episode_0303

*Shuruk-*

“The weather isn’t cooperating.”

As if to remind everyone it was the dead of winter, a blizzard descended from the sky. The horizon was buried under a blanket of snow, erasing the boundary between heaven and earth. Everything was blindingly white.

“With this much snow, can’t the war be postponed?”

“Is this the time for jokes, Your Majesty?”

“It’s not a joke. It’s too overwhelmingly disadvantageous for us. What harm would it do to fight in spring?”

The weather treated everyone gathered on this battlefield equally. However, compared to the Kingdom army, possessing both reason and senses, the Empire’s soldiers were half-mad. Their bodies were saturated with dark magic, rendering them impervious to the cold.

“This won’t do. I’ll go and negotiate a one-month delay.”

“Your Majesty…!!”

“Evan-hyung… why are you raising your voice? It’s a joke…”

“N-no, it’s not that… over there…!!”

Evan pointed somewhere. The center of the battlefield. I looked around, but nothing particularly caught my eye.

Was this some kind of prank where I’d get a jab in the cheek if I looked behind me? I resolved not to look back, tensing my neck and cheeks.

From among the Imperial army, someone riding a black horse was approaching.

“…….”

I silently groaned. There was no need to check who it was. I’d been gritting my teeth, pretending not to notice, but the concentration of dark magic was nauseating.

Eve’s appearance was drastically different.

“…That dye job looks nice. Black hair suits you better than me. Did you match your horse and clothes?”

“How long will you continue with these jokes?”

“I know, I know. If I don’t do this, I think I’ll go crazy.”

I sculpted the form of a horse from Aether. I had once absorbed the soul of a warhorse that had spent its life on the battlefield and died peacefully in old age. It was that fellow.

Even a beast wouldn’t want to play at necromancy. This is merely for show; I plan to release it after this meeting. I don’t like riding horses to begin with.

*Tadak- Tat-*

As if reading my mind, the white horse whinnied, *Phlurrung-*. I shaped the Aether into a carrot and tossed it into its mouth.

“Really… are you going alone?”

“They also have just one person.”

I mounted the horse and pulled the reins. Bolstered by the Aether, it dashed forward in an instant.

*Tagadak- Tagadak-*

I only held on tight, and soon I was in the middle of the battlefield. I patted the white horse’s flank and dismounted.

Eve also dismounted her black horse. But her dismount was unusual. The horse’s body elongated into multiple strands and absorbed into Eve’s body.

“You’ve changed a lot since last time. It seems you have a strange pet.”

“Is it unsightly?”

“No. Even if you turned into a snail, I’d still think you were beautiful.”

“Pfft—Gross.”

Does she know what she looks like right now? My worry and anxiety multiplied tenfold, my heart crumbling.

Eve casually responded to my joke. It was an utterly unfamiliar situation. Eve feared being involved with anyone, regardless of who it was. Therefore, she rarely revealed her true feelings.

Much less exchanging such playful banter at a gathering of heads of state on the eve of war? I might, but Eve would absolutely not.

Her breaking down her emotional walls was excellent. Sometimes walls are necessary, sometimes not. But in Eve’s case, the wall was so thick and large that it had to be demolished eventually.

But I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Eve’s opening her heart now was clearly not her choice, nor her will.

The demon Tenebris, and even the dark star I saw in the Administrator’s time travel…. The level of dark magic emanating from Eve was worthy of Tenebris’s reputation.

My anger boiled at the thought that something other than me had transformed my woman.

“Oh, I forgot to mention… actually, I’m Adam.”

“Nonsense. Adam is fast asleep in my bedroom right now.”

“The mere fact that you know Adam’s name should make you at least slightly suspicious of me.”

“You obviously read my memories. I have nothing more to say to you.”

Right, I didn’t even think it would go well. We usually communicate more through actions than words. I drew my Muyeong Sword and pointed it at Eve.

“Don’t you want to settle this with a duel? Like we used to?”

“Ugh… that’s troublesome. I don’t want to do that this time. That guy told me to kill everyone. Enemies and allies alike.”

“The objective is a sacrifice… that’s too blunt. Are you okay with that, Eve?”

“What are you saying? I don’t care, so could you stop talking?”

