episode_0098

After a battle between the Beastman Alliance and the Yeom Kingdom.

The Sword Demon was swept away and disappeared due to the wave of intense energy I created, and the remaining Beastman Alliance retreated.

Thanks to that, the martial artists were able to take a breather.

“Kuh….”

“Here! We need disinfectant!!”

“The bleeding won’t stop on this side! Does anyone have a hemostatic agent?!”

Of course, taking a breather didn’t mean lightly drinking tea and taking a rest.

It was a time to treat the large and small injuries sustained in the battle, to stop the bleeding of those with serious wounds, and to heal and care for their injuries with medicine.

Now was such a time.

‘…Horrible.’

The stench of blood permeates everywhere, and moans of pain are constantly heard in this place.

A place like the shadow of a splendid and desperate war.

“It seems many people are injured.”

“Well…. The enemies were certainly strong. They didn’t have the strength of the Black Winged Beastmen we met before… but considering the average strength, they were quite strong. Sometimes the hand wielding the sword felt heavy.”

Even Lucy and Baekryeon clicked their tongues at the misery.

If….

If I didn’t have the【Memories of the Sword King】skill, I definitely wouldn’t have been able to look straight at this tragedy.

Of course, before possessing this place, I was just an ordinary 21st-century office worker who just liked games.

War was something that could only be seen on TV or in history textbooks. Seeing the tragedy with my own eyes… I couldn’t handle it.

Thanks to【Memories of the Sword King】, my mind was able to maintain sanity even after seeing such a tragedy.

…I could maintain sanity, but….

Squeeze

[Master?]

Without realizing it, I squeeze the Holy Sword tightly.

Before, I told the Holy Sword Machina.

Ending everything is easy, but I won’t do that.

I could capture the Demon King right now if I wanted to, but I won’t move. And this is the result of that choice.

Countless people were injured or died.

Can I really handle this result?

“Thanks to you, I lived. I knew you were extraordinary before, but… I never thought you would split even a mountain. It was truly an honor to see such a scene that seems to come from mythology with my own eyes.”

“Yang Ja-moon…. Are you hurt?”

“Haha…, well, the battlefield is the battlefield. I suffered some minor injuries.”

Yang Ja-moon approaches, laughing.

Unlike his usual self, one of his arms was wrapped in bandages.

“But I’m still in good shape. Ah, we plan to resume the interrupted military council, would you like to go in? Or should I just tell you the results?”

“I’ll go.”

Yang Ja-moon nodded at my words.

And he turned his head again and looked at Baekryeon.

“Ah, Miss Baekryeon.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Come to think of it, I heard that reinforcements from Jo arrived a little while ago.”

“From Jo?”

Come to think of it, I think they were talking about that when I stayed in Jo.

Baekryeon looked at Yang Ja-moon with sparkling eyes, as if she was very happy to hear that someone from her hometown had come here.

“Yes. Since Cheonsan’s location is where it is, sending a large army is burdensome for both Jo and Yeom, so they promised to support us with a small elite force that they can trust. You might meet someone you know, so I think it would be good to visit if you have time.”

“Hmm. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Then follow me.”

The command tent was not much different from before.

Of course, the people who were there were not much different either.

However, perhaps because it was right after such a battle, everyone looked exhausted and tired.

Even the Yeom Emperor couldn’t easily hide his exhaustion, which showed how fierce this battle was for them.

“….”

But the strange atmosphere here didn’t seem to be just because of the fatigue of the battle.

Everyone there. More precisely, the gazes of the people here except for the Yeom Emperor and Jujak had changed towards me.

“Ahem.”

Even the man who was the leader of Gonryong, who was quite friendly, was like that, and even the head of the Namgoong family, who seemed to hate me because I scratched him, couldn’t even make eye contact with me properly.

…Aha.

Indeed, that’s right.

Anyway, it seems that I have achieved my goal of not defeating the Sword Demon in an instant, but rather dealing with him leisurely.

I sat down in the seat prepared for me while receiving their gazes.

“Didn’t you say that there were several battles before? The damage is more severe than I thought.”

