Chapter 31. Subjugation.

After the meeting, Ji-hyuk headed to his lodging room in the late afternoon. The hallway was already quiet. Since they were leaving early tomorrow morning, everyone seemed to have gone to bed early.

Ji-hyuk was walking down the hallway when he noticed someone standing by the pillar next to his bedroom door. It wasn’t Yahel or Grace. He walked a few more steps before identifying the person.

It was Bella, the healer from Team Elheim.

Ah-.

She saw him, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly approached. A kind and pretty smile graced her lips… but there was an anxious look in her eyes.

“You must be tired from the late meeting…?”

“This is nothing. …But, why were you waiting?”

“Oh, no, just, um….”

Bella chewed on her lip, dragging out her answer. Ji-hyuk asked if she wanted to step into the bedroom for a moment. She nodded slightly. She seemed worried that someone might overhear them in the hallway.

The two of them entered the bedroom. Unlike the hallway, the air inside the room felt cozy. He asked if she wanted to sit down. She waved her hand, saying it wouldn’t take long.

“What’s wrong?”

Bella, finally gathering her courage, handed something to Ji-hyuk. It was a small sun-shaped ornament. Ji-hyuk smiled brightly and thanked her for the gift.

“What should I do? I didn’t prepare anything. …I’ll definitely repay you next time.”

The healer almost said it was okay but stopped herself. It seemed better to seize any chance to connect with him, even like this.

“That’s supposed to be a lucky charm. It wards off curses, too….”

“Really? Thanks. I’ll make sure to carry it with me.”

“…Yes.”

Bella couldn’t help but smile, a warm feeling spreading through her.

They had briefly exchanged greetings in the big city of Nijersson before, but this was the first time they had faced each other like this in a year and a half. Not seeing the man she had a crush on for so long had been really hard.

She wanted to spend more time with him, but she had to leave now for tomorrow.

“Then, good night. I’ll be going now.”

“Okay, you sleep well too.”

Ji-hyuk lightly opened his arms and approached Bella. They shared a light hug. She loved how warm and cozy his embrace felt. She even wished time would stop right there.

Bella soon left the Warrior’s bedroom. As the door closed with a *tak*, she let out a shallow, long sigh.

…Actually, she had planned to confess her feelings to him today. To tell him that she had liked him for a long time.

But in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. …Or perhaps, she had vaguely realized something. That he had already gone far beyond her reach.

Bella slowly walked down the hallway with her head bowed. Even though she had given him a gift and even hugged him, her heart felt strangely heavy and sad.

…I love you, Ji-hyuk-ssi. I love you. From a long time ago until now….

But those words remained trapped in her heart today, unable to escape.

· · ·

The subjugation force left the mid-sized city early in the morning. If the Demon King’s army had been advancing on Lavro, they would have considered a defensive battle, but the bastards had changed direction. It was clear they wanted to avoid a siege.

Ji-hyuk didn’t think they would choose the difficult path anyway. If they were the kind of sons of bitches who would rush into a siege without thinking, Ji-hyuk wouldn’t have made it to his 15th playthrough.

“How far away are they?”

“We should see the Demon King’s army in two days.”

“…Those fucking bastards.”

It was morning, but the sun was hidden behind dark clouds. It happened to be snowing on the day they were leaving. …An eerie energy permeated the air.

The subjugation force walked through the snowy path. Snow piled up on the hoods they wore. The Mangnani brothers gleefully smacked each other on the back of the head under the guise of brushing off the snow. Curses and crude laughter erupted.

*Bodeudeuk bodeudeuk*. The sound of footsteps crunching in the snow echoed all around. The long procession felt like a march towards death.

Thankfully, the snow didn’t last long. The dark clouds receded, and the sun appeared. Much of the sticky, negative energy clinging to their bodies disappeared.

Hooo, hooo-.

The long plumes of breath that came out each time they exhaled looked like cigarette smoke. Everyone exhaled cigarette smoke-like breaths in the tension.

They walked like that for two full days. Scouts frequently came to report the Demon King’s army’s location. And at some point, they heard that the army had stopped moving and set up camp. …Ji-hyuk sensed that they were preparing to fight there.

…So, you’re telling me to come at you?

Ji-hyuk scoffed at the demon bastards. They acted all high and mighty when they descended, but now they were pretending to be weak because they were scared. It was hilarious.

“What’s your opinion?”

Ganesha asked for Ji-hyuk’s opinion again. He thought for a moment before answering.

“If they’re not coming, we have to go to them.”

The muscle woman grinned.

“You son of a bitch, I like how decisive you are at times like this.”

“But we can’t be sure. There’s a high possibility they’ll launch a surprise attack at night.”

“Then we need to keep some distance. Enough to give us time to prepare when we see them coming.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

So, the subjugation force set up camp, keeping enough distance to respond if the enemies launched a surprise attack during the night.

Ji-hyuk ordered the scouts to constantly monitor the Demon King’s army, fed the subjugation force well, and then let them sleep.