Eve once again created a black horse from dark tendrils and mounted it. She had already turned her back on me.

“I… I’m not okay with it.”

“I don’t care.”

“Haha… alright. Let me just say one last thing.”

I also mounted my white horse. I turned my back on Eve and the Imperial army, facing our side.

“From now on… never lie to me again.”

***

Eve’s declaration of war offered no specific information or conditions, merely stating her intention to invade. The Imperial and Kingdom armies simply met on the snowy Tarafp plains.

Also, despite declaring war, she maintained a standoff, delaying the actual commencement of hostilities. The form or manner of the war meant nothing to Eve. All that mattered was that many people died.

“Heh… I want to quickly return and see that guy’s sleeping face again.”

Honestly, Eve didn’t need to do anything else. The Empire’s dark-magic-infused soldiers would attack on their own accord, dying or killing, it didn’t matter. Death would spontaneously spread across the battlefield, fulfilling Duke Darius’s objective.

I wanted to return immediately, but one thing was bothering me. Princess Narita. The fact that she could manipulate Aether and knew the Duke’s objective meant she would definitely try something.

Whether it’s minimizing casualties with non-lethal tactics, directly collecting souls to reduce the Duke’s share, or delaying the war itself. Narita could do anything.

“Ah, I don’t know. My head hurts.”

I didn’t want to think about it anymore. I bypassed the court officials, ascended the dais, and slipped deep into the throne.

I crossed my legs, propped my chin on my hand, reclined slightly, and waved my hand dismissively.

“Deploy.”

That was the moment.

The clouds filling the battlefield sky parted. Beyond the white canvas extending from the ground, something was hidden. The Imperial airships, awaiting the Emperor’s command, began to reveal themselves, one by one.

Black ships filled the sky above the Tarafp plains. They slowly descended towards the Kingdom army, simultaneously unleashing countless bombs.

*Saaaaaeeaaaeak—*

The sound of metal tearing through the air was unlike anything anyone in this world had ever heard. It was like the roar of a dragon from legend.

The Kingdom army froze. The terrifying roar pierced their spines. As something unknown rained down from the sky, the ordinary soldiers couldn’t even lift a finger.

At the same time, Eve sensed an unpleasant aura. A warm aura that definitely existed within her but was now suppressed deep within the darkness.

Narita stirred her Aether.

A pure white light emanated from the center of the Kingdom army. It formed a large magic circle above the soldiers, creating a magical barrier like an umbrella.

*Tuquaaaaang—!!*

The barrier was blocking the explosions. Like waiting for a downpour to cease under an awning, the soldiers trembled at the deafening sound, but held their ground.

*Chit- Jjeujeok-*

They couldn’t block all the bombs. Bombs began to fall through the holes in the barrier, one by one. The soldiers squeezed their eyes shut.

And when they opened their eyes again, they saw the back of a small, dependable girl.

*Tat- Tat-*

Yuri and Aspi soared through the air. Like Narita, a white aura rippled across their bodies. Each of them wielded a sword, slicing through the bombs.

The shockwave of the explosions swept over the soldiers, but none of the bombs directly hit the troops.

*Uwaaaaaaaa—*

The Kingdom army, having withstood the first bombardment, erupted in a roar. Eve felt her strength draining at the sight. Her eyelids drooped listlessly.

“They’re happy just because they blocked one attack? Drop more.”

“The fleet’s trajectory has deviated significantly from the center of the Kingdom army, Your Majesty… If we drop them now, a meaningful blow will-”

*Phuhak—!*

The court official reporting the current situation was pierced through the heart by Eve’s tentacle. Immediately after, another tentacle extended, its maw opening wide to swallow the official whole.

*Kwang- Ujik- Kuduk-*

“Do as you please. My head hurts. Kill if I say kill, die if I say die. Is that so difficult?”

“…No. I will immediately order the bombing.”

“You said it would take time. Deploy the infantry as well.”

“I-if we do that, our own troops might be caught in the-”

Eve’s tentacle devoured the second court official, another one lacking survival instincts. Not a drop of blood, not a single bone shard was left behind.

“I said do as you are told! Use the shadow soldiers, and have them all attack.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

While the bombing fleet turned back, the Imperial army began to advance towards the ships.