Chapter 234
Chapter 234: We Must Strike First (1)
“Craaak! What the hell are these guys!”
“Gather! Hurry up and gather!”
“Where did they come from!”
The barbarian warriors, who were joyfully pillaging, were suddenly attacked by the knights and plunged into chaos.
Thinking that their main force had detained the troops at the Northern Fortress, they hadn’t taken proper precautions.
They had been so fixated on looting that they were completely caught off guard.
Knights sprang out from all directions. Although they attempted to retaliate, their opponents were simply too strong.
They were using mana without exception, and even if they blocked with their axes, the axes shattered, and their heads flew off.
Barbarian warriors are indeed strong. It is said that one can handle more than three soldiers alone. But even ten soldiers can’t stop a knight.
“Y-you bastards!”
One flustered barbarian warrior, looking around, raised his axe and tried to behead the person he had captured.
It was a cruel habit to kill the nearest person in frustration.
BANG!
However, before the axe could be swung properly, his head was smashed by a spear that came from somewhere.
Ghislaine, who had thrown the spear, unsheathed the sword hanging at his waist and shouted.
“Don’t let a single one live!”
“Understood!”
The loudest response came from Lucas, who leapt off his horse and charged at the barbarians like lightning.
BANG! BANG!
“Gughh!”
With each stab of Lucas’s spear, the barbarian warriors’ helmets and heads were smashed.
With every step he took, a barbarian warrior met their death.
“Quit picking on the weak and come at me!”
Lucas’s resonant shout soared through the flames.
Under Ghislaine’s guidance, his skills were increasing at an astonishing speed.
Truly, as someone who had mastered one spear in his past life, he exhibited extraordinary talent.
“W-what the! Why is this guy so strong!”
The barbarian warriors were taken aback by Lucas’s prowess. His spear was so fast that they couldn’t even attempt to block with their axes before it pierced through their heads and bodies.
Lucas, who loved to show off, couldn’t let such an opportunity pass. He really strained himself to save people.
Other knights were also running around the village, dispatching the barbarian warriors. In their haste, they didn’t spare any mana. After all, many had already fallen.
The barbarian warriors struggled to survive, but they couldn’t withstand the surprise attack from more than a hundred knights.
“Craaak!”
“I will curse you!”
“Our comrades will surely take revenge!”
The barbarians fell one by one, screaming. Since the raiding party wasn’t very large, it didn’t take long to eliminate them.
After subduing all the barbarians, the knights couldn’t feel any joy at all. It was due to the horrific scene that spread across the village.
“Uaaaah! Mom!”
“Dear, dear! Open your eyes!”
“No! This can’t be! Please!”
The survivors were weeping, clutching the bodies of the dead.
Flames surged everywhere, devouring their homeland. The survivors had to choose between spending a long time rebuilding the village or joining another one and living on edge.
This was the true reality of the North. Besides the harsh environment, they also had to contend with threats from monsters and barbarians.
At least the barbarians were being held back by Perdium, but it was impossible to fend off ten with one hand.
If the barbarians united like this or sneaked in while being monitored, some village was bound to suffer.
Ghislaine looked around with a bitter expression.
‘If they’ve come down this far, they must be desperate for food too.’
The villages have moved significantly south compared to the old days. Zvalter had been implementing a migration policy for a long time to reduce raid damages.
The villages that were pillaged this time were ones that had barely escaped the migration policy.
It would have been nice if they had migrated south, but moving an entire village required significant resources. Finding land suitable for living in the barren North was harder than one would think.
Poor territories couldn’t provide much support either. Even Perdium had only recently improved their situation a bit.
It wasn’t easy to just abandon one’s home, and even if one did, there would be nowhere to go.
The other nearby territories, threatened by barbarians, weren’t even able to cooperate properly since they too were poor.
‘I need to send more laborers for support.’
The Territory of Penris was relocating isolated villages around the castle and fortress, both for the war and to prepare for future calamities.
Perdium also planned to slowly transform itself to be like the Territory of Penris. That’s why they were currently sending laborers to lay roads and build facilities in key positions.
There was much to prepare, but considering the number of villages impacted this time, they intended to scale up their support.
“Let’s go back. The survivors will be taken to the fortress.”
Leaving them here would guarantee their death. Tomorrow’s livelihood would be hard enough.
They needed to stay in the fortress temporarily and then be sent to a suitable village along with supplies.
As Ghislaine mounted his horse to leave, a child blocked his path.
It was the boy Ghislaine rescued earlier.
Ghislaine looked at the boy and asked.
“Do you have something to say?”
“You said you would protect us, right?”
“Yeah, it’s unfortunate what happened today, but this won’t happen again. I promise.”
Hesitant for a moment after Ghislaine’s firm response, the boy finally spoke.
“I don’t need you to protect us.”
“What do you mean?”
“I want to fight too… I want to help.”
“How old are you?”
“I’m fifteen.”
Ghislaine silently stared at the boy.
He was on the verge of adulthood, but perhaps due to having gone hungry, he appeared smaller and younger than his age.
“It’s too much for you yet. I’ll provide sufficient food support, so eat well first, then join as a soldier for Perdium once you grow a bit…”
As Ghislaine spoke, he paused while looking into the boy’s eyes.
That gaze felt oddly familiar.
Perhaps the fear hadn’t faded, as he trembled with tears welling up. But Ghislaine understood the emotions hidden behind that.
