ã€ŠThe Time-Stop Breeding Uncle Wantéˆ¥æªš to Retireã€‹


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    My first encounter with the Time Stop Breeding Uncle was the worst.

    There was an adult game called ¡°Royal Knights Maker.¡± That was where I met the Time Stop Breeding Uncle.

    I never imagined he would suddenly intrude on the happy ending and rape all the heroines.

    At that point, I was so dumbfounded that I couldn¡¯t even get angry. Rather, I thought he was quite amazing.

    Even though he possessed the ability to stop time, he constantly engaged in such pathetic actions.

    Yeah, well.

    You might think that if it were you, you wouldn¡¯t live your life like that, right?

    But I only thought about it, and I never expected to transmigrate into the Time Stop Breeding Uncle.

    [You disrespected me. Why don¡¯t you try living well for once.]

    ¡°No, fuck. This is too much of a disaster. You damn bastard!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but curse.

    My body that had been somewhat sturdy from regr exercise suddenly disappeared.

    Instead, a bulging belly, which was most likely the result of severe obesity, took its ce.

    Now, I could only stare at the mirror.

    My hair was shaggy and full of dandruff, which made one question thest time he had washed it.

    He even wore sses on his face.

    Moreover, it was full of ckheads and an incredible amount of e.

    It could be said to be the epitome of disgust.

    It was so absurd that I unknowingly grinned.

    Then, I immediately hid the mirror.

    ¡°Ah, okay. I was wrong. Let¡¯s stop this now.¡±

    Even though I felt like smashing everything around me right away, I suppressed my anger as much as possible and begged the original Time Stop Breeding Uncle.

    Yeah, I was wrong.

    I no longer cared about his way of life.

    This had to be stopped¡­It was ridiculous to apologize to a game character. But if I didn¡¯t do this, I felt like I really wouldn¡¯t be able to go back.

    [I¡¯m sorry. I like this world.]

    ¡°Please, think carefully. I don¡¯t even have the ability to stop time, you know?¡±

    [Because I don¡¯t have to forcibly take on the role of a dirty viin.]

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Suddenly, his tone had be normal.

    No, rather, it was an intimidating voice that made me feel momentary fear.

    He didn¡¯t have to take on the role of a dirty viin?

    Did he mean he was forced to y that role?

    [Don¡¯t worry, of course. The constraint is on the soul. You probably won¡¯t have any constraints.]

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief, but¡­¡±

    [This is thest conversation. May your future be blessed.]

    ¡°Hey, you fucking bastard!!! Yeah! I was wrong! I¡¯m sorry for lying!!¡±

    I didn¡¯t care about the constraints or whatever, give me back my body!!!

    Why were you messing with me in the first ce?!

    Of course, it was true that I wrote an angry review.

    It was also true that I cursed out the Time Stop Breeding Uncle like crazy.

    But honestly, it was understandable, wasn¡¯t it?!

    You damned bastard!!!

    I poured out curses with all my might. But nothing changed.

    I was still in the body of the Time Stop Breeding Uncle.

    Alright, fine.

    Did you think I¡¯d just take this lying down?

    I¡¯d ovee this somehow.

    But before that, I had to lose some weight first.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    There was an old saying, ¡°Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never lose a battle.¡±

    So, we had to learn about the Time Stop Breeding Uncle first.

    In fact, the name ¡°Time Stop Breeding Uncle¡± was just a disparaging term used by themunity.

    There wasn¡¯t an officially confirmed name.However, seeing how even the developers referred to him that way, it was almost half-official.

    The Time Stop Breeding Uncle was literally an uncle who stopped time and raped the heroines.

    Of course, because he stopped time before raping the heroines, not only the protagonist, but even the heroines couldn¡¯t perceive the existence of the Time Stop Breeding Uncle.

    The reason why this uncle was particrly malicious was that he only appeared in the good endings.

    For example, a good ending of this game was the wedding of the protagonist and the heroine.

    Exactly, this uncle raped the heroine who had barely made it to her wedding after oveing all sorts of hardships and adversities!

    [Such a beautiful bride! This uncle is happy!]

    [I came inside a brand new, unused vagina for the first time!]

    [This uncle will now disappear coolly. I don¡¯t like secondhand goods.]

    It would have been understandable if he only appeared in the bad endings.

    Just why did he suddenly appear in the good endings without any foreshadowing?

    Moreover, the developers added fuel to the fire.

    [Life doesn¡¯t flow as easily as in a game. We wanted to directly inform you of that.]

    [Why are you so angry? It¡¯s not a good choice to be too immersed in virtual characters.]

    It sounded like trolling, right?

    This was directly posted on the official SNS of this game.

    As a result, themunity was in an uproar.

    Refund rush, 1-star rating shower, etc.

    The game was properly bombarded.

    But what was the use of that?

    The yers had already been hurt.

    Even if there was foreshadowing, it would have still been a situation where they would have been cursed out.

    It was already absurd that the Time Stop Breeding Uncle suddenly raped the heroine.

    But the developers were also saying things like that as well.

    The biggest problem was that I had be that Time Stop Uncle.

    The one who wore sses, had a disturbing amount of e, and was even severely obese.

    Damn, I felt likemitting suicide.

    Fuck.

    But I couldn¡¯t actuallymit suicide.

    I had to somehow return to my original world.

    That was why the first thing I, who had transmigrated, did was none other than training.

    ¡°Huff, huff!¡±

    This game boasted an incredibly gloomy worldview, unlike adult games.

    Of course, I had the ability to stop time, so I was confident that I would never die.

    But, I couldn¡¯t be satisfied with just that.

    The Time Stop Breeding Uncle was a typical ability-reliant character.

    In other words, despite having such an overpowered gift, he lived like that.

    So, I focused on increasing my capabilities first.

    And actually, the biggest reason was that I really didn¡¯t like my appearance.

    This protruding belly and chubby cheeks were at such a level of obesity that they made me want to cut off my fat with a sword immediately.

    ¡°Swing the sword more strongly!¡±

    ¡°Yes!!!¡±

    Fortunately, in the refugee camp where I was currently located, anyone could easily learn the sword.

    The refugee camp was a temporary shelter created by people who had lost their hometowns due to the war.

    However, the soldiers were currently fighting on the front lines, and couldn¡¯t protect this refugee camp.

    So, as a temporary measure, retired soldiers gathered the men and gave them military training.

    Of course, it was just basic swordsmanship.

    But for me, who had no knowledge of swordsmanship at all, it was like a long-awaited rain.

    Also, through exercise, I started to lose weight as well.

    The reason why the Time Stop Breeding Uncle was so fat was simple.

    It was because he secretly stole other people¡¯s food using his time-stopping ability.

    It was written in his diary.

    ¡°At this point, it¡¯s not just absurd, it¡¯s truly amazing.¡±

    He had an overpowered skill like time stop and still resorted to petty theft.

    Furthermore, I sincerely paid homage to the guy who nonchntly stole what people risked their lives to obtain.

    It was even written in his diary that when people asked him for help, he¡¯d run away with his time stop ability.

    So, not only did he steal people¡¯s belongings because he was scared of the outside, but he also refused to work, spending his time ying and eating.

    At this point, the restriction wasn¡¯t the problem; rather, it was the Time Stop Breeding Uncle who was innately trash.

    But, I had be that trash?

    ¡°Should I just die?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t die!!¡±

    ¡°Oh my god, you startled me.¡±

    I had no choice but to sit still, acknowledging this bleak reality after the training was over.

    Suddenly, I heard a loud voice next to me and was a little surprised.

    When I turned my head, there was a boy with red hair tied in a ponytail.

    I felt like I had seen him often somewhere.

    Although after contemtion, I disregarded that thought immediately.

    That person was a woman, not a man.

    This guy in front of me looked like a man no matter what angle I looked at him from.

    The red-haired boy wore rags on his body.

    And, because he couldn¡¯t wash properly, his face and body were dirty.

    The boy held out the bowl he was holding to me.

    I tilted my head.

    ¡°What is this bowl?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you this, so don¡¯t die!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    There was food in the bowl.

    But it was clearly not for human consumption.

    Moldy bread and dirty vegetables stained with filth.

    No matter how I looked at it, it seemed like eating it would send me straight to the afterlife.

    But this was definitely not a joke.

    Rather, the boy was trying to help me out of pure goodwill.

    Because right now, even this kind of food had to be eaten gratefully in this situation.

    Of course, there was a possibility that things might go wrongter if I ate it.

    But if I didn¡¯t eat it, I would starve to death right away.

    Furthermore, the boy had given the food to me.

    He was so damn kind.

    ¡°If you give this to me, what will you do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine! I can get more again!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really a kind child. This uncle is touched.¡±

    Damn, this way of speaking was insane, seriously.

    The unique speech pattern of the Time Stop Breeding Uncle still remained and was tormenting me.

    No, that wasn¡¯t important right now.

    You had to reward a kind child.

    ¡°Follow me for a moment¡­Ah.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    I had momentarily forgotten.

    The fact that my current appearance was extremely suspicious.

    I nced around.

    I could see people ncing at me sideways.

    It felt unjust.

    But it wasn¡¯t like I couldn¡¯t understand them either.

    If I were them, I would also be wary if someone who looked like the Time Stop Breeding Uncle stood in front of a child like this.

    Anyway, in this situation, taking this child home was too risky.

    Then, there was no choice.

    I never thought I would use my gift in this way so soon.

    I snapped my fingers.

    As the sound of my middle finger and index finger colliding spread around, the world had begun to turn gray.

    Soon, everything stopped.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely an incredible ability.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s time except mine had stopped.

    The Time Stop Breeding Uncle even raped the heroines in this state.

    Physical interference would also be possible.

    It was literally an invincible ability.

    But with this kind of ability, all he did was petty theft and rape.

    Thinking he was a really great man, I moved my feet.

    First, I went back home and brought some food.

    Anyway, these were things that the Time Stop Breeding Uncle had gotten through stealing.

    Giving them to people in need like this was the best choice.

    Besides, there was plenty of food.

    I packed a few suitable cans.

    The cans here were slightly different from the cans we knew.

    First of all, unlike modern cans, the cans here could not be preserved for a long time.

    To be precise, they could be preserved to some extent.

    But they couldn¡¯t be stored for as long as modern cans.

    In the first ce, ording to the game¡¯s settings, they were hurriedly made to preserve food for as long as possible.

    Of course, taste and nutrition weren¡¯t entirely guaranteed.

    But, I could confidently say that it was a hundred or a thousand times better than eating the food waste the boy had.

    ¡°Here, this is a gift from your uncle to a kind child.¡±

    ¡°What?! Y-you¡¯re giving this to me?!¡±

    ¡°Of course. A kind child deserves to receive it.¡±

    I handed three cans to the boy.

    This amount wouldst for 3 days if he ate sparingly.

    Then, I took the bowl from the boy and threw away the garbage it contained.

    No matter how hungry you were, eating this kind of garbage would be super poisonous.

    Of course, if you were on the verge of starvation, you had no choice but to eat it.

    But, I had no intention of leaving him like that.

    ¡°Th-thank you! Thank you so much!¡±

    ¡°This uncle is happy just to be of help.¡±

    ¡°Yes! It was really a big help!¡±

    The boy kept bowing his head to thank me.

    Then he ran to his house, and I warmly watched him go.

    Of course, my number one goal was still to return.

    To somehow go back to my original world and get my body back.

    But you needed some leeway for that too.

    The world was about to be destroyed right now.

    Would it be wrong for me to leisurely find a way to return?

    So, I had to lose weight first.

    Damn it.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    A week had already passed.

    While time felt like it was passing quickly, I was slightly anxious about my unchanging self.

    Of course, I wasn¡¯t just ying around during that time.

    I went to the training ground every day without fail and trained.I also tried to get closer to the people around me in my own way.

    Of course, there weren¡¯t many results.

    The way people looked at me as if I were a bug was truly heartbreaking.

    It couldn¡¯t be helped.

    In a way, this was a consequence of my own actions.

    ording to the Time Stop Breeding Uncle¡¯s diary, he easily stole food and belongings that people brought using time stop.

    From the people¡¯s perspective, he was a suspicious person who always had an abundance of food despite not working at all.

    Naturally, he was bound to receive bad looks from people.

    ¡°Besides, the time stop ability isn¡¯tpletely invincible either.¡±

    Of course, I wasn¡¯t talking nonsense about the time stop ability being weak.

    Rather, the more I used it, the more I realized that it was an overpowered ability.

    But it wasn¡¯t like it doesn¡¯t have weaknesses.

    First of all, the biggest weakness was the cooldown.

    Surprisingly, I could control the duration at will.

    But instead, the cooldown was twice the stopped time.

    In other words, I couldn¡¯t spam it recklessly.

    Of course, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered in the original work.

    He appeared after all the enemies were dead.

    Moreover, with time stopped, the opponent couldn¡¯t even react.

    Was there a need to care about the cooldown?

    But now the situation was different.

    If the opponent was an ordinary human, it might be fine.

    But there were many cases where they didn¡¯t die even if their heads were cut off due to regeneration.

    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean the value of the time stop ability had diminished.

    The fact that it allowed you to fight in a very advantageous situation was more than enough to make the value of the time stop ability overflow.

    But if I couldn¡¯t finish off the enemy, I would end up losing.

    In other words, it meant I shouldn¡¯t be arrogant just because I had the overpowered ability to time stop.

    In fact, even in other novels orics, there were many guys who died miserably after being arrogant just because they had an overpowered ability.

    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±

    And the second weakness was the extreme stamina consumption.

    To put it simply, it was simr to running a marathon.

    Stamina was continuously consumed, and in the end, I would be exhausted and copse, causing the time stop to be released.

    In other words, as long as my stamina held up, I could maintain a time stopped state for as long as I wanted.

    That also meant that individual skills were important.

    If you didn¡¯t have stamina, you couldn¡¯t maintain it.

    Also, even if you stopped time, if you couldn¡¯t kill the enemy, you would end up dying.

    Of course, if I deliberately ran away, I would never die.

    But not everything goes as nned.

    ¡°Uncle! Uncle!¡±

    ¡°Oh my god, you startled me. When did youe again?¡±

    ¡°I just came now!¡±

    The training ground set up in the refugee camp was avable to anyone.

    And that included the little ones too.

    Thanks to that, the red-haired kid I met before wasing to see me almost every day.

    The more I looked at him, the more I felt like I had seen him a lot somewhere.

    But I didn¡¯t know where I had seen him.

    I clicked my tongue and looked at the kid.

    I don¡¯t know what he was so happy about, but the kid was smiling brightly.

    ¡°Why do you keeping to see me?¡±

    ¡°Just because! I¡¯m curious about what you¡¯re doing, Uncle.¡±

    ¡°This uncle is always diligently exercising.¡±

    ¡°Why? To lose weight?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    I was unexpectedly hit with facts.

    Did I look like a pig even to the kid?

    I had suddenly be very depressed.

    But, I had to admit what needed to be admitted.

    I was indeed a pig right now.

    In fact, it was amazing to gain weight in this situation.

    Well, the Time Stop Breeding Uncle always easily obtained food.

    Despite that, he didn¡¯t exercise and just yed and ate every day.

    That was why he had no choice but to be a pig.

    And now I had to take all the responsibility for that.

    When I thought about it, I felt so wronged that I thought I would go crazy.

    So, I just stopped thinking about it.

    ¡°I think you¡¯ve lost weightpared to when I first saw you!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    This little bastard?

    I ran forward to smack him on the head as punishment for daring to tease an adult.

    The kid ran awayughing.

    It seemed like I had a lot of stress built up.

    I chuckled.

    Yeah, every child should have always been able to smile and live freely, just like a child.

    But suddenly, someone blocked my way.

    When I looked up, I saw a young man wearing brown leather armor.

    He seemed to be in his early to mid-20s.

    He had rtively clean skin and blue hair.

    But what was important wasn¡¯t that.

    It was the equipment he was wearing now.

    Brown leather armor and a cheap shortsword.

    It might not look like much, but it was actually a supply item given to the vige guards.

    In other words, to summarize the current situation, it means I got caught by the police.

    Aaaaahhhh!!!

    Stay calm, stay calm.

    Even if you got bitten by a tiger, you could survive if you kept your mind straight.

    I hadn¡¯t done anything wrong yet.

    But a guard appeared.

    Why?

    First, I had to calmly think about the reason.

    What was I doing just now?

    I was ying with the kid.

    The kid was running away, and I was chasing after him¡­

    Oh shit, I unwittingly epted it.

    What do I do now?

    ¡°Are you trying to even rape a child now, Hans?¡±

    ¡°Why would I do such a thing?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah? Then how will you exin what just happened?¡±

    The slightly raised corners of his mouth were filled with ridicule.

    At first, I thought he intervened because I was suspicious.

    But I could clearly feel malice.

    I snorted and said,

    ¡°They say people see what they want to see. You¡¯re exactly like that.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°What? Am I wrong?¡±

    ¡°You bastard!! Even though you can¡¯t even make eye contact normally!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It seemed like this guy knew the Time Stop Breeding Uncle.

    He called me by name earlier.

    Somehow, I thought it was strange that he approached me so casually.

    But there was a secret behind it.

    But even with that much power, did the Time Stop Breeding Uncle really live with his eyes down?

    No, in a way, it was conscientious.

    At least it meant he acknowledged the fact that he was trash.

    I nced away.

    People who were drawn to themotion were whispering and looking this way.

    They were all giving me bad looks.

    Naturally, in my direction.

    This was not good.

    Putting aside the circumstances of transmigration or whatever, objectively, I was at a great disadvantage.

    Anyway, I was currently a useless burden to the vige.

    On the contrary, he was a guard of the vige.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Where did that confident mouth from earlier go?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The momentum shifted.

    Realizing that, his expression became arrogant again.

    There was nothing good about fighting more here.

    In the worst case, I might even be kicked out of the vige.

    That would be troublesome.

    Of course, I had the time stop ability.

    But between building strength in the rtively safe refugee camp and dangerously rolling outside, even a fool can figure out which was better.

    ¡°It seems you finally understand your ce, Hans.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°This is yourst chance. Apologize, and I¡¯ll specially let it go.¡±

    ¡°Da¡­¡±

    If he¡¯d let this go with a simple apology, I had nothing to lose.

    If I could get through this situation with just an apology, it was a rather profitable deal.

    The humiliation now could be paid back anytimeter.

    ¡°Ah, stop bothering Uncle!!!¡±

    ¡°???¡±

    If the kid hadn¡¯t intervened in the middle, I definitely would have done that.

    I was startled.

    At some point, the red-haired kid got between me and the young man, trying to protect me.

    ¡°This is an adult matter. It¡¯s not something a child should get involved in.¡±

    ¡°Uncle is a good person! He gave me unspoiled food!¡±

    ¡°Wh-why are you suddenly bringing that up here?!¡±

    He seemed flustered.

    The kid, with a reddened face and even tears in his eyes, shouted at the top of his lungs.

    It seemed like he was just blurting out whatever, but thanks to that, I realized one thing.

    ¡°That spoiled food from before¡­You gave it to him?¡±

    ¡°He gave spoiled food to a child?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? A guard wouldn¡¯t¡­¡±

    The atmosphere changed again.

    With a single word from an innocent child, people¡¯s attention had now focused on him.

    Come to think of it, I thought it was strange.

    Giving spoiled food, even if he was like that.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were fighting over that issue?¡±

    ¡°Giving spoiled food is a problem, so¡­¡±

    ¡°If we don¡¯t properly protest this¡­¡±

    Thanks to that, I also gained a justification.

    People mistakenly thought we were fighting over that issue.

    As the situation turned unfavorable, his expression soon turned red with anger.

    ¡°You damn brat!!!¡±

    ¡°Aaaahh?!¡±

    In the end, unable to contain his anger, he swung his fist.

    My reaction was too slow.

    Even though he was a guard, his fist was incredibly fast.

    If things went wrong, the child could really die.

    However, just before the fist made contact, all the colors around me disappeared.

    Soon, in that world dyed gray, I was the only one who could move.

    I quickly grabbed the back of the kid¡¯s neck.

    And as I pulled him back, I stretched out my palm to block the guard¡¯s fist.

    Soon, time flowed.

    Baam!!

    A tremendous noise rang out.

    I frowned and said,

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s something you should do to a child.¡±

    ¡°It, it hurts¡­!!¡±

    ¡°Where did you learn to say that?¡±

    The kid, whose neck was grabbed by me, spoke with sparkling eyes.

    But the reality wasn¡¯t that cool.

    The fist was so fast that my reaction was slow.

    I was also overpowered in strength.

    If it wasn¡¯t for time stop, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to block it.

    Fortunately, the other guards arrested the young man.

    Thanks to that, I was saved.

    At the same time, I realized.

    I couldn¡¯t stay like this.

    ¡°I need to be stronger than I am now.¡±

    To find a way to return to my original world, I would need power whether I liked it or not.

    Until now, I didn¡¯t use it for safety, but if I continued like this, I didn¡¯t know when I would be strong.

    From today, I¡¯ll use time stop to train.

    I might be in danger due to the cooldown, but staying like this wouldn¡¯t change anything.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The problem turned out to be bigger than expected.

    Andrew, themander of the refugee camp¡¯s security force, sighed.

    The refugee representative hadined that he was giving too much preferential treatment to the security guards.

    In fact, it wasn¡¯t wrong.For example, the best supplies were given first to the soldiers who needed them.

    Or distributing food rations to the soldiers first, except for the sick.

    In a way, that was natural.

    Because soldiers always had to risk their lives.

    Not only receiving supplies immediately, but also hunting, scouting, and other work, soldiers were out there risking their lives at any moment.

    But if they didn¡¯t give such preferential treatment, naturally the soldiers¡¯ dissatisfaction would skyrocket.

    That¡¯s why he allowed as much convenience as possible within eptable limits.

    At the same time, he always emphasized that if they went too far in their misdeeds, even what they were enjoying now could all disappear.

    But he never expected them to openly cause an incident like this.

    ¡°Was I toocent?¡±

    Of course, they didn¡¯t just pick anyone to be a soldier.

    Although it was true that they didn¡¯t have much leeway, they at least picked people who were capable.

    In other words, they picked people who could be controlled.

    But the soldier who caused the problem this time, Lowell, turned out to be more cunning than expected.

    In front of those stronger than him, he always showed his best effort with a smile.

    On the contrary, in front of those weaker than him, he revealed his true colors.

    And the victims were usually powerless patients or children.

    As a result, it took a while to notice the damage.

    ¡°What happened to Lowell?¡±

    ¡°As you said, we¡¯ve locked him up in jail for now.¡±

    ¡°Good, after discussing with the refugee representative, we¡¯ll hold a trial right away.¡±

    ¡°Yes! I understand.¡±

    ¡°The problem is who will fill the vacancy¡­¡±

    Maintaining the military force was the most important task.

    If even one person was missing, the burden on the other soldiers would be too heavy.

    But this time, as well as other times, they had to be very careful in their selection.

    They had already lost the trust of the people due to this incident.

    If the same problem urred here again, who knows what might happen then.

    If things went wrong, they could really be divided.

    With monsters right on their doorstep, if division urred among the people, it would be no different than being dead.

    Knowing this well, the choice weighed heavily on him.

    ¡°There¡¯s no choice. The answer is already decided anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­Shall I call him?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to go far. He¡¯ll be at the training ground right now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    A momentter, the soldier who had gone out on orders returned with that man.

    He had gained quite a bit of fat, and his hair was shaggy.

    He wasn¡¯t a likable-looking man, to put it mildly.

    But Andrew didn¡¯t care about appearances.

    What¡¯s important for a soldier isn¡¯t their looks.

    It¡¯s their skills and trustworthiness.

    This man had caught his eye around two weeks ago.

    Ugly Hans, pathetic Hans.

    That was the nickname people in the refugee camp called him.

    And it wasn¡¯t wrong.

    Putting aside his appearance, his actions were truly pathetic and ugly.

    While everyone else was diligently working on their assigned tasks, he alone didn¡¯t do anything and just yed around, growing fat, so people mocked him with that name.

    However, honestly, there was a question.

    Naturally, since Hans didn¡¯t work, he could only receive very little food rations.

    But how on earth did he maintain that plump body?

    Andrew clicked his tongue.

    ¡®That¡¯s not what¡¯s important right now.¡¯

    It was suspicious, but upon investigation, no evidence of theft was found.

    And as if he had a change of heart, he started training at the training ground two weeks ago.

    At first, they didn¡¯t pay attention.

    They thought he would give up soon enough.

    But unexpectedly, he came out and trained diligently every day.

    As a result, he had lost a considerable amount of weight.

    Furthermore, crucially, he was the one who stopped the rampage of the security guard Lowell a week ago.

    If it weren¡¯t for Hans, they wouldn¡¯t have known that Lowell was distributing rotten food to the weak.

    ¡°He¡¯s got more guts than I thought.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. More importantly, I¡¯d like to make a proposal.¡±

    ¡°G-go ahead and speak.¡±

    He directly stood up to a powerful security guard for the sake of a child.

    Also, upon further investigation, it was said that he even shared his own food with the child.

    He had definitely changed his behavior.

    Moreover, what stood out even more was his skill.

    Lowell¡¯s personality aside, his talent and skill were the best in the security force.

    But Hans easily blocked Lowell¡¯s attack.

    Furthermore, at that time, Hans had only been training for a mere week.

    That¡¯s when he realized it.

    The fact that Hans also had tremendous talent.

    Although he still had quite a bit of fat,pared to when he first saw him, it was truly aplete transformation.

    And above all, he had the guts to stand up to someone stronger than him for the sake of a child.

    Then the answer was already clear.

    ¡°You, have you ever considered working in the security force?¡±

    * * *

    I was surprised.

    While I was training at the training ground as usual, a security guard suddenly called for me.

    I was worried that I might be arrested again, but I never expected to receive such a proposal.

    Actually, it wasn¡¯t a bad offer.

    Normally, they would be little more than errand boys, but in wartime, security guards had considerable authority.

    The benefits they received were also quite substantial.

    However, there were downsides as well.

    Security guards were the ones who went outside to obtain food.

    Just outside the palisade, numerous monsters were swarming, aiming for people¡¯s lives.

    ¡°I have one request.¡±

    ¡°What is it? Tell me.¡±

    ¡°I want to learn swordsmanship directly from you, Commander.¡±

    ¡°Learn swordsmanship directly from me? That¡¯s an interesting request.¡±

    So, I made a proposal.

    It was to receive training directly from the securitymander, Andrew.

    Even if he was past his prime, he was a former knight.

    His level was different from ordinary soldiers.

    Naturally, if I could receive training directly from Andrew, I could be even stronger than I am now.

    Andrew readily epted the proposal.

    And so, I became a member of the security force.

    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you twice a week. How about that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. Then I¡¯ll assign you a senior tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    The security force operated in pairs.

    Naturally, I was the junior, and the senior who woulde tomorrow would be my partner.

    Then, today was thest day I could rx.

    But it wasn¡¯t bad.

    Although it was cheap, I could be supplied with armor and weapons.

    I could also go outside and directly fight monsters.

    Above all, if I kept working, people¡¯s perception of me would change quite a bit.

    And I could even receive training directly from Andrew.

    It was nothing but gains.

    After finishing my private meeting with Andrew, I immediately went outside the training ground.

    As expected, the kid was there.

    ¡°You¡¯re quitete today, Uncle!¡±

    ¡°Themander called for me, so I went and came back.¡±

    ¡°Themander?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, starting tomorrow, I¡¯ll be working as a security guard.¡±

    ¡°Wow! Just like the Royal Knights!¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not quite at that level.¡±

    The kid¡¯s eyes sparkled as he spoke, and I smiled bitterly.

    The Royal Knights were beings simr to heroes, to put it simply.

    As the monster invasion began, the continental people felt their limits.

    They realized that the response of a single nation could never win.

    So, the greatest heroes representing each race gathered in one ce.

    That was the Royal Knights.

    Naturally, they were no different from the fantasy version of the AvengXXX, so after the Royal Knights were established, humanity continued to achieve victories.

    But for some reason, except for a few, the Royal Knights were wiped out.

    And the story of this game was about the protagonist, who became the newmander of the fallen Royal Knights, gathering talented individuals to rebuild the Royal Knights.

    Of course, it was still just an adult game in the end.

    ¡°Why on earth were the Royal Knights wiped out?¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, anyway, do you want to y hide-and-seek today?¡±

    ¡°Sure! Uncle is it!¡±

    The reason why the previous Royal Knights were annihted wasn¡¯t even revealed.

    I was curious about that, but there was no need to worry about it now.

    It¡¯s not like I could stop it anyway.

    After ying with the kid for a bit, I started my full-fledged training from then on.

    As my middle finger and thumb collided, the surrounding scenery turned gray.

    Soon, everything stopped.

    ¡°Then, shall we start right away?¡±

    I immediately started doing push-ups.

    It had already been a week since I started training using time stop.

    Although it was only a week, the effect was much better than I had expected.

    First of all, because it was apanied by extreme stamina consumption, it was much more effective than just exercising normally.

    It felt like exercising with sandbags attached all over my body.

    Of course, on the first day, I fainted from exhaustion.

    But now, a weekter, I was enduring it to some extent.

    Looking at that, training through time stop seemed to result in faster growth as well.

    As proof, even though I had only trained for a mere week, I had noticeably lost a lot of weight.

    Of course, my face was still ugly.

    What was important now wasn¡¯t my face, but how much stronger I could be.

    ¡°Just you wait, you damn bastard. I¡¯ll definitely make it back alive.¡±

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m your senior, Brick.¡±

    The next day, as promised, when I went to the training ground, Andrew and arge man were there.

    The man who introduced himself as Brick was veryrge and had a very rugged appearance.

    Well, I wasn¡¯t in a position to say anything about his appearance. At least that guy looked like a human.

    Anyway, from my perspective, he was my only mentor and senior, so I greeted him right away.

    ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Hans, the new recruit who just joined!¡±

    ¡°Your voice is full of spirit. I like it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it. Please teach him well.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Andrew patted my back and asked, and Brick even saluted as he answered.

    I was immediately put to work with Brick.

    There were surprisingly many things that the refugee camp guards did.

    First, going out to receive supplies, sometimes hunting beasts or scouting abandoned viges for reconnaissance, and guard duty divided into day and night to protect the vige.

    And finally, even patrol duty to patrol the refugee camp.

    I knew, but it was more dangerous and difficult than I thought.

    Well, that¡¯s why the guards received more privileges.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re a newbie for now, you won¡¯t be assigned to reconnaissance.¡±

    ¡°Is reconnaissance done in rotation?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, because no one likes going outside.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    The palisade surrounding the refugee camp was no different from a lifeline for us.

    But going outside that palisade meant literally being prepared for death.

    So they had no choice but to hate it.

    But I had no choice but to do it even if I didn¡¯t like it.

    Whether I liked it or not, to find a way to return to the original world, I had to wander outside in the end.

    Then, naturally, I had no choice but to fight monsters.

    Of course, avoiding them with time stop was also a method, but I might not be able to use time stop.

    In the end, I had no choice but to fight someday, so I had to prepare in advance from now on.

    ¡°This is the most important ce.¡±

    ¡°It looks like an old warehouse.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a food warehouse where we store food.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    I was able to obtain surprisingly a lot of information from Brick.

    And also that the situation in the refugee camp wasn¡¯t very good.

    The number of people currently amodated in the refugee camp was roughly 300.

    And among them, there were 50 security guards.

    Normally, it would have been an excessive military force, but in a situation like now, he said they had no choice but to maintain soldiers even if it was unreasonable.

    But a problem urred here.

    Recently, all the personnel who had gone out for hunting or reconnaissance had returned empty-handed.

    Thanks to that, the alreadycking food became even more scarce.

    ¡°Fortunately, we¡¯re growing turnips, potatoes, beans, etc. to get by, but even that will reach its limit soon.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°But we¡¯re still better off. At least it¡¯s not bad enough to put in sawdust.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Bread made by grinding turnips and mixing them with flour wasn¡¯t very tasty, but it was definitely much better than grinding and adding sawdust.

    At least turnips were food that people ate.

    Anyway, today¡¯s work was finally over.

    I returned the gear I received as supplies to the security forces and went home.

    To be precise, I was going to go back.

    If it weren¡¯t for the kid.

    Even though the sun had almost set, the red-haired kid was sitting near the training ground, dozing off.

    I released a hollowugh.

    What the hell was he doing here?

    ¡°If you sleep here, you¡¯ll catch a cold. Get up quickly.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Uncle?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s uncle. So get up now.¡±

    I never thought he would wait until this time.

    If I had known, I would have given him a heads-up in advance.

    He seemed extremely sleepy, the kid staggered and eventually fell into my arms.

    ¡°Sleepy¡­ I want to sleep more¡­¡±

    ¡°Geez, you¡¯re such a handful.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I had no choice but to pick up the kid.

    I couldn¡¯t just leave him here.

    And at the same time, I realized.

    I didn¡¯t know where this kid¡¯s house was.

    In the first ce, even if I knew, where would I use that information?

    It wasn¡¯t like I was going to visit the kid¡¯s house looking like this.

    If I visited, wouldn¡¯t the kid¡¯s parents be wary of me?

    I quickly tried to shake the kid awake, but the more I did, the more the kid just burrowed into my arms.

    Well, it was already cold weather, and he had been waiting outside for a long time.

    I had no choice, I had to take him home today.

    I put the kid on my back and walked forward.

    The Time Stop Breeding Uncle¡¯s house was a tent located in the corner of the refugee camp.

    It was already on the outskirts, and the condition of the tent wasn¡¯t very good either, so it was a perfect ce to freeze to death if you didn¡¯t light a fire.

    Of course, firewood didn¡¯t just sprout from the sky, but the Time Stop Breeding Uncle solved that using time stop.

    Then did he go out and gather wood himself?

    How could that be?

    Of course, he stole firewood from other houses and used it.

    What the hell, it¡¯s like an onion.

    Even if you peel and peel, there¡¯s no end.

    Really.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Just wait a bit. I¡¯ll start a bonfire.¡±

    I immediately brought firewood.

    Not the firewood that the Time Stop Breeding Uncle had stolen.

    I went out and gathered the firewood myself.

    Gather the firewood and set it on fire, that¡¯s it.

    As I lit the bonfire, the kid¡¯s expression became much more rxed.

    I chuckled as I saw that.

    I don¡¯t know about other things, but he¡¯s unnecessarily honest in everything.

    This should be enough.

    After making sure the kid had fallen into a deep sleep, I soon got up from my spot.

    Once again, the surroundings began to turn gray.

    Now that the work was done, it was time to train.

    * * *

    Time passed like an arrow.

    In the meantime, there were some achievements.

    First, the cooldown time of time stop had shortened slightly.

    However, I didn¡¯t directly time the cooldown.

    One day, I suddenly realized it instinctively.

    Come to think of it, it was said that gifts greatly develop ording to the user¡¯s capabilities.

    Could it be rted to that?

    However, the cooldown time didn¡¯t decrease significantly.

    If it was originally about 2 times, now it was about 1.9 times?

    But this was good news.

    It meant that just by using it a lot, the cooldown time of time stop would decrease.

    Moreover, not only the ability but also my body had changed.

    ¡°It seems you¡¯re training hard.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not an emptypliment. Your stamina has gotten quite good.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m always working hard.¡±

    Andrew was a better teacher than I thought.

    I learned the swordsmanship and martial arts he taught with my body and reviewed them using time stop.

    Naturally, it became a tremendous workout.

    Thanks to that, the fat started to burn tremendously.

    Of course, it meant that it had improved a lotpared to before.

    Even now, the fact that I was a pig hadn¡¯t changed, but should I say I had be less of a pig?

    Anyway, as a result of training without fail every day and working hard, I gained some trust within the security forces.

    Of course, I was still called ugly Hans, but it was okay.

    If I continued like this, I could be stronger.

    That was what I thought.

    But life never flowed the direction you wanted it to.

    It was on that day when I was training hard as usual.

    The urgent sound of an rm bell rang from the direction of the vige entrance.

    For a very brief moment, my body froze.

    ¡°¡­Monsters have invaded?!¡±

    ¡°Newbie! Quickly grab your weapons!¡±

    ¡°Y-yes!!!¡±

    I had forgotten for a moment because it had been peacefultely.

    This world was a world where it wouldn¡¯t be strange for monsters to suddenly invade one day.

    No, rather, it being peaceful for this long was strange.

    I quickly grabbed armor and weapons from the security forces and ran to the palisade with Brick.

    At the entrance, I saw security guards likewise holding weapons and confronting monsters.

    Stay calm, stay calm.

    I took a deep breath.

    And I confirmed what kind of monsters the security guards were confronting.

    They were wolves with ck fur. They were twice the size of ordinary wolves.

    And they had sharp horns on their heads that looked like des.

    de Wolves, mid-level monsters from the game.

    In-game level ranged from 20 to 40 at most.

    Fortunately, they didn¡¯t have regenerative abilities.

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, there are so many de Wolves.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of them all.¡±

    ¡°Take care of them all? What do you¡­¡±

    I silently ced my hand on the hilt. At the same time, the surroundings began to turn gray with me at the center.

    Fortunately, I hadn¡¯t used time stop today, so the cooldown wasn¡¯t activated.

    If it was on cooldown¡­ ugh, I don¡¯t even want to imagine it.

    At first, I thought about dealing with them without using the time stop ability, but honestly, I wasn¡¯t confident yet. So, I decided to use time stop and kill them without any uncertain variables.

    ¡°Ugh. They¡¯re fucking tough.¡±

    Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have a swordsmanship technique that could cut them all down at once.

    Do you know what that meant?

    One at a time. I had to kill them slowly, and definitively. Even if it took quite some time.

    ¡°Damn, do I have to do this one by one?¡±

    At first, I thought the time stop ability was really cool. But when I actually tried it, it was kind of different from what I imagined.

    I grunted and barely cut the neck of thest remaining wolf.

    ¡°I really¡­ feel like I¡¯m going to die¡­!!¡±

    I was out of breath. I felt like I was going to copse at any moment. Was it because I was too tired?

    I was barely standing and my bones felt like they were melting. At that moment, time stop had been released.

    ¡°Huh? Wait¡­¡±

    And people saw.

    The wolves were all dead.

    And at the center of their corpses, my figure stood alone.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    It was the first time I used time stop in actualbat.

    Thanks to that, I was able to find out various facts.

    First of all, to talk about the disadvantages, time stop left the user with no choice but to overexert themselves.

    As a result of this, I had to personally cut the necks of all those de Wolves one by one with a sword.Naturally, it took a lot of time.

    Thanks to that, the cooldown of time stop increased by too much.

    Fortunately, the de Wolves didn¡¯t have regenerative abilities, and there were no other monsters.

    If the opponent was a monster with regenerative abilities, or if there were other monsters remaining, it could have put me in danger instead.

    However, this just meant that there were disadvantages.

    It didn¡¯t mean that it wasn¡¯t a cheat.

    Rather, this made me certain.

    The Time Stop Breeding Uncle¡¯s gift was more of a cheat than I had imagined.

    Objectively, I was currently very weak.

    Excluding the time stop ability, I was at the level of an extra who could die at any moment without it being strange.

    Yet it allowed someone like me to handle dozens of de Wolves alone.

    I would never lose the initiative, and I would always be able to definitively kill the enemy, even while multitasking.

    It was literally a gift on a different level.

    However, there was also a downside.

    ¡°It¡¯s beyond imagination. Killing them all with a single blow.¡±

    ¡°This much is nothing.¡±

    ¡°Excessive modesty can rather be poison.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The problem was that people around me started to have strange misunderstandings on their own.

    Well, since they couldn¡¯t perceive what happened while time was stopped, such a reaction would be natural.

    From my perspective, it wasn¡¯t something to go crazy and jump for joy over.

    I mean, I stopped time and barely caught them one by one.

    I even took longer because I couldn¡¯t properly hold the sword.

    If I were a true master swordsman, I could have finished it much faster than before.

    But from the perspective of those who only witnessed the result, it looked like I handled it with a single blow.

    ¡°With you here, we can entrust it to you with peace of mind.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not to that extent¡­¡±

    ¡°Please use that strength for the sake of the people.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    No matter how desperately I denied it, in the end, it only came across as modesty.

    But it wasn¡¯t like I could reveal my ability. In the first ce, bbing about one¡¯s ability was a very stupid action.

    No matter how invincible time stop seemed, and even if it was actually invincible, the user wasn¡¯t invincible.

    In other words, it meant that if things went wrong, I could be caught off guard and killed.

    Moreover, without time stop, I was no different from a corpse. In such a situation, I had no intention of doing the stupid thing of bbing about my gift.

    Now, I was just carrying out the task at hand.

    ¡°By the way, when will we train again?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not weak enough to receive training from me.¡±

    ¡°???¡±

    Fuck.

    I didn¡¯t expect this.

    Andrew stopped teaching me because I was much stronger than him.

    Honestly, it was unfair. My skills were much worse than his.

    But it wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t understand.

    Just like there was a saying to not to show off in front of a caterpir, he must have felt burdened to teach someone stronger than him.

    But the problem was that it was me.

    If we fought without time stop, I would just get fucked! Please teach me! Unable to say it out loud, I just swallowed it and groaned inwardly.

    ¡°Excuse me, senior? What should I do¡­¡±

    ¡°Just stay at ease.¡±

    ¡°But why are you speaking to me so politely?¡±

    ¡°Because you are our hope.¡±

    ¡°???¡±

    Even the security guards, including Brick, started to use honorifics with me.

    So when I asked the reason, they said it was because of the overwhelming presence I showed in the previous battle.

    Damn it, so that was how it turned out.

    To put it simply, I was being treated as a hero.

    Right now, with monsters rampaging, people naturally wanted to rely on a hero. Because that way, their hearts could be at ease.

    If anything happened, we had a hero. The hero would eventually save us.

    They be reassured like that. I couldn¡¯t say anything about that. It was natural for humans.

    But why did it have to be me?

    Fuck.

    I mean, it felt good. Those who used to subtly ignore me were now crawling on their own.

    But I wasn¡¯t at the level to receive this kind of treatment now. In other words, the treatment was too excessive.

    ¡°What should I do from now on¡­¡±

    ¡°Uncle!!!¡±

    ¡°¡­?!¡±

    Something flew from behind at a tremendous speed and struck my back. Thanks to that, I felt like my waist had twisted.

    Damn it¡­ Who was it this time?

    Frowning, I looked at the culprit who had ambushed me.

    ¡°It¡¯s you again.¡±

    ¡°Hehe! I found you, uncle!¡±

    ¡°How do you keep finding me?¡±

    Short red hair, shabby appearance, a familiar sight.

    But how did this kid know where I was ande to find me?

    Was it a coincidence? Or was there something else?

    ¡°Uncle! Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°What are you suddenly talking about again?¡±

    ¡°Liar! Your expression doesn¡¯t look good.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Seeing the kid innocently tilting his head and asking, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    Was my expression so dark that even this kid could tell? I shouldn¡¯t be like this.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°This uncle doesn¡¯t lie.¡±

    ¡°Then make one promise with me!¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t suddenly disappear alone.¡±

    A much heavier promise than expected popped out.

    Moreover, for some reason, the kid¡¯s eyes were glowing red.

    The kid then held out his pinky finger to me.

    ¡°Alright, I promise.¡±

    It seemed like he had some story behind it.

    Otherwise, there was no way he would show such an appearance.

    I absolutely didn¡¯t promise because I was intimidated by the kid.

    I promised out of sympathy.

    ¡°You promised! Uncle!¡±

    ¡°This uncle is someone who always keeps his promises.¡±

    ¡°As expected, I can trust you, uncle.¡±

    The hair color and the obsession with promises. No matter how I looked at it, it was too simr to that character.

    However, that character was a girl. Could it be that this kid in front of me¡­?

    I soon shook my head with a chuckle.

    One of the protagonist¡¯s heroines was here right now.

    There was no way such a fortunate thing could happen.

    * * *

    [I¡¯ll definitelye back, it¡¯s a promise.]

    To the little one, that promise was the only reason to live. If they waited patiently, their parents would definitelye back.

    If they waited a little longer, they¡¯de back.

    They kept believing and waiting.

    One year taught the little one many things.

    If they sat still and cried, nothing would change.

    If they didn¡¯t get up and find food themselves, they¡¯d just starve.

    There was no longer a fence to protect the little one.

    However, the little one still kept waiting.

    Even as time passed and that promise wore away, they kept believing and waiting until the end.

    When are youing?

    You promised toe back.

    Promises had to always be kept.

    The questions became echoes and ate away at the little one¡¯s heart.

    And with time, that heart grew weary and their memories weathered.

    The weight of that promise and the length of time theynguished for was not something a mere child could bear.

    Perhaps that was why they intervened.

    With loneliness that pierced to the bone, the little one had unknowingly begun desiring the attention of others.

    So, they acted like a good child. A child who obediently listened to adults and did many good deeds.

    And thanks to that, they were able to meet uncle.

    On the outside, he had a lot of body fat and looked incredibly suspicious, so at first, the adults around them warned not to get close to him.

    But that was just the meddling of the ignorant.

    They didn¡¯t know anything, so they said such things.

    He always looked at them properly. And he even stepped up directly for them.

    At least that was what the child thought.

    Of course, it was only because the other party picked a fight first.

    But there was something more important to the child than that.

    What was his name, Lowell? He was a strange person who always pestered the child.

    So much so that the little one, who was acting as a good child, couldn¡¯t endure it and refused outright.

    It seemed like Lowell held a grudge over that, so he used everything he had to torment the little one, from distributing rotten food to giving all sorts of disadvantages under various pretexts.

    No one directly stepped up. Because he was a rather sessful security guard.

    The people around them only expressed worry vocally. But uncle showed it not with words, but with actions.

    ¡°Uncle! Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°What are you suddenly talking about again?¡±

    ¡°Liar! Your expression doesn¡¯t look good.¡±

    To the child, promises had be more important than anything else.

    But in truth, they hadn¡¯t made a promise to anyone. Because they didn¡¯t have a deep enough rtionship with anyone to make a promise.

    To the child, a promise carried the same weight as their parents. And the uncle, while being with the child, at some point captured the child¡¯s heart.

    When they woke up, they looked for the uncle.

    ¡°Then make one promise with me!¡±

    And they could tell where the uncle was. The child looked at him.

    Although he didn¡¯t have such a handsome appearance, that rather put them at ease.

    The child held out their pinky finger.

    ¡°Don¡¯t suddenly disappear alone.¡±

    For the little one, no, for the girl, promises had be a symbol of obsession.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The rumors started from the security guards.

    Sometimes, the security guards were provided with cheap liquor as rations.

    While drinking and chatting carelessly, others happened to overhear their conversations.

    At first, people didn¡¯t easily believe it.That was natural.

    The rumor was that I, Hans, had hunted de Wolves.

    Not just anyone, but that ugly Hans had hunted them?

    It was only natural for such words toe out.

    In the refugee camp, the Time Stop Breeding Uncle¡¯s image was the worst.

    Putting aside his appearance, his actions were detestable.

    While everyone else was working hard, he alone was ying and eating.

    Naturally, his image couldn¡¯t be anything but the worst.

    So people didn¡¯t really like the Time Stop Breeding Uncle.

    Some even argued to kick him out altogether.

    Fortunately, that argument wasn¡¯t epted.

    Anyway, with that in mind, the Time Stop Breeding Uncle, Hans, who had fallen to rock bottom, exterminated the de Wolves? Who would believe that?

    Even I wouldn¡¯t have believed it.

    If there was no substance to it, the rumors would have quickly been buried.

    And I would have rather hoped for that.

    But the next day, the security forces officially announced that I had exterminated them.

    ¡°We have seeded in exterminating 7 de Wolves.¡±

    ¡°What? de Wolves really came?!¡±

    ¡°Then those rumors were true¡­?!¡±

    The security forces tantly confirmed it.

    They even retrieved the de Wolves¡¯ corpses and had them stuffed.

    Naturally, people had no choice but to believe the rumors.

    That was the problem.

    The rumors started to snowball out of control.

    In fact, he was a famous knight in the past. A swordsman who started living in seclusion for some reason. And other various rumors were circting.

    So in the end, unable to endure it, I ran away.

    I had misjudged.

    In the game, de Wolves weren¡¯t such formidable opponents.

    Like hunting small fry, I quickly dealt with them in front of everyone, and that was the problem.

    Because, in this world, de Wolves were a fear-inducing existence beyond humanprehension.

    While it was true that the danger level of de Wolves were among the lower-tier monsters.

    That was only limited to ces like the capital city, where there were elite knights and good defenses.

    In a ce with poor conditions like the refugee camp, de Wolves were a disaster.

    ¡°I was too short-sighted. Damn it.¡±

    I sat at the base of a tree, wiping away my sweat.

    In front of me now, firewood was scattered on the ground.

    I had run away outside under the pretense of chopping wood.

    It wasn¡¯t a very good situation.

    Putting aside the attention from people, I ended up having to do something beyond my abilities.

    Of course, with the time stop ability, I wouldn¡¯t die.

    But relying solely on time stop was too grim, even for this gloomy world.

    So in order to survive somehow and to return to my original world, I was building up my strength.

    But somehow, I ended up receiving too much praise.

    For example, like a sword saint who could kill all monsters with a single draw of the sword.

    Who the hell was that? It definitely wasn¡¯t me.

    ¡°Haa¡­ I guess this is enough.¡±

    Before I knew it, the sun was setting. I slowly got up from my spot.

    After fleeing into the forest, I had trained here and also chopped wood to make firewood.

    I had said it as an excuse to run away, but in fact, I did need firewood.

    Firewood was excellent fuel. Especially with winter approaching, it was no exaggeration to say that firewood was a lifeline.

    However, to chop wood, I eventually had to go outside.

    Naturally, going outside the palisade of the refugee camp was very dangerous.

    If an ordinary person encountered a monster, nine times out of ten, they would lose their life.

    ¡°I made way more firewood than I thought.¡±

    But a problem arose.

    There was too much firewood. I had chopped too much wood to pass the time.

    It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration; I had piled up firewood on the jig like a mountain.

    I didn¡¯t expect to make this much. But I couldn¡¯t throw it away either.

    Even on a regr basis, the fuel consumption was no joke. When winter approached, even more would be used.

    ¡°Phew¡­ There¡¯s no other way.¡±

    I had no choice but to use my ability.

    Soon, with me at the center, the colors around me began to disappear.

    In the world dyed gray, I was the only one who could move.

    After confirming that time had stopped, I immediately shouldered the jig.

    It was much heavier than I thought, but I could somehow endure it.

    If I returned with this firewood, I could rest a bit.

    In fact, even lumberjacks don¡¯t chop this much firewood. Because if they were attacked on the way back, it would be the end.

    So they tried to make firewood as quickly and in small quantities as possible before returning.

    But I couldn¡¯t me them.

    To ordinary people, monsters were no different from the grim reaper.

    But it didn¡¯t really matter to me. Because I had the time stop ability.

    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±

    Originally, I didn¡¯t intend to use it. Because monsters could invade again likest time.

    If the cooldown was active then, it could really be dangerous. I thought that way.

    But I couldn¡¯t give up the firewood in front of me. Because each and every one of them was currency.

    In the current refugee camp, bartering was the main method of trade.

    Food that could be eaten right away or things that could be used were more important than money.

    Especially with winter approaching, the value of firewood had be much more expensive than I thought.

    ¡°I finally arrived.¡±

    Even though it was a distance that would take less than 20 minutes at an ordinary pace, because the firewood was so heavy, it took over an hour.

    I exhaled roughly. But I felt a sense of pride inside.

    From chopping wood to moving this much firewood all the way here.

    With this, I must have lost some weight.

    As I thought that, I immediately released the time stop.

    And as soon as I entered the vige entrance, I was called by the security guards guarding the entrance.

    To be more precise, the securitymander Andrew urgently looked for me.

    ¡°Commander was looking for me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s an urgent matter. He said to call you right away if I saw you.¡±

    ¡°¡­I have a really bad feeling about this.¡±

    And that feeling became reality.

    There was a nearby refugee vige called Setia that yed the role of a leader.

    But suddenly, contact with them had been cut off 3 days ago, themander said.

    ¡°So we have no choice but to send a search party.¡±

    ¡°I see, but what does that have to do with me¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like you to lead that search party.¡±

    ¡°???¡±

    I was definitely screwed.

    Me, themander of the search party?! What the hell was that?! Of course, I tried to refuse, but I couldn¡¯t.

    Because everyone was looking at me!

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But there¡¯s no one else who can take on this role besides you.¡±

    ¡°Why would I take on such an important position¡­?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re a sword saint, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    That wasn¡¯t me!!! I never expected to be praised to this extent.

    Honestly, it was a bit unfair. But I understood.

    If I were themander, I would have entrusted such an important role to someone like me.

    Damn it, now that it hade to this, I could only hope that nothing had happened to that ce called Setia.

    * * *

    Refugees were people who had lost their hometowns, territories, or even countries where they lived.

    They chose to stick together in order to survive.

    It wasn¡¯t a bad choice.

    If they stuck together, they could somehow endure. And thanks to that characteristic, she could easily have a meal.

    With a sizzling sound, blood and numerous pieces of flesh sttered around.

    Not even caring about the darkness that had descended like pitch ck, blood sttered on her shining golden hair.

    However, she had horns on her head, and her eyes were as ck as the night.

    Even a fool could tell that she wasn¡¯t human.

    She sighed and put what she was holding in her mouth.

    With a crunching sound, blood burst out.

    ¡°Please, please stop!!!¡±

    ¡°Mmm~ Yeah. This is the taste.¡±

    The middle-aged man seemed to be the father of this little one.

    Tears of blood were flowing from his eyes.

    The powerlessness of not being able to protect his own child.

    And the fiercely burning hatred.

    It was truly the best seasoning.

    When she finally put the head in her mouth, the man had already lost his mind.

    Only a beast consumed by hatred remained.

    The girl even licked the blood off her fingers, leaving nothing behind.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you. I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll bet everything I have!!!¡±

    ¡°I really wanted to eat you too. But I hate old meat.¡±

    ¡°Wh-what did you say¡­?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I wanted to let you meet your child directly in my stomach.¡±

    ¡°Aaargh!!!¡±

    The girl smiled and raised her hand.

    Then, the de Wolf that had been waiting nearby, drooling, moved.

    It was a wolf three timesrger than a typical de Wolf.

    ¡°C-curse you! You cannibal!!!¡±

    Just before beingpletely eaten, the man shed tears of blood and spat out a curse.

    The girl smiled, lightly grasped the hem of her ck dress, bowed her head, and replied,

    ¡°If you must, please call me Gourmet Anieta.¡±

    She devoured children in front of their parents.

    Slowly roasted people¡¯s beloved lovers in front of their eyes.

    And after having served and eaten thousands of dishes, the name people called her was

    Gourmet Anieta.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The search party consisted of three people, including me.

    Objectively, it seemed like a small number. But in fact, it wasn¡¯t such a small number.

    Because the total number of the refugee camp¡¯s security force was roughly around 50 people.

    On top of that, until we returned, the refugee camp¡¯s external activities would inevitably be restricted. Because there was that much of a gap in the security force¡¯s power. It couldn¡¯t be helped.

    At least, fortunately, Setia wasn¡¯t located too far away from us.

    If that wasn¡¯t the case, it would have caused a huge disruption in the operation of the refugee camp.

    I received the handover from Commander Andrew and joined up with the team members at the entrance of the refugee camp.

    They had alreadye to the entrance first and were waiting, so I opened my mouth.

    ¡°I¡¯m Hans, the one in charge of the search party this time.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m Margaret!¡±

    ¡°rence.¡±

    There was one impressive woman with short orange hair and freckles. And there was one man of few words.

    While rence was openly looking this way with a displeased expression.

    On the contrary, Margaret was sending me a gaze of excessive respect. They wanted me to carry out the mission with these two?

    I wondered if it was just my imagination that I could already see a long road of hardship ahead.

    ¡°You must have heard from Commander Andrew. Our mission is to scout Setia and return.¡±

    Anyway, I had to do what needed to be done.

    I shared the mission I had heard from Commander Andrew with everyone.

    The basic gist was to scout Setia and secure anything useful if there was any.

    ¡°But is there really a need to scout? It¡¯s not just any ce, it¡¯s Setia, you know?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Because Setia is practically no different from a fortress!¡±

    At my words, Margaret began to exin with shining eyes.

    Unlike ordinary refugee camps, which barely had proper soldiers, let alone just making do, Setia was on a different level.

    Not only did they have properly equipped soldiers, but they even had a knight order stationed there.

    And it was so huge in scale that it could amodate over 5,000 refugees.

    We were barely amodating 200 people.

    Anyway, there was no way Setia would easily fall.

    If something had happened, they would have sent a messenger.

    That was Margaret¡¯s opinion.

    ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s convincing. If the opponent wasn¡¯t a monster, that would certainly have been the case.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It means that monsters that surpass our imagination are already widespread throughout the world.¡±

    ¡°You speak as if you¡¯ve experienced it directly.¡±

    ¡°¡­???¡±

    For the first time, rence opened his mouth. But his tone was full of sarcasm.

    What?

    Did I do something wrong?

    While I was standing there dumbfounded, unable to say anything, Margaret spoke.

    ¡°Of course, because Captain Hans was a famous knight in the past! It wouldn¡¯t be strange even if you knew something we don¡¯t know!¡±

    ¡°I was a famous knight?¡±

    ¡°Ah, sorry. Was it a secret?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­¡±

    ¡°For someone who was a famous knight¡­ Your body says otherwise.¡±

    These guys were definitely in on it together to mock me.

    Otherwise, there was no way this kind of tiki-taka could be so wless.

    Regardless of their beliefs, how could they have decided to ostracize the captain?!

    ¡°Let me give you a piece of advice, Captain Hans.¡±

    ¡°What is it this time?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not good to impersonate a knight.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m telling you¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you doubting the captain now?!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    This time, they even started arguing among themselves.

    Seeing how they spokefortably to each other, they seemed to be not just colleagues, but close friends.

    Could it be¡­?

    ¡°You guys, by any chance, are you friends?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re childhood friends.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s childhood friends with a dimwit like you?¡±

    ¡°There you go again. Until you went up to the capital¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re from the capital?¡±

    This was unexpected.

    The capital was the center of the kingdom, a ce where not just anyone could enter.

    In other words, they were from an elite background.

    And they even had childhood friends next to them?

    Hohoho.

    ¡°As expected, the heavens are unfair.¡±

    ¡°Captain Hans?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    rence closed his mouth again. I nodded my head.

    Just keep your mouth shut like that. That was what would benefit the both of us.

    I quickly walked forward.

    If we walked at a leisurely pace, it would take about a week to reach the distance. But we minimized our rest and spent the remaining time running.

    Thanks to that, we were able to arrive in just 3 days.

    The huge city walls were the first thing that caught our eyes.

    However, contrary to Margaret¡¯s words, the city gates that should have been tightly closed werepletely shattered.

    And nearby, there were corpses everywhere.

    ¡°Judging by the situation, it seems they were annihted.¡±

    ¡°N-no way. Setia was annihted?!¡±

    ¡°¡­Unfortunately.¡±

    I quickly racked my brain.

    There was no need to go inside and check.

    We didn¡¯t know what was in there. Anyway, it was certain that Setia was annihted.

    So we had to go back and¡­

    ¡°Danger!!!¡±

    An urgent voice came from behind.

    As I turned my head, startled, I ended up falling to the ground.

    There stood a knife, simr in size to a table knife used for dining.

    But the problem was that it was muchrger than an ordinary knife, and the back of the de was covered with blood vessels and chunks of meat.

    This knife that looked like it straight up belonged in a gore movie had stopped right in front of me.

    I sat on the ground, desperately panting for breath.

    If I had made even the slightest mistake I would have died.

    However, what stopped it from finishing the job¡­?

    ¡°¡­What? Everything is frozen?¡±

    The knife wasn¡¯t the only thing that had stopped.

    rence, who had shouted at me from behind, and a little girl who seemed to be the owner of the knife, all froze.

    It was then that I realized time had stopped.

    Even though I hadn¡¯t used my ability.

    Could it be that it automatically activated when my life was in danger?

    I clicked my tongue and sighed with relief.

    Thanks to that, I was barely able to survive.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for that, I would have been dead long ago.

    I finally regained myposure and looked at the owner of this knife.

    It was a little kid.

    With golden hair and skin like white jade, but with horns on her forehead and eyes as dark as the night.

    No matter how I looked at it, she could only be seen as a demon.

    ¡°If she¡¯s a demon, there¡¯s no reason to show mercy.¡±

    And in the first ce, there was no room for mercy.

    As I said before, I didn¡¯t even notice this kid approaching until she got close.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the time stop, I would have really died.

    And as soon as the time stop was released, there would be a cooldown.

    In other words, if I didn¡¯t kill her, I¡¯d die.

    So, I had to kill her for sure.

    Without hesitation, I drew the sword from my waist and swung.

    ¡°???¡±

    With a soundparable to hitting rubber, a creepy sensation reverberated throughout my hand.

    I raised my head in confusion.

    My sword hadn¡¯t been able to cut the girl¡¯s neck; rather, it got stuck in her neck instead.

    ¡°?????¡±

    So, I pulled out my sword once more and swung again.

    However, I still couldn¡¯t cut her neck.

    And, after repeating this process several times, I realized something.

    With my current skill level, I¡¯d never be able to cleanly cut it.

    ¡°No, damn it. It¡¯s seriously not cutting.¡±

    Which meant I had no choice but to use the sword like a saw¡­

    And even that took over an hour toplete.

    * * *

    ¡°He took care of the de Wolves. Certainly impressive, but.¡±

    He didn¡¯t bother to report it.

    Taking care of just a few de Wolves wasn¡¯t something to make a fuss about and report.

    rence also judged that way. And it wasn¡¯t wrong either.

    de Wolves were only dangerous monsters in ces like this where defenses were poor.

    If they shed with a proper army, they were low-level monsters that would be swept away.

    Of course, it was still impressive.

    But it was only impressive for a mere security guard. Compared to knights, it was a drop in the bucket.

    On top of that, the possibility that he had exaggerated his achievements with lies couldn¡¯t bepletely ruled out.

    At the very least, rence wanted to meet him in person and judge. And that opportunity came.

    Commander Andrew of the security force had nominated Hans as themander of the scouting mission to the vige of Setia.

    First of all, his first impression was the worst.

    From his protruding belly due topleteck of management to his tightly fitting armor.

    No matter how you looked at it, he didn¡¯t seem like a knight, let alone a proper soldier.

    Was this really the right person?

    ¡°You speak as if you¡¯ve experienced it directly.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not good to impersonate a knight.¡±

    ¡°For someone who was a famous knight¡­ Your body says otherwise.¡±

    So he deliberately provoked him. To see his reaction directly. But he justughed it off.

    Seeing that, rence was convinced. That he had exaggerated his achievements with lies.

    If he had confidence in his skills, he wouldn¡¯t react like that. He would definitely react in some way.

    But he didn¡¯t react at all and just brushed it off.

    Until they arrived at Setia, that was what he had been thinking.

    But when he was horrified by the sight of Setia, he felt a murderous intent.

    rence shouted,

    ¡°Danger!!!¡±

    No, it was already toote. If even he could barely react, there was no chance for that man to survive.

    He came to that conclusion in his head and was about to immediately retreat with Margaret.

    Thud.

    The sound of something falling to the ground was heard. rence, who had tensed up all the nerves in his body, didn¡¯t miss it.

    However, rence soon had no choice but to doubt his own eyes.

    What had fallen to the ground was not Hans¡¯ head, but the demon¡¯s head.

    Who on earth¡­?!

    It was then that he could see.

    Hans, who had shaken the blood off his sword and was putting it back in.

    Forget about drawing the sword, even sheathing it was invisible.

    The speed close to godlike, the sword energy that surpassed imagination, he unwittingly muttered a familiar name.

    ¡°Royal Knights¡­?!¡±

    That overwhelming power.

    It was as if he was looking at the Royal Knights.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    From the previous fight, I realized two things.

    First, I had to remember, even roughly, how long I had stopped time.

    That way, I could calcte the cooldown.

    The cooldown was an important issue.What if the time stop earlier had been on cooldown?

    Then I would have been a cold corpse rolling on the ground by now.

    And from there, the second fact followed.

    There was a problem with my capabilities.

    To put it simply, my current situation was one where the hardware couldn¡¯t keep up with the amazing software.

    Fortunately, the software was so ridiculously excellent that it covered for that.

    But naturally, there woulde a limit someday. What if the demon I faced earlier had been immune to swords?

    Or what if she had amazing regenerative powers and could easily reattach her severed head?

    ¡°Phew, is it still far?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being too humble, Captain Hans.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Startled by the sudden voice from behind, I hurriedly turned around.

    rence, who had approached at some point, was looking at me.

    Goodness, when did this guy show up?

    ¡°The cleanup is all done. It was a much more brutal scene than I imagined.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about, rence?¡±

    ¡°Look at the cut surface here. Isn¡¯t it very roughly cut, as if it was sawed?¡±

    rence showed the demon¡¯s head he was holding in his hand.

    Damn, I was so startled that I almost fell down.

    Thanks to that, I missed the timing to exin.

    rence continued his exnation.

    ¡°In that short moment, Captain Hans deliberately made his movements rough. From the victim¡¯s perspective, it must have been immense pain.¡±

    ¡°I see, Captain Hans took revenge on behalf of Setia¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Woohoo?

    They were just sitting there, beating their own drums and gongs? This had to be corrected right now.

    Becauseter, it would grow to an uncontroble extent.

    ¡°It¡¯s not such a great feat. That creature was a low-level demon.¡±

    ¡°A low-level demon?¡±

    ¡°To put it simply, it can be said to be themander of the monsters.¡±

    Margaret tilted her head, seemingly unfamiliar with demons.

    That was understandable.

    Originally, most demons couldn¡¯t cause havoc inside due to the barrier.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t the demonse all the way here?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because of the barrier created by the Holy Emperor of the Holy Empire.¡±

    ¡°The Holy Empire¡¯s barrier¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, if it weren¡¯t for that, we would have been annihted long ago.¡±

    That day, the time called the End.

    At first, only the demons descended upon thisnd. Even so, they were sufficiently strong.

    In fact, they easily swallowed half of the continent.

    However, people gritted their teeth and somehow bought time.

    Thanks to that, the Holy Emperor of the Holy Empire seeded in creating a barrier.

    It protected half of the continent with the barrier.

    Thanks to that, the demons couldn¡¯t act within the barrier.

    So they created monsters instead. They were iparably weaker than demons.

    But in return, they could be active within the barrier.

    And those monsters were still devouring countless living beings within the barrier.

    What was important here was the fact that the demon Gourmet Anieta was here, despite being a demon.

    ¡°Originally, demons can¡¯t enter the barrier. But asionally, among low-level demons, there are cases where they can be fine even when active within the barrier.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­?¡±

    ¡°In other words, it means that creature was trash.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to belittle your achievement.¡±

    Just when I thought I had finished exining everything, rence suddenly intervened.

    This guy, he kept his mouth shut on the way here. But he actually had a lot to say?

    ¡°Certainly, it¡¯s the lowest ss of demons. But even taking that into ount, it¡¯s a being that can easily kill any ordinary monster. Moreover, this one was a named one.¡±

    ¡°Named?¡±

    ¡°It refers to a demon or monster with a separate name because of its extreme brutality and danger level. Even if it¡¯s inferior to regr monsters, it can be said to be at least 10 times stronger.¡±

    ¡°To have defeated such an opponent with just one strike¡­!! As expected of Captain Hans!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s undeniable that it¡¯s a great achievement. Just this Gourmet Anieta alone had destroyed 6¡­ no, now 7 viges.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I tried to somehow brush it off.

    But thanks to rence¡¯s unnecessary additional exnation, Margaret¡¯s already excessive respect became even more excessive.

    No, if this were my true ability, fine.

    I¡¯m telling you, I barely won using the time stop ability?

    It even took me an hour just to cut off the head.

    This wasn¡¯t downying. In this ce, you had to be good at self-objectification in order to survive.

    Otherwise, you would end up receiving positions that were way beyond your capability, like now.

    In the first ce, I didn¡¯t have the capacity to be a captain!

    Damn it, let¡¯s quickly finish and go back.

    I immediately started walking.

    Growl.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    And we could see a huge wolf rummaging through the interior of Setia.

    It looked simr to a de Wolf. But the problem was its size.

    It was over 5 timesrger.

    ¡°A mutated de Wolf, huh? Indeed, if we leave it alone, it could attack the refugee camp.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why we came to deal with that de Wolf! As expected of the captain!¡±

    No, I can¡¯t catch it because the time stop is on cooldown.

    No, even with the time stop ability, it would be impossible. When would I be done cutting something that big?

    Then rence stepped forward.

    ¡°You two rest. I¡¯ll take care of that one.¡±

    His words and actions came out almost simultaneously.

    Quickly approaching the de Wolf, rence drew his sword.

    At the same time, surging blue sword energy soon split the wolf in half.

    ¡°As expected, rence is strong!¡±

    ¡°¡­Come to think of it, you said he was from the capital?¡±

    ¡°Yes! I heard he was a candidate for the Royal Knights!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    So he was that amazing, huh?

    Then why didn¡¯t you deal with that guy earlier?

    You damn bastard.

    * * *

    Today was truly dangerous.

    rence checked several times to see if his head was properly attached.

    If it wasn¡¯t attached, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to return here.

    That was how dangerous the situation was today.

    Although he was a candidate for the Royal Knights, that didn¡¯t mean he was on par with the Royal Knights.

    Rather, the gap was so wide that it was insurmountable. They could easily kill demons.

    But rence struggled to even face monsters with slightly higher ranks, let alone demons.

    In fact, the term ¡®candidate¡¯ was just a nice way of putting it. No matter how much he tried in this lifetime, he could never catch up to them.

    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t do anything.¡±

    He clearly understood the gap between the Royal Knights and himself to the point of tears.

    But rence didn¡¯t stumble or give up.

    Instead, he chose to do what he could, epting that as his mission.

    Returning to his residence, rence took out a crystal ball hidden under the floor.

    This crystal ball was a magical tool that could connect with other crystal balls and have conversations when filled with mana.

    It was a very convenient tool. But its price was so expensive that it could purchase an entire territory.

    The reason rence had it was for one reason, his mission.

    [You contacted me faster than I thought. What¡¯s the matter?]

    ¡°I¡¯d like to correct my previous report.¡±

    [Don¡¯t tell me¡­]

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Previously, he had reported too hastily. Maybe he was unknowingly jealous.

    He didn¡¯t want to acknowledge that he was different from himself.

    But public and private matters had to be strictly distinguished.

    ¡°I found someone to rmend to the Royal Knights.¡±

    [¡­To think such words woulde from you, rence.]

    ¡°His skills are definitely impressive. He took care of Gourmet Anieta with just one strike.¡±

    [Gourmet Anieta? That¡¯s amazing.]

    Gourmet Anieta.

    Although she was a low-level demon, her notoriety was so great that everyone in the capital knew her.

    Because she was the worst monster who single-handedly destroyed 7 viges.

    [A rmendation from rence. My trust is growing by leaps and bounds.]

    At the very least, the man connected to the crystal ball was sincere.

    Other Royal Knights candidates had already been assigned to refugee camps and were carrying out missions.

    And among them, many had reported.

    But the talents they had rmended all failed to be selected as Royal Knights.

    In the midst of that, a report finally came in from rence. And it was the first time.

