Chapter 126
Yucubis and Barzenka sent their soldiers to the other western kingdoms to stop Gran Orden from spreading its power.
The Rift Wizards, combined with Gran Orden’s sorcery, were evil beings who turned humans into monsters. By simply not allowing them more prey, victory was already leaning toward us.
Of course, there are things we’ll still need to do after this.
I repeated this to myself, remembering the pattern I had once seen in a vision.
For now, the main task was to bring down Gran Orden.
Our Oswell army entered their territory and crushed the Rift monsters with unstoppable force.
The poison supplied by Elma Pharmaceutical, which weakened them, helped greatly. Without it, our losses would have been several times worse.
Etias’s sword cut through the air, slicing off heads without hesitation.
Since these creatures had no life force like humans or animals, he could not use shadow power on them. But even so, his swordsmanship alone was as great as any supernatural ability.
On both sides, Montella’s archers, lined up like wings under Lancelot’s command, loosed their arrows.
The Rift monsters thrashed about before melting into liquid and disappearing.
Meanwhile, the Rift Wizards tried to surround Etias with stronger power, but I fired my arrows at them.
Each arrow I pulled out from Piyo’s inventory flew straight and true, hitting its mark.
Using that momentum, Etias stepped onto the saddle, leapt high, and drove his sword into another wizard’s skull.
With filthy black liquid dripping down, the wizard’s body crumbled.
“Haa…”
After the fierce battle, we captured Gran Orden’s second largest city, right next to the capital.
“…It’s horrible.”
But we couldn’t celebrate.
The soldiers of Oswell and Montella wore grim, devastated expressions.
At my feet, a small crawling monster squirmed.
Slash—
Camel stabbed it with his sword, and it melted into liquid that seeped into the ground.
“These devilish people…”
His trembling voice was filled with rage.
“….”
In this city where hundreds of thousands must have once lived, not a single human remained.
The Emperor of Gran Orden had used Rift Wizards to turn every single one of them into monsters.
That meant those we had just killed were once civilians of Gran Orden, now lost to madness and transformed into beasts.
“We’ll have to ask Yucubis to handle the cleanup.”
Even in this unbelievable situation, which could make anyone burn with anger, I calmed my heart and spoke.
The bodies of these monsters had all their organs melted away. There was no way to bring them back to humans.
The one who carried out this mass slaughter was none other than Gran Orden’s greedy Emperor.
“….”
Etias’s face turned colder than ever as he gave his order:
“Do as Duke Elemore says. Rest for a short while, then march to the capital.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
The strong voices of the Imperial soldiers rang out.
Then Etias walked toward me.
My heart thumped in my chest, knowing the final act was drawing near.
Before we left, we had interrogated Prince Dale Ordens. With a defeated look, he confessed the Emperor’s ambitions.
He said the reason the Emperor wanted Oswell was not only because it was the center of the continent, but most of all because of the Clyde bloodline’s shadow power.
It was similar to the power used by the Rift Wizards, but far stronger—darkness that couldn’t be compared.
That’s why they wanted to capture someone of the Clyde bloodline and extract that power.
Even during the time Etias had been ambushed, the plan hadn’t been to kill him outright—unless he resisted too strongly. Their real goal had been to kidnap him.
To erase the hope of Oswell while also using his power to fulfill their dream.
“Did you prepare what I asked for last time?”
“Yes. Duke Obier gladly gave it to me.”
Etias nodded.
Then he reached out and took my hand.
“….”
Looking at my hand, slightly stiff and reddened from drawing and loosing arrows so many times, he let out a small sigh.
“I keep making you suffer.”
The self-mocking tone of his voice pricked my heart.
And yet he’s the one who never rests, fighting endlessly.
At every outpost, he gave me the best room, always passed me the best food.
“It was my choice.”
At my words, his blue eyes shook.
“So it’s fine.”
The campaign was tiring and sometimes exhausting, but there was also a strange enjoyment to it.
The western lands, full of cliffs and deserts, looked harsh, yet showed me landscapes I had never seen before—not in my real life, and not even after being reborn here.
