for them.

An opportunity for revenge—to occupy Ordos, seize all treasures and women, and plant their flags in Aishan’s palace.

—-

Most tribal chiefs, being strong and capable warriors themselves, had no choice but to be conscripted into Orhan’s army, and most of them died at the hands of the Wall of Berengeria’s defenders.

Some were slaughtered by Haschal, some were blown to death by Frider, and many were crushed to death when the wall collapsed.

Orhan had pushed them to the front lines while praising their bravery and valor.

It was to use up those who could become the core of each tribe and then naturally eliminate them to perfectly absorb the remaining tribe members.

Since it was an honor for strong and brave warriors to stand at the front, the tribal chiefs had no way to refuse Orhan’s orders.

However, some snake-like, cunning tribal chiefs were convinced that this war would become their grave, and they created various pretexts to refuse Orhan’s conscription and save their lives.

One who swallowed poison, fell gravely ill, and claimed he couldn’t join the expedition.

One who killed his brother or child and claimed he couldn’t leave his tribe while in mourning.

Even those who cut off their own wrists and claimed they were too injured to fight.

They sacrificed their own bodies or those of their blood relatives to protect themselves from the disaster that was Orhan… and now they were watching the battlefield with sharp eyes, holding their breath, waiting for the calamity to subside and for their time to return.

“…There’s an ominous air about. Send word to Sahakal. Tell him his mother is waiting, and to return to Ordos with the Blue Banner Army.”

Meiharin, the First Empress of Aishan, ordered her guard. She was calling back her son, Sahakal, who had been dispatched with thousands of Blue Banner soldiers to stabilize the east of the Barun River.

“Are you sure, Your Majesty? To recall the Blue Banner Army without a word to the Ka’han…”

The guard asked worriedly, but Meiharin waved her pale hand lightly without even listening to the guard’s question.

“My husband will not be angry; rather, he will welcome it. While he engages the Imperial army by detouring to the southwest, we’ll have a reserve force to attack the wall again, now that much of their strength has been drawn away.”

After her brief explanation, Meiharin closed the bed curtains. Her hand disappeared as if being sucked into the elaborately decorated silk curtain, through a gap as narrow as a ravine.

“So don’t worry and deliver the message. I don’t intend to give the order twice.”

“Yes. I will send word immediately.”

At this clear warning and firm attitude that no further questions would be tolerated, Meiharin’s guard felt a chill but bowed deeply in respect.

Snake Mountain

To Meiharin. Toward the master he had served for over a decade.

======[ Haschal ]======

“Yaaawn… I’m back, unni…”

Lena returned shortly after evening. Having treated critically wounded patients all day, she looked extremely tired. Her neat nun’s habit was splattered with patients’ blood that had dried black, and her eyes were half-closed.

“Welcome back, Lena. You worked hard. I’m proud of you.”

“Not as much as you… I was so shocked when I saw the wall collapse… Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Hurt…? No. Not particularly. Thanks to our ancestors’ help, I suppose.”

Enough time had passed for my cracked and broken leg bones to more or less return to their proper shape, and thanks to changing into long pants I had kept in reserve, I was able to hide my thigh injury from Lena, who was looking at me with narrowed eyes.

“That’s strange… you must be hurt somewhere…”

…She didn’t seem to believe me. But she didn’t immediately cast a healing miracle, which suggested she had used up all her strength on patients before returning.

“I’m fine, really. More importantly, let’s eat dinner. You haven’t eaten yet, right? Are you hungry?”

“……”

Lena stared at me silently for a moment, but soon smiled faintly and nodded.

“Yes. I’m hungry. What about you?”

“I was waiting for you to come back. It would be lonely to eat alone.”

I patted Lena’s head lightly and then called the servants to bring some light refreshments. Since it hadn’t even been half a day since the great battle that had brought down the wall, everyone was busy, so no elaborate dishes were served, but it was a decent dinner nonetheless.

—-

“I’m going to bed first… I’m too sleepy…”

“Okay, sleep well.”

After finishing dinner while telling stories about saving several patients, Lena started nodding off within ten minutes. Unable to hold out any longer, she went to the bathroom for a quick wash and then collapsed onto the bed. Within a minute, only the sound of soft purring breaths could be heard. Like a well-fed cat falling asleep.

She must have been tired. Looking at her sleeping so deeply that she wouldn’t notice if someone carried her away.

I turned off the lantern that had been lighting the room, then sat on the windowsill, slightly opened the window, lit a cigarette, and looked outside.

Shadows flickered on the castle walls through crimson flames, and smoke stretched thickly into the sky.

Night had already deepened, but outside, the work of collecting and burning corpses was still in full swing. There was no time to hold individual funerals, and leaving the bodies would risk an epidemic.

With priests present, treating diseases wouldn’t be difficult… but if they had the energy, tending to the wounded would be the priority.

So, instead of sweet sleep, the exhausted soldiers were given the task of night mobilization. It reminded me of soldiers being dragged out at night to clear heavy snow piled up in the barracks.

Though this was a hundred times more gruesome.

“Sigh…”

I gazed at the wall with one side completely collapsed, adding a minty scent to the smoke-filled night sky.

Although I didn’t show it in front of Lena, despite our victory, I wasn’t in a particularly good mood.

Too many people die.

In just one battle, tens of thousands of humans perished.

Both those who were human, and those I’d rather not call human.

Come to think of it, it’s been like this lately.

Since my power became unbelievably strong even to myself… that is, since I reached a level where I could annihilate thousands of enemies, it’s always been this way.

It’s not just me. Anyone who reached the realm of heroes could easily slaughter thousands of humans if the conditions were right.

Joshua could cut down everyone within a radius of dozens of meters just by swinging his sword, and Frider could kill fifteen hundred people from one spot if he had enough distance and a hundred spears.

It wasn’t something to be happy about. Not at all.

For me, it was rather overwhelming.

Because those who possessed such power weren’t only allies.

Madmen who thought nothing of killing people, or rather enjoyed it, were being given the power to kill over a thousand humans single-handedly.

How could anyone be happy about this?

If they wandered alone committing massacres, they could kill tens of thousands of humans before someone of equal skill could track and stop them.

Moreover, the more they killed, the stronger they would become.

An era where human lives were worth less than dust.

That was the truth of the Age of Heroes.

And an even more terrible age was coming.

“Haah…”

I could understand Carlos the Great’s heart when he tried to create Heaven’s Wall to suppress the power of the strong. He must have wanted to prevent this kind of world from coming. Though it’s impossible now.