    [rence is surprisingly strict. That¡¯s why I have even higher expectations.]

    ¡°But there¡¯s a problem.¡±

    [Huh? What problem?]

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to make himself known to the world.¡±

    At first, he thought it was humility. But he was overly focused on hiding himself.

    Wondering about the reason, rence soon found a clue in his words.

    [Monsters that surpass our imagination are already widespread throughout the world.]

    He was well-versed in demons.

    Moreover, he said that monsters surpassing imagination were widespread.

    In other words, he hade this far experiencing countless bloody battles in the past.

    So it was only natural that he knew so much about demons. But for some reason, he chose to stop fighting and went into seclusion.

    That was rence¡¯s assessment of Hans¡¯ situation.

    ¡°It seems he has some circumstances from the past.¡±

    [I¡¯m sorry, but now¡¯s not the time to worry about that.]

    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±

    [Other races, except for humans, are upying one seat each in the Royal Knights. At this rate, our position will only diminish further.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Royal Knights, the strongest knights selected solely based on ability, regardless of nation or race.

    Strictly speaking, it was more like giving the title of knight to those who weren¡¯t originally knights.

    But¡­ each and every one of them was a ridiculous monster.

    However, unfortunately, there were no humans currently in the Royal Knights.

    The man in the crystal ball spoke coldly.

    [We need a hero.]

    A hero of humanity, to save humanity.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Today, there were two pieces of good news.

    One was that I received a reward forpleting the mission.

    The contents were canned food, bread, and meat.

    In the current situation, such proper food was worth its weight in gold.Of course, I had a lot of food, but I had no intention of eating it directly. Because those were things that the Time Stop Breeding Uncle had stolen from other people and hoarded.

    After cursing the Time Stop Breeding Uncle so much, I would eat the food he stole myself?

    No matter how you looked at it, it seemed hypocritical.

    But I couldn¡¯t just throw away the precious food either.

    So, I distributed the food that the Time Stop Breeding Uncle had stolen to people who weren¡¯t properly receiving rations.

    Of course, I couldn¡¯t distribute it openly. If they asked where this food came from, I wouldn¡¯t have anything to say.

    So I stopped time and distributed it secretly. And then, the second piece of news.

    ¡°I lost a lot of weight! Hooray!¡±

    In fact, this was the most important news. How should I describe the appearance of the Time Stop Breeding Uncle?

    It was exactly double the appearance of the piggy bastards that appeared in a certainic book.

    Of course, it was definitely not a human appearance. It was closer to an orc.

    And when Ithat appearance had be my own, I seriously consideredmitting suicide.

    But my hard work until now hadn¡¯t been in vain.

    I was finally able to ovee that orcish appearance.

    Although, I still looked like a middle-aged man with a beer belly.

    ¡°There was a point in suffering for an hourst time.¡±

    What was she called, Gourmet Anieta?

    Anyways, It took me a whole hour to kill her.

    Thanks to that, I lost a lot of weight.

    Basically, the time stop ability consumed a lot of stamina. And, I had used a sword like a literal saw for a whole hour without rest.

    Which was extremely difficult.

    Frankly, if I didn¡¯t have the stamina and know-how from frequent usage of this time stop ability, I probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to endure it.

    Inevitably, the ability would of released almost instantly.

    And if that happened, my death was 100% certain.

    As for that guy named rence, he might¡¯ve survived. But, he was a rather lucky bastard.

    Anyway, because of that fight, I realized my severeck of skill and trained even harder today as a result.

    Even if I couldn¡¯t be like rence, at the very least, I had to be an ordinary knight.

    ¡°Uncle! Uncle!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Are you training?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m already finished.¡±

    I answered curtly as I put away my sword.

    I had to deliberately maintain a stiff way of speaking, or the unique speech pattern of the Time Stop Breeding Uncle would pop out.

    At least with this, I could restrain it to some extent.

    Unbeknownst to me, the little kid with red hair had approached me and grabbed my sleeve.

    This meant that today¡¯s training ended here.

    Even if it wasn¡¯t now, I could trainter on my own.

    Moreover, if I wasn¡¯t there, the little kid would be left alone. So, it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    Honestly, I wondered if this was okay.

    I was in a situation where even taking care of myself was overwhelming.

    Even though I was acquainted with him, wasn¡¯t I doing something I couldn¡¯t take responsibility for?

    I pondered over it countless times.

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s snowing.¡±

    ¡°Is it already winter?¡±

    ¡°Uncle! When the snow piles up, let¡¯s make a snowman!¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, let¡¯s do that.¡±

    However, when I saw the little kid¡¯s brightly smiling face, I just thought it didn¡¯t matter.

    The little kid happily ran around in the snow, and I watched.

    ¡°Come to think of it, what time period is it now?¡±

    Suddenly, a thought urred to me.

    The story of this game was about the protagonist rebuilding the annihted Royal Knights.

    And to put it another way, it meant that the Royal Knights would be annihted.

    Surprisingly, not much was revealed about the previous generation of Royal Knights.

    It was only mentioned how strong they were to some extent, but the reason why they were annihted was never exined.

    It was mentioned that they fell 7 years before the protagonist joined the Royal Knights.

    Seeing the current situation, it meant that they had already been annihted long ago or would soon be annihted.

    It would be nice if I could prevent that, but unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have that much power now.

    In the end, I had no choice but to stand by and watch.

    Then, the little kid suddenly shoved his face in front of me.

    ¡°Uncle! You were thinking about something else again, right?!¡±

    ¡°I had something to think about for a moment.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for several days. y with me too!¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay.¡±

    Now, the little kid even climbed onto my back and rubbed his face against the top of my head.

    Iughed and carried the little kid on my back.

    It had been like this since I returned from the mission.

    It seemed like he was feeling extremely lonely from not seeing me for a long time.

    Well, he was at that age in the first ce.

    Iforted the little kid and walked towards the street.

    As the snow fell, people became even busier.

    They took out the fuel they had stored up until now and lit fires. And they reinforced the tents to block out the cold.

    The cold was always the worst enemy.

    Especially in a situation where supplies were scarce, it was even more so.

    Come to think of it, what about the little kid¡¯s house?

    I had seen the little kid¡¯s house a few times while distributing food.

    It¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t very good.

    ¡°What about your house?¡±

    ¡°I can still endure it for now!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious even without looking. Come to my house.¡±

    ¡°What? But that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t refuse. You¡¯ll freeze to death like that.¡±

    ¡°O-okay¡­¡±

    Perhaps because it had gotten too cold, the little kid¡¯s face turned as red as a radish.

    He was ying in the snow earlier, so it was natural for him to feel the cold.

    I quickened my pace.

    After returning to the hut, I put the firewood I had stored up until now into the firece. And I lit it with a torch.

    Soon, with the crackling sound, the firewood began to burn.

    I had gathered enough firewood to distribute and still have plenty left. And I had also gathered food while working as a security guard.

    This should be enough to cover one little kid. I took out a can.

    ¡°Eat.¡±

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s okay to receive something like this.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°A child just needs to be a child.¡±

    At least this was sincere.

    Thanks to the food that the Time Stop Breeding Uncle had hoarded, I was able to take care of not only this little kid but also other children and people.

    At least it had some use.

    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean I had any intention of defending the Time Stop Breeding Uncle, not even a little bit.

    The little kid soon opened the can.

    I nodded my head as I watched.

    Thanks to the bonfire burning hot at the center of the hut, warm heat filled the hut.

    After finishing the meal, as I was staring nkly at the bonfire, the little kid spoke.

    ¡°Uncle, can I ask you a favor?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s something I can do, I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    ¡°Please teach me swordsmanship.¡±

    ¡°¡­???¡±

    Suddenly?

    * * *

    Waiting was so painful.

    Especially if it was a situation where you could only wait endlessly for someone precious to you, the pain was doubled.

    The girl knew the pain of waiting all too well.

    Her mother had once told her that if she prayed sincerely to God, her wish would surelye true. So the girl prayed.

    She prayed and prayed until her hands and feet became numb.

    However, in the end, God did not grant the girl¡¯s prayer.

    The girl¡¯s parents did not return.

    Or rather, they couldn¡¯t. The end of the futile waiting was hell.

    But they¡¯de today.

    They¡¯d definitelye back today.

    She had to wait until today.

    Like that, her unrequited feelings grew and devoured her.

    And once more, the girl had to wait. Uncle had gone out on a mission.

    It was unbelievable.

    Could it be, no way, right?

    That was right.

    Uncle promised.

    He would definitelye back.

    It was then that the girl realized.

    Sitting and praying was ultimately meaningless.

    One had to protect what was precious with their own hands.

    Otherwise, they would lose everything.

    [What are you doing alone?]

    [Uncle¡­?!]

    [Yeah, I¡¯m back.]

    The first person toe back, the person who rewarded her waiting. The girl felt her emotions welling up.

    In the girl¡¯s heart, there was only uncle now, no one else.

    Severe loneliness made one crave attention.

    And when you felt the warm warmth you had lost again, you had no choice but to be obsessed with it.

    Because you knew coldness far too well.

    The girl never wanted to go back to that time again.

    That time where she survived alone, prayed futilely, harbored vain filled hopes, and forced herself to live counting the days passed.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for several days. y with me too!¡±

    And the girl¡¯s earnest wish turned into action.

    She didn¡¯t want anyone to take him away.

    She wanted to monopolize him.

    But uncle didn¡¯t only look at her. It was only natural.

    Because uncle was a hero.

    The girl knew.

    She knew that uncle was distributing firewood and food to other people, including herself.

    Then what should she do?

    What should she do to make uncle look only at her?

    There was a limit to just throwing tantrums. She pondered and pondered. And finally, the girl realized.

    She just needed to be strong.

    ¡°Uncle, can I ask you a favor?¡±

    Uncle was such a kind and cool uncle. But other people didn¡¯t know anything about her uncle.

    Therefore, the girl wished.

    She wished that others would never know.

    ¡°Please teach me swordsmanship.¡±

    When uncle was not there, that time was hell for the girl.

    Now that she knew that, the girl no longer hesitated.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    I was surprised by the little kid¡¯s sudden request, but I soon understood the reason.

    The little kid wanted to y with me.

    Well, after losing his parents at such a young age, I was the only person he could trust.

    It must have been tough.But when I, who was like that to him, was away for a long time, it wasn¡¯t unreasonable for him to react like this.

    So I decided to y with him properly. Anyway, I had free time now.

    I decided to try and match the little kid¡¯s pace as much as possible.

    Since we would both benefit from the exercise.

    Especially if a situation arose where we have to run away with all our might.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll teach you swordsmanship.¡±

    ¡°Yay! Thank you so much!¡±

    ¡°However, there is a condition.¡±

    ¡°What? A condition?¡±

    ¡°You must never wield this power recklessly.¡±

    I had no intention of just ying around.

    Since I was ying with him, I decided to fully match the little kid¡¯s pace.

    Thankfully, I was his role model.

    I had to beparable to the masters in martial arts novels.

    ¡°The sword has no fault. It is the one who wields the sword who is at fault.¡±

    ¡°¡­In other words, it means that any power depends on how it is used.¡±

    ¡°Power without responsibility will only lead to self-destruction.¡±

    ¡°I will engrave it deeply in my heart.¡±

    ¡°Good, then I¡¯ll give you the first task.¡±

    The masters I¡¯d read about didn¡¯t simply teach.

    Instead, they passed on secret techniques and elixirs only when the protagonist passed the tasks they gave.

    And the task I decided on was running.

    ¡°It¡¯s a simple task. You just need to beat me in running.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean I have to run faster?¡±

    ¡°No, you lose if you give up running first.¡±

    Physical strength was essential.

    Whether it was swordsmanship or an ability, even when doing paperwork.

    So, the top priority was to consistently build stamina through running.

    Of course, it was more serious than expected for a game, but in the first ce, if this were real, there¡¯d be no way I could be a teacher.

    Because strictly speaking, I was aplete novice myself.

    But this was just a game, nothing more.

    Even this would soon be boring or tiring, and he would give up.

    So, I just needed to match his pace until then.

    Moreover, I had no intention of going easy on him from the start.

    I was quite confident in my stamina, at least from training until now.

    However, that confidence disappeared before long.

    ¡°Huff, huff¡­!!!¡±

    As soon as we started running, the little kid ran at full speed.

    So I thought he would get tired easily.

    But even after running 20ps around the empty lot, the little kid never stopped.

    Rather, I, who was running behind him, got tired first.

    No way, he was still running at full speed even now. And he didn¡¯t show any signs of fatigue?

    Was he even human?

    Was he a machine?

    ¡°Stop! That¡¯s enough.¡±

    ¡°Did I pass the task by any chance?¡±

    ¡°An indomitable spirit that never gives up. You passed splendidly.¡±

    ¡°Then praise me!¡±

    Maintaining a poker face was important, but I felt like I was dying.

    However, I was ying the role of a martial arts master, so I couldn¡¯t slip up.

    A master-disciple rtionship was useless if the master was inferior to the disciple.

    More importantly, I didn¡¯t want to be disqualified as a master.

    But while I was dying, the little kid wasn¡¯t even tired; rather, he bounced around like a puppy ying in the snow.

    I barely managed to squeeze out my voice and praised him.

    ¡°Well done.¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±

    He finally calmed down when I patted his head.

    Seriously, it felt like watching a beagle.

    Thanks to that, I was the only one suffering, trying my best to hide my fatigue.

    Damn it!

    ¡°That¡¯s it for today.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ Teacher!¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I can do better on the next one!¡±

    ¡°N-next?¡±

    Ah, I almost forgot, it was that type of game.

    I was going to just have him run around and then end it; but because of the little kid¡¯s bottomless stamina, that failed.

    But what could I do now?

    I racked my brain desperately.

    Maybe I could teach him real swordsmanship?

    No, that wouldn¡¯t do.

    What if I taught him and he got hurt trying to imitate it?

    What would I do then?

    Moreover, I wasn¡¯t skilled enough to teach others in the first ce.

    I was barely keeping up with the basic swordsmanship that I learned at the training ground.

    How could I possibly teach swordsmanship in my current state?

    ¡°Actually¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes! Teacher!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I was going to tell the truth, but I couldn¡¯t ignore the pure, sparkling eyes in front of me.

    Since it was an adult¡¯s duty to protect children¡¯s pure dreams!

    ¡°Actually, I possess the legendary Phantom Swordsmanship.¡±

    ¡°The legendary Phantom Swordsmanship¡­?!¡±

    ¡°Its name is¡­ the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique!!¡±

    Sigh, I¡¯d just roll with it, it wasn¡¯t like anyone was listening anyways.

    By the way, this was obviously nonsense.

    I just ripped something from the martial arts novels I¡¯d seen.

    ¡°Thunder Dragon Sword Technique¡­?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a sword technique imbued with the power of the Thunder Dragon that rules the heavens.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an amazing sword technique!!¡±

    Usually, one would notice that I was bullshitting, but our pure little kid seemed to wholeheartedly believe my words.

    His eyes were even glistening.

    The little kid opened her mouth.

    ¡°I really want to see it once!¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­?¡±

    ¡°Is it not allowed¡­?¡±

    I didn¡¯t expect that.

    I never thought he would ask to see it.

    As I was slightly flustered, the little kid looked up at me with a dejected expression.

    Ugh, I had no choice but to do it¡­!

    ¡°If you really want to see it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much, Teacher!¡±

    ¡°Just wait a moment.¡±

    Enthusiasm was good, but what should I do now?

    I bought some time for now by pretending to prepare, but it¡¯d still just be a shallow trick.

    Since there was no way for me to prepare something like the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique in such a short time.

    Rather, was that even possible?

    But I couldn¡¯t say no at this point.

    After some deliberation, I found a clever solution.

    It¡¯d be fine if it only looked like the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique, right?

    Besides, this little kid couldn¡¯t possibly know the real thing.

    So, I brought a suitable bundle of straw from nearby.

    At first, I was going to demonstrate with a tree, but I soon gave up.

    In the first ce, there was no way I could cut a tree with a sword.

    When I brought the straw bundle, the little kid asked me a question.

    ¡°Are you going to show it to me now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Keep your eyes open and watch carefully.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Teacher!¡±

    I didn¡¯t know if it was a lie, but the little kid¡¯s eyes were focused on my sword.

    It really felt like my hand would be pierced through.

    I clicked my tongue and ced my hand on the sword handle.

    And at the same time, I stopped time.

    With me at the center, everything around me turned gray.

    The tree branches swaying in the blowing wind, the snow falling from the branches, everything stopped.

    After confirming that time had stopped, I walked towards the straw bundle in front of me.

    And, I drew my sword before swinging it with all my might.

    Fortunately, my current skill was enough to cut a simple straw bundle.

    After leaving a diagonal cut on the straw bundle, I re-sheathed my sword.

    Then, I took a stance behind the bisected straw bundle.

    The key here was to not fully sheath my sword.

    Instead, I had to leave at least 1/3 of it out.

    Alright¡­this should be enough.

    Time, which had stopped, began to flow again at mymand.

    Only then did the cut straw bundle fall.

    I nced and turned my eyes.

    With that, I felt the little kid¡¯s gaze shift to me.

    And to match that timing, Ipletely sheathed my sword.

    As if following, a metallic sound rang out.

    ¡°Just now, what was that¡­?!¡±

    ¡°What did you see?¡±

    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t see anything.¡±

    Oh no, I got carried away and unwittingly imitated the tone of a martial arts master.

    And the response that came back was more serious than I thought.

    Thanks to that, I improvised here.

    ¡°This is the second task.¡±

    ¡°¡­!!!¡±

    ¡°See the Thunder Dragon.¡±

    I was far too immersed, and blurted that out without realizing it.

    Then as if enlightened, the little kid made a shocked expression and ran away without looking back.

    Thanks to that, I was left alone, dumbfounded.

    Damn¡­ Was I too chuunibyou?

    But I think I yed with him enough.

    * * *

    The girl¡¯s sharp eyes didn¡¯t miss a single thing.

    The people who diligently swung their swords at the training ground, the fist that had been swung at her, she had never missed any of them.

    But for the first time, she missed it.

    And it was none other than her teacher¡¯s sword.

    It was a shock.

    Not someone else¡¯s, but to think she missed her teacher¡¯s sword.

    Even though she had vowed not to miss a single thing of her teacher¡¯s.

    She had failed to keep that vow.

    However, what was even more shocking was her teacher¡¯s reaction.

    As if he had known in advance.

    No, her teacher must have already known.

    Because he was her teacher.

    [This is the second task.]

    What her teacher said was the second task.

    What could it be?

    The girl already knew the answer.

    It was to see that sword that she couldn¡¯t see at all, as if it were in another world.

    [See the Thunder Dragon.]

    There must be a reason why her teacher personally showed it to her.

    She had to recall iit, over and over again.

    The scene she saw at that time.

    To the point of insanity, she had to recall it repeatedly and try to capture it with her eyes somehow.

    Fortunately, there was still time left.

    The girl picked up a sword.

    Although it was just a wooden stick, too flimsy to be called a sword, to the girl, it was already an indisputable weapon.

    And the girl ced the sword at her waist, as if she were drawing it out.

    Her appearance closely resembled the form her teacher had shown her.

    But, no, no. This wasn¡¯t it!

    To reach his sword it had to be more¡­

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    A week had already passed since then.

    Nothing particrly special happened. Except for the little kid avoiding me.

    Could it be that he was avoiding me because of what happened that time?

    If that was true, it hurt a little.Of course, I admit that I went a little overboard that time.

    But still, to avoid me for a whole week was a bit much.

    Thanks to that, I was struggling to find the little kid today as well.

    At the very least, I wanted to meet him directly and hear the reason.

    It hurt to suddenly be ghosted like this.

    So, I grabbed people walking on the street and asked them about the little kid.

    ¡°Have you by any chance seen a little kid with red hair?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the important issue right now!¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°The Royal Knights are finally making a move! To end the war!¡±

    ¡°Ah, that.¡±

    Seeing the man shouting excitedly, I thought, ¡°Oops.¡±

    Especially now, there was a reason why it was difficult to find the little kid.

    It was because of a certain piece of news that had spread widely in the refugee camp.

    Coincidentally, a week ago, a letter was delivered to the refugee camp.

    It was a letter stating that the Royal Knights would advance northward with the army to end the war.

    Moreover, it wasn¡¯t just us who received it.

    Nearby refugee camps had all received it as well.

    Of course, the content itself was about requisitioning necessary supplies and troops, in other words, extorting them.

    But no one disliked or opposed it.

    Rather, everyone was weing the news and cheering.

    As if the Royal Knights had already won.

    However, I couldn¡¯t be happy about it.

    If my memory was correct, ording to the setting, the Royal Knights were supposed to be annihted around this time.

    And from then on, a dark age would dawn upon humanity.

    Moreover, such a sudden expedition to the point of being perplexing.

    Could it be¡­?

    ¡°¡­So that¡¯s how they get annihted?¡±

    ¡°Captain.¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    Geez, you startled me.

    Please make some noise when you approach.

    I frowned and turned my head.

    As expected, rence was standing there, still looking at me with an expressionless face.

    Your ss wasn¡¯t assassin.

    Why would you move around concealing your presence like this!?

    As I was looking at him with that in mind, rence, who had been quietly observing me, finally opened his mouth.

    ¡°What did you mean by that just now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I was just talking to myself. Forget it.¡±

    Did he hear what I muttered earlier?

    I deliberatelyughed it off loudly.

    In the first ce, who would believe me if I said the Royal Knights would be annihted?

    But it was like scratching a scab.

    I didn¡¯t want to create unnecessary problems.

    On the other hand, when I tried tough it off, suspicion started to mix in rence¡¯s eyes.

    Damn it, I needed to change the subject somehow.

    ¡°More importantly, have you seen the little kid I¡¯ve been taking around?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know who that little kid is.¡±

    Yeah, because you were so great, you bastard.

    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say that out loud. Because rence was stronger than me.

    If we fought without the time stop ability, I would lose ten times out of ten.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be going now. I need to find the little kid.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Good luck.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you too.¡±

    Lucky bastard.

    Ptooey!

    I spat on the ground and nervously checked if rence had seen it.

    Fortunately, rence had already turned his back, so he couldn¡¯t see this way.

    I didn¡¯t know why, but rence made me very ufortable.

    How should I put it, it felt like he was watching me?

    Moreover, he always appeared behind me without any presence.

    No, in the first ce, I couldn¡¯t help but regard him as a lucky bastard.

    He was an elite from the capital, doing well. He even had a childhood friend who grew up with him by his side.

    Damn it.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    I directly touched my belly.

    It had definitely gone down a lotpared to before, but it still looked like a middle-aged man¡¯s belly. It was unfair.

    While I was suffering with an uncle¡¯s body, someone else was a talented genius with a future wife by his side!

    Sigh, I had to stop thinking about it.

    If I thought about this anymore, I¡¯d be too miserable.

    Putting aside the gloomy thoughts, I wandered around the vige to find the little kid.

    The vige was openly in a festive mood.

    The security forces had pulled out the cheap liquor they had been saving up until now.

    They were also having a party with the meat they had hunted outside.

    They were probably expecting the Royal Knights to end the war soon.

    It was natural for people to believe that.

    Because it had been too hard until now.

    People starved without food to eat, and endured the cold winter gusts with just animal skin due to the absence of fuel.

    In such a situation, the smoldering ember of hope had reignited.

    Moreover, they weren¡¯t just anyone, but the Royal Knights.

    The legendary heroes who had protected more than half of the continent until now.

    Each and every one of them was called a hero.

    They were the strongest force in name and reality.

    When those Royal Knights were directly going on an expedition, people naturally had no choice but to have expectations.

    But that was why they needed to be prepared.

    If they failed¡­

    They would fall even further than now.

    If it were up to me, I would want to follow them.

    But with my current skills, if I followed them, it would just be a dog¡¯s death.

    I wasn¡¯t a fool.

    At least I could clearly distinguish when I needed to step down.

    Moreover, frankly, even if I made a fuss saying the Royal Knights would be annihted, who would believe me?

    ¡°More importantly, I need to find the little kid first.¡±

    Where the hell was this damn little kid hiding?

    Not even a single strand of his hair had been seen for a week.

    Red hair was already a rare hair color, so it was impossible not to notice it.

    Today, I didn¡¯t even train.

    I just searched for the little kid with determination since morning. And thanks to that, my effort bore fruit.

    I had finally found the little kid in an empty lot where no one was around.

    To be precise, it wasn¡¯t an empty lot.

    It was a ce that was originally filled with trees.

    It was a ce where the trees in the forest were deliberately left behind to prepare for when they couldn¡¯t chop wood outside.

    That was why I couldn¡¯t find it.

    However, now I could find the little kid.

    Because the trees that were there were all left with only their stumps.

    I immediately ran over.

    ¡°What is this¡­?¡±

    ¡°Teacher, I finallypleted the task.¡±

    ¡°Task? Could it be¡­?¡±

    ¡°I saw the Thunder Dragon.¡±

    ¡°???¡±

    Don¡¯t tell me, was this what he¡¯s been doing all this time?

    I was dumbfounded.

    That was just a joke.

    Of course, there was no way you could see the Thunder Dragon, right?

    I was definitely going to say that.

    If the little kid hadn¡¯t taken a stance, that was.

    He ced his hand on the end of the wooden stick he had at his waist.

    At the same time, the figure of the little kid in front of me disappeared in an instant.

    In a fleeting moment, what my eyes caught was a red light.

    It shot out like lightning, as if it were a sh.

    I couldn¡¯t even blink my eyes.

    Soon, at the end of the sh, he was standing alone.

    Before I knew it, the wooden stick that had been drawn like a sword from his waist was back at his waist.

    It was right then.

    A gruesome creaking sound rang out.

    Only then could I see it.

    The giant tree that had been standing firm in front of me was cleanly split like a sheet of paper.

    There wasn¡¯t even a crunching sound.

    It was literally as if it had been cut with a ruler.

    The cross-section of the tree was clean.

    I nkly stared at that sight.

    What was that?

    Even I couldn¡¯t cut a tree with a sword.

    Moreover, with just that wooden stick?

    As I was standing there dumbfounded, the little kid smiled at me.

    ¡°This is the Thunder Dragon I saw.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Thunder Dragon? What¡¯s that?

    I didn¡¯t know, it¡¯s scary.

    * * *

    The expedition of the Royal Knights was decided too suddenly.

    rence, who was struggling like a dog on the scene, had no way of knowing what was going on in the current situation.

    He knew there was ongoing discord within the Royal Knights.

    But since they were called heroes, he could only hope that it wasn¡¯t decided based on personal feelings.

    Anyway, thanks to that, the rmendation of Royal Knights candidates was put on indefinite hold.

    Could it be that they decided on the expedition for political reasons?

    He had such suspicions. And he denied them.

    He was getting tired of the endless chain of suspicious thoughts.

    Right at that moment,

    ¡°¡­Are they going to be annihted?¡±

    The moment he heard those words, rence felt a chill run down his spine.

    The worst possible situation unfolded before his eyes.

    The annihtion of the Royal Knights. And the ensuing attacks.

    It was undoubtedly hell.

    However, just before the mes of that hell reached rence, he barely came to his senses.

    In front of him, gasping for breath, stood a man.

    It was an impossible story.

    The Royal Knights being annihted?

    How could that be possible?

    Even those who disliked the Royal Knights acknowledged their skills.

    But the Royal Knights being annihted?

    ¡°What did you mean by that just now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I was just talking to myself. Forget it.¡±

    Heughed loudly, as if exaggerating, and hastily changed the subject.

    Thanks to that, rence¡¯s suspicion grew even stronger.

    Was that really nonsense?

    Or was it advice from experience?

    He didn¡¯t know.

    For now, it would be best to discuss this matter with my lord.

    Surely, his lord would provide a wise answer.

    rence¡¯s footsteps as he walked back were incredibly heavy.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    I was definitely screwed.

    That was the conclusion I reached after much deliberation.

    I was just going along with a little kid¡¯s pace.

    Thunder Dragon Sword Technique? There was no way such a technique existed.

    But that boy used a sword technique that absolutely couldn¡¯t exist.

    Moreover, he had self-taught it all by himself.

    A talent that was chilling enough to give goosebumps.

    No, it wasn¡¯t at that level.

    To describe that little kid in one word, he was literally a monster of talent.

    At that moment, for some reason, I was reminded of a certain character.

    Come to think of it, I still didn¡¯t know the little kid¡¯s name.

    Maybe I had been subconsciously avoiding it.

    Because I didn¡¯t have the confidence to handle it.

    Right now, I wasn¡¯t just an extra.

    I was even the Time Stop Breeding Uncle.

    I was worried that I might hold back the main characters.

    ¡°Little kid. Let me ask you just one thing.¡±

    At first, I really thought he was a boy.

    But as time passed, I had no choice but to realize, even if I didn¡¯t want to.

    The little kid was not a boy, but a girl.

    Moreover, I had seen her face somewhere many times.

    I tried my best to avoid it.

    I didn¡¯t even try to learn her name.

    Because I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it.

    But there was only one character in my memory who could replicate a sword technique close to fantasy.

    The one with unrivaled talent when it came to the sword.

    The one praised as the Empress of the Sword.

    And coincidentally, the Empress of the Sword also had deep red hair.

    I couldn¡¯t run away anymore.

    Even a fool would know by now.

    But I needed certainty, not just suspicion.

    I opened my tightly closed mouth.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°What? My name?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Just in case, it could be my bluff. And I sincerely hoped it was my bluff.

    The girl, who tilted her head at my question, soon smiled brightly and said,

    ¡°Then will you praise me?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Helia.¡±

    As soon as the words ended, the name popped out of the girl¡¯s mouth. And that name was too familiar.

    The Empress of the Sword, Helia.

    A knight who dared to surpass the heavens with a human body.

    And she was also one of the main heroines of this game.

    Her red hair fluttered in the wind.

    Helia¡¯s red eyes, looking up at me, smiled in a beautiful curve.

    ¡°Will you call me Helia?¡±

    I just realized the reason.

    No, in the first ce, Helia had a great illustration.

    Moreover, her performance in the game was good, and her personality was unexpectedly cute, so she was extremely popr.

    But the only reliable person by her side was the Time Stop Breeding Uncle.

    How should I put it, I felt a sense of self-loathing. If Helia was influenced badly in any way.

    But apart from that, Helia¡¯s talent was real.

    She seeded in realizing the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique, which was close to fantasy, in just one week.

    I clicked my tongue at that skillfulness.

    However, I somehow brought myself back from the dizzying sensation by biting my tongue.

    I had to get a grip.

    I couldn¡¯t have any more bad influence here.

    ¡°You¡¯ve worked really hard, Helia. I¡¯m proud of you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Teacher! But may I ask you one question?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m curious about the name of this sword technique.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    How would I know that?

    For a moment, those words almost came out of my mouth. But I barely suppressed it with superhuman patience.

    Stay calm, I had to give a usible answer here somehow.

    Normally, I thought she had worked so hard to learn it.

    If I told her now that it was a lie, she would definitely get angry.

    I would get angry too if I were her.

    Damn it.

    ¡°Thunder Dragon Sword Technique, First Sword, Thunder Dragon Strike.¡±

    After wracking my brain, I managed to give a somewhat usible answer.

    In fact, the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique never directly appeared in martial arts novels.

    It was just briefly mentioned as an extra sword technique.

    Of course, despite being a sword technique used by an extra, it had a cult following because of its cool name, the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique.

    The important thing was that nothing was known about the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique.

    In other words, to summarize the current situation, I had to make up everything about the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique from the beginning to the Five Meanings.

    I just imagined it, but my head already hurt.

    ¡°Thunder Dragon Sword Technique, First Sword, Thunder Dragon Strike¡­!! I¡¯ve engraved it deep in my heart!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to engrave it that deeply.¡±

    ¡°No! I will never forget it.¡±

    ¡°I-is that so.¡±

    ¡°What is the next lesson? I¡¯m ready.¡±

    Helia looked at me with a determined expression.

    Her attitude of preparing for the next lesson right away was certainly admirable, but unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t ready.

    I racked my brain.

    ¡°You¡¯re too hasty.¡±

    ¡°What? But¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you really think you¡¯ve mastered the Thunder Dragon Strike?¡±

    ¡°¡­!!!¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s just cutting quickly, anyone can do it.¡±

    For an improvised response, I thought it was a pretty good thing to say.

    In fact, Helia also had an expression of realization.

    Honestly, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the one to say this, but¡­

    ¡°I understand what you mean, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s a relief.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will work even harder.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    There was no need to work harder here.

    But Helia didn¡¯t stop there and started practicing even more diligently.

    Feeling like I would be a hindrance, I avoided that ce.

    For now, I managed to get by somehow, but the problem was what came next.

    I had to somehow establish the stances and Five Meanings of the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique.

    And if I didn¡¯t show a matching appearance, I might be exposed.

    Damn¡­ How did I end up in such aplicated rtionship with the main heroine?

    I roughly scratched my head.

    Nothing good woulde from being with the Time Stop Breeding Uncle.

    After returning to the hut, I quickly started creating the setting for the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique.

    If Helia asked me, I needed at least a basic framework to somehow get by.

    ¡°This is difficult, really difficult.¡±

    Fortunately, I had some knowledge about martial arts novels.

    If I had been asked to make this from scratch, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do it.

    No, if I didn¡¯t know, would I have gotten into this situation in the first ce?

    I don¡¯t know.

    Let¡¯s just work.

    * * *

    She made a mistake.

    Her sense of aplishment turned into arrogance.

    So unknowingly, Helia made a mistake. Asking to learn the next thing right away. Making a rude request to the teacher.

    [Never wield this power recklessly.]

    The lesson she learned on the first day came to mind.

    Do not wield this power recklessly.

    She thought she had definitely engraved it in her head at that time. But that wasn¡¯t the case.

    It was just lip service.

    [The sword has no fault. It is the one who wields the sword who is at fault.]

    Her teacher had said.

    The sword is not at fault, but the person who wields the sword is at fault.

    It was true.

    The Thunder Dragon Sword Technique that her teacher taught was originally not intended for such a purpose.

    ¡°What is the next lesson? I¡¯m ready.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too hasty.¡±

    ¡°What? But¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you really think you¡¯ve mastered the Thunder Dragon Strike?¡±

    ¡°¡­!!!¡±

    Helia couldn¡¯t dare to answer that question.

    It was a question that shattered Helia¡¯s arrogance.

    Can I confidently answer that I have fully mastered the Thunder Dragon Strike?

    In front of Teacher, no less?

    The words wouldn¡¯te out.

    She already knew in her head.

    She had not perfectly mastered the Thunder Dragon Strike.

    Soon, shame came over her.

    ¡°If it¡¯s just cutting quickly, anyone can do it.¡±

    Not just anyone, but in front of Teacher, showing such an embarrassing appearance.

    She couldn¡¯t raise her head out of humiliation. But she couldn¡¯t turn away either.

    It was her own fault.

    [An indomitable spirit that never gives up.]

    ¡°Teacher always gives the answer.¡±

    The foolish disciple finally realized.

    Teacher always gave the answer.

    If she made a mistake, she had to acknowledge it and correct it.

    She had to at least be a better version of herself than yesterday.

    What Teacher taught was not just a mere sword technique. It was life itself.

    To think she only realized it now, she was so foolish and pathetic.

    Helia med herself.

    It was like a whip.

    She isted herself with guilt and anger in order to practice, aiming for growth beyond her current level.

    And like that, the talent that overwhelmed even the heavens instinctively knew that she could go further.

    Lightning shed.

    The sun had alreadypletely set in the sky, and all that was left was darkness.

    But without caring about the darkness, she gritted her teeth and kept swinging her sword.

    ¡°It¡¯s still far. This level is not enough!¡±

    She wanted to walk the same path as Teacher.

    She wanted to be the sword that her teacher could wield.

    That desire gradually caused her to break her limits.

    Like how iron became stronger steel through tempering.

    Helia¡¯s talent was also gradually blooming through extreme training.

    A talent that was originally supposed to bloom through tragedy was blooming due to desire for a single person.

    But was that the right way for it to bloom?

    A talent that should¡¯ve bloomed after having lost everything she cared about. Suddenly bloomed because of a single person.

    It was a truly distorted, yet beautiful bloom.

    However, Helia didn¡¯t know that fact yet.

    And she probably didn¡¯t want to know.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Three days.

    That was the time it took to establish the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique.

    The Thunder Dragon Sword Technique consisted of a total of 5 stances.

    Among them, thest one, the Five Swords, was a secret technique that had to be used by risking one¡¯s life.This was the outline of the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique that I had established.

    Of course, it was just a shallow trick. But since it had to be used by risking one¡¯s life, I couldn¡¯t show a demonstration, right?

    Moreover, Helia had already realized the First Sword, Thunder Dragon Strike. So, I only needed to create 3 more now.

    It was definitely a shallow trick.

    But at this point, even that shallow trick was desperate.

    ¡®Have you been training all this time?¡¯

    ¡®Yes! Are you going to praise me by any chance?¡¯

    I never imagined that during the 3 days I was establishing the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique, she had been continuously practicing the Thunder Dragon Strike without even sleeping.

    I was so surprised by the unimaginable madness that I hurriedly stopped her.

    ¡®¡­Too much is as bad as too little.¡¯

    ¡®As expected of Teacher! I¡¯ve learned something new!¡¯

    ¡®???¡¯

    Then, I ended up losing her respect again.

    No, don¡¯t do that. I¡¯m just the Time Stop Breeding Uncle, you know?

    Please just ignore me!

    I screamed inwardly.

    But of course, my scream never reached her.

    Anyway, I took a special measure.

    Under the pretext of personally training her, I started keeping an eye on Helia by keeping her next to me.

    ¡°Teacher! I¡¯ve finished chopping all the firewood!¡±

    ¡°Good work. Now eat.¡±

    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll gratefully enjoy the meal!¡±

    Of course, the so-called training was just chores like dishwashing, cooking, and chopping firewood!

    But this was actually amon training method in martial arts novels.

    Of course, I didn¡¯t know if it was effective either.

    But if I kept making her do these boring training exercises, wouldn¡¯t she naturally lose interest in the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique?

    That was my hope.

    But Helia didn¡¯t even care.

    Rather, whenever I called her, she always came running with a smile.

    It had only been about half a month since she started working.

    But her body already had quite a bit of slim muscles.

    I clicked my tongue.

    It wasn¡¯t a body that could be built in just half a month.

    Like the monstrous stamina I saw before, could it be that even physical growth fell under the realm of talent?

    Then it was truly unfair.

    [It¡¯s Helia. I have no interest in the weak.]

    [You¡¯re weak. Just like an insect.]

    [I no longer have any interest. Die.]

    Indeed, even in the original work, Helia was considered a very powerful force.

    In fact, she properly joined the party in the game when it reached the middle.

    Evenpared to any character that had been diligently raised until then, the performance of Helia, who had just joined, was far superior.

    So, there were even rumors that the productionpany was outright favoring Helia.

    [Huff, huff! Helia-chan! You¡¯ve grown so much! Huff, huff!]

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    ¡°Teacher?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    I unknowingly muttered ¡°damn it.¡±

    It was because the memory I had sealed in my mind surfaced.

    Like other heroines, Helia¡¯s route was a very difficult route.

    [Disappointing.]

    [Don¡¯t touch my body. You piece of trash!!]

    [It¡¯s a shame it turned out like this. But I need power.]

    Putting aside the fact that if you made a wrong choice, Helia would immediately leave the protagonist.

    In severe cases, she even directly killed him or became an enemy after being brainwashed by the enemies.

    But if you somehow managed to raise gs with Helia after oveing all those hardships and adversities.

    Her attitude noticeably changed.

    This was called [dere] in technical terms.

    [You¡¯re strong. Definitely much stronger than me.]

    [To think I would desire someone else¡¯s shoulder. But why? I don¡¯t feel resentful at all. Rather¡­]

    [Yes, I can trust and entrust everything to you.]

    Dere meant that the heroine had started to show affection towards the protagonist. But it was so cute that I understood why people were so obsessed with this disgusting character.

    [You¡¯re the one who made me this excited¡­]

    [Don¡¯t resist. I have the upper hand in physical strength.]

    [Ugh! W-wait¡­!! This feeling is my first¡­!!!]

    [¡­You were too rough. It was my first time¡­!!]

    Especially the scene where she tried to rape him but ended up being the one getting raped and sulking, it was a scene that truly set a man¡¯s heart on fire.

    Anyway, I barely managed to see the ending like that, but¡­

    [Helia-chan, even secondhand is fine! Get pregnant with my baby seed!]

    ¡°Die! You trash!!!!¡±

    ¡°T-Teacher?!¡±

    Unable to hold back my boiling anger, I ended up swinging my fist at the innocent wall.

    Bang!!

    However, my fist didn¡¯t hit the wooden wall of the hut.

    What was this again?

    Rather, I felt a soft sensation and was surprised.

    My fist was now suspended in midair as if it had stopped.

    Soon, the thing wedged between the wooden wall and my fist revealed its appearance.

    It was about the size of a cat. But it definitely wasn¡¯t a cat.

    No matter how skilled a cat was, it didn¡¯t have the ability to make itself transparent.

    Instead, its eyes were red. It had sharp horns on its forehead. Also, its face was closer to a rat than a cat.

    However, its fur was a rare reddish-brown color.

    I knew what this was.

    ¡°Imp¡­!¡±

    ¡°Teacher, by imp, you mean¡­?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a monster that serves as a scout.¡±

    Although imps themselves were weak enough to be beaten to death with bare fists even by ordinary vigers.

    The truly frightening thing about imps was their ability to conceal their presence.

    Imps could turn invisible.

    And their presence was so faint that even the Royal Knights couldn¡¯t feel it. Because they were almost as weak as insects.

    Unless one was extremely specialized in detecting presences or used magic, it was very difficult to discover them.

    I looked at the imp that had died a tragic death after being hit by my fist.

    The biggest problem was that imps were, after all, scouts whose role was to infiltrate enemy camps and bring back information.

    ¡°In other words, it means that monsters will soon invade this ce.¡±

    ¡°As expected of you, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Because you directly caught that imp!¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    I closed my mouth at the sight of Helia looking at me with sparkling eyes.

    Was that how it turned out again?

    No, let¡¯s calm down first. I just needed to correct it right away.

    I answered while clearing my throat.

    ¡°I was lucky. I just caught it by chance.¡±

    ¡°I see, this is the lesson you mentioned, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°???¡±

    ¡°Maintain humility. I¡¯ve seen and learned directly.¡±

    ¡°?????¡±

    How on earth could she interpret it that way?

    I felt a headacheing on.

    No, let¡¯s think about this problem now.

    The imp dide.

    And the role of the imp was scouting.

    Scouting the enemy camp and extracting information was the imp¡¯s job. But the problem was why this imp came to this hut instead of the security forces.

    No, no. Putting everything else aside for now.

    The fact that the imp came meant that soon, monsters would attack this vige.

    It was then that I remembered.

    The setting that Helia had.

    [A girl who lost everything to monsters and became a vengeful ghost.]

    Helia had the setting of losing her parents and neighboring vigers to monsters at a young age and yearning for power for the sake of revenge.

    In fact, she always prioritized strength.

    At least until she met the protagonist.

    If the protagonist made a mistake, she would immediately deviate from the route, leave, or even be an enemy for the sake of obtaining power.

    However, the Helia I had seen so far was not a girl who yearned for power, but an innocent child that could be seen anywhere.

    In other words, to put it another way.

    The vige that would be attacked was this ce.

    ¡°¡­Is that bastarding?¡±

    A monster that rose to the position of a demon solely based on strength. And Helia¡¯s mortal enemy.

    If it progressed ording to the original work, it would be correct for the entire vige to be massacred.

    Because that was how Helia could grow ording to the original work.

    But was it right to just stand by and watch that happen?

    My concerns were deepening even further.

    * * *

    ¡°The imp was defeated? As expected of the warrior who took care of that Gourmet.¡±

    In a deep cave where sunlight didn¡¯t reach, the being sitting on a throne carved out of stone heard the report and smiled.

    It had tried to gauge his level before fighting.

    But wasn¡¯t this another warrior who appeared beyond expectations?

    That Gourmet had a nasty personality. But even she was a demon with a strength that couldn¡¯t be ignored.

    But he took care of that Gourmet.

    And he did it without using much strength.

    With just a single strike.

    Thanks to that, its heart couldn¡¯t contain its yearning and kept pounding.

    It wanted to fight.

    A life-or-death battle with a stronger being.

    ¡°Battle is my value. Battle is my everything.¡±

    From the moment it was born, it only desired battle.

    It fought with its life on the line and vited everything of the losers.

    And it tore the flesh of the strong and became even stronger.

    ¡°The previous ce was full of disappointing ones.¡±

    It tore down those huge city walls. It crushed the steel held in their hands and the armor protecting their bodies. And it took the flesh inside.

    Even so, it couldn¡¯t feel a single sense of satisfaction there.

    They were all weak trash.

    Not fun at all.

    So it killed them.

    They weren¡¯t even worth eating.

    So, please.

    Be a warrior who can satisfy me.

    It finally raised its massive body.

    It was a being called a Togui.

    A monster that pursued fighting more than anyone else.

    And what the Togui desired was only battle with the strong.

    Let the battle begin.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    I hurriedly informed Andrew of this fact.

    An imp hade here, and a very powerful monster would soon appear.

    Of course, in the original game, it had appeared as a monster that had be a demon.

    But since this wasn¡¯t the original timeline now, it could still be treated as a monster. Fortunately, Captain Andrew epted my opinion.

    It was thanks to my high credibility that this happened.

    Otherwise, we would have ended up fighting it without any preparation.

    If that had been the case, even if I were there, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to avoid annihtion.

    That¡¯s how strong it was.

    The security forces quickly repaired the palisade and added crude iron to it to increase its defense.

    Even with this, it was still worrisome, but we had to use all the best measures we could.

    ¡°Teacher, is something wrong by any chance?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Go inside and wait.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Listen to me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Helia nodded her head with a dejected look.

    It hurt a little, but it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    Aside from anything else, Helia had to survive this battle.

    At least if she was pulled to the rear, she wouldn¡¯t die.

    Of course, it was true that Helia¡¯s strength was powerful. But right now, she wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with the Togui.

    Because the Togui was also strong.

    In the first ce, despite being created as a low-level monster, the Togui constantly pursued strength.

    As a result, it was the only low-level monster that had obtained the position of a demon, a monster among monsters.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    ¡°You look anxious, Captain.¡±

    ¡°rence.¡±

    ¡°What is it that¡¯s making you look like that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a very powerful monster called a Togui.¡±

    ¡°Togui? I¡¯ve never heard that name before.¡±

    rence tilted his head, but I couldn¡¯t tell him any more than that right now.

    I didn¡¯t know everything about the Togui either.

    Of course, I had seen the settings book.

    In the first ce, the developers weren¡¯t the type to actively reveal the settings.

    They wanted the yers to find out for themselves. As if they were infected with some kind of shitty monthly subscription disease.

    Indeed, if they had been sensible people, they wouldn¡¯t havee up with that kind of ending where the Time Stop Uncle raped and impregnated all the heroines in the good ending.

    Damn bastards.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯sing.¡±

    On the third day since we strengthened our vignce, that thing finally showed itself in front of us.

    It was openly walking towards the palisade, trampling the snow.

    I swallowed my saliva.

    It had a huge human body. It was a huge human male body that easily exceeded 3 meters.

    However, the owner of that body covered in muscles was not a human, but a cow¡¯s head.

    The true identity of the Togui was a Minotaur.

    Originally, Minotaurs were monsters created as shock troops.

    They had excellent physical abilities but low intelligence, so they were used and discarded.

    However, among those Minotaurs, there was an individual that particrly yearned for strength.

    It fought against the strong to be even stronger.

    Even if the opponent was a monster or a demon.

    ¡°A Minotaur? Isn¡¯t that just a stupid low-level monster?¡±

    ¡°We made all this fuss because of something like that?¡±

    ¡°Enough, enough. Let¡¯s just end it quickly.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­!!!¡±

    A Minotaur¡¯s charge was certainly threatening, but a properly trained soldier could somehow react to it.

    Moreover, even if a trap was set, it would openly charge into the trap.

    Especially soldiers with a lot of realbat experience often looked down on Minotaurs. And among them, the soldiers who were confident in their skills openly ran forward.

    I considered stopping time and stopping them for a moment.

    But I couldn¡¯t do that. Because the cooldown was active.

    With my current state, I could barely defeat the Togui by perfectly using time stop.

    So I couldn¡¯t start by activating the cooldown.

    In the end, I chose to stand by and watch.

    Soon, 3 soldiers instantly charged at the Togui.

    At that moment, the Togui reacted.

    ¡°¡­?!¡±

    A few seconds, it was only a few seconds in perception.

    However, in that fleeting moment, the scenery in front of my eyes had changed.

    Clearly, in my sight, there was the Togui far away and the skinny trees next to it.

    But as soon as I opened my eyes again, there was someone¡¯s severed neck in front of me.

    It was the neck of one of the soldiers who had charged earlier, flying towards this direction like a shell.

    Ah, damn it, that startled me.

    I almost sat down.

    No, I actually did sit down.

    Fortunately, time had stopped, so I wasn¡¯t discovered.

    Then, did this mean I almost died because of this?

    I clicked my tongue.

    This was probably the Togui¡¯s direct greeting and test to me.

    If I couldn¡¯t even receive this, I wasn¡¯t worthy of being its opponent.

    I quickly caught that neck with one hand.

    ¡°Wh-what?!¡±

    ¡°Captain! That¡¯s¡­?!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic. It¡¯s just the Togui¡¯s greeting.¡±

    ¡°Then, what about the soldiers who ran out earlier?!¡±

    To rence¡¯s question mixed with perplexity, I pointed my finger forward instead of answering.

    There were already 3 chunks of meat that had been smashed to pieces by the Togui.

    If it were an ordinary monster, it would have greedily torn and eaten the meat. But the Togui didn¡¯t even show any interest.

    Soon, the Togui stopped in front of it.

    Instead, its gaze was directed at me.

    I instinctively sensed it.

    Just like how it had sent an imp to the hut where I was before, that bastard wanted to fight me.

    I clicked my tongue and put the neck down for now.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°Wait, Captain. Facing such a monster alone¡­!!!¡±

    ¡°The others won¡¯t be able to handle it. You know that too, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going.¡±

    ¡­It was good that I said it coolly like that.

    But what should I do now?

    No, even if I had the time stop ability, I didn¡¯t know if it would work on that monster.

    Right now, I was hiding in the corner of the gate, clutching my head.

    Of course, it was just a very slight dy.

    In the end, I had no choice but to go out. But honestly, I didn¡¯t want to go out.

    I was scared!!

    However, right now, I was the only one who could handle that Togui.

    Captain Andrew or rence might be able to, but I thought even those two would die in one hit if they made a mistake.

    Uooooooooh!!!

    ¡°¡­Alright, I¡¯m going. Going.¡±

    As I was taking so long toe out, the Togui, who had been waiting outside, finally let out a roar.

    I closed my eyes tightly and walked forward.

    I walked forward, trampling the snow.

    Soon, I stopped walking.

    It was standing dignifiedly at a considerable distance from me.

    I quietly thought, if I knelt down and begged now, would it forgive me?

    I hoped that would be the case.

    Fortunately, thanks to the time I had stalled earlier, the cooldown of time stop had already returned.

    But I couldn¡¯t use it first.

    For now, what I had to do was observe my opponent¡­

    ¡°Disappointing.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°There is no fighting spirit in your eyes. You are not a warrior.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it really true that you defeated that Gourmet?¡±

    As expected of the Togui.

    As much as it was crazy about fighting, its insight to recognize opponents was amazing.

    Just as it said, I was not a warrior.

    If I had to say, I was closer to an ordinary person.

    But that was rather fortunate.

    If its fighting spirit was broken, wouldn¡¯t it just go back on its own?

    I briefly thought that way.

    Until a red sh flickered.

    Helia¡¯s red eyes appeared behind the Togui in an instant, like lightning. Helia shouted,

    ¡°You dare¡­ a piece of trash like you, to Teacher¡­!!!¡±

    Why are youing out from there?

    ¡°This seems more interesting.¡±

    Why are you suddenly showing interest again?

    * * *

    She didn¡¯t know the reason.

    She thought she would follow all of Teacher¡¯s words. But Helia couldn¡¯t do that.

    For some reason, it seemed like Teacher would disappear.

    So, Helia secretly hid inside the city wall.

    ¡°Disappointing.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°There is no fighting spirit in your eyes. You are not a warrior.¡±

    And there, she heard it.

    A piece of trash she had never seen or heard of dared to insult Teacher.

    Unable to hold back the anger welling up in her heart, she drew her sword and charged.

    Thunder Dragon Sword Technique, First Sword: Thunder Dragon Fang

    Helia¡¯s sword, scattering a red sh like a fang of lightning, reached the Togui.

    Soon, the sound of metal shing against metal rang out.

    Helia was momentarily surprised.

    The Thunder Dragon Fang couldn¡¯t pierce through that monster¡¯s overwhelmingly sturdy body.

    However, it had already moved.

    The Togui¡¯s fist, with its fighting spirit ignited, was heading towards Helia.

    The Togui¡¯s fist, which had approached right in front of her in an instant, was truly like the Grim Reaper.

    She would die, she couldn¡¯t avoid it.

    Faced with that unchanging cruel fact, Helia couldn¡¯t even blink her eyes.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    The Togui tilted its head.

    It was a blow that was absolutely impossible to avoid.

    Moreover, there was no way a human¡¯s weak flesh and bones could withstand it. But there was no feeling at all in its fist.

    It thought she might have dodged it, but right at that moment, a tearing sound was heard, and blood sttered from the Togui¡¯s hand.

    There was already a wound on the Togui¡¯s hand, caused by a sword.

    ¡°¡­Indeed, was my insightcking?¡±

    At first, it was definitely disappointed.

    It thought that person was definitely not a warrior.

    However, the Togui soon had no choice but to correct its thought.

    There was a warrior behind the Togui.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not rush too much.¡±

    Helia blinked her eyes.

    She thought she had died.

    But for some reason, she was in Teacher¡¯s arms.

    It was definitely the worst situation.

    Helia couldn¡¯t even be of help.

    ¡°There¡¯s still plenty of time, you know?¡±

    Why?

    Why did that embrace feel so reassuring?

    [T/N: What do you guys think so far? Especially since this one has a bit of an interesting title lmao.]

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Although I was surprised when Helia suddenly appeared, I calmly used time stop to save her.

    Somehow, it ended up looking like I saved Helia.

    But that wasn¡¯t the important thing right now.

    Even though I saved Helia as quickly as possible and deactivated the ability, it still took about 10 seconds. In other words, the cooldown of time stop was now about 20 seconds.

    To put it another way, it meant that I had to endure fighting the Togui for about 20 seconds without the time stop ability.

    Since that was obviously impossible, I immediately opened my mouth.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not rush too much.¡±

    Please.

    ¡°There¡¯s still plenty of time, you know?¡±

    I need to wait for the cooldown.

    Fortunately, in the midst of misfortune, the Togui had shown no interest in me earlier.

    The Togui sometimes just left if it lost interest.

    If I could use that to send that guy away¡­

    I was concentrating all my senses to be wary of the Togui.

    That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t understand the Togui¡¯s actions that immediately followed.

    The Togui suddenly bowed its head to me.

    ¡°I sincerely apologize.¡±

    ¡°???¡±

    ¡°It was my mistake to judge based only on appearances.¡±

    The Togui suddenly bowed its head?

    Faced with apletely unexpected situation, my eyes widened.

    But somehow, I had a bad feeling.

    The Togui soon exined the reasons.

    ¡°A speed that these eyes couldn¡¯t even perceive.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°And sword energy capable of wounding this body.¡±

    ¡°???¡±

    ¡°You are undoubtedly a warrior. Worthy enough to face!!!¡±

    I¡¯m screwed.

    Could it be that the reason the Togui bowed its head was actually to gain momentum?!

    The Togui roared and immediately charged towards me.

    I clicked my tongue and got up.

    I wanted to run away if I could, but I couldn¡¯t do that right now. Because Helia was still nearby!

    If Helia died here, there would be no future at all.

    So, I had no choice but to somehow take it head-on!

    The Togui¡¯s fist, which had closed the distance in an instant, swung with a momentum like a raging wave.

    For a moment, my body froze properly due to fear.

    Fortunately, I had insurance.

    Thanks to the Togui¡¯s nonsense earlier, the cooldown of time stop had already ended.

    Just before the fist reached me, my surroundings turned gray.

    I moved alone.

    There was no time to waste.

    One of the things I had found out while saving Helia earlier was that the Togui¡¯s body was incredibly hard, even more than I had imagined.

    Even more than the Gourmet.

    Of course, Anieta, the Gourmet I had faced before, was also incredibly tough, befitting a demon.

    But unlike the Gourmet, this guy¡¯s skin didn¡¯t even yield to teeth.

    In other words, the previous method wouldn¡¯t work.

    Moreover, the current Togui hadn¡¯t even obtained the position of a demon yet.

    Nevertheless, its specs were stronger than the Gourmet I had faced before.

    In other words, shing head-on was close to suicide.

    ¡°So, I have no choice but to use tricks.¡±

    First, the disadvantages of time stop were extreme stamina consumption and cooldown. And my below-average skill.

    In fact, if my skill alone were excellent, the two problems ahead would have been solved long ago.

    But since it was a problem that couldn¡¯t be solved right now, I had no choice but to use tricks.

    As I said before, if it¡¯s not on cooldown, the time stop ability activates when my life is in danger.

    I took advantage of that.

    I deliberately didn¡¯t use the time stop ability myself and aimed for it to activate automatically when my life was in danger. And I immediately released the stop.

    Woosh!!!

    It felt like a train was passing right above my head.

    Thanks to that, it gave me goosebumps, but I somehow avoided the attack.

    The time used to see and dodge was roughly 1.5 seconds.

    Then the next cooldown would be 3 seconds.

    But the opponent also needed that much time.

    I had seen somewhere that in a fight between masters, victory or defeat was decided by a 0.1-second difference.

    Fortunately, the current Togui wasn¡¯t at that level yet.

    It took 1 second for the Togui to find me after I dodged the attack, 1 second to take advantage of that gap and attack, and 1 second for the Togui to react.

    A little blood sttered from the Togui¡¯s neck where my sword had struck.

    One more thing I had found out while saving Helia earlier.

    The teeth somewhat worked on the parts of the Togui¡¯s body where there were scars.

    In other words, I would use time stop as little as possible and only when in danger. And slowly gnaw at it, taking advantage of the gaps when the Togui¡¯s reaction slowed down.

    That was the best I could do right now.

    ¡°Indeed, are you fighting while protecting your cub behind you?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to pretend. I have my pride too.¡±

    ¡°???¡±

    Oh, seriously.

    Helia was still behind me.

    What the hell, I told you to go back quickly.

    What are you doing here instead of leaving?!

    For a moment, irritation surged up, but I forcibly swallowed it.

    ¡°Excellent. Warrior, now with full power¡­!!!¡±

    ¡°No, the match is already decided.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you¡­?!¡±

    A thud rang out.

    It was like an anvil had fallen. But it wasn¡¯t an anvil, it was the Togui¡¯s knee.

    The Togui was now kneeling on one knee and copsed right there.

    ¡°Did you think I was just defending?¡±

    ¡°¡­Could it be.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡±

    ¡°In that fleeting moment, you severed my tendons.¡±

    ¡°¡­???¡±

    No, I just applied paralysis poison to my sword.

    Fortunately, the current Togui was a low-level demon, so it had no resistance to poison.

    So I had prepared paralysis poison in advance and applied it to my sword.

    And I forcibly thrust it into the scars on the Togui¡¯s body and let it flow inside. And now, the effect of that paralysis poison had taken hold.

    But why was it jumping to conclusions on its own?

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I used poison?¡±

    ¡°Nonsense. You are a warrior I have acknowledged.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°A warrior who fearlessly faces me to protect his cub would never use something like poison.¡±

    It¡¯s not my cub. And I didn¡¯t fight without backing down.

    I was going to fight moderately and run away if I thought I would lose.

    I can¡¯t help it even if you curse me.

    I want to survive.

    Of course, I¡¯m also human, so I made up my mind to do my best and fight.

    But if there was even a one in ten thousand chance that I might really die, I was going to turn my back and flee from here without looking back.

    My goal was to survive and return to my original world, no matter what.

    And if I didn¡¯t beat the hell out of that damn Time Stop Breeding Uncle to death, I felt like I would die of resentment.

    ¡°Kill me. As the victor, you have the right to take my head.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t kill you.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    To be precise, I can¡¯t kill it.

    Instead of answering, I put away my sword.

    I can¡¯t kill it anyway.

    I realized it while shing earlier.

    With my current swordsmanship skills, I couldn¡¯t behead this guy.

    In other words, to kill this guy, I would have to stop time and saw at it again.

    It was clear that I would most likely copse from exhaustion before I could behead him.

    And if I couldn¡¯t cleanly behead him right in front of his eyes, he might notice my strength and attack.

    Rather than taking that risk, it was better to just let him go.

    Of course, I could probably kill him if I cooperated with the soldiers behind me.

    But would the Togui just stand by and watch that happen?

    Moreover, I had already used up all the paralysis poison I had prepared.

    ¡°Are you pitying me now?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s now that says the loser of a duel must die.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Kill me. I don¡¯t need your useless pity.¡±

    The Togui was stubborn.

    No, I¡¯m telling you I can¡¯t kill you anyway!

    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say it out loud.

    Damn it, what should I do?

    I guess I have no choice.

    I have to open my mouth here.

    Let¡¯s see, a line that would work in this situation¡­

    * * *

    [Why are you all charging in there to die? But why is everyone still going?]

    That was the first question it had.

    Although they were nothing more than essories that didn¡¯t share blood, they were still something simr to family, bound by the name of race.

    But everyone except it died.

    The next day and the day after that, new family members appeared. And they all died.

    Only it survived.

    It couldn¡¯t understand.

    Why did they charge forward knowing they would die?

    Why did they have no choice but to follow orders? And that question was barely answered by killing the demons.

    [In the end, it¡¯s because they¡¯re weak.]

    From then on, it yearned for strength.

    Strong enough that no one could dare give it orders.

    It wanted strong power.

    So, it tore apart and killed the demons that had created it.

    After that, it killed the people who came to kill it.

    In the process, it became even more captivated by strength.

    If it wasn¡¯t a warrior with value, it was meaningless.

    They were just trash.

    Filtering out the trash, it only ate the flesh of the strong ones it acknowledged.

    Monsters, demons, humans, elves, dwarves. It didn¡¯t discriminate between races.

    It literally became a predator.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not rush too much.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s still plenty of time, you know?¡±

    And the predator met a predator even stronger than itself.

    At first, it thought he was just a meaningless piece of meat.

    But after fighting him directly, he was an overwhelmingly strong person beyond imagination.

    He deliberately dodged attacks by a paper-thin margin and only inflicted small wounds on its body.

    That was all he did, but its body could no longer move.

    It was literally a strength beyond imagination.

    But it had noints.

    If it fought and was strong, it would devour it, and if it was weak, it would simply lose its life.

    It had taken until now, so it couldn¡¯t be helped if its own was taken away now.

    That¡¯s what it thought.

    ¡°You can be even stronger than you are now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Be stronger ande back. Stronger than now.¡±

    It was an emotion it felt for the first time.

    The feeling of something ck boiling up inside and dominating its mind, the terrible emotion of wanting to get up right away and beat that bastard to death.

    That was humiliation.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The Togui retreated, swallowing its humiliation.

    It couldn¡¯t ovee Hans¡¯ overwhelming presence.

    Everyone in the refugee camp praised Hans, who had emerged victorious against the Togui.

    Actually, Hans had never directly shown his full strength to everyone.When the de Wolves attacked, only a few soldiers had witnessed it. And there were only two witnesses to him ying the Gourmet. So there were some who couldn¡¯t believe in Hans.

    However, that doubt was shattered to pieces today.

    The Minotaur, a low-level monster that everyone had initially ignored.

    Of course, one couldn¡¯t dare say that Minotaurs were weak monsters.

    But because they were so foolish and only charged forward, it was true that they were easier to deal withpared to other monsters.

    So the experienced soldiers had mocked Hans, saying he was making too much of a fuss.

    At least until they directly saw the fight.

    The being called the Togui instantly took care of three soldiers, widely demonstrating its overwhelming power.

    Naturally, not only the soldiers, but even Andrew was overwhelmed.

    As if a predator was right in front of them, no one dared to move.

    However, there was one who moved alone there.

    That was none other than Hans.

    He walked forward with dignity.

    And with all his might, he fought and emerged victorious against that monster. And everyone witnessed Hans¡¯ victory.

    He had finally proven his strength in front of everyone in the refugee camp.

    ¡°Were there even monsters like that?¡±

    Andrew, who had beenpletely overwhelmed by the momentum, let out a hollowugh.

    He was a famous knight who had made a name for himself in his own way.

    In fact, his current skills were not inferior to active knights.

    But even he couldn¡¯t follow Hans¡¯ movements with his eyes.

    It was a speed that the eyes couldn¡¯t keep up with. But it wasn¡¯t just fast.

    There was technique as well.

    Hans had cleverly subdued the monster by only severing its tendons.

    It was the ultimate masterpiece thatbined experience and technique.

    To think that the ugly Hans had been hiding that level of skill.

    Without a doubt, he must have dealt with the Gourmet in a simr way.

    It was a series of surprises.

    The Minotaur with a strength close to a demon. And Hans, who had easily subdued such a monster.

    ¡°If Hans hadn¡¯t been here, we might have really been annihted.¡±

    Times change.

    Even if you always do your best and work hard, juniors who startte easily surpass their seniors.

    It was that kind of world. And Andrew newly realized such an era.

    [I didn¡¯t sever the tendons! I just used paralysis poison!]

    Of course, if the person himself had heard it, he would have immediately shown disgust and spoken the truth.

    Because Hans felt a tremendous burden from being treated as a strong person. Because they had expectations.

    In the first ce, Hans¡¯ goal was to somehow find a way to return to his original world.

    Naturally, he couldn¡¯t avoid conflicts while wandering the world, so he was just training.

    But if he was treated as a strong person beyond his actual skill like this, he would naturally have to fight monsters that were even stronger than him.

    That was something Hans definitely didn¡¯t want.

    However, unfortunately for Hans, Andrew ended up keeping those words to himself. And so, the opportunity for Hans to personally exin the truth disappeared forever.

    ¡°rence, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­Margaret.¡±

    ¡°Your face is pale.¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    If Margaret hadn¡¯t shaken his shoulder beside him, rence would still not have been able to break free from the shock.

    It was the first time he had directly faced a monster with a strengthparable to a demon.

    Those with abundantbat experience could gauge the opponent¡¯s and their own power to some extent without directly fighting. And in rence¡¯s mind, if he directly shed with that thing, it always ended with him bing a piece of meat.

    rence, who had even risen to the position of a Royal Knights candidate.

    Of course, there were strong monsters among monsters. But the monster called the Togui that he had seen earlier was fundamentally different.

    Rather than a monster that swung its power without intelligence, the Togui possessed a power closer to a knight who had trained its power to the extreme.

    ¡°But I¡¯m really d. The captain defeated that monster.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, in the end, we were both able to survive, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Tears flowed from her eyes that had been holding back for a long time.

    She had always hidden it with a bright expression, but rence knew.

    How great her sorrow was for losing her hometown and family.

    While training in the capital, rence newly realized the preciousness of his family and friends back home.

    However, by the time he finished his training and finally returned home, it was already toote.

    All that remained for him were the ashes of his hometown and the remains of his family, friends, and neighbors.

    He was too absorbed in his dreams and honor to protect what was truly precious.

    If Margaret hadn¡¯t been the sole survivor, if she hadn¡¯t stayed by his side, rence would have copsed in despair. But because something precious remained, he stood up.

    ¡®But Captain, you¡­¡¯

    [Monsters that surpass imagination are already widespread throughout the world.]

    The captain had once said something with that nuance.

    At that time, he thought he was just trying to scare them. But that wasn¡¯t it.

    He knew about the Togui that no one else knew about.

    If that was the case, it meant that the captain had really fought against monsters that surpassed imagination.

    That was why he calmly dealt with a monster with a strength close to a demon.

    Come to think of it, there was not a single person who knew about Hans¡¯ past.

    At some point, he was in the vige.

    It was unknown what kind of things he had experienced in the past.

    But he was definitely not a viin.

    Because he had seen it.

    Others might not know, but rence had clearly seen it.

    To protect the child behind him, he didn¡¯t back down and shed head-on.

    Could he have done the same in the same situation?

    If Margaret had been behind his back, and he had fought that being called the Togui to protect Margaret, could he have protected her?

    ¡®As expected, my eyes weren¡¯t wrong.¡¯

    The overwhelming appearance he had shown against the Gourmet before.

    At that time, rence had seen a glimpse of the Royal Knights in that appearance. And today, that finally became a conviction.

    ¡®The captain is on par with the Royal Knights.¡¯

    [In front of whom are you bragging now? Die, couple!]

    Of course, if Hans himself had heard it, he would have immediately cursed and spat out all sorts of curses and swear words.

    At least from Hans¡¯ own perspective, rence¡¯s thoughts were truly bragging.

    If they fought without the time stop ability, he was overwhelmingly weaker than rence.

    At least that was what he thought. And yet, he had a childhood friend by his side?

    And you¡¯re telling me I¡¯m a strong person on the level of the Royal Knights?

    Who are you mocking now?

    What¡¯s the difference between that and bragging, ¡°I pulled this after 10 years, is it good?¡±

    ***

    ¡®I couldn¡¯t do anything.¡¯

    She was swept up in a torrent of emotions.

    She couldn¡¯t ept the fact that Teacher was being ignored. So she was angry.

    However, the result was too tragic.

    She knelt before overwhelming power.

    If she had been alone at that time, Helia would have definitely been killed by that thing. But ironically, it was also Teacher who saved her.

    She hated her own powerlessness.

    She deeply despised her own weakness. But more than anything, what she resented was her own helplessness for not being able to do anything when Teacher was being ridiculously insulted.

    ¡°Teacher¡¯s unwavering appearance was so cool¡­¡±

    Just thinking about it, hot desire flowed from her red eyes.

    It was none other than Teacher.

    There was no way he didn¡¯t know that she was behind him.

    But Teacher didn¡¯t back down and fought. To protect Helia, herself.

    He was like a prince from a fairy tale.

    If that was the case, was she the princess from a fairy tale¡­?

    ¡°Kyaaaah?¡±

    Just imagining it made her body burn hot. But her mind kept imagining more than that, regardless.

    But could she be satisfied with just that?

    Of course she couldn¡¯t be satisfied.

    She didn¡¯t want to keep being a burden to Teacher.

    Rather than a princess being saved by a knight,

    She wanted to be a princess who protected the knight.

    This couldn¡¯t go on.

    She couldn¡¯t be satisfied with just being protected by Teacher as she was now.

    When the day came that she became much stronger than now and could protect Teacher herself, could she say it then?

    The fight between the Togui and Hans left many things for people.

    Most praised Hans, some felt inferiority, some felt awe. And someone else realized their own feelings.

    And the main person who left those many things, Hans, was now¡­

    ¡°Great, my belly has gotten much smaller.¡±

    He was directly checking his body fat in the hut.

    The training he had been doing without rest had finally borne fruit.

    Was it because he had fought to the extreme with the Togui three days ago?