“Th, that’s…. As I said in the previous meeting, the enemies’ methods were close to guerrilla warfare. It was a kind of defensive strategy to prevent us from entering deep inside Cheonsan while avoiding direct frontal warfare.”

It was Je gal-hyeon who answered my question.

He cleared his throat a few times before continuing.

“This strategy was completely different. It was a perfect offense.”

“I have a question, Clan Head Je gal.”

“What is it?”

It was Jong Un-chan, the leader of Jongnam, who raised his hand lightly to get the floor, and he spoke with a frown.

“The number of Beastman Alliance members who attacked this time was by no means small. Of course, since this is the middle of the enemy’s territory, it is understandable that the enemy’s numbers are greater than ours. But what I’m wondering here is that it’s strange that we didn’t have any information about such a large number of enemies approaching us.”

Everyone nodded at Jong Un-chan’s sharp question.

And I was curious about this too.

I could roughly guess that the Sword Demon came riding the floating islands because he came like an arrow from the sky, but how did the Beastman Alliance, who must have moved through the ground, approach without being noticed with that number?

“Could there be a traitor among us?”

“…I can’t say no. Even in the Dang Clan alone, the young head of the Dang Clan was in collusion with the Beastman Alliance.”

They look at each other.

There must be seeds of doubt hidden in their eyes.

This atmosphere is not good. The war has already begun, and if internal divisions arise, all that remains is to watch themselves being eaten by the enemy. Je gal-hyeon knew that, so he hurriedly opened his mouth to change the atmosphere.

“That’s not likely. In the first place, it’s impossible to hide such a large army with just 1 or 2 traitors. I’ve already ordered an investigation into this matter.”

“As expected of Je gal. Then did you find out the reason?”

“Of course. So-hyeon-ah.”

“Yes, Father.”

He called his daughter’s name, and she handed him a scroll, which he unfolded as it was.

“What is this?”

“It’s a map of the geography around Cheonsan that was drawn while staying here. And there’s something that was added in this attack.”

A very detailed map. But it was different from a normal map. Because there were a lot of fine lines drawn on the map, making it difficult to identify where it was.

“What are all these?”

“These are… the routes they attacked this time. In other words, the confirmed routes of the tunnels.”

“Tu, tunnels?”

“Yes. To explain more accurately, we were able to confirm that there were several small underground spaces scattered around under this Cheonsan. They seem to have moved through here to avoid our eyes and planned this attack.”

…Underground.

This has become annoying….

If I swing my sword with all my might underground, I don’t know what will happen.

* * *

“Haa…, haa….”

My body is staggering.

It’s like my body isn’t mine. Still, I try to keep my balance and take a step.

Using a red sword as a cane….

How far have I walked?

I felt someone walking in front of me.

“Are you okay?”

“….”

It was Red Demon who was approaching the Sword Demon.

He was the one who planned this attack, but Red Demon himself did not participate in this attack.

The reason was simple.

“…I’m going to meet the Heavenly Demon.”

“…I understand.”

It was because he was preparing for the revival ceremony of the Heavenly Demon here.

That’s why the Sword Demon came here before taking care of her injured body.

“I heard the report. You lost.”

“…That’s right.”

“Was he that strong?”

“…Yeah.”

Red Demon knows the Sword Demon’s strength well.

Of course, who in the Beastman Alliance wouldn’t know the Sword Demon’s strength, but Red Demon knows it more deeply than those people know.

That’s why he sweated a little at the ability of the Holy Sword’s warrior who overwhelmed this Sword Demon.

He was worried that his plan might be disrupted. Such worries arose in one corner of his heart, but he calmed his mind.

“What are you going to do?”

“….”

The Sword Demon walked silently.

It was a precarious step, but he knows.

Even in this injured state, she is stronger than himself.

He knows very well that even the weak power of taking just one step is enough to cut off his neck. That’s why Red Demon didn’t ask the Sword Demon any more questions and just guided her.

Flare

And so, the place they arrived at was the deepest part of the underground.

A green flame quietly burning there.

The Sword Demon quietly looked at the green flame and then opened her mouth.

“…I’ll do as you wish. This power is…, I’ll have it.”

“….”

Red Demon heard those words and bowed his head silently.

“Congratulations on the reincarnation of the new Heavenly Demon.”