Since the Demon King’s army was nearby, the air was faintly mixed with demonic energy. Because of that, the soldiers with weak constitutions suffered from nightmares. Even if that wasn’t the case, many couldn’t sleep due to anxiety. This night might be the last night of their lives, after all.

As the night deepened, Ji-hyuk was thinking about various things when he started to doze off. But not long after, someone woke him up. The Warrior woke up instantly, as if he had only closed his eyes.

He came out of the small tent and stood facing the scout.

“What’s wrong?”

“The Demon King’s army is advancing.”

Soon, *ttaeng ttaeng ttaeng ttaeng*-, a loud bell began to ring. Ganesha must have ordered the alarm bell to be rung.

So, it’s come to this…. Well, it would be strange if they waited until the daytime when they’re at a disadvantage.

Still, there was quite a bit of distance left, so there was enough time to prepare for battle.

The subjugation force quickly woke up, put on their equipment, and lined up on the white snowfield. The knights put on their helmets, wore chainmail, and even put on knee pads and shin guards. The environment here was too harsh for horses to survive, so there were no mounts. The yak-like beasts were too slow to ride.

Ji-hyuk briefly looked over his team members gathered in one place. Everyone looked like they had come thoroughly prepared. He made eye contact with each of them and offered words of encouragement. And finally, he stood in front of them and gave a short speech.

“They may be the Demon King’s army, but there’s nothing to fear. We’ve already been through countless battles. This is just an extension of that. If everyone fulfills their role, no one will die. …Let’s fight, and let’s win. Then we can greet the glorious morning. Okay, everyone gather around.”

The guild members formed a circle and put their arms around each other’s shoulders. They exchanged passionate glances. A sense of belonging and camaraderie deeply resonated in their hearts.

“Don’t give up until the end. …Let’s all see each other alive.”

“Yes, Captain-nim!”

Ji-hyuk boosted his comrades’ courage and went back to Ganesha. As befitting the 3rd-ranked team in S-class, each of her subordinates was formidable.

“Shouldn’t you say a few words before the fight?”

“Of course, I have to.”

The muscle woman Ganesha stood in front of the subjugation force lined up in neat rows. Everyone was breathing heavily and staring at her.

“Soldiers!”

A thunderous shout echoed through the air. It sounded like the roar of a ferocious beast.

Ganesha shouted that and then briefly scanned the crowd. And then, she raised the weapon she was holding high and shouted.

“Let’s kill all those fucking demon bastards!!!”

Waaaaaaaah!!!

Ji-hyuk grinned. That was just like her.

After letting out a round of screams, Ganesha turned around and looked at Ji-hyuk with a triumphant expression.

“How was it?”

“Excellent.”

“You son of a bitch.”

She smiled slyly.

“You still remember the bet, right?”

“You mean cutting off the Demon King’s head?”

“I’m not making empty promises? Don’t even think about weaseling out of it, you bastard.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

“Oh, you son of a bitch, you seem confident?”

Ji-hyuk showed her a grin instead of answering. Ganesha slapped his arm once and strode forward.

“Let’s go.”

The subjugation force marched forward. Light orbs created by the mages floated in the air, brightly illuminating the surroundings. In the dim moonlight, the Demon King’s army was approaching from the distance. It wasn’t a controlled movement. Thousands of ghouls were shambling relentlessly towards the subjugation force.

Ganesha had the subjugation force stop at a suitable location.

“Prepare for battleeeeeeeeee!!!”

The Warrior shouted loudly. It stirred the hearts of the subjugation force.

Hoo, hoo.

Everyone gripped their weapons tightly, breathing heavily.

Thousands of Demon King’s soldiers filled their vision. An immense sense of fear pushed back their courage and slowly eroded the soldiers’ emotions.

Ah, ah-.

“Don’t lose your minds!!! Fight until the end!! The moment you give up, you’re all dead!!”

Ganesha continued to encourage them. The Warriors also didn’t forget to roam among the subjugation force and offer words of encouragement.

The Demon King’s army soon came within striking distance. The buff mages began to cast their buffs. Sparkling lights spread out from under the feet of the subjugation force. It served to block the demonic energy to some extent. Of course, it could also defend against the demons’ evil mental attacks.

Ji-hyuk, having roamed through the subjugation force once, stood tall next to Ganesha. She glanced at the man standing next to her and opened her mouth.

“…Be careful not to die. I’m still young and full of potential.”

“Mama should live to a ripe old age, too.”

“You son of a bitch, it feels strangely unpleasant when you say ‘ripe old age.’ …Alright, you bastard, you better live to a ripe old age, you son of a bitch.”

The two chuckled.

Ji-hyuk patted his chest lightly. He could feel a few items. Among them was the lucky charm that Bella had given him yesterday.

He took it out and briefly kissed it.

…May the blessing of the Sun God be with everyone.

And then put it back in his pocket.

The Demon King’s army was now really close. Ganesha tensed her bulging muscles and let out a scream.

“Kill them alllllllll!!!”

The battle between the subjugation force and the Demon King’s army began.