    Hans, whose body fat had noticeably decreased. Of course, his belly was still chubby. But at least it was far from the potbelly of a middle-aged man.

    Moreover, his cheeks had also slimmed down a lot.

    ¡°At this rate, the sess of my diet isn¡¯t far off, right?¡±

    Regardless of what others thought, he was only thinking about his diet. Because only then could he erase the appearance of that damn Time Stop Breeding Uncle.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Mirrors were quite expensive luxury items.

    Naturally, not to mentionmoners, only nobles with considerable wealth could afford them.

    But you might think, what¡¯s the point of that on a battlefield where your life is threatened?

    Unexpectedly, luxury items like mirrors did not lose their value. Rather, they were traded at even higher prices. Due to the vanity of nobles who couldn¡¯t bear the immediate luxury over the threat of tomorrow.

    The settings book exined it.

    That was why there was a mirror in the Time Stop Breeding Uncle¡¯s house.

    It was obvious even without looking.

    No doubt, he must have stopped time and stolen the mirror. That thief.

    But thanks to that, it was a huge help to me.

    Because I could immediately check how much fat I had lost.

    But this time, I couldn¡¯t check with the mirror.

    ¡°Where the hell did it go?¡±

    Was it about a week ago? No matter how much I searched, I couldn¡¯t find the mirror.

    I was sure I had hidden it here. Not being able to find it no matter how much I looked was truly maddening.

    ¡°Teacher. Breakfast is ready.¡±

    I was startled by the polite voice of a girling from outside while I was searching for the mirror.

    For a moment, I thought it was a ghost. But fortunately, the owner of the voice was not a ghost, but Helia.

    Starting a week ago, Helia had suddenly volunteered to prepare meals for me.

    Honestly, it was too burdensome.

    It was a bit much to have a future heroine do household chores.

    [I-I¡¯m sorry. Teacher. I was being presumptuous¡­]

    So I tried to refuse, but every time, seeing Helia kneeling and reflecting, I ended up epting the meal.

    Of course, I was happy about it. But this was a bit¡­

    ¡°Good work. But¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    As if still not understanding what the problem was, Helia tilted her head.

    Her red hair cutely swayed.

    I knew she had worked hard. But¡­

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this too much?¡±

    Usually, I solved my meals with turnip bread with turnips provided by the security forces, or potato or bean porridge.

    The food that the Time Stop Breeding Uncle had stolen had already been distributed long ago.

    But for the past week, the meals Helia personally prepared for me had too much quantity.

    Various vegetables, of course, and even a whole roasted boar and fresh fruits.

    In this time of war, a meal of this level was something that only nobles could eat. I knew that too.

    But you want me to eat all of this alone?

    Before that, my stomach would burst.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Teacher. I personally gathered all these ingredients in the morning.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem, is it?¡±

    ¡°C-could it be that there¡¯s a food you dislike?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­ No, never mind.¡±

    Helia¡¯s eyes started to be moist.

    I nodded my head and reached out to pat Helia¡¯s head.

    She prepared this while thinking of me.

    I wasining that there was too much.

    I had unknowingly spouted some nonsense.

    I immediately started eating. The vegetables, of course, and even the meat were all delicious.

    [Where the hell do you get this food from?]

    [I personally went out and gathered them.]

    [¡­???]

    When I first received a meal that could break the table legs due to the enormous quantity, I had asked out of curiosity.

    Then, I received an answer that surpassed my imagination.

    She gathered all of this alone?

    And that too, alone as a little kid?

    Naturally, from my perspective of knowing the future developments, it was truly a roller coaster of confusion.

    What if she went into the forest and encountered monsters and died?

    Even if not that, what if her arm was cut off or she suffered a serious injury?

    Then who would save the world?

    Of course, I had tried to forbid it right away. But I couldn¡¯t do that. Because¡­

    ¡°This time, it only took me 10 seconds to catch the boar.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Teacher¡¯s lessons!¡±

    Helia was epting this as a lesson.

    I had just given her chores that appeared in martial arts novels. But she was voluntarily risking her life and training.

    Of course, it was right to stop her immediately.

    But¡­ if I stopped this, it would mean that I would have to teach her the next stage of the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique. And that was a problem in itself.

    At the very least, I had toe up with a sword technique that looked pretty usible.

    But no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn¡¯te up with that kind of performance.

    But I couldn¡¯t leave it as it was either¡­

    ¡°Teacher, there¡¯s still a lot of food left.¡±

    ¡°This is enough.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Teacher, you need to eat more.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll feed you myself.¡±

    Before I knew it, Helia, who had stuck to my side like sticky rice, picked up a piece of finely shredded boar meat with a fork.

    The boar meat, with its juices flowing, was certainly very appetizing.

    If my stomach wasn¡¯t full, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have been able to resist and would have put it in my mouth right away.

    But now I really couldn¡¯t eat anymore.

    However, seeing Helia holding the fork and looking at me,

    ¡°Ah~?¡±

    My body was forced to move.

    She worked hard every day to prepare meals for me.

    Leaving leftovers was, in a way, rude. In the end, I ate it all.

    I forcibly shoved a whole boar, fruits, and various vegetables into my mouth.

    It really felt like my stomach was going to burst.

    What was even funnier was that somehow, I was able to eat it all.

    Indeed, due to the time stop ability, my energy consumption was much greater than I thought.

    So my body must have been forcibly shoving energy in to match that. But now I really couldn¡¯t eat anymore.

    ¡°Teacher, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I have a gift prepared for you.¡±

    ¡°A gift?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    As if slightly embarrassed, Helia¡¯s face turned a bit red as she held it out to me.

    What Helia had brought was an iron helmet. And it was properly made.

    First of all, not to mention the front and back, it even had a proper front protection attached to it. It was also quite sturdy.

    Certainly, I had armor, but I didn¡¯t have a helmet.

    ¡°It¡¯s a meaningful gift. Thank you very much.¡±

    ¡°May I make one request?¡±

    ¡°Tell me anything.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Then please excuse me for a moment.¡±

    A soft girl¡¯s hand naturally took the helmet from my hand. Soon, that helmet covered my head.

    It was the feeling of cold ironpletely encasing my head.

    However, the front cover was wide open.

    Thanks to that, I realized that Helia¡¯s face was too close.

    Helia smiled faintly and lowered the cover with a single finger.

    ¡°Please wear the helmet when you go outside.¡±

    ¡°¡­When I go outside? Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just my small wish.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a difficult request.¡±

    In the first ce, I would wear armor when I went out.

    Putting on a helmet on top of that was no big deal. And there was always a chance of something happening, so it wouldn¡¯t be bad.

    ¡°Come to think of it, have you finished preparing?¡±

    ¡°Preparing? Ah, you mean the evacuation preparations?¡±

    ¡°Yes, is there anything I can help with?¡±

    Recently, this refugee camp had been repeatedly attacked by demons and monsters.

    So, after much consideration, we chose to evacuate, and the capital had offered to take us in.

    That was already a week ago. And we had to finish all the preparations by today. Because today, we would depart for the capital with everyone.

    I smiled and said,

    ¡°I finished everything long ago. So take some rest.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Teacher. Then¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­???¡±

    Helia bowed her head slightly to greet me, then carefully reached out and gently pulled my shoulder.

    Her knee, soft like a pillow, soon supported my head.

    Her red hair covered the surroundings like armor.

    What I could see there was her red eyes and her faintly drawn smile.

    ¡°Captain Hans! Are you there?!¡±

    ¡°Y-yes! I¡¯m here! I¡¯m here!¡±

    ¡°¡­Tsk.¡±

    If it hadn¡¯t been for rence¡¯s voiceing from outside, I would have still been enjoying Helia¡¯sp. I quickly got up.

    I heard a sulky voice, but I thought I had misheard it and quickly opened the door.

    Of course, rence was outside.

    This was the first time I was so happy to see rence¡¯s face.

    I opened my mouth.

    ¡°I¡¯ve finished all the preparations. Can we depart now?¡±

    ¡°Before that, I have something urgent to tell you¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m Teacher¡¯s disciple, after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not wrong, but¡­¡±

    rence¡¯s gaze turned to Helia behind me.

    Helia, who met rence¡¯s gaze, calmly nodded and said. And I, caught between them, had no idea what was going on.

    Why was Helia suddenly being called my disciple?

    We were just going up to the capital. Was there some top-secret matter?

    Then, rence, who heard my words, nodded his head.

    ¡°Then I will tell you right away.¡±

    ¡°But why are you suddenly using honorifics¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret matter, so you must not tell anyone.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    I thought something was awkward.

    rence, who had been speaking casually to me until now, was suddenly being polite and using honorifics.

    rence took a deep breath and soon opened his mouth.

    ¡°The expedition of the Royal Knights ended in failure.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ah, so that¡¯s why he earnestly pleaded to keep it a secret.

    If it became known to the people who considered the Royal Knights as the saviors of humanity, it would truly be a cauldron of chaos.

    But why are you telling me that, you damn bastard?

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    A secret doesn¡¯t end just by knowing it.

    The moment you learn a secret, you inevitably get entangled with that secret.

    That¡¯s why secrets are not secrets for no reason.

    Especially if you get involved with a heavy secret, your future might be in danger.Moreover, the fact that the expedition of the Royal Knights had failed was a very, very heavy secret.

    As I said before, the Royal Knights were the first united order of knights selected regardless of race or ss.

    Since they were selected so radically, their skills naturally went without saying.

    In fact, they had achieved many significant aplishments.

    Of course, there were some exaggerations among them.

    The fact that the Royal Knights were the heroes and hope of the continent was something that even those who disliked the Royal Knights could not dare to deny.

    But those Royal Knights had been defeated?

    And that too, at this point, not long after they had set out on the expedition?

    If this fact became known to the people, it was obvious that it would cause tremendous chaos.

    That was the weight of it.

    ¡°Why are you telling me this first thing in the morning?¡±

    A question arose here.

    Why was he revealing such an important secret to me, a mere security guard?

    No matter how I looked at it, it seemed like something a security guard shouldn¡¯t know.

    But rence, who came to me first thing in the morning and told me about it, was definitely a damn bastard.

    At least that was the conclusion I reached.

    In response to my question, rence answered as if it were natural.

    ¡°You already knew, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°???¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s continue this conversation inside for now.¡±

    He said I already knew?

    How on earth did hee to that conclusion?

    Could it be that he knew I had possessed this body?

    Confused by the unexpected answer, my mind fell into chaos.

    Taking advantage of that gap, rence naturally entered.

    By the time I barely sorted out the confusion and came to my senses, rence had already taken a seat inside. I red at rence.

    But only for a moment. I went and sat across from rence.

    Of course, I knew about the failure of the Royal Knights. It was openly revealed as the story from the start of the game.

    [In the past, the name of the Royal Knights, who had shone brilliantly, fell to the ground. Their foundation no longer remained even a trace.]

    [You are the only legitimate sessor and leader who has officially inherited those Royal Knights.]

    [From now on, rebuild the Royal Knights.]

    But I had no intention of getting involved in that problem. Even if I used time stop, it was just that the ability was strong.

    My actual skill was only at the level of an average soldier.

    Moreover, wasn¡¯t it because Icked strength that I couldn¡¯t evenpletely exterminate the Togui I had encountered before and had no choice but to let it go?

    And I was getting involved with the Royal Knights?

    Even ten lives wouldn¡¯t be enough.

    I sighed. Anyway, it was a fact I already knew, so I wasn¡¯t that surprised.

    So, there shouldn¡¯t be anything more surprising here.

    Just as I thought that, at that very moment,

    ¡°Let me formally introduce myself again.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°My name is rence Avarice. I am a knight belonging to the royal guard directly serving His Majesty the King.¡±

    The royal guard. The king¡¯s direct order of knights who ruled the kingdom.

    Naturally, they boasted tremendous military power.

    In the original work where the Royal Knights were annihted, they were treated as virtually the strongest order of knights.

    Of course, the kingdom was practically the only ce that operated an order of knights after the Royal Knights were annihted.

    But to think rence was a member of that royal guard.

    Was that why he was so strong?

    ¡°But what is the royal guard doing in a refugee camp?¡±

    ¡°I was carrying out a secret mission under the orders of His Majesty the King.¡±

    ¡°A secret mission?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But that helmet¡­¡±

    rence carefully asked, and I finally realized that I was still wearing the helmet.

    The fit of the helmet was so good that I had forgotten about it.

    ¡°Wait a moment. Right¡­¡±

    ¡°What is this secret mission?¡±

    ¡°I apologize. We were having an important conversation.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    At Helia¡¯s words, who suddenly interrupted, I sat back down.

    rence¡¯s story was more important than the helmet right now.

    rence, realizing that fact, continued.

    ¡°My mission was to find candidates for the Royal Knights.¡±

    ¡°Candidates for the Royal Knights? Weren¡¯t they selected based on skill?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. That¡¯s why the position of us humans has diminished.¡±

    ¡°The position of humans has diminished?¡±

    This was the first time I heard about this.

    What did the Royal Knights have to do with the position of humans?

    Anyway, the Royal Knights were an order of knights selected to crush demons, not politicians, right?

    In fact, although it was vaguely implied that the previous generation of Royal Knights was great, the setting had never been fully revealed.

    So I wanted to properly learn about it this time.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s because of the status of the Royal Knights.¡±

    The Royal Knights were strictly selected based on strength alone.

    Naturally,pared to powerful races like dragons and elves, humans were inevitably at a disadvantage.

    Moreover, with the death of the two members who originally belonged to the Royal Knights, humans became the first race to have not a single knight belonging to the Royal Knights.

    Was that so¡­?

    Come to think of it, in the original work, there were no human knights among the Royal Knights members except for the protagonist and Helia.

    For some reason, I started to have a bad feeling.

    ¡°The Royal Knights are the first united order of knights in the history of the continent. Moreover, now they have risen to a position virtually no different from the saviors of the continent.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°And that means that one or two members of the Royal Knights can use their status and position to give privileges to their own race or country.¡±

    ¡°???¡±

    So, in a word, the races belonging to the Royal Knights were using their position and the status of the Royal Knights to benefit their own race or country?

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t like that from the beginning.

    Initially, it was established to save the continent from the hands of demons.

    But as time passed, they started receiving privileges one by one.

    And with the confrontation of races that originally didn¡¯t get along well, and the collision of factions that emerged from within, it had now literally be the ultimate political arena.

    ¡°In a word, it means politics.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you could summarize it that way.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s rotten. With enemies right in front of us at this very moment.¡±

    It was absurd.

    In a situation where there was amon enemy right in front of them, they were ying politics among themselves?

    Right then, a thought shed through my mind like lightning.

    ¡°Is that why the Royal Knights were annihted?¡±

    ¡°As expected, you knew.¡±

    Oh my god!

    During the 2 years it took from early ess to the official release of the game, the previous generation Royal Knights¡¯ setting, which was never fully revealed, was being resolved like this?

    And through politics?

    ¡°They dare to call such things heroes.¡±

    Putting aside the sense of futility as a fan of this game, from my perspective of having to bear the full brunt of the damage caused by the annihtion of the Royal Knights, I couldn¡¯t help but be angry.

    [As expected, you have the same thoughts as me, Sir Hans.]

    ¡°This voice¡­?!¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Helia. It¡¯s a voiceing from the crystal ball.¡±

    [I didn¡¯t expect you to see through it this far.]

    Of course, I hadn¡¯t actually seen through it.

    I had just guessed based on seeing a simr scene in the game.

    But if I said that directly, I would definitely be treated as a madman.

    rence silently took out a small orb from his pocket.

    That small ss orb was transparent like water. And inside it, there was something like a shadow.

    He spoke in admiration.

    [Moreover, you¡¯re even wearing a helmet without letting your guard down in the vige. Truly a model knight.]

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­¡±

    [Before that, let me express my gratitude first, Sir Hans.]

    ¡°Gratitude?¡±

    The voiceing from inside the crystal ball sounded quite excited.

    I tilted my head.

    This voice sounded familiar.

    I couldn¡¯t remember where I had heard it.

    [Thanks to the information you provided before, our kingdom was able to gain proper speaking power for once.]

    ¡°Because our kingdom was the only one that anticipated the failure of the Royal Knights. It¡¯s all thanks to Sir Hans.¡±

    ¡°???¡±

    I provided information?

    When?

    No, wait a minute.

    There was one thing I could guess.

    When I heard that the Royal Knights were going on an expedition before, I had unconsciously muttered something.

    [¡­So that¡¯s how they get annihted?]

    [Captain.]

    [?!]

    No matter how much I thought about it, if it wasn¡¯t that time, there was no reason for me to receive such gratitude.

    Then, did rence hear those words at that time and directly report to that person?

    Thanks to that, they ended up predicting the failure of the Royal Knights, and naturally, the kingdom¡¯s speaking power rose?

    I closed my mouth.

    I shouldn¡¯t rashly say no here.

    [I didn¡¯t mean it that way.]

    [Then how did you know the Royal Knights would fail?]

    [Ah.]

    Right now, it was a sensitive situation with the Royal Knights annihted. And if I said something suspicious there?

    I could be arrested for treason if I made a mistake.

    So, let¡¯s just stay still.

    If I stayed still, I would at least get an average result.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The weight carried by the name Royal Knights was greater than one could imagine.

    Of course, the fact that the Royal Knights were the heroes of the continent also yed a part, but their true valuey in the symbolism of being the first united order of knights in the history of the continent to include all races.

    Before that, the races didn¡¯t get along well with each other.

    In a way, it was natural. Even in modern society, weren¡¯t there countless people who made a fuss over slightly different skin colors?

    Moreover, here, the races themselves were different.

    Naturally, they couldn¡¯t help but have poor rtions. At best, it ended with public criticism.

    At worst, they didn¡¯t hesitate to go to war.

    But the situation changed drastically.

    The worst adversity that required all races to unite their strength appeared before them.

    So, for the time being, they put aside their old grudges and established an order of knights with the intention of saving the continent first.

    That was none other than the Royal Knights.

    In other words, the Royal Knights had the symbolism of being an alliance where they reluctantly joined forces for now, whether they liked it or not.

    In fact, they had even mediated disputes between races.

    But what if those Royal Knights disappeared?

    What else?

    Naturally, it would immediately turn into a mess.

    In fact, even the joint council where representatives of the races gathered didn¡¯t convene for several years in the original work where the Royal Knights were annihted.

    They hated to see each other¡¯s faces, but they would suffer disadvantages if they didn¡¯t attend the council.

    But the council they had forcibly attended was suspended, and they stopped seeing each other altogether.

    Naturally, the ties of the alliance began to loosen.

    The result was the original situation where more than 80% of the continent¡¯s territory was seized.

    Fortunately, there was the barrier of the Holy Empire.

    If it weren¡¯t for that, the continent would have long been destroyed by the demons, as described.

    And all of that was nothing more than a snowball effect caused by the annihtion of the Royal Knights.

    ¡°But the start of that was self-destruction due to politics?¡±

    [Shamefully, that¡¯s right.]

    At first, it was a trivial issue, he said.

    Granting small favors that didn¡¯t even amount to problems.

    But they piled up and became disputes, and eventually, it turned into this mess.

    ¡°This is absurd.¡±

    [I think so too.]

    ¡°So? What should this old man do?¡±

    Ah, darn it.

    I identally let my guard down because it was too absurd.

    Fortunately, perhaps because the situation was so serious, no one paid attention to my way of speaking.

    The man in the crystal ball continued.

    [If there¡¯s any silver lining, it¡¯s the fact that not all Royal Knights members have died.]

    ¡°You mean they avoided total annihtion?¡±

    [Strictly speaking, it was indeed annihtion. Out of more than 20 knights, only 3 survived.]

    ¡°3 people¡­ They did well to survive in that situation.¡±

    This was sincere, at least.

    Because in the original work, it was stated that not a single one survived and they werepletely annihted.

    Anyway, even if the Royal Knights were rotten, having them around would be helpful.

    [That¡¯s why I have a request for you, Sir Hans.]

    ¡°¡­?! Your Majesty!!!¡±

    ¡°???¡±

    What?

    Your Majesty?

    I was startled because rence had addressed the man kneeling inside the crystal ball as Your Majesty.

    If it was Your Majesty, could it be the king who ruled this country?

    Then, had I been speaking casually to the king all this time?

    Cold sweat began to flow down my spine.

    No matter how much time stop I had, my current skill was only at the level of an ordinary person.

    At least, I wasn¡¯t at the level to speak casually to the king.

    I hurriedly tried to kneel, but before that, the other party had already moved first.

    Soon, the king shouted.

    [Please lend us your strength, Sir Hans!]

    ¡°What do you mean¡­¡±

    [The Royal Knights are currently on the verge of copse.]

    ¡°On the verge of copse?¡±

    He continued his exnation.

    Although there were only 3, the Royal Knights had at least managed to survive that hell.

    However, the problem was their next move.

    [One of them has already left the Royal Knights. The remaining two are still arguing, ming each other. The future of the continent is bleaker than ever.]

    ¡°Crazy.¡±

    [Could you please mediate and guide them directly, Sir Hans? I¡¯m pleading with you, putting everything on the line!!]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    So, even though they had barely survived and returned, they still hadn¡¯te to their senses and were fighting each other?

    I newly realized that it was no wonder the Royal Knights were almost annihted.

    Crazy bastards.

    There was no room for choice here.

    No matter what happened, the existence of the Royal Knights as a signboard was an absolute benefit.

    Otherwise, it would lead to the worst situation, like in the original work.

    In the original game, more than 80% of the continent¡¯s territory fell into the hands of the demons.

    Honestly, I had no confidence in surviving that hellish situation.

    No matter how much time stop I had.

    As long as my basic skills werecking, there would definitelye a limit someday.

    I nodded my head.

    No matter what happened, the name of the Royal Knights had to continue to exist.

    [As expected of you, Sir Hans. I believed in you.]

    ¡°No, but¡­¡±

    [Oh my, look at the time. I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s time for the joint council. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make the preparations in advance.]

    I¡¯m not kidding.

    I really thought he was some kind of rapper.

    Only after the rapid-fire words ended did I finally react.

    But it would have been rude to interrupt in the middle.

    What should I do?

    How should I do it?

    Uh¡­ While I was thinking, I ended up missing the timing.

    I sighed.

    Then, rence, who had been quietly listening, stood up and said,

    ¡°Are you ready? I will escort you to the capital.¡±

    ¡°Is it necessary?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can escort you, so it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°¡­Still, wouldn¡¯t you need a guide?¡±

    rence said that due to the situation, we had to depart for the capital first.

    I nodded my head.

    The remaining two might be irreversible if we didn¡¯t act quickly.

    Of course, I had no confidence.

    I knew they weren¡¯t the type to be swayed by a few words. But I had to do my best.

    Before things got even worse.

    But they wouldn¡¯t tell me to join the Royal Knights because of this, right?

    I had that thought for a moment, but I soon dismissed it.

    I currently had no proven skills.

    Of course, I did win against demons and fought, but the condition for joining the Royal Knights was to be able to defeat at least a mid-level demon like a [Blood Bird] to be considered for the Royal Knights.

    But joining the Royal Knights just for defeating one low-level demon and one monster?

    It was like not just drinking the broth but gulping it down with a bowl.

    ¡°But why didn¡¯t you tell me from the beginning that the person contacting us was His Majesty?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you at first?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That I am a member of the royal guard directly serving His Majesty the King.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    So, you want me to infer it on my own?

    Are you a crazy bastard?

    * * *

    The Joint Council.

    This council, where the leaders of all races and prominent figures gathered, had the purpose of stability and peace of the continent, and furthermore, harmony between races.

    At least, that was the superficial reason. But in reality, it was nothing more than a fight over who could gain more benefits.

    And right now, the council was in aplete mess.

    [That¡¯s what I said, didn¡¯t I?! The expedition was too reckless!]

    [Huh? Are you making excuses now?!]

    [In a way, it can be said to be theck of skills of the Royal Knights.]

    [No! It¡¯s the fault of the dwarves for not preparing the supplies on time!]

    [Oh? I didn¡¯t know the Queen wished for suicide.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ming others was at a cute level.

    Anyway, not only did they disparage the Royal Knights who had died fighting on the battlefield, but they even directly pointed fingers and criticized their enemies.

    The reason they were fighting like this was simple.

    They didn¡¯t want to take responsibility for the failure of the Royal Knights¡¯ expedition.

    Because they were afraid that disadvantages mighte to them.

    Therefore, they weren¡¯t meeting in person and holding the council through crystal balls like this.

    If they met directly, they wouldn¡¯t be able to shout at each other like that.

    ¡°Now is not the time to fight among ourselves, is it?¡±

    But that also meant that the human king had an opportunity.

    At his words, everyone closed their mouths. Because he had the right to speak.

    The one who had opposed the Royal Knights¡¯ expedition until the very end.

    The one who had stuck to his words with conviction while enduring all sorts of ridicule and disadvantages.

    That was the position the current king held.

    ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s done is done. The priority should be toe up with a secret n to ovee the current situation.¡±

    [You¡¯re babbling as if there¡¯s some secret n.]

    ¡°It¡¯s not that there isn¡¯t one at all. Would you like to hear it?¡±

    Everyone closed their mouths as if they had agreed.

    Perhaps they felt humiliated to listen to the words of the human king they had ignored until now.

    The king, who took their silence as a tacit agreement, opened his mouth.

    ¡°Our top priority is to rebuild the Royal Knights. You all agree on this, right?¡±

    [That¡¯s true.]

    [We can¡¯t kill the demons without the Royal Knights.]

    ¡°Actually, there is a suitable candidate for that.¡±

    [What do you mean?]

    This was an opportunity.

    To wash away the stigma of being the only race without a Royal Knight and gain an advantageous position in this [Blood Alliance].

    However, it was a method with a very high risk.

    ¡°Single-handedly ying numerous monsters and killing the notorious Gourmet with a single strike.¡±

    If sessful, they could definitely gain an advantageous position, but if they failed,

    they could lose even the position they had barely secured now.

    It was truly high risk, high return, all or nothing.

    ¡°Furthermore, the only one who predicted the annihtion of the Royal Knights before they set out on the expedition.¡±

    However, even in such a situation, the king had no hesitation.

    In the first ce, to gain something, one had to be prepared to lose.

    And if he, the human king, didn¡¯t believe in humans, who would?

    ¡°I have found a candidate for the newmander of the Royal Knights.¡±

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The Royal Knights had at least one member from every race except humans.

    Even then, in the past, there had been knights belonging to the Royal Knights who were human.

    The purpose of establishing the Royal Knights was to unite their strength and eradicate the adversaries threatening the continent.

    However, even taking that into ount, there were cases where the rift between races was deep.A prime example was the racial conflict between elves and dwarves.

    First of all, these two had fundamentally different values.

    The elves had a naturalist value of preserving nature as it was.

    On the other hand, dwarves believed that excavating and using the hidden gems in the earth was the right thing to do, and thus, nature was also a resource that should be used.

    In other words, if this racial conflict were to be described in one sentence,

    It could be said to be the confrontation between vegans and industrial disasters.

    The carriage shook heavily with a thud.

    It seemed that the wheels had trampled over a stone on the unpaved dirt road.

    Through the window without ss, trees were passing by quickly.

    We were currently aboard a carriage heading to the capital.

    Helia was stuck to my side like sticky rice, but unable to endure the boring story, she had finally fallen asleep.

    I silently offered my shoulder to Helia.

    Her red hair covered my shoulder and arm like a beautiful thread.

    That¡¯s when rence, sitting across from me, opened his mouth.

    ¡°Is it alright if I continue my exnation?¡±

    ¡°Please do.¡±

    ¡°The conflict between elves and dwarves has been famous for a long time. Usually, it¡¯s the dwarves who provoke the elves with unreasonable expansion, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, there are many cases where the elves provoke the dwarves too.¡±

    In fact, in the game, elves were portrayed as loving nature as it was and believing that it should be protected.

    The problem was that their love was dangerously excessive.

    To what extent, you ask?

    If their territory was touched even slightly, they would immediately dere war on the dwarves.

    Even in a state where more than half of the continent had been taken over by demons!

    This game, unlike a typical adult game, had a management element where you managed a territory.

    The problem was that the only ce nearby to obtain wood, one of the important resources in the early game, was the elven forest.

    Without caring about the circumstances at all, just cutting down one tree would result in the elves brazenly dering war.

    The sight of the elves was so relentless that the users nicknamed them ¡°contract gangsters.¡±

    [Why are you tormenting us?]

    [This is an unforgivable atrocity.]

    [I can¡¯t forgive you. I will begin the punishment.]

    [What the hell, these bastards go crazy even if you touch just one tree?!]

    Remembering that time made me want to kill again, seriously.

    I was the type who yed without looking at walkthroughs in the first ce.

    But because of those damn gangsters, I had to retry 12 times just in the early game.

    ¡°How much further is it to the capital?¡±

    ¡°We will arrive soon.¡±

    ¡°We arrived sooner than I thought.¡±

    ¡°This is a hidden path that only the royal guard can use.¡±

    ¡°This old man can finally rest now.¡±

    I immediately bit my tongue.

    With a slightly tearing sound, the taste of bitter blood came out.

    If I kept letting my guard down, the speech pattern of the Time Stop Breeding Uncle would pop out.

    It might be fine in the refugee camp. But this carriage was warm, and the food was delicious, so without realizing it, my tension had loosened.

    In fact, I had used the Time Stop Breeding Uncle¡¯s speech pattern several times in the carriage.

    The panting horse kept running without rest.

    Emerging from the forest of old trees along the rough dirt road, the capital spread out beyond, powerfully revealing its grandeur.

    ¡°You said the Royal Knights are in the capital right now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. His Majesty personally summoned them. So at least they¡¯re fighting less now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good. Did you try to stop them?¡±

    ¡°They won¡¯t even listen with their ears. Once they start fighting, they fight without caring about anything.¡±

    Fortunately, it was the capital, the home ground of humans.

    If it were anywhere else, persuasion or mediation wouldn¡¯t work at all.

    The moat surrounding the huge city walls was filled with muddy water.

    Our carriage entered the city gate through the bridge built over the muddy water.

    We were stopped for inspection, but when rence got out, we immediately got a free pass.

    The appearance of the capital was quite different from what I had imagined.

    If the refugee camp was literally a den of beggars, the capital had the typical appearance of a capital in a medieval fantasy.

    ¡°Compared to the refugee camp, this is like heaven.¡±

    ¡°But the financial situation of the capital isn¡¯t very good.¡±

    ¡°And yet it looks like this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because of the extravagance of the nobles. Fortunately, His Majesty has strictly prohibited it, but¡­¡±

    It seemed that the nobles didn¡¯t want the ce they lived in to be a pigsty, so they directly spent their own money to maintain the capital. And that tax was extorted from the people.

    It was absurd.

    Until now, they had been cursing the Royal Knights who had been annihted while fighting among themselves.

    But now that I looked at it, they didn¡¯t even have the right to curse.

    Humans were all the same.

    Moreover, it was only to this extent because His Majesty the King had strictly prohibited it.

    If it weren¡¯t for that¡­ Ugh, I don¡¯t even want to imagine it.

    Meanwhile, the carriage we were riding had already entered the royal castle.

    There were three spires covered with blue roofs, and white walls connected to those three spires supported the appearance of the royal castle.

    I clicked my tongue.

    As expected, a castle was a castle.

    ¡°Wee to the capital, Sir Hans.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°For now, you can unpack your luggage and rest inside¡­¡±

    As if they had received prior notice, when we entered the royal castle, the knights in armor kindly weed us.

    The original n was to rest today and start tomorrow.

    Kwaaang!

    If it weren¡¯t for the explosive sound that rang out from the courtyard.

    For a moment, the huge explosive sound was enough to make one think it was an enemy attack. But neither rence nor the knights reacted much.

    ¡°I apologize for asking you right away when you¡¯vee a long way, Sir Hans. But is it alright if I request something from you now?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re fighting each other right now?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re used to it now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    If even the knights guarding the royal pce reacted like this, how much did they fight in that short time?

    I couldn¡¯t even guess.

    I followed the knights¡¯ guidance and headed to the courtyard.

    Kwang!

    Thud!

    Just taking a step forward caused cracks in the ground.

    The hammer swung like lightning struck the ground. Then, shattered fragments flew out in all directions.

    I silently looked at the fragment that hade close to my eyes.

    The fragment that had flown at a tremendous speed was stopped right in front of my nose.

    I turned my head again and looked around.

    Fortunately, no fragments had hit Helia or rence, but the courtyard was already aplete mess.

    It looked like it had been hit by a bomb.

    I shouted in horror.

    ¡°I almost died from a single fragment?!¡±

    That¡¯s right. Time stop was currently activated.

    Moreover, it wasn¡¯t because they directly attacked me, but because of the byproduct of their fight among themselves.

    That¡¯s when I realized the difference in level.

    No matter how stupidly the Royal Knights were annihted, they were still the Royal Knights, even if they were rotten.

    If I tried to stop them half-heartedly, I could really die.

    What should I do?

    Should I run away now?

    But if I don¡¯t stop this, the Royal Knights will disband in the end. And if the Royal Knights disband?

    I would have to endure those hellish 7 years¡­

    I gritted my teeth.

    When a person is driven to the extreme, they often show the opposite tendency.

    Forcibly swallowing the fear boiling up in my chest, I walked forward.

    [They won¡¯t even listen with their ears. Once they start fighting, they fight without caring about anything.]

    Based on what I had heard from rence in the carriage, it seemed that these guys didn¡¯t listen to those weaker than them.

    Moreover, they were out of their minds and their eyes were rolling back.

    Then, what should I do here to make these guys listen to me?

    In a way, the answer was very simple.

    I just needed to appear very strong. Even if it was fake.

    Anyway, as long as the result was good, that was all that mattered.

    However, this also carried a very high risk for me.

    If I made a mistake, I might be forced to take on various problems like in the refugee camp.

    ¡°But it¡¯s better than hell.¡±

    I had seen numerous hells while ying the game.

    At that time, I just passed it off because it was a game. But now it wasn¡¯t a game, it was reality.

    A reality that I might have to experience directly.

    No matter how cheat-like the time stop ability was, I didn¡¯t think I could endure that hell.

    In fact, didn¡¯t I almost die from a single fragment just now?

    But in a world where the shield called the Royal Knights had disappeared, and against numerous monsters at that, you want me to survive?

    Is that even possible?

    Rather than sufferingter, I had to do it now.

    ¡°Hngh!¡±

    I hung onto the dwarf¡¯s hammer like a pull-up bar.

    The hammer that had been raised above the head slowly but surely came down to the ground.

    I, who had barely managed to make it touch the ground, turned my head again.

    ¡°What kind of strength is this¡­¡±

    The elf was also holding a sword with both hands, raising it above the head.

    It seemed they were determined to sh with each other at full power.

    I reached out and moved the elf¡¯s arm.

    I shook it back and forth like a doll.

    After making sure the strength had left the elf¡¯s hand like that, I deliberately grabbed the elf¡¯s slender wrists with one hand.

    Alright, done.

    At first, I thought about putting the sword between two fingers, but I gave up. What if my fingers got cut off?

    Having finished the rough preparations, I collided my middle finger and index finger to make a sound.

    Soon, time began to flow again.

    As time started to flow again, they could finally see it.

    The elf finally realized that her wrists were being held.

    On the other hand, the dwarf confirmed that her hammer was being stepped on with one foot.

    The gaze of the two, who had been blinded by anger, turned to me, who had intervened in the middle.

    I swallowed my saliva.

    ¡°Pathetic. And you call yourselves knights?¡±

    The die had already been cast.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    You and I had a bad rtionship from our first meeting.

    Elves hated dwarves, and dwarves hated elves.

    A symbiotic rtionship where they despised each other.

    Whenever they had a chance, they would hit and fight each other. Sometimes, they would trouble themander with childish retaliation.

    That was us, but still, we didn¡¯t deny that we wererades walking the same path. And we firmly believed that there would definitely be glory at the end of the path we walked.

    [Ah¡­ everything is going dark¡­]

    [I don¡¯t want to die. I don¡¯t want to die!!]

    [Why do we have to die?!]

    Even though they were all excellent heroes, theirst words were too ordinary.

    The desperate cries of those who didn¡¯t want to die. And the overwhelming despair that easily shattered that desperation.

    A reckless expedition who¡¯s decision was forced.

    However, not wanting to suffer disadvantages, no one opposed the expedition. And we had to pay a heavy price for that arrogance.

    [I thought the human king was blinded by jealousy. But it turns out I was the one who was blinded.]

    [Commander¡­?!]

    [Take this, a scroll I prepared just in case. Use this and get out of here right now.]

    Her voice was still unwavering. However, her condition was by no means good.

    Her right arm was tattered as if it had been torn apart.

    Her split abdomen had her intestines slightly protruding.

    [But Commander, if we run away, what about you¡­?!]

    [If it¡¯s not me, you won¡¯t even have a chance to use that scroll. You know that, don¡¯t you?]

    [¡­]

    [Go. At least you survive and n for the future. That is¡­ myst request as themander.]

    Theirmander was left alone there.

    There was no choice.

    Just as themander said, if it wasn¡¯t her, they wouldn¡¯t have the leisure to even use the scroll.

    It was a rational choice.

    I desperately thought so.

    If I didn¡¯t,

    I felt like I wouldn¡¯t be able to endure it.

    It¡¯s copsing.

    The ground is copsing.

    Endlessly falling somewhere.

    The hell I saw that day still hasn¡¯t left my mind.

    And it must be the same for you, right?

    [The newmander of the Royal Knights¡­?]

    [That¡¯s how it turned out. I heard he was the only one who predicted the annihtion of the Royal Knights.]

    [¡­]

    [With that level of insight and strategy, he must be more than qualified to be themander.]

    It¡¯s a lie.

    They just need a scapegoat.

    Not wanting to bear the responsibility for the annihtion of the Royal Knights, they turned a blind eye to the problem right in front of them and instead chose a sacrifice to be offered.

    But there was nothing more I could say there.

    As a result, we were nothing more than a defeated army. And the defeated army headed to the kingdom to wee their newmander.

    We didn¡¯t say anything. Our dead eyes gave up looking at each other.

    The miserable appearance of the other wouldn¡¯t be any different from our own.

    We mocked each other.

    [Stupid dwarf. What are you so proud of?]

    [I can imagine you crying and whining. Kanf.]

    Insincere words spilled out.

    That terrible experience made us sensitive. And that sensitivity became a sharp de that stabbed each other.

    An emotion that we didn¡¯t even know if it was anger or self-loathing.

    It was clearly that we¡­

    No,

    We couldn¡¯t ept ourselves.

    People are unexpectedly cunning.

    We couldn¡¯t bring ourselves to point that de at ourselves. So we pointed it at someone in a simr situation.

    It was the same for her.

    Our sh intensified.

    So, at the very least,

    Let¡¯s crash into each other with all our might.

    Then, for just a brief moment¡­

    We might be able to forget this fear.

    It was unsightly.

    The ones who were called heroes were eaten up by fear and pointed weapons at each other.

    Self-destruction, the fitting end for us who have lost everything and lost our way.

    So,

    Pick up your sword.

    Pick up your hammer.

    Kill.

    Or be killed.

    See, you can do it well, right?

    I¡¯m strong enough.

    Is that so?

    Then¡­

    Why didn¡¯t you fight back then?

    Why did you just run away back then?

    Because of you.

    Because of me.

    Themander died.

    No one can intervene.

    There was only one person who could stop us.

    Maybe, just maybe, I hoped that one person would appear and stop us.

    [Alright, that¡¯s enough. This much sparring is enough.]

    [This isn¡¯t sparring! I¡¯ll finish it with that damn dwarf!]

    [That¡¯s what I wanted too!]

    Because we didn¡¯t want to ept ourmander¡¯s death. So, if we kept fighting, I thought themander might show up and stop us.

    An expectation that could never be rewarded.

    That¡¯s what I thought.

    At that moment, as if it were a lie, our attacks stopped.

    Not in a way of beating each other directly, but gently blocking my hand and the dwarf¡¯s hammer.

    It was simr to themander.

    ¡®Commander¡­?!¡¯

    I couldn¡¯t even see him move.

    When I came to my senses, my hands were grabbed, and the dwarf¡¯s proud hammer was trampled on the ground by his foot. And at the center of it was him.

    ¡°Pathetic. And you call yourselves knights?¡±

    He reprimanded us.

    As if he saw right through us now.

    * * *

    All the audiovisual means used in a y.

    That was called directing.

    Then my current actions were close to directing too.

    What¡¯s important is showing. Anyway, to them, it would look like I blocked their attacks.

    No matter how much they were Royal Knights, they couldn¡¯t help but be surprised when someone suddenly intervened and blocked their attacks. But that was only for about 1 to 2 seconds at most.

    I nced and rolled my eyes.

    I confirmed that the gazes of the elf and dwarf were on me.

    I immediately released the elf¡¯s hands and withdrew my foot that had been ced on the hammer.

    Anyway, if I kept going, I would eventually be overpowered.

    In the worst case, I might break something if I got hit in the wrong ce. So, I released them as if to say this was enough.

    Of course, the important point here was the expression.

    I must never let the emotion of fear show on my face.

    I gritted my teeth and bit my tongue to maintain a rxed face.

    ¡°Who are you, suddenly barging in?¡±

    ¡°You blocked our attacks so lightly. Could it be¡­?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one the human king talked about.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Good.

    At least I seeded in getting their attention.

    But it couldn¡¯t end with just this trivial act. Rather, the real part began now.

    I looked at them.

    Silver hair flowing like gentle moonlight reached her waist, and there was hostility in the blue eyes on her white jade-like skin.

    A typical elf¡¯s appearance.

    But the problem was the dwarf. As I said before, this game was clearly an adult game.

    But would users like it if there were bearded old men in an adult game?

    She was very short, about 140cm tall. Almost like an elementary school student.

    She also had short brown hair that touched her shoulders, and her amber-like eyes were shining.

    In this game, dwarves were one of two things. Loli or shota.

    Since they couldn¡¯t really do such things to a real elementary school-aged child, dwarves appeared as a substitute race.

    Dwarves had a setting simr to elves where they were half-spirits.

    Once they reached a certain point of growth, their appearance no longer changed. In other words, it was legal.

    At least in terms of age.

    ¡°Looks like he¡¯s more pompous than I thought.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say such arrogant things. That¡¯s why elves get cursed.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t hear you well because you¡¯re too far down.¡±

    ¡°Kanf.¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯ll have to settle this once and for all today.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The elf spoke as if she found it interesting, and the dwarf refuted her.

    Then they red at each other again and picked up their weapons.

    It was quite a spectacle, but I couldn¡¯t let them fight here.

    Because the cooldown was still active.

    If they started fighting here again, I, who was caught in the middle, would definitely be torn to shreds. But I couldn¡¯t stop them with just any words.

    ¡°Both of your actions are truly a sight to behold.¡±

    ¡°Are you openly interfering now?¡±

    ¡°This is a problem between me and Kanf.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m starting to understand a little now.¡±

    Appropriate aggro is helpful. But you shouldn¡¯t pull too much aggro.

    Then weapons would fly at you right away.

    I, with time stop on cooldown, couldn¡¯t dodge the attacks.

    ¡°The fact that you are not qualified to be Royal Knights.¡±

    Therefore, if that happened, I would definitely die.

    So, I had to scratch their pride to an appropriate level.

    Fortunately, at my words, they stopped fighting and looked at me again.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°Look around you. What do you see?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The knights who had tried to stop them were already stuck in the wall outside the courtyard or thrown into a nearby flower pot.

    In a word, it was a mess.

    ¡°Those innocent knights were caught up in your pointless venting. Am I wrong?¡±

    Good, there was a reaction.

    I guess even they felt guilty, judging by their appearance.

    Indeed, even though they were called heroes, if they caused harm to others who had nothing to do with it, they should feel guilty.

    Their guilty conscience was the key to my strategy.

    The Royal Knights were the heroes of the continent.

    Was it really the right thing to do to cause harm to others like this?

    I brought up that logic.

    Of course, they would have nothing to say even if they had a hundred mouths.

    It was 100% entirely their fault.

    They shouldn¡¯t have anything to say in the first ce. At least if they had a conscience.

    Soon, the elf opened her mouth.

    ¡°Certainly, it doesn¡¯t seem like they brought some random rabble. You seem to have quite some skill¡­¡±

    ¡°But we still can¡¯t acknowledge you.¡±

    ¡°For once, I agree with you. I have the same thought.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t acknowledge me?¡±

    What?

    Do I need skill just to mediate?

    I even need to be acknowledged by them?

    Ah, I see. They¡¯re the oh-so-great Royal Knights, right?

    Amazing, amazing, your shit is thick.

    ¡°If you want to be acknowledged by us, show us your skills.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Until then, we cannot acknowledge you.¡±

    I blinked my eyes.

    Before I knew it, the tip of her drawn sword was close to my neck.

    I¡¯m not kidding, I didn¡¯t even see her drawing the sword. And you want me to show my skills?

    Uh¡­ I didn¡¯t expect this?

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Stay calm.

    I had to stay calm.

    Even if I had to bite my tongue, I had to stay calm.

    I cooled down my shaking mind. How did it suddenly turn out like this?

    I just tried to mediate between them. Was this some kind of special mediation method only used by the Royal Knights?

    Come to think of it, even in modern times, I was often surprised by the peculiar cultures of other countries.

    In that sense, it wasn¡¯tpletely nonsensical.

    Unfortunately.

    Was that why the king entrusted me with the mediation? Because they couldn¡¯t mediate with their own power?

    If that was the case, the king was truly a damn bastard.

    Thanks to that, I was about to die alone.

    But even if the sky falls, there¡¯s a hole to rise up.

    First, to ovee this situation, conditions were needed. And the first condition was to absolutely avoid a head-on confrontation.

    No matter how much I had the time stop ability, I would definitely lose.

    Then, first, I had to bring it to a confrontation where I was much more advantageous with a usible reason.

    The problem was that no advantageous confrontation came to my mind.

    While I was pondering for a while, The elf and dwarf stopped talking and suddenly started ying rock-paper-scissors with each other.

    What were they doing again?

    It was so absurd that a question popped out of my mouth without me realizing it.

    ¡°What are you doing right now?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re deciding the order.¡±

    ¡°Order?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re deciding who will confront you first!¡±

    ¡°¡­!!¡±

    That¡¯s it!

    The question marks filling my mind disappeared, and instead, it felt like a light bulb had flickered on in their ce.

    There was that method!

    Of course, almost half of it could be called coercion.

    But from my current position, I had no choice but to try it.

    Whether I died by a dog or died normally, if it was the same either way, I had to at least bet on the one with a higher possibility. But before that, I needed to prepare.

    First, draw aggro.

    They were fighting with each other again while ying rock-paper-scissors.

    Naturally, because they didn¡¯t know when they would start fighting.

    It was also impossible to use time stop to stop that fight.

    Rather, it was fortunate. Because I needed some kind of stage to draw aggro.

    I drew the sword at my waist.

    The cold sound of metal scraping as the sword was drawn from its sheath.

    At that noise, they reacted. They stopped fighting and started to be wary of me.

    I was worried that an attack mighte right away, but fortunately, they didn¡¯t seem to be that reckless.

    But it wasn¡¯t enough.

    Rather, the real thing started now.

    As if aiming a gun towards the sky in the military, I was pointing the tip of the sword towards the sky so that everyone could see.

    Then, I gripped the sword in a reverse grip and stabbed it into the ground with all my strength.

    Thud!!

    The sword, with its weight properly concentrated, was instantly stuck in thewn of the courtyard.

    After confirming that it was firmly stuck, I nodded my head.

    At my sudden action, the elf tilted her head.

    ¡°What are you doing now?¡±

    Good, she asked well.

    ¡°I¡¯m creating a stage worthy of you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying!¡±

    ¡°This should be enough.¡±

    I was worried about what I would do if no one asked.

    Fortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case.

    If no one had asked and I had exined it alone, it would have been a bit awkward.

    I turned my back and walked forward.

    Very slowly.

    Step by step, step by step.

    When those steps umted to ten steps,

    I turned my head again.

    They were still looking at me with eyes that didn¡¯t understand what was going on.

    The distance between me and them was roughly estimated to be about 3m.

    A distance that was narrow if narrow, and wide if wide.

    But what I said here wouldn¡¯t be inaudible to them.

    This was the critical moment. If I seeded here, I could somehow ovee it. And here, I threw out my trump card.

    ¡°What do you think is the virtue of a knight?¡±

    The deadly-wind-breaking-speech technique!

    Of course, even if I said it was just talking, it was only at the level of imitating the protagonist¡¯s famous lines from the game.

    But still, there were a few among them that I could use now!

    ¡°Those who call themselves knights simply because they are strong in force or wield a sword well are third-rate.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s all there is to it, right?¡±

    ¡°Then who do you think is first-rate?!¡±

    [A knight is one who protects everyone behind their back! That¡¯s why I will never back down!!]

    The protagonist of Royal Knights Maker was a typical hero.

    Rtively weak in force, but instead, he had the corresponding intellect and tactical abilities, and even the discernment to discover talent.

    He was truly a talent suitable for amander.

    Come to think of it, all of those were just the yer figuring things out on their own. But still, in the game, they were clearly the protagonist¡¯s abilities.

    Not only their eyes but also the eyes of those who had be attracted to thismotion were all focused on me.

    The burden pierced my lungs and strangled my heart, but I forcibly twisted my mouth.

    ¡°A knight is one who protects everyone behind their back.¡±

    ¡°Typical lip service.¡±

    ¡°In the end, you need strength to be able to protect!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    These damn bastards.

    Why were they reacting so cynically?

    Even though they were characters from an adult game, if I said something cool, they should have at least blushed while getting their panties wet.

    You damn bitches.

    It seemed that they wouldn¡¯t be persuaded by talking nicely.

    Then, I had no choice but to poke at that. This was a gamble for me too.

    If it seeded, it would be a jackpot, and if it failed, it would be aplete bust.

    But there wasn¡¯t much time. If I kept standing still like this, they would start to suspect me.

    There was no choice, I had to press the button even if I couldn¡¯t eat it.

    I deliberately burst intoughter.

    ¡°Kuhahaha! Ahahahahaha!!¡±

    ¡°What, all of a sudden? Did you go crazy?¡±

    ¡°Get a hold of yourself! Kanf! He¡¯s mocking us!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    I knew very well the reason why they had fallen this far. It was the failure of the Royal Knights¡¯ expedition.

    In the original work, all of the Royal Knights had died in battle.

    But for some reason, in this version, as many as 3 people had returned alive.

    One of those 3 had deserted, but anyway, what was important here was that they had been defeated and ran away.

    ¡°Anyone can say lip service. Just like you.¡±

    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±

    ¡°In the end, you were defeated and ran away in a miserable state, didn¡¯t you? Even abandoning yourrades!!¡±

    ¡°¡­If you say any more than that, I really won¡¯t let it slide.¡±

    With this, they were almostpletely persuaded.

    I swallowed the tears that I almost shed.

    The thick killing intent that I had been feeling for a while was pressing down on my shoulders.

    If I didn¡¯t have the incredible backing called time stop, I would have knelt down right now and begged for forgiveness while crying and screaming.

    Anyway, since it was heated up, I threw out the bait right here!

    ¡°It will be a very simple confrontation. From now on, for 1 minute, try to protect the sword from me. If I take the sword, it¡¯s my victory.¡±

    ¡°What does that have to do with this right now?¡±

    ¡°How can you try to protect the living when you can¡¯t even protect a sword?¡±

    It was an argument bordering on coercion, but I packaged it as usibly as possible by citing the previous statement that a knight is one who protects. And while I was at it, I provoked them once more here.

    ¡°Or¡­ is the handicap of not having a sword not enough?¡±

    Deliberately showing my sword sheath well, I loosely waved one hand with nothing in it while exposing my side where the sword sheath was worn.

    Then, sparks began to ze in their eyes.

    Indeed, it was the best provocation that worked in all countries.

    Are you afraid?

    * * *

    Even though it was coercion, they somehow epted that proposal.

    The conditions of the bet were simple.

    If I took the sword I had stuck in within 1 minute, I would win; if not, I would lose.

    Helia would measure the time in the middle with an hourss.

    She wanted to fight alongside me, but I made her give up.

    No matter how much of a genius she was, I couldn¡¯t rely on her.

    Even though she was a genius, the opponents were also geniuses.

    Moreover, they were beings that could be calledplete versions, having honed their experience and skills.

    Helia as she was now wouldn¡¯t be able to win.

    I had my hands behind my back and was making the most rxed expression possible.

    As if to say that I could easily defeat the likes of you with my hands behind my back.

    I was trying to create that kind of atmosphere as much as possible.

    ¡°Shall we start then?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not even wielding a weapon. You¡¯re very rxed, huh?¡±

    ¡°Be careful. There¡¯s a reason for my rxation.¡±

    ¡°I know that too. I won¡¯t let my guard down at all.¡±

    ¡°Come at me with everything you¡¯ve got. Otherwise¡­¡±

    I deliberately trailed off.

    Putting my hands behind my back was half for show and the other half was for this.

    At the same time as my words trailed off, I snapped my middle finger and index finger behind my back.

    Everything turned ck and white.

    From their perspective, it would probably look like I was talking here.

    So I deliberately trailed off and said the rest behind them.

    Of course, with the sword I had drawn behind them. I slowly walked towards the sword.

    Fortunately, the conditions were favorable.

    If I had collided head-on, I would have never been able to win.

    When it came to the Royal Knights, from the beginning their physical abilities were on another level.

    Not only dwarves and dragons but even elves had very sturdy skin that could easily block a sword.

    If there was a way, it would be to approach behind them using time stop and put the de to their neck.

    But it wouldn¡¯t work on dwarves with their sturdy skin, even if it might work on elves.

    I passed by them and walked to where I had stuck my sword. And I immediately reached out and pulled the sword.

    No, I tried to pull it out.

    I soon tilted my head.

    Then this time, I tried to pull the sword out like a crowbar with both hands. But the sword wouldn¡¯t budge as if it had been hammered in.

    Cold sweat started flowing down my back like a stream.

    I was screwed.

    I was really screwed.

    What? Fuck? This can¡¯t note out? Did I stick it in too hard earlier?!

    ¡°Huff¡­! I¡¯m running out of breath¡­?!¡±

    It was dangerous.

    I was so flustered that I forgot to control my strength.

    My stamina was already starting to run out.

    Fortunately, I managed to pull it out somehow before my stamina waspletely depleted and I was exhausted.

    But I pulled it out too hastily and ended up falling over like a soybean beetle.

    Fortunately, time was stopped.

    If it weren¡¯t, I would have died of embarrassment.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Is there value in a defeated soldier?

    If asked, most people with some sense in their heads would probably answer yes.

    After all, no matter what happened, the most important thing in a war was the number of troops.

    Even if they were defeated, if they could somehow recover the surviving soldiers, it would save that much time and money for training new troops. Because the military was a money-eating hippo.Especially considering the enormous amount of money that went into training soldiers,

    it was no exaggeration to say that recovering defeated soldiers was like finding a lost treasure.

    Moreover, the value of the information that could be obtained from the defeated soldiers could not be ignored.

    However, no matter how valuable the defeated soldiers were, there was no way they could ept it.

    For them, the Royal Knights were a path of glory.

    They had no hesitation in walking that path, and even if they were to lose their lives, they had vowed never to run away.

    But this was the result.

    Out of those many knights, only 3 survived.

    And even one of them couldn¡¯t ovee their fear and ran away.

    Moreover, there was no external pressure either.

    Even though they were the first to draw their swords, they ran away because they were afraid to die.

    Rather¡­ if they had died together with themander then, would they not have felt the pain they were feeling now?

    They couldn¡¯t sleep properly.

    Sometimes their hands were stained with blood. Their deadrades were still beckoning them even now.

    The guilt of being the only ones who survived.

    The despair of all theirrades dying.

    Those became a heavy hammer that crushed them.

    The pressure gnawed at their minds.

    Even while just walking down the street, it seemed like the people around them were ming them.

    Why did you run away? If you had fought together, themander could have survived.

    What?

    You¡¯re saying you would have died together then?

    Could it be that you¡¯re afraid of dying together?

    In the end, it¡¯s your fault for being weak.

    Whether they made excuses or not, it turned into a more terrifying whipping that came back like a boomerang.

    They couldn¡¯t even ask for help. Because they were the Royal Knights.

    The Royal Knights.

    The proud sword that defended the continent.

    Everything was for the continent.

    Even though they were worn out and nothing was left, only thatst bit of pride was barely sustaining them.

    They knew very well themselves that it was a presumptuous thing to do.

    We are the defeated soldiers.

    Moreover, we abandoned ourrades and ran away.

    We have no right to choose.

    It was a fact that they knew all too well, as if their bones were shattered, and even if they wanted to look away, they couldn¡¯t.

    Still, they at least wanted to confirm the strength of the person who would seed themander.

    [Why do you two always fight as soon as you see each other?]

    [There¡¯s no way I can get along with this dwarf midget!]

    [I agree! I can¡¯t get along with Kanf either!]

    [Don¡¯t be like that. In the end, we¡¯re like a family.]

    Theirmander was that kind of person.

    In front of enemies, she was stronger and more courageous than anyone else, but to her own people, she was more lenient than anything else.

    She always emphasized family.

    [I don¡¯t remember bing family with this dwarf shorty!]

    [I¡¯d rather have ruins be our family than you!]

    [Once we¡¯re in the same boat, we have to help each other.]

    [¡­]

    [The reason we gathered is for peace in the end, isn¡¯t it?]

    If it weren¡¯t for that incident then themander¡¯s authority wouldn¡¯t have fallen to the ground, and the expedition wouldn¡¯t have been forcibly decided.

    Some might say she was too lenient.

    But at least, to them, she was the bestmander.

    That¡¯s why, no matter how shameless it was, no matter how presumptuous it was, they had no choice but to do it.

    No, they had to do it.

    If you are to seed themander, prove that you are worthy of it.

    They focused all their senses forward.

    They were ready to use not only swords but even magic at any moment if the opponent moved.

    And it was the same for the dwarf.

    They hated each other to death, but ironically, they acknowledged each other¡¯s skills.

    What should they call it?

    Perhaps even they themselves didn¡¯t know. And right at that moment,

    ¡°Come at me with everything you¡¯ve got. Otherwise¡­¡±

    They felt nothing. Not even the wind was blowing.

    In a very short time, less than a second, the man¡¯s figure suddenly disappeared from their sight.

    At the same time, his voice came from behind.

    ¡°You might die.¡±

    He was behind them.

    The man wearing a helmet on his head and shabby armor casually put his sword back into its sheath.

    As if he was just going out on a patrol. He did it so casually.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    ¡°When did you get behind us¡­?!¡±

    ¡°If this were a real battle¡­ I don¡¯t need to say it, do you?¡±

    It felt like the blood was draining from their faces.

    Especially for her who had returned alive from that hell, those words struck her heart even more.

    If this were a real battle? If that man were an enemy?

    They definitely would have died.

    Just like theirrades who had died in hell.

    * * *

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to say it, do you?¡±

    Yeah, they definitely wouldn¡¯t have died.

    I would have.

    If I killed them with a single blow using time stop, that would be one thing, but for someone at the level of the Royal Knights, it would be difficult to deal a fatal blow with a single strike.

    Then I would have died screaming with the next attack.

    Let¡¯s recall the mishap that happened earlier.

    I was grunting just to pull out the sword I had stuck in the ground.

    Fighting against the Royal Knights?

    It was utter nonsense.

    But this wasn¡¯t a head-on confrontation.

    It was a very simple confrontation where I just had to pull out the sword behind them.

    To make that happen, I had to use unbelievable coercion and even take risks to provoke them.

    Especially when she red at me in the middle, oh my¡­ I really thought I was going to die.

    Her killing intent was no joke.

    As a result, I think it turned out well.

    I managed to prevent the worst-case scenario of the Royal Knights disbanding.

    ¡°In the end, we couldn¡¯t even protect themander¡¯s position.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re nothing but defeated soldiers. We need to know our ce.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    But why were they suddenly despairing?

    From the perspective of the winner, it made me feel too sorry.

    Come to think of it, it was no different from losing to an ordinary security guard.

    Was it natural for them to despair¡­?

    Moreover, they had lost all theirrades in the expedition.

    Given the characteristics of the Royal Knights, who mostly took pride in their skills, they must have been suffering from tremendous guilt as a reaction to that.

    Of course, there were some questionable things they said in the middle, but before asking about that, let¡¯s somehow encourage their hearts first.

    If their spirits were broken like this and they ended up retiring as knights, the Royal Knights would disband, and then I would be screwed too.

    But what should I say to encourage them?

    If I had this kind of experience, I would try to say something, but I had no such experience at all.

    Oh well, I don¡¯t know.

    I believe in you! Protagonist!!

    ¡°But it¡¯s still okay.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to give clumsy encouragement when you don¡¯t know anything. It will only provoke anger.¡±

    Wow, so prickly.

    ¡°Even if there are differences in what we do, in the end, we¡¯re in the same boat.¡±

    ¡°¡­!!!¡±

    ¡°Whenrades are hurting and having a hard time, how can this old man just let it slide?¡±

    I responded with an improvisation to the sudden sharp words, but I think it was a pretty good response.

    Although I was just an ordinary security guard, not a Royal Knight, in the end, fighting against themon enemy, the demons, was the same for both the Royal Knights and security guards.

    I poked at that blind spot.

    It wasn¡¯t for nothing that the protagonist of this game expressed it as being in the same boat.

    ¡°I really can¡¯t stand it.¡±

    ¡°Tell me about it.¡±

    ¡°So? What about the acknowledgement?¡±

    ¡°Why are you even asking? We have no choice but to acknowledge it.¡±

    Great.

    I finally got acknowledged by these lunatics.

    Just for mediating, I had to be acknowledged through a duel.

    Indeed, I guess you have to be at that level to be an elite like the Royal Knights.

    Someone like me could never keep up.

    ¡°If you¡¯re having a hard time, call me anytime. This old man will dly lend his shoulder as many times as needed.¡±

    It was truly an unfortunate situation, but this was all I could do for them right now.

    Although it was just words, I had to do my best to support them from behind.

    ¡°Lend your shoulder?! We¡¯re not even lovers, how could you do such a thing?!¡±

    ¡°Ah, here we go again. Stop acting like a virgin.¡±

    ¡°You too!¡±

    ¡°At least I¡¯m not a virgin.¡±

    As I watched them start fighting again, I chuckled.

    It seemed like this was their passive trait.

    But at least they didn¡¯t draw their weapons in a murderous way like before.

    It felt simr to a bad friendship. Rather, that level was just right to see.

    Then suddenly, I remembered the question I had heard earlier.

    ¡°By the way, what did you mean by themander¡¯s position earlier¡­¡±

    ¡°As expected! I knew you would handle it wonderfully, Sir Hans!¡±

    From behind me, along with the sound of apuse, I heard a voice.

    When I turned my head, I saw a young man dressed in noble attire walking towards me.

    However, it was far from luxurious.

    Rather, he had a humble appearance closer to amoner than a nobleman.

    But I could tell who he was as soon as I saw him. Because there were knights nearby.

    ¡°What brings the human king here?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re the talent I rmended. I have to see the situation with my own eyes, don¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, he¡¯s more than qualified to be the newmander of the Royal Knights.¡±

    ¡°Not only his skills but above all, I like his values!¡±

    ¡°???¡±

    The newmander of the Royal Knights?

    Who?

    ¡­Could it be, me?

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Even if I had created an absurd misunderstanding until now, the reason I had kept my mouth shut and stayed still was to conceal time stop.

    Except for when time stop was forcibly released due to my stamina running out, I had to conceal time stop as much as possible.

    When I caught the demon, I tried to exin, but before that, they overestimated me on their own, so I missed the timing.

    And honestly, that¡¯s just how people¡¯s hearts are. When everyone around you is praising you, there¡¯s no way your shoulders won¡¯t sway. But right now, it was absolutely not allowed.

    ¡°No way! This old man bing themander of the Royal Knights?!¡±

    I was so excited that even my way of speaking loosened up, but now was not the time to care about such trivial speech.

    The ce I was currently in was the king¡¯s office in the royal castle.

    In front of me was a throne, and in front of that throne was a shabby wooden table. And the king, sitting on an equally shabby wooden throne, stood up from his seat and bowed his head.

    At this sudden situation where the king bowed his head, I was surprised and ended up shutting my mouth.

    Wh-what?

    The king bowed his head?

    To me, a mere security guard?

    ¡°First of all, I apologize to you, Sir Hans. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Uh, huh?¡±

    ¡°Due to my mistake, your opinion was not conveyed.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡±

    No matter how weak his power may be, a king of a country wouldn¡¯t bow his head so easily like this, right?

    It was then that I realized the situation I was in.

    I was currently causing a scene in the king¡¯s office.

    No matter how much I was rmended as themander of the Royal Knights, this was an unforgivable rude act that couldn¡¯t be overlooked.

    Having finally realized that fact, I stopped talking for a moment and stepped back.

    Then, I took a deep breath to calm my emotions.

    That was close.

    ¡°Sorry. This old man was just too surprised.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s understandable for you to react that way.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Was it because I let my guard down too much?

    I ended up using the old man¡¯s way of speaking.

    The Time Stop Breeding Uncle really never helped me in my life.

    Anyway, my thoughts remained the same.

    ¡°This old man absolutely cannot be themander of the Royal Knights.¡±

    ¡°Why do you think that?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m weak.¡±

    It was already something I would strongly refuse just to be themander of a regr knight order.

    On top of that, you want me to be themander of the Royal Knights?

    It was something far beyond my abilities.

    The position of themander of the Royal Knights wasn¡¯t something I could just shrug off and pass like this.

    Didn¡¯t that golden generation just get annihted when they went on an expedition?

    But look at me now.

    Putting aside the Gourmet and Togui, who were at the level of demons, didn¡¯t I struggle and barely catch the de Wolves? And I¡¯m supposed to be themander of the Royal Knights?

    A passing stray dog wouldugh while doing the popping dance. And most importantly, I had absolutely no confidence in leading the Royal Knights well.

    It was so burdensome that I felt like going crazy!

    ¡°Certainly, from Sir Hans¡¯ perspective, the current Royal Knights may seem like a tiger with its teeth pulled out.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about them, I¡¯m talking about myself. This old man is absolutely not fit to be amander.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re humble.¡±

    Ipletely blocked any room for misunderstanding.

    I absolutely could not back down in this situation.

    Although it was true that it was hard to refuse when people around me had excessive expectations, there was a limit to what I could ept.

    No matter how much I thought about it, I absolutely could not take on the position of themander of the Royal Knights.

    The king, who confirmed my firm will, nodded his head.

    ¡°I understand. If Sir Hans insists that much¡­¡±

    ¡°Phew~ That¡¯s a relief. It¡¯s too heavy of a burden for this old man.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Of course, their situation is unfortunate, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you have any doubts? Seeing the elf and dwarf, whose rtionship is so strained, sticking together like that.¡±

    Now that he mentioned it, it was a bit strange.

    7 yearster, I mean, if it were the original timeline, I could understand.

    Because the Royal Knights werepletely divided due to political reasons.

    But especially the elf and dwarf, whose racial rift was deep, were getting along with each other like that?

    However, I soon realized the reason.

    Unless you were a fool, you couldn¡¯t not know.

    ¡°Is it because theirrades were annihted?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. No matter how deep their rift was, they were stillrades who had fought together until now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Thanks to Sir Hans, they have regained some of their spirit now. But before that, the atmosphere was so dark that it was indescribable.¡±

    Of course it would be.

    Theirrades all died overnight. And you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll select a newmander right after the Royal Knights were annihted not long ago?

    I would have strongly opposed it too.

    Seriously.

    Of course, they would have understood it in their heads. But how could a person act only efficiently?

    They wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore the emotions they had been harboring until now.

    Even if they were heroes.

    Wait a minute.

    If we just leave them alone like this, won¡¯t they really fall into depression?

    Theirrades died right in front of their eyes, But what did I say in front of them?

    [Even if there are differences in what we do, in the end, we¡¯re in the same boat.]

    Ah.

    [When suchrades are hurting and having a hard time, how can this old man just let it slide?]

    Ah.

    [If you¡¯re having a hard time, call me anytime. This old man will dly lend his shoulder as many times as needed.]

    Noooooo!!!

    Wait! There¡¯s a serious misunderstanding here!

    No, I just said a word of encouragement because they looked troubled at a nce, you know?!

    Anyone can say those words!

    No, no.

    I¡¯ll be really honest.

    I thought I would see them this time and never see them again.

    Because they are heroes.

    They will be extremely busy from now on!!

    I was worried.

    Theirrades all died, what will they do? But they are heroes.

    I vaguely thought they would somehow ovee it on their own.

    But it turned out like this?

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit better now. But they are still on the edge of a cliff. To the point of relying on each other, even though they are like mortal enemies.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°And just when a new center has finally appeared¡­ If Sir Hans insists on saying that, there¡¯s no choice.¡±

    Each word from the king stabbed me like a dagger.

    Yeah, who was there to me?

    It was the retribution for me thoughtlessly opening my mouth, thinking I would never see them again.

    Damn it.

    * * *

    The negotiation was barely established.

    In exchange for Sir Hans bing themander of the Royal Knights, the kingdom would provide considerable support.

    That much was expected.

    The king was going to provide support anyway.

    The currently vacant position of themander of the Royal Knights was no different from a poisoned chalice.

    If handled incorrectly, they would try to shift the previous responsibility and bite fiercely.

    That¡¯s what politics was in the end.

    Avoid mistakes as much as possible and find another target to bite.

    A method closer to hyenas, not even like the jungle.

    However, in other words¡­

    It also meant that it could be an opportunity.

    Of course, it was a problem that he would have to apologize for someday for not intentionally giving a hint to Sir Hans.

    But thanks to that, things unintentionally turned out well.

    The king nodded his head.

    ¡°As expected, Sir Hans is a hero.¡±

    Originally, he had nned to negotiate as much as possible the moment they arrived at the capital.

    But to think he would encourage and control them like that as soon as he arrived.

    As if he had known.

    [This old man absolutely cannot be themander of the Royal Knights.]

    [Because I¡¯m weak.]

    [I¡¯m not talking about them, I¡¯m talking about myself. This old man is absolutely not fit to be amander.]

    That was probably him testing himself. By belittling himself, he tested the king.

    In other words, he was checking whether the king would be swayed by his glib tongue or not.

    ¡°But Sir Hans, there is one fact you have overlooked.¡±

    If a person with power belittles himself for the sake of others, it means he is no longer a good-for-nothing.

    Of course, Sir Hans must have had some tremendous story behind him.

    However, the current situation was extremely serious.

    Wasn¡¯t it none other than Sir Hans who had anticipated the annihtion of the Royal Knights on the expedition that rence had reported before?

    Honestly, he had been skeptical. But the king didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately brought up that information at the joint council.

    Naturally, the reaction he recieved was jeers. But thanks to that, it greatly helped.

    [What is this?]

    [It¡¯s a teleport scroll. One of the few treasures left in the kingdom.]

    [Why are you giving me such a precious item?]

    [There¡¯s always a possibility of the worst case scenario happening, isn¡¯t there?]

    He was the king of humans. That¡¯s why he believed in humans.

    So he even took out the royal family¡¯s treasure, the teleport scroll, and provided support. And that fruit had returned like this.

    However, it wasn¡¯t time to rejoice yet.

    To think the Royal Knights would really be annihted.

    There were only 3 survivors left. And one of them had even deserted.

    It was truly a desperate situation with no solution in sight.

    But there was no wavering in the king¡¯s heart.

    He had excellently mediated the Royal Knights that had nearly fallen apart in addition to repelling the demons.

    Sir Hans, who had already proven his sufficient abilities, had deepend the king¡¯s trust.

    ¡°Now is our chance.¡±

    Believing that an opportunity woulde someday, he had forcibly banned extravagance even while facing the opposition of the nobles.

    It was time to finally use the resources he had scraped together.

    Opportunity could only be seized by those who were prepared.

    The king knew that fact to the point of being chilling.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    As we passed through the watchtower guarding the entrance, the drawbridge and the water-filled moat beneath it first caught my eye.

    The towering outer walls, along with the castle towers, surrounded the inner castle.

    The gaps were filled by solidly built castle walls that connected them.

    It was a very grand fortress, but far from luxurious.This was Lionheart Fortress, where the Royal Knights had been stationed.

    I couldn¡¯t believe I had actuallye all the way to Lionheart Fortress.

    How did I end up here?

    As I was looking at it with a bitter feeling, I heard noisy voices from behind.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t go first, I¡¯ll go first! Commander!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we should go in¡­ That¡¯s right¡­¡±

    ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s go inside quickly!¡±

    The owners of the voices were none other than the elf ra and the dwarf girl Ruby.

    During the time we spent riding in the carriage, we exchanged greetings and had simple conversations.

    ra ran ahead towards the drawbridge first.

    On the contrary, Ruby slowly pushed my back as I hesitated outside.

    However, naturally, a certain girl stepped in between.

    Her hair, which was so short at first that I mistook her for a boy, had grown to reach her back at some point.

    Thanks to washing away the grime, her fair and soft skin was beautifully showing off its elegance.

    The girl was wearing clothing simr to the squires of the knights.

    It wasfortable to move in, but far from fancy.

    The girl¡¯s mouth was smiling, but at the same time, slightly stiff.

    ¡°I will personally escort Teacher.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave it to you!¡±

    ¡°Yes, you can count on me.¡±

    That girl was none other than Helia.

    Half a year after meeting me, Helia had officially be my squire.

    Of course, I had no interest in exploiting minors, so I tried to refuse.

    [Teacher, is there somethingcking about me?]

    [On the contrary, you¡¯re more than enough.]

    [Ah, I see. You¡¯ve grown tired of me.]

    [There¡¯s no way I could be tired of you.]

    [Then why?]

    [Well, you¡¯re too y¡ª]

    [Why? Why? Why?]

    [Y¡ª]

    [Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?]

    Because Helia¡¯s will was so stubborn, I had no choice but to ept her as my squire.

    It absolutely wasn¡¯t because I was pushed back by Helia¡¯s momentum or got scared.

    I nced and rolled my eyes to look at Helia.

    Helia, who was stuck to my side like sticky rice, was grinning for some reason, looking so happy.

    She was such a cute child.

    Was that thing I saw before¡­ a mistake?

    Somehow it felt like I had poked a ho¡¯s nest.

    I decided to slowly solve this problemter.

    For now, I had to put out the urgent fire first.

    I had to somehow rebuild the Royal Knights right away.

    The current Royal Knights were barely maintaining their existence.

    In fact, they had lost all their previous prestige.

    Even themander¡¯s inauguration ceremony, which was originally supposed to be held at the Joint Council of Races, had to be simplified because the other races of the alliance refused for various reasons.

    Just looking at this, one could see how far the name of the Royal Knights had fallen.

    Of course, for me, this was better.

    Otherwise, we would still be staying at the royal castle.

    At that moment, the elf walking ahead suddenly turned her back.

    Her silver hair followed her body half a beatte as she spun around.

    ra smiled and spread her hands.

    ¡°Commander! And Helia! I sincerely wee you to Lionheart, our home!¡±

    ¡°Commander and Helia already know that since they¡¯ve entered.¡±

    ¡°Still, we should greet them! It¡¯s their first time here!¡±

    As I watched them start bickering again, I shook my head.

    While riding the carriage here, we exchanged greetings and had simple conversations.

    The elf¡¯s name was ra, and she proudly said she was 180 years old.

    But that was still very young for an elf.

    If converted to human age, it would be around 17 to 19 years old.

    And Ruby, who often fought with ra, was also 18 years old.

    Outwardly, she just looked like a newbie chick.

    But still, they were talents who had officially joined the Royal Knights.

    ¡°But why don¡¯t I see a single person here?¡±

    Lionheart was a fortress, a huge castle, and at the same time, a home.

    Naturally, managers were needed to maintain such arge castle.

    At my words, ra smiled bitterly.

    ¡°About that¡­ Everyone quit.¡±

    ¡°They quit?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, half of them. And the other half were taken back by their respective races or countries.¡±

    This was driving me crazy.

    I had heard about it verbally, but I could feel it firsthand again.

    The fact that cracks had begun to form in the alliance¡¯s rtionship.

    Well, that¡¯s why it went to hell in the original story.

    They would probably act conservatively to protect their own territories rather than cooperate with each other for the time being.

    Because the current Royal Knights were like a tiger with its teeth pulled out.

    Still, the situation was better than in the original story.

    Although few in number, there were at least 3 surviving knights belonging to the Royal Knights.

    Thanks to that, the name of the Royal Knights was somehow maintained.

    Moreover, Lionheart Fortress was also in a better state than in the original story.

    Although it was filled with dust due tock of maintenance for several months, in the original story, Lionheart Fortress had bepletely ruined.

    In fact, in the game, you could recapture Lionheart Fortress, which had been upied by monsters in the middle of the story.

    At that time, after recapturing Lionheart Fortress, the protagonist¡¯s reaction was a masterpiece.

    [Is this supposed to be a fortress? Isn¡¯t it a ruin?]

    [Yes, this is where the Royal Knights were stationed in the past.]

    [There¡¯s only one wall left?]

    [The monsters thoroughly destroyed everything else that remained. They must have hated the Royal Knights that much.]

    In the original story, Lionheart Fortress literally had only one outer wall left.

    Even that was used by the monsters to mock it by defecating on it, ording to the original description.

    And of course, it was the yer¡¯s job to restore it.

    From stone and wood materials to the cost of various manpower, you had to directly obtain everything and personally construct the castle.

    ¡°For now, we need to contact the kingdom to replenish the manpower.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s an elven forest nearby. I¡¯ll go and ask them directly too.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    For a moment, I almost had PTSD.

    Asking for help from those contract gangsters?

    From those guys who go crazy if you just touch a single tree?

    However, I shook my head.

    This wasn¡¯t the time to be picky.

    I had to use everything I could for now.

    Anyway, Helia and I were directly guided by them and roughly surveyed what we needed immediately.

    Lionheart Fortress was muchrger and grander than I had imagined.

    At least more so than the Lionheart restored in the original story.

    And now we were all gathered in the dining hall.

    ¡°You probably already know, but let me introduce myself again. I am Hans, I have been assigned as themander of the Royal Knights.¡±

    I had pondered a lot.

    Could I really act as themander of the Royal Knights?

    I had thought about it countless times, and my conclusion was always the same.

    I really wasn¡¯t fit to be amander.

    I didn¡¯t have transcendent strength at the level of the Royal Knights, nor did I have outstanding strategic intellect.

    In the first ce, I was just the Time Stop Breeding Uncle.

    What more could you expect?

    ¡°The problem we are currently facing is the rebuilding of the Royal Knights. We must prioritize solving that somehow.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s obvious.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll help with all our might too.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s what Teacher wants.¡±

    ¡°In that sense¡­ As soon as the personnel requested from the kingdom are dispatched here, we will go to retrieve the Royal Knights member who deserted.¡±

    Out of the 3 surviving Royal Knights, one of them had quit the Royal Knights and run away.

    But unfortunately, in our current situation, each and every person was so precious.

    So, we would catch the deserter and use them again.

    Punish them ording to thew for desertion?

    We didn¡¯t have that luxury.

    In a situation where even dog poop was precious, it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    Especially since it wasn¡¯t just an ordinary soldier.

    If it was a mid-level talent among the Royal Knights, even more so.

    ording to ra, the deserter this time was one of the core members of the Royal Knights.

    ¡°But Commander, is that really the right thing to do?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s understandable. Not being able to protect even a single person and having everyone die right in front of your eyes.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s not unreasonable to run away.¡±

    I didn¡¯t expect such a skeptical reaction.

    Was it because they had directly experienced hell and were reluctant to drag someone back into it?

    But I couldn¡¯t give in either.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Let me ask you the opposite. Why didn¡¯t you run away?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t really know.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Because you became each other¡¯s support.¡±

    It was ironic.

    The elf and dwarf, whose racial rift was the deepest, became each other¡¯s support.

    That just showed how much of a hell it was there.

    And here, I brought up this logic.

    ¡°But what about that person now?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Big Sis has be all alone now.¡±

    ¡°We are the only ones who have experienced that hell.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and as time passes, she will slowly crumble.¡±

    Of course it was nonsense.

    How would I know if that person would crumble or not?

    But whichever it was, there was an answer.

    If she was crumbling, I would somehow persuade her by making her talk.

    And if she hadn¡¯t crumbled¡­

    Then I would kneel down and beg.

    If even that didn¡¯t work, I would cling to her pants and beg.

    Shameful?

    Bullshit!

    Is this the time to worry about saving face when the demons could invade at any moment in this situation?!

    I had a thought when I became themander.

    Although I ended up taking the position of the Royal Knights¡¯mander, I had no intention of continuing this for years.

    Because my abilities werecking.

    Too much was worse than too little.

    If you coveted a position beyond your means, someday your limits would be reached.

    And if that happened, the situation could actually be much worse than now.

    However, since I had already blurted it out, I couldn¡¯t say I was quitting with my own mouth.

    The best case would be if the Royal Knights directly kicked me out without me having to quit¡­

    But in this situation where the Royal Knights had fallen apart, I couldn¡¯t deliberately troll them.

    So, I thought.

    I would do my best for 1 year, but slowlyy the groundwork.

    [Aren¡¯t we like family? We¡¯re family! Family!]

    [I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine, but what will your seniors think when they see this?]

    [Isn¡¯t this the kind of thing the deputy should be doing diligently?]

    There are people like that.

    Not ipetent, but subtly annoying and irritating.

    If that person was your boss, it would drive you crazy.

    But what if that boss suddenly quit thepany one day?

    Who would stop them?

    It¡¯s the same now.

    Moreover, that deserter knight was said to be a mid-level and core member.

    What if that core member couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and demanded my resignation?

    And what if I got kicked out because of that?

    ¡°Once we¡¯re in the same boat, we¡¯re family. How can a family member turn a blind eye to the pain of their family?!¡±

    But for now, mental care came first.

    First, I had to catch that deserter somehow and give them a mental pir.

    And after that, I could subtly act in an annoying and irritating way.

    Of course, if the annoyance was too severe, they mightsh out first.

    So I had to maintain an appropriate line.

    I knew all too well what it felt like to be ¡®subtly¡¯ annoyed.

    To put it simply¡­

    I would be a thorn in their side.

    I¡¯d show them properly what a family-like knight order was.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Thew of thorn-in-the-side.

    First, if you¡¯re told to do it, just do it.

    In anypany, that¡¯s probably the case.

    Especially for a thorn-in-the-side, even a single word of objection to the boss¡¯s words was not forgiven.At leastrge corporations pretended to listen.

    There were many cases where they applied military-style hierarchy because they had done military service.

    And I was nning to properly use that in a way suitable for the current situation of the Royal Knights.

    I first assigned the three of them to thergest room.

    Not giving them each a separate room.

    The three of them were sharing a room.

    Like a military barracks.

    Naturally, there was strong opposition.

    ¡°You want me to share a room with this dwarf poop sack?!¡±

    ¡°Sharing a room with Kanf makes my insides want to explode!¡±

    ¡°I want to share a room with Teacher.¡±

    In a way, it was natural.

    Not only was their privacy limited, but even the elf and dwarf, whose races didn¡¯t get along well, were being pushed into the same room.

    The stress would be considerable.

    But¡­

    More dangerous than that was loneliness.

    Because you never knew when the memory of losing yourrades would suddenly make you make an extreme choice.

    I had a duty to prevent that.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say before? Once we¡¯re in the same boat, we¡¯re family.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it that difficult for family to share the same room?¡±

    Herees the secondw of thorn-in-the-side.

    Second, we¡¯re family, aren¡¯t we!

    I think one of my legendary experiences to this day is when I asked for an employment contract and was told that family doesn¡¯t write such things.

    Anyway, everything was about family.

    Family doesn¡¯t get overtime pay.

    Family doesn¡¯t write contracts.

    In my opinion, if they were really family, they wouldn¡¯t do that.

    But if you¡¯re being tormented by this for the first time, it¡¯s surprisingly effective.

    Honestly, what does a new employee know?

    They just fall for such usible words.

    Although ra and Ruby gave me dissatisfied looks at the word ¡®family¡¯, I ignored it.

    Originally, there were morews of thorn-in-the-side.

    But for now, that¡¯s enough.

    If I did more here, they might really desert.

    After that, I immediately conducted interviews with the members.

    ¡°But why are we doing the interview in the confessional?¡±

    ¡°It feels good and nice. Even though I¡¯m not a priest.¡±

    ¡°What the hell is that?¡±

    I said it grandly as an interview, but in reality, it was just a squad leader interview like in the military.

    Still, it was better than not doing it now.

    The first interviewee was ra.

    Lionheart Fortress had a confessional built for confession.

    Thanks to that, I was able to take off my helmet.

    It was too hot to keep wearing the helmet.

    ¡°So?

    What do I need to do for the interview?¡±

    ¡°Just answer a few questions.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s simple.¡±

    ¡°Where did youe from and what were you doing?¡±

    ¡°I was working as a guardian in the forest. Oh, a guardian is the role of elves who protect the forest. Not just anyone can do it, you know?¡±

    Just having someone listen to your story gave an immense sense of reassurance beyond imagination.

    Of course, I wasn¡¯t a counselor or anything.

    But it was okay.

    Even someone like me could at least sit face to face and listen to their story.

    ra said she had worked as a guardian in the forest.

    And at the young age of 100 years old.

    An elf taking on the role of guardian at the age of 100 was simr to bing a knight at the age of 10 in human years.

    As expected of the Royal Knights, their talent was truly amazing.

    ¡°What did you work so hard for?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to be acknowledged by my mother. My mother was always looking forward.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so I thought if I ran forward too, then maybe my mother would look at me and acknowledge me.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you applied to the Royal Knights? You¡¯re an excellent talent.¡±

    They say praise can make even a whale dance.

    It¡¯s a simple saying that everyone knows, but its effect is much greater than you think.

    But at my words, ra answered coldly.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°I was just a clueless rookie.

    Like an idiot, I felt superior just because of that¡­ I was a frog in a well.¡±

    Her voice sounded like it was sinking into ink.

    What?

    Wasn¡¯t the atmosphere good just 5 seconds ago?

    Did I identally push a trigger button?

    Then I was really doomed.

    ¡°My mother would click her tongue in disgust if she saw me like this. This isn¡¯t why I ran out of the forest, I¡­!!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±

    ¡°How can you be so sure? You don¡¯t know anything. You¡¯ve never even met my mother directly!!¡±

    I tried to somehow smooth things over before it went further downhill.

    But her reaction was more intense than I thought.

    I tried to somehow pass it off with a few words of praise, but that was too naive of me.

    ¡°Yeah, I haven¡¯t met her directly.¡±

    ¡°Then what are you bbering about?¡±

    ¡°Because the heart of every parent thinking about their child is the same.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say? We¡¯re family.¡±

    Even I thought it was a disgusting thing to say.

    I had heard the word ¡®family¡¯ so many times in that damnpany.

    But thanks to that, a surprisingly usible answer came out.

    I continued.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure your mother is thinking the same thing.¡±

    ¡°Could that be¡­?¡±

    ¡°Without a doubt.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thanks, I feel a bit better thanks to you.¡±

    The interviews that followed had nothing special.

    But if the voice that had been crawling on the ground seemed to have risen a little with just that¡­

    Was it just my imagination?

    No, it wouldn¡¯t be just my imagination.

    * * *

    The same words can be an insult or the highest praise depending on the other person.

    So, here we need to take a brief look at Hans¡¯ past life.

    He was an office worker who got a job at a thorn-in-the-sidepany.

    Of course, not all small and medium-sized businesses are like that.

    But the thorn-in-the-sidepany where Hans got a job was literally the worstpany among the worst.

    They overused the word ¡®family¡¯ when they needed it.

    But when you became useless, they cut you off mercilessly with selfishness.

    Hans suffered much longer than he thought in that ce.

    So Hans shuddered at the mere mention of the word ¡®family¡¯.

    That¡¯s why he emphasized family so much.

    Because he thought others would feel like shit when they heard the word ¡®family¡¯ too.

    ¡°Themander is really strange too. Suddenly emphasizing family all the time.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about alone?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it? We arepletely different races.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Moreover, a humanmander is saying such things.¡±

    However, it was rather refreshing to ra and Ruby, who were of different races.

    Elves and dwarves had the worst rtionship with each other, but they didn¡¯t have a very good rtionship with other races either.

    Especially humans were notorious for discriminating against and looking down on all races.

    But for such a human to directly dere that they were one family¡­

    It was the first time they had experienced it.

    Even themander who had saved them dered that they wererades on the same boat.

    They didn¡¯t dere them as family.

    After a moment of silence, Ruby sighed and said,

    ¡°Don¡¯t fall for it so easily. Themander is human after all, he may have some ulterior motive.¡±

    ¡°I thought so at first too. But I¡¯m starting to think it might not be the case.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Are you infatuated with the face under themander¡¯s helmet?¡±

    ¡°Not a half-elf, but a human? You¡¯re talking nonsense.¡±

    ra snorted and replied.

    Unless he was a half-elf, there was no way she could have feelings for another race.

    Ruby also passed over that remark, perhaps half-jokingly.

    ¡°Then why is he suddenly saying such things?¡±

    ¡°¡­I just had that thought.¡±

    [Because the heart of every parent thinking about their child is the same.]

    Although his face was not visible, that voice was definitely one enduring pain.

    Themander must have had a family too.

    But enduring pain meant¡­

    ra shook her head side to side to shake off that thought.

    It was just her own arbitrary thinking.

    Guesswork was not good.

    For herself, and for the other person.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Teacher is that kind of person.¡±

    ¡°Come to think of it, Helia, you said you were themander¡¯s disciple, right?¡±

    ¡°How did you end up bing themander¡¯s disciple?¡±

    ¡°Teacher saved me.¡±

    Just by being together, people have conversations with each other, and as those conversations continue, they build rtionships.

    Especially if they share the same pain, that rtionship bes even stronger.

    Moreover, before Hans arrived, ra and Ruby were already knowingly or unknowingly relying on each other.

    Despite being the elf and dwarf with the worst rtionship¡­

    Of course, wounds do not heal easily.

    But just by gathering together like this,ughing, chatting, and having trivial conversations¡­

    Little by little, very little by little, those wounds will heal.

    ¡°Then, Ms. Ruby and Ms. ra have no interest in Teacher at all, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have abnormal sexual desires lusting after other races.¡±

    Helia carefully observed ra and Ruby, especially ra, who had been interviewed today.

    No emotion could be found in their expressions.

    Only then did Helia feel relieved.

    ¡°Thank goodness.¡±

    Thank goodness indeed.

    I won¡¯t have to kill themter.

    [T/N: lmaoooooooooooo]

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    In the original work, it was described that the racial alliance fell along with the Royal Knights.

    But if you think about it, the alliance wasn¡¯tpletely broken.

    After all, the racial alliance was maintained on the surface.

    And that wouldn¡¯t break until all the demons were wiped out.What does that mean?

    It meant that even races with bad rtionships to the point of risking war in the past would usually not go to the extreme situation of drawing weapons first, unless it was unavoidable.

    The problem was that I was in a situation that was not so unavoidable.

    Weeds that grew tall enough to reach ones waist.

    Very thick old trees and vines that were tangled in a mess.

    And between them, they were aiming their bows at us.

    Except for one, most of them had shiny blonde hair.

    And their ears were pointy.

    Plus, each and every one of them was very beautiful.

    What¡¯s there to hide?

    These guys were elves living in the forest.

    And they were aiming their bows at us, the Royal Knights.

    How did I end up in this situation?

    Let¡¯s rewind time back to this morning for a bit.

    * * *

    The Royal Knights were an elite united order of knights, selected solely based on skill regardless of race or status.

    Therefore, apart from themander, there were no ranks among each other.

    Even the position ofmander was closer to the other Royal Knights voluntarily following their will.

    There was one symbol that represented the will of such Royal Knights¡­

    In the center of Lionheart Fortress, there was a roomrge enough to be close to a square, and in it was a red round table capable of seating 20 people.

    That was the symbol.

    The Table of Equality.

    It was said to have been created so that everyone could speak facing each other from an equal position, regardless of race.

    I summoned all the Royal Knights to the Table of Equality.

    There was an urgent agenda.

    ¡°The kingdom contacted us today. Fortunately, they said they would replenish various personnel.¡±

    Just managing the fortress required a considerable number of personnel.

    Not only basic cleaning and meals, but also security forces to guard this fortress.

    And other misceneous things.

    Many people were needed.

    But they took out all those numerous personnel without even notifying me.

    At that point, the Royal Knights had already been abandoned by the racial alliance.

    Of course, there would be many knights who wished for the revival of the Royal Knights.

    But for the rulers, it wasn¡¯t easy to dispatch their country¡¯s high-quality personnel for the Royal Knights whose future was uncertain.

    For now, they would just watch and see.

    If the Royal Knights showed signs of growing to some extent?

    Then it wouldn¡¯t be toote to support them at that time, they judged.

    Anyway, those annoying bastards, just die already.

    ¡°Starting with personnel assignment, our top priority is to normalize Lionheart Fortress.¡±

    Many facilities were closed due tock of personnel.

    Not only the pharmacy andboratories, but even 4 out of the 5 training grounds were closed.

    That¡¯s how severe our current situation was.

    ¡°Do we have time to do such things one by one?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Even now, the demons are keeping a close eye on us. So we need appropriate preparations for that.¡±

    Surprisingly, the first one to express an opinion was Ruby.

    Certainly, she wasn¡¯t wrong.

    The Royal Knights were the biggest obstacle to the demons.

    And the Royal Knights had been annihted.

    Frankly, it wouldn¡¯t be strange at all if they barged in right now, leading the monsters.

    I silently looked at Ruby.

    Apart from her strong tone, her body was slightly trembling.

    She was probably afraid.

    Thinking that those who had ughtered all herrades woulde for us again.

    Nevertheless, her will to not run away was amazing.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re underestimating them?¡±

    ¡°No way. I¡¯ve never underestimated the demons even once.¡±

    ¡°Then please exin properly.¡±

    ¡°Although the Royal Knights were annihted, the other side must have also consumed a considerable amount of their forces.¡±

    Moreover, they were up against not just any Royal Knights, but the Royal Knights who were at the peak of their prosperity in history.

    And now, there were even survivors.

    ¡°In other words, we have at least a year of leeway. So, until then, we¡¯ll prepare as much as possible and be ready for the enemy¡¯s attack.¡±

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t just my own spection.

    It was clearly stated in the original game¡¯s story.

    The full-scale attack of the demons began 2 years after the annihtion of the Royal Knights.

    But it wasn¡¯t a situation to bepletely relieved.

    Just as the Royal Knights weren¡¯tpletely annihted now, unlike in the original work, the demons¡¯ attack could start earlier than in the original work.

    So, not 2 years, but 1 year.

    Or it could start even sooner than that, it would be good to think that way.

    But still, we couldn¡¯t just gloss over the basics.

    ¡°The fortress is the cradle andpanion of the troops. But how can we wage war without even having those basics?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I was too impatient.¡±

    ¡°No, I understand. It¡¯s natural to feel impatient. But at times like this, we need to prepare step by step.¡±

    And that was the only thing I could do.

    Frankly, it¡¯s not like I was going to train the Royal Knights or anything.

    For now, I¡¯ll somehow restore the ruined foundation of the Royal Knights.

    The rest, the nextmander will somehow handle.

    Fortunately, the kingdom provided a lot of support.

    Not only personnel like cksmiths and pharmacists, but they even said they would send security forces.

    Plus, they provided financial support to some extent.

    It was truly like a long-awaited rain in a drought.

    Of course, it was the king who made me themander.

    In a way, it was like giving a disease and then the medicine.

    ¡°Commander! I think I can help with this too!¡±

    ¡°Help?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? That myrades live nearby!¡±

    ¡°¡­You did.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask myrades for help! They¡¯ll definitely help!¡±

    ra¡¯s appearance, raising her hand and smiling brightly, was definitely better than before.

    It seemed the counseling was quite effective. But apart from that, help from the contract gangsters¡­

    I closed my eyes for a moment and thought.

    Dering war on the alliance for touching a single tree, and having the nerve to suggest exchanging corn and diamonds as conditions for peace negotiations.

    No matter how much I thought about it, it didn¡¯t seem like it would be of any help at all.

    No, no.

    I shook my head vigorously.

    In my current situation, I had to eat even cold rice, no, even spoiled rice.

    ¡°I see, elves would definitely be helpful.¡±

    ¡°Right? Right?!¡±

    ¡°More Kanfs¡­ It¡¯s terrible.¡±

    ¡°You dwarf poop sack!¡±

    ¡°Enough chatter. And ra, get ready in the morning. We¡¯ll leave for the forest right in the afternoon.¡±

    ¡°Is themandering too?¡±

    Of course.

    It¡¯s thew that themander should directly handle such important matters.

    If the personneling from the kingdom and the help of the elves werebined, remarkable progress would be possible.

    ¡°Then, Teacher, I will go with you as well.¡±

    ¡°No, you stay here and train with Ruby.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Ruby is a member of the Royal Knights. And a veteran knight who survived that hell, there will be a lot to learn from her.¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand what you mean.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t leave Lionheart Fortress empty.

    Because we never knew when and where the monsters would invade.

    Unlike demons, monsters could freely operate within the barrier.

    ¡°I don¡¯t usually have a hobby of taking care of brats. But if themander insists that much, I have no choice.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy to be praised. You can just leave her alone at that age.¡±

    Indeed, that¡¯s right.

    I actively employed ra¡¯s suggestion.

    Helia¡¯s talent was real.

    To the point where she personally learned the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique that I had jokingly mentioned half a year ago.

    In the first ce, she was skilled enough to be called the Sword Saint in the original work.

    If she was raised well, she could definitely y an active role in the Royal Knights.

    So, I entrusted her to other members to be raised.

    At least she would be able to make much more progress than learning from someone like me.

    After entrusting Helia to Ruby, I left the fortress with ra in the afternoon and headed for the forest¡­.

    And that led to the current situation.

    No matter how much I thought about it, I didn¡¯t do anything particrly wrong.

    Just in case, I didn¡¯t break a single branch.

    I treaded carefully, trying not to even step on the grass.

    But as soon as I arrived, you¡¯re giving me this kind of wee?

    As expected, massacring the contract gangsters was the answer.

    I was deciding on the next policy in my mind, and right at that moment, someone appeared among the elves.

    Unlike the other elves, she had faintly shining silver hair.

    Her pointed ears and the blue eyes visible between them were coldly settled.

    Also, while the other elves were wearing both swords and bows, she was only wearing a single sword.

    No matter how you looked at it, that person seemed to be themander.

    I was about to ask why they were suddenly doing this.

    Right then, ra, who had been quiet, shouted as if in shock.

    ¡°M-Mother¡­?!¡±

    ¡­What?

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    What kind of situation was this again?

    I shut my mouth.

    Because that was the only thing I could do.

    Of course, I had heard about her mother during counseling.But I didn¡¯t expect to meet her this soon.

    However, no matter how you looked at it, it didn¡¯t feel like a normal family reunion.

    Rather, it was closer to the feeling of prey encountering its natural enemy.

    ra was looking at her mother with a very tense expression.

    On the contrary, ra¡¯s mother was also looking at ra.

    But unlike ra, her gaze was very cold.

    Cold enough to give even me, who was next to her, the chills.

    Unless one¡¯s sense of perception was hopelesslycking, one could immediately tell that the rtionship between the mother and daughter was unusual.

    The one who broke the silence first was, of course, the mother.

    ¡°I heard about it. The Royal Knights were annihted, right?¡±

    ¡°They weren¡¯t annihted! We¡¯re still here!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what the world decided to call annihtion.¡±

    It was true.

    One didn¡¯t necessarily have to use the term annihtion only when everyone was dead.

    Objectively, the current Royal Knights had fallen to the point where they couldn¡¯t function properly.

    So it was correct to say they were annihted.

    Not only themander and deputymander, but even the members, only 3 of them survived, and one of them had even deserted.

    Haha, I only recited it once, but it was more of a mess than I thought.

    ¡°The Royal Knights were veteran knights, even if they were rotten. Honestly, I¡¯m just d that you came back alive.¡±

    ¡°Are you looking down on me now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just stating the facts.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve always been like this, Mother! Always trying to put me down!¡±

    The conversation between the two was parallel.

    ra was at an age where she had just entered puberty in elven years.

    However, her mother also had many oppressive aspects.

    In fact, while conducting several counseling sessions, ra always talked about needing to be recognized by her mother.

    From a third-person perspective, it could be seen as an obsession.

    It didn¡¯t seem to be at the level of gaslighting.

    But it was undeniable that it was abnormal family education.

    As expected, she didn¡¯t listen to ra¡¯s words and continued.

    ¡°Now that the Royal Knights are annihted, there¡¯s nothing you can do. It¡¯s dangerous, so let¡¯s go back to the forest now.¡±

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t go back.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something I have to do. Until I fulfill that duty, I will never go back!!¡±

    ra¡¯s voice was trembling with fear.

    But as if to hide that fear, ra shouted with all her might.

    Then the elves showed surprised expressions.

    On the contrary, I nodded my head next to her, as if impressed.

    Of course, that¡¯s how it should be.

    I was worried about what would happen if she just followed her mother.

    Here, as themander, I¡¯ll step up and persuade¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, did you just raise your voice at me?¡±

    ¡°Urk?!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t be, right? You, whock but are kind, wouldn¡¯t raise your voice at me, your mother, like that, right?¡±

    Excuse me?

    Your head is twisting at a dangerous angle?

    I knew elves were flexible.

    But no matter what, having your chin and crown form a left-right symmetry is a bit much.

    I¡¯m not kidding, for a moment I thought she was a real ghost.

    ra, who saw that appearance, also turned pale.

    I understand, it¡¯s scary even for me to see.

    How much more so for ra?

    I wanted to say something, but I couldn¡¯t.

    Because my body froze after seeing that scene just now.

    At that moment, ra turned her head and looked at me for a moment.

    ¡°Commander¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I get it.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    I didn¡¯t do anything, but what did she suddenly understand on her own?

    ra¡¯s face was filled with certainty.

    As if she believed that what she was doing was right.

    She said,

    ¡°Sorry, I really can¡¯t go back to the forest yet.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°At first, I just wanted to go back too. Even if it was for myrades, for revenge. It was too scary.¡±

    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s too heavy a burden for you, who are still young. So¡­¡±

    ¡°Age doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m a proper knight. The currentmander taught me that.¡±

    I see, so he taught you such a great set of values.

    That person called the currentmander.

    Who might thatmander be?

    Oh?

    Mother?

    Why are you ring at me?

    ¡°It¡¯s you. The one who tempted my ignorant young daughter.¡±

    ¡°Mother, that¡¯s¡­!!¡±

    ¡°You, be quiet. I¡¯m talking to themander right now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    What?

    Am I wearing a name tag that says I¡¯m themander?

    How could you see through the fact that I¡¯m themander at a nce?

    Why?

    Because ra looked at me, that¡¯s why.

    I took a deep breath to calm my confused thoughts.

    Whatever happened, I couldn¡¯t back down either.

    I couldn¡¯t let them take away more personnel when we were alreadycking.

    Speaking skills?

    Could I really match her with speaking skills?

    The other party was an elf who had lived for hundreds of years.

    And on top of that, she was ra¡¯s mother.

    Both in terms of justification and experience and speaking skills, she had the upper hand.

    Honestly, what parent would just stand by and watch their child stay in a ce where they know they might die?

    Especially since the Royal Knights had already been annihted once before.

    ¡°Judging by the sword you¡¯re wearing, you seem to be a knight.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I currently hold the position of a knight.¡±

    ¡°Then this will be quick. Draw your sword.¡±

    ¡°Commander?!¡±

    I was inferior in justification, speaking skills, and experience.

    She wasn¡¯t someone I could persuade by wracking my brain half-heartedly.

    Then, I had no choice but to choose the method with the highest chances of sess.

    ¡°I know about the previousmander. She was a truly strong and wise woman.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Can you really fill her shoes? Especially you, a mere human?¡±

    Oh, she lightly brushed off the provocation.

    Did she judge that I wasn¡¯t even worth dealing with?

    Damn it, I have no choice but to somehow lead this to a betting format.

    I immediately retorted to those words.

    ¡°Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, for a human, you speak quite well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll prove it. Or do as you please.¡±

    ¡°Very well, we can settle this cleanly without any lingering issues.¡±

    Fortunately, this time she epted my provocation.

    No, to be precise, it would be correct to say that she herself wanted it too.

    Anyway, she must also have considerable pride in her own skills.

    ¡°My name is Cluna, the mother of this young daughter here. And I¡¯m the guardian overseeing the Forest of Eden.¡±

    ¡°Guardian?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a position that oversees the guardians. You can see it as one of the highest leaders in elven society.¡±

    ra.

    Please tell me these things a bit earlier next time.

    * * *

    Death alwayses suddenly.

    It started with her husband first.

    Although it was a political marriage, they were definitely a married couple.

    And their rtionship was very good.

    However, that rtionship eventually broke.

    On the day the demons first appeared on thisnd, she lost her husband.

    Just because her husband happened to be there when the gate opened.

    It wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s fault.

    It was just bad luck.

    Cluna rose above her grief.

    Because if she didn¡¯t stand firm, it was clear that her daughters would also crumble.

    She had two daughters.

    Among them, the eldest daughter was born with a talent that was not wasted on the words ¡°once-in-a-generation genius.¡±

    Her daughter always told her that she would be an excellent guardian too.

    [I want to be an excellent guardian like you, Mother! So I want to protect you and my younger sister with my own hands!]

    [That¡¯s a wonderful dream. I will also do my best to help you.]

    [Thank you! Mother!]

    But her eldest daughter couldn¡¯t keep that promise.

    She, who had been an excellent warrior, always going ahead and fighting to protect herrades, eventually encountered demons and died in battle.

    Thest time she saw her daughter¡¯s corpse, it had torn limbs and traces of her intestines being rummaged through.

    ording to the doctor who examined the corpse, she had been alive until the end.

    She died while experiencing the pain of having her limbs torn and intestines rummaged through while alive.

    Those around her mourned her daughter as an honorable warrior.

    But what good was that?

    In the end, everything ends when you die.

    All that remains is sorrow and despair.

    That realization soon led to an obsession with family.

    She strictly forbade going outside the forest.

    She even made it impossible for them to have any interest in weapons, including swords.

    Despite controlling them so strictly, herst remaining daughter eventually left the forest on her own and became a Royal Knight.

    She had gone to a ce where even Cluna couldn¡¯t do anything about it.

    Someone said,

    How obsessed must she have been for her daughter to run away on her own?

    It was true.

    It was not the love of a normal family.

    Rather, it was closer to a delusion.

    But still, it didn¡¯t matter.

    No matter what anyone said, as long as she was alive and well, that was enough.

    Because as long as you¡¯re alive, you can do anything.

    So she led her troops out of the forest.

    Under the pretext of bringing back her daughter who had been stationed at Lionheart Fortress, where the Royal Knights were stationed.

    And she kept waiting.

    It wouldn¡¯t be long now.

    ¡°You¡¯re slow.¡±

    A de hade close to her neck at some point.

    ¡°Even at drawing your sword.¡±

    A cold voice came from behind her.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Without a doubt, Cluna could be said to be my toughest opponent.

    With my current skills, all I could do was either bluff or use time stop to make myself look as strong as possible.

    But the other party was a monster who had lived for at least a few hundred years.

    Naturally, any ordinary speaking skills wouldn¡¯t evene close to matching her. Moreover, she also had the justification of bringing her daughter back.

    Of course, as themander, I also had justification.

    But now that the Royal Knights had been annihted, the justification of taking her daughter back was much more rtable than the justification I had as themander.

    So I gave up on persuading her.

    Instead, I chose to provoke her and put on an act.

    Simply put, it was the logic of deciding through a duel.

    Fortunately, the other party seemed to be confident in her skills.

    She epted right away.

    ¡°To think I couldn¡¯t even react, and against a human at that.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Your movement surpasses imagination. It¡¯s been hundreds of years since I was caught from behind¡­¡±

    Cluna spoke as ifmenting.

    Thanks to that, I realized that she was an amazingdy beyond imagination.

    Well, she said she had been fighting since the demons appeared.

    Not only in terms of experience but also in terms of skill, I couldn¡¯t even follow her toes right now.

    But fortunately, I had time stop, which was equal to everyone.

    Thanks to that, I barely won.

    I put my sword back into its sheath and stepped back.

    For someone of her caliber, she wouldn¡¯t urge me to fight again if I put my sword away.

    I didn¡¯t want to fight again either.

    ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly retreating first without hesitation.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t help but understand the feelings of a parent worrying about their child.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say it¡¯s disgraceful? You could criticize me for not being able to separate public and private matters.¡±

    ¡°How could I criticize the heart of a parent worrying about their child?¡±

    Of course, if it gets too excessive, it has to be criticized.

    But there¡¯s no need to say that here and now.

    ra, who had been standing back, finally approached at that moment.

    ¡°Did you see? That¡¯s our currentmander.¡±

    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve acknowledged the currentmander.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, themander is really strong. And¡­ he has something different from the races I¡¯ve seen so far.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t ignore the part about me being strong.

    But thanks to ra holding Cluna¡¯s hand and persuading her, I felt Cluna¡¯s heart slowly changing.

    ¡°I wondered why a human was acting as themander. With this level of skill and character, it¡¯s overwhelmingly clear.¡±

    ¡°This much isn¡¯t really a big deal.¡±

    Actually, it was a huge deal.

    But I couldn¡¯t stiffen my neck and brag about it here.

    Here, I score points by showing a humble attitude.

    Cluna chuckled and said,

    ¡°Even humility can be poison if it¡¯s excessive.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Commander. In the past few hundred years, there hasn¡¯t been a single person that prated Mother¡¯s magic and caught her from behind, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Magic?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not only a swordswoman but also a mage, and at the same time, an archer.¡±

    ording to Cluna, while pretending to ept the provocation, she used magic to limit movement.

    She said that if I had moved even one step there, the spell would have activated immediately.

    The moment I heard that, I couldn¡¯t help but shudder from head to toe.

    If I had moved to do reconnaissance, thinking I was going to do a scouting battle, I would have been hit by the spell right away.

    ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly versatile beyond imagination.¡±

    ¡°Of course! Mother was a warrior who had been active since her days as a hero!¡±

    ¡°Hero? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re talking about that first-generation hero?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just something that happened a long time ago.¡±

    Seeing Cluna¡¯s slightly blushing face as she answered as if embarrassed, I couldn¡¯t help but be shocked.

    Of course, there were monsters long before the demons descended from the demon world.

    And there were heroes who defeated such monsters.

    People called them heroes with respect and awe.

    This was the content of the records that could be found in the game.

    In fact, the first-generation hero even appeared directly in the game.

    If you activated the DLC, a dungeon called the Tomb of the Beginning would open.

    There, you could meet the first-generation hero and fight them directly.

    And if you fought the first-generation hero and gained their recognition, you could greatly enhance your skills and stats.

    But let¡¯s think about thatter.

    Right now, there was something more important.

    ¡°Cluna, I have a proposal to make.¡±

    ¡°What kind of proposal?¡±

    ¡°How about joining the Royal Knights?¡±

    ¡°What? Joining the Royal Knights?¡±

    Not only Cluna but also ra, who was listening to the conversation next to her, looked surprised.

    It was out of the blue.

    But in fact, she was a very necessary talent for us right now.

    In this worldview, magic yed an excessive role.

    It was the only means to counter the blood magic used by demons. But if we had no mage?

    It would be a suicidal act.

    In fact, even in the game, if there was no mage, even the strongest party could be wiped out in an instant.

    In other words, mages were like thest insurance for humans.

    But a mage who was much better at using a sword than a decent knight, and on top of that, could support from a distance with archery while saving mana?

    It was almost like a self-indulgent mode character.

    ¡°Th-thank you for the offer. But I have things I need to do¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Mother has things she needs to do as a guardian!¡±

    ¡°Then, Cluna, let me ask you directly.¡±

    I was aware that I was being forceful.

    But in order to somehow revive the current Royal Knights, we needed talented people.

    So I would forcefully recruit her no matter what.

    ¡°Is that thing you need to do more precious than your child¡¯s life?¡±

    ¡°¡­!!!¡±

    ¡°Probably not. Because despite the problems it could cause, you led your troops all the way here to find her. Am I wrong?¡±

    It was fortunate.

    Honestly, I was prepared to get pped. But Cluna answered as if she was willing to listen.

    No more tricks.

    Here, I¡¯ll sh head-on without caring about anything.

    ¡°Protect your daughter by your side directly.¡±

    And while you¡¯re at it, please protect me who will be behind you too!

    * * *

    [What are you drawing so intently?]

    When she was still a novice, she asked arade she was adventuring with.

    He loved to draw and always scribbled pictures on paper whenever he had a chance.

    Of course, apart from liking it, his drawing skills weren¡¯t that great.

    Anyway, when he heard her question, he thought for a moment and then handed her the paper he had drawn on.

    [Take this. It¡¯s a gift from me to you.]

    [It¡¯s just a scribble. I don¡¯t need it.]

    [A scribble¡­ But I did my best to draw it¡­]

    [Okay! I¡¯ll take it! I¡¯ll take it!!]

    The only time he would get discouraged was when she insulted his drawings, even though he always moved forward firmly without being discouraged in any situation.

    It was both interesting and fun to see that.

    Without realizing it, she always ignored his drawings. Because his reactions were funny.

    Then, suddenly wondering why he had given her the drawings, she went to him directly and asked.

    [But why did you give me the drawings back then?]

    [Are you asking about something that happened decades ago?]

    [It hasn¡¯t been that long.]

    [For an elf like you, it wouldn¡¯t be.]

    However, when she met him again, he had a very different appearance.

    His skin was cracked like the bark of an old tree. His once-intelligent eyes were withered like a flower about to die.

    In fact, she knew.

    The fact that she, an elf, and he, a human, couldn¡¯t be together.

    For elves, a fleeting moment was enough time for humans to start and end their lives.

    He smiled and opened his mouth.

    [Even if time passes and I die, the drawings can stay by your side forever, can¡¯t they?]

    [But in the end, you¡¯ll return to nature.]

    [That¡¯s right. But they can live on forever. Until the moment you forget me.]

    [I¡¯ll probably never be able to forget you.]

    Everything was a first for her.

    She tried human food and experienced the pain of war firsthand.

    She evenpeted with dwarves, with whom she had a bad rtionship, to save each other¡¯s lives.

    For her, that time was nothing more than the time it took to blink an eye. But it became the best time of her life that couldn¡¯t be reced by anyone else.

    At those words, he chuckled.

    [Go on an adventure again someday.]

    [I don¡¯t want to anymore. I don¡¯t want to have this kind of experience anymore.]

    [That¡¯s exactly why.]

    [¡­What?]

    [A new adventure, a new bond. Those will umte and umte, and in the end, they will make you stop feeling lonely.]

    And the next day, he died.

    The expression on his face in the coffin was unbelievably peaceful. As if he were just sleeping.

    It seemed like he would wake up again if she shook him.

    From that day on, she shut herself up in the forest.

    The sense of loss she experienced for the first time in her life hurt more than she had imagined.

    She was so afraid of it that she didn¡¯t want to lose anything anymore.

    She didn¡¯t want to be in pain anymore.

    But why?

    ¡°Protect your daughter by your side directly.¡±

    Why did she see his image in that man?

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    This game was very simr to Football Manager.

    Except for a few heroines who had to be raised as a necessity, you had to recruit the most useful talents to form a knight order and manage the territory to earn money and reputation.

    In this game, all the choices I made would eventuallye back to me.

    Especially when themoners I had scammed reported me to the court, it was truly a sight to behold.Of course, there was also the option to bribe and get out of it. But this game was designed in a way that if you made a bad choice, you would keep making bad choices.

    The endings filled with bad choices were not good.

    Bad endings, where the protagonist dies and the heroines abandon him.

    It was also the first ending I had ever seen.

    At that time, I thought it was the worst ending.

    [Hehehe! You got sperm injected into your vagina without knowing anything!]

    I didn¡¯t know.

    That there was a bottom to the bottom.

    Anyway, the importance of choices was immense.

    Even if it seemed like you were losing a little at the moment, if you showed kindness, it would eventuallye back to you someday.

    That was the main theme of this game.

    And recently, there was something that made me realize I had made the best choice.

    That was recruiting Cluna into the Royal Knights.

    Of course, it was never an easy task.

    It was almost like recruiting the highest leader of elven society.

    Frankly, it was like bringing over the defense minister of another country.

    Under normal circumstances, such a thing would be impossible.

    But the current situation was far from normal.

    Due to the annihtion of the Royal Knights, the racial alliance was shaken.

    Plus, her daughter was currently in the Royal Knights.

    Having lost all her family, she couldn¡¯t help but be shaken.

    ¡°Oh my, are you already up?¡±

    In the end, she gave up her position as a guardian and chose to join the Royal Knights.

    Her silver hair, simr to ra¡¯s but darker, was drawing curves.

    In fact, as it turned out, she had already handed over her position as a guardian and came all the way here.

    Originally, she was going to retire, but she changed her mind and joined the Royal Knights to protect her daughter.

    And now she became the mother of us all.

    Cluna smiled brightly and reached out her delicate hand. I eximed in surprise.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Take care of the others first.¡±

    ¡°If you say so, Commander.¡±

    ¡°¡­Phew.¡±

    At my words, Cluna nodded her head and stepped back.

    Left alone in the room, I let out a sigh of relief.

    It seemed that the trauma was still haunting me.

    But apart from that, Cluna had be an excellent fortress manager.

    On the first day she joined, she dered that she could manage this fortress all by herself¡­

    At first, I thought it was a bluff.

    No matter how great a talent she was, it was impossible for her to manage such arge fortress alone.

    That¡¯s what I thought at first.

    I finished my preparations and stepped out of the room. And I immediately encountered them, mopping the windows.

    They were very small little girls with wings.

    ¡°Good work.¡±

    [Kyaa! Kyaa!]

    ¡°Are you saying thank you¡­?¡±

    The little girls who heard my wordsughed and flew around above my head.

    Of course, I couldn¡¯t understand what they were saying.

    I could only make a difficult expression.

    These miniature little girls were Fairy¡¯s.

    They were a race that coexisted with elves through contracts and were versatile enough to do everything from household chores to scouting.

    However,munication with them was only possible for elves who knew the ancientnguage, and even then, only elves with considerable seniority.

    Anyway, thanks to recruiting Cluna, we were able to restore Lionheart Fortress.

    Of course, important facilities like the smithy were still closed.

    But that could be solved somehow once the personnel requested from the human kingdom arrived.

    Cluna¡¯s burden would also be greatly reduced.

    ¡°Damn it! Two Kanfs! This is not good at all!¡±

    ¡°What the hell, you brat?! Do you really want to die today?!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    As I went down to the dining hall, I heard familiar shouting.

    Thanks to that, my head felt like it was going to split from the start.

    Those two were fighting each other every chance they got.

    I had to do something about it here.

    If it were ra, it would be fine.

    But if Cluna heard those words from Ruby, it could lead to a fight if things went wrong.

    Of course, both of them were skilled enough to be worthy of the name Royal Knights.

    But the difference in their experience was too great.

    Ruby would probably be overwhelmed by Cluna one-sidedly.

    If that happened, it would be troublesome for me.

    So I was about to step in and solve it quickly, right at that moment.

    ¡°You can¡¯t use such words.¡±

    The one who was definitely in the kitchen had somehow squeezed between ra and Ruby.

    Cluna smiled faintly and gently pressed Ruby¡¯s forehead with her index finger.

    ¡°Uh, uh¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m d you understand. ra? You should also go and sit down now.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay. I¡¯ll sit down.¡±

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    Look at that benevolent appearance.

    Isn¡¯t she fit to be our mother?

    But at the same time, a question arose.

    Kanf was a derogatory term for elves.

    Can she be so unaffected by it?

    ¡°Teacher.¡±

    ¡°¡­Good morning, Helia.¡±

    I¡¯m not kidding, I really didn¡¯t feel her presence at all.

    As if it were natural, Helia was there.

    I had the illusion that the girl¡¯s red hair was waving fiercely.

    Helia was looking at me.

    Her gaze was so intense that it felt like my face, where her gaze was fixed, would be pierced through.

    Soon, Helia smiled and opened her mouth.

    ¡°I smell another woman on you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m always on your side, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­!!¡±

    I quickly snapped my index and middle fingers.

    At the same time, everything around me began to turn gray.

    Finally, when everything¡¯s time had stopped, I could barely see it.

    Helia, had approached Cluna in an instant and was swinging her sword.

    I was shocked to see that.

    Of course, I knew that Helia followed me well, but¡­

    I never dreamed that she would go berserk like this.

    In the first ce, Helia wasn¡¯t a yandere in the original work¡­ Right?

    When I thought about it, it seemed like there was an obsession tag in the original work too.

    Anyway, I couldn¡¯t leave it like this. So I quickly approached Helia in the stopped time, put her sword back in, and lowered her body that was floating in the air.

    ¡°There was a briefmotion.¡±

    ¡°Teacher?!¡±

    ¡°You calm down too.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, Teacher.¡±

    In fact, although Helia¡¯s talent was outstanding, if she were at ra or Ruby¡¯s level, not Cluna¡¯s, it wouldn¡¯t be that difficult to receive her attack now.

    That¡¯s why I stepped in directly instead.

    Because Helia could get seriously hurt if things went wrong.

    But I never dreamed that she would go berserk like this.

    So, let¡¯s make it clear.

    ¡°My body is full of Teacher¡¯s scent¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Let¡¯s pretend I didn¡¯t see that for now.

    ¡°Attention everyone! There¡¯s something I need to make clear before we eat.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t even bother a dog when it¡¯s eating!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m really hungry!¡±

    Of course, there was opposition from ra and Ruby. But before I could open my mouth, there was a loud bang!

    When I turned my head, I saw Cluna smiling with a vein popping on her forehead.

    ¡°You two, quiet. Themander is speaking, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m always ready to hear Teacher¡¯s words.¡±

    There was opposition from ra and Ruby, but at Cluna¡¯s small word, everyone shut their mouths.

    Helia went without saying.

    Everyone¡¯s gaze was on me.

    Soon, I opened my mouth.

    ¡°From now on, fighting between members is strictly prohibited.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What are you suddenly talking about?¡±

    ¡°ra, what kind ofnguage is that?¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean by that?¡±

    Cluna, nice assist.

    It may be a bit out of the blue, but I have to announce it here where everyone is gathered.

    I had been thinking about it since I first took the position ofmander of the Royal Knights.

    ¡°It means exactly what you heard. You know too, don¡¯t you? The real reason why the Royal Knights were annihted.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Small quarrels lead to a rift in emotions. A vessel that leaks from the inside won¡¯t stop leaking from the outside.¡±

    So, let¡¯s at least not fight with each other.

    It won¡¯t be an easy thing, but even so.

    Everyone nodded at my words.

    Especially Helia, who unusually avoided my gaze.

    ¡°And Ruby, finish your meal and get ready to leave with me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going on a mission too?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to catch the knight who deserted.¡±

    ¡°Just the two of you? I absolutely oppo¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Little kids need to eat a lot to grow up nicely, right?¡±

    Helia, who had been quietly listening next to me, objected.

    But Cluna, who naturally came with a bowl, managed to calm Helia down by feeding her rice.

    I continued.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? That I would bring that person back because they are alone.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right. You did say that.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know when the demons will attack. So, we¡¯ll bring back that deserted knight as quickly as possible.¡±

    First, gather all the surviving Royal Knights.

    The rest woulde after that.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [T/N: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH milfffffff i need me some Ara Ara :> ]

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Strictly speaking, Ruby and I didn¡¯t have a very good rtionship.

    Unlike ra, who was gradually regaining her bright personality contrary to my first impression, Ruby didn¡¯t easily open her heart to others.

    It felt like she had needles sticking out like a hedgehog.

    But why did I choose Ruby of all people in this situation? Unfortunately, I had no choice but Ruby.

    For now, I needed someone to manage and defend Lionheart Fortress.

    After all, Cluna was taking up more than 80% of that share now.

    So Cluna was excluded for the time being, and even though Helia would be called the Sword Empress in the future, she was still just a kiddo so I had to exclude her too.

    Then the remaining options were Ruby and ra, but since I had no intention of disturbing the mother and daughter reunion, I had no choice but to choose Ruby, who was left by process of elimination.

    It was a bit awkward though.

    It was unexpected, if anything, that Ruby, whom I had chosen, was close friends with the member of the Royal Knights who had deserted.

    Thanks to that, I was able to hear many stories about her from Ruby.

    Ruby and I were currently riding horses along a mountain path.

    There was a rattling noise and the saddle shook heavily.

    As a result, my butt started to sting as it rubbed against the saddle.

    ¡°Commander? Are you listening to my story?¡±

    ¡°Of course I am. You said the name of the deserter is Bayard.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. She was the vanguard of the Royal Knights.¡±

    Bayard.

    A beastwoman from the Bear Tribe, ranked 7th out of the 12 Beast Tribes.

    She was said to have yed the role of a vanguard who would charge forward with her monstrous strength and endurance and tear all the enemies apart.

    ¡°But even she got scared and deserted?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how much of a hell we witnessed. Especially unlike us who were in the rear, Bayard witnessed countless deaths at the frontlines.¡±

    ¡°Certainly, she could have been more shocked.¡±

    ording to the setting, the Bear Tribe, ranked 7th out of the 12 Beast Races, was the lowest-ranked tribe.

    Among the original 12 Beast Races, 5 of the tribes had defected, so they were barely recognized as tribes.

    Naturally, their political standing must have been weak, and there must have been contempt and such within the beastmen race. But she suppressed all of that with her abilities alone and was recognized as a Royal Knight.

    Moreover, Bayard was a vanguard who fought at the very front.

    That meant despite fighting in that hell, at the very front at that, she was a top-notch talent who ultimately survived until the end.

    ¡°But do you know where Bayard is?¡±

    ¡°The kingdom contacted us. They said they found out where Bayard is.¡±

    ¡°They were unexpectedlypetent.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve been searching continuously since the Royal Knights were defeated until now, so it¡¯s only natural.¡±

    The king¡¯s ability to take action was beyond imagination.

    While appointing a human as themander of the Royal Knights, he mobilized the intelligence agency to locate the members for the restoration of the Royal Knights.

    On top of that, he was even thinking of gathering talents from the human kingdom to support the Royal Knights.

    He could truly be called the best sponsor.

    Anyway, as a result of obtaining that information¡­

    Bayard was unexpectedly staying in a nearby location.

    It was a distance that could be reached within a week by riding a horse from Lionheart Fortress.

    Upon hearing that news, I immediately departed for that ce.

    The fact that she was nearby even after several months meant that she still had lingering attachments to the Royal Knights.

    So, before that attachment disappears, I¡¯ll somehow persuade her and bring her back.

    And now, after a week had passed, I was able to learn a lot about Bayard through conversations with Ruby.

    Ruby seemed to have relied on her much more than I thought.

    ¡°Were you the closest to Bayard in the Royal Knights?¡±

    ¡°She was the one I couldmunicate with the best. And when I was with Bayard, I stopped thinking about that kid.¡±

    ¡°That kid?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Ruby hurriedly denied her own words.

    It seemed that Ruby also had a dark past.

    For now, I¡¯d remember it clearly and ask about it slowlyter.

    Anyway, I had to focus on Bayard right now.

    The mental state of a defeated soldier was usually unstable.

    Especially since she was a top-notch talent who had been active as the vanguard of the Royal Knights.

    If she were to rampage on her own, the damage would be unimaginably terrible.

    Finally, Ruby and I managed to arrive at the ce the kingdom had informed us about.

    The first thing that caught my eye was a fence made by carving wood. And inside, I could see animal hides being dried.

    There was also a huge cathedral-like building made by stacking logs.

    ¡°¡­Where is this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a temple where the Bear Tribe worships the King of Nature.¡±

    ¡°Come to think of it, you said they believed in that religion.¡±

    Even when the Royal Knights were still active, Bayard would alwayse here once a week to pray and return.

    Meanwhile, Ruby, who had gotten off the horse, immediately knocked on the cathedral door.

    ¡°Bayard! I know you¡¯re in there! Open this door right now!!¡±

    [¡­¡­]

    ¡°Are you ignoring me?! Then I¡¯ll break down this door and go in!¡±

    [W-wait a moment! Please don¡¯t break the cathedral¡­!]

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    As Ruby finally couldn¡¯t hold back her anger and took out her hammer, Bayard shouted from inside, sensing the murderous energy.

    However, it was unexpected that her voice was only slightly louder than a mosquito¡¯s buzz.

    No, it¡¯s not prejudice.

    Wasn¡¯t she from the Bear Tribe and the vanguard of the Royal Knights?

    Then shouldn¡¯t she have a belligerent personality? But judging from her voice, far from being belligerent¡­

    Rather, it was a voice that didn¡¯t have any confidence at all.

    If I were to express it as it was, should I say it was a voice like a loser?

    I shook my head.

    It¡¯s not good to have prejudices arbitrarily.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. Your name is Bayard, right? I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡±

    [I-is that so? It probably wasn¡¯t anything good¡­.]

    ¡°I heard you were an excellent vanguard of the Royal Knights.¡±

    [T-that¡¯s nonsense. Someone like me¡­.]

    Her voice, which was strongly denying it, was trembling faintly.

    No, really, if I only heard her voice, she sounded like a country maiden. But judging by appearances was foolish.

    Ruby, who was fundamentally much more skilled than me, had called Bayard an excellent vanguard.

    Then, as themander, I had no choice but to trust my subordinate.

    I said to Bayard,

    ¡°Bayard, we need your help.¡±

    [Wh-what? You need the help of someone like me?]

    ¡°Yes. If it¡¯s alright with you, could you hear us out?¡±

    My strategy for capturing characters like the loser Bayard is simple.

    You just have to approach them so politely that it¡¯s burdensome.

    What?

    Where did my dignity as amander go?

    Fuck that!

    Anyway, I¡¯ll be quitting thismander position that¡¯s just for show after a year.

    Right now, substance is much more important than such a superficial position.

    About 5 minutes passed.

    The tightly closed door finally began to open.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    She had terrible nightmares every day.

    Even though she always knew it was a dream, she couldn¡¯t help but run forward.

    This time, she would definitely protect them.

    Repeatedly, over and over again.

    While making that resolution¡­

    But each time, what unfolded before her eyes was a feast of blood and flesh.

    It belonged to therades who hadughed and chatted with her.

    In the end, she failed to protect them and woke up.

    When she woke up from her sleep, the trembling of her body didn¡¯t stop due to her rushing self-condemnation.

    If themander hadn¡¯t given her the scroll, she too would have lost her life in that hell.

    In the end, she barely survived at the sacrifice of themander and herrades.

    Still, she thought she could be of at least a little help here. But that wasn¡¯t the case.

    ¡°I¡¯m still useless.¡±

    It had always been like that.

    She had always watched the backs of everyone moving forward from a step behind.

    She hated that.

    So she took on the role of vanguard in the Royal Knights.

    She didn¡¯t want to fall behind anymore.

    She wanted to protect herrades with her own hands. But, in the end, she was a useless fellow until the very end.

    And yet, what lingering attachment made her stay here?

    Maybe she was hoping, without knowing her ce, that someone woulde looking for her.

    If someone needed her, even someone like her.

    Then¡­ However, that expectation was gradually chipped away.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. Your name is Bayard, right? I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡±

    But, just before that will waspletely broken, as if by a miracle, someone came looking for her.

    The person she saw through the crack in the door was wearing a helmet.

    He seemed to be the newly appointedmander.

    ¡°Bayard, we need your help.¡±

    [Wh-what? You need the help of someone like me?]

    ¡°Yes. If it¡¯s alright with you, could you hear us out?¡±

    It was the first time.

    Even the previousmander hadn¡¯t said such a thing.

    For the first time, someone said they needed her help.

    Could it be that this time, she could really be of help?

    If she could be of help¡­

    Could she escape from this nightmare?

    With that hope in mind, she finally opened the door.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Inside the cathedral, I saw chairs made by carving wood and symbolic objects made by weaving grass and flowers.

    After a while, Bayard, who had gone inside, came back with teacups.

    It was a very different impression from what I had heard from Ruby.

    Especially now, she couldn¡¯t even make eye contact with me. Of course, since she had survived that hell, her skills must be solid, but¡­

    Or could it be that her personality changed after experiencing hell?

    That¡¯s very possible.

    Many of herrades died right before her eyes, and she almost died herself.

    It was only natural to change.

    I swallowed my saliva.

    From my current position, I had to somehow persuade Bayard, who had fallen this far, and bring her back. But could that be considered the right thing to do?

    Bayard had her headpletely lowered.

    It was heartbreaking to see that, but still, I had to speak.

    At that moment, Ruby, who had her feet up on the desk, said,

    ¡°Stop pretending now. Let¡¯s go back.¡±

    ¡°S-sorry. I¡¯m useless after all¡­.¡±

    ¡°Ruby, be quiet.¡±

    Even when there was not enough time to slowly persuade her, Ruby was already scratching Bayard¡¯s insides.

    Thanks to that, I, who was sitting next to her, was put in a difficult position.

    I observed Bayard¡¯s reaction.

    Unexpectedly, Bayard was only smiling bitterly.

    Instead, her reddish-brown hair and the animal ears on her head were trembling slightly.

    It was a tricky situation.

    Even if we dragged her by force, at best it would be a minus to ourbat power.

    She definitely wouldn¡¯t be of any help. But there was no time to slowly persuade her either.

    Damn it, what should I do?

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. Someone like me is of no help at all¡­.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. Just having you with us is enough.¡±

    ¡°Wh-what?!¡±

    ¡°Commander? Are you proposing to her right now?¡±

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡±

    I was speaking strictly in terms of Bayard being part of the Royal Knights¡¯ forces.

    Survivors like Bayard were especially helpful to us.

    Not to mention her skills, but above all, she had experience.

    The experience of surviving that hell will surely be our flesh and blood.

    Plus, she¡¯s a member of the Golden Generation.

    She could even take over the position ofmander of the Royal Knights for me.

    Of course, considering her personality, it would be difficult.

    Let¡¯s put that issue aside for now.

    She¡¯s already on the verge of deciding whether to return or not.

    If I burden her by mentioning themander position, she¡¯ll run away right away.

    I fully understood Bayard¡¯s circumstances.

    The depth of the pain she was holding was not something I could dare to predict. But still, I had no choice but to ask.

    ¡°Bayard, I need your strength. Could you please help me?¡±

    ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute, Commander. There¡¯s a problem we need to solve first.¡±

    ¡°A problem we need to solve?¡±

    I expressed my doubts.

    I heard she was close with Bayard.

    Did the two of them have some issue?

    While I was thinking that, Ruby, who had been sitting still, suddenly took out her weapon.

    ¡°We have an uninvited guest.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s not a demon¡­ looks like a monster.¡±

    ¡°A monster¡­?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. There was a monster following us.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    So that¡¯s how it was, I didn¡¯t know.

    When I looked at Ruby with the intention of asking why she didn¡¯t report it to me, Ruby shrugged her shoulders and said,

    ¡°Themander already knew, didn¡¯t you? But you just stayed still, so I stayed quiet too.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Please don¡¯t say it as if it¡¯s obvious just because I¡¯m themander.

    I¡¯m not even a realmander in the first ce.

    I let out a sigh.

    Anyway, we were tailed as we came here, but¡­

    No, wait a minute.

    This could be an opportunity.

    The fact that monsters came here means that the location here has been exposed.

    I said to Bayard,

    ¡°For now, let¡¯s move to Lionheart Fortress.¡±

    ¡°What? B-but that¡¯s too sudden¡­!!¡±

    ¡°We have no choice since this location has been discovered.¡±

    ¡°W-well, that¡¯s true. It would be dangerous to stay here¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    I shouted with joy inside.

    I seeded in somehow bringing her to Lionheart Fortress.

    As they say, when bodies are close, hearts naturally move too.

    That¡¯s what I was aiming for.

    Plus, Cluna was currently at Lionheart Fortress.

    Cluna¡¯s warm maternal love would surely be able to embrace the pain Bayard was holding to some extent.

    But before that, we needed to deal with the monsters that followed us first.

    However, right at that moment, Bayard suddenly burst out of the cathedral door and ran.

    What was that?

    Why did she do that?

    ¡°The engine has already started.¡±

    ¡°The engine has started?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Why do you think that timid bear took the position of vanguard?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because her personalitypletely changes when she enters battle!¡±

    Ruby dropped the bomb with a very calm face, as if it were nothing.

    So, in simple terms, she has a split personality?

    Her personalitypletely changes when the battle starts?

    I shook my head.

    So what do you want me to do about it?

    What¡¯s the big deal about a split personality?

    As long as her skills are solid, I have to somehow make use of even rolling leaves in my current situation.

    Kwang! Boom!

    It seemed that Ruby¡¯s words weren¡¯t empty talk.

    Explosions could already be heard from outside.

    I ran out of the cathedral a stepte. And thanks to that, I was barely able to see it.

    ¡°Die, die, die!!!¡±

    Bayard, with her eyes bloodshot andughing wildly, was literally blowing up the monsters.

    She was nothing but a madwoman.

    I silently observed the surroundings.

    The monsters that attacked us were the de Wolves I had seen before, and skeleton-type monsters wearing bone armor.

    Each and every one of them was treated as small fry, but¡­

    The problem was their numbers.

    It was a huge armyrge enough to surround the cathedral.

    No matter how skilled I was, it was impossible to face an army of this scale.

    That¡¯s what I thought.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why she was assigned as the vanguard.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Is there a possibility of her going berserk and causing friendly fire?¡±

    ¡°If that were the case, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to be a Royal Knight.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    I nodded my head at Ruby¡¯s point.

    Certainly, if she had that level of w, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to be a Royal Knight.

    Of course, it¡¯s really scary to see her covered in blood and ughtering, but¡­

    Still, she¡¯s on our side.

    I continued to observe with my arms crossed.

    Eventually, the monsters surrounding the cathedral werepletely torn to shreds by Bayard in an instant.

    ¡°Bayard! That¡¯s enough now!¡±

    ¡°Grrr¡­.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Oh? She doesn¡¯t seem to be in good condition.¡±

    ¡°¡­!!!¡±

    I hurriedly ran forward. Because Bayard¡¯s bloodshot gaze was directed at us.

    Ah, no way.

    It can¡¯t be¡­ I had no intention of being optimistic like that.

    And thanks to that, I was able to save Ruby.

    In a split second when I couldn¡¯t even blink, everything around me turned gray.

    Thanks to that, I was able to see it.

    Bayard, who had somehow approached right in front of me and was reaching out her blood-stained hand.

    Recognizing it, I bent my body and released the time stop.

    A very short amount of time passed, not even a second.

    However, sensing that I had avoided the attack in that short time, Bayard instinctively attacked me again.

    Damn it, I can¡¯t avoid it because of the cooldown¡­!!

    Just as I thought that,

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    For some reason, time stopped again.

    Why?

    Wasn¡¯t it on cooldown?

    But there was no time to even feel puzzled.

    I immediately released time stop and avoided Bayard¡¯s attack.

    ¡°Commander?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, so stay back!!¡±

    ¡°Raaaaaahhhhh!!¡±

    I gritted my teeth and turned my head.

    Although I hadn¡¯t figured it out for sure yet, it was worth experimenting.

    I ran forward.

    Bayard also attacked me right away.

    Just before the powerful front paw swung like a bear¡¯s reached me, time stop activated when faced with the risk of death.

    Then I recognized the attack and moved simultaneously while releasing time stop.

    A short amount of time, not even a second.

    However, even if I avoided the first attack, the next attack came right away.

    It was an attack specialized for hunting, like an animal¡¯s instinct. But those attacks never reached me.

    I clicked my tongue.

    ¡°I never thought there would be an application like this.¡±

    Originally, time stop had a cooldown.

    Now, I¡¯d reduced it to about 1.8 times by continuously using it over and over, but still.

    However, there was one fact I learned from the fight with Bayard just now.

    If I stop time for less than 1 second,

    The time stop cooldown didn¡¯t apply.

    But the situation didn¡¯t improve.

    Because I had to release time stop while recognizing the attack and avoiding it at the same time, there was no room to spare for attacking.

    What did that mean?

    Save me, fuck.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    What the hell is this situation?

    Ruby trembled with her own pathetess.

    Even though she had acknowledged him as themander, he was no different from a neer to the Royal Knights.

    So, she had to lead him well.

    In a way, Ruby had thoughts bordering on overstepping her authority, but those thoughts were shattered by what happened this time.

    Was it because she let her guard down since they were close friends?

    No, that was not it.

    She just couldn¡¯t react.

    If themander hadn¡¯t stepped forward, she probably would have been cut in half by Bayard.

    That¡¯s how powerful Bayard¡¯s strength and speed were.

    It was only natural.

    Bayard was one of the few Royal Knights members recognized by Commander Yuren.

    In terms of frontal confrontation, she was someone who could fight toe-to-toe with Commander Yuren.

    ¡°He¡¯s avoiding all of the attacks¡­?!¡±

    And what entered Ruby¡¯s sight was Commander Hans effortlessly avoiding Bayard¡¯s attacks.

    But he didn¡¯t attack.

    Why?

    Why wasn¡¯t he attacking?

    If he could avoid attacks so easily, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to subdue Bayard.

    Ruby already knew the reason. Because to themander, they were family.

    That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t want to hurt her.

    Unlike that trash.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 34

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    When Bayard enters battle, she turns violent.

    From what I heard, it¡¯s not a characteristic of the bear tribe, but a characteristic unique to Bayard herself.

    In exchange for losing her reason, her physical abilities are enhanced to a degree beyond imagination.

    But no matter how much she loses her reason, Bayard has never attacked an ally even once. But right now, Bayard finally began attacking her own allies.

    At Bayard¡¯s rampaging roar, Ruby¡¯s legs froze.

    Because she knew Bayard¡¯s strength to the point of being sick of it, she unconsciously froze in fear.

    Well, that was understandable.

    Imagine if a bear suddenly appeared in front of you.

    Not just any bear, but a bear from the bear tribe that could devour any decent knight.

    Anyone would hesitate.

    But there was one person, only themander, who didn¡¯t do that.

    He quickly ran forward and blocked Bayard.

    Bayard, who hadpletely lost her reason, immediately swung her hand.

    Themander¡¯s swordsmanship wasn¡¯t elegant even in empty words.

    It had a roughness that could only be seen in ordinary security guards. But with that roughness, he was fighting Bayard toe-to-toe.

    How many members could fight toe-to-toe with her?

    Even Ruby, who was somewhat confident in head-on battles, could barelyst about 5 minutes if she faced Bayard head-on.

    But she had never felt humiliated by that fact.

    Rather, it was something to brag about.

    Because it meant she couldst a whopping 5 minutes against Bayard.

    But themander, who was nothing more than a mere human, was fighting toe-to-toe with her.

    What would happen if Ruby intervened there?

    Far from being of help to themander, she would only be a hindrance.

    Ruby never overestimated herself.

    Instead, Ruby held her ground.

    She took in the entire fight with her own eyes.

    It would be a lie if she said she wasn¡¯t frustrated.

    The rough swordsmanship that didn¡¯t contain any essence of technique.

    Just with that alone, he could fight Bayard toe-to-toe.

    She envied themander¡¯s strength that far surpassed humans.

    I want to be that strong too.

    I want to be stronger than anyone and defeat that trash.

    With those thoughts in mind, the dwarf took in everything with her eyes.

    As if sharpening a sword on a whetstone.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Save me.

    Fuck, please save me.

    Hey. Can¡¯t you hear me?

    It was no exaggeration to say I felt like I was going crazy.

    My eyes hurt from the repeated color changes between gray and normal as time stopped and resumed.

    It felt like staring at the noise on a television.

    But the bigger problem was that my stamina was starting to reach its limit.

    Forget about time stop, just avoiding or blocking Bayard¡¯s fierce attacks consumed a significant amount of stamina.

    At least with time stop, I was using it in short bursts, so the stamina consumption wasn¡¯t that great.

    But just fighting Bayard right now made me feel like I was going to copse from exhaustion.

    I rolled my eyes to the side.

    Our dwarf girl was watching this fight from a distance.

    No, if you¡¯re going to pull aggro like this, at least do a back attack or something.

    Moreover, my attacks didn¡¯t work on Bayard at all.

    If I were to use the analogy of rock-paper-scissors, it was as if I was checking in advance what the opponent would throw, and then throwing the winning hand ordingly.

    The opponent would read it first with only reaction speed and change their hand.

    Then I would stop time again and change it once more, and the opponent would again change their hand.

    ¡°Kuk?!¡±

    Bayard¡¯s kick struck my side.

    Thankfully, I twisted my body right before the impact.

    If I hadn¡¯t, my insides would have burst open.

    I quickly retreated.

    It really felt like I was fighting a bear.

    That¡¯s how fast and agile her movements were.

    Who said bears were stupid?

    If anyone says that nonsense in front of me, I¡¯ll shatter their limbs.

    Exuding the overwhelming presence of a predator, Bayard charged at me like a beast.

    It was not easy to react as my stamina was greatly depleted.

    I was already at my limit just swinging my sword somehow.

    On the other hand, Bayard showed no signs of fatigue at all.

    Of course, that made sense.

    Would a beast tire faster than a human?

    What should I do?

    I desperately racked my brain.

    [It¡¯s a strange thing. Even when she loses her reason, she doesn¡¯t attack herrades.]

    [ording to Commander Yuren, it¡¯s not that shepletely loses her reason, but closer to her intelligence dropping to the level of a beast.]

    [Certainly¡­ Even beasts don¡¯t harm their own pack or species.]

    There¡¯s no way I can win in a head-on fight.

    If the opponent were an enemy, it wouldn¡¯t matter.

    But if it was an ally I needed to somehow persuade, I needed to subdue her.

    But to subdue her would be difficult, Bayard¡¯s physical abilities were out of this world.

    But I can¡¯t use methods that would significantly reduce herbat power or leave aftereffects, like breaking her arms and legs.

    Should I use joint locks?

    On a bear?

    I¡¯d probably lose in strength.

    I let out a sigh.

    I had no choice, it was a gamble, but¡­ I exhaled tiredly and raised my head.

    I saw Bayard charging towards me.

    I then lowered my sword.

    ¡°Commander?!¡±

    I heard Ruby¡¯s shocked voice from behind as she was spectating.

    As expected, Bayard charged at me with all her might.

    It felt like a truck was ramming into me.

    If we collided like this, my bones and flesh would definitely be separated.

    So, I used a bit of a trick.

    As I snapped my middle and index fingers, the sound that flowed out painted the world gray.

    I didn¡¯t have much time or stamina left.

    I quickly ran towards Bayard. And I grabbed Bayard¡¯s charging body and shook it to break her posture.

    ¡°Alright, next¡­¡±

    With my current strength, no matter how hard I tried, it was impossible to subdue Bayard without any damage.

    Then, I had no choice but to approach it from a different angle.

    Just like now.

    Eventually, the world that was painted gray returned to normal.

    I had already loosened my strength in advance.

    Moreover, Bayard¡¯s charge, with her posture broken, was blocked more easily than I thought.

    The problem was what came next.

    Even if I blocked her charge, Bayard¡¯s monstrous strength wouldn¡¯t disappear.

    So I hugged Bayard, who hade right in front of me, with all my might.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s alright now.¡±

    ¡°Kraaaaahh!¡±

    ¡°There are no more enemies to torment you.¡±

    I had read it in a book somewhere.

    Dogs tend to bark first when they¡¯re scared.

    Plus, I knew Bayard¡¯s circumstances.

    I also knew that she became like a beast when she went berserk.

    Combining all those facts, I made one inference.

    Bayard, who didn¡¯t attack herrades, not only didn¡¯t recognize me but even attacked Ruby?

    She must be scared.

    The hellish scene she saw still hadn¡¯t been forgotten.

    In fact, Bayard deserted out of fear.

    Usually, when someone deserts, they go back to their hometown and hide away.

    But Bayard didn¡¯t do that.

    Rather, she was hiding, holding her breath in a cathedral set up near Lionheart Fortress.

    Why?

    Even though she could be caught and executed under militaryw?

    The conclusion I reached afterbining all these facts: Bayard still had lingering attachments.

    Whether it was for revenge for herrades or something else.

    So I bet on that.

    ¡°Grrrrrr¡­!!¡±

    Wait a minute.

    Did I make the wrong judgment?

    I hear beast soundsing from my embrace.

    She even bit my shoulder?!

    I could feel my shoulder being torn and blood started to flow.

    I thought I should back off now, but I quickly changed my mind.

    If Bayard had recognized me as an enemy, I would have been torn to shreds in an instant.

    But I¡¯m still alive and well.

    I even had the leisure to have a conversation.

    Then, it meant that my method was working on Bayard to some extent.

    ¡°I obviously can¡¯t know what you saw there.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°But I can take in all those emotions. Let it all out, and cry.¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, Bayard¡¯s wed hand stabbed my back like a thorn.

    Ah, wait a minute.

    Wait, time out, don¡¯t throw up.

    I think I¡¯m going to die from the pain!!

    ¡°Commander, you can stop hugging her now.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s already asleep.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see.¡±

    At some point, Bayard had stopped rampaging.

    She was sleeping veryfortably in my arms. But her ws were still stuck in my back.

    I clicked my tongue.

    Anyway, with this, I finally solved the problem.

    I didn¡¯t damage Bayard¡¯sbat power. And since she lost consciousness, I got a legitimate excuse to take her to Lionheart Fortress.

    Before, it felt like I was almost forcibly dragging her.

    I carefully moved her arm.

    Naturally, the ws stuck in my back were pulled out, scratching my back as they went.

    ¡°By the way, I saw themander in a new light this time.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I thought you were just all talk. I never thought you¡¯d actually protect her even at the cost of getting injured.¡±

    I didn¡¯t protect her at the cost of getting injured.

    It¡¯s just that there was no other answer.

    But I won¡¯t tell her this fact.

    You, just watching from behind earlier.

    I saw it all.

    Be prepared, I will definitely pay back this debt someday.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 35

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Somehow, I seeded in bringing Bayard to the fortress.

    However, it was still uncertain whether she would return to full strength.

    Forget about trauma and such, the biggest problem was that she couldn¡¯t distinguish between allies and enemies when entering battle.

    Moreover, Bayard was a member who had served as the vanguard even within the Royal Knights. If that tremendous power suddenly turned against our allies, in the worst case, friendly fire could ur.

    For now, as the currentmander, I couldn¡¯t help but be reluctant to immediately recruit her.

    Plus, there were too many issues, such as Helia¡¯s education and Ruby¡¯s past.

    ¡°For now, let¡¯s focus on normalizing the Royal Knights.¡±

    Leaving Helia and Ruby alone wouldn¡¯t be a problem for the time being. But Bayard¡¯s issue was different.

    In order to somehow utilize herbat power, we had no choice but to provide her with treatment.

    If it were just physical wounds, it would be fine.

    The problem was that mental illnesses were not so easily cured.

    I discussed this issue with the person I could trust the most.

    ¡°Unfortunately, we have no choice but to let time heal it.¡±

    ¡°¡­I thought so.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s how mental illnesses are.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    I sighed at Cluna¡¯s words.

    I thought she might have a way, but there seemed to be no sharp solution.

    No, let¡¯s think positively now.

    At least Bayard had returned to Lionheart Fortress.

    For now, let¡¯s give it time and slowly treat her.

    As time passes, her symptoms will probably improve.

    Now, what remained was training, of course.

    The current Royal Knights were nothing more than a defeated army.

    To make up for that, we needed to build up our strength now.

    Especially in my case, it was a big deal that I found a new way to utilize my ability.

    If I stop time for less than 1 second and release it, the cooldown doesn¡¯t apply.

    This was a real hit.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t almighty.

    After all, it was stopping time for a short period within 1 second.

    With my current skills, attacking was impossible; I could barely avoid the opponent¡¯s attacks.

    Plus, since I was stopping time anyway, it also yed a part in my stamina being drained bit by bit.

    But even considering that, this was a technique close to being overpowered.

    In fact, thanks to this, I was somehow able to fight head-on against Bayard, who was several times stronger than me.

    If my basic skills improve further, the ways to utilize it will also increase.

    ¡°Everyone has be weak.¡±

    ¡°Huk, huk¡­!!¡±

    ¡°What kind of monster is this?!¡±

    In the courtyard of Lionheart Fortress, there was a sparring ground for practicing. And there, Cluna was currently facing ra and Ruby simultaneously.

    Even if they were the lowest-ranked, they were two members who had taken on a part of the Royal Knights.

    But she was ying with them like children¡¯s toys.

    As expected, Cluna was strong.

    Realizing Cluna¡¯s strength anew, I also swung my sword in the same way.

    My sparring partner was Helia.

    Bayard¡¯s problem could only be solved with time.

    Then, the next thing to do was to solve the problem we were facing next.

    The normalization of Lionheart Fortress had somehow started to move forward after Cluna joined.

    Ruby¡¯s past was a sensitive issue, so I couldn¡¯t approach it recklessly.

    Then, by process of elimination, what remained was Helia¡¯s education.

    I had no choice but to overlook it before.

    But now, we had some leeway.

    So, I had to properly educate Helia.

    In the original work, Helia was an extreme character who became obsessed with power and ended up betraying even herrades.

    So, at first, I thought she was just a viin.

    It was just that Helia¡¯s illustration was pretty, and once captured, she actively dashed towards the protagonist, which was charming, so I let it slide.

    ¡°Helia, stop for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Teacher.¡±

    Fortunately, Helia listens to my words very well.

    The problem is that she won¡¯t listen to anyone else¡¯s words even if it kills her.

    Anyway, I had to teach her.

    ¡°Drawing your sword against yourrades before was wrong.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve reflected a lot. I won¡¯t do it again, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°I-I see. Then, that¡¯s good.¡±

    I ended up letting it slide inadvertently.

    When she says she¡¯ll reflect on it on her own, there¡¯s nothing more I can say about it.

    But it was true that Helia needed education.

    I¡¯d have to discuss this point more with Clunater.

    Anyway, I focused on sparring with Helia.

    Helia seemed to have been continuously training with the sword during that time.

    Her swordsmanship was honed even sharper than when Ist saw her.

    Now, with my skills, I could somehow block it, but as more time passed, it seemed like I wouldn¡¯t even be a match for her.

    Except for time stop, that is.

    I deliberately used time stop to spar.

    The important thing was to stop time as close to 1 second as possible. 0.8 seconds to 0.9 seconds.

    If I was even a littlete, the cooldown would start, and that would put my life in danger in real battles.

    Fortunately, I didn¡¯t need to stop it manually.

    Since time would automatically stop when my life was in danger.

    On the other hand, Helia was swinging her sword, her red eyes shining.

    Seeing that made me feel more uneasy for some reason.

    ¡°As expected, Teacher¡¯s movements are extraordinary.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Thanks to that, I gained enlightenment. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°So, what do you mean by¡­¡±

    ¡°Commander? I think you shoulde right now.¡±

    I tried to properly correct Helia¡¯s misunderstanding, but before that, Cluna calling me was faster.

    My eyes automatically turned to her urgent voice.

    What¡¯s the matter this time¡­?

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Well, an envoy has arrived from the Dwarf Republic.¡±

    ¡°What? The Dwarf Republic?¡±

    The majority of dwarves were excellent engineers, and since they took pride in their skills, they took pride in the name of the nation of artisans.

    ¡°Why did those folks suddenlye here?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably because of the recent territorial dispute.¡±

    ¡°Territorial dispute? Ah¡­!¡±

    Only then did I understand.

    Although they were better than the elves, whom they considered arch-enemies, the beastmen and the Dwarf Republic didn¡¯t have a very good rtionship to the point of having territorial disputes with each other.

    But why did the Dwarf Republic suddenly send an envoy?

    The answer was simple.

    It was because of Bayard, a beastman.

    Regardless of the reason, she was a deserter from the Royal Knights.

    They sent an envoy to secure Bayard¡¯s person and gain a politically advantageous position.

    When I realized that fact, I found myself clicking my tongue inwardly.

    With amon enemy right in front of us, you¡¯re fighting internally?

    It was really a sight to behold.

    Well, if they had acted properly, they wouldn¡¯t have ended up in such a miserable state in the original work.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    That day, she became aware of responsibility for the first time.

    The sight of her teacher lowering his head to others because of her.

    Seeing that, Helia felt the pain of her insides twisting.

    Because of me, Teacher lowered his head to others.

    What should I do?

    What do I do?

    Ah, that¡¯s right.

    I just need to be a good kid.

    Her parents had once told her something.

    She had to keep her behavior calm and proper.

    Otherwise, it would be an act of disgracing her parents.

    She now deeply realized the meaning of those words.

    ¡°Drawing your sword against yourrades before was wrong.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve reflected a lot. I won¡¯t do it again, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°I-I see. Then, that¡¯s good.¡±

    Let¡¯s show that we realize our mistakes and reflect on them.

    Let¡¯s go and apologize to everyone.

    Even if we don¡¯t truly think that way.

    Let¡¯s show such behavior.

    Because she didn¡¯t want to be hated by Teacher.

    Fortunately, Teacher didn¡¯t rebuke her any further.

    Ah, what a kind person he is.

    That¡¯s why she had to be better than anyone else.

    That obsession eventually turned into madness.

    Helia¡¯s obsessive eyes took in everything about Teacher. And she realized.

    Teacher predicts and reacts to movements.

    In fact, she tried it a few times.

    Attacking in a way that was absolutely impossible to react to by mixing in feints.

    She even tried to aim for his blind spots.

    However, each time, her attacks were blocked.

    ¡°As expected, Teacher¡¯s movements are extraordinary.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Thanks to that, I gained enlightenment. Thank you.¡±

    Teacher didn¡¯t teach with fancy words.

    He only taught with short words and actions.

    Of course, that was just her own thinking. But excessive obsession and admiration gave birth to fanaticism.

    She, who was already filled with excessive trust in Teacher, couldn¡¯t hear anything else.

    If she had been a possessor of ordinary talent, she might have been able to somehow let it slide.

    But she was a person with unparalleled talent in swordsmanship, a genius who would be called the greatest Sword Empress in the future.

    When such a person reached another realm.

    urately predicting the opponent¡¯s movements.

    And counter attacking ordingly to take their life.

    That was the second secret technique Teacher had taught her.

    Thunder Dragon Sword Technique, Second Sword: Thunder Dragon¡¯s Ultimate Defense

    Vowing not to let anyoney a finger on Teacher.

    The pinnacle of her swordsmanship infused with her obsession.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 36

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The Dwarf Republic.

    If I remember correctly, the Dwarf Republic was almost like mortal enemies with the Elves and the Twelve Tribes of the Beastmen Alliance.

    And they didn¡¯t have a very good rtionship with other races either.

    There were many reasons, but the biggest reason was probably the dwarves¡¯ unique craftsmanship spirit and their entricity. Their extremism of selling even their children for the advancement of technology.

    They wouldn¡¯t hesitate to sacrifice even their own flesh and blood, filled with mad artisans.

    Not to mention, they would be even more merciless to other races that were different from them.

    But how were they able to survive until now?

    It was simple.

    Because they were entric, not stupid.

    The dwarves uniquely maintained rtionships with certain races.

    The first was the dragons, known as the race of benevolence.

    And the second was the humans, who had thergest power.

    They chose to voluntarily submit to the dragons.

    On the contrary, they maintained good rtions with humans through technology exchange and various trades.

    Thanks to that, they were able to grow their power despite making enemies with so many races.

    But those dwarves directly sought out the Royal Knights.

    Not for any other reason, but because of a territorial dispute between the Dwarf Republic and the Twelve Tribes.

    It was absurd.

    For a moment, irritation surged up, but I did my best to manage my expression.

    If I were a hero who could devour everything, it would be different.

    But sadly, I wasn¡¯t a hero.

    Despite having the cheat-like power of time stop, I could barely utilize it to this extent.

    I was nothing more than an unwee guest just upying a position.

    ¡°Commander, I¡¯m telling you this just in case¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Cluna.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°The kind of thing you¡¯re thinking of will never happen.¡±

    The Dwarf Republic was trying to establish a politically advantageous position by using the issue of Bayard¡¯s desertion.

    After all, as themander, I was a human who got along well with both sides.

    But why should I cooperate with such a thing?

    In the original story, the Dwarf Republic was already in a state of destruction and couldn¡¯t even make an appearance.

    At least a few dwarves appeared, but most of them were in a state of being refugees.

    So the dwarf heroine in the original story had the goal of reviving her homnd.

    How desperate must she have been to set such a goal at a young age?

    Anyway, when I took the position ofmander of the Royal Knights, I set a clear goal.

    It was to make the Royal Knights a perfectly politically neutral organization.

    In the first ce, the Royal Knights were ruined because of fucking politics.

    Wouldn¡¯t it be even more legendary to not learn from that and engage in politics again?

    I entered the reception room.

    Originally, the reception room of the Royal Knights had chandeliers and various decorations made of gold.

    But now, there was no one, and instead, there were only shabby tables and chairs.

    Because I had taken everything and sold it off.

    In a situation where money was alreadycking, decorations were a luxury.

    Even if we had spare money, I wouldn¡¯t bother with such things.

    ¡°I had high expectations for the famous Royal Knights. But it¡¯s not as great as I thought.¡±

    And in the reception room, there were little kids sitting in chairs and sipping tea.

    On the outside, they only looked like little kids, with 2 boys and 1 girl.

    The girl with blue hair and the boy with green hair were silently standing behind with weapons in their hands.

    On the other hand, the kid sitting in the chair and sipping tea was overflowing with leisure.

    He was wearing luxurious clothing as if he were a noble with a monocle on one eye.

    He casually put down the book he was holding and said with a smile,

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a malicious remark. Nice to meet you, Commander Hans of the Royal Knights.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you too. So your name is?¡±

    ¡°I am Viral Emerald, the ambassador of the Dwarf Republic.¡±

    Like Ruby, dwarves seemed to like putting mineral names in their own names.

    Well, the name of the dwarf heroine in the original story was also Bell Sapphire or something.

    ¡°Since we both seem to be busy, let¡¯s get straight to the point.¡±

    ¡°Sir Hans seems to be quite an impatient person?¡±

    ¡°Ambassador Viral, isn¡¯t it better for both of us to maintain good manners?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s an elf who doesn¡¯t know etiquette. Is it a pet?¡±

    It seemed that elves and dwarves really didn¡¯t get along well. But here, that kid was in the wrong.

    Iughed and said softly to Ambassador Viral,

    ¡°Cluna is my adjutant. How could an adjutant not attend such an important asion?¡±

    ¡°I knew the Royal Knights were going through a difficult time, but I didn¡¯t expect them to be thiscking in talent.¡±

    ¡°Ambassador Viral, don¡¯t you need to return to your country with at least a somewhat good result?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t know how to give off an imposing attitude.

    So I imitated the boss of an organization I saw in a noir movie.

    I deliberately crossed my legs and sat with my two fingers interlocked as I replied,

    ¡°Let me make it clear. If you say anything more, you won¡¯t even get a drop of soup.¡±

    ¡°C-Commander¡­!!¡±

    Not only Ambassador Viral but even Cluna, who had been silently listening beside me, was startled.

    This was clearly a ce for diplomacy.

    And what was important in diplomacy was words.

    No matter what was said, it was a basic courtesy to say it as softly as possible while beating around the bush.

    That way, you wouldn¡¯t give justification to the other party. But so what?

    Is it my business?

    The Royal Knights were ruined by doing that kind of thing.

    They even still haven¡¯te to their senses and are trying to engage in politics with a territorial dispute.

    Please, let¡¯s just do one verse, just one verse.

    ¡°You¡¯reing on stronger than I thought. Commander Hans, pardon me, but do you know the rtionship between the kingdom and the Dwarf Republic?¡±

    ¡°Put aside the notion of connecting countries. Right now, isn¡¯t this a deal between the Royal Knights and the Republic?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk frankly like men. Why are you beating around the bush like a girl?¡±

    A certain gambler once said this.

    The scariest thing at the gambling table is not the opponent gambler, but a beginner who is gambling for the first time.

    Because you can¡¯t predict their next move.

    But it seemed he wasn¡¯t an easy opponent.

    Viral still had a smile on his face.

    His expression only changed for a moment when he was taken aback by my words.

    Well, it was an important matter involving a territorial dispute.

    They wouldn¡¯t send a novice.

    Viral still smiled, but he definitely showed a more polite attitude than before.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s get straight to the point. We request that you hand over the deserter Bayard to us.¡±

    ¡°I refuse.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re firm. But can you really refuse after hearing our proposal?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°First, the Dwarf Republic will officially sponsor the Royal Knights.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°Not only the top-grade equipment prepared by the Dwarf Republic but also this fortress will be made into an even stronger fortress.¡±

    ¡°And in exchange, we would hand over Bayard?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Just one person, if you hand over just one person, that will be all.¡±

    Certainly, it wasn¡¯t a bad condition.

    After all, Bayard was officially a deserter.

    Even in modern society, desertion was a serious crime that was strictly punished by militaryw.

    Not to mention, in this ce where the background was the Middle Ages, how would a deserter be treated?

    If things went wrong, even I could suffer damage.

    Ambassador Viral was aiming for that point.

    Just by handing over a deserter¡¯s person, the Royal Knights could receive massive support.

    The support from the Dwarf Republic had that much immense value.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help but ask again if Commander Hans¡¯ answer is the same as before.¡±

    ¡°Of course I refuse.¡±

    ¡°A wise choice¡­ Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Cluna, it seems our guest will be leaving. See them off as politely as possible.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Commander.¡±

    It was a tempting offer, but I had no choice but to refuse for the sake of my goal of neutralizing the Royal Knights.

    No matter what, the moment politics got involved, it would be ruined.

    ¡°Wait a moment! Commander Hans!¡±

    ¡°Themander has nothing more to say.¡±

    ¡°You darey a hand on me, an elf?!¡±

    When Cluna blocked Viral, he finally revealed his true colors.

    His smile vanished in an instant.

    And at the same time as Viral spewed out his anger, the knights moved.

    They tried to subdue Cluna, but before that, Cluna moved first.

    The two dwarf knights were instantly trampled under Cluna¡¯s feet.

    Look at this?

    Honestly, I was a bit surprised.

    No matter how much the Royal Knights were in a state of a tiger with its teeth pulled out, they still tried to use force in front of me, themander.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t contain your anger. Do you hate elves that much?¡±

    ¡°W-wait a moment! This is¡­!!¡±

    ¡°I will never forget this incident. Take care, Ambassador Viral.¡±

    He seemed to be a veteran diplomat, but he still couldn¡¯t hide his hatred for elves.

    With that, Ambassador Viral was kicked out along with his escort knights.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to really refuse.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°To be honest¡­ I¡¯m a bit suspicious of you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°For a long time, people who acted like you were always scheming something behind the scenes.¡±

    ¡°It was a good offer.¡±

    Perhaps because I refused such a good offer, Cluna seemed to be slightly suspicious.

    It was dangerous, I needed to give a usible answer here somehow.

    I opened my mouth.

    ¡°How can I sell my family for money?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right, you have a point.¡±

    Phew, fortunately, her suspicion seems to have been resolved.

    ¡°If it were you, Commander, you wouldn¡¯t have been swayed even if they brought the Dwarf Republic¡¯s top secret divine sword.¡±

    ¡°Divine sword?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ording to legend, it can cut through anything.¡±

    ¡°¡­It can cut through anything?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course, it¡¯s just a legend.¡±

    Cluna added with a faint smile, but I couldn¡¯t hear it right now.

    Should I go and hand her over now?

    If I have that divine sword, I don¡¯t need the Royal Knights or anything else.

    I had that thought for a moment but quickly dismissed it.

    There was no guarantee that the divine sword was real.

    And even if I had a reason to go to the Dwarf Republicter, I could just steal it with time stop then.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 37

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    She had a dream.

    It seemed to be a stage somewhere.

    She was always sitting in the audience, watching the scene. And shortly after, the curtain on the stage opened, and the actors revealed themselves.

    The actors all had familiar faces. A lizardman wielding a greatsword and a rat boy fought each other to mutual destruction.

    A dwarf woman and a veteran elf took each other¡¯s lives.

    And the end of that y always ended with a giant dragon appearing and devouring the actors.

    At the same time, Bayard woke up from her sleep.

    The terrible nightmare repeated itself.

    ¡°¡­Where is this?¡±

    Bayard nkly looked around.

    Not a crude one made by breaking wood and vines, but a properly sturdy room made by stacking stones and afortable bed supporting her.

    Was that just a dream?

    Or¡­ something else?

    She didn¡¯t know.

    She couldn¡¯t tell in her current state.

    If only she could openly say it to someone else, but for some reason, she couldn¡¯t utter it out loud.

    As if a heavy rock was blocking her mouth.

    That suffocation made her unconsciously avert her gaze without even realizing it.

    From that day when she barely returned from that hell until now.

    It hurt.

    Her head hurt.

    It felt like a piece of a knife was digging into her stomach.

    If she died, would she be free from this pain?

    What was the point of living when she couldn¡¯t protect anyone?

    [It¡¯s okay. You can prove it with your own strength.]

    [Commander¡­]

    [If you prove it yourself, everyone will look at you again.]

    [¡­Thank you, Commander. I¡¯ll do my best.]

    Themander who told her it was okay was no longer here.

    All that was left was a piece of trash who couldn¡¯t prove her own worth.

    The guilt of not being able to protect her boiled up hotly.

    [First, the Dwarf Republic will officially sponsor the Royal Knights.]

    [Not only the top-grade equipment prepared by the Dwarf Republic but also this fortress will be made into an even stronger fortress.]

    [In exchange, hand over Bayard]

    [That¡¯s right. Just one person, if you hand over just one person, that will be all.]

    The hearing of beastmen was much better than other races.

    Especially Bayard¡¯s hearing was far superior to ordinary beastmen.

    So she could hear the conversation taking ce upstairs.

    The Dwarf Republic,e to think of it.

    Before going on the expedition, she had heard that the Dwarf Republic was acting strange.

    But to think they were plotting such a scheme.

    She couldn¡¯t run away.

    If she ran away again, it was clear that this time, the Royal Knights would suffer damage.

    Rather, if she could help everyone this way¡­

    [Of course I refuse.]

    [A wise choice¡­ Pardon?]

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Even she thought they were excellent conditions.

    Unless it was an extreme case of caring for herrades like Commander Yuren.

    Yes, amander under normal circumstances would have no choice but to ept it.

    The current situation of the Royal Knights was not that good.

    There were many problems, but the biggest one was probably that most of the forces supporting the Royal Knights had turned their backs.

    But what if the Dwarf Republic officially sponsored them?

    Then, not only would their situation improve significantly, but other forces would also start moving to keep the Dwarf Republic in check.

    Even if it were Commander Yuren, in this situation, she would have had no choice but to ept it.

    That¡¯s what the position of amander was.

    One who knows to willingly cut off even a sore finger.

    ¡°For a long time, people who acted like you were always scheming something behind the scenes.¡±

    The elf¡¯s words were right.

    Those who acted overly friendly beyond necessity had ulterior motives.

    Therefore, even Bayard was rather suspicious of the currentmander.

    ¡°How can I sell my family for money?¡±

    ¡°Family¡­¡±

    A shock like being struck by lightning shook her.

    Was it because of that?

    She remembered the memory she had forgotten. Beforeing here, when she went berserk and attacked.

    Despite having the skills to easily subdue her, he deliberately chose to embrace her.

    Even though his fragile body could be torn apart and killed.

    How could he do that?

    That question was finally resolved now.

    He genuinely thought of them as family.

    Everyone gathered here.

    Can I reach out my hand to that warm warmth?

    Someone like me who was even rejected by my own flesh and blood.

    [It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s alright now.]

    [There are no more enemies to torment you.]

    [I can take in all those emotions.]

    [Let it all out, and cry.]

    She had already heard that answer directly from themander himself.

    And Bayard let it all out, just as he said.

    The agony she had been suppressing until now.

    The guilt and sorrow of losing herrades.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    I unknowingly had a chilling thought.

    Above all else, I had vowed never to act like the Time Stop Breeding Uncle.

    But without realizing it, I thought I could just steal things.

    This shouldn¡¯t happen.

    If I¡¯m not careful, I might end up corrupted like the Time Stop Breeding Uncle too.

    Just imagining it was too terrible.

    I hit my head with my fist several times.

    I was wearing a helmet, so it didn¡¯t hurt.

    But thanks to that shock, I was barely able toe to my senses.

    I could ept anything else, but bing like the Time Stop Breeding Uncle was out of the question.

    I smacked my lips.

    I had refused without properly listening, but upon reflection, the Dwarf Republic¡¯s proposal was much better than I thought.

    ¡°Since you refused the Dwarf Republic¡¯s proposal, it seems the diplomatic rtions between the kingdom and the republic will be quiteplicated.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s none of my business. We¡¯re knights, not politicians.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a unique person, Commander.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes, even Commander Yuren prioritized her own race.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s natural for arms to bend inward.¡±

    In this worldview where races were grouped together under the name of species, it was understandable to take care of one¡¯s own race.

    In fact, even though we were somehow holding hands now¡­

    Originally, different races were in a rtionship where they checked each other and even went to war if things got serious.

    But that was a story when there was room for it.

    Now that we had beenpletely wrecked like this.

    Involving politics here was apletely insane act.

    In a way, this was an opportunity.

    Everything had beenpletely shattered.

    Thanks to that, we had a chance toy the foundation.

    But that was all I could do.

    A knight order thatpletely excluded politics and made everyone rely on each other.

    Literally bing a family-like knight order.

    ¡°But there¡¯s no ce for me here.¡±

    ¡°Teacher?¡±

    Ah, fuck, you startled me.

    ¡°¡­Helia? When did you arrive?¡±

    ¡°I just came to find you, but about what you just said¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s hurry up and train.¡±

    I naturally brushed it off.

    After sending back the envoy from the Dwarf Republic, I immediately proceeded with the next training session.

    However, with my current skills, I couldn¡¯t teach the Royal Knights.

    So I entrusted their training entirely to Cluna.

    She had lived for a long time and therefore had plenty of experience.

    Above all, she was a member of the original hero party.

    In terms of skills and experience, I could trust and leave it to her.

    In fact, Cluna was instructing much better than I thought.

    ra and Ruby were also gritting their teeth and following the training well.

    But the problem was, as expected, Helia.

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re deflecting all my attacks?!¡±

    ¡°Even I find it difficult to deflect that dwarf¡¯s attacks.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Helia was only 13 years old now.

    Nevertheless, she was holding her own in a spar against Ruby.

    Of course, if it went all the way, Ruby would eventually win.

    The fact that she could rival an official member of the Royal Knights at the mere age of 13 was already proof of Helia¡¯s talent.

    The problem was this.

    Helia ran up to me with a smile.

    ¡°Teacher! Teacher! I still did my best! I did well, right?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah. You worked hard. Good job.¡±

    ¡°Then praise me! Pat my head!¡±

    Yeah, this was the problem.

    She kepting to me and asking for praise.

    Naturally, the members would mistakenly think that Helia was my disciple.

    I absolutely couldn¡¯t stand this.

    ¡°Let me make it clear. This is because Helia is outstanding. I didn¡¯t do anything at all.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s all thanks to Teacher teaching me well.¡±

    ¡°A good teacher and a good disciple. That¡¯s why the sprout grows well.¡±

    ¡°I also want to learn from themander someday.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­¡±

    To avoid further misunderstandings, I swallowed my embarrassment and spoke without being asked.

    And I inadvertently became a humble teacher promoting his disciple.

    However, I couldn¡¯t finish my words.

    Because someone had set foot in the training ground in the fortress courtyard.

    I turned my head.

    There stood a familiar face.

    On top of reddish-brown hair were beast ears resembling bear ears.

    She wore the red armor of the Royal Knights and was veryrge, about 2 meters tall.

    ¡°Commander, c-can I also participate in the training?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    This was an unexpected gain.

    I don¡¯t know why, but she had ovee her trauma to some extent and decided to participate in the training.

    Did Ruby separately encourage her?

    Well, why does it matter?

    In the end, what¡¯s good is good.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 38

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The support funds sent by the kingdom had finally arrived.

    It certainly couldn¡¯t be called arge amount.

    But for us, who had almost nothing, it could truly be called a long-awaited rain in a drought.

    However, we couldn¡¯t spend it recklessly.We never knew what would happen and where.

    Thanks to selling off all the junk in Lionheart Fortress, we had some leeway in funds for now.

    But that was only for a very short while.

    Once we started using the funds in earnest, it was clear that it would quickly run out.

    It had been about two months since I took the position ofmander, and I had postponed it as much as possible.

    But now, I couldn¡¯t dy it any longer.

    ¡°We need to resume the work of the Royal Knights.¡±

    Originally, the Royal Knights worked by dispatching a small number of knights to where they were needed.

    In the first ce, only knights who could face demons were eligible to join the Royal Knights.

    In the past, before their annihtion, the Royal Knights enjoyed their peak as the Golden Generation, with each member being equivalent to a regr knight order.

    They could truly be called the Golden Generation.

    Naturally, because they were such Royal Knights, they were supported and received assistance from various races and countries without discrimination.

    But now that the Golden Generation had been wiped out, how would it be?

    ¡°Only flies are gathering. Both requests and support.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. The trust in the Royal Knights has been shattered.¡±

    ¡°¡­We have no choice but to endure and ept it for now.¡±

    Even though I was handling work in the office, there were no requestsing in from other ces.

    I let out a sigh at Cluna¡¯s words, who was working with me as an adjutant.

    The current situation was not very good.

    With the annihtion of the Royal Knights, there was a heightened sense of crisis that they could no longer rely on external personnel.

    As a result, each country strictly prohibited the outflow of talent and instead focused on building up their military power.

    That in itself was certainly a good thing.

    But the problem was that the timing was bad.

    The reason they were brutally pushed back before the establishment of the Royal Knights was that they didn¡¯t form alliances with each other.

    In the past, they had somehow resolved that issue under the pretext of the Royal Knights.

    But now, even that pretext had disappeared, and they were returning to the past, to square one.

    ¡°In order to inform the world of the Royal Knights¡¯ well-being, we have no choice but to start rebuilding our reputation from scratch through requests.¡±

    ¡°But the situation isn¡¯tpletely hopeless. If each country gains a sense of urgency from this incident and builds up their military power¡­¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately¡­ that oue won¡¯t be very good.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    Actually, I understood.

    The Royal Knights they had trusted and relied on had all burned down, and now all that was left were ashes.

    How could they trust and rely on the Royal Knights again?

    Moreover, in the past, the Royal Knights were called the strongest Royal Knights in history, the Golden Generation.

    Rather than rebuilding, it would be a better choice to focus on their own country¡¯s defense.

    The problem was that I already knew the oue.

    More than 80% of the continent was upied.

    And even some countries and races, like the Dwarf Republic, werepletely destroyed in the end.

    I turned my head.

    Cluna was staring at me intently.

    If I say one wrong word, this is what happens.

    She had a lot of experience.

    I showed my palm and said,

    ¡°No, it was a slip of the tongue. Don¡¯t worry about it, more importantly, how is Bayard¡¯s condition now?¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, she has stabilized a lot. She still shows signs of instability, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But?¡±

    ¡°Uh, um, Commander¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Oh my god, you startled me.

    With only her head sticking out from the door, for a moment I thought it was a decapitated head.

    The bear ears on top of her reddish-brown hair trembled anxiously.

    I sighed and said,

    ¡°Bayard, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ I mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Bayard still has severe anxiety symptoms. She¡¯s fine one moment, but sudden anxiety rushes in, and if not careful, she can even have seizures.¡±

    ¡°I understand. After experiencing that hell¡­ What¡¯s the solution?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s you, Commander.¡±

    As soon as she finished speaking, Bayard charged at me like a wild boar.

    Kwaaaak!!

    Fortunately, she slowed down before impact, so I wasn¡¯t hurt.

    But the problem was her next action.

    Her arms wrapped around my body.

    You might ask what¡¯s wrong with that.

    But imagine being bear-hugged by a bear.

    Your guts might spill out of your mouth.

    I heard that this painful act could at least alleviate Bayard¡¯s anxiety symptoms to some extent.

    This was already an improvement.

    Before, she would show up without regard for time or ce.

    ¡°Still, it¡¯s definitely better than two months ago.¡±

    ¡°Back then, she would show up more than 40 times a day, right?¡±

    ¡°She stilles about 7 times now, though.¡±

    ¡°It has decreased a lot.¡±

    Is that even something to say?

    My heart drops every time shees.

    Moreover, because Bayard hugged me with full force every time, there were more than a few times when I thought I was going to die like this.

    [Um¡­ Will I be a burden to him?]

    [If that were the case, themander would have avoided it himself.]

    [Th-that¡¯s right! Then, until then, I can do it as much as I want¡­!!]

    [¡­]

    It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t avoid it, but that I can¡¯t avoid it.

    I had thought about using time stop to try to avoid it, but it all failed.

    My time stop had two functions.

    One was the active time stop that I directly triggered with my consciousness.

    And the other was the passive time stop that was used when my life was in danger.

    The problem was the active one.

    Since I had to directly activate it, it was useless if my reaction was slow.

    And whenever I tried to react to Bayard, she was always already hugging me.

    Indeed¡­ This was the strength of a mid-level Royal Knights member.

    Certainly, it was on a different levelpared to lower-ranking members like ra and Ruby.

    The problem was that this wasn¡¯t an attack, so the passive ability didn¡¯t activate.

    Moreover, thanks to what Cluna had told Bayard, even the option of avoiding it with time stop had disappeared.

    If I avoided Bayard, then how was I supposed to solve those anxiety symptoms?

    ¡°You¡¯re always here when I see you, Miss Bayard.¡±

    ¡°H-Helia, you¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back quickly. Don¡¯t we have training to do?¡±

    ¡°¡­Helia?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Teacher. I¡¯m not angry.¡±

    Despite saying that, a vein popped on her forehead.

    Moreover, her red hair was sticking up like a ghost.

    Helia was forcibly smiling with her lips bitten.

    It was so scary that even I, who was watching, was terrified.

    But Bayard sniffled and approached her as if nothing had happened.

    Then, blood flowed from Helia¡¯s tightly bitten lips.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. Helia, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Miss Bayard. I can pay it all back with training.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s right! I¡¯ll work hard too!¡±

    ¡°Eek¡­!!¡±

    Helia seemed to be even more outraged at Bayard¡¯s words.

    It had been like this since two months ago.

    When Helia saw Bayard hugging me, she vented her anger through sparring.

    It was to the point where even ra and Ruby, who were watching, were shocked.

    But Bayard was unfazed.

    Rather, she was receiving it all with a refreshed expression.

    Watching that, it suddenly came to mind.

    I had seen a video on the inte before of a martial artist and a bear sparring.

    Calling it sparring was an overstatement.

    In fact, the bear was just ying along.

    ¡°What a funnybination.¡±

    ¡°Still, thanks to that, Bayard has be much brighter.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the ironic part.¡±

    Helia was sincerely engaged in the sparring.

    But Bayard just received it appropriately, as if ying along.

    That showed that there was still an overwhelming difference in strength between the two.

    But thanks to that, Helia¡¯s skills were rapidly improving.

    Stimted by that, ra and Ruby were also working hard in training.

    In the end, it could be called a virtuous cycle.

    It would be nice if things continued to go well like this.

    While thinking that and handling work, I noticed a letter on my desk.

    I looked at Cluna and said,

    ¡°What is this letter?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a letter that just arrived this morning. Judging by the seal¡¯s pattern, it seems to be a letter sent from the Dwarf Republic.¡±

    ¡°The Dwarf Republic¡­ Do they still have something to say?¡±

    After being rejected like that before, I thought they still hadn¡¯te to their senses.

    I released the seal and read the letter.

    The contents of the letter werepletely unexpected.

    ¡°¡­Cluna, our first request has arrived.¡±

    ¡°Our first request? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s from the Dwarf Republic?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Half of it is a request, and half of it is a quibble.¡±

    To summarize the contents of the letter, they said they couldn¡¯t trust the skills of the newmander, me.

    So they wanted me to prove my skills by solving this request alone.

    They were not wrong.

    It wasn¡¯t just some ipetent knight order.

    It was about themander of the Royal Knights.

    In a way, it was only natural for them to tackle me like this.

    The problem was that it was the Dwarf Republic.

    No matter how I looked at it, it seemed like they were just trying to find fault because of what happened before.

    But still, a request was a request.

    We weren¡¯t in a position to be picky right now.

    ¡°Commander, let¡¯s formally refuse this request.¡±

    ¡°Is there really a need for that?¡±

    ¡°Facing a demon alone is very dangerous. Even the previous Royal Knights faced demons in groups of at least two.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s rather a good thing.¡±

    If I go alone, I can somehow resolve it.

    Because I have time stop.

    Even if I can¡¯t do anything about it, I can survive using time stop.

    The current Royal Knights were too unstable to send out.

    So, it would be better for me to go alone and do something about it.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 39

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Themander set out alone to resolve the request.

    The squad members only realized this fact immediately after Hans had left Lionheart Fortress at dawn.

    As soon as Hans left, Helia sensed it right away.

    Naturally, the other members also found out about it. As a result, Cluna ended up taking all the me.

    That¡¯s why an untimely hearing was held from the early morning.

    The attendee was, of course, Cluna.

    ra tried to defend Cluna, but Cluna refused.

    Because there was a reason.

    Cluna said with a smile,

    ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? That you shouldn¡¯t follow him.¡±

    ¡°Is there any reason to obey your words when you¡¯re not even themander?¡±

    Although she was smiling, her red eyes were zing with anger.

    Helia¡¯s ferocious spirit was enough to startle even Cluna.

    But it was understandable.

    During the past two months, while working here, they naturally came to know.

    How precious Commander Hans was to Helia.

    Family¡­ no, perhaps more than that.

    It was a form close to an obsession that went beyond love.

    The distorted heart of a child who had lost her ce due to the war.

    Now she was somehow suppressing that feeling, but¡­

    If the day came when that heart erupted like an active volcano, who could handle that suppressed heart?

    Cluna soon shook her head.

    It wasn¡¯t the time to leisurely reflect.

    ¡°This is also themander¡¯s order.¡±

    ¡°Themander¡¯s order¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes, themander clearly said that he would directly resolve the matter alone and return.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s absurd! It¡¯s a basic rule for the Royal Knights to operate in teams of at least two!¡±

    ¡°Miss Ruby, don¡¯t you already know why themander made that choice?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    In fact, everyone here already knew.

    Why did themander choose to go alone?

    No matter how much of a political issue there was, to really y a demon alone?

    There was no way that was possible.

    Even if they processed the request with two people, pushing it any further would not be safe even for the Dwarf Republic.

    Because it was that kind of matter.

    However, themander still chose to go alone.

    Was the reason really because of the contents written in the request?

    Or was the problem with them?

    The answer was already clear.

    ¡°ra and Ruby, I don¡¯t need to say it, do I?¡±

    ¡°That, that¡¯s¡­ but still¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    They had each seen themander¡¯s skills once before.

    ra in the forest, and Ruby in the confrontation with Bayard.

    Naturally, their skills were not at a level where they could intervene.

    Of course, Helia also couldn¡¯t say anything.

    She was already aware that she was the mostcking one here.

    Even when directly taught by her teacher, she couldn¡¯t win even once.

    Although it was a splendid achievement, even too much for Helia¡¯s age, she herself was not satisfied at all.

    After all, she was of no help to her teacher.

    ¡°Um¡­ what about me¡­?¡±

    ¡°Ah, of course, Miss Bayard, you are plenty strong. In closebat, you are on par with me.¡±

    ¡°Th-thank you.¡±

    At the unexpectedly groundbreaking evaluation, Bayard¡¯s voice became even smaller.

    But it wasn¡¯t just ttery.

    When it came to closebat, she was a skilled fighter on par with Cluna.

    ¡°But you are still unstable. Your past wounds haven¡¯tpletely healed yet, right?¡±

    ¡°Sh-shamefully so¡­¡±

    ¡°If you were fully prepared, it would be different. But as you are now, you might rather be a hindrance to themander.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Now, does anyone else have anything to say?¡±

    Although Cluna spoke softly while pping her hands lightly, no one dared to talk back to those words.

    Because they had just painfully realized their position through her words.

    You guys going would only be unhelpful.

    That¡¯s what she was saying.

    Of course, in an indirect way.

    The first to move was Helia.

    Her red hair drew a rough curve.

    ¡°I understand what you mean.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you understand.¡±

    ¡°Instead, I have one request.¡±

    ¡°A request?¡±

    ¡°I want to spar with you.¡±

    Helia was definitely smiling.

    Not just smiling with her mouth, but a smile so beautiful that it dazzled the eyes.

    Moreover, her tone was also clearly polite.

    However, to Cluna, it sounded like this:

    What makes you so great that you¡¯re running your mouth like that?

    ¡°Shall I teach this human a lesson after a long time?¡±

    Cluna responded to the brazen words of the young girl.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Lionheart Fortress was a fortress located at the front lines.

    And if you had to pick the closest countries to the fortress, it would definitely be the Human Kingdom and the Dwarf Republic.

    Next was the Elven Forest.

    In any case, the list goes on and on.

    Anyway, in terms of distance, the Dwarf Republic was closer than the Human Kingdom.

    In the first ce, the Kingdom and the Republic were the ones ying the role of shields at the front lines.

    Naturally, the damage suffered by the Kingdom and the Republic was iparable to other countries or races.

    Still, the Kingdom kept silent because it was weak, while the Dwarf Republic always actively expressed its dissatisfaction.

    Their entric personality was rather helpful in this case.

    Moreover, the technological prowess of the Dwarf Republic was tremendous.

    Other countries couldn¡¯t just keep their mouths shut either.

    Strictly speaking, the humans suffered the most damage, but in the end, the ones with the loudest voices got more benefits.

    ¡°I finally arrived.¡±

    The request from the Dwarf Republic was to investigate a vige located on the outskirts of the republic.

    Apparently, dwarves kept disappearing in that vige.

    Of course, the Dwarf Republic had dispatched investigation teams several times, and even the military, but unfortunately, not a single one of them returned alive.

    And that¡¯s why I was observing the vige from a distance.

    Because I was scared.

    A vige where people disappear if they enter?

    Of course, it was scary.

    ¡°I should have brought someone with me, damn it.¡±

    Honestly, I didn¡¯t put much thought into it.

    I just thought I could somehow cover it with time stop if I was alone.

    The Dwarf Republic told me to go alone anyway.

    That¡¯s all it was.

    I never imagined I would crumble like this at the entrance.

    I rubbed my eyes and slowly examined the vige once more.

    No matter how many times I looked, it just seemed like an ordinary vige.

    Still, I couldn¡¯t judge by appearances alone, so I had no choice but to turn my horse¡¯s head and enter the vige.

    The vige streets were also just ordinary streets with nothing special.

    Dwarves who looked like young boys and girls at most were walking around the streets doing their work.

    As if a festival was being held, the sound of flutes could be heard, and the smell of roasting meat was in full swing.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since a human has visited this vige! Are you here to enjoy the festival too?¡±

    It was a dwarf man with green hair and quite a few wrinkles.

    His height was still at the level of an elementary school student, but except for the wrinkles, he could pass for a young man.

    ¡°Ah, yes. I came for a simr reason.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great! The meat happens to be artfully well-roasted! Why don¡¯t you give it a try?¡±

    The old man handed me a skewer.

    I epted it.

    It looked like an ordinary skewer no matter how I looked at it.

    It was even appetizing with plenty of seasoning.

    ¡°Then, thank you for the meal, sir.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes! Don¡¯t be shy and eat as much as you want!¡±

    However, just as I was about to put the skewer in my mouth without a second thought, my surroundings suddenly turned gray.

    Time had stopped.

    What?

    Why did it suddenly stop?

    At first, I didn¡¯t know the reason.

    But I soon realized why.

    It was because of the skewer in my hand.

    Until a moment ago, it looked like an ordinary skewer.

    But now that time had stopped, when I looked at it again, it wasn¡¯t a skewer but something horrible.

    You wouldn¡¯t call a skewer with severed fingers on it roasted meat.

    ¡°What, what is this¡­?!¡±

    I was so startled that I dropped the finger skewer.

    It was just an ordinary skewer until a moment ago.

    Only then could I properly assess the situation in the vige.

    The dwarf man who had handed me the skewer earlier had his body grotesquely twisted in various ces.

    Especially where there should have been arms, there were dwarf legs and other heads.

    And on the legs, there were numerous arms attached.

    It wasn¡¯t just that man.

    All the dwarves here looked like that.

    It was like a mannequin weirdly assembled.

    Stay calm. Stay calm.

    Although the sudden change made me feel like I was going to have a cognitive dissonance, I desperately pulled myself together.

    Fortunately, thanks to time stop, my safety was absolutely guaranteed.

    If it weren¡¯t for that, I would have been thrown into confusion and ruined everything.

    Anyway, having confirmed that this vige was not normal, I ran out of the vige without looking back.

    The current situation was too disadvantageous for me.

    So, let¡¯s retreat for now, regroup, ande back.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 40

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    First, there were two things I found out.

    To begin with, on the outside, there was nothing strange about this vige.

    It was just an ordinary vige that could be seen anywhere.

    But when I used time stop, the story changed.The residents had the terrifying appearance of severed body parts haphazardly sewn together.

    The chilling point was that they themselves couldn¡¯t even grasp their own problems.

    They were killing and roasting their own kind in a horrible manner, yet none of them noticed anything strange.

    And that was a problem that even I, an outsider, couldn¡¯t notice until time stop was activated.

    In other words, upon entering the vige, one falls under hypnosis.

    That was the conclusion I reached.

    If I didn¡¯t have the time stop ability, the moment I entered, I would have been done for.

    Thanks to that, I also found out that the time stop ability included hypnosis cancetion, but I wasn¡¯t happy about it.

    After time stop is hypnosis.

    Isn¡¯t that one of the ssic NTR elements?

    I could forgive anything else, but I absolutely couldn¡¯t forgive that hypnotist.

    Damn NTR bastards.

    But since I had no intention of ruining things with anger, I calmly started gathering information one by one using time stop.

    The time stopped state guaranteed absolute safety.

    Of course, there were limits to the information that could be obtained with time stop, but still, thanks to that, I was able to safely collect a fair amount of information.

    The information I found out was as follows:

    [Judging from the uniform shape of the dwarves, it seems they made them as their own sort of artistic works.]

    [In the center of the vige, there is a huge tent made of red cloth that clearly doesn¡¯t fit the vige.]

    [But most of the dwarves entering there have the appearance of boys and girls, and their outward appearance is also very good.]

    In the end, I have no choice but to go into that red tent.

    I let out a deep sigh.

    I really don¡¯t want to go in. Because it¡¯s scary.

    But since I¡¯d already taken on the job, I had no choice.

    Moreover, I even had the cheat like ability of time stop.

    I swallowed my saliva.

    If the situation was really dangerous, I¡¯d run away without hesitation then.

    First, I investigated the shortest distance from the vige to the red tent.

    As a result, I could reach the red tent in 2 minutes from the vige entrance.

    I hid my body in a suitable ce.

    ¡°Phew, phew!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t go in right away.

    I had to at least wait for the time stop cooldown to fully recover before entering.

    At worst, an attack coulde flying as soon as I entered.

    Then I would die right away.

    After confirming that the time stop cooldown had fully recovered, I immediately entered the red tent.

    The inside of the tent was very dark and quiet.

    At least until I went inside.

    Suddenly, something like firecrackers started exploding on the ceiling of the dark tent, and the entrance of the tent where I had entered disappeared in an instant.

    What the fuck?

    Could it be that this was a trap?

    ¡°As expected of the Royal Knightsmander! I can¡¯t help but admire that bold and fearless spirit!¡±

    ¡°What the hell is that?¡±

    The dark tent became bright.

    Inside, there were audience seats surrounding me as if to encircle me.

    And there were children there, each with a strange and smiling face.

    The voice wasing from the air.

    Naturally looking up, I saw a man walking a tightrope connected to the air.

    His body was quite small, but he was wearing unnecessarily shy clothes and had clown-like makeup on his face.

    It wasn¡¯t just the clothing or makeup.

    His tone and every single action were excessively exaggerated.

    Thanks to that, just watching him made me feel very bad.

    It¡¯s not like he¡¯s T-bagging or anything.

    He still poured out his voice to me while moving around with exaggerated gestures.

    ¡°Surely someone of the Royal Knightsmander¡¯s caliber couldn¡¯t have failed to notice this obvious trap, right? Yes, of course!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I just kept my mouth shut.

    There was no need for me to deliberately let the enemy know that I was an idiot.

    In this situation, it was better to act confidently to make the opponent nervous.

    ¡°I have no intention of going along with your petty rhythm. As a Royal Knight, I will behead the necks of demons. That is all.¡±

    ¡°Cool! Excellent! Indeed, the rising star, the new Royal Knightsmander!¡±

    ¡°¡­But why is he talking like that¡­?¡±

    ¡°For such an excellentmander, we have prepared a special guest! You must be familiar with them, right?¡±

    Firecrackers exploded again.

    At the same time, they suddenly popped out of the air where there was nothing before.

    They were all monsters with grotesquely distorted appearances.

    I immediately stopped time.

    During the past two months, I hadn¡¯t been idle either.

    Through sparring with the Royal Knights members, I maximized my skills.

    In particr, I gained a lot ofbat experience using time stop.

    As a result, I was able to master the technique of moving quickly in the stopped time and cutting down the enemy.

    Kicking off the ground and instantly closing the distance, I swung my sword right away.

    Crunch!

    Thanks to that, I was able to stop time and attack as soon as I saw them. And time stop was released.

    At the same time, the monsters¡¯ heads fell to the ground.

    Then the ringmaster shouted in shock,

    ¡°Oh my god! Goodness! Cutting them down without hesitation! Do you have no blood or tears?!¡±

    I pointed the tip of my sword at him and said,

    ¡°Where is there mercy to bestow upon the enemy?¡±

    In the first ce, I don¡¯t know who they are.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The best stage had to be created.

    That obsession was the driving force that brought it to its current position.

    The madness that didn¡¯t exist in mere monsters brought it all the way up to the status of a demon.

    Blood magic or being low-level, none of that mattered.

    It only wanted a stage where everyone could enjoy themselves.

    So it always pondered.

    How can I create a good stage?

    How can I make everyoneugh happily?

    It pondered and pondered every day.

    It indulged in knowledge.

    In order to decorate the stage, it never hesitated to study even human literature.

    ¡°Excellent! Truly excellent! Human!¡±

    It umted a lot of experience.

    It learned that touching young children provoked more intense reactions.

    It also realized that makingrades fight each other was the best stage.

    Look.

    Even now, countless spectators are cheering, aren¡¯t they?

    Royal Knights, our hateful nemesis. But I don¡¯t hate you.

    Because you are nothing more than an actor ying the role of a hateful nemesis.

    And a new actor stepped onto the stage.

    The newly appointedmander right after the annihtion of the Royal Knights.

    Truly a role that can¡¯t help but attract everyone¡¯s attention.

    Excellent, truly excellent.

    That¡¯s why it sent up the actors it had prepared with its utmost effort.

    They were once called Royal Knights, but now they had lost their pride and souls.

    They were nothing more than puppets.

    [You bastard¡­!! How dare you do this to myrades¡­?!]

    [Do you have no blood or tears?!]

    [Unforgivable. I will definitely kill you!!]

    The experiment was already over.

    The reaction of those who were oncerades could be said to be quite excellent.

    I wonder what kind of reaction you will show.

    I was so excited that I couldn¡¯t sleep for days.

    ¡°For such an excellentmander, we have prepared a special guest! You must be familiar with them, right?¡±

    One was a rat beastman boy who was at the top of the 12 tribes.

    The other was a young dwarf knight who was quite famous in the Dwarf Republic.

    Both were excellent knights, but now they were so broken that their original form was unrecognizable.

    Numerous arms and legs were grotesquely entangled here and there.

    Despite that, their heads were strangely too intact¡­ The reason for that was so that theirrades could properly recognize them.

    Of course, even if he was a newly selectedmander, it wouldn¡¯t be much different.

    There was no way he wouldn¡¯t know their faces.

    That¡¯s what it had thought.

    However, in a fleeting moment, what it saw was the sight of the actors¡¯ heads being sliced off and flying into the sky in an instant.

    Unable to even react, the actors who lost their heads crumbled in vain.

    ¡°Oh my god! Goodness! Cutting them down without hesitation! Do you have no blood or tears?!¡±

    There was no hesitation at all.

    He just recognized them as enemies right away, drew his sword, and swung it.

    As if he were seeing them for the first time. But that was impossible.

    Even if rotten, he was themander of the Royal Knights.

    Unless they suddenly selected a human rolling around in a refugee camp and made him themander, he should have been acquainted with the former Royal Knights members.

    Yet there was no hesitation in his actions.

    He pointed the tip of his sword at it.

    At that action, as cold as the middle of winter, it felt the emotion of tension for the first time.

    Because no one had ever shown such a reaction before.

    ¡°Where is there mercy to bestow upon the enemy?¡±

    It was a bit startled, but this was not a problem at all.

    Because it had prepared one more special actor just in case.

    A confrontation between the formermander and the currentmander.

    Wasn¡¯t that a guaranteed box office hit?

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 41

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    I had started counseling for the mental care of the members, but recently, I had been intensively caring for Bayard.

    The reason was that among the other members, Bayard¡¯s mental state was the most unstable.

    ra and Ruby weren¡¯t in good condition either, but they didn¡¯t show symptoms as visible as Bayard¡¯s.

    So, I frequently counseled Bayard. Fortunately, Bayard really enjoyed the training conducted here.

    She especially appreciated Helia¡¯s tenacity in constantly charging forward without getting tired, even when she was knocked down and beaten up.

    I think there were other reasons too, from my perspective.

    Other than that, as time passed, there were signs of gradual improvement, but there was one thing that didn¡¯t change no matter how much time passed.

    That was her nightmare.

    [Every night, nightmares appear. I, with my own hands, myrades who have be grotesque¡­ And in the end¡­]

    Bayard said she had nightmares every day.

    A terrible dream where she killed her ownrades, who had transformed grotesquely, with her own hands.

    She was so mentally fixated on it.

    I thought it was natural, so I consulted with Cluna and prescribed medicine suitable for her.

    The medicine was nothing more than something to help change her mood, but it was better than nothing.

    Fortunately, as time passed, Bayard¡¯s condition greatly improved.

    I had forgotten about it like that, but for some reason, why was Bayard¡¯s nightmare suddenlying to my mind now?

    Her hair swayed as it drew a line as if she was having a nightmare.

    Her tightly closed eyes opened again.

    Soon, bloodshot red eyes revealed themselves.

    It was obvious at a nce that her condition was not normal. But at that moment, time stopped.

    Everything around me was dyed gray.

    I realized that time had stopped.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    And I could see it.

    Her palm had approached right in front of my eyes.

    I hurriedly dodged that spot.

    At the same time, time stop was released and her body moved again.

    Kwaaang!!!

    As if a meteor had fallen where I was, a huge crater was created.

    I was hit by the fragments and was greatly pushed back. But thanks to that, I was able to gain some distance.

    [The currentmander is retreating for now to assess the situation! But not immediately beheading the formermander, isn¡¯t that almost like showing courtesy to a senior?!]

    Inside the tent, his annoying voice resounded.

    I was already thinking of killing her right away.

    Because it was out of the question for me to return that woman to her original state now.

    I kicked off the ground and ran.

    As I quickly closed the distance, her gaze turned towards me.

    Her movements were closer to a beast than a knight.

    It felt like her mind was being controlled.

    If I were a hero, I could have saved her. But unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t a hero.

    So, let¡¯s just kill her cleanly here. And then everything around me turned gray.

    ¡°Right now!¡±

    Thanks to time stopping at an appropriate moment, I was able to strike the neck of the formermander right in front of me.

    I hadn¡¯t been idle for the past two months either.

    I had diligently trained, and I had also obtained the best weapon I could get right away.

    As proof, look.

    The moment it collided with the formermander¡¯s scale-covered neck, even when a tremendous impact was transmitted, it didn¡¯t break.

    ng!

    It really felt like I had struck steel with a sword.

    Cluna said it was a famous sword that could even cut steel.

    In other words, did that mean that her neck was tougher than steel?

    No, this wasn¡¯t the time for that.

    I quickly released time stop.

    If I lingered here any longer, the cooldown would be too long.

    The time I just consumed was 3 seconds.

    In other words, I had to endure for 6 seconds.

    Kwajik!

    At the same time, the formermander¡¯s grip grabbed my head and mmed it into the ground.

    I almost lost consciousness for a moment.

    But before I coulde to my senses, my instincts moved my body first.

    If I hadn¡¯t rolled to the side, my head would have been trampled by the formermander¡¯s foot, spilling out all of my brain matter.

    I gritted my teeth.

    My vision turned red.

    What the hell is this?

    [Oh! This is another interesting development! The currentmander¡¯s sword stopped right next to the formermander¡¯s neck! I think the currentmander must have noticed!]

    ¡°That fucking bastard, seriously.¡±

    [That¡¯s right! Unlike the other hateful Royal Knights members, themander is a special guest! He is, of course, alive!]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    [But to notice it before killing her! As expected, he has the caliber befitting amander! That¡¯s why it¡¯s bing even more interesting, isn¡¯t it?!]

    If someone heard it, they would think it was some kind of sports broadcast.

    I staggered to my feet.

    I could tell from that attack just now.

    Without time stop, I couldn¡¯t fight properly.

    I didn¡¯t notice until the moment that woman grabbed my head and smashed it into the ground.

    That¡¯s how much of a skill gap there was.

    Well, she was the former Commander of the Royal Knights after all.

    I guess it was only natural.

    Anyway, there was no chance of winning in a head-on confrontation.

    So, the only option was to use underhanded methods with time stop.

    Then, when I see an opportunity, I either run away or kill her.

    At least, rather than being toyed with by a piece of trash who mutted her own members, it would be salvation for her if I killed her with my own hands.

    At that moment, she moved.

    I immediately stopped time.

    Fortunately, her movements were straightforward and consistent, so it was easy to time it.

    I, who had stopped time, aimed for her eyes this time and thrust the tip of my sword.

    Cutting her neck had failed.

    But if it was her eyes which didn¡¯t have scales, I could definitely pierce through them.

    Kaaang!!

    There was a time when I thought that way too.

    I thrust with all my heart.

    A thrust that I threw with enough force to push the dirt away collided with something as if it had hit steel, and was pushed back with a ng.

    There wasn¡¯t even a scratch on the eyes.

    Huh?

    Is this for real?

    Damn it.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    It may sound like empty words, but I like humans.

    I sincerely respect the literature they create.

    I sincerely like the fighting spirit and love they show.

    Although other demons looked down on them as the weakest race, that was ignorance stemming from them not knowing anything about them.

    If they read their literature even once, if they witnessed the love they showed even once, then wouldn¡¯t they have no choice but to love even their foolishness?

    Look at them even now!

    Struggling to save their formerrade for whom there seems to be no hope¡­!!

    Look at those awkward movements.

    With skills that can¡¯t be calledmander-level of the Royal Knights at all.

    But I understand.

    Because theirrade is alive.

    Because they¡¯re just in a brainwashed state.

    They must think they can somehow bring them back.

    Excellent.

    Truly excellent!

    That¡¯s just like the noble and excellent knight from ssic literature!

    Yes! That¡¯s how it should be! If yourrade is alive, you have to save them somehow!!

    Isn¡¯t that futile struggle the greatest joy imaginable?

    In fact, the audience seems satisfied too with the currentmander¡¯s foolish choice!

    Look at that noble but meaningless struggle!

    Isn¡¯t it a movement that firmly believes they can truly save theirrade?

    Otherwise, there¡¯s no way they would be swinging their sword like a mere security guard!

    ¡°The audience is longing for it! The end of that noble and foolish knight!¡±

    Having them die at the hands of therade they tried to save somehow?

    It didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea, but something wascking.

    The audience wasn¡¯t that satisfied either.

    It was just a direction that could be seen anywhere.

    Then what should be done?

    How should that story be ended to get a good response?

    It wouldn¡¯t be bad to try an adventure. But it was hard to go on an adventure for the satisfaction of the audience.

    They were the audience who came to see this joyful stage by consuming their own time.

    Of course, as a director, showing them a joyful stage ordingly was the perfect reward, wasn¡¯t it?

    So, let¡¯s go with the basics here.

    It snapped its fingers.

    At the same time, she, who had been rampaging like a beast, came to her senses.

    She was a dragon, the strongest race in the world that couldn¡¯t bepletely controlled even in a weakened state.

    At best, all it could do was make her attack everything around her making it seem as if she was a beast.

    Fortunately, the experiment it had done on that bear before came in quite handy here.

    Thanks to that, the beginning, middle, and climax were all set.

    First, it sent out herrades who were no different from corpses to heat up the stage.

    Then, it sent the somewhat intactmander as the highlight to make it even hotter.

    Now, all that was left was the ending.

    As its fingers snapped, the state of her rampaging like a beast stopped as if it were an illusion.

    Her mind had returned to normal.

    At that sight, the currentmander¡¯s movements stopped.

    Yes, right now.

    Kwajik.

    A gruesome sound rang out.

    The sound of a heart bursting.

    The sound of her copsing while bleeding.

    This was the final ending.

    The person he tried so hard to save ultimately died mercilessly before his eyes.

    It may sound like empty words, but I like humans.

    I especially love human tragedies so much.

    Through tragedy, humans end their trivial lives as splendid tapestries of art.

    So, how could I not love them?

    Now, show me.

    That face drenched in despair and sorrow.

    However, it couldn¡¯t see that face.

    At some point, he had disappeared along with her copsed form.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 42

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Dragons are called the race of benevolence.

    Because they possess overwhelming power that other races can¡¯t even dare to challenge, they don¡¯t feel threatened by other races at all.

    They just smile and let it slide.

    It¡¯s like the feeling of a cute cat being yful, I guess. To dragons, other races looked like that.

    Of course, there may be some who dislike or hate cats depending on the case.

    But unless it¡¯s a special case, there are almost no instances where they would directly try to kill a cat.

    In Yuren¡¯s case, she was a dragon who belonged to the former rather than thetter.

    She was the most intelligent and powerful dragon among dragons.

    Also, because she had a sense of responsibility, she directly established the Royal Knights and took the position ofmander.

    The Royal Knights led by her boasted of an invincible myth.

    They were so formidable that even the demons who looked down on the living creatures of the continent as mortals were wary of the Royal Knights.

    But unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t a person suited for the position of a leader.

    Ironically, because she loved all the members too much, she couldn¡¯t stop their rampage.

    [Commander Yuren! He¡¯s crossing the line now!]

    [If we don¡¯t punish him even now¡­!!]

    [It¡¯s okay. I will watch over him personally.]

    She couldn¡¯t cut it off decisively.

    She couldn¡¯t cut out the rotting parts, and as a result, the Royal Knights began to rot from the inside. Because everyone was equal to her. And this was the result of that.

    She thought it was a thoroughly prepared expedition, but in fact, it was just ying into its hands.

    Her overripe love made everyone die.

    She had no choice but to take responsibility.

    That was the kind of position amander is.

    Still, she was overconfident that she could do it with her own power.

    And the price of that arrogance was the death of herrades.

    [Wait a moment. I want to cast her as a stage actor.]

    [Huh? Are you crazy? This bitch is our greatest nemesis!]

    [Shouldn¡¯t we at least give her an honorable death?]

    [What about my stage?! It¡¯s the best stage!]

    [I have no interest in the stage of a vicious pervert like you. Just kill her.]

    The reason she was able to maintain her life, even if faintly, was because of the twist she saw at the end.

    In the originally set story, she met a miserable end.

    However, because of her saving herrade at thest moment, she caught the eye of someone malicious and ended up inadvertently taking on the role of a clown on stage.

    Of course, there was no demon who liked it, but if they could kill her without any repercussions, they didn¡¯t care how it was done.

    That was their opinion, and in reality, it was so.

    The curse of the stigma.

    Although it was very difficult to engrave, once properly engraved, it could even kill a dragon.

    Much less, engraving the curse on her who was weakened was not even a difficult task.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    And she opened her eyes again.

    There was no awareness of that action.

    It was as if she had suddenly woken up from sleep.

    She was there, and in front of her was a man holding a sword.

    He was wearing a half-broken helmet, and blood was flowing from the gaps in his damaged armor.

    She silently looked at her own hands.

    Her hands were covered in blood.

    Not her blood, but someone else¡¯s blood.

    Yuren immediately grasped the situation.

    That she was currently doing something wrong, and the other person was trying to stop it.

    But before she could even open her mouth, the end came.

    ¡°Cough.¡±

    It felt like her flesh was being torn off.

    Blood began to gush from her chest.

    Only a half-torn heart and bone fragments remained in the gaping hole.

    As expected of a dragon¡¯s wondrous vitality.

    Even the curse of the stigma couldn¡¯tpletely take her life.

    Or perhaps the director of this stage wanted that.

    A small consideration to let her at least leave herst words to her dyingrade.

    Yuren sensed her death.

    She could only leave words for a very short moment.

    It was a situation where she absolutely couldn¡¯t survive.

    Then, rather than that, she should close her mouth and die.

    That would be her only atonement.

    However, although she had given up,

    He had not given up yet.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    I sincerely liked this game.

    What was the reason?

    The exquisite illustrations? The arousing descriptions? The pretty decent gamey for an adult game?

    There were many reasons.

    But what I liked most was the rtionship with the heroines.

    In this game, all the heroines were living difficult lives due to their own circumstances.

    Well, of course.

    More than 80% of the continent had been taken over by demons.

    It couldn¡¯t help but be painful.

    Every heroine had their own story. And I, as the protagonist, listened to each and every one of their stories and somehow solved the problems the heroines were facing.

    I really liked that aspect.

    Of course, some people disparaged it, saying that he just had the title ofmander, and in reality, he was closer to an errand boy.

    But still, to me, he was the best protagonist.

    It was just that I didn¡¯t really like the management.

    [To see the true ending of this game, DLC is a must?]

    [To be precise, to see the true ending, you have to capture all the heroines. The problem is that DLC heroines are included in that lol]

    [Damn, it¡¯s at the level of a ruined game lol]

    The controversial true ending DLC incident wasn¡¯t a big deal to me either.

    Rather, I was happy that there were additional heroines to capture.

    That¡¯s how sincere I was about this game.

    I wrote walkthroughs for newbies, I was the first to discover that elves go crazy if you cut down even one tree, and I was the one who found various bugs and reported them to the gamepany.

    And on the day the long-awaited heroine DLC was released, I immediately purchased the DLC and rushed to the true ending.

    Thanks to capturing the notoriously difficult Helia before that, the true ending was quite easy.

    Even after doing all that¡­

    [Such a beautiful bride! This uncle is happy!]

    [I came inside a brand new, unused vagina for the first time!]

    [This uncle will now disappear coolly. I don¡¯t like secondhand goods.]

    ¡­My first encounter with the Time Stop Breeding Uncle was the worst.

    Of course, it had to be the worst.

    I yed a single-story adult game for over 1,000 hours.

    From the early ess days until now, I even purchased all the DLCs without exception.

    That ending that denied all the time I spent was too hateful.

    I hate the Time Stop Breeding Uncle.

    I despise my current self who has be the Time Stop Breeding Uncle.

    Someone says, is there any reason to risk your life for just a game?

    Rather, I want to ask that person.

    Is it not allowed to risk your life for a game?

    Is it not allowed to be sincere?

    I just wanted a happy ending for everyone.

    Therefore, I, as the Time Stop Breeding Uncle, shouldn¡¯t be by their side.

    Although I had no choice but to take the position ofmander now, who knew when I might suddenly change?

    In that sense, I had to save her somehow.

    Wasn¡¯t she the formermander?

    Then, at least she would lead much better than me, the Time Stop Breeding Uncle.

    Of course, she had already messed up once.

    But it wasn¡¯t like I could lead better than her.

    It was better for the person who was already doing it to do it.

    It¡¯s good for both of us.

    With that thought, I ran.

    ¡°Her heart¡­!!!¡±

    Was it because she was a dragon? Or was it intentional?

    But there was no time to think that far.

    I immediately stopped time.

    Numerous idle thoughts dominated my mind.

    Isn¡¯t it already over?

    Can I save her in this state?

    Wouldn¡¯t it be better to send her offfortably?

    What if I took her and the brainwashing didn¡¯t go away?

    I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know.

    What should I do?

    Can I even save her in the first ce?

    The only person who might be able to save her is Cluna at Lionheart Fortress.

    Even if I stop time, can I even make it to Lionheart Fortress?

    The biggest drawbacks of time stop were cooldown and stamina consumption.

    Could I really endure those two and save her?

    Forget about the cooldown, could my stamina endure those few days?

    No matter how much I thought about it, the answer was no.

    But even so, I was already carrying her, whose heart had been shattered, on my back.

    Whatever happens, you don¡¯t know until you try until the end.

    I immediately stopped time and started walking forward.

    I didn¡¯t walk far, but my steps started to slow down as if water was filling my lungs.

    It was so hard that I felt like I was going to die.

    [It¡¯s pathetic. You¡¯re trying to save someone with the ability you despise so much.]

    Was it an auditory hallucination because it was so hard?

    Or was someone really talking to me?

    I coughed roughly.

    What came out between those coughs was phlegm mixed with blood.

    [Do you really not know? Or are you turning a blind eye to it?]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    [As much as you despise that power, your power also despises you.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    [You will never be able to use that power perfectly!]

    Loud noises kept ringing in my ears.

    But I gritted my teeth and ignored it.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 43

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    As if my lungs were being squeezed, I couldn¡¯t breathe properly.

    I was somehow gritting my teeth and enduring it, but it wasn¡¯t something that could be endured with willpower.

    I staggered and moved my body.

    Taking one step at a time was too hard.How much time had passed?

    I don¡¯t know.

    I don¡¯t even remember now.

    As if it were my duty, I was moving the load on my back with all my might.

    Something flowed from my nose with a trickle.

    I wiped away the flowing substance with my finger.

    It was blood.

    Sticky and bright red blood was flowing.

    Was it because of the terribly umted fatigue?

    Where is this ce?

    How far is it to the fortress?

    Can I endure it?

    Before that, will I copse from exhaustion first?

    All sorts of idle thoughts arose and tormented me.

    Rather, shouldn¡¯t I just give up now?

    Can I really save her?

    It was already something beyond my ability.

    With the time stop ability, I was somehow able to prevent her death, but that was my limit.

    Carrying her on my back and walking to Lionheart Fortress?

    There was no way that was possible.

    In the first ce, it was a distance that would take a whole month even on horseback.

    Much less if I walked, it was clear that the time would increase several times.

    Walk that distance without resting?

    Of course, there was no way that was possible.

    But still, why am I not giving up?

    I don¡¯t know, I want to let go and befortable even now.

    In the end, there was a part of me that couldn¡¯t let go until the end.

    [You¡¯re still struggling pathetically.]

    I heard a voice.

    I didn¡¯t know whose voice it was. But it was a voice so repulsive that I instinctively turned my head.

    It was probably the voice of that thing I know.

    The faint voice sounded like a girl¡¯s voice, but if you listened carefully, it sounded like a boy¡¯s voice before his voice changed.

    And that voice kept mocking me without rest.

    [Can you really save her with your ability? Even though you¡¯re nothing without me.]

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    That was none other than a fact I knew so well that it chilled me to the bone.

    For nearly a year and a half, I diligently trained every day.

    To somehow be stronger.

    But no matter how much time passed, nothing improved.

    My talent was the epitome of ordinary.

    Not evenparable to Helia, let alone rence of the Royal Guard.

    It was at the level of a mere security guard.

    So I had no choice but to rely on time stop.

    The time stop ability that I hated so much even while using it.

    Every time I used this ability, that disgusting scene kepting to mind.

    [I never expected it to turn out like this.]

    [But it can¡¯t be helped. Themander loves everyone.]

    [Isn¡¯t it a waste to monopolize such a coolmander?]

    [¡­You guys.]

    Certainly, the beginning wasn¡¯t bad.

    The heroines¡¯ past hardships and adversities they had gone through with the protagonist until now came to mind.

    And it showed the illustrations of them oveing their hardships like a kaleidoscope.

    The miserable pasts of the heroines, the hardships they had gone through, and the scenes of how they somehow overcame them with the help of the protagonist, each and every one of them was drawn and inserted as illustrations.

    It was moving.

    Especially at the end, when those past memories ended and their current appearance, that is, when I saw the illustration of the heroines wearing wedding dresses, it felt like I was being rewarded for all my hardships.

    But the emotion in it ended there.

    In the middle, the ending credits suddenly stopped and switched to a cutscene.

    Even up to that point, I didn¡¯t think much of it.

    Rather, I thought they had put a lot of effort into making the true ending.

    Until that bastard appeared.

    The cutscene that had been moving suddenly stopped.

    What I thought was a bug wasn¡¯t a bug but a direction.

    And soon, that guy appeared.

    He was wearing sses.

    His face was full of e and fat.

    His face was closer to an orc than a human.

    The man looked around and showed an ugly smile.

    [Can I really fuck them all as I please?]

    What unfolded after that was thorough humiliation.

    The heroines I had been helping until now were fucked by that bastard without knowing why.

    Only then did I realize the reason for the condition of the true ending.

    The conditions for the true ending.

    Capture all heroines.

    Do not see the sex scene in the current ythrough.

    I thought it was a bit strange, but it was rare but not unheard of for an adult game to require not seeing the sex scene to reach the true ending.

    In a game where you arbitrarily brainwash and control a female party.

    Anyway¡­ so I endured it diligently, thinking that was the case.

    I even purchased the DLC heroine and diligently captured her.

    But that ending was an ending that denied everything about me.

    But how could I love that power that denied all my sincerity?

    The strength in my knees gave out.

    I had already exceeded the level that could be endured with willpower.

    Then, I heard that voice again.

    [You¡¯re pathetic and pitiful. Do you really want to save that bitch?]

    ¡°¡­What are you going to do about it?¡±

    [You still hate me. I also have no choice but to receive my due price. Isn¡¯t that right?]

    ¡°Price? Ah¡­¡±

    There was no other story.

    But I instinctively knew.

    What price that guy was talking about.

    But there was no time to ponder.

    I answered decisively.

    ¡°Take one of my eyes.¡±

    Then, it responded.

    [dly.]

    My vision was dyed red.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    That day was an ordinary day.

    Unlike the past, now she was watching over the health and training of the members who were training diligently with enthusiasm.

    She also spent her days managing the fortress.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t that she wasn¡¯t worried about themander.

    Rather, Cluna thought it would be rude to worry about themander.

    Because he was strong.

    How long had it been since she had been caught from behind?

    It must have been at least 200 years.

    Of course, his swordsmanship couldn¡¯t be called good even as an emptypliment.

    It was crude swordsmanship without any delicacy.

    Therefore, she was reminded of an old connection from themander.

    [With such crude swordsmanship, you won¡¯tst long.]

    [If you keep trying until the end, there¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t do.]

    [At least I like that tenacity.]

    Maybe that¡¯s why she wanted to take care of themander even more.

    Themander resembled the first-generation hero.

    From his crude swordsmanship to everything else he did being clumsy.

    And also the fact that he considered hisrades as family.

    Could it be that he was really the reincarnation of the first-generation hero?

    She had that thought without realizing it, but soon dismissed it with a smile.

    There was no way that could be the case.

    She was being foolish too.

    It was right at that moment when she was dismissing it with a smile.

    Suddenly, her smile disappeared.

    At the same time, she brought her hand to her waist.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±

    Her reaction was justified.

    The presence of the four people in the fortress, excluding herself, were all in the courtyard.

    But suddenly, a presence appeared behind her.

    She had no choice but to be on guard.

    But Cluna confirmed that the other person was themander and hurriedly sheathed her half-drawn sword.

    Because themander¡¯s current state was not normal, even as an emptypliment.

    The helmet he always wore was half-shattered.

    His body was full of wounds.

    However, the worst was his eye.

    It appeared as if a sword had pierced through his eye.

    ¡°Commander?! What¡¯s with that appearance¡­?!¡±

    ¡°¡­Take care of her before me.¡±

    It was purely thanks to the experience she had umted so far that she didn¡¯t question themander again.

    The condition of the woman on themander¡¯s back was very seriouspared to themander.

    Questionster.

    Let¡¯s save her first.

    Her quick judgment based on experience saved Yuren¡¯s life by a narrow margin.

    If Cluna¡¯s treatment had been even a secondte, Yuren would have lost her life right away.

    ¡°I¡¯ll hear the storyter, Commander.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do as you please.¡±

    ¡°For now, let¡¯s treat you right away¡­!!!¡±

    Cluna quickly moved to a different location.

    She personally took care of Yuren, who had the most severe injuries.

    And after emergency treatment, she moved the rtively better Commander Hans to a safe ce.

    She treated him with natural means because Commander Hans had no immediate danger to his life, but Yuren did.

    So she immediately started intensive treatment.

    Naturally, this news was made known to everyone.

    The news of Yuren¡¯s survival was definitely good news, but not everyone could rejoice easily.

    Because they heard from Cluna that the currentmander, Hans, was not in good condition.

    ¡°I heard themander lost one eye.¡±

    ¡°And he still brought back Commander Yuren.¡±

    ¡°He, he must have tried his best to save her somehow¡­¡±

    ¡°Teacher¡­¡±

    Originally, it was more difficult to subdue than to kill.

    At least among the people gathered here, there was no fool who didn¡¯t know that.

    The emotions each of them felt were all different.

    Some felt respect, some felt pity.

    Some felt gratitude.

    And some realized their own powerlessness.

    And those things became fertilizer and grew even bigger.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 44

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    I was dizzy.

    I couldn¡¯t properly control my body.

    Iy down for a long time, nkly staring at the ceiling.

    I was momentarily flustered because my vision disoriented, but it didn¡¯t take long for me to realize.I had given up one of my eyes as the price for it.

    Not having one eye was much more inconvenient than I had imagined.

    First of all, my sense of distance was lost, but the worst was my blind spot.

    As evidence, I tried to grab the ss of water right next to me and ended up dropping it.

    As soon as the sound of ss shattering echoed in the sickroom, someone immediately ran into the room.

    ¡°Teacher¡­!!¡±

    Her red hair shook roughly due to the rebound.

    Her unstable eyes were filled with tears.

    I smiled at the girl whose height had grown a lotpared to a year ago, Helia.

    ¡°Come here, Helia.¡±

    ¡°Teacher!!!¡±

    Helia ran to me like the wind and stuck close to my side.

    Fortunately, she didn¡¯t rush at me, who was injured.

    At leastpared to before, she had that level of consideration now.

    Thinking it was a good thing, I lifted my hand and stroked Helia¡¯s red hair.

    Despite not taking care of it usually, the feeling of her soft hair dominated my hand.

    ¡°Where are the others?¡±

    ¡°They went to Commander Yuren. Not a single one stayed behind¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s understandable enough.¡±

    Helia spoke resentfully, but I shook my head and denied it.

    Because the person who had spent the most time with them right now was not me, but Commander Yuren.

    Moreover, Commander Yuren¡¯s life was in a very critical condition.

    So it was only natural for people to gather around her.

    Now Helia also had to understand this.

    I opened my mouth.

    ¡°Everyone has a sore thumb. Just as you cherish me the most, they simply believed in and relied on Commander Yuren sincerely.¡±

    ¡°I, I see.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and it¡¯s not like they didn¡¯t visit me even once, right?¡±

    ¡°Now that you mention it¡­¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s enough. Demanding equality in affection is something that even the wisest have not been able to do.¡±

    Helia had an unfortunate childhood.

    She lost her parents, and until I helped her, she lived on rotten food.

    Even in the original work, the vige she lived in waspletely ruined.

    As a result, that distorted affection led to an excessive desire for power in the original work, and now it led to an obsession with me.

    But if I teach Helia slowly from now on, her future can also change.

    And that was a problem that no one else but I had to take responsibility for.

    But apart from that, thanks to Helia, I didn¡¯t feel left out.

    If I had woken up and there was no one around me¡­

    No matter what, a person would inevitably feel a little disappointed, right?

    Of course, I would understand it in my head.

    I got up from my bed.

    ¡°I will assist you, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Rather, how many days have passed?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s already been a week since you returned, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°A week¡­ More time has passed than I thought.¡±

    Does that mean I was lying in bed for a whole week without moving?

    Indeed, my body was stiff, and it wasn¡¯t easy to move properly.

    I slowly stretched my body and asked,

    ¡°Then how is Commander Yuren¡¯s condition?¡±

    ¡°I heard she got through the critical stage. Now she is somewhat stable.¡±

    ¡°I see, that¡¯s a relief.¡±

    ¡°Cluna said that if the treatment had been just 10 secondster, Commander Yuren¡¯s life couldn¡¯t have been guaranteed.¡±

    Going to Cluna was the right answer.

    Although time stop was maintained, if I released it right away, there was a high possibility of death.

    So I barely released it in front of Cluna.

    And my efforts until now were not in vain.

    I seeded in saving Yuren, the formermander of the Royal Knights.

    But not all problems were solved.

    I had to do something about that damn clown bastard.

    Whether it was Yuren or Bayard, it was clear that they had been affected by the clown.

    Otherwise, there was no way Bayard would have had such a dream.

    Commander Yuren was in the sickroom right next to me, receiving intensive treatment from Cluna.

    When Helia and I entered, the girls who were next to her were slightly flustered and hurriedly spoke.

    ¡°Ah, Commander¡­¡±

    ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­ This is¡­¡±

    ¡°We, we were going to stay a little longer and then go to themander!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to make excuses. It¡¯s only natural to pay attention to Commander Yuren, whose life was in danger.¡±

    And above all, Commander Yuren was the top-ss talent who would seed me and take over as themander again.

    Rather, it would be better for them to build a stronger bond with her from now on.

    ¡°Are you still treating me as themander? It seems these girls have already made up their minds.¡±

    ¡°Yuren, your physical condition is still¡­¡±

    ¡°Yuren, you should lie down more!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s discuss this matterter. Don¡¯t we have something we need to do right now?¡±

    She forcibly got up from her bed.

    Her ck hair dangerously covered her empty chest.

    But rather than her chest, my eyes were drawn to the hole pierced in the middle.

    ¡°If you move now, you might die.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m satisfied just being in my right mind now.¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you going to do in that condition?¡±

    ¡°Revenge.¡±

    Her eyes were zing with anger.

    It seemed she had experienced something beyond imagination there.

    I looked at her.

    To be precise, I was barely able to look at her.

    ording to the setting, dragons were the race of benevolence.

    No other race could be a threat to them.

    It was said that it was very rare for dragons to get angry.

    But if you make a dragon angry, there was no race that could survive their anger.

    But to think I would experience it directly.

    It was hard just standing here.

    Even though that anger was not directed at me!

    I furtively looked around.

    I could see everyone being crushed by her spirit.

    I couldn¡¯t stay like this.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn for nothing, Commander Yuren.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    Uh-oh, time out.

    A spirit that had be even stronger pressed down on my shoulders.

    I couldn¡¯t hold up and ended up sitting down.

    Fortunately, I stopped time before that.

    Otherwise, I would have been humiliated.

    ¡°Phew, ha, phew, ha.¡±

    I calmed my mind through deep breaths.

    I fully understood her anger.

    Herrades didn¡¯t just die.

    They were tantly humiliated in an inhuman state.

    Moreover, her current condition was not good, even as an emptypliment.

    It was only natural for her to get excited in a way.

    However, in her current state, there was a very high possibility of her being defeated instead.

    It was not just a serious injury, but a fatal wound to the heart.

    If she wasn¡¯t a dragon, and if the enemy hadn¡¯t let his guard down, she would have died before I could do anything.

    There was no other way.

    I had to suppress her with force now.

    I used ¡°that.¡±

    I felt a feeling as if lead was flowing from my heart.

    At the same time, time stop was released.

    I approached Yuren like that, grabbed her neck, and pushed her against the wall.

    Of course, I controlled my strength.

    When I pushed her against the wall it wasn¡¯t a strong push either.

    It was just a light shove.

    Yuren couldn¡¯t react to the sudden attack.

    And now she couldn¡¯t even remove my hand.

    I silently looked at her.

    ra tried to stop me, but¡­

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    ¡°Th-that¡¯s right. We, we should trust themander now.¡±

    ¡°But Yuren needs rest¡­!!¡±

    Thanking Ruby and Bayard who trusted and left it to me, I turned my head and looked at Yuren.

    Yuren was ring at me, but she didn¡¯t say anything more than that.

    ¡°Let¡¯s be rational. What can you, who can¡¯t even shake off the touch of a mere human like me, do?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Keep your heart passionate and your head cool. That¡¯s the basics of battle.¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand, as frustrating as it is¡­ You seem to be right.¡±

    Fortunately, my sharp advice had some effect on her, who was once themander of the Royal Knights.

    I silently released my hand. And immediately stopped time.

    ¡°This is really annoying.¡±

    Damn it, I was so scared when I scolded her.

    Although I had no choice but to take responsibility as themander, in fact, provoking a dragon like this was risking my life.

    It might be different normally.

    But it was even more so when she was angry like now.

    But I couldn¡¯t just leave her alone.

    Because she¡¯s the one who will be themander instead of me.

    So I have to save her no matter what.

    So I took a gamble.

    And as a result, I somehow seeded.

    I swallowed my saliva and stood up again.

    Anyway, I had to maintain a cool appearance until I handed over themander position.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    I tilted my head.

    Just before releasing the time stop, I saw Yuren¡¯s face.

    The corners of her mouth were raised.

    No, it wasn¡¯t a smile of suspicion.

    It was a smile as if she was enjoying something¡­

    But I couldn¡¯t take a closer look.

    Because time stop was released right away, and her face returned to being expressionless.

    Could it be that she liked having her neck grabbed?

    No way.

    I must have seen it wrong.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 45

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Previously, I saw something very ominous, but I focused on the problem in front of me for now.

    The request from the Dwarf Republic still remained, and I had no intention of just taking it lying down.

    However, what I didn¡¯t expect was that they actually called us back.

    ording to that guy¡¯s expression, he politely invited us onto the stage or something.I read the letter in my hand.

    It was paper with a strange texture, and on it were letters written in red.

    It was obvious at a nce that it was written in blood.

    ¡°He¡¯s pulling some petty tricks.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Human skin and letters written in blood¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°But themander wouldn¡¯t be swayed by this level of provocation, right?¡±

    Because of Cluna, who casually spoke beside me, I almost dropped the letter I was holding.

    Was this made of human skin?

    Of course, the texture was strange, but I was so surprised that I couldn¡¯t utter a word for a moment.

    I hope you don¡¯t just casually say such an incredible fact next to me.

    Because I have a weak heart.

    Instead of screaming, I sighed deeply and threw the thing made of human skin on the desk.

    A slightly sticky feeling remained on my hand, but I ignored it, thinking it was just my imagination.

    ¡°A letter came from that trash I dealt with before.¡±

    ¡°A letter¡­ Could it be?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s tantly provoking us.¡±

    ¡°Ruby is right. He¡¯s provoking us very deliberately.¡±

    The letter was filled with so many figures of speech that it was hard to read properly.

    But excluding all that and summarizing the main point, it said that if we don¡¯te to the stage he prepared, he¡¯ll kill the hostages.

    It¡¯s not just one or two hostages.

    Instead of the broken vige I went to before, he had taken a whole different, intact vige hostage.

    If we didn¡¯te, he said he would kill everyone here.

    ¡°From the looks of it, he has taken a different vige hostage, not the one I went to before.¡±

    ¡°Whether I like it or not, it¡¯s my homnd. And to do that to mypatriots¡­ It¡¯s absolutely uneptable.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like dwarves, but I have no intention of leaving innocent people to die.¡±

    Ruby and ra were the first to react.

    Ruby was enraged by what had happened to herpatriots.

    And ra, perhaps because she had grown close to Ruby, agreed with Ruby¡¯s anger.

    ¡°Be-before that, first, wh-what the other party is demanding¡­¡±

    ¡°You mean figuring that out is the priority. You¡¯re right, Bayard.¡±

    ¡°Th-thank you! Commander!¡±

    ¡°I can exin from here.¡±

    The Table of Equality.

    Unlike in the past when it was just a fancy name, now everyone sat in the same ce equally and expressed their opinions.

    The one who spoke this time was Yuren.

    ¡°Do you know what that clown is scheming?¡±

    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s humiliating, but¡­ Some of the members, including myself, were captured alive.¡±

    ¡°I know that.¡±

    ¡°Eep¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Commander Yuren?¡±

    For a moment, I thought I misheard that sticky voice.

    It was closer to a moan.

    Yuren¡¯s face turned red.

    Her ck eyes were fixed on me.

    ¡°Th-that¡¯s right. It was a very humiliating moment. But for themander to know that¡­ What is this feeling¡­?¡±

    ¡°Commander Yuren, I hope you can focus now.¡±

    ¡°So-sorry. It was a slip of the tongue. We were captured, but in fact, the other members except me were barely alive. They were no different from living corpses.¡±

    I focused on Commander Yuren¡¯s story.

    The demons captured the surviving Royal Knights, but what was important here was that the clown guy took them away, saying he would prepare a stage.

    ¡°My members, who were no different from corpses, were sliced up and transformed into grotesque forms. If their faces weren¡¯t intact, even I wouldn¡¯t have been able to recognize them.¡±

    ¡°They deliberately left the faces intact. So that theirrades could recognize them and react.¡±

    ¡°That bastard is trash!¡±

    ¡°Regrettably, I couldn¡¯t keep my sanity at that time. Theughter around me didn¡¯t stop. The children¡­ Theyughed at me. But that was definitely not an ordinaryugh¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably the power of hypnosis or mind control.¡±

    I raised my hand to interrupt Yuren¡¯s story.

    She hugged herself with her own arms, and her voice was trembling with fear.

    It must have been a terrible experience.

    Herrades turned into grotesque monsters right before her eyes, but she couldn¡¯t do anything.

    Powerlessness and anger.

    That Comprachico used that to hypnotize her.

    Originally, dragons were a race of benevolence, but at the same time, they were also the strongest race on the continent.

    ording to the setting, they were the only ones who could fight the demons above blood magic, the true demons, head-on.

    ¡°That guy has the power to control minds. Of course, if your mental strength is as strong as Commander Yuren¡¯s, he can¡¯t dominate you. But at that time, Commander Yuren was in a broken state.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m just ashamed of my own powerlessness.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. In the end, the only thing we can do for the dead is revenge.¡±

    ¡°Blood must be washed with blood.¡±

    ¡°I agree with themander and Cluna!¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go save the vigers right away!¡±

    At my and Cluna¡¯s words, everyone rose with fighting spirit.

    Except for Helia and me.

    When everyone tilted their heads at the unexpected reaction, Helia asked,

    ¡°What do you n to do, Teacher?¡±

    I answered coldly with my arms crossed.

    ¡°We will not go on stage.¡±

    A cold silence descended upon the round table.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Let¡¯s prepare the stage again.

    A stage where everyone canugh happily.

    This time, I prepared the actors with even more effort.

    I asked him and received even stronger power.

    Simply in terms of specs, they were already close to blood demons.

    Moreover, instead of artistic aesthetics likest time, I made them very simr to their appearance when they were alive.

    They had no choice but toe in the end.

    Because they were noble knights!

    They would never just watch helplessly as the powerless and innocent were sacrificed!

    Excellent, noble!

    But what they face on stage are their formerrades!

    To protect, they must fight their formerrades.

    Will they choose the innocent?

    Or will they choose to save their formerrades?

    Whichever it is, it¡¯s clear that it will be an excellent stage.

    Of course, it¡¯s bound to be a hit!

    Of course, before that, I have to make sure the safety of the audience is ensured.

    Yes, that was definitely the case.

    Until the fireworks fell from the sky.

    The hot breath of the dragon burned everything in an instant.

    The stage that it had prepared diligently, the audience.

    Everything turned to ashes and disappeared at once.

    It stood there nkly.

    It had prepared diligently.

    It had prepared a stage where the audience couldugh.

    But it all turned to ashes overnight.

    Unable to bear that fact, it eventually let out a scream.

    And someone walked toward it.

    The sound of nging armor echoed.

    With a steel sword at his waist.

    Short ck hair fluttered covering his face which bore no helmet.

    He was wearing an eye patch on one eye.

    With a sneer on his lips, he mocked it.

    ¡°The moment we step on stage, we can¡¯t beat you. No matter how that ending turns out, you¡¯ll be satisfied. Even if you meet your death.¡±

    ¡°Ha, haha. That¡¯s ridiculous. It¡¯s not much different now either.¡±

    ¡°Not different?¡±

    ¡°In the end, you were never a noble hero or anything. For the sake of victory, for the sake of a moment¡¯s satisfaction of giving me despair. You even burned all the hostages.¡±

    It loved humans.

    It loved the literature and tragedy created by humans.

    And now, at this moment, a tragedy waspleted.

    One who sacrificed the small for the sake of the big.

    How ridiculous.

    How pitiful.

    Look.

    Is that your great hero?

    The sight of you worshipping someone like that as a hero is a ridiculous tragedy!

    That¡¯s how it was in the end.

    A noble hero who sacrificed for everyone!

    It never existed in the first ce.

    I¡¯m satisfied with that.

    Even if I die here, I created a perfect tragedy by sacrificing myself.

    So, I can dly die.

    However, he tilted his head.

    ¡°I have no idea what you mean.¡±

    ¡°Are you even lying now? How disgusting. That¡¯s why it makes me even happier.¡±

    ¡°When did I say I abandoned the hostages?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°I never abandoned anyone.¡±

    ¡°Th-that can¡¯t be. In such a short time, there¡¯s no way you could save everyone¡­!¡±

    He stood with his arms crossed, quietly looking at it.

    As if to say, if you can¡¯t believe it, go and check for yourself.

    Like a lie, it moved.

    It was impossible to believe nonsense.

    There¡¯s no way it was possible.

    Its authority was to create the stage.

    On the stage it created, it could control everything with its power, from the props and actors to the audience.

    That was its power.

    Therefore, it, a Comprachico, could tell.

    The fact that all the actors prepared for the highlight execution had disappeared.

    Comprachico muttered nkly,

    ¡°How on earth? Unless you stop time, there¡¯s no way you could have saved them¡­?!¡±

    ¡°A setting so obvious that even a mere audience member can see through it.¡±

    Each and every one of those words pierced it like a dagger.

    ¡°Even that stage you prepared has turned to ashes.¡±

    He spoke coldly and approached step by step.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t even protect the audience that loves your stage.¡±

    Eventually, his steps stopped.

    ¡°You¡¯re nothing more than a third-rate ywright!¡±

    At those words, Comprachico lost its reason.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 46

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    ¡°Are you saying you¡¯ll abandon the hostages now?!¡±

    Ruby¡¯s angry explosion was natural.

    It sounded like he was saying he would abandon innocent people, not just anyone, but his ownpatriots.

    In fact, they all felt the same way.In such a situation, the only one maintainingposure was the small girl sitting next to themander.

    Was she believing in themander?

    Or was she unconditionally following him?

    ¡°Ruby, let¡¯s listen to themander¡¯s words first.¡±

    ¡°But¡­!!!¡±

    ¡°Teacher must have something in mind.¡±

    If it weren¡¯t for the mediation of Cluna and that small girl, Ruby might have grabbed themander by the cor.

    ra and Yuren had the same thought, though not as much as her.

    A knight is a sword and shield.

    That honor is to protect people.

    Regardless of race.

    Protecting the powerless and innocent would be a knight¡¯s pride.

    But Yuren couldn¡¯t strongly pressure him.

    Because her position was what it was.

    ¡°I¡¯ll exin one by one.¡±

    ¡°¡­It better be a convincing exnation.¡±

    ¡°First of all, Comprachicos¡¯ ability to control minds. What will happen if you fall under this power is obvious as day.¡±

    ra and Ruby, who had grown fond of each other despite being enemies as elves and dwarves, had nothing to say.

    Yuren waspletely broken after seeing her brainwashedrades and ended up being affected herself.

    Bayard was also controlled mentally and still had that trauma remaining.

    At my words, Ruby shut her mouth.

    Even though she was a low-ranking member, she was also a member of the Royal Knights.

    She wasn¡¯t one to not understand the weight of Commander Hans¡¯ words.

    Rather, she understood it to the bone.

    Compared to themander, Yuren, and Bayard, they were mere chicks.

    Then, could they really resist the mind control ability that even Bayard was helplessly affected by?

    She couldn¡¯t say yes even as an emptypliment.

    Commander Hans coldly continued.

    ¡°Moreover, that guy is obsessed with the stage he creates. He¡¯s a twisted artist youmonly see. In other words, the moment we step on stage, it¡¯s as good as us losing to him.¡±

    ¡°Then is there a way?¡±

    ¡°There is. It¡¯s to burn down the stage itself.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­!!!¡±

    ¡°Commander Yuren, is it possible?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s possible. But if we do that¡­¡±

    Commander Hans¡¯ answer was more brutal than expected. But no one could object to it.

    Because they had already failed.

    Just a single failure.

    But that failure remained deep in people¡¯s hearts and was eating away at them.

    Is someone like me really allowed to do this?

    Is someone like me really allowed to be this happy?

    They started thinking like that.

    It was the same for them.

    Would anything change if they opposed it here?

    What if they opposed and failed?

    Then it would really be the end.

    There was no one left who could bear that weight, at least not right now.

    A single failure, the sight of theirrades dying because of it.

    They still couldn¡¯t forget it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll save the vigers and then signal. Then immediately burn down the vige.¡±

    ¡°¡­Wait a minute, what did you just say?¡±

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you were going to save all the people too?¡±

    Sacrificing the small for the sake of the big.

    Everyone had been epting it that way until now.

    But, was that not the case?

    At Yuren¡¯s trembling voice, themander tilted his head.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡±

    And he actually proved it.

    In a very short time, about 5 minutes.

    A signal came from him.

    Soon, the huge figure of a dragon covered the sky above the vige.

    The dragon¡¯s breath pouring from the sky burned everything it touched.

    There was no hesitation in those mes.

    They didn¡¯t think for a moment that Commander Hans would lie.

    And he actually kept his promise.

    He saved all the vigers.

    Escorting the vigers was left to ra and Ruby.

    It must have been themander¡¯s own consideration.

    [I¡¯ll handle Comprachico alone.]

    [But Commander, isn¡¯t that too dangerous?]

    [It¡¯s not a problem. Mind control doesn¡¯t work on me.]

    ¡°¡­Truly a strong man.¡±

    Yuren, who had been spewing dragon¡¯s breath from the sky, descended back to the ground.

    Yes, he was a strong man befitting the name ofmander. And when he grabbed her neck with those firm hands, it was really¡­

    ¡­What am I thinking now?

    Yuren desperately tried to deny that thought.

    However, she couldn¡¯t deny the blush that appeared on her face.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Comprachicos.

    ording to Commander Yuren, it meant a person who cripples and deformes children and then sells them in an ancientnguage.

    In fact, Comprachicos was a criminal organization that appeared in the novel The Man Who Laughs.

    I difn¡¯t know if such an organization actually existed.

    Anyway, this game took a lot of motifs from numerous famous novels.

    So it wouldn¡¯t be strange for something like that to appear.

    Kwang!!

    Comprachico, who had lost his reason due to anger, closed the distance in an instant and swung his fist.

    It was a favorable situation where the opponent had lost his reason.

    It made it easy to read his movements.

    But the problem was, as expected, my skill level.

    My skills were only at an ordinary level to begin with.

    On top of that, I lost one eye.

    Not only my sense of distance but even my blind spot had increased, making it difficult to react.

    With the sound of the ground being scraped, my body was pushed back.

    ording to Commander Yuren¡¯s judgment, Comprachico was close to a blood demon that surpassed a low-level demon in terms of danger.

    But hisbat ability was on the weak side.

    In other words, Comprachicos¡¯ frontalbat ability was at a level that barely qualified for the name of a demon.

    However, I was losing in a frontal confrontation even against him.

    It was only natural in the first ce.

    Even monsters were disasters in and of themselves.

    Facing a demon above that level was a given.

    However, I had no intention of being satisfied with being held back by the obvious.

    If you¡¯re amander, even if rotten, shouldn¡¯t you do something befitting that name?

    I got up with my creaking body.

    Like a broken wooden puppet, my body creaked and didn¡¯t move properly.

    Just a few exchanges and I had already reached my limit.

    But I won¡¯t give up.

    I have to kill that guy.

    Mind control.

    What an annoying ability.

    It¡¯s an extremely disgusting ability on par with time stop.

    I don¡¯t know about other things, but I absolutely can¡¯t forgive that.

    I gritted my teeth and said,

    ¡°Did you enjoy it?¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Controlling people as you please. Driving them to despair, and giggling while calling it a tragedy, did you enjoy it that much?¡±

    ¡°¡­If you can¡¯t avoid it, enjoy it. That¡¯s the philosophy of life I¡¯ve realized.¡±

    ¡°Dog shit philosophy.¡±

    I let out a small burst of anger and charged again.

    Comprachico also charged at me in response.

    Comprachico was holding a flute in his hand.

    That must be the medium for his ability.

    In fact, Commander Yuren also said she heard the sound of a flute.

    I also heard the sound of a flute in the vige.

    In other words, if you hear the sound of the flute, you be mind-controlled.

    It would be fine to see it that way.

    But it didn¡¯t seem to be an ordinary flute.

    The evidence was that it was easily deflecting my sword imbued with the blessing of the forest.

    Even though those grotesque things had their necks easily sliced before.

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s no choice.¡±

    The limit of my skill at the moment was up to here.

    At least I could handle it to some extent without time stop.

    But that was possible only because the opponent was clumsy in frontalbat among demons.

    I was even losing in a frontal confrontation.

    And I couldn¡¯t use time stop because I had to save the vigers.

    There was no choice, once I decided to do it, I had to do it properly.

    Since when was it?

    It was probably since the time I gave up one of my eyes to save Yuren.

    After giving up my eye at that time, I realized how I could use this power.

    I raised my head.

    Each and every bit of the ashes floating in the sky was visible.

    And underneath, Comprachico was still diligently running towards me.

    He was so slowpared to my expectation that I went out to meet him myself.

    Running forward and swinging my sword, I cut off Comprachicos¡¯ arm.

    Unlike before, the demon¡¯s arm was sliced off like tofu.

    I could see Comprachicos¡¯ expression turning to shock.

    It was definitely a nice expression to see, but I didn¡¯t have the bad habit of observing it.

    So I instantly severed his other limbs.

    And¡­

    Time returned to normal.

    Comprachicos¡¯ body, with its limbs severed in an instant, fell to the ground.

    I felt something bitter rising from my stomach, but I forcibly swallowed it with all my might.

    Because I couldn¡¯t show weakness to the enemy.

    Comprachico still didn¡¯t know what had been done to him.

    Well, of course, this power could still affect the opponent even if my skill level had weakened.

    [The first time, I¡¯ll just do it as a service, but next time, it won¡¯t work.]

    [I¡¯ll face the price in the same way.]

    [The price¡­ Let¡¯s keep it light, like disemboweling you?]

    That day, to save Commander Yuren.

    The power I newly obtained at the cost of my eye.

    Time eleration.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 47

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    What was that?

    What on earth was that just now?

    Clearly, up until the middle, the fight was evenly matched.

    It was rtively crude swordsmanship for amander of the Royal Knights. On top of that, perhaps because he had lost one eye, his openings were too obvious.

    However, at some point, themander¡¯s figure suddenly disappeared.

    By the time it recognized that, its arms were already severed.

    Immediately after that, its arms and legs were sliced off and fell to the ground.

    Paradoxically, it was only then, when its limbs were severed, that Comprachico was able to regain someposure.

    It was true that its stomach still boiled when it saw that man, but at least it wasn¡¯t blindly charging in anger.

    It could now think.

    Comprachico calmly swallowed its anger and slowly pondered.

    Did themander deliberately sever its limbs?

    No, that was not it.

    The currentmander didn¡¯t seem to have that much leeway.

    Rather, he was staggering as if he could copse at any moment.

    Then it meant that his power consumption was great.

    The position of a blood demon was not obtained by ying marbles.

    Having easily discerned that fact, Comprachico immediately prepared its next move.

    Death itself wasn¡¯t that scary.

    It was just afraid of disappearing in vain without leaving anything behind.

    So, at least for the end, let¡¯s give them a stage that would remain in everyone¡¯s memory.

    Instead of the obvious development where the hero defeats the viin and everyone lives happily ever after, a delightful twist where the hero is actually corrupted.

    Of course, it couldn¡¯t move. Its limbs were severed.

    Only its limbs, to be precise.

    The flute that had fallen somewhere touched its mouth.

    That flute was one with Comprachico.

    Even without arms or legs, manipting it was easier than eating rice cakes while lying down.

    Moreover, the current Royal Knightsmander was unable to move due to the great power consumption.

    Soon, the flute touching Comprachicos¡¯ mouth began to y sound again.

    However, it was only for a moment.

    The sound was blocked.

    Because someone had firmly grabbed the flute and tossed it away.

    ¡®Could it be that themander reacted?¡¯

    There didn¡¯t seem to be that much leeway.

    Wondering if its judgment was wrong, Comprachico raised its head and encountered something beyond imagination.

    It was sitting on top of it.

    Crossing one leg, resting her chin on a clenched fist in the air, and looking down arrogantly, was a girl.

    Under her white hair were two eyes.

    One was a white eye with nothing dwelling in it, just like the other.

    However, on the contrary, the girl¡¯s other eye seemed to be a ck eye like that of an ordinary person.

    What, what is this?

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something I hate.¡±

    The girl smiled and showed her clenched fist, not the one supporting her head, but the opposite hand.

    Then, Comprachicos¡¯ head shattered like a watermelon, spilling its fragments.

    ¡°One of them is being ignored.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­!!¡±

    ¡°Do you feel like having some manners now?¡±

    ¡°I, I apologize. I had no intention of ignoring you.¡±

    That wasn¡¯t a cowardly excuse, but sincere.

    Suddenly faced with this situation, its mind couldn¡¯t keep up and failed to react to the voice.

    And it was no different now.

    It was dead.

    There was not a shred of falsehood in that fact.

    Literally, its head had just exploded and it died.

    The unforgettable pain still remained in its head, tormenting Comprachico.

    However, it was now alive.

    Although it couldn¡¯t move, it was still breathing and could even speak.

    In a situation that transcended cognition, all it could do was faithfully answer the words of the being in front of it.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Not a hint of fear?¡±

    ¡°The only things I fear are ignorance and oblivion.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, well. How should I exin it¡­ You seem to call me Time?¡±

    ¡°This is another interesting joke. Then why did you, Time, personally speak to me?¡±

    Polite words with an impolite tone.

    It was a tantly sarcastic attitude, but the girl didn¡¯t mind.

    She somewhat liked its attitude of not fearing death.

    ¡°Youmitted the act I hate the most. Not just once, but twice.¡±

    ¡°The act you hate the most?¡±

    ¡°I hate those who covet what¡¯s mine the most. To the point where I want to kill them horrifically.¡±

    It seemed that it wasn¡¯t an empty threat.

    Her ck eye was now zing with fierce anger.

    Not once, but twice, I see.

    This is some being attached to thatmander.

    ¡°But I especially liked you. So apologize for your mistake. Then I¡¯ll kill you with as little pain as possible.¡±

    ¡°What a foolish question. I have not a shred of regret for all the actions I have done so far.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I like you. Because you¡¯re a fool who chooses the thorny path on your own.¡±

    The girl clenched her fist.

    Then Comprachicos¡¯ remaining body turned to powder and disappeared.

    Even though it felt the pain of being ground to powder throughout its body, it kept smiling.

    What it feared most was losing its smile.

    Yes, that was all there was to it.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    `); }

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Cough.

    In the end, unable to hold back, a clump of blood spewed out of my mouth.

    The time I could maintain time eleration was 1 minute at most.

    Even that was almost impossible for me to manipte as I wished.

    All I could do now was to move in a set direction to a small degree.

    Controlling the speed of time eleration and precisely controlling it were still beyond my abilities.

    However, it was a wee thing to have one more card to use.

    Of course, for now, I could only use it for 1 minute, and after 1 minute, I would be unable to fight.

    But it was definitely something to wee to have one more card to use for the final blow.

    Of course, if I used it recklessly and the opponent didn¡¯t die, then I would die just like that.

    ¡°¡­What is that?¡±

    However, even though I got up to finish it off for sure, Comprachico was not there.

    To be precise, only a powder that seemed to be Comprachico remained in that spot.

    I silently reached out and touched that powder.

    It seemed to be lime powder.

    There was nothing particrly special about it.

    And there was only an old metal pendant left there.

    When I opened the lid of the pendant, there was a small picture.

    It was a picture of unknown meaning that looked like it was drawn by a child.

    But I could at least tell that it depicted an adult and a child.

    One peculiar fact was that the adult male had an excessive smile on his lips, but on the contrary, the child was not smiling.

    What did this picture symbolize?

    Was it saying that Comprachico also had its own story?

    No, that was not a story, it was just an excuse.

    I coldly closed the pendant.

    Anyway, he crossed the line.

    ¡°But this is worth investigating.¡±

    The biggest question was Comprachicos¡¯ identity.

    Although the detailed settings of demons had never been revealed, judging from this pendant, he looked nothing but human.

    What if, by any chance, demons were not beings descended from the demon world?

    If Comprachico was actually a human who had turned into a demon?

    Of course, I had never seen such a setting before.

    Such a setup didn¡¯t appear in the game either.

    But there was always that one in a million chance.

    I pocketed Comprachicos¡¯ pendant. And I sat down on the ground.

    The strength had left my legs.

    ¡°This is crazy.¡±

    ¡°Teacher¡­!!!¡±

    ¡°Helia?¡±

    ¡°Are you alright?!¡±

    Fortunately, thanks to Helia running to me, I was able to avoid losing consciousness on the ground.

    Although it was a bit embarrassing to be supported by a 13-year-old kid, at this point, I could barely manage even that.

    My body¡¯s condition was at its worst.

    Time eleration was best used as ast resort card.

    If I used it recklessly and the opponent didn¡¯t die, then I would die just like that.

    Anyway, supported by Helia, I rejoined them.

    As soon as Cluna saw me, she immediately started treating me.

    Thanks to that, I survived.

    ¡°This level of shock is almost equivalent to being trampled by a horse. It¡¯smendable that a human body is still alive.¡±

    ¡°Is it that bad?¡±

    ¡°Yes, to be honest¡­ It feels like your breath is being forcibly kept in to the point of not dying.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see, thank you for your honest opinion.¡±

    While it was painful to use abilities rted to time, at least it seemed I wouldn¡¯t die.

    I let out a deep sigh.

    I only used it for 1 minute.

    Is that the level of penalty?

    Now it was difficult to even maintain consciousness.

    I looked at my hand.

    My hand that had been holding the pendant was now weakly unfolded.

    Huh, where did the pendant go?

    I don¡¯t know.

    I¡¯m too sleepy to think about that now.

    I closed my eyes just like that.

    I heard people shouting something around me, but I was too sleepy to react.

    And so, I lost consciousness.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 48

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Although we defeated Comprachico, the request was not over yet.

    We still had to negotiate with the Dwarf Republic.

    All kinds of figures of speech were exchanged between each other, but the point was whether to ssify Comprachico as a low-level demon or a blood demon.

    This was quite an important issue because the reward for the request varied greatly depending on the demon¡¯s rank, like the difference between heaven and earth. In the game, the reward could differ by 3 to 4 times.

    However, unlike the game where the reward was paid immediately afterpleting the job, here the payment was dyed due to various reasons such as negotiations.

    This is where the unique problem of the Dwarf Republices in.

    Of course, no matter how great demons are, if a country was shaken by a low-level demon, not even a blood demon, it would be ridiculed.

    Unfortunately, the other party was none other than the Dwarf Republic.

    A race that didn¡¯t care at all, beyond being insensitive, about their reputation except when it came to their technology.

    That was the Dwarf Republic.

    They were vited by a low-level demon?

    So what do you want us to do about it?

    We don¡¯t even have money to eat and die right now.

    In a word, they were telling us to stuff it.

    I clicked my tongue at their shamelessness that gave me goosebumps.

    Well, they ended up being destroyed early in the original story because they acted like that.

    Damn it.

    But sadly, we couldn¡¯t do anything to the Dwarf Republic right now.

    Because we were weak.

    The name of the Royal Knights had already fallen to the ground, and the only one supporting us right now was the Human Kingdom.

    The elves and beastmen, who had a bad rtionship with the Dwarf Republic, were just quietly watching from a distance.

    The best way was for both sides to be considerate of each other ande up with the most conscientious solution possible.

    But the other party was being stubborn.

    We had no choice but to back down here.

    ¡°So, you¡¯ll just ssify it as a blood demon, but receive the reward for a low-level one?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I think it¡¯s a deal that benefits both of us.¡±

    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t care as long as we can save money.¡±

    ¡°Then the deal is done.¡±

    Right now, money was important to us, but more than anything, regaining our lost trust was the most crucial.

    In such a situation, if we seeded in defeating not just a low-level demon, but a blood demon-level one?

    Even if it was just a little, we could regain the reputation of the Royal Knights.

    And if that happened, we might get more requests.

    Of course, it would be hard for us right now.

    But we had to endure it somehow.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    `); }

    Fortunately, the Dwarf Republic didn¡¯t care about any reputation other than their technology.

    If it weren¡¯t for the dwarves, this kind of cheap negotiation wouldn¡¯t have worked.

    After all the negotiations were over and we received the reward from the Dwarf Republic, I was finally able to rest.

    I tried to rx my stiff shoulders, but someone appeared behind me.

    ¡°Your shoulders seem very stiff.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s been a lot of worktely.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll massage them for you.¡±

    ¡°¡­It looks a bit, you know.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind my age.¡±

    It was Cluna who appeared behind me.

    She smiled faintly and reached out to start massaging my shoulders.

    Honestly, it felt a bit awkward.

    It felt like getting a massage from a grandmother¡­

    But that guilt was short-lived.

    Soon, an unimaginably refreshing sensation covered my back.

    No kidding, it was much better than a massage machine.

    Thanks to that, my voice trembled as it came out.

    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s really refreshing. Did you learn this skill?¡±

    ¡°When you reach this age, you can do anything.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. Thanks for the great help.¡±

    ¡°Commander, are you really okay?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who lost the most?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Cluna¡¯s eyes were now fixed on me.

    But what was in them was not suspicion, but worry.

    I was happy to have gained some trust.

    I pondered.

    Indeed, I had lost one eye.

    And my internal organs were also severely injured.

    Thanks to Cluna¡¯s treatment, my organs had recovered quite a bit.

    But I needed to rest for a while.

    My eye was still very ufortable.

    But it was okay.

    ¡°If it can be resolved with just my body, it¡¯s a small price to pay.¡±

    Anyway, this body was not mine.

    My ultimate goal was to return to my original world and get my body back.

    Moreover, this body was originally a trash body that couldn¡¯t even be used as fertilizer.

    Wouldn¡¯t it be good for everyone if it could be of even a little help like this?

    Of course, from the perspective of me using this body now, it was a very inconvenient thing.

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been curious about¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Now¡¯s not the time, I guess.¡±

    ¡°What are you suddenly saying?¡±

    ¡°It was a slip of the tongue.¡±

    After saying that, Cluna didn¡¯t open her mouth anymore.

    What was she trying to say?

    I was a bit curious, but I didn¡¯t probe further.

    I slowly got up.

    ¡°That¡¯s it for today.¡±

    ¡°But there¡¯s still a lot left.¡±

    ¡°We need to rest too. It¡¯s only been 3 days since we defeated Comprachico.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Besides, Cluna, didn¡¯t you spend more energy treating Commander Yuren and me?¡±

    Cluna showed a quiet smile.

    I clicked my tongue as I looked at that smile.

    Her way of hiding her own difficulties and hardships looked just like a grandmother.

    Anyway, it was a very undesirable thing to overwork the members.

    It was not a small and medium-sized business mindset, it was just a trashy mindset.

    So when you rest, you have to rest properly.

    To be more honest, I want to rest.

    Pendant or whatever, I worked too much today.

    But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ve given up on the small and medium-sized business mindset.

    Rather, it was just the beginning.

    I created a kind ofpany rule that Royal Knights members should follow.

    One of them was to always have meals together.

    In other words, no matter what work you¡¯re doing, you must gather in one ce and eat at mealtime.

    Skipping meals? No way!

    In the military, skipping meals is a disciplinary offense!

    ¡°It¡¯s almost time for a meal.¡±

    ¡°The meal is already prepared.¡±

    ¡°When did you even prepare it¡­?¡±

    ¡°I prepared it little by little.¡±

    Unlike basic chores, cooking cannot be done using fairies.

    They say that the tastes of fairies and ours are very different, so the food made by fairies is literally just grass.

    Of course, it was enough for elves.

    Because every race has different tastes and diets. Cluna, who understood all of that, was making three meals a day by herself every day.

    I was helping Cluna in the dining hall first.

    Soon, the Royal Knights members who had finished training entered the dining hall.

    Unlike usual, the members looked very tired.

    I soon found out the reason.

    Because I saw Yuren walking confidently at the center.

    Come to think of it, she said she was starting rehabilitation training today, right?

    ¡°Commander Yuren, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I feel like I could fly right now.¡±

    ¡°But don¡¯t actually fly. You¡¯ll really die.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Dragons are tougher than you think.¡±

    She said that, but ording to Cluna¡¯s diagnosis, she had definitely be much weaker than when she was intact.

    Well, her heart was properly struck.

    In a way, it was only natural.

    Rather, it was because she was a dragon that she barely avoided instant death.

    Now, let¡¯s just be satisfied that she¡¯s alive.

    About half a year was left now.

    I was thinking of handing it over to Yuren after being themander until then.

    The person who has eaten the meat knows it best.

    It would be better for Yuren to lead the Royal Knights than for me to lead them.

    That¡¯s what I think.

    After a while, Cluna came out to the dining hall with the fairies, carrying food.

    Food suitable for the tastes of each race.

    It was quite nice to see everyone gathering together and eating.

    ¡°It¡¯s not bad to gather like this and have a meal together.¡±

    ¡°I thought it would be unpleasant to gather by force.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t themander say we are all family? What¡¯s wrong with family seeing each other¡¯s faces?¡±

    ¡°¡­I, I see.¡±

    I furtively looked around.

    Ruby and ra, who were still bickering, and Helia and Bayard, who could finally have a somewhat normal conversation¡­

    It was progressing differently from what I had thought.

    Isn¡¯t it usually very ufortable to eat with your boss?

    I originally intended to induce that.

    No, is it just me?

    But I couldn¡¯t dere in front of everyone to feel ufortable with me.

    So I had no choice but to put food in my mouth.

    At that moment, Yuren looked at me and asked,

    ¡°Come to think of it, it seems there¡¯s no cksmith in the fortress.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to find one now, but it¡¯s harder than I thought to find a skilled cksmith.¡±

    ¡°Of course. The world has be a ce where everyone locks their doors and seeks stability rather than cooperation.¡±

    ¡°cksmith¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing!¡±

    When I asked Ruby, who was muttering nkly, she was startled and quickly shook her head.

    She said it was nothing with her mouth.

    But there was no such thing as nothing when it was like that.

    Come to think of it, even when I was counseling Ruby before, she was very reluctant to mention her past.

    Could it be¡­ rted to that?

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 49

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The negotiations with the Dwarf Republic were over.

    After that, time passed rtively smoothly.

    Of course, the overall situation was by no meansfortable.

    But thanks to the information Commander Yuren had, at least for now, we could spend some leisurely time.¡°We fought a life-or-death battle with the demons. Some died in the middle, unable to ovee their fear and ran away. But more died bravely fighting to the end.¡±

    ¡°Was the enemy that powerful?¡±

    ¡°They were the elite forces of the demons. All 7 of the highest-ranking demons were gathered. Under them were over 50 blood demons. And the low-level ones were too numerous to count.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Thanks to that, I can decide on a policy.¡±

    Perhaps because of her trauma, Bayard couldn¡¯t recall the details.

    But Commander Yuren, who was in charge ofmand at that time, remembered the situation in quite detail.

    Well, they weren¡¯t just some ragtag group.

    They were the ones who annihted the Golden Generation of the Royal Knights.

    Naturally, the demons must have put in their full effort to push them back.

    In other words, it was an all-out war.

    Although the Royal Knights were defeated and annihted, they inflicted just as much damage on the demons.

    Thanks to that, the demons¡¯ activities had greatly decreased for now.

    Now I started to understand a little.

    During that golden opportunity, instead of cleaning up, they tried to survive on their own, and ended up being pushed back by the demons who had recovered their strength.

    That would be the original story situation.

    But I had no intention of letting that happen to us like in the original story.

    Unlike the original story, four members of the Royal Knights miraculously survived.

    Moreover, one of them was Yuren, the strongest member of the Royal Knights, a dragon.

    With this much, we should be able to rebuild the Royal Knights somehow before the demons¡¯ power recovered.

    Moreover, for some reason, the other members started training even more intensely.

    Some even copsed in the middle.

    I didn¡¯t know why, but it was definitely a good thing.

    Voluntary training would surely be a great stepping stone for their growth.

    I also devoted myself to what I had to do. And that was Helia¡¯s education.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look down on your opponent based on their appearance. Respecting each other is the basics of martial arts.¡±

    ¡°I will engrave it deep in my heart.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Seeing Helia kneeling and listening to my words, I felt an inexplicable sense of guilt.

    But I had no choice.

    It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to teach her the morality that appears in ethics ss.

    Decisively, I don¡¯t know much about the subject of ethics.

    Just being told to live kindly is all there is to it.

    That can¡¯t be all there is to ethics.

    So I quoted a few lines from martial arts novels.

    With poweres responsibility, respect your opponent, mercy is the foundation of martial arts, etc.

    I said the best things I could.

    Helia was still young.

    We had to teach her properly from now on.

    That way, she¡¯d at least stop swinging her sword at her allies.

    In fact, it seemed the education was working.

    Recently, she¡¯d been seen interacting with other members.

    ¡°Come to think of it, Helia. Have you seen a pendant?¡±

    ¡°You mean the pendant?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a trophy I got from Comprachico.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t remember.¡±

    ¡°I see. Then that¡¯s fine.¡±

    Since Helia was the first to run to me and support me before I lost consciousness, I thought Helia might know something.

    But Helia answered that she hadn¡¯t seen the pendant.

    The pendant itself didn¡¯t seem to have any special power.

    But since it was a demon¡¯s item, I¡¯d have to go and search for it myselfter.

    Anyway, just as the mental education was wrapping up, I heard the rattling sound of horse hooves and carriage wheels.

    When I turned my head, I saw a very borately crafted carriage.

    And on the coachman¡¯s seat sat a dwarf in in sight.

    Unless you¡¯re an idiot, anyone could tell that it came from the Dwarf Republic.

    My head tilted in question.

    I thought there wouldn¡¯t be any requests for a while.

    Moreover, the carriage had a red gem-shaped crest hanging from it, which was unusual.

    Usually, when they emphasized it like that, it was mostly high-ranking officials.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­!!¡±

    ¡°What? Why are you so surprised?¡±

    ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    Just in time, all the members except the guards were gathered in the courtyard for training.

    When they heard the sound of the carriage, everyone rushed over, and suddenly, Ruby¡¯s expression darkened.

    The carriage that had reached its destination stopped in its ce.

    Soon, someone hurriedly got off from inside the carriage.

    He was a boy with the same brown hair as Ruby.

    At least in appearance.

    ¡°Ruby! It¡¯s your father! Your father hase!¡±

    ¡°¡­Why is that trash here¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I got a rough estimate.

    The reason why she was so reluctant to mention her past.

    And the reason why she desired strength while doing so, and the reason why her reaction wasn¡¯t normal.

    I walked forward.

    It seemed his joy was genuine, at least.

    He tried to run straight to Ruby, but I blocked him halfway.

    He looked at me with a displeased expression.

    I opened my mouth.

    ¡°I¡¯m Hans, the temporarymander of the Royal Knights. What business brings you here?¡±

    The fact that the guards let him in meant that at least he didn¡¯te for a hostile reason.

    Then, he must have visited here for a request or something equivalent to that.

    ¡°Who are you? How dare you be so insolent! Do you know who I am?!¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Sir Ruby. The other party is themander of the Royal Knights. Shouldn¡¯t you show basic courtesy?¡±

    ¡°¡­You are¡­¡±

    ¡°Long time no see. Sir Hans, how have you been?¡±

    A dwarf with a monocle on one eye and green hair befitting the name Emerald got off behind him.

    Viral Emerald, I never thought he woulde again.

    ¡°ra, Helia, take Ruby inside.¡±

    ¡°Okay, got it.¡±

    ¡°Cluna, I¡¯m sorry for the short notice. Please prepare to receive the guest.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll prepare and bring it right away.¡±

    Despite the confusion, I took immediate action.

    The biggest problem was Ruby.

    She couldn¡¯t even make proper eye contact right now.

    In this case, there was only one thing.

    Childhood abuse.

    To put it more directly, domestic violence.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    I wanted to be strong.

    I wanted to be stronger than anyone else and escape from that nightmare.

    From the beginning, we were never in that trash¡¯s mind.

    Dwarves blindly pursue.

    They believe that their skills represent their value.

    And in severe cases, even the dwarves themselves be possessed by madness and delusion to the point of being criticized.

    And very unfortunately, my father was like that.

    In the Dwarf Republic, there are four jewels that support the republic.

    Emerald, Ruby, Diamond, and Sapphire that epasses them all.

    They were passed down as families, but among them, the weakest was the Ruby family.

    Once, they even surpassed the Sapphire family and reigned as the king of the Dwarf Republic.

    But as time passed, the family¡¯s decline began, and as a result, they handed over the kingship to the Sapphire family.

    Even their remaining position as a jewel family became precarious.

    In order to somehow prevent that, the family chose that man.

    In fact, he seeded in protecting the position of the jewel family.

    By sacrificing his beloved family.

    I hated that.

    I was disgusted by the people of the family who were happy that they had protected their position.

    So, I tried to be stronger than anyone else.

    But look at me now.

    Unable to say anything to that man in front of me.

    Just trembling and being led away by the hand of an elf who was no different from an enemy.

    It was truly pathetic.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay now.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be strong. Your hands are still shaking.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not pretending.¡±

    ¡°Ruby, you¡­¡±

    The bitter taste of blood came from my lips that I had bitten hard.

    I could feel ra looking at me with a surprised expression.

    I only felt sorry for her.

    But still, I had no choice.

    If I ran away here, it felt like I wouldn¡¯t be able toe back.

    I forcibly put strength into my arms and legs to stop the trembling.

    I forcibly turned my head away from the fear welling up deep in my chest.

    I can¡¯t leave it to someone else.

    I have to do it.

    That guy is trash, but he¡¯s not stupid.

    He¡¯ll be up to something using a request as an excuse. And themander has no choice but to ept the request.

    Because the situation was not good now.

    The Royal Knights were already staggering after their downfall.

    Moreover, the other party was a jewel of the Dwarf Republic that had regained its reputation.

    Naturally, it was a ce with enough money to rot.

    I also didn¡¯t want to cause harm to the knight order by being swayed by the circumstances of a mere member.

    But I couldn¡¯t just tuck my tail and run away like this.

    Because it would be no different from when I was a little kid.

    So, at the very least, I didn¡¯t run away.

    I¡¯ll face and fight with all my might.

    That was my first act of resistance. And with my hands still slightly trembling, I opened that door.

    And¡­

    ¡°Oops! My hand slipped and I smashed my head!¡±

    I saw themander smashing the trash¡¯s head with a mug.

    ¡­Huh?

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 50

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    At first, I tried to resolve it through conversation.

    After all, he came all the way here himself.

    It didn¡¯t erase his past wrongdoings, but if by any chance he sincerely repented, I had intended to at least provide a ce for him.

    However, from the start, he sat in his seat with an arrogant attitude, looking at me in a way that didn¡¯t seem at all like the attitude of someone who regretted his wrongdoings.Still, I thought it would be good to at least listen to what he had to say.

    I tried to think positively.

    Precisely, I tried to think positively until that guy opened his mouth.

    ¡°I¡¯d like you to return my daughter.¡±

    ¡°I never took her. She came here on her own.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you lure a young child who knows nothing?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    His attitude didn¡¯t consider the other party at all.

    He was only showing an attitude of trampling on them.

    So much so that even Viral, who was next to him, was directly giving him a look.

    But he didn¡¯t care even a little.

    I tilted my head.

    No matter what, can he be this rude?

    Even if his position is high, this is clearly the headquarters of the Royal Knights.

    If he has a high position, he should know that acting like this won¡¯t do him any good, right?

    But why?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but it seems Ruby left home at a young age and came all the way here.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s right. Was it when she was about 7 years old? Or was it 8 years old?¡±

    ¡°How desperate must that young child have been toe all this way?¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to provoke me now?¡±

    With those words, I clearly realized.

    That man didn¡¯t think of Ruby as his daughter at all.

    Otherwise, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t know when his own daughter ran away from home.

    In other words, it meant that man was looking for Ruby again out of necessity. And he was the man who inflicted domestic violence on her in the past.

    Then, what I should do is clear.

    ¡°I refuse. Ruby is a proper member of the Royal Knights. She¡¯s not some object I can hand over as I please.¡±

    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s not be like that. I¡¯m saying there¡¯s a way we can all be happy.¡±

    ¡°A way to be happy?¡±

    ¡°Yes, for example¡­ an anonymous sponsorship?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I wondered what he was talking about, but it was such a cheap andmon proposal that I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    No matter how desperate we were for money, we wouldn¡¯t sell our members.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you 50,000 gold upfront. And if you seed in handing over Ruby, an additional 100,000 gold. How about it?¡±

    ¡­It was too much money to reprimand him.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    Whoa!

    No, no way.

    Just for a very brief moment, I almost fell for it.

    Exchanging money for a member, such a thing could never happen.

    If I did that, our trust wouldpletely fly away.

    ¡°No matter what conditions you offer, I can¡¯t ept it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand! It must be a huge amount of money?!¡±

    ¡°Indeed, we need money to rebuild the Royal Knights.¡±

    In the first ce, what was the reason I was going through all this hardship?

    My ultimate goal was to return to my original body.

    The problem was that there was too much work to do before I returned to my original body.

    Surely, somewhere in this world, there must be a clue to returning to my original body.

    But the biggest problem was that more than half of the continent was currently upied by demons.

    In other words, even to find a way for me to return safely, rebuilding the Royal Knights was the right thing to do for now.

    That way, the alliance of races wouldn¡¯t crumble like in the original story.

    And that would make it easier for me to find a way to return safely.

    Like Comprachico who I saw before, demons basically used a lot of bizarre abilities.

    Among them, there were demons who used powers as cheat-like as time stop.

    Against such demons, there was no 100% guarantee of safety.

    So¡­

    ¡°But there are definitely things that money can¡¯t buy.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Trust.¡±

    As a result, I was trying to rebuild the Royal Knights for my own purpose. And it was true that money was needed for that.

    But was money all it took?

    No, it was not.

    Let¡¯s say I sold Ruby and got 150,000 gold right now.

    Then what would happen after that?

    Could I rebuild the Royal Knights with that money?

    There was no way that was possible.

    Because in exchange, I would lose their trust.

    Amander who sells members for money?

    No matter how you look at it, he only looks like amon third-rate viin.

    My top priority was rebuilding the Royal Knights.

    Of course, money would be needed for that too.

    But if that money didn¡¯t help at all in rebuilding the Royal Knights, I didn¡¯t need it either.

    At my firm will, the man began to pour out his anger.

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?! That¡¯s mine!¡±

    ¡°Wait, calm down and¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t hand it over to anyone!!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I was wrong.

    He hadpletely lost his mind.

    Viral was trying to stop him from the side, but he waspletely ignoring even Viral¡¯s words.

    Anyway, I could tell that man was out of his mind.

    An eye for an eye.

    A tooth for a tooth.

    To a man who¡¯s not in his right mind, I¡¯ll respond in kind with a method that¡¯s not in its right mind.

    I picked up the cup Cluna had brought.

    It had a handle like a mug and was quite thick.

    I raised the cup high into the sky.

    And like a hammer, I smashed it directly onto the man¡¯s head.

    With a loud, noisy sound, the man copsed on the floor, bleeding.

    ¡°Oops! My hand slipped and I smashed his head!¡±

    Of course, it was an excuse that wouldn¡¯t be believable at all.

    But I tried to make an excuse anyway.

    After all, asking me to sell a member for money and the excuse I was making now were all the same.

    ¡°Commander¡­?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    And Ruby ended up catching me in the act.

    Why did youe out there¡­?

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Dwarves blindly follow technology.

    They believe that the skills they possess represent their worth and love their masterpieces like their own children.

    Of course, there are cases where they go too far.

    Other races criticize or condemn that, but no dwarf has ever cared about that.

    However, right now, a single dwarf sensed something strange.

    Of course, dwarves do blindly follow technology.

    But they haven¡¯t gone so crazy as to tolerate sacrificing family or colleagues for the sake of technological advancement.

    It was not that such cases had never happened, but it was rare enough to count on one hand for all of dwarf society to proudly regard it or simply tolerate it.

    But such crazy things were happening quite frequently now.

    No matter how technology-crazed lunatics were gathered, there were stillws that must be followed to maintain a nation.

    But now, an unbelievable crack had appeared in thatw.

    It started with one of the four jewels that supported the Dwarf Republic.

    It started with Ruby.

    That man unveiled an unbelievable sword in front of everyone.

    [The material for this sword is my loved one. The more I love that person, the more powerful the weapon bes.]

    With that single unbelievable statement, the dwarf craftsmen began to go berserk one by one.

    The entire situation was very contrived.

    The dwarves took pride in their skills, and that also meant they weren¡¯t easily swayed by others¡¯ words.

    But at that man¡¯s single statement, everyone was enchanted and honed their skills using their loved ones as sacrifices. And that had a negative impact on the republic as well.

    No matter how crazy the Dwarf Republic was, they weren¡¯t so brain-dead as to engage in territorial disputes with the alliance even in this situation.

    Their brains weren¡¯t made of scrap metal.

    ¡®As expected, choosing themander of the Royal Knights was the right answer!¡¯

    Viral, who had been trying to stop the man beside him, had his eyes lit up.

    He thought that man, who would never hand over his members, who was like steel, would definitely not let this slide.

    ¡°Commander, I have a request for you.¡±

    ¡°You want to make a request in a situation like this?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Commander. You already know, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°The fact that the Dwarf Republic has not been normaltely.¡±

    In Viral¡¯s eyes, the currentmander was no ordinary man.

    He single-handedly defeated Comprachico, who had thrown the Dwarf Republic into chaos, and maintained his upper hand in negotiations.

    On the surface, it may seem like the Dwarf Republic, which overcharged, had won.

    But in the end, it was the Royal Knights who gained more than just money.

    Not the Dwarf Republic.

    However, that didn¡¯t mean he liked themander.

    He acknowledged his abilities, but considering the previous private matter as well, he couldn¡¯t have good feelings.

    So, he knelt down.

    After ordering his attendant to restrain the man who was hit with a cup and copsed, he sat on the floor and knelt down.

    Moreover, he even touched his forehead to the ground and said,

    ¡°Commander, please. You¡¯re the only one we can trust and rely on.¡±

    ¡°I ept. The details?¡±

    ¡°¡­Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Commander!! Have you forgotten what they did to us?!¡±

    ¡°Even I was disgusted by it!!¡±

    Naturally, there was tremendous opposition to themander¡¯s swift eptance.

    So much so that even Viral, the party involved, looked at him nkly.

    That was how odd it was.

    They had just finished a request, but not only did they cut the money, but they even acted out like this today.

    Naturally, Viral was prepared to even risk his life if necessary.

    Because he could do anything for the sake of his homnd.

    But he epted it so readily.

    Even the others who had been listening silently on the side were so startled that they opposed¡­

    ¡°How could you ept it so readily¡­?¡±

    ¡°Is there a reason to save people?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Rather, that single retorting question was heavier than any words Viral had heard so far.

    Regardless of past grudges or personal feelings, he saved people.

    The image of a noble hero that could only be found in fairy tales was right in front of his eyes.

    Out of gratitude, Viral could only lower his head and swallow his tears.

    But did he know?

    That Hans was actually thinking something else.

    ¡®You said there¡¯s a divine sword in the Dwarf Republic that can cut through anything? If demons appear, I¡¯ll secure it using that as an excuse¡­¡¯

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 51

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    This request turned into an all-out battle for the Royal Knights.

    Originally, we would leave behind a guard unit for the defense of our base when going out.

    However, there were exceptions when we had to utilize the full force of the Royal Knights, like during the subjugation of Comprachico.

    In my opinion, if we failed to stop the Dwarf Republic¡¯s rampage, there was a high probability that the Dwarf Republic would fall and a dark age would ur. After all, the Dwarf Republic was the strongest nation in terms of technology.