Even in this fierce war, I was safe under protection, with delicious meals and comfortable beds. To me, personally, it sometimes felt like a journey.
Though such feelings didn’t match the tragedy of this place.
“Katrin.”
He squeezed my hand tightly, his eyes filled with countless unspoken words.
Ever since becoming emperor, Etias always looked at me like a child left by the riverside—afraid I might be swept away, afraid I might vanish.
His gaze was always full of worry.
I smiled at him brightly.
“Well then, shall we move on to the next task?”
Because there was something specific we had to prepare here.
“It seems Duke Katrin Elemore cannot endure this hellish situation and is trying to retreat.”
Meanwhile, inside Gran Orden’s Imperial Palace, with the enemy army approaching fast—
“The carriage she boarded has departed in the opposite direction.”
At his subordinate’s report, the Emperor twisted his lips into a wicked smile.
So this so-called greatest contributor to the Empire is nothing but a weak woman after all.
The capital was surrounded by long walls, and within those walls, the residents had already all been turned into Rift monsters.
When the enemy forces advanced toward the capital, he planned to throw the Rift monsters over the walls to fight them in a siege.
In the end, the capital would certainly fall—but it would still buy him enough time to escape.
He had developed a special ring for a long time. With the sorcery power that manifested through it, and as long as he still had the Rift Wizards who followed him, he believed he could rise again anywhere.
“Capture the woman.”
“Yes, we’ll prepare right away.”
The Emperor’s eyes gleamed with a sinister light.
This was a chance given by heaven itself, telling him not to run away.
Once all preparations were made, the Emperor left the palace with his followers and about thirty Rift Wizards.
The capital was now nothing but a city of monsters—every person, from the elderly to small children, had been transformed and now groaned in misery.
It was a harsh and dreadful sight, but to the wicked and greedy Emperor, it brought only pride, as if he had simply turned worthless creatures into tools.
While Oswell and Montella’s powerful armies clashed with the hordes of monsters, he would capture Duke Elemore.
I will stake my very life on this gamble.
Dark clouds stretched across the sky.
Gran Orden’s watchmen clearly saw Katrin Elemore board the carriage.
Her distinctive pink hair and vivid violet eyes stood out.
Montella’s Lancelot, who had been protecting her closely so no enemy could approach, also entered the carriage with her.
Soon after, the carriage door shut tight.
With Montella’s elite soldiers guarding it, the carriage departed from the city.
One of the watchmen’s superiors ordered his subordinate:
“Send a report by carrier pigeon.”
“Yes, sir. But…”
The soldier hesitated, then asked in a trembling voice:
“Do you think… they’ll really be able to return?”
He knew the truth—that the Rift Wizards had turned almost everyone into Rift monsters, except for the few key soldiers whose reason and strength were still needed.
Among those transformed were even his own family.
“His Majesty has guaranteed it. Do not doubt.”
The Emperor had declared that becoming Rift monsters was the only way to prove loyalty in this national crisis. He promised that after the war, they would all be restored to their original forms and greatly rewarded.
Yet, those who had tried to flee were forcibly transformed against their will.
The uneasy soldier bowed his head.
“Yes, sir.”
Yes… once this war ends, everything will return to the way it was.
Back to a peaceful daily life.
After sending off his subordinate, the watchman kept his eyes fixed on the carriage carrying Duke Katrin Elemore, never looking away for even a moment.
Before long, a reply came back—His Majesty the Emperor was already on his way here. The watchmen continued to follow the carriage.
After about three hours, the carriage carrying Katrin Elemore finally came to a halt.
Gran Orden’s Imperial army had blocked its path.
“Phew…”
The watchman placed his hand on his chest in relief.
Surely His Majesty had some kind of plan.
Surely this would lead to victory…
“Guhhk…!”
He couldn’t finish his words.
A Rift Wizard had crept up behind him, pressed a hand to his back, and began pouring dark power into his body.
His insides melted, his muscles twisted in agony, and then he heard vile voices around him:
“Yes, well done. Those useless ones aren’t needed anymore.”
