Chapter 587
Chapter 587: Annihilate the Enemy. (4)
Ghislaine lost his balance and fell from the Black King’s saddle.
“Commander!”
“My Lord!”
“Your Highness!”
The knights fighting around rushed to support Ghislaine.
One knight, panicking, asked, “What’s wrong? Why suddenly? Are you sick?”
It wasn’t the first time Ghislaine had collapsed during battle. But it had always happened after the fighting was over.
He had never collapsed while still in the midst of combat, suddenly bleeding like this.
Ghislaine shook his head. “Enough… Just finish off the rest…”
He had already shifted the flow of the world while in an abnormal state. The recoil from using such immense power was tremendous.
Indeed, it was still power he couldn’t use frequently. He needed to raise his realm a bit more.
Fortunately, the war was practically over. He could leave the rest to those remaining.
With great effort, Ghislaine mounted again, furrowing his brows as his mind raced.
“Divine power… is protecting that guy?”
The priests of the Salvation Society oppose divine power. Especially high priests are in direct conflict with divine energy.
In dreams, the saint was already fighting against those who stood against the goddess. Who would have thought that the sacred relic left by that saint would save Gathros?
Moreover, he fleetingly felt the will contained in that divine power.
“If that guy dies now… it cannot happen?”
Why?
Now Ghislaine understood the true purpose of the Salvation Society.
Finding their king and sacred relic.
They had already found the sacred relic. Now it was just the king, or whatever that guy was.
Even if he had lost his power, Gathros surely wouldn’t give up on his mission. On the contrary, he would likely search for the king even more fervently.
“The king…”
If the person the Salvation Society was searching for was the adversary seen in his dreams, then he could indeed be called a king.
Ghislaine had never seen anyone that strong in his life.
“Is the sacred relic hoping that Gathros finds the adversary?”
If that weren’t the case, it wouldn’t save Gathros. Thus, Ghislaine was left with even more confusion.
The saint and the adversary were supposed to be enemies.
He couldn’t fathom what the sacred relic truly desired.
As Ghislaine pondered, a slight smile appeared.
He still couldn’t be sure of anything. The will felt from the divine power had disappeared almost instantaneously, so he might have misunderstood it.
“Anyway, it’s true that the sacred relic helped Gathros.”
There might be a force beyond his recognition, but it could simply be a matter of just protecting the wearer.
Though he was curious, irritation crept in. The Salvation Society had practically been obliterated, yet weren’t there pests still lingering like thorns in his shoes?
“Erlhardt… Gathros…”
He had to find and kill those two. He would scour the entire continent if he had to.
Erlhardt’s identity remained unknown, while Gathros was one of the strongest on the continent.
If they intended to hide, it would be quite exhausting to track them down.
“There’s no choice. I’ll have to issue a warning to every kingdom.”
He would send an administrator from Ruthania to monitor everything. There might be some backlash, but the kingdoms would cooperate anyway.
After all, it would be a huge loss if such chaos unfolded in their own territory again.
Having been heavily dealt with this time, they would likely want to root out the Salvation Society thoroughly.
“Waaaah!”
Ghislaine wiped under his nose and looked around the battlefield.
The fierce shouts of soldiers echoed from all directions. The Atrode Army was virtually annihilated.
Caught off guard by magical attacks, they couldn’t even fight back properly, with the Ruthania Army perfectly surrounding them.
Clop, clop.
Ghislaine slowly crossed the battlefield riding the Black King.
No enemies blocked his path. Most had already turned into corpses lying on the ground.
Before long, the battle came to a halt. There were no longer any enemies able to fight.
The surviving soldiers of the Atrode Army groaned in pain or lay on their stomachs, discarding their weapons.
Only one remained standing.
Count Bifenbelt sat upright on his horse, defiant.
Clop, clop.
As Ghislaine approached, everyone made way.
The reason Count Bifenbelt survived was simple. He looked every bit the supreme commander, so no one dared to touch him.
He exuded that much dignity and momentum.
The two men locked eyes as they drew closer. A brief silence hung in the air before Count Bifenbelt spoke first.
“I wish to know why I lost.”
He had devised a strategy in which the allied forces had no choice but to get caught up in it. Especially, the allied forces were on the run.
So they had to remain trapped, yet it turned into a situation where they were all taken down one by one.
He was intensely curious about how his opponent had moved.
But Ghislaine responded with a nonchalant expression. “Because I was stronger and faster.”
Count Bifenbelt paused for a moment before a smile crept onto his face.
“A clear answer.”
“And I know you well, but you don’t know me well.”
Count Bifenbelt tilted his head. After all, they could only know each other through information.
Yet the other spoke as if he truly understood him.
Ghislaine smirked. “You won’t be able to comprehend it. There’s no need for you to understand.”
“True, what use is it for a loser to know? It wouldn’t change the outcome. I was simply curious before dying.”
“It’s a pity to meet like this.”
Ghislaine’s words were sincere. Few had been as reliable as Count Bifenbelt when they had worked together in their past lives.
He had saved countless lives from rifts with daring strategic judgment and keen insight.
But his identity was that of one of the forces behind the calamities that struck the continent.
Regardless of whether he was interested in the Salvation Society’s goals, the fact he had allied himself with them remained unchanged.
Ghislaine slowly raised his spear. “Do you have any final words? Let me hear them as a courtesy to a great enemy.”
“I have none. I’ve done what I could. The rest is up to those who remain.”
“How refreshing.”
Count Bifenbelt closed his eyes. Though, it wasn’t that he felt completely unbothered.
“If we had indeed intended for war from the start…”
The outcome might have differed slightly. Perhaps they would still be at war, splitting the continent.
However, prioritizing the goals of the Salvation Society had led to substantial losses. If he claimed he felt no regret about that, it would be a lie.
But what could be done? Everything was already over.
Count Bifenbelt cast aside even his last regret and settled his mind.
Crack!
Ghislaine’s spear pierced Count Bifenbelt’s heart.
“Please preserve the corpse.”
“Thank you…”
With that final word, Count Bifenbelt breathed his last.
A suffocating silence enveloped the battlefield. Countless eyes were on Ghislaine, and every ear awaited his words.
A faint smile crossed Ghislaine’s lips as he slowly raised his spear and said, “Everyone did well. The war is over.”
“Waaaaah!”
Everyone raised their weapons and shouted. The fortress troops roared even louder.
It wasn’t merely the end of a battle. It was a historic moment where the Salvation Society, which had stained the continent in darkness, was completely shattered.
Relief, joy, and hope for a new era shone upon everyone’s faces.
Now all that remained was to clean up the remnants. That was a task so small it could no longer be called a war.
Of course, the colossal task of post-war management awaited, but any difficulties would likely be easier than the brutal struggle they had just faced.
Amidst the cheering soldiers, someone shouted loudly.
“Long live His Grace!”
Then, the troops of Ruthania and the allied forces began to erupt with their own passionate cheers.
“Long live Duke Penris!”
“Our commander is the best!”
“Glory to Ruthania today!”
“We will carve this day into history!”
“Salute to the courage of the allied forces!”
“I am a superhuman too!”
“I have defeated a god…”
The battlefield was quickly filled with various shouts of triumph.
As the cries of victory rang out, the suppressed feelings among the soldiers of Ruthania and the allied forces exploded.
Longtime comrades embraced each other, regardless of their clanking armor, tears flowing as they patted each other’s backs.
Some threw their helmets into the sky in joy, while others knelt and offered prayers of thanks.
Even those unfamiliar allied soldiers felt like family in this moment.
They were those who had come from distant lands and fought tirelessly. It would be a lie if overwhelming emotions didn’t arise.
“We did it!”
“Finally, it’s over!”
“It’s the beginning of a new era!”
The soldiers’ shouts echoed unceasingly. Everyone embraced each other, clasping shoulders and exchanging words of congratulations.
The battlefield transformed into a festive ground in an instant. The swirling emotions of victory and camaraderie enveloped everyone.
In this moment, they all became one, relishing the shouts of victory.
Ghislaine left behind the jubilant soldiers and immediately sought Jerome.
“How are you? Are you okay?”
Jerome was still dazed. Vanessa, who was tending to him, wiped the sweat from his forehead and spoke.
“We just barely got past the crisis. The others were holding on to keep the circle intact.”
Ghislaine nodded slightly to the nearby wizards. “Thank you. Thanks to you, my friend was kept safe.”
“No, it was thanks to Jerome that we survived.”
The wizards spoke earnestly. Their eyes reflected deep respect for Jerome.
The wizard who first healed Jerome stepped forward and said, “Jerome risked his life to protect us. His sacrificial magic saved us all. It’s not we who saved him, but he who saved all our lives.”
Another wizard added, “Jerome’s wisdom and strength are goals we should all aspire to. It’s a great honor to have been able to assist him.”
All the wizards bowed their heads. Their expressions combined gratitude, reverence, and a hint of embarrassment.
They recognized their own shortcomings when witnessing Jerome’s great magic.
Ghislaine looked down at Jerome lying on the ground, smirking slightly. “Aren’t you going to become the king of the wizards later?”
Jerome had always been popular due to his sociability and character in his past life. But now, it seemed he was even more popular than before.
His display of sacrifice and responsibility moved even those selfish wizards.
“But don’t push yourself too hard and run away if it gets dangerous.”
Muttering, Ghislaine shook his head as if it couldn’t be helped.
With Jerome’s personality, it wouldn’t happen. So Ghislaine himself had entrusted him with his faith.
Thanks to everyone playing their roles well, the war had come to an end.
Even though Gathros had fled, it was impossible for him to build power like before.
He was determined to form a pursuit team to track him down across the entire continent and kill him.
“It’s time to go back.”
They needed to return to the Sardina Kingdom to discuss post-war matters and proceed with the next steps.
Of course, he didn’t plan to return immediately. He needed to rest here for a few days.
As for the capture of the spy.
“I should be able to handle Yulien quickly.”
Referring to another friend who would return soon.
*
“Gah, gah… how could this be…”
Count Kalmund, commander of the 3rd Corps of the Atrode Army, gasped while clutching the long wound on his chest.
As expected, he discovered the separated allied forces.
They had kept their distance from the enemy army only aiming to trip them up. They were intending to avoid direct battle and engage in psychological warfare.
Just warning them they could strike at any moment would tire the enemy. If they decided to engage, they could simply retreat.
Then, only one person charged out from the enemy ranks.
“Ugh… the Prince of Turian….”
Count Kalmund groaned as he looked at the individual before him.
Cold eyes devoid of any emotion.
This person had come alone.
Seeing an opportunity, Count Kalmund immediately dispatched priests and knights. Even Leonard, the revolutionary group leader, volunteered to join the ambush.
But the result was horrific.
Without even several exchanges, the priests lost their heads. The knights were wiped out.
As soon as Leonard sensed an imminent defeat, he fled faster than anyone else.
And the ensuing massacre.
While the Prince of Turian continued his slaughter, the enemy army arrived. The disrupted formation of the 3rd Corps was instantly pushed back.
“Cough!”
Count Kalmund spat blood. Even with the guard knights blocking in front of him, he had fallen and was injured.
The guard knights he had relied on were all in pieces.
This was technique that couldn’t even be referred to as human. Such incredible power rendered any human strategy or tactics meaningless.
“We were… fighting an absurd character…”
The strongest in the Atrode Army were Gathros from the 1st Corps and Aiden from the 2nd Corps. Perhaps they had a chance only if those two ganged up on this individual.
It was something one could only know through experience, but Count Kalmund saw it that way.
The man before him slowly raised his sword. His troops were being pushed back and dying at the hands of the enemy army.
“This war… we are destined to lose.”
Somehow, he felt that intuition. The man in front of him was an abnormal existence.
It was already tough with just Duke Penris, but the Prince of Turian was extraordinarily powerful, surpassing all common sense.
Slash!
His thoughts were abruptly cut short as the man’s sword beheaded him.
“Phew…”
Yulien, who had decapitated Count Kalmund, let out a deep breath.
His opponent had disturbed his actions, prompting him to come charging in alone and disrupt their ranks.
No matter how strong he was, facing this number of troops alone would inevitably consume a significant amount of mana and tire him out.
Thus, he had let slip the most dangerous foe yet again.
“What about the message?”
He asked briefly, and Dark No. 28, perched on his shoulder, replied.
“They say you don’t need to come. Just don’t worry and keep chasing. They’ll handle the rest on their own. Jerome will probably be there first.”
“Alright.”
Yulien nodded slowly. Initially, he had planned to strike the 3rd Corps and then head to the designated location to regroup.
But since Leonard had fled, he had needed to inquire about the situation from Ghislaine.
Fortunately, it seemed that at this moment, he could afford to pull himself back. He believed Ghislaine, Jerome, Parniel, and the superhumans of the allied forces would adequately clean up the remaining enemies.
“Then let’s move immediately.”
At Yulien’s words, Dark No. 28 spread its wings wide and took off.
Yulien directed his horse towards the direction Dark was flying.
Once again, Leonard, who had successfully fled, remained a dangerous element. Thus, he planned to seize this opportunity and eliminate him completely.