    In fact, in the original story, the demons used unbelievable technologies like magic cannons and mobile fortresses.

    ording to the setting, they obtained those by absorbing the technology of the Dwarf Republic.

    In other words, even for the sake of my own happy future, we absolutely had to protect the Dwarf Republic.

    Furthermore, even if we couldn¡¯t protect the republic, we at least had to secure the divine sword somehow.

    ¡°Teacher, I want to be of help to you as well.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous, Helia.¡±

    While the other members weren¡¯t a problem, Helia¡¯s safety was still the biggest concern.

    Until now, I had Helia stand by in the rear with Cluna. Because she was still young.

    She was only just turning from 13 to 14 years old.

    In modern times, that would only be a first-year middle school student.

    How could we put such a little girl on the front lines?

    Naturally, we had no choice but to put her in the rear.

    However, this time, Helia¡¯s determination to stand with me at the front was firm, too firm.

    Not only I, but Cluna also opposed it.

    But the rest of the members took Helia¡¯s side.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we let her do as she wants?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s up to oneself to choose one¡¯s own path.¡±

    ¡°We, well, I think it¡¯ll be fine if we protect her¡­!!¡±

    Well, you guys have been talking since you were 3 years old and hunting bears, so of course you¡¯d say that.

    But humans were different.

    Compared to other races, humans had a longer infancy and were weaker in many ways.

    The same applied to Helia.

    No matter how tremendous her talent was, she was still just a young child.

    But what if something went wrong and Helia died or got seriously injured?

    It could possibly affect the development of the original story.

    That was the one thing I wanted to avoid.

    If it was a positive influence, that would be one thing.

    But if it had a negative impact, who knew what the future would hold.

    Yuren maintained neutrality.

    Perhaps because she had the experience of losing family, only Cluna, who thought of Helia as a daughter, was the sole member agreeing with me.

    ¡°Helia iscking in experience and too young. There¡¯s absolutely no need to move so hastily.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But I don¡¯t want to just watch from behind anymore either.¡±

    ¡°Why are you going so far?¡±

    ¡°I find it hard to just watch Teacher get hurt from behind.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Cluna¡¯s soft voice faltered.

    It was because she made eye contact with Helia, whose eyes were as gloomy as if shrouded in dark clouds.

    The girl¡¯s red eyes were heavily downcast.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to just be a burden to Teacher anymore. I will do my utmost to help Teacher as well.¡±

    ¡°Goodness, how can you two be so alike¡­¡±

    ¡°Mother!!!¡±

    ¡°I suppose it can¡¯t be helped at this point.¡±

    Cluna smiled and brought her hand to her cheek.

    At Cluna¡¯s words, ra¡¯s face turned red as she shouted.

    Regardless, in the end, Cluna took a step back.

    ¡­Excuse me?

    What am I supposed to do if you back down like that?

    As I looked at Cluna with that feeling, she showed me a smile.

    Just as I was about to say something, she spoke first.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the same thing to me, Commander?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You told me to protect my daughter by my side directly. Then, Commander, you should do the same, shouldn¡¯t you?¡±

    I shut my mouth.

    I never expected my own words toe back like a boomerang.

    I had said it so confidently that I couldn¡¯t refute it.

    My head hurt, the headache was too severe.

    ¡°I have no choice. However, in case of emergency, you must follow my words absolutely. If you don¡¯t follow that, I¡¯ll send you straight to the rear.¡±

    ¡°Thank you! Teacher!¡±

    ¡°Great! We can finally fight together!¡±

    ¡°Hmm! Helia would be more helpful than some lump of ore!¡±

    ¡°Why is this mineral brat picking a fight again?¡±

    As a bonus, ra and Ruby, who started fighting again, were at it.

    At first, I also tried to break them apart every day.

    But they were constantly stuck together and fighting.

    Now, I just let it be.

    Moreover, even though their words were rough, there wasn¡¯t a single instance of it leading to actual swordy since I became themander.

    Anyway, Helia also officially joined the Royal Knights¡¯ forces.

    But was this really the right thing to do?

    Bringing a child who¡¯s only 13 years old to the battlefield¡­

    Of course, it was a multi-race alliance. And the current time period was closer to the Middle Ages rather than modern times, but still.

    As I was getting weighed down by various thoughts, something soft like a glutinous rice cake stuck tightly to my arm.

    Startled, I turned my head and met red eyes.

    ¡°Now we can always be together! Teacher!¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Her red eyes were shining ominously.

    I got an eerie feeling.

    Certainly, Helia was smiling. And I clearly knew that emotion was goodwill, but¡­

    It was not like there was a problem though.

    Perhaps it was due to her continued education together with Cluna.

    Compared to before when she would immediately resort to swordy, her personality had definitely improved a lot.

    In fact, she was often seen getting along with her fellow members Bayard, ra, and Ruby.

    However, I had a thought.

    Could it be that Helia had been moving behind the scenes aiming for this?

    I quickly denied that thought.

    There was no way Helia would go that far.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Ambassador Viral¡¯s request was simple.

    Save the rampaging Dwarf Republic.

    He said he would give everything he had aspensation.

    I thought it was nonsense, but when he paid 10,000 gold upfront, my mind quickly changed.

    When people are too desperate, they can talk like that, yes. Indeed, indeed.

    But more than the money, above all, it was to our benefit for the Dwarf Republic to hold out.

    If the Dwarf Republic copsed, one of the two pirs supporting against the demon attacks would be breached in an instant.

    So we put in our utmost effort to prevent the fall of the Dwarf Republic.

    Realizing that, I entrusted the fortress to the Human Kingdom and mobilized all our forces.

    Fortunately, thanks to the advance payment from Ambassador Viral, we were able to provide quite a big help to the kingdom as well.

    As a result, we were now riding carriages and heading straight to the Dwarf Republic.

    Thanks to Ambassador Viral covering all the carriage expenses, we could travel as if we were on a trip.

    ¡°What is the current situation in the Dwarf Republic?¡±

    ¡°Frankly, it¡¯s not looking good. They are showing an attitude that it¡¯s natural to sacrifice others to improve their own skills.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it always like that?¡±

    ¡°Good skills are imbued in good craftsmen. It¡¯s a proverb passed down among dwarves. But now¡­¡±

    ¡°It seems there are neither good skills nor good craftsmen.¡±

    At my words, Ambassador Viral fell silent.

    I also didn¡¯t know the details.

    The setting rted to the Dwarf Republic wasn¡¯t borated much in the original game or even in the setting collections.

    Only bits and pieces were revealed.

    Moreover, even the dwarf heroine Bell Sapphire didn¡¯t think very highly of her homnd.

    She chose to rebuild the republic just for the sake of her fellow people as thest royal.

    Later on, she would be freed from that heavy burden and live happily with the protagonist, which was Bell Sapphire¡¯s normal ending.

    The good ending¡­ Let¡¯s stop thinking about that now, damn it.

    ¡°By the way, is it okay for other races to go to the Dwarf Republic together?¡±

    ¡°I will guarantee the safety of the Royal Knights.¡±

    ¡°I see, I suppose we can trust the word of someone of the Ambassador¡¯s position.¡±

    ording to Ambassador Viral, dwarves basically liked to hone their skills.

    It was their racial characteristic or something.

    But if all dwarves were cksmiths, the nation wouldn¡¯t function.

    So they create positions that allowed the nation to function at a minimum and appointed dwarves to those positions.

    Although they couldn¡¯t hone their skills, they were respected by other dwarves to that extent instead.

    Because if by any chance they quit, the next person to take that position could be themselves.

    Therefore, we could trust Ambassador Viral¡¯s word.

    Though I didn¡¯t know how long it wouldst.

    ¡°Come to think of it, hasn¡¯t Cluna been to the Dwarf Republic before?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s see, was it about 500 years ago?¡±

    ¡°¡­I guess there won¡¯t be any helpful information then.¡±

    Dwarves do live longer than humans, but not to the extent of living for ages like elves.

    Moreover, if it was 500 years ago, the times would have changed more than enough.

    Naturally, it wouldn¡¯t be of any help.

    Perhaps because we were talking about too difficult topics, Helia was nodding off at some point.

    For Helia¡¯s sake, I lent her my shoulder.

    Only then did she fall asleep with a stable expression.

    ¡°You two seem to have a very good rtionship.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡±

    But at the end of the day, it was just a rtionship between a teacher and a student.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 53

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The Dwarf Republic.

    Unlike the Human Kingdom, it was truly and of gold with countless resources and technologies.

    Naturally, it was inevitable that the demons would covet the Dwarf Republic.

    Especially after being properly tricked by the Holy Kingdom, the demons couldn¡¯t just sit back and watch the riffraff of the continent y their tricks. So they decided to invade the Dwarf Republic.

    However, it was too costly to push through with force.

    With the barrier of the Holy Kingdom, demons above the True Demons couldn¡¯t move properly within the barrier.

    So instead, they decided to spread poison.

    The slowly spreading poison would rot the Dwarf Republic from the inside, eventually leading to its self-destruction.

    That was how they slowly but surely made the Dwarf Republic rot away.

    Of course, there were those within the Dwarf Republic who sensed something suspicious.

    But most could be dealt with easily.

    Except for one, Viral Emerald.

    At the moment they could have dealt with him, he cleverly chose to flee the country.

    And then he brought the Royal Knights all the way here?

    At first, they were a bit flustered.

    But it didn¡¯t matter.

    Because Ambassador Viral knew nothing.

    Naturally, the Royal Knights wouldn¡¯t be able to figure out anything either.

    That¡¯s what they thought.

    Until they heard themander¡¯s words directly.

    ¡°Demons, huh.¡±

    That single confident statement was enough to sow confusion.

    How the hell did he know?

    Ambassador Viral had never mentioned it.

    How did he figure out it was the demons in that one moment?

    At that moment, themander¡¯s eyes met mine.

    I had no choice but to hurriedly avert my gaze in surprise.

    I didn¡¯t know why, but the currentmander of the Royal Knights had definitely figured something out.

    He must be killed immediately.

    I quickly came to a conclusion.

    If I were to do it, it had to be today, targeting now when they were in poor condition after the long and arduous journey.

    And finally, the deep night shrouded the light of the republic.

    I personally headed to themander¡¯s bedroom.

    The other members weren¡¯t a problem.

    I would directly deal with themander, the most noteworthy individual.

    Perhaps overconfident, he was in a deep sleep.

    Could it be a trap to lure me in?

    That thought crossed my mind for a brief moment.

    But I soon shook my head and denied that possibility.

    If that were the case, he would have aimed for the moment I entered the room.

    But he didn¡¯t do that.

    In other words, it meant he had let his guard down now.

    It was fortunate amidst the misfortune.

    With the situation of the demons being particrly unfavorable now, the invasion of the Dwarf Republic must not fail.

    With that mindset, I slowly approached.

    I got close enough to feel themander¡¯s breath, but he still had his eyes closed and was sleeping.

    I slowly raised my dagger.

    Still, he remained unmoving.

    Without hesitation, I swung down the raised dagger as it was.

    In the end, you let your guard down, ohmander of the Royal Knights.

    However, I felt something strange.

    I couldn¡¯t feel the sensation in my hand.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    Blood didn¡¯t stter around.

    The dagger had merely stabbed the innocent bed.

    Some fur was tumbling in the air.

    Right at that moment when I was standing there with a nk expression, stunned by the sudden situation.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    A chilling de touched my neck.

    Themander, who had been sleeping, not only woke up but also got behind me in that brief moment.

    The moment I realized that fact, for the first time, cold sweat ran down.

    As expected of themander of the Royal Knights.

    His skills were absurd.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Although many shocking stories were exchanged, anyway, we decided to rest for today and start the investigation the next day.

    Because the members were too tired to start right away.

    For the protection of our safety, it was decided that the Jewel Star would specially escort us.

    I would be personally guarded by Rain Emerald.

    I suppose we could trust them since they were the royal guard.

    In fact, Ambassador Viral also directly expressed his trust in Rain Emerald, even if he didn¡¯t know about others.

    She was probably Ambassador Viral¡¯s closest aide.

    Anyway, we took a rest.

    And at the same time, I thought I could rest at ease for today.

    There was an underlying thought that they wouldn¡¯t reveal their true colors from the first day.

    Would they really do that right away?

    But that actually happened.

    Assumptions can really get you.

    It¡¯s not like I had noticed anything.

    I was just tired, so I washed up and went straight to bed.

    But my sleep was restless, and when I woke up, there was a dagger right in front of me.

    At first, I wasn¡¯t very surprised.

    Because I thought it was a dream.

    However, that wasn¡¯t a dream.

    While I was sleeping, time stop had activated and saved my life.

    ¡°Oh shit, that startled me.¡±

    If I had panicked and sat up, I would have been stabbed by the dagger and severely injured.

    I slowly and carefully sat up, avoiding the dagger.

    How long had time stop been active?

    About 5 minutes had passed.

    Just being able to roughly know that was already a big help for me.

    I quickly drew my sword and struck at its neck.

    At first, I had intended to kill it right away.

    But soon, my mind changed.

    My sword couldn¡¯t prate deep into its neck.

    Based on the feeling, it was much tougher than Comprachico.

    It meant it was at least a higher-ranking demon than Comprachico.

    Then it meant it was at least a blood demon.

    I frowned.

    Originally, demons couldn¡¯t operate here due to the barrier.

    At most, only low-level ones could be active.

    But recently, blood demon-level demons had started to appear.

    It was proof that the Holy Kingdom¡¯s barrier was weakening.

    That was also a problem, but for now, let¡¯s focus on the current issue.

    I released time stop.

    If the time stopsted any longer, I wouldn¡¯t be able to endure it due to the cooldown.

    As soon as I released time stop, I saw its startled expression.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Now all that was left was to buy time until the cooldown was over.

    I couldn¡¯t withstand facing a blood demon-level without using time eleration.

    But time eleration was a sure-kill move.

    I had to save it until the very end.

    Honestly, it was best not to use it at all.

    Anyway, to buy time for the time stop cooldown, I opened my mouth.

    Then it slowly got up and turned its head. And the moment I saw its face, I was shocked.

    Because it was the face of someone I knew.

    With blue hair.

    And a girl-like appearance with blue eyes as well.

    Rain Emerald, she was the one who had attempted to assassinate me with a dagger.

    Why in the world?

    Wasn¡¯t she Ambassador Viral¡¯s closest aide?

    ¡°I aimed for when your senses were dulled from the long journey. It seems I¡¯m the one who fell into a trap.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°It seems you have a lot to ask me. But I can answer a few things.¡±

    ¡°Why did you, the closest aide of Ambassador Viral, betray him?¡±

    Fortunately, the threat worked.

    The poker face skills I had trained until now finally shone.

    If I had shown a flustered appearance, my skills would have been doubted.

    And right after that, I would have been attacked.

    Nevertheless, the reason it wasn¡¯t moving now was because it was wary of me.

    That was why it was answering to buy time.

    I knew that, but now it was rather weed.

    I also needed to cooldown time stop.

    Let¡¯s try to buy as much time as possible now.

    At my words, Rain smiled and replied,

    ¡°As expected, the people of the continent are foolish.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Do I still look like Rain to you?¡±

    ¡°¡­?!¡±

    ¡°AKA MPP3 TK1 MPP4 TK2 DARRRRR¡­¡±

    It made some bizarre noise.

    As if something inhuman was speaking to me.

    That kind of voice.

    A chill ran down my spine.

    I clenched my teeth.

    I had to maintain my poker face.

    Rain¡¯s form started to melt like mud.

    Eventually, itpletely lost its shape.

    Instead, what was there was something grotesquely shaped.

    It definitely wasn¡¯t human.

    Crawling on the floor, it had very thin threads surrounding its body.

    Its face wasn¡¯t visible.

    But although its eyes weren¡¯t visible, numerous mouths were attached to its body and moving.

    ¡°PL3 UT1 DDAD EMEL MPP4 DARRRRR¡­¡±

    The problem was that it was spewing out iprehensible sounds from those numerous mouths.

    From my perspective of listening to it, I felt like I would go insane at any moment.

    That was how terribly dreadful the sound was.

    Eventually, it moved.

    It swung its tentacles.

    I quickly retreated backward.

    The tentacles it swung instantly smashed the floor.

    Thanks to that, I fell to the floor.

    My posture was broken, but I barely survived because it hastily fled.

    I clicked my tongue and got up from the spot.

    Whatever the case, reuniting with the others came first now.

    Because I was scared.

    What the hell was that?

    That monster.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 54

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    There were plenty of strong races.

    Compared to them, we were always in the position of the weak.

    Back then, we could only change our appearance. And even that was discriminated against and despised for being repulsive.

    But those who persecuted us back then, not a single one of them was alive now. Because we killed them all directly.

    Those who know nothing say that we are traitors.

    I have no intention of denying it.

    However, we had no choice but to do it to survive.

    We swore allegiance to the demons and became their servants.

    In return, we received power from them.

    The power to be able to take revenge.

    But that power wascking to be called the strongest.

    I, as the chief, managed to obtain powerparable to the demons.

    But even that was nothing more than what I had honed myself.

    My fellow tribesmen only had intelligence and strength at the level of monsters.

    But still, it was fine.

    Because as long as you¡¯re alive, there¡¯s a future.

    Life is the driving force that moves us.

    We do anything to survive.

    And that became a little more solid over time as we umted experience.

    First, if there is a being that might be stronger than you in front of you, don¡¯t obsess over the fight.

    There is no invincibility.

    There are always weaknesses.

    After finding out those weaknesses, just slowly deal with them.

    Following that principle of action, it chose to retreat.

    The opponent was themander of the Royal Knights.

    His strength was immeasurable.

    Even assassination had failed.

    Then, for now, step back and prepare for the next move.

    It¡¯s okay, the tide won¡¯t turn with a single failure.

    There are already too many things prepared.

    There were plenty of those stronger than us.

    But it was always us who survived.

    And it will continue to be so in the future.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Why did it suddenly run away?

    That still remained a mystery.

    I didn¡¯t know why it suddenly fled, but anyway, this was a golden opportunity for me.

    I quickly ran to the others¡¯ rooms.

    Just like how regrouping is important in a group battle, rather than being scattered and picked off one by one, it was safer to immediately regroup.

    Moreover, that demon¡¯s ability was disguise or doppelganger.

    I had to quickly regroup and protect the others before it disguised itself as one of us.

    I moved my feet swiftly.

    Fortunately, I had them stay nearby in case of situations like this.

    So it wasn¡¯t difficult to regroup with the others.

    Perhaps sensing the attack, by the time I arrived, most of the members had already finished arming themselves and were waiting in their positions.

    I shouted,

    ¡°Everyone is present without a single absence, right?!¡±

    ¡°Our room is fine for now!¡±

    ¡°Same with our room.¡±

    ¡°Good, that¡¯s a relief at least. Everyone, gather up!¡±

    Since not a single one left their position, there would have been no room for that impersonator to sneak in.

    Moreover, there was no way Yuren or Cluna would have stayed still.

    After finishing the preparations quickly and going outside, the situation outside was already a mess.

    The ce we were staying at now was the Iron Fortress, the castle of the Dwarf Republic.

    It wasn¡¯t a figurative meaning, but it was literally made by sticking iron all over, hence the name given to it.

    But that Iron Fortress was under attack now.

    ¡°They¡¯reing out more boldly than expected.¡±

    ¡°From the demons¡¯ perspective, now is the right time when the fatigue from the long journey hasn¡¯t been relieved yet.¡±

    ¡°But I can¡¯t understand. Didn¡¯t they put in so much effort to take over the Dwarf Republic?¡±

    That¡¯s true.

    They had poured countless efforts until now to invade the Dwarf Republic.

    But to abandon that effort so easily like this?

    Thanks to that, we were caught off guard.

    Since they had alreadyid out their tricks until now.

    So I had calcted that they wouldn¡¯t cause such amotion from the first day¡­

    Well, how could we predict the thoughts of the demons?

    Since we can¡¯t understand each other, that¡¯s why we¡¯ve been fighting non-stop until now.

    ¡°It seems they have some ulterior motive. For now, let¡¯s focus on the current situation.¡±

    ¡°Yes~ Commander!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the lead.¡±

    ¡°Commander Yuren?¡±

    Her ck hair swayed greatly.

    At the same time, the foot she stepped forward on smashed the floor.

    At the sudden explosive sound, I was taken aback, I could see it.

    The thing crushed under Yuren¡¯s foot, that is.

    It was emitting a gray light, but it wasn¡¯t a human face.

    It was the face of a reptile.

    If I had to specify, it was a face very simr to a chameleon.

    I frowned.

    These guys were probably the monsters called doppelgangers.

    ¡°Doppelgangers, huh.¡±

    ¡°As expected, you knew.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m well-versed in monsters.¡±

    ¡°Doppelgangers? What are those?¡±

    ra tilted her head and asked.

    Ruby and Helia also seemed to be unaware.

    In this game, doppelgangers had a slightly different setting.

    Originally, doppelgangers were described as mutants of lizardmen, with simr habits, but possessing a special power to transform into different appearances.

    Due to that power, they were ostracized by the lizardmen.

    In the end, in order to survive, they ended up siding with the demons.

    So, it was only natural for them to not know unless it was a special case.

    Because there were very few people who had directly seen the true form of a doppelganger.

    Most people probably didn¡¯t even know what a doppelganger itself was.

    ¡°The leader is probably the chief of the doppelganger tribe.¡±

    ¡°Even I have never seen the chief in person.¡±

    ¡°Even Mother has never seen him in person?!¡±

    It was understandable for ra to be surprised.

    If even Cluna had never seen him directly, it meant they had been thoroughly concealing their identity.

    I quickly racked my brain.

    The enemy were doppelgangers who could steal appearances.

    That meant we couldn¡¯t trust the people around us¡­

    For now, whether Rain Emerald was originally that doppelganger, the real Rain Emerald¡¯s life or death status, and so on.

    There were too many things I needed to find out right away.

    If the real Rain Emerald was already dead and they had been manipting everything from the beginning, the n prepared by Ambassador Viral would naturally fail.

    In the first ce, Ambassador Viral had prepared all the ns with Rain Emerald.

    Naturally, those ns wouldn¡¯t work on the doppelganger disguised as Rain Emerald.

    Now I finally understood.

    Why the Dwarf Republic had fallen.

    Even though there were voices trying to change from within, the doppelganger secretly dealt with them.

    And they started filling those empty positions with doppelgangers again.

    With them doing that, how could the Dwarf Republic possibly stop it with any means?

    ¡°First, we secure Ambassador Viral.¡±

    ¡°Certainly, it seems that¡¯s the only thing intact right now.¡±

    ¡°If we scatter, we die; if we stick together, we live. Move swiftly!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to go that far.¡±

    Cluna smiled and snapped her fingers.

    It felt like the wind was blowing from somewhere.

    That wasn¡¯t just the wind.

    It was a thread of wind.

    A thread made of wind was extending somewhere far.

    When I looked at Cluna with eyes asking what this was, she said to me with a smile,

    ¡°There¡¯s always a chance, you know?¡±

    ¡°Protecting and securing the most important person is the basics of the basics.¡±

    At Cluna¡¯s words, Yuren nodded as if it was natural.

    I see, I had no idea.

    Looking around, most of them seemed to know.

    Goodness.

    ¡°Phew, excellent. Thanks to you, I¡¯m saved.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s thanks to the Commander trusting me.¡±

    ¡°What? Did the Commander directly ask you to do it?¡±

    ¡°Someone of the Commander¡¯s skill level would have noticed long ago. Even so, not saying anything and letting it slide was already a silent affirmation, right?¡±

    Hmm, I see.

    It seems that Hans from the parallel world is quite an amazing fellow to that extent.

    I¡¯m starting to want to see his face at least once to see how great he is.

    I desperately avoided ra¡¯s respectful gaze and quickly ran along the wind thread Cluna had created.

    Eventually, we arrived at the ambassador¡¯s lodging.

    Originally, Ambassador Viral had his own residence.

    But for safety reasons, he decided to stay here instead of his own home.

    As I was pondering whether to knock or not, suddenly, Yuren kicked the door of the lodging with her foot.

    With a crunching sound, the iron-made door of the lodging screamed and was torn like paper.

    ¡°It seems the answer was right after all.¡±

    ¡°DADE PALL TK5 MME1¡­¡±

    ¡°H-How did you know toe here¡­?!¡±

    It was

    ¡°Interesting. It¡¯s anguage system I¡¯ve never heard before. In that state, can it only utter such sounds?¡±

    ¡°Cluna, restrain your academic curiosity.¡±

    ¡°DREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s clearly a demon.¡±

    Demons.

    Monsters with powers on a different level from mere magical beasts.

    Moreover, that wasn¡¯t just a low-level demon, but a blood demon.

    Unlike the low-level demons who are despised, the real monsters that belong to the ranks of monsters.

    It roared and spewed out ck tentacles.

    The tentacles that sprung up from the floor engulfed us at an incredible speed.

    But unfortunately, we weren¡¯t just any ordinary bunch either.

    Bayard and ra sliced all the tentacles that came close to us like cutting vegetables.

    At the same time, Ruby, who had been preparing in the back, charged forward and swung her hammer, striking the doppelganger.

    Thanks to that, Ambassador Viral was finally able to be free.

    I was just watching all of that.

    Because I couldn¡¯t react.

    Damn, they¡¯re fast as hell.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 55

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Whether it was the doppelganger who judged it was better to capture Ambassador Viral in that short time.

    Or the Royal Knights members who easily rescued Ambassador Viral in the midst of that.

    Was this level of fighting for real?

    It really made my heart swell with emotion. If only I wasn¡¯t there.

    Right now, I was feeling a tremendous burden like a new recruit who had entered a 2-week standby.

    Anyway, for 2 weeks, they absolutely didn¡¯t touch you.

    They didn¡¯t even make you work.

    So while the seniors worked hard, the new recruit would just quietly watch from behind.

    That was the feeling I had.

    The doppelganger, or more precisely, the leader of the doppelgangers, kept up the offensive without rest.

    The horror of invisible tentacles springing up from the floor was beyond imagination.

    The only reason I could avoid the tentacles was purely thanks to time stop.

    Seeing the tentacles sprout from the spot where I was standing with zero error, I got goosebumps.

    If I had stayed still in that spot, the tentacles would have pierced through me from bottom to top.

    I nced around.

    The other members were avoiding it with ease.

    Rather, some of them were even counterattacking.

    As expected of the Royal Knights!

    I believed in you! Damn it!

    It seemed this would be settled on its own even if I didn¡¯t bother to step in.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s an unbelievable monster.¡±

    ¡°Demons are originally such beings.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve finally realized it.¡±

    Thanks to that, I had now stepped back and was talking to Ambassador Viral.

    Of course, I had an excuse.

    I was under the pretext of guarding Ambassador Viral, the most important person.

    Shrieeeek!!

    The doppelganger spewed out tentacles with an eerie noise, flying like bullets.

    At the same time, the world turned gray.

    Time had stopped once again.

    I clicked my tongue.

    The fact that time stopped automatically meant, in other words, I would have died if I had stayed still.

    And in fact, the doppelganger¡¯s tentacles were in a stopped state right in front of my eyes.

    I quickly drew my sword and swung it toward the tentacles.

    Perhaps because it was a sword blessed by the elves.

    Although it was a bit tough, I somehow managed to cut them off and time flowed on.

    Perhaps that attack just now was the doppelganger¡¯s secret weapon.

    I felt its movements were greatly startled.

    And it wasn¡¯t just the doppelganger, the Royal Knights members were also surprised.

    ¡°Wh-What the hell was that attack just now?!¡±

    ¡°It means we couldn¡¯t react to it!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Themander is over there!¡±

    ¡°We just need to do our own job!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Commander Yuren and Cluna encouraged the members and attacked even more fiercely.

    As expected, that tentacle attack was a secret weapon.

    I inadvertently ended up blocking a secret weapon.

    Bayard roared and thrust her fist.

    Under her overwhelming strength, the doppelganger¡¯s body literally crumpled like a can.

    With its body half-shattered, it retreated for now.

    We couldn¡¯t let it retreat like that.

    So I ordered the members to pursue it.

    They would have pursued immediately If it weren¡¯t for the small monsters summoned by the doppelganger.

    ¡°Using meaningless tricks to buy time!!¡±

    ¡°Everyone, go ahead first. I¡¯ll handle that thing alone.¡±

    ¡°Teacher¡­!!¡±

    ¡°Yuren, Cluna. I¡¯m counting on you to protect Helia.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±

    ¡°I will definitely protect her.¡±

    I sent the members ahead and stayed behind alone.

    To guard Ambassador Viral.

    To be more honest, I felt I couldn¡¯t just stay still like this.

    When everyone else was working, try spacing out alone.

    There was nothing more burdensome and maddening than that.

    But that didn¡¯t mean I had any intention of showing off in the front.

    They say it¡¯s a big deal when an ipetent person is diligent.

    So, I just need to face an opponent matching my level.

    For example, the slime-like thing wriggling in front of me right now.

    ¡°What on earth is that? It doesn¡¯t look that strong.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down. There¡¯s a reason they left it behind and left.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    No, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s right.

    Although I said that, no matter how I looked at it, it seemed like nothing more than a slime-like small fry.

    So I stayed behind personally.

    To indulge myself¡­!!

    I could also appeal that I did my job to some extent.

    And I could protect Ambassador Viral as well.

    It was truly killing two birds with one stone, eating the pheasant and getting the eggs.

    It could be said to be catching a crayfish after digging a ditch.

    For a very brief moment, I thought so.

    A piercing noise struck my ears.

    The moment I thought that, I saw it.

    The sharp awl that had appeared right in front of me.

    It was something the slime had directly created and sent out.

    It was simr to the attack the doppelganger had done earlier.

    With one difference, while the doppelganger¡¯s attack was just one.

    The awls that hade in front of me now numbered at least dozens.

    Cutting all of them would make the cooldown too long.

    So I quickly picked up Ambassador Viral and got out of there.

    Kwajik!

    Kwaaaang!

    Tremendous explosive sounds struck my back.

    If I hadn¡¯t evacuated quickly.

    By now, Ambassador Viral and I would have be a wind hole with blood and wind dripping from it.

    While feeling relieved inwardly, I frowned.

    ¡°Wh-What on earth was that just now?!¡±

    Perhaps he didn¡¯t expect such an attack toe from a slime that looked so trivial.

    Ambassador Viral spoke in a panicked voice.

    But sadly, I couldn¡¯t give an answer.

    Because I didn¡¯t know what that was either.

    Outwardly, it looked like a slime no matter how you looked at it.

    The problem was that slimes were not magical beasts.

    Slimes were one of the fairies living with elves in the forest.

    So when the doppelganger first spat out a slime, I was puzzled as to why it spat out such a thing.

    But I could tell one thing for sure.

    That was definitely not the slime I knew.

    ¡°What a pity. I was trying to kill at least one of you while I had the chance.¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you?¡±

    ¡°Me? A loyal subordinate of the chief.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The slime eventually regained its form.

    But that form was different from the chief.

    While the chief¡¯s form was crumbling, it had a form simr to a human.

    If I had to specify.

    It was simr to the appearance of a boy.

    The more I looked at that appearance, the more I got a bad feeling.

    It said it was a loyal subordinate of the chief.

    But why did the subordinate look stronger than the chief?

    ¡°As expected, even the remnants of the Royal Knights are threatening. Especially you, the newmander, are the most threatening.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯m trying to kill you. You knew that and stayed here too, didn¡¯t you? Right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    No, I didn¡¯t.

    Of course, I stayed behind thinking it was a small fry.

    I thought it was easy prey, but it turned out to be the final boss?!

    Save me.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Although she was greatly weakened now, it was said.

    Yuren was a dragon, after all.

    Naturally, discerning the strength of the enemy was a piece of cake for her.

    So she noticed that the squishy thing was stronger than the one who called itself the chief.

    At first, she had intended to face it herself.

    Because she didn¡¯t want to burden the others anymore.

    But soon, her eyes met his.

    Her newmander.

    Hans, that is.

    Without hesitation, he stepped forward first.

    And he confidently drew his sword and pointed it at that thing.

    From that sight, Yuren immediately realized.

    I, as themander, will face it myself.

    You guys do your own job.

    That was what he was saying now.

    Yuren turned her head.

    Cluna also nodded at her while looking at herself.

    Realizing themander¡¯s intention, they ran forward.

    And ra, Ruby, and Bayard also followed behind them in the same way.

    Even without saying it out loud, they could sufficiently read the movements and proceed.

    ¡°What the hell is that? It looks super weak!¡±

    ¡°ra, judging by appearances alone is a bad habit.¡±

    ¡°Eh?! Is that so?!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s probably the real one.¡±

    Although it may not be a True Demon-level like the one they faced before.

    It must certainly be a fairly powerful one among the Blood Demons.

    Normally, either Cluna or herself should have stayed behind.

    But themander refused.

    The reason was probably because of the human girl following behind.

    Yuren nced back at the tiny girl running together from behind.

    She seemed to be struggling to keep up, panting for breath, but she was gritting her teeth and somehow trying to match the pace.

    At that young age.

    She had something beyond overwhelming talent.

    Knowing that, was that why themander was treating that child so well?

    If so, I¡¯m a dragon too, but-

    Yuren, whose thoughts had reached that far, hurriedly shook off the thought that had just urred to her.

    I¡¯m so pathetic too.

    To think I would feel jealous of such a young human child.

    I don¡¯t want to be any more ugly here.

    Besides, he¡¯s a human and I¡¯m a dragon, right?

    Countless idle thoughts came to mind.

    ¡°Miss Yuren. I see a doppelganger over there.¡±

    ¡°R-Right. I¡¯ll subdue it right away.¡±

    ¡°As expected, Yuren is dependable!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a reason she was the formermander!¡±

    At the sudden voices from behind, Yuren ran forward with a start.

    It was certainly a secret that the desire to not let anyone notice the flush on her face was taking precedence.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Except for Helia, who had a smile on her lips but her eyes were deadly cold.

    Not a single person noticed Yuren¡¯s blush.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 56

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Yikes!

    Gack!

    Ack!

    I¡¯m sorry for suddenly making such strange noises. But this was all I could do right now.

    Its attacks were several times faster than the attacks the doppelganger had spewed earlier.

    Of course, there was no way I could see and react to them.

    Nevertheless, the reason I could avoid them was because of the time stop ability.

    I confirmed where the attack wasing from within 1 second and dodged it.

    A deadly set of acrobatics ensued where even the slightest error would send me straight to the grave.

    Naturally, as the acrobat who had be that, all I wanted to do was run away right now.

    ¡°You¡¯re an artist when ites to avoiding.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°But you can¡¯t win by just avoiding. You know that, right?¡±

    It kept making grating remarks in between, but I could easily endure them.

    I was aware that I was an easy prey.

    There was no pride to be hurt.

    But it wasn¡¯t like I was only avoiding the attacks.

    While dodging the attacks, I was reading its attack patterns from time to time.

    The first thing that stood out was the cooldown.

    It wriggled for a few seconds afterunching an attack.

    Of course, from my perspective, attacking at that moment was a life-risking move.

    So I had no choice but to move carefully.

    I couldn¡¯t even tell if my attack would work right away.

    On the other hand, there was one thing for sure.

    Its attacks could shatter my body into pieces.

    Ah, I want to go home.

    Damn it.

    Moreover, its attacks had been bing much more varied since earlier.

    For example, it would throw spikes from the front, but in fact, it was waiting with a trap dug in the ground.

    If it weren¡¯t for the 1-second cooldown, I would have undoubtedly been hit by that attack and lost my life.

    In a situation that felt like I had be a pufferfish, the only thing that came out was tears.

    However, in any situation, only ming others can never be called professional.

    No matter what happened, I was now themander of the Royal Knights.

    Even if I was just amander in name only.

    I had to do whatever I could do.

    So that I could step down without shame when I retired.

    With my mind made up, I ran forward.

    Of course, it counterattacked.

    Once again, everything turned gray.

    Seeing the silver spear that had stopped in front of my eyes again, my heart felt chilled.

    But how many deaths had I seen so far?

    If I were to stop at this level, I wouldn¡¯t have even started.

    I dodged its attack by a paper-thin margin.

    There wasn¡¯t enough time to move my body any further.

    As expected, its attack passed over me¡­ Wait, what?

    It was smiling even though the attack had missed.

    Sensing a chill there, I stopped time again.

    Of course, there was no time to even look back.

    It was less than 1 second.

    Stopping time again was the right answer.

    When I turned my head, the silver spear that had passed over me was aiming at Ambassador Viral.

    Oh, this damn¡­ Oh my gosh.

    If I had made a wrong move, Viral would have lost his life.

    I expressed relief and dismay at the same time.

    I had already stopped time for more than 1 second.

    Naturally, the time stop cooldown was also ticking.

    In other words, if I didn¡¯t finish off that guy properly this time, I¡¯d die from the next attack.

    Even though it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration this time, I was surprisingly calm.

    I calmly racked my brain.

    ¡°Yeah, this is it.¡±

    As the wise men of old said, if the situation is unfavorable, make the terrain advantageous.

    I noticed the castle¡¯s foundation crumbling due to the ongoing battle.

    I decided to use the fragments falling from the ceiling first.

    Of course, I couldn¡¯t reach them with my hands.

    While looking for any method, I found a desk and chairs nearby.

    I roughly brought the desk and stacked the chairs on top of it.

    Then, I could reach the fragments to some extent.

    I clung to the huge fragment hanging from a horizontal bar.

    Kwang!!

    The fragment fell and crushed its silver spear.

    At the same time, cracks appeared on the ground.

    Good, I think this is enough for now.

    The next thing is the main body.

    For a moment, I considered using time eleration.

    But I soon gave up on it.

    The pain of my internal organs being torn apart was no joke.

    Unless it was a really extreme situation, I didn¡¯t want to use that at all.

    Then there was no other way.

    I drew my sword and stabbed it with all my might.

    Kwaaaak!!

    Fortunately, the sword didn¡¯t bend.

    But it didn¡¯t pierce properly either.

    Rather, I was pushed back by its strength.

    It felt like stabbing a sword into a solid rock.

    My only hope was that since it was a sword imbued with a blessing, it could at least make a cut.

    Sawing didn¡¯t suit its body¡¯s attribute very well.

    Then the only option was to use an awl.

    I grabbed the sword with both hands and diligently stabbed it.

    If I persistently dig into one spot, an answer wille out eventually.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Someone, no.

    The majority of people would say we were evil.

    And that was not wrong either.

    I had no intention of making excuses for each and every one of them.

    But that didn¡¯t mean I regretted it.

    I¡¯d say it proudly.

    We betrayed to survive.

    Of course, there were those who opposed the chief¡¯s will.

    No matter what, how could we betray our own race and even the continent?

    Surprisingly, the fact that they were the majority was really astonishing.

    Didn¡¯t we suffer persecution together?

    Didn¡¯t we experience hell together?

    Then why could they still have such weak thoughts?

    That in itself was also appalling.

    The bane of the continent.

    Beings that shouldn¡¯t exist.

    Cursed monsters.

    Being called that and receiving contempt.

    Not receiving any protection.

    Then why didn¡¯t they harbor a desire for revenge?

    I didn¡¯t understand, but they were still our race.

    I respected them in my own way.

    I buried them together with those who kept making excuses.

    They shouldn¡¯t have any moreints.

    Weak ones were no longer needed in the future the chief was creating.

    ¡°TK7 GMAA EDP KKEP¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely the right thing to do. Rotten flesh must be cut out.¡±

    If you try to hold onto it, you¡¯ll rot and decay just the same.

    And in fact, that¡¯s what happened.

    To the demons, we were just disposable consumables.

    They gave the chief the fancy title of a blood demon. And in return, they demanded results.

    If unsatisfactory results were produced, they would be purged on the spot.

    That was the price we paid.

    I had noints about that either.

    In the first ce, I didn¡¯t think the life of a traitor would be easy.

    So I did my best to survive.

    For the past hundreds of years, without rest, continuously.

    Nevertheless, we survived.

    And I was confident that we would survive this time too.

    Until I faced that man.

    I prided myself on having speed that surpassed even decent demons.

    However, none of my attacks reached that man.

    As if ying with me he kept avoiding them by a paper-thin margin.

    If it weren¡¯t for the dwarf behind him I would have been the one who got hit instead.

    He lured the attacks to protect the dwarf behind him.

    Knowing that, I had no choice but to take the hit.

    Because if the thing to protect disappeared, the next would be my turn.

    ¡°You¡¯re an artist when ites to avoiding.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°But you can¡¯t win by just avoiding. You know that, right?¡±

    No response to provocation.

    Well, he was performing a stunt where even the slightest failure would cost his life as if it was nothing.

    Provocation wouldn¡¯t work on such an iron-willed mentality.

    As expected, that man was dangerous.

    I absolutely couldn¡¯t send him to the chief.

    Once my mind was made up, there was only one answer.

    I had to somehow inflict a fatal wound on that man by using bait.

    Giving a bone to take a bone.

    In a word, a resolve of mutual destruction.

    From the beginning, I had vowed to risk my life to protect the chief¡¯s back. And that applied to me as well.

    He easily dodged the silver spears pouring forth.

    But I already knew that.

    What I was aiming for from the beginning was the dwarf behind him.

    For a very short moment, but that man would have noticed.

    Now, what will you do?

    The moment you save that dwarf.

    You will die with your whole body pierced along with that dwarf.

    If you abandon the dwarf, then I will risk my life. And somehow inflict a fatal wound on you.

    I thought it was a perfect n.

    Until my spear was crushed by the fragments.

    My spear was fast, but not strong.

    So it was neutralized in an instant.

    When did that get there?

    I was not an idiot who couldn¡¯t even grasp my surroundings.

    Clearly, before the fragments even fel my spear could have taken the life of that dwarf.

    Very easily at that.

    But suddenly, fragments fell from the sky and crushed my spear.

    And only then did I realize what that man had done!

    But the moment I realized that, I btedly noticed that the man had disappeared from in front of me.

    At the same time, I felt something greatly prating my body.

    Yeah, so that was how it was.

    The overwhelming speed that even my eyes couldn¡¯t dare to follow.

    And the boldness to protect the dwarf while simultaneously aiming for the enemy¡¯s neck, and the strategy to skillfully utilize the terrain.

    I lowered my head.

    I saw that my heart area had been prated.

    Perhaps my defeat was decided from the beginning.

    I had no choice but to acknowledge what I must acknowledge¡­

    It was myplete defeat.

    Whether in skill or strategy.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 57

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    I want to be of help to Teacher.

    The desire to be recognized that every child has.

    It started as just that much.

    Especially after losing her parents, her distorted affection gave birth to excessive obsession.And the target of that obsession was none other than the girl¡¯s teacher.

    The person who taught her so many things.

    She wanted to be of help to Teacher using what she learned from Teacher.

    That was all she thought about.

    If the girl had been ordinary, that desire would have been satisfied in her own way.

    Even if she had potential, the strength of a mere child wasn¡¯t that powerful.

    However, the girl was different.

    She had overwhelming talent that could be called heaven¡¯s favoritism.

    The talent to understand the iprehensible and somehow manifest it was the problem.

    Thunder Dragon Sword Technique, First Sword: Thunder Dragon Fang

    Like a bolt of lightning, Helia¡¯s sword, which kicked off the ground at a tremendous speed, instantly sliced off the doppelganger¡¯s leg.

    Although she couldn¡¯t cut it off perfectly,

    She seeded in suppressing the doppelganger¡¯s movements to some extent.

    And they weren¡¯t the type to just stand by and watch.

    They were the Royal Knights.

    Although they were now in a state of a toothless tiger, they were the strongest knights who once belonged to the continent¡¯s strongest knight order.

    The first to charge in was Bayard.

    Her body, which charged in with a fierce momentum, tore off the doppelganger¡¯s flesh and took its bones.

    Although it was called a blood demon, the doppelganger¡¯sbat ability wasn¡¯t that great.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    It couldn¡¯t withstand Bayard¡¯s overwhelming violence. But it couldn¡¯t flee either.

    Arrows that flew from behind pierced the doppelganger¡¯s tentacles into the wall and floor like stakes.

    ¡°Now¡¯s the time! You mineral!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not just some ore!¡±

    Ruby, who leaped with vigor, swung her hammer down as it was.

    Like hammering a nail, the deeply embedded arrow greatly restricted the doppelganger¡¯s movements.

    It was a perfectbination y.

    The girl didn¡¯t miss a single bit of that sight.

    At first, she couldn¡¯t acknowledge it.

    She didn¡¯t want to acknowledge it.

    The fact that there were people more outstanding than her.

    Above me, there is only Teacher.

    Everyone else is beneath me.

    That was what she had thought.

    However, that arrogance was shattered to pieces as time passed.

    Certainly, the girl had talent.

    If she grew smoothly like this, she would be able to be a regr member.

    But in other words, that meant she wasn¡¯t even at the level of a regr member yet.

    Even ra and Ruby, the lowest-ranking members, would never kneel in terms of individual skills.

    In fact, Helia had recorded more defeats when sparring with ra and Ruby.

    The gap that couldn¡¯t be narrowed with just talent.

    It clearly existed between them and her.

    Well, if it weren¡¯t like that, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to even step on the threshold of the Royal Knights.

    Moreover, the strength of Bayard and Cluna, and of course, Yuren, the formermander, was beyond imagination.

    ¡°We subdued it without much difficulty.¡±

    ¡°Everyone, great work~ ra, Ruby, Helia, Bayard. You all did very, very well!¡±

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±

    I have no choice but to acknowledge what I must.

    Because I¡¯m weak as hell right now.

    Even with the strength Teacher taught me, this is all I can do.

    Then what should I do?

    It¡¯s simple.

    Be stronger.

    Much stronger than now.

    So that I can be recognized by Teacherter.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The 10,000-hour rule or the 10,000-repetition rule.

    It¡¯s a rule that says no matter what you do, if you invest consistently, you can be an expert.

    I thought 10,000 hours might be difficult, but 10,000 repetitions was something anyone could do.

    But that wasn¡¯t the case.

    I couldn¡¯t even properly reach a thousand repetitions.

    I forcibly lifted my body, which felt like it would copse at any moment due tock of strength.

    Severe dizziness came up, and my vision shook greatly.

    How many times did I stab it?

    I don¡¯t even remember.

    But it definitely wasn¡¯t 10,000 times.

    I lost count around 300 times.

    Anyway, thanks to continuously stabbing and digging, I was barely able to deal with that demon.

    The body of the monster, whose heart had been pierced, slowly began to copse.

    Eventually, it turned into a liquid andpletely spilled onto the floor.

    It¡¯s dead, right?

    It won¡¯te back to life, will it?

    If ites back to life, that¡¯s really the end.

    Putting aside the fact that my stamina has turned into a rag, the time stop cooldown was still ticking.

    I couldn¡¯t use it again.

    ¡°It seems to havepletely vanished.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Thanks to you, I¡¯m saved.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down. It¡¯s not over yet.¡±

    ¡°As expected of the Commander. Not letting your guard down until the end.¡±

    Well, I didn¡¯t have the luxury to let my guard down.

    I was not as strong as Yuren or Bayard.

    In the first ce, even if I were strong, I couldn¡¯t afford to let my guard down.

    Not in this situation.

    Moreover, I was worried about the safety of the members who followed that doppelganger chief.

    If by any chance it disguised itself as me and aimed for an opening, they could suffer a fatal wound.

    Of course, they weren¡¯t pushovers.

    As the Royal Knights, they wouldn¡¯t be easily defeated.

    But there was always the possibility of the unexpected.

    A cornered rat will bite the cat, as they say.

    At first, that was what I thought.

    Until I directly saw the doppelganger being dragged in by the members, subdued.

    No, is it okay to subdue it that easily?

    Of course, the real one was the one I faced.

    I silently watched the scene in front of my eyes.

    The doppelganger that had fled while spouting iprehensible noises had somehow returned to the appearance of Rain Emerald.

    Moreover, even its arms were properly restrained, and it couldn¡¯t even escape.

    Since Yuren and Cluna were there.

    I had expected it, but seeing it directly made me feel a bit¡­

    No, well. It was not like I suffered alone.

    Still, it was the final boss that almost swallowed up the Dwarf Republic.

    It was absolutely, absolutely not because I suffered alone.

    ¡°Good work, everyone.¡±

    ¡°This much is nothing.¡±

    ¡°It was a bit troublesome, but it was a good educational experience.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m dying¡­¡±

    ¡°I-Is everyone okay?¡±

    Each of them had various reactions.

    Yuren and Cluna hadposed expressions, and Bayard was even worried about others.

    On the other hand, ra and Ruby had tired expressions.

    ¡°Teacher, you really worked hard.¡±

    ¡°You also worked very hard. Well done.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Teacher.¡±

    I stretched out my hand and patted Helia¡¯s head.

    Her surprised expression at my touch was only momentary.

    Helia felt my touch deeply, her face slightly flushed.

    I thought it might cause strange misunderstandings again if I stayed longer.

    So I stopped there and withdrew my hand.

    Helia showed a disappointed expression but didn¡¯t throw a tantrum.

    Viral stood silently in the square.

    In front of him, the divine sword stood firm.

    After gazing at it for a moment, Viral stood up and spoke.

    ¡°What happened to her?¡±

    ¡°I ate her. To disguise myself properly.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Smack!

    Without even blinking, Ambassador Viral swung his fist.

    Although her head turned greatly, Rain Emerald, no, the doppelganger, turned her jaw back as if nothing happened.

    ¡°If I had my way, I¡¯d like to slowly torture you. But that¡¯s why you have such a dangerous ability.¡±

    ¡°¡­If you guarantee my life, I might cooperate.¡±

    ¡°I refuse. Rather than the information you possess, killing you definitively here has far more merit.¡±

    Ambassador Viral had the same thoughts as me.

    Rather than keeping her alive to obtain information, it was best to kill her definitively to avoid future troubles.

    I nodded.

    Then, Yuren drew her sword and sliced the doppelganger¡¯s neck like an arrow.

    The beheaded doppelganger spilled onto the floor like the one I had seen earlier.

    Realizing that it was definitely dead, I finally let out a sigh of relief.

    Meanwhile, Ambassador Viral, who had been staring at it intently, turned his head and walked toward the divine sword.

    ¡°Perhaps, we were under a misapprehension.¡±

    ¡°A misapprehension?¡±

    ¡°Intoxicated by past glory, we failed to see the future, the present.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Hmm, I see.

    I have no idea what he¡¯s talking about.

    But I can tell he realized something.

    Wait a minute, then could it be that he¡¯s going to give me the divine sword, a remnant of the past, or something?

    I got slightly excited.

    And that reached its peak when Ambassador Viral pulled out the divine sword.

    However, what followed exceeded my imagination by far.

    I nkly watched the scene.

    The divine sword, pulled out by Ambassador Viral¡¯s hand, slowly turned to dust from its tip and disappeared with the wind.

    Huh?

    What the hell?

    ¡°No matter how much a weapon is called a divine sword, it cannot ovee the passage of time.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. But no matter what we did, we couldn¡¯t create a sword exactly like this.¡±

    ¡°So, you left behind at least its appearance?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. And that specious reputation blinded even our eyes. This is the result.¡±

    Eventually, the divine swordpletely vanished, even the handle.

    In other words, to put it simply, it was like this.

    Since it seemed impossible to recreate the divine sword made by their ancestors in the past, they simply preserved it and praised it.

    Naturally, as time passed, no one tried to surpass the divine sword.

    Instead, only the pride of having created the divine sword remained.

    And the doppelganger exploited that gap.

    If the spirit of craftsmanship had been properly instilled, they wouldn¡¯t have been swayed to this extent.

    Ambassador Viral smiled bitterly and opened his mouth.

    ¡°What¡¯s important is not the remnants of the past, but moving forward.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You all don¡¯t need this fake divine sword, do you?¡±

    What the fuck are you saying?

    Hurry up and give me the divine sword!!!!

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 58

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Ambassador Viral publicly announced everything that had happened this time without leaving anything out.

    From our perspective, it was filled with nothing but the truth to the point of being excessive, and it was rather worrisome.

    Naturally, many dwarves fell into despair.

    Because to us, the divine sword was a source of pride. A legendary sword that could cut through anything.

    A weapon that would only appear in fairy tales.

    We had endured until now with the pride of having directly created it with our own hands.

    Yes, it wasn¡¯t just a mere sword.

    It was the pride that resided in the hearts of all dwarves.

    However, that pride turned to dust and vanished.

    Moreover, upon learning that even our renowned spirit of craftsmanship had been toyed with by the demons, some shocked craftsmen put down their hammers.

    In severe cases, there were quite a few craftsmen who shattered all the weapons they had made.

    Ambassador Viral could have hidden it if he wanted to.

    He was quite a capable person.

    But Ambassador Viral didn¡¯t hide it.

    He chose to face all of this.

    We couldn¡¯t stay bound to the past forever.

    Acknowledging one¡¯s mistakes and correcting them.

    That was Ambassador Viral¡¯s choice.

    That path would surely be arduous and difficult.

    But I believe there will be glory at the end of it.

    So, I too must change now.

    I can¡¯t say it¡¯s foolish to be bound to the past.

    Anyone would be like that.

    I was the same.

    Even now, the stains of the past hadn¡¯t been erased and still tormented me.

    But with the new experiences I¡¯d umted so far, those stains were gradually being covered.

    If I kept piling them up one by one, someday, even those stains wouldpletely disappear.

    That¡¯s what I believe.

    Ambassador Viral¡¯s office.

    Despite not fitting the position of an ambassador, it was a ce where the smell of iron resonated with furnaces and bellows.

    Rather than an office, it felt more like a cksmith¡¯s workshop.

    ¡°Are you really okay with this?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°The opportunity to take revenge, I mean.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ambassador Viral requested a private conversation with me.

    At first, I wondered what it was about, but he made an unexpected proposal.

    He said if I wanted, he could charge that man with a crime and have him executed.

    Only if I wanted, that is.

    It was quite a radical proposal.

    Of course, the crime that manmitted deserved death.

    But if we were to charge that man with a crime, we would have to charge the majority of the dwarves as well.

    We couldn¡¯t punish some and let others off the hook.

    Sopromising at a reasonable point was the best choice for the nation.

    However, Ambassador Viral asked if I was really okay with that.

    If I wanted, he would give me the opportunity for revenge.

    Did he perhaps know about me and my mother?

    I felt slightly wary, but soon I realized.

    ¡°I¡¯m really okay with it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s unexpected. I thought you would take revenge right away.¡±

    ¡°Because I have to do it with my own hands.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°To be honest, all of this is thanks to the Commander. I didn¡¯t directly ovee it myself, right?¡±

    Yes, if it weren¡¯t for the Commander, such an opportunity wouldn¡¯t havee to me.

    Because I didn¡¯t do anything.

    So no matter how good the opportunity is, I have no choice but to refuse.

    ¡°The Commander is calmly moving forward. Despite clearly having painful experiences in the past¡­ So I want to follow in his footsteps.¡±

    ¡°Did you hear something from the Commander?¡±

    ¡°No, but you can tell, can¡¯t you? Why someone of his caliber was holed up in a rural refugee vige. And his spirit of self-sacrifice that neglects his own well-being.¡±

    ¡°Certainly, there must be a reason behind such actions.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯m saying I¡¯ll follow the Commander to the end.¡±

    Because I have to do it myself.

    Whether that end is revenge or something else.

    Of course, I won¡¯t keep it to myself.

    Because I have reliablerades.

    ¡°You, that way of speaking¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh? Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°¡­No, nothing. It just felt simr, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re imagining things.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course. It must be my imagination.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll get going.¡±

    I got up from my seat, gave a light bow, and left the office.

    Ambassador Viral picked up a hammer for the first time in a while.

    He said he felt like making a sword after a long time.

    He was not being honest.

    I had a rough idea of who the owner of that sword would be.

    As I left the office, the blue sky came into view.

    Come to think of it, when was thest time I properly gazed at that sky?

    Until then, I had no room to spare.

    I only thought about bing stronger for revenge.

    Whether it was revenge for my mother or for my fallenrades.

    But now, I have a little more room.

    ¡°You mineral! What are you doing, noting quickly?!¡±

    ¡°M-Mineral, you say. If you say that, I can¡¯t use it.¡±

    ¡°But a mineral is a mineral!¡±

    ¡°ra?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Mom.¡±

    ¡°What a close mother and daughter.¡±

    Five people chattering energetically in the distance, and one monkey that spoke the humannguage.

    I ran forward with a smile.

    Seriously, there¡¯s not a single dull moment¡­!

    But I¡¯ve definitely set a goal.

    To move forward without wavering, like the Commander.

    Then someday, I too will be able to forget the past.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Euhahaha.

    My divine sword, damn it.

    If I only had the divine sword, I wouldn¡¯t need the Royal Knights or anything else.

    I could handle everything on my own.

    That perfect n was shattered to pieces.

    Anyway, those dwarf bastards.

    There¡¯s not a single thing I like about them from head to toe.

    I could see why they were destroyed in the original story.

    For a very brief moment, a personal thought came to mind.

    But I soon shook off all those idle thoughts.

    Not obtaining the divine sword was a very painful thing, but it wasn¡¯t like there was no gain at all.

    First, by resolving this matter, our rtionship with the Dwarf Republic had improved tremendously.

    They had a lot to say and a lot of troubles, but anyway, the technological prowess of the Dwarf Republic was top-notch that worked anywhere.

    It wouldn¡¯t hurt to be on good terms with them, and here was the second thing.

    The Dwarf Republic even dered that they would take responsibility for the equipment of the Royal Knights!

    In other words, we could now freely use the highest-grade equipment made by the Dwarf Republic to our heart¡¯s content.

    And the king didn¡¯t miss this great opportunity.

    A meeting between the Dwarf Republic and the Human Kingdom was set.

    It was not for nothing that he wore a fancy hat.

    Each and every one of them was moving swiftly.

    But so what?

    Give me back my divine sword.

    Sob sob.

    I tucked myself into a corner, trying my best to hide my gloomy feelings.

    The other members were talking andughing with each other.

    Well, of course, they would be.

    After all, we seeded in saving the Dwarf Republic.

    And thanks to that, we would receive support from the Dwarf Republic.

    In the Dwarf Republic, there was a saying that a sword lying around would be a famous sword when taken elsewhere, that was how renowned their weapons were for their quality.

    Anyway, for knights who made a living with swords, the thought of using weapons from the Dwarf Republic naturally made them excited.

    But so what, the divine sword has already disappeared.

    ¡°I heard that the weapons of the Dwarf Republic are such famous swords!¡±

    ¡°For once, the ore is saying something right.¡±

    ¡°Not just swords. Bows, spears, and even maces. The weapons of the Dwarf Republic are famous for their excellent quality.¡±

    ¡°Because there are many stubborn people with an incurable spirit of craftsmanship~.¡±

    ¡°What about you, Teacher?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind any of them.¡±

    I meant it literally.

    Unless it was the divine sword, no matter what I used, it would be equally weak when I use it.

    There¡¯s a saying that a master doesn¡¯t me his tools.

    In other words, if you¡¯re not a master?

    However, it seemed they took it in a different way.

    They all looked at me and let out a brief exmation.

    Why are they doing this again?

    As I was thinking that, Yuren¡¯s eyes sparkled as she spoke.

    ¡°As expected! Not relying on weapons, but believing in one¡¯s own skills! Indeed, you are our Commander!¡±

    ¡°Themander is not me, but you¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright! I¡¯m fired up! Everyone, as soon as we return, we¡¯ll have special training!¡±

    ¡°Special training?! Why is it suddenly like that?!¡±

    ¡°I said I wouldn¡¯t run away, but I really hate special training!¡±

    At a single word from Commander Yuren, who shouted with a different feeling, everyone seemed to be shocked and displeased.

    Come to think of it, Commander Yuren¡¯s special training was very intense.

    I had watched it from afar before.

    It was so tough that even I, who was just watching, felt exhausted.

    Naturally, ra and Ruby were disgusted by it.

    Even Bayard didn¡¯t have a happy expression.

    Except for one person, that is.

    It was none other than Helia.

    ¡°Please teach me.¡±

    ¡°Excellent! Indeed, the Commander¡¯s disciple! Not shying away from training, I really like that attitude of yours!¡±

    ¡°Ugh, if Helia is stepping up like that¡­¡±

    ¡°That means we¡¯re automatically participating.¡±

    ¡°W-Well, we have no choice. We just have to do our best!¡±

    The noisy chatter inside the carriage didn¡¯t cease.

    Helia and Yuren were talking about training.

    ra and Cluna were having a cozy conversation as mother and daughter.

    Bayard and Ruby were discussing the weapons of the Dwarf Republic with each other.

    Thanks to that, I had finished sleeping, but it didn¡¯t feel bad.

    It was definitely getting better little by little.

    But so what?

    The divine sword is gone.

    Waaaaah!

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 59

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The Dwarf Republic passionately kept their promise.

    As soon as we returned to Lionheart Fortress, they immediately sent the promised numerous pieces of equipment and top-grade supplies.

    Thanks to that, the empty warehouse was almost full.

    The only problem was theck of a cksmith to manage the weapons, but let¡¯s think about thatter and be satisfied for now.Fortunately, everyone was said to know the basics of managing and maintaining weapons.

    They said it was the basics of the basics for those who handled weapons.

    Thanks to that, I felt a bit stung.

    But with my experience of handling firearms in the military and the scraps I learned by watching over someone¡¯s shoulder, I could somehow imitate it.

    At that moment, Helia ran up to me and said,

    ¡°Teacher! I finished the maintenance!¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Good work.¡±

    ¡°Would you mind taking a look at it?¡±

    Helia, oh Helia.

    Why are you giving me such an ordeal?

    I¡¯m the one who couldn¡¯t even do firearm maintenance properly and got scolded.

    Let alone knowing about swords.

    But I couldn¡¯t ignore Helia, because Helia was sitting in front of me, looking up at me with sparkling eyes.

    What was contained in them was none other than expectation.

    I took the sword from Helia and looked it over.

    Well, it was clean, but¡­ I didn¡¯t know anything beyond that.

    I didn¡¯t know if there was too much oil or if it was just right.

    My head just hurt.

    ¡°Excellent. Have you done this kind of thing before?¡±

    ¡°I did it for the first time today.¡±

    ¡°You have a natural talent for swords.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right. Hasn¡¯t Helia gotten really strongtely?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten weaker. You lump of ore.¡±

    Putting aside ra and Ruby, who started bickering, at some point, Helia began to speak casually to others.

    Did they get along well with each other?

    If so, that would be great.

    As ra and Ruby said, Helia¡¯s growth had been shiningtely, and Helia¡¯s growth started to show in sparring as well.

    If it used to be a clean defeat before, now, it was possible to have a somewhat even exchange of offense and defense.

    Of course, both Ruby and ra used swords instead of their main weapons.

    Nevertheless, it was a tremendous achievement.

    ¡°It¡¯s been about a year and a half since she started learning the sword, right? She has truly tremendous talent.¡±

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, Teacher, I wouldn¡¯t havee this far.¡±

    ¡°She even has an eye for skill. She¡¯s really dependable.¡±

    ¡°I just happened to find her and help her by chance. It has nothing to do with having an eye for it.¡±

    Yeah, yeah.

    You guys can chatter as you please.

    I¡¯ll be stepping down from themander position in half a year anyway.

    Right now, we were in the armory, maintaining and repairing the weapons received from the republic.

    And at the same time, I instructed them to take one weapon of their choice.

    They say a master doesn¡¯t me his tools, but if there¡¯s a good weapon, you should use it.

    Is there any reason to let it rust?

    ra chose a usable bow, Ruby chose arge hammer specially made in the Dwarf Republic.

    Helia chose a longsword of the highest quality.

    Cluna and Yuren didn¡¯t choose any.

    Why on earth?

    ¡°I¡¯m too strong, so the weapons can¡¯t withstand it. I can¡¯t throw away precious weapons.¡±

    ¡°I prefer making and using them myself~.¡±

    Yeah, you guys are so great.

    Unable to say it out loud, I also chose a suitable sword and tucked it into my waist.

    With this, naturally, the only one left was the one person our gazes couldn¡¯t help but turn to.

    Bayard was nkly staring at the object in front of her.

    It was a whip made of chains.

    ording to Ambassador Viral, they sent it just in case.

    I hoped that ¡®just in case¡¯ wasn¡¯t what I was thinking of.

    With that silly thought, I approached Bayard.

    Noticing my presence, she was startled and said,

    ¡°Ah! C-Commander.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to use a whip? Then feel free to use it.¡±

    I wanted to see with my own eyes the members choosing their weapons.

    That way, the efficiency would improve in the next mission, and the psychological stability would increase a bit as well¡­

    Comprachico was rtively okay.

    Although the opponent was a blood demon-level, its stats weren¡¯t particrly outstanding, but the slime we faced just before was the problem.

    If I had made a single mistake, it would have been the end.

    I could have lost my life, and that directly came back to me as stress.

    It was scary to the point of crying while fighting.

    Of course, I couldn¡¯t whine about it.

    Putting aside the fact that I was themander of the Royal Knights for now, I couldn¡¯tin with the absurd cheat ability of time stop, could I?

    ¡°Ah, th-that¡¯s. It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes! Commander!¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s anything bothering you, don¡¯t hide it and tell me.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t just assuring, I was certain.

    That was 100% something she had a reason for.

    Unless you were an idiot, there was no way you wouldn¡¯t notice someone making such a gloomy face.

    But that didn¡¯t mean you should dig too deep from the start, because she might run away.

    For now, I should slowly get her to tell her story.

    With that thought, I said to everyone,

    ¡°That¡¯s it for today. Good work, everyone!¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s on meal duty this week?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Helia and the Commander.¡±

    At first, Cluna was in charge of the members¡¯ meals, but no matter how I thought about it, it seemed like too much of a burden for one person.

    So I proposed that at least for meals, we should assign duty shifts.

    Cluna said it was fine, but everyone must have felt guilty, so my proposal was epted.

    Thanks to that, I had to taste the charcoal-grilled meat that waspletely burnedst week.

    So what did that mean?

    I was regretting in full swing for suggesting to take turns with meal duty.

    Ah, it¡¯s so damn annoying¡­ Fuck.

    But unlike me, Helia had a very happy expression.

    ¡°Anything is enjoyable as long as I can do it with you, Teacher!¡±

    Helia, oh Helia.

    When you say that, what does that make me, who¡¯s grumbling about how annoying it is next to you?

    I felt like my body was being purified and disappearing at the girl¡¯s dazzling smile.

    Well, if I decided to do it, I should do it properly.

    Besides, it was true that I felt burdened by Cluna managing the fortress all by herself.

    We headed to the dining hall to prepare.

    The dining hall of Lionheart Fortress had everything.

    Not only various facilities such as ovens and griddles but even a primitive refrigerator was prepared.

    I prepared the ingredients.

    ¡°First, the basics of cooking are hygiene. And next is a bnced meal.¡±

    ¡°I will remember it clearly.¡±

    The problem was that I didn¡¯t know anything beyond that.

    After all, the Royal Knights were performingbat on the front lines.

    Should I just make it simr to the military?

    The ingredients I took out were vegetables and chicken.

    It was a pity that there was no gochujang, but surprisingly, there was soy sauce.

    I heard that since it was a multi-race alliance knight order, ingredients and seasonings that each race actually ate were prepared.

    The dish I was preparing today was braised chicken.

    Usually, braised chicken was made red, but there were quite a few cases where it was stir-fried with soy sauce added.

    I prepared the cooking utensils.

    ¡°The spat and griddle are harder to use than I thought.¡±

    ¡°Leave the physical work to me!¡±

    ¡°You just watch from the side¡­¡±

    I dissuaded Helia.

    The griddle, or in more familiar terms, the frying pan, was much harder to use than I thought.

    Moreover, the fire was dangerous.

    So I was going to just teach Helia, and then I was going to cook alone.

    But what¡¯s this?

    She¡¯s using the griddle much better than me?

    Looking at Helia with a dumbfounded expression, Helia said,

    ¡°I asked Cluna and learned a lot about cooking.¡±

    ¡°You learned? By yourself?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There were even a few times when I made it myself and served it to you, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°I-I see.¡±

    No wonder she would sometimes stick close to me and persistently ask how it tasted.

    I wondered why she did that then.

    It was because of this, but why cooking of all things?

    ¡°That¡¯s when I first realized. Just by watching the person I like directly eat the food I made with sincerity, I could be this happy.¡±

    While I was wrestling with the griddle, at some point, she had ced the fully prepared ingredients on the griddle, and she skillfully lit the fire and started grilling the ingredients with the griddle.

    I ended up just watching from the side.

    Fortunately, Helia asionally asked me about cooking.

    If not, I would have almost be a crazy bastard whopletely relied on a kid.

    Honestly, I wasn¡¯t that much of a help either.

    I made a lot of mistakes because the recipe was vague.

    Helia faintly smiled and put the food on a te from the griddle.

    ¡°It¡¯s done. How is it?¡±

    ¡°Y-You did much better than me.¡±

    ¡°You tter me, Teacher.¡±

    It was a dish that couldn¡¯t be thought to have been made by a 13-year-old.

    Helia leisurely started cleaning the kitchen.

    I could only nkly stare at that sight.

    I felt like I was bewitched by a goblin.

    Was this really the Helia who used to be violent?

    It really made my heart swell with emotion.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 60

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The evaluation of the braised chicken was much better than expected.

    It was praised as a new taste that wasn¡¯t bad.

    Especially Yuren and Bayard ate it with the most gusto.

    However, not everyone enjoyed it. ra didn¡¯t like it.

    She said it was too salty or something.

    So she only picked out a few vegetables to eat.

    Well, each race would have different tastes.

    If you were experienced like Cluna, you wouldn¡¯t be picky about any food.

    But ra wasn¡¯t that old by elf standards.

    Next time, it would be nice to cook separately considering their tastes.

    I nodded and said,

    ¡°Then next time, we¡¯ll serve it with a milder taste.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be grateful if you do that!¡±

    ¡°Just eat what you¡¯re given.¡±

    ¡°Why is Helia being so cold only to me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only natural! You¡¯re just a lump of ore!¡±

    Recently, Helia often hung out with ra and Ruby.

    As a result, they naturally became close enough to speak casually to each other.

    I smiled at the sight.

    It was a good phenomenon.

    In the original work, Helia was popr, but on the contrary, she also had many antis.

    Because she was excessively obsessed with power, causing trouble for those around her.

    In the worst case, she even betrayed them.

    So people who really hated Helia called her ¡®Hellworm¡¯ as a derogatory term.

    I wasn¡¯t that extreme, but honestly, my first impression wasn¡¯t very good.

    The reason Helia was so obsessed with power was to ovee her past.

    Her vige burned down, and the girl who survived alone became an avenger obsessed with power for the sake of revenge.

    It was understandable why the original Helia turned out that way, but was there any need to keep maintaining the bad parts?

    Shouldn¡¯t it be right to fix most of it if possible?

    ¡°Helia has be much brighter.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Cluna.¡±

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t do anything?¡±

    ¡°I know you put in a lot of effort for her.¡±

    The first one to notice Helia¡¯s unstable mental state was none other than Cluna.

    Was it because she was the only parent with a child among the Royal Knights?

    Or was she just quick-witted?

    Anyway, I consulted with her and poured in countless efforts to guide Helia on the right path.

    And the result was starting to bear fruit little by little like this.

    Thanks to that, I survived.

    If it were just me, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to raise her like that.

    I expressed my gratitude to Cluna once again and turned my gaze to look at Bayard.