The guilt of being powerless to contribute.
The helplessness of having no strength.
The regret of not being able to protect loved ones.
The despair and regret that there was no turning back, no way to go home.
And…
“What is it that you want?”
“Revenge.”
“What kind of revenge?”
“The death of all barbarians.”
“……”
He knew that look and those feelings.
The intent to kill, vowing to eliminate the opponent no matter what.
A burning hatred that would sacrifice everything for that purpose.
The madness of whipping oneself with pain, eventually leading to self-destruction.
It was exactly the gaze and emotion Ghislaine had harbored upon witnessing the downfall of his own territory in his past life.
Drip.
A teardrop fell from the boy’s fierce eyes.
Yet the boy never closed his eyes, staring solely at Ghislaine. As if he understood that only the person standing before him could fulfill his wish.
Desperate, he was silently shouting for help with his revenge, clinging to the last straw.
Drip.
Another teardrop fell.
Ghislaine watched him silently.
Even after experiencing the same event, everyone reacts differently. Each has their own way of healing and resolving issues.
Most who face great events like this often comfort themselves, saying it couldn’t be helped.
In contrast, the boy before him bore a striking resemblance to himself.
If he chose the wrong path, he could become a notorious murderer. But if he set the right goal…
He could become an “inevitable terror” to any enemy.
The madness the boy harbored would end when one side perished, be it himself or the target of his revenge.
The boy had entered a path of blood, whether Ghislaine helped or not.
He had probably resolved to live that way already.
“I’ll take you with me when we return to the territory. I’ll make sure to guide you personally.”
“Thank you!”
“You might find it better to die.”
“I don’t mind. If I can’t endure that much, then dying is better.”
At his words, Ghislaine smiled faintly. It felt like he was looking at his past self.
“What’s your name?”
“Arel.”
Ghislaine’s eyes widened in surprise before breaking into a smile again.
Arel. A name just as familiar as that gaze.
*
Thanks to the efforts of many, they were able to locate and exterminate all the barbarian raiders.
The enraged Perdium army sought the tribes that had lost warriors, but having heard the news already, they had all fled.
Zvalter returned to the fortress and slumped into a chair, murmuring. His face clearly showed signs of fatigue.
“It’s a pity we sustained damages, but it’s truly a relief we stopped it here.”
While he said it was fortunate, his expression told a different story.
He had been managing well despite years of hardship.
Because of that, the villages in the north had rarely been pillaged. Even when they were attacked, the Perdium army quickly pursued them, minimizing the damages.
But now, unlike before, many had died. Therefore, Zvalter certainly couldn’t feel at ease.
“Still, thanks to you, we could stop it here. I appreciate it.”
Seeing his father, who looked more haggard in just a few days from mental anguish, Ghislaine felt a complex mix of emotions.
His father consistently fulfilled his responsibilities diligently, even at the cost of his own life. It was a responsibility he couldn’t abandon, even if it tormented him.
There’s no way a son could feel at ease watching such a father.
“Soon, we will be able to produce more equipment in the territory, so I’ll send additional support. I’ll also send resources and laborers so that the collapsed villages can be rebuilt.”
Currently, quite a few refugees from the ruined villages were gathered at the fortress. Plans were to construct a new village in a suitable location for them to settle.
“Okay, thank you. You’re providing a great deal of help to the territory.”
Zvalter didn’t celebrate joyously like before. He was simply too tired for that.
An old wolf with lost fur and dull teeth is a pitiful sight. Zvalter was aging under the weight of decades of responsibility.
After taking a moment to gather himself, he asked.
“Did you come to secure livestock? You’ve garnered enough from this war, so it should be plenty. Take them all.”
Since they won thanks to Ghislaine, it was only fitting that the spoils go to him. Though they had fought together, Zvalter intended to hand it all over without being greedy.
After all, he had received much more from Ghislaine.
And Perdium, having smaller numbers, didn’t excessively lack horses yet.
Claude, who had been listening from the side, spoke to Ghislaine.
“We’ve secured over two thousand horses. This should be enough for immediate use. It wrapped up quicker than expected.”
Two thousand horses were a number that could hardly be easily gathered even across the entire Ruthania Kingdom. Indeed, with the six tribes combining their strength, the haul was substantial.
If the barbarians hadn’t united to attack, it would have been impossible to acquire this much so easily.
Of course, that was only possible because they won.
Zvalter agreed with Claude’s statement and added on.
“The tribes that united this time were those that settled quite close to the fortress. With their disappearance, we should have safety for a while. We can also take this time to reorganize our forces.”
Though referred to collectively as barbarians in Ruthania, they were actually divided into numerous tribes. As a result, it was common for them to fight among themselves to protect their territory.
With six tribes wiped out in this battle, the others would likely fight to occupy their lands.
Until a new tribe settles nearby, attacks against the fortress would inevitably decrease.
Thanks to that, the Northern Fortress had gained some much-needed time for repairs. However, Ghislaine still had work left to do.
“I’m not planning on going back just yet.”
“Why? Do you have other business?”
“Yes, I do have something to attend to.”
Having just concluded a major battle, Zvalter lightly nodded at Ghislaine’s claim of it not being anything significant.
“Okay, what is it then? Are you planning on helping to repair this place? Or perhaps rebuilding the village? Anything you do would be a huge help.”
Ghislaine shook his head in response.
“We must strike first before they come back.”