    She had a nk expression on her face.

    ¡°Bayard, is something the matter?¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°I see. If there¡¯s anything, tell me right away.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. F-For causing you concern¡­¡±

    ¡°You alwaysck confidence! At times like this, training is the answer!¡±

    At Bayard¡¯s worried voice, Yurenughed heartily and patted Bayard¡¯s back.

    While living together, I realized something.

    Yurencked tact.

    And quite a lot at that.

    But in a way, it was only natural.

    Just as humans didn¡¯t consider the feelings of ants, why would dragons, the strongest race on earth, need to be considerate of weaker races?

    Of course not.

    So their political sense would also becking.

    But it didn¡¯t matter much, because dragons possessed overwhelming military power.

    Even now, Bayard couldn¡¯t move, you see.

    Moreover, she was in a greatly weakened state after suffering a heart injury.

    As expected, no matter how I thought about it, Yuren was the right person to be themander.

    Because her military power was overwhelmingly powerful.

    It was a w that shecked tact, or rather, a lot of it, but that can be solved by appointing Cluna as the vicemander.

    Cluna¡¯s military power was very mighty, almost on par with ordinary dragons.

    Moreover, unlike Yuren, she had a lot of umted experience.

    In other words, she was the only person who could properly assist Yuren by her side and prevent her from going berserk.

    Little by little, the picture was being drawn properly.

    ¡°The rebuilding of the Royal Knights is not far off.¡±

    ¡°Commander? A carrier pigeon has brought a letter.¡±

    ¡°A carrier pigeon? Where did ite from?¡±

    ¡°Judging by the crest¡­ It¡¯s a carrier pigeon from the Rat n.¡±

    The Rat n.

    They were the leader of the 12 beastmen tribes and the chief of the tribal confederation.

    Their physical abilities were not strong for beastmen, but instead, they were a very wise race.

    Especially the bloodline of the leader who leads the Rat n rarely awakens the power to foresee the future, as I read in the setting collection.

    But so what?

    In the original work, they were already destroyed.

    At least their situation was better than the Dwarf Republic.

    In fact, the beastmen were not treated very well either.

    Out of the 12 tribes, as many as 6 tribes betrayed and sided with the demons.

    That was why the Bear n, to which Bayard belonged, was barely able to be promoted to one of the 12 tribes.

    But the 12 tribes, moreover, the Rat n, who were like their leader, suddenly sent me a letter.

    Why?

    I unfolded the letter I received from Cluna.

    I was a bit surprised that there was more written than I expected.

    To summarize the content, it was about meeting each other for an exchange.

    ¡°They want to meet for an exchange, huh? Indeed, it seems our reputation is slowly being restored thanks to subjugating the doppelganger.¡±

    The Royal Knights, which I thought hadpletely fallen, were slowly reviving.

    It seemed to be known to this extent among the various races and countries.

    Of course, they were still just looking at each other and avoiding us.

    Later, when we fully restored our reputation and seed in rebuilding the Royal Knights, other races would soon provide us with a lot of support.

    Honestly, I didn¡¯t even hope for that much.

    I just hoped that the name of the Royal Knights could exist, and that we could safely resolve this current messed-up situation.

    Anyway, for that reason, it seemed we couldn¡¯t hold an exchange meeting.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity. I¡¯m too busy with work to go.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right~ I think so too, Commander.¡±

    ¡°Politely decline. I¡¯m counting on you, Cluna.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please leave it to me.¡±

    With this, it was done.

    I didn¡¯t have knowledge in this area.

    On the contrary, Cluna, who has a lot of experience, should be able to refuse without offending the other party.

    With that thought, I turned my eyes.

    I saw Bayard being overwhelmingly defeated by Yuren in the training ground of the courtyard.

    Oh dear.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    As a guardian of the forest, Cluna had done countless tasks.

    As a guardian protecting the forest, she didn¡¯t leave the forest that often, but there were definitely times when she left the forest.

    Notably, it was for exchange and trade with other races, but there were also times when she left because of war.

    Especially in the distant past, there were quite a few times when they almost started a war with each other.

    If the Dwarf Republic was a wild boar that charged recklessly, the 12 tribes, especially the Rat n, were like a secretive snake.

    They slowly spread poison to weaken their prey and swallowed it whole.

    If Cluna hadn¡¯t noticed it first and intervened, they would have lost more than half of the elves¡¯ territory without even realizing it.

    That was how meticulous the Rat n¡¯s schemes were.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity. I¡¯m too busy with work to go.¡±

    And it seemed themander was aware of that too.

    Cluna understood in an instant.

    Make an appropriate excuse and refuse.

    As expected, themander was wise.

    It was better not to get involved unless it was necessary.

    Especially now when our foundation was unstable.

    We were not in a situation where we¡¯d starve to death right away without support.

    In that sense, themander¡¯s choice was right.

    To be bound by as few strings as possible.

    ¡°Politely decline. I¡¯m counting on you, Cluna.¡±

    Otherwise, we could end up as a bird trapped in a cage.

    At this point, she had a rough idea of themander¡¯s past.

    But for now, she would keep quiet about it.

    It was not a matter to be discussed lightly.

    Cluna perfectly carried out themander¡¯s order.

    She wrote a letter politely refusing their proposal, just as themander said, and sent it by carrier pigeon.

    That letter reached her hands.

    However, unfortunately, we don¡¯t have the time to spare.

    If you really want to have an exchange, please visit the fortress directly.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡°I never dreamed they would refuse so tantly.¡±

    Looking at the letter ced on the wooden desk, the gray-haired girl smiled.

    Her gray hair was tied in a tassel shape using a hairpin.

    She was wearing a thin dress made of dark blue cloth.

    Outwardly, she was a beauty.

    Anyone would surely think so until they met her hollow eyes.

    ¡°What? Why is this a refusal? Didn¡¯t we invite them?¡±

    ¡°She is the leader of the 12 tribes. How could the chief of the confederation go there directly?¡±

    ¡°Then why did those guys send the letter like that?¡±

    ¡°They know we can¡¯t go, so they sent it like that, even if it¡¯s just for formality. To put it simply¡­¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re tantly mocking us.¡±

    The girl, who was the leader of the 12 tribes and the chief, going directly to the dangerous outside?

    Of course, it was something that couldn¡¯t happen under normal circumstances, but not now.

    The girl spoke with a smile,

    ¡°I was trying to see a friend¡¯s face after a long time, but if I received an invitation like this, it would be proper to go in person.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous! You can¡¯t go!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not ones to think. We just follow.¡±

    The round animal ears on top of the girl¡¯s head twitched.

    Originally, she had no interest at all, but after receiving this letter, she became interested.

    The elegant handwriting, the message that absolutely wouldn¡¯t back down.

    As expected of themander of the Royal Knights, even if rotten.

    It was not for nothing that he sat in that position.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 61

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    For some reason, a reply came from the Rat n saying they would send an envoy directly.

    Moreover, the letter expressed gratitude for the invitation.

    Why? How?

    If they could have gone, they would have gone immediately. Although the situation of the Royal Knights had improved a lot, it was undeniable that support from other races was desperately needed.

    However, more than that, they had to solve the problems right in front of them first.

    If they engaged in unnecessary politics, they wouldn¡¯t be able to fight properly when it really mattered.

    ¡°Cluna, did you send the letter politely as instructed?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Commander.¡±

    ¡°I see. And yet they still say they¡¯reing directly.¡±

    Just to be sure, Hans checked directly with Cluna, but she answered that she had definitely refused politely.

    If she said so, it must be true.

    There was no reason to doubt her further.

    Hans was currently in the office with Cluna.

    Since the Rat n, the leader of the 12 tribes, was sending an envoy directly, they had to prepare some kind of weing ceremony on their end.

    Unless they weren¡¯t in need, which wasn¡¯t the case.

    After all, support from other races was desperately needed in the current situation.

    In a way, this could be seen as an opportunity.

    They hadn¡¯t been able to go due tock of resources, but now the other side wasing directly.

    If that was the case, it would be best to make a good first impression, including the weing ceremony.

    They would likely be indebted to the beastmen a lot in the future.

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to prepare a proper reception. Do you know anything about the beastmen?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do.¡±

    ¡°Then Cluna, I¡¯ll leave those reception preparations to you.¡±

    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll prepare everything properly.¡±

    She had more experience than Hans, after all.

    Besides, there hadn¡¯t been a single instance of failure when entrusting things to Cluna so far.

    It was what one might call experience-based intuition.

    Moreover, the priority now was to resolve the requests that hade in from the Dwarf Republic and the Human Kingdom.

    They said thatrge groups of monsters had begun a proper invasion targeting the two nations.

    Originally, Hans had nned to send everyone out again this time, but now that wasn¡¯t possible.

    With the envoying, at least themander needed to be present.

    ¡°There¡¯s no choice.¡±

    The total number of people that could be dispatched was 4 ¨C Yuren, ra, Bayard, and Ruby.

    Helia was still too young, and Cluna had to prepare for the envoy¡¯s reception.

    So after much deliberation, Hans finalized the formation.

    He would send Yuren alone to the Human Kingdom, and the remaining three to the Dwarf Republic.

    This was the best they could do for now.

    Although greatly weakened from the heart injury, a dragon was still a dragon ¨C no number of monsters would be a match.

    On the other hand, ra and Ruby were realistically concerning.

    So he added Bayard to make sure.

    If nothing else, Bayard was a veteran member.

    Judging this to be sufficient, Hans summoned all of the members.

    No sooner had he called than the members entered the office.

    Everyone except Yuren had many wounds on their bodies.

    In contrast, Yuren wore a refreshed expression.

    That sly one.

    ¡°Hmm! What¡¯s the matter, Commander!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve received a request. It¡¯s an official support request issued by the Kingdom and Republic.¡±

    ¡°Another support request from the Republic?¡±

    ¡°Well, those two are practically the front lines. They¡¯ve received the most support.¡±

    Ruby and ra each chimed in.

    As ra said, the Kingdom and Republic were practically the front lines of the continent.

    So their situation was worsepared to other races.

    The Human Kingdom itself was essentially a massive refugee shelter, formed when all other human nations were destroyed and the surviving humans gathered in one ce.

    At least now it had the form of a kingdom.

    ording to the setting collection, in the early days it was closer to a refugee camp.

    Things had improved a lot since then.

    The Kingdom was now able to directly sponsor the Royal Knights.

    Thanks to that, they had barely managed at first.

    If not for the Kingdom¡¯s sponsorship, rebuilding would have been out of the question.

    It would have been over from the start.

    Hans made sure to provide ample supplies to the members being dispatched.

    Though he thought they would all do well, he couldn¡¯t shake off the fear that something might go wrong.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be able to do this, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course. We¡¯ve been training hard all this time, haven¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°¡­Right, I hope so.¡±

    For the past half year, they had trained non-stop.

    To be precise, it was what they had chosen.

    To review their past defeat and avenge theirrades.

    ra and Ruby in particr showed the most burning enthusiasm.

    They had realized their own powerlessness when they couldn¡¯t do anything during the Royal Knights¡¯ annihtion, and were training to ovee that.

    Hans barely managed to calm his heart at Cluna¡¯s gentle words.

    Right, they weren¡¯t just any knights.

    Though low-ranking, they were knights formally belonging to the Royal Knights.

    Moreover, they had received proper training from Yuren and Cluna.

    In fact, even Cluna was sending them off with trust.

    If she really thought it was dangerous, Cluna would have objected directly.

    Though many things had suddenlye at once, crisis was opportunity.

    They could turn this crisis into an opportunity.

    If they resolved all these requests well and properly negotiated with the envoy, they could obtain far more resources than imagined.

    That would speed up the rebuilding even more.

    Two weeks passed.

    Every three days, messages came via carrier pigeon from the dispatched members.

    Fortunately, they said they were resolving the requests smoothly.

    Yuren even said she would return soon.

    ¡°Thank goodness, really thank goodness.¡±

    ¡°I think you can trust the members a little more, Commander.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I worried too much. Come to think of it, is it today?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m nning to go greet them myself.¡±

    ¡°I see, then I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    Hans nodded with a pleased smile.

    Everything Cluna said was correct.

    As expected of the Royal Knights members.

    He had been foolish not to trust them.

    They had resolved the two most difficult tasks.

    All that remained was receiving the envoy¡­

    Honestly, he wasn¡¯t worried about this.

    Cluna had prepared everything from start to finish.

    Though he was only an interimmander.

    Still, as themander, he needed to trust his members.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Gray hair fluttered in the wind, announcing its presence far and wide.

    Behind the girl, warriors wearing leather armor and sporting beast ears on their heads followed.

    Killing intent swirled in their eyes.

    It was to protect their master.

    After all, she was the leader of the Rat n, foremost among the 12 tribes.

    In other words, she was no different from a queen.

    So they had to protect her with everything they had.

    That was what they all thought.

    Just then, the round ears of the girl walking quietly twitched.

    She stopped in her tracks.

    ¡°My, I didn¡¯t expect you toe out to greet us so soon.¡±

    ¡°You still have that affected face, Yuyoung.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again. Has it been about 200 years?¡±

    ¡°You have no shame. To bring up that day first.¡±

    There had been a sh between elves and beastmen in the past.

    Though a long time had passed and it remained only in records, at the time the elves and beastmen had been ready to wage war for their very existence.

    And yet she, the very person involved, brought it up first.

    Naturally, Cluna, who remembered everything, couldn¡¯t help but be dumbfounded.

    Yuyoung gave a small smile.

    ¡°I never thought a guardian of the forest would directly set foot in the Royal Knights.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that how all things in life are?¡±

    ¡°Of course. In this harsh life, if there¡¯s only one blood rtive left, you should cherish and love them all the more.¡±

    Cluna clicked her tongue without realizing it.

    As expected, she was a very irritating woman.

    With the power to see the future, she was a woman who tried to use that power to get what she wanted from them.

    Of course, the number of snakes hidden in her words was immeasurable.

    However, despite the daggers in their words, Yuyoung and Cluna continued to look at each other without losing their smiles.

    ¡°Can I assume this situation is by the Commander¡¯s orders?¡±

    ¡°Of course. The Commander knows everything.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s different from what I heard. You seem to have some leeway?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way we could join hands with those who are ck inside.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes you have to grasp even dirty hands, you know?¡±

    ¡°If so, at least not now.¡±

    Without giving an inch, they exchanged words one by one while smiling and looking into each other¡¯s eyes.

    Silence fell for a moment, but soon Cluna got to the point.

    ¡°We have no business with you. Please leave quickly.¡±

    ¡°But we¡¯vee all this way. Shouldn¡¯t we at least have a cup of tea before going?¡±

    ¡°I suppose negotiations have broken down.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame we can¡¯t have smooth negotiations like before.¡±

    Yuyoung raised her hand.

    At the same time, the warriors waiting behind her rushed forward.

    Seeing this, Cluna also immediately drew her sword and charged towards the warriors.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 62

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    It seemed they had noticed our true intentions.

    Though Yuyoung maintained a smile on the surface, it was merely a mask to avoid showing weakness to her opponent.

    In reality, she had been properly caught off guard.

    The power to see the future was not invincible. If the future she saw had been absolute, the beastmen would have already driven out the elves and taken over the forest long ago.

    To achieve a desired future requiredmensurate effort, and when stronger external pressure came in, the future changed.

    For example, like the elf in front of her.

    It seemed the position of forest guardian was not won by gambling.

    She subdued 5 warriors in an instant.

    Her swordsmanship was not shy, but practical and infused with experience.

    No matter how brave the tiger n warriors were, the difference in ability was too great.

    As expected, that elf was troublesome.

    She knew Yuyoung¡¯s power and knew how to avoid being detected by it.

    ¡®With that woman here, themander must surely know too.¡¯

    Had she underestimated him too much as a mere human?

    Well, even if corrupt, he was a human entrusted with the position of Commander of the Royal Knights.

    She should havee more thoroughly prepared, rather than underestimating him.

    She had rushed again, just like back then.

    Because such a sweet future was right before her eyes.

    She had been too greedy.

    Just like 200 years ago.

    Yuyoung reconsidered her thoughts.

    It wasn¡¯t a failure yet.

    If she could get past that woman, she could somehow salvage the situation.

    Besides, she hadn¡¯te empty-handed.

    Yuyoung widely opened the fan she had been holding.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like barbaric methods, but in life sometimes you have to do things you don¡¯t want to do.¡±

    The fan swung gently in a diagonal curve, stirring up wind.

    The artificially created wind instantly began rotating and growing in size.

    Cluna also responded immediately.

    She took out the bow she had been carrying on her back and shot an arrow.

    The arrow, trailing green light, pierced through the typhoon andnded in front of Yuyoung.

    Cluna spoke coldly.

    ¡°To even bring the Banana Leaf Fan, one of the beastmen¡¯s national treasures. Are you nning to start another war?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. In this frightening world, shouldn¡¯t I have at least some means to protect myself?¡±

    ¡°You certainly have a way with words.¡±

    The Banana Leaf Fan.

    One of the 12 national treasures said to have been divided among the first chiefs of the 12 tribes.

    It was known to be imbued with the authority to freely control the winds of the atmosphere.

    To bring such a simple yet powerful and versatile fan whileing as an envoy?

    No matter how one looked at it, it seemed there must be some other scheme.

    However, they couldn¡¯t be certain.

    It was true that monster activity had increased since the fall of the Royal Knights.

    If pressed on that point, they would have no retort.

    For the first time, Cluna frowned and put away her bow.

    The wind raised by the Banana Leaf Fan was protecting the warriors like armor.

    In that state, bows and arrows would not be effective.

    ¡°Taking away the enemy¡¯s numbers is the basics of warfare, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    No matter how experienced Cluna was, having her main weapons of bow and arrows sealed was quite a blow.

    Moreover, the beastmen warriors were further strengthened by the Banana Leaf Fan.

    As Yuyoung said, the tide began to turn little by little.

    While Cluna was trying to subdue them without killing as much as possible, the beastmen warriors were swinging their des with the intent to kill Cluna.

    Naturally, there had to be a difference.

    Moreover, the opponents were not just anyone, but warriors of the tiger n, the strongest fighting tribe among the 12 tribes.

    Slowly but surely, Cluna was being pushed back.

    Still as soft-hearted as ever, I see.

    Watching the tide of battle begin to turn, Yuyoung thought.

    It had been the same before.

    200 years ago, when the beastmen and elves had shed.

    All of the forest guardians had rushed to the battlefield.

    At that time, the beastmen led by Yuyoung, who had misjudged the enemy¡¯s strength, were ultimately defeated by the elves.

    It was because she had trusted too much in the future she saw.

    However, there were very few casualties.

    The reason was that Cluna and the forest guardians subdued their opponents as much as possible without killing them.

    In the process, Yuyoung realized that Cluna did not use lethal force.

    Was it a promise with the first hero?

    Or was it something else?

    She didn¡¯t know, but from what she had investigated over the 200 years in preparation, Cluna did not use lethal force against people, that is, continentals.

    And that was the correct answer.

    Of course, if she had used lethal force, Yuyoung would have approached differently.

    But for now, this much was enough to subdue them.

    Just as Yuyoung quickly made that judgment and lowered the Banana Leaf Fan.

    Suddenly, a massive wind swept through everything around them, and it was not a wind created by Yuyoung.

    It felt as if something huge was pping its wings in the sky¡­

    And then, she saw it.

    The enormous being that appeared before her eyes.

    It was d in red skin as sturdy as a fortress.

    Its wings were massive enough to cover the clouds, and when its heavy body touched the ground, the earth shook greatly, unable to withstand the impact.

    The beastmen¡¯s instincts were close to those of beasts.

    What did that mean?

    It meant they could instinctively recognize predators stronger than themselves.

    Only then did the smile disappear from Yuyoung¡¯s lips.

    That being was looking down on them arrogantly with huge golden eyes before them.

    It was a dragon, known as the supreme race on earth and also as the race of benevolence.

    ¡°Yuren? What brings you here?¡±

    [Themander sent me. He said it would be good to go out and greet them.]

    ¡°As expected of the Commander.¡±

    Cluna nodded.

    After all, dragons were the natural enemy of beastmen in particr, not just other races.

    In fact, the beastmen were now trembling with fear, their tails curled up.

    ¡°How in the world¡­?!¡±

    Yuyoung couldn¡¯t help but be flustered.

    Yuren had not been in the future she saw.

    If Yuren the dragon had been there, she would never have attempted something like this.

    However, at this moment.

    The future had changed.

    As if someone had concealed it.

    Eventually, Yuren spoke, looking down at the beastmen.

    [Stop fighting any further, children.]

    The reason dragons were called the race of benevolence was because of theposure that came from their overwhelming strength.

    However, if one were to offend a dragon¡¯s mood, then the consequences would be unpredictable.

    Naturally, Yuyoung¡¯s response was predetermined.

    ¡®I¡¯m curious about the face of thatmander fellow.¡¯

    Who could he be, to be able to set the stage like this?

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Come to think of it, wasn¡¯t it a bitcking?

    Hans was pondering with his arms crossed in the office.

    No matter how short on resources they were, to send just one person to greet the envoy from the Rat n, foremost among the 12 tribes, seemed a bit¡­

    He wondered if he should go himself even now.

    It wasn¡¯t that he hadn¡¯t thought about it, but Cluna had dissuaded him.

    If the leader moved carelessly, it would lower the weight of the organization.

    That wasn¡¯t wrong either.

    Though the Royal Knights¡¯ situation was bad, they should avoid cheapening their value.

    Moreover, all of this wasn¡¯t obtained for free.

    It was all to be gained through negotiation, but for the currentmander to rush out barefoot?

    It would only advertise their desperation to the other side.

    ¡°If only we had one more person, it would have been perfect.¡±

    Boom!

    ¡°Wh-What was that?!¡±

    However, his worries didn¡¯tst long.

    Suddenly, an explosion rang out from the courtyard.

    Wondering what had happened, he poked his head out the window, and there she was.

    Commander Yuren.

    She was now in the form of a dragon, the strongest race on earth.

    Come to think of it, she had said she would return immediately afterpleting the request.

    Wait a minute¡­

    Wasn¡¯t this actually fortunate?

    Though former, Yuren was still amander.

    It wasn¡¯t impossible for her to go as a proxy instead of Hans.

    This had turned out well.

    ¡°Commander! I¡¯ve returned. It was a very simple request.¡±

    ¡°Good work. I¡¯m sorry, but could you go out again right away?¡±

    ¡°Another request?¡±

    ¡°No, we need to wee guests.¡±

    ¡°Wee guests?¡±

    Yuren tilted her head.

    Hans briefly exined to her what had happened so far, including Cluna going out to greet the Rat n¡¯s envoy.

    ¡°I see, I understand what you mean.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see them on your way here?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to feel the sunlight after a long time, so I flew high above the clouds and didn¡¯t see them.¡±

    ¡°Then it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°But finding them is no trouble at all. I¡¯ll depart right away.¡±

    With those words, Yuren went outside.

    A momentter, a massive gust swept through the courtyard.

    Hans looked at the window.

    Despite such powerful wind, the window did not break.

    He had heard it was a window made of specially manufactured ssmissioned from the Republic.

    It certainly lived up to its reputation.

    Anyway, now that Yuren had gone out to greet them along with Cluna, this should allow them to save face to some extent with the envoy.

    Thinking that, Hans loosened his expression.

    When the envoy arrived, he would have to somehow talk them into providing support.

    Besides, even if Yuren didn¡¯t know, Cluna would surely handle the reception perfectly.

    There was no need to worry about anything else, right?

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 63

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    In his spare time, Hans had a deep conversation with Helia.

    He remembered hearing somewhere that the most important thing in education was to talk face-to-face with a child.

    Although it was just knowledge he had picked up, he thought it was better than not practicing at all.

    In fact, Helia had improved so muchpared to before that it was embarrassing topare.After all, she used to draw her sword and charge at him in the dining hall.

    Compared to then, he thought she had really be human.

    Recently, Helia had started reading.

    Hans asked her why.

    ¡°Was there a book you wanted to read?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you read a lot of books, Teacher?¡±

    ¡°I have things I need to look up.¡±

    ¡°I started reading books to be of help to you as well.¡±

    Though she still showed signs of dependence on him, it would gradually fade as time passed.

    Even now, Helia was spending time getting along with ra and Ruby.

    While he felt refreshed and a little sad at the same time, this was the natural growth of a child.

    He only hoped that in the end, she wouldn¡¯t be twisted by obsessing over power like in the original story.

    Hans closed the book he had been reading.

    Currently, he was looking into dimensional travel in the Royal Knights¡¯ library.

    Of course, there was no way such a convenient book would exist.

    For now, he was slowly delving into magic.

    As the saying goes, the longer the road, the more you should take detours.

    If he built up his knowledge little by little, someday he might reach a hint.

    ¡°It¡¯s about time for the guests to arrive.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare right away.¡±

    ¡°Prepare? You?¡±

    ¡°I can at least brew tea.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­¡±

    Helia shed a smile and immediately left the office.

    Left alone suddenly, Hans couldn¡¯t hide his uneasiness.

    No, it was certainly a good thing, but¡­

    Why did he feel so uneasy?

    He had that thought for a moment, but then changed his mind.

    In any case, he was thankful that she was growing up properly.

    So he should focus on his own work too.

    He paid attention to his appearance through the mirror prepared in the office.

    The helmet that Helia had put on him before had broken in the fight with Comprachico.

    Because of that, Helia had red at him with a scary intensity for a moment.

    But she didn¡¯t do anything more than that.

    Moreover, the other members didn¡¯t show as big a reaction as expected.

    [Come to think of it, the Commander took off his helmet?]

    [When did he take it off?]

    [H-He¡¯s been without it since the d-day we brought Commander Yuren.]

    [He wasn¡¯t wearing it when I met him. Was he originally wearing a helmet?]

    [Commander, do you perhaps need a new helmet?]

    Setting everything else aside, he was very disappointed in ra and Ruby for noticing sote that he had taken off his helmet.

    He was still theirmander after all.

    How could they be so uninterested?

    No, forget it. It¡¯s fine.

    He was someone who would leave someday anyway.

    If they got too attached to each other, it would only be more painful when that time came.

    Perhaps this level of distance was right.

    Just then, another thud was heard.

    He wasn¡¯t even surprised anymore.

    As expected, when he looked out the window, he saw Yurennding in the courtyard as predicted.

    However, she wasn¡¯t alone.

    There were many things hanging from her back.

    Looking closely, there was a girl with gray hair and round beast ears, and behind her, beastmen warriors were strung up like dried pock, tied with ropes.

    What on earth was this?

    As soon as he saw that sight, Hans felt the back of his neck tighten.

    He was sure he had told them to bring the guests politely.

    Could it be that ¡°politely¡± meant something different to a dragon?

    No, no, this was no time to be thinking like this.

    He had to somehow clean up this mess.

    Making a quick decision, Hans immediately turned his head and ran.

    Helia followed him.

    ¡°They¡¯ve really made a mess of things.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    As Helia said, when he got closer and looked, it was quite a spectacle.

    All the beastmen had foam in their mouths.

    There was no way they could be conscious.

    ¡°Commander, you¡¯re here?¡±

    ¡°Hmm! Commander! I did as you ordered!!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Despite having clearly caused trouble, how could they speak so proudly as if they¡¯d done well?

    For a moment his blood pressure rose, but Hans swallowed his anger.

    What good would it do to get angry?

    In a direct confrontation, he obviously wouldn¡¯t even be a match.

    And if he got angry and their rtionship soured?

    In the end, he would have no choice but to bow his head to them.

    The water was already spilled anyway.

    It wasn¡¯t toote to reprimand them for thister.

    Right now, dealing with the situation was the priority.

    Hans quickly ordered them to move the guests to the infirmary.

    Cluna and Yuren carried out his orders without a word.

    That made him even more puzzled.

    What was this?

    No matter how he looked at it, they didn¡¯t seem to be rebelling.

    Then why had they done this?

    ¡°Cluna, didn¡¯t I tell you to bring them politely?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Commander. I carried out that order.¡±

    ¡°Hmm! It was impressive. To hold out so well against so many.¡±

    ¡°You tter me.¡±

    ¡°¡­??¡±

    At first, he had no idea what they were talking about, but after hearing the details, it seemed the beastmen envoy had some kind of scheme, and Cluna had noticed and responded directly.

    ¡°But it was a bit dangerous. They had figured out my weakness and persistently attacked it.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t use lethal force. Is there a reason for that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a promise with an old friend.¡±

    ¡°I see, then it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°If Yuren hadn¡¯te just in time, who knows what would have happened.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. I just obeyed the Commander¡¯s orders.¡±

    His head started to hurt as the story was moreplicated than he thought.

    Let¡¯s put this issue aside for now.

    The important thing now was for the beastmen envoy to regain consciousness.

    Yes, that was the most important thing.

    But since the envoy had visited with bad intentions, he needed to make some preparations on his end too.

    Fortunately, the Royal Knights members would be returning soon.

    Until then, let¡¯s try to talk while being as careful as possible.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The power to see the future.

    To put it simply, precognition was not invincible.

    Of course, it took a while to realize that.

    For example, the war with the elves 200 years ago.

    The reason they had recklessly gone to war then.

    It was because she had trusted her precognition too much.

    A future where they drove out the elves and took over that forest.

    So she had mobilized all their forces without considering the consequences.

    Because they would win anyway.

    That was the future she had seen.

    However, it was shattered to pieces.

    The Forest Guardians.

    Those hateful protectors of the elves had formed a special unit andunched a surprise attack.

    If a bucket leaks inside, how could it not leak outside?

    They were thrown into confusion.

    In the end, they were defeated without even being able to resist properly.

    When the elves¡¯ counterattack began in the midst of this, Yuyoung had no choice but to swallow her pride and make a peace treaty with the elves.

    Yuyoung still hadn¡¯t forgotten the humiliation of that time.

    How could she forget?

    A thousand of them had been defeated by barely twenty elves.

    It had been an especially rainy day.

    The mud and muddy water formed by the umted rainwater had soaked her knees.

    She had been on her knees, ring at the enemy in front of her.

    It was none other than an elf.

    [Cluna, wouldn¡¯t it be better to kill her here?]

    [I agree. It¡¯s right to cut off the bud.]

    [¡­Just restrain her for now.]

    [Our soft-hearted Cluna~ Are you trying to keep another futile promise?]

    The sword that had been close to her neck was withdrawn, but the sensation from that time still remained.

    As if it would cut her neck at any moment, but what was even more unbearable was the humiliation she had felt then.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Yuyoung¡¯s closed eyes opened.

    A ceiling devoid of any splendor and the sour smell of medicinal herbs greeted her.

    Yuyoung silently raised her upper body.

    She was in an unfamiliar ce.

    She was lying on a bed with white nkets and sheets.

    She and the warriors who followed her were all lying on beds.

    It looked like an infirmary.

    Which meant this was Lionheart Fortress.

    Easily deducing this conclusion, Yuyoung reflected on what had happened before.

    The unexpected appearance of formermander Yuren.

    The warriors who had been pushed back, falling into panic because of it.

    She couldn¡¯t me them.

    The beastmen had stronger beast blood flowing in them.

    Of course they would instinctively sense a predator and be afraid, but they hadn¡¯t lost yet.

    The round mouse ears on top of her head twitched.

    She heard footsteps approaching.

    As expected, the door opened and someone appeared.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±

    He had ck hair.

    Below that, he was wearing iron armor.

    By beastmen standards, he had an ordinary appearance.

    Probably not much different by human standards either.

    But she couldn¡¯t let her guard down.

    He was the one whomanded the dragon and that forest guardian.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Sir Hans. I am Yuyoung, the leader of the Rat n.¡±

    There must be tens of thousands of snakes writhing inside him.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 64

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Negotiations could only proceed from an equal position.

    In the end, negotiation was where the needier side had to bow their head.

    In that sense, Yuyoung was confident.

    She had a clear understanding of the Royal Knights¡¯ situation.She had the power of precognition to see the future.

    ording to her vision, the Royal Knights had beenpletely annihted in a reckless expedition with no survivors.

    So she had tried to extract personnel somehow before that, but¡­

    Their own will was too strong, and she couldn¡¯t do anything about it.

    In the end, her friend had no choice but to go on the expedition and lost her life there.

    However, she couldn¡¯t believe that.

    There were often cases where precognition was wrong.

    So Yuyoung had mobilized all her resources to gather information, and thanks to that, she was able to ascertain that three members had survived.

    And fortunately, her friend was among them.

    Perhaps that was why she had rushed uncharacteristically, and this was the result.

    Yuyoung rolled her eyes.

    Cluna, who was at the apex of the notorious forest guardians, and Yuren, the formermander of the Royal Knights who needed no introduction.

    Just their presence alone was enough to make her feel overwhelmed.

    ¡°Is any tea alright?¡±

    But the most iprehensible thing was the man in front of her.

    He should be nothing more than a mere human.

    How could he move so calmly between those two powerful presences?

    Yuyoung soon changed her thinking.

    The beastmen¡¯s values were closer to those of beasts.

    In other words, they tended to think of weaker races as prey and look down on them.

    Humans were a prime example.

    In fact, humans were the race the 12 tribes had warred with the most after their establishment, and they were also the race they had mostly been victorious against.

    So she had unwittingly looked down on him.

    But that was a very dangerous andcent thought.

    The position of Royal Knightsmander wasn¡¯t one just anyone could hold.

    She had heard he was a nameless knight from a refugee vige.

    Yuyoung wasn¡¯t one to fall for suchughable information operations, and indeed she hadn¡¯t.

    Look at him now, calmly offering her tea between those monsters, wasn¡¯t he also one?

    ¡°Any tea is fine.¡±

    ¡°First, I apologize. It seems our members¡¯ reception was too rough.¡±

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t a problem at all.¡±

    Seeing themander speak without moving an eyebrow, Yuyoung barely swallowed her anger.

    Despite having known everything and prepared for it, he apologized in such a roundabout way?

    But getting angry here would only prove herself to be third-rate.

    The important thing in negotiations was to hide one¡¯s own emotions and draw out the other¡¯s emotions.

    Emotions were excellent friends of sincerity.

    One could grasp the other¡¯s true feelings by observing changes in their emotions, and that allowed one to gain an advantage in negotiations.

    Yuyoung smiled and replied.

    ¡°Rather, I should thank you for such excellent hospitality.¡±

    ¡°Excellent hospitality?¡±

    ¡°Yes, thanks to it, my warriors were able to learn a thing or two.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s how you see it, then I¡¯m d.¡±

    With those words, he immediately moved on to the next topic.

    There was no change in his expression at all.

    How could this be?

    No, there might not be any expression itself.

    That happened often.

    But having not even the slightest change was a different story.

    Even that forest guardian had slight changes in her flow, but this man showed absolutely no change.

    Could he really control his emotions to that degree?

    Or was there something else?

    Come to think of it, wasn¡¯t it this man who had saved Commander Yuren?

    Could it be¡­

    No, no.

    It was too early to jump to conclusions.

    The unknown breeds fear, and fear leads to dread, and those emotions were very disadvantageous in negotiations.

    Yuyoung opened her mouth.

    ¡°Shall we get to the main point then?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I was hoping for.¡±

    ¡°To maintain a smooth rtionship between the 12 tribes and the Royal Knights¡­¡±

    They talked about many things.

    However, more than 70% of it was decorative talk with no substance.

    Themander responded appropriately to match.

    The atmosphere had heated up to some extent.

    At that point, Yuyoung proposed one condition.

    She would provide support on the condition that they ept requests from the 12 tribes again.

    It seemed like a normal proposal at first nce, but the problem was the amount of support.

    She proposed an amount so ridiculously small that it could hardly be called support from the 12 tribes.

    As soon as they heard this, not only Cluna but even Yuren frowned.

    ¡°What do you think? Isn¡¯t it a good condition?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, indeed. Then let¡¯s go with that.¡±

    ¡°¡­Pardon?¡±

    He epted the proposal too easily.

    This time, it was Yuyoung who was taken aback.

    She hadn¡¯t thought he would ept such an unreasonable proposal.

    She had been anticipating what woulde after.

    Suddenly, themander readily epted the proposal.

    As a result, she ended up at a loss instead.

    The Royal Knights would be able to receive support, albeit small, almost for free.

    Of course, there was the advantage of re-establishing the rtionship between the 12 tribes and the Royal Knights, but Yuyoung wasn¡¯t one to be satisfied with just that.

    She continued speaking, slightly flustered.

    ¡°You¡¯re epting with just that much?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not in a position to be picky right now.¡±

    ¡°But¡­!¡±

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    She needed to say something.

    However, she couldn¡¯t say anything, as if something was stuck in her throat.

    She still couldn¡¯t sense anything from him.

    She couldn¡¯t read his flow.

    This wasn¡¯t just feigning ignorance.

    Not only his expression, but even his flow was unreadable.

    At that point, Yuyoung felt an unknown emotion.

    Not everything was correct, but her precognition itself was somewhat urate, and she had been able to use that.

    However, there had never been a time when her precognition waspletely wrong like now.

    When there was a conflict with the elves before, she had rushed and messed things up, and the future had changed due to a forest guardian who knew about her precognition catching her off guard.

    But until then, it had never been wrong.

    However, the man in front of her now was different.

    The annihtion of the Royal Knights, the death of Commander Yuren.

    All these precognitions had missed the mark.

    All because of the man in front of her.

    She couldn¡¯t help but think that way.

    Because in the future she had seen, this man¡¯s existence itself wasn¡¯t there.

    The unknown experience turned into fear, and fear breeds dread.

    It was like an ordinary person suddenly bing blind.

    If eyes that could see perfectly suddenly went blind.

    Who wouldn¡¯t be afraid?

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Ah~ Thank goodness.

    It really was fortunate.

    The negotiations with the 12 tribes ended better than expected.

    What was her name, Yuyoung?

    She suddenly seemed to feel unwell and hurriedly left.

    Well, that was understandable.

    There were two perpetrators next to me.

    I would have reacted the same way.

    Of course, I had tried to separate them.

    But they were so forceful that I ended up giving in.

    Was it just my imagination that I didn¡¯t feel an ounce of dignity as amander?

    No, forget it.

    If I start thinking about gaining dignity through my position, things will go wrong from there.

    Let¡¯s be satisfied with this for now.

    ¡°Commander, is this really alright?¡±

    ¡°The support was much less than expected.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing.¡±

    In a situation like this, could we afford to ignore even cold rice?

    We were in a position where we¡¯d gratefully eat even moldy rice if it was in front of us.

    Of course, in return, we had to resolve the 12 tribes¡¯ requests.

    But that was what I had wanted.

    Originally, the Royal Knights were a multi-race alliance of knights.

    In other words, it meant they couldn¡¯t be maintained without support from other races.

    Of course, the support from the 12 tribes was far from enough.

    But naturally, you can¡¯t fill your stomach with the first spoonful.

    Besides, wasn¡¯t it something to be able to receive even that much in resources?

    For now, we should be grateful.

    ¡°Good work, both of you. But from next time, respond politely without rough actions.¡±

    ¡°As expected, the Commander chose such a method.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Cluna said admiringly.

    I nodded.

    Since I had set the example first, Cluna and Yuren should be able to follow without much difficulty.

    They soon returned to their rooms.

    ¡°She seemed quite flustered.¡±

    ¡°Yuren, your help was significant this time.¡±

    ¡°Well, even I know about the leader of the Rat n¡­¡±

    ¡°Phew, anyway, I¡¯ve managed to pull this off.¡±

    Watching their backs as they left the office, I let out a sigh of relief.

    There was no need to speak strongly to them.

    The important thing was that I had said something.

    Anyway, I had given them a warning.

    This fact was important.

    That way, even if problems aroseter, I could make excuses.

    This was what I learned in thepany.

    The method of slipping away like a loach no matter what problem arose.

    Sadly, I couldn¡¯t do it properly and ended up quitting.

    Anyway, I didn¡¯t want to waste emotions getting angry.

    I was nning to hand over themander position soon anyway.

    Let¡¯s just try to prevent problems from urring, moderately.

    This negotiation was the same.

    What if the negotiation fell apart because we tried to get more here?

    Rather than that, it was right to just get what we could.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 65

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The members who had been dispatched on requests began returning one by one.

    As expected, they had resolved the requests without much difficulty and brought back appropriatepensation.

    It was an excellent result.

    This would raise the Royal Knights¡¯ reputation and widely announce their resilience to the continent. Of course, there were still manycking areas, but that was alright.

    Because it was the same for the demon race.

    Though it was just spection, considering the demons¡¯ actions described in the setting collection and the original story, their power had indeed been greatly weakened.

    If the demons had been at full strength, no living being on the continent could have withstood for 7 years, no, was it 6 years now?

    Even with dragons, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible.

    In fact, even the dragons, who were called the strongest race on earth, had been annihted by the demons¡¯ offensive, and the surviving dragons had be ves.

    That was why dragons appeared as enemies.

    Among the bosses that appeared in the original work, there were as many as two dragon bosses.

    One was a boss that appeared in the original story, and the other was a boss that could only be unlocked through DLC.

    Its name was Tyrant Yuren or something like that.

    ¡­Wait a minute. Yuren? Surely it couldn¡¯t be the Yuren I knew?

    I quickly shook off the ominous possibility.

    Just imagining that gave me a headache.

    Anyway, the negotiations had ended without much difficulty.

    The members had safelypleted their requests and returned.

    Everything had ended well.

    Just then, Bayard spoke with a dark expression.

    ¡°C-Commander. Did s-someone from the beastmene¡­?¡±

    ¡°The beastmen¡¯s envoy is currently staying here. Do you know someone?¡±

    ¡°I-I smell a familiar scent¡­¡±

    Looking closely, Bayard was trembling and couldn¡¯t stay still.

    It was as if she had encountered something frightening.

    Bayard¡¯s behavior had been a bit strange until now.

    At first, I thought it was just trauma from the expedition.

    But looking closely, it was trauma, but it seemed to be a different kind of trauma that was tormenting her.

    What should I do in this situation?

    No matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn¡¯te up with a good solution.

    So I raised my hand, and patted her reddish-brown hair.

    ¡°Eh, yes?!¡±

    ¡°Good work. Now go back to your room and rest.¡±

    ¡°N-No. There¡¯s still work to do¡­¡±

    ¡°ra, Ruby. Please take care of Bayard.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What do you mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Come on, quickly go to the room together!¡±

    Thanks to the quick-witted Ruby, I could easily entrust Bayard to them.

    If what I was thinking was correct, leaving Bayard alone would be very dangerous.

    Fortunately, she had reliablerades she could trust and rely on.

    Thinking I should ask Helia for helpter too, I turned my head.

    Now it was time to find out directly.

    Even if I kept pressing Bayard, she would never tell me.

    It might even end up touching her wounds.

    Rather than that, it was better to ask someone who seemed to know.

    And there was only one person in my mind who might know this story.

    Yuyoung, the leader of the Rat n.

    If it were aplete stranger, I wouldn¡¯t know, but Bayard was a member of the Royal Knights.

    As the leader who led all 12 tribes, she might be able to give even a small hint about her.

    With that thought, I headed to the infirmary where she was lying down, but I was blocked in the corridor in front.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Lady Yuyoung is not in a state to meet anyone yet.¡±

    It was a woman with long blue hair and fox-like soft ears on top of her head.

    Her sharp cat-like gaze made me feel slightly intimidated.

    ¡°I just need a moment. I have urgent business.¡±

    ¡°May I ask what this urgent business is?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say.¡±

    But I couldn¡¯t back down either.

    It was an issue concerning a member, not just anyone.

    Especially since Bayard had smelled something and openly showed signs of anxiety.

    In other words, someone who had given her trauma was now in Lionheart Fortress.

    That was why I couldn¡¯t back down.

    The woman twitched her eyebrow and moved her hand to her waist.

    A long ck chain was tied around her waist.

    She wrapped it around both hands like a whip and pulled the middle string with a snap.

    Was she using the chain as a weapon?

    ¡°I am Yana, a warrior of the Cat n. I serve Lady Yuyoung, the leader of the Rat n.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Hans.¡±

    ¡°Sir Hans, your current behavior is extremely rude. Please show the courtesy befitting your position.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t deny Yana¡¯s words.

    Despite knowing she wasn¡¯t feeling well, toe like this suddenly and demand a meeting.

    However, I couldn¡¯t back down.

    If a member¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t good, it was themander¡¯s job to resolve it.

    But I couldn¡¯t reveal the reason in front of everyone.

    It could be a matter of privacy.

    ¡°I¡¯m well aware of that point.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    ¡°But I can¡¯t back down. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Well, it seems I have no choice but to teach you manners directly¡­¡±

    ¡°I wonder which sidecks manners.¡±

    It was just one word, a single phrase.

    However, those words weighed down like a vast mountain range.

    The end of it wasn¡¯t directed at me.

    It was aimed at Yana, who had drawn her weapon in front of me.

    Soon, cold sweat began to flow from her forehead, which had shown no emotion before.

    Though she was gritting her teeth and enduring somehow, her body trembled slightly, unable to ovee the fear.

    She had somehow squeezed herself between Yana and me.

    Her ck hair zed like mes.

    Just by being there, she overwhelmed everyone.

    ¡°Show some manners.¡±

    ¡°Ugh?!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in front of the Commander.¡±

    Crack!

    The sound of bones breaking echoed out.

    Yuren¡¯s light kick shattered Yana¡¯s knee.

    As a result, Yana, unable to stand, naturally ended up kneeling before me.

    However, her cat-like eyes were still not dead and red at us.

    Then Yuren raised her fist.

    Before her fist could reach, I flicked my index and middle fingers.

    We were the ones who made the mistake first.

    I was not so foolish as to not know that.

    So I was going to take the hit.

    More precisely, I was going to use time stop to take the hit less painfully.

    Of course, there was a cooldown, but using time stop was better than not using it at all to endure.

    But I never dreamed that Yuren would intervene directly here.

    ¡°Stop it, I won¡¯t allow any more conflict here.¡±

    It was not a lie, when I stopped time and grabbed her wrist, I thought I was grabbing a hand made of steel.

    If I hadn¡¯t shaken my arm for a while to drain the strength, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop it.

    And it was the same now.

    If she applied force here, I would fly away bodily.

    Please, stop.

    Perhaps my desperate prayer was answered.

    As I said, Yuren slowly lowered her raised fist.

    I was a bit surprised that she listened so readily.

    With a slight blush, she looked at me and said,

    ¡°Y-You could have spoken more forcefully, you know.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°N-Nothing! I just meant that next time, you could stop me more firmly!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±

    It was better to stop fights firmly.

    Of course, I didn¡¯t have the confidence to stop them more forcefully here.

    Anyway, I needed to quickly resolve this situation and meet Yuyoung.

    I had many things to ask.

    ¡°You said you had something to ask me?¡±

    ¡°Mydy!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Yana. We had to meet anyway.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Yuyoung.¡±

    ¡°Pleasee inside for now.¡±

    She looked more rxed than when we met before.

    Had she organized her thoughts while meditating alone?

    Thanks to that, we might be able to talk a bit more.

    It was fortunate for me.

    The ce I followed her into was the guest room I had given her.

    Lionheart Fortress often had visitors, so there were separate guest rooms.

    Yuren had told me directly.

    At first, I thought it was just lodging, but the members¡¯ quarters were in a different ce, and Yuyoung was alone in the guest room.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you need guards?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. There are two reliable Royal Knights here, aren¡¯t there?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you say so.¡±

    ¡°So, what brings you to see me?¡±

    ¡°I came to ask about Bayard.¡±

    ¡°¡­Bayard?¡±

    There was a different reaction.

    Although I hadn¡¯t been observing her for long, this was the first time I¡¯d seen such a reaction.

    Yuyoung looked surprised.

    I tilted my head and asked,

    ¡°Do you know each other?¡±

    ¡°I know the name.¡±

    ¡°Your initial reaction was more than just that.¡±

    ¡°¡­She was a friend. My only friend.¡±

    A wistful emotion was felt in her voice.

    However, unlike her emotion, her words were in the past tense.

    From that, I immediately noticed.

    I had to notice.

    The fact that something had happened between them.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Chapter 66

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    I was left alone with Yuyoung in the guest room.

    Yuren had said she would stay too, but I sent her out.

    This was about hearing someone else¡¯s story from someone else¡¯s mouth.

    So it was better to have as few people hear this as possible. Of course, Yuren was involved as the formermander, but considering her personality, I judged it was best if I listened alone.

    Even approaching this as delicately as possible might not be enough.

    Given her personality, she might rush over and p Bayard on the back in misguided encouragement.

    I focused my gaze on Yuyoung.

    ¡°If you say you were friends¡­ does that mean you¡¯re not friends now?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure how to exin it.¡±

    Yuyoung¡¯s lips seemed to be getting dry, as she gulped down the water in her cup.

    Her eyes were visibly flickering nervously.

    It was a bit different from earlier.

    When we were negotiating earlier, she had maintained a smile.

    But now she was showing various expressions.

    Rather, because of that, she seemed more human now than before, which made me feel closer to her.

    ¡°Being friends means having a deep bond, but I don¡¯t know about that. She didn¡¯t have such a deep bond with me. So I¡¯d say we¡¯re just maintaining an adequate rtionship?¡±

    ¡°So, you were close before, but now it¡¯s awkward?¡±

    ¡°How did youe to that conclusion?¡±

    ¡°Am I wrong?¡±

    ¡°¡­No, that¡¯s exactly right.¡±

    Yuyoung, who had been ring at me for a moment, soon sighed and agreed with my words.

    From my perspective, it seemed like Yuyoung still had lingering feelings for Bayard.

    Had Bayard cut her off?

    If even Bayard had cut her off, if that was true, it meant Yuyoung was so hopeless as to be beyond help.

    I shook my head.

    It wasn¡¯t the situation to make a definitive judgment yet.

    It was not toote to make a judgment after listening to more of the story.

    Of course, my job would be to find and filter out any lies in the process.

    ¡°How did you grow apart?¡±

    ¡°Why should I tell you that?¡±

    ¡°Because I might be able to help.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true.¡±

    Yuyoung was giving in much more easily than expected.

    Was she really hoping to reconcile with Bayard?

    Or did she have some other hidden motive?

    I couldn¡¯t be certain yet.

    ¡°300 years ago, when we were cubs, we happened to meet.¡±

    ¡°300 years ago?¡±

    ¡°Yes, is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    I clicked my tongue.

    If Yuyoung said they met 300 years ago, it meant Bayard was also over 300 years old.

    Well, Cluna was even older than that, so maybe it wasn¡¯t strange?

    Yuyoung continued to unfold her story without stopping.

    She said that for the sake of friendship between tribes, the 12 tribes send their cubs to a single school called Seodang for education from a young age.

    [T/N: Seodang is a traditional korean school from the Joseon Dynasty]

    Yuyoung also went to Seodang following this tradition.

    The problem was that she was bullied there.

    She said it was inevitable since the Rat n was physically the weakest.

    ¡°But isn¡¯t the Rat n the foremost among the 12 tribes?¡±

    ¡°You know, Commander, there are many who envy those at the top.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, not everyone is like that.¡±

    While negative feelings were inevitable when thinking of the future, how could young children know such things?

    Of course, now there were strict regtions against bullying, but¡­

    Even up to the time when she attended, much violence and hatred were left unchecked, she said.

    In those difficult times, the only one who helped her was Bayard.

    This wasn¡¯t unexpected.

    Although Bayard had a timid personality, she had the strength to step up decisively when she needed to.

    I was sure that was how it would have been.

    ¡°You seem calmer than I expected.¡±

    ¡°I thought Bayard would certainly be like that.¡±

    ¡°I see, you trust herpletely, Commander.¡±

    ¡°If themander doesn¡¯t trust their members, who will?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a simple thing to say, but difficult to keep.¡±

    At that time, she said, the young Bayard was like a hero from a fairy tale.

    She always stood up against injustice and punished children who bullied others with force.

    Well, being from the Bear n, her physical abilities would not lose to any ordinary beast.

    And naturally, Yuyoung became friends with such a Bayard.

    ¡°It was very difficult for both of us then, but I think we were able to ovee it.¡±

    ¡°When it rains, the ground bes firmer.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s one of the Rat n¡¯s proverbs. You seem to know it.¡±

    ¡°I picked it up somewhere.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I thought our rtionship would only get better.¡±

    She still didn¡¯t know the trigger.

    Somehow, their rtionship just soured.

    What could have caused it?

    No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t understand.

    That was how they grew apart.

    And when time passed and they somehow met again, Bayard¡¯s appearance was, how to put it¡­

    The figure she had seen in the past was gone.

    Why?

    They were already distant from each other.

    Yet the reason she kept catching her eye was¡­

    After that, Yuyoung secretly supported Bayard.

    Even Bayard¡¯s admission to the Royal Knights was due to her rmendation.

    ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t help her because we were friends. At that time, due to the betrayal of 6 tribes, the blood alliance system of the 12 tribes was greatly shaken.¡±

    ¡°So you included the Bear n as one of the new 6 tribes?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was absolutely not because of Bayard that we chose the Bear n. We adopted them as one of the 12 tribes because their strong physiques were useful.¡±

    ¡°I see, I see.¡±

    What¡¯s this?

    Looking at her, she seemed to have a slight tsundere side.

    In fact, Yuyoung was now blushing and denying it more strongly than necessary.

    I almostughed for a moment, but¡­

    Instead, I forcibly swallowed my smile.

    Then I crossed my arms and fell into thought.

    If this was true, it meant that Bayard and Yuyoung had been close friends since childhood.

    But this wasn¡¯t something I could be certain of right now.

    I hadn¡¯t heard the story from Bayard yet.

    In the end, I would have to hear it directly from her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard your story for now.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s alright, could you give me a chance to talk with Bayard?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t give you a definite answer on that.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because I can¡¯t fully trust your story yet.¡±

    This was something we needed to hear both sides of.

    Someone might think of it as friendship.

    But for someone else, it could be a nightmare they didn¡¯t want to recall.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    When I went to Bayard¡¯s room, she was talking with Ruby and ra.

    No, it would be more urate to say she was trying to stop their fight.

    Despite always fighting when put together, they would feel lonely if separated, which was an exasperating aspect.

    Thanks to that, it was helpful.

    At least until I arrived, they had prevented Bayard from having gloomy thoughts.

    Of course, instead of being gloomy, she had fallen into a state of confusion.

    That was probably better than being gloomy.

    Thinking that, I finally managed to separate Ruby and ra, who had been fighting for a while with Bayard trying to help.

    ¡°Finally they separated.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m exhausted¡­¡±

    ¡°By the way, is now a good time?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Yes! If, if I¡¯m alright with you.¡±

    I wondered what she was imagining.

    A red blush rose on Bayard¡¯s face.

    Surely it wasn¡¯t what I was thinking?

    I forced a smile and said,

    ¡°I just met with Yuyoung for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Yuyoung¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you know each other?¡±

    Just as you can¡¯t fill your stomach with the first spoonful, I couldn¡¯t ask directly.

    So, I had to ask indirectly.

    This would cause less hurt.

    ¡°Y-Yes. She was a friend I hung out with in my childhood.¡±

    For now, Bayard recognized Yuyoung as a friend.

    This meant Yuyoung¡¯s story wasn¡¯tplete nonsense.

    I nodded and said,

    ¡°Were you close friends?¡±

    ¡°At least I thought so¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°S-Somehow our rtionship changed for the worse at some point¡­¡±

    This surprised me a little.

    I didn¡¯t expect they would have exactly the same thoughts.

    This meant they were really close friends¡­ or so one could say.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem very good now though.¡±

    ¡°W-Well¡­ Yuyoung got tired of me and left first¡­¡±

    ¡°She left first? Yuyoung did?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡±

    Bayard answered with a gloomy expression.

    Thanks to that, I felt a headacheing on.

    If Yuyoung¡¯s words weren¡¯t lies, they both thought of each other as friends.

    Just something hade between them and twisted their rtionship.

    Come to think of it, wasn¡¯t it said that the 12 tribes were the next to fall after the Dwarf Republic?

    If that was true, it would be rted to Yuyoung, the leader of the 12 tribes, and Bayard.

    Because Yuyoung still thought of Bayard as a friend.

    However, in the original story, all of the Royal Knights were annihted.

    If so, one couldn¡¯t know how Yuyoung might have gone berserk after losing her close friend.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

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 Chapter 67

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The rtionship between Yuyoung and Bayard.

    In some ways, it might seem like something not worth paying attention to.

    To Yuyoung, Bayard was just a knight.

    Of course, being a member of the Royal Knights was certainly not a low position.Compared to Yuyoung¡¯s position as ruler of the 12 tribes, Bayard¡¯s position was inevitably somewhat inferior.

    But I kept feeling that their rtionship was important.

    So, I had to make a decision.

    Let¡¯s have Yuyoung and Bayard meet each other.

    Let them meet and talk to each other.

    This seemed right for now.

    Because Yuyoung thought of Bayard as a friend, and Bayard also thought of Yuyoung as a friend.

    But I had no intention of forcing it.

    I opened my mouth.

    ¡°Bayard, if you want, I can arrange for you to meet and talk with Yuyoung.¡±

    ¡°T-Talk with Yuyoung¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes, only if you want to. I have no intention of forcing you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Bayard had aplicated expression.

    She seemed to be pondering.

    Probably an answer wouldn¡¯te right away.

    They had been in an awkward rtionship for a long time.

    I stood up from my seat.

    ¡°If you¡¯ve made up your mind, tell me directly. Or you can ry it through other members if you prefer.¡±

    ¡°W-Why are you paying so much attention to me?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing really. I¡¯ve been curious for a while. Why do you care so much about me, aplete stranger?¡±

    When I tilted my head, Bayard averted her gaze slightly and spoke.

    Her voice was mixed with guilt and fear.

    I listened to her words.

    ¡°At first, I was just d to have someone to rely on, but as time passed, my thoughts changed a little.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°Whether I¡¯m causing trouble for you, Commander. Whether I¡¯m tarnishing the name of the Royal Knights.¡±

    ¡°Why did you think that?¡±

    ¡°¡­Because the annihtion of the Royal Knights was essentially because of me.¡±

    ¡°Is it because you failed to properly carry out your duty as the vanguard?¡±

    Bayard quietly nodded.

    People epted failure differently.

    Some avoided it, some faced it and moved forward, while others simply epted it.

    epting wasn¡¯t a bad thing.

    The problem was when one copsed under the weight of it.

    That was how Bayard was now.

    Somehow, she had seemed to be avoiding me recently.

    So that was what she had been thinking.

    It seems the pride she had as the vanguard was greater than expected.

    I quickly racked my brain.

    What words would be good to say?

    I couldn¡¯t carelessly offer words offort.

    Soulless words could rather cause harm.

    There seemed to be something I could say in this situation.

    After pondering, I opened my mouth.

    ¡°Everyone makes mistakes. What¡¯s important is whates after.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean, even you, Commander¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oveing fear. It¡¯s not as easy as it sounds. But in the end, you chose to ovee your fear and return. I simply decided to believe in you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you think I persuaded you? No. Your actions persuaded me.¡±

    Well, in my memory, all I remembered was that my shoulder hurt terribly and Ruby just watched from behind.

    But it would be more advantageous to say it this way.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s talk againter¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll meet her.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll meet with Yuyoung again this time.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh¡­¡±

    Suddenly, as if she had gained courage from somewhere, Bayard¡¯s gaze no longer wavered.

    Her firm gaze was looking at me.

    I scratched my head and replied.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to force yourself. If you¡¯re really okay with it¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡­ want to try to be brave too.¡±

    ¡°I-Is that so.¡±

    ¡°Yes, because you believed in me, Commander.¡±

    ¡°W-Well then, I¡¯ll arrange a meeting.¡±

    Though it was decided too suddenly, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing in the end.

    Resolving it as quickly as possible would be good for both of them.

    I left the room with Bayard.

    ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m here to escort you.¡±

    ¡°Just when did you get there?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been with you from the beginning, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    She¡¯d been with me from the beginning?

    I thought she had gone somewhere else after I asked for tea because I couldn¡¯t see her.

    Did that mean she had been following behind me since then?

    What¡¯s that about?

    ¡°He-Helia!!¡±

    ¡°Bayard, don¡¯t bother Teacher too much.¡±

    ¡°I got it! I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Seemingly happy to see Helia, Bayard immediately hugged her.

    Of course, Helia pushed Bayard away with her palm in disgust.

    I let out a sigh.

    Anyway, it shouldn¡¯t be bad.

    Even if Helia didn¡¯t, Bayard thought of Helia as a friend.

    I walked with everyone to the guest room where Yuyoung was staying.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯vee again.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I have some business.¡±

    ¡°I told you to show courtesy, and yet.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a situation to worry about courtesy.¡±

    ¡°Hm? The person over there is¡­¡±

    Yana, the knight from the Cat n, said while tilting her head.

    Yana¡¯s gaze was directed elsewhere.

    Following her gaze, itnded on none other than Bayard.

    However, Bayard¡¯s condition was strange.

    As if there was a natural enemy in front of her, Bayard was trembling in fear.

    She even hid behind me.

    Only then did a memory sh through my mind like lightning.

    It wasn¡¯t even that long ago.

    A few days ago, when we were organizing the armory, Bayard¡¯s condition had worsened upon seeing a whip.

    And coincidentally, the weapon Yana used was a chain simr to a whip.

    Was she reacting like this just from seeing the weapon?

    If not that, could it be the person in front of us?

    ¡°My, I never expected to meet an acquaintance in such a ce.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Could it be that you requested to see Lady Yuyoung?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop. Don¡¯t speak to her as you please any further.¡±

    ¡°As Lady Yuyoung¡¯s guard knight, I have a duty to check each of her guests one by one.¡±

    Because it wasn¡¯t wrong, I was at a loss for words.

    Yana was smiling for the first time.

    However, even to me, it was a very unpleasant smile.

    She spoke with a smile.

    ¡°Lady Bayard, are you really requesting to see Lady Yuyoung?¡±

    ¡°No, well, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Commander, I¡¯m asking the person directly.¡±

    I was about to respond directly myself.

    Because I had realized that this person was rted to Bayard¡¯s trauma.

    However, before that, Bayard answered first.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Yana¡¯s expression became severely distorted.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The Commander always cared about her.

    On that day when they first met, instead of reproaching, he epted her as a member by embracing her directly.

    And he kept giving her chances.

    To cover up past mistakes.

    Too many chances.

    How could she forget such kindness?

    But each time, she had that thought.

    Was it right for her to be here?

    Wasn¡¯t she being disrespectful to the Commander?

    These thoughts gnawed at her mind.

    [You¡¯re no longer useful.]

    [Don¡¯t be ridiculous, who are you to say such things¡­!!]

    [Lady Yuyoung said so. You know that, right?]

    [¡­!!!]

    At some point, meetings with Yuyoung decreased.

    She had thought they were friends.

    Could it be she was just being used?

    No, no. We are friends.

    So, she kept believing until the end.

    But that trust was ultimately betrayed.

    As a result of continuously seeking out Yuyoung who had refused meetings, she finally got a chance to meet.

    But Yuyoung didn¡¯t show up there.

    Instead, the beastmen who followed her were there.

    And on that day, Bayard was beaten nearly to death.

    However, more than the physical pain, the fact of being betrayed by a friend hurt more.

    And from that day on, she began to be severely bullied.

    Though she didn¡¯t tolerate injustice, Bayard, whose mind was still fragile, gradually became more withdrawn.

    This was the result.

    ¡°My, I never expected to meet an acquaintance in such a ce.¡±

    Still, Bayard thought of Yuyoung as a friend.

    There must have been some misunderstanding.

    Some might think she was too kind, but at least Bayard was sincere.

    But she encountered an unexpected person here.

    Yana of the Cat n, the leader of the group that had bullied her in the past.

    She met her here.

    Her body froze stiff.

    Memories from the past began crawling up her body like insects.

    Helplessness and fear gripped her body.

    She couldn¡¯t say anything.

    Until the Commander moved.

    ¡°Stop. Don¡¯t speak to her as you please any further.¡±

    [Oveing fear. It¡¯s not as easy as it sounds. But in the end, you chose to ovee your fear and return. I simply decided to believe in you.]

    The first person to believe in her.

    That person was beside her.

    Just realizing that fact again made the fear weighing her down disappear in an instant.

    Only then did Bayard speak.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    In that voice, there was no longer any fear mixed in.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

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 Chapter 68

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Bayard walked past Yana and moved forward.

    I immediately stuck close to her side, because I could see it.

    The way her two legs were still trembling.

    Fear learned from long ago is terrifying to shake off. Yet Bayard, who chose to move forward despite this, was remarkable.

    So I had a duty to support her from the side.

    To ensure those fragile steps wouldn¡¯t crumble.

    Without saying a word, both Bayard and I entered the guest room.

    There, Yuyoung was looking out the window.

    Though I¡¯d heard they hadn¡¯t seen each other for a long time, Bayard immediately recognized Yuyoung.

    Yuyoung, too, seemed to sense her gaze.

    She slowly turned her head and their eyes met.

    ¡°This is an unexpected meeting.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Clearing up misunderstandings isn¡¯t such a great feat.¡±

    Sincere advice burst from my mouth.

    Misunderstandings pile up and transform into emotions.

    It can cause hatred, it can cause anger, but it¡¯s not eternal.

    ¡°A sincere conversation is enough to resolve it. Otherwise, it will just keep piling up.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°It could be impossible to resolve through conversation. You know that, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Neither Yuyoung nor Bayard could say anything to my words, because they both knew the fact that the Royal Knights had been annihted on an expedition, but was it because of the awkwardness?

    They couldn¡¯t say anything for a long time, they were busy throwing out awkward nces.

    Just as I was about to say something out of frustration at this sight, Bayard opened her mouth.

    ¡°H-How have you been?¡±

    ¡°Bayard, you¡­¡±

    Though Yuyoung maintained an indifferent expression, her voice was mixed with dness andplexity.

    Everything couldn¡¯t be resolved right away.

    I knew that.

    But as time passes, if they understand each other¡¯s circumstances, they could resolve things one by one from that point.

    So, I did what I needed to do.

    I went outside.

    At the same time, I flicked my index and middle fingers.

    Everything around lost its original color.

    Instead, gray filled that space, and I could see it.

    That being in the corner.

    Oh shit, that scared me.

    What the hell is that?

    I felt a presence outside, so I thought something was happening out there and stopped time, but I was really surprised to find someone in this room.

    Looking closely, there was a curled up figure.

    It looked like some kind of snake.

    A beastman from the Snake n?

    But if the Snake n was here, did that mean they hadn¡¯t be traitors?

    This was also surprising.

    I had thought the Snake n was definitely one of the 6 tribes that betrayed the tribes and turned traitor.

    Anyway, I immediately dragged out the figure curled up in the corner.

    ¡°This is heavier than I expected.¡±

    It was firmly wedged in the corner, so pulling it out wasn¡¯t easy.

    For about 10 minutes, as if hanging from a horizontal bar, I barely managed to drag it down while it was almost hanging by a thread.

    The problem didn¡¯t end there.

    I had to drag this thing outside.

    I let out a sigh.

    Today was a day when I particrly missed cigarettes, but what could I do?

    I didn¡¯t want to ruin the reunion of two old friends, so I had no choice but to drag the thing that had been stuck in the corner outside.

    After struggling to drag it out for a while, what was this?

    Outside, beastman warriors including Yana were surrounding the entrance as if besieging it.

    This is really driving me crazy, to go this far in this situation?

    Are they really insane?

    I carefully examined each of them one by one.

    They were holding weapons, had sent a spy inside, and every single one of them was ring fiercely at me.

    Setting everything else aside, I couldn¡¯t overlook the fact that they were drawing their weapons.

    It didn¡¯t look like a joke at all, so I had no choice but to make a decision.

    ¡°I have no choice.¡±

    I drew the sword at my waist, and I began cutting off the arms of the warriors in front one by one.

    I used everything I could to finish the job.

    What if there were monsters in Lionheart Fortress?

    Or was there something else?

    Unable to shake off that thought, I continued searching for over 30 minutes with time stopped.

    But in the end, I couldn¡¯t find anything.

    That meant, what they were aiming for was us, and I had absolutely no confidence in subduing them.

    However, I couldn¡¯t just kill them right away, so as apromise, I chose to cut off their arms.

    One by one, I carefully cut off their arms.

    It was by no means an easy task.

    Setting aside the psychological aversion, I wondered if what I was doing was right.

    But now, I had to have conviction.

    With such acent attitude of ¡°it couldn¡¯t be,¡±

    I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Admiring the beautifully shining stars was not a sin.

    As a beastman who wasn¡¯t chosen, all they could do was look up from the ground at the chosen 12 tribes.

    Someday, I want to shine like them too.

    That was their only wish.

    Amidst that, an opportunity came.

    The chance to be close to the heir of the Rat n, foremost among the 12 tribes.

    For the lower tribes, not to mention the other 12 tribes, they had to somehow impress the 12 tribes even if it meant licking their boots.

    That was how they could survive the harsh storm.

    However, Yana thought a little differently.

    She was not doing it for the better future of the tribe, but she sincerely wanted to meet a lord she could be loyal to.

    Even if it wasn¡¯t the moon, it didn¡¯t matter.

    She was hoping to be a star shining alongside the moon.

    [I want to serve you as my lord.]

    And fortunately, Yana was able to meet her lord.

    A lord worth dedicating her all to serve.

    From then on, she had served her lord with all her heart and soul.

    For example, dealing with the trash that bothered her lord.

    For example, dealing with the Bear n that didn¡¯t know its ce.

    For example, carrying out what her lord wanted.

    Of course, the second one was a bit difficult.

    That member of the Bear n who didn¡¯t know her ce kept trying to cling on.

    It was regrettable to her lord, but she used her lord¡¯s name.

    It couldn¡¯t be helped.

    Surely her lord would understand too.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    Rather, she would praise her for doing well.

    The Bear n member who finally realized her ce went down to where she belonged.

    That was how it should have been.

    ¡°Not knowing your ce, you dare to look above¡­?!¡±

    How vulgar.

    How dare a member of the Bear n who didn¡¯t even know manners think of being by her lord¡¯s side?

    It was uneptable.

    So she had no choice but to teach her manners directly.

    That obsessivepulsive-like behavior was finally put into action.

    The warriors who followed her had simr thoughts.

    Whether they were following Yuyoung or following Yana, had be impossible to tell now.

    Anyway, they drew their swords to protect their lord.

    However, just before entering the room, Yana could finally see.

    The fact that her hand holding the sword had disappeared.

    As soon as she noticed this fact, pain overwhelmed her.

    Blood kept flowing from the severed area without stopping, and it was the same for the other warriors.

    What the?!

    ¡°They are having a reunion of old friends. I hope you won¡¯t interfere.¡±

    A voice reached their ears as they were flustered.

    Yana turned her head at the coldly settled voice.

    There was a man quietly closing the opened door.

    He had ck hair and a scar on his face.

    On the opposite side, he was wearing a ck eye patch.

    No matter how you looked at him, he appeared to be nothing more than a knight who had been through thick and thin, and that was indeed the case.

    After all, he was Hans, themander of the Royal Knights.

    Yana pressed down on the chopped off part with her hand.

    Then she red at Hans and opened her mouth.

    ¡°What is this?!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you draw your weapons first? Against your lord, no less.¡±

    ¡°They are beings harmful to my lord! How could I leave them be?!¡±

    ¡°Why are you judging that on your own?¡±

    ¡°What an impolite way of speaking.¡±

    Why didn¡¯t he understand?

    Our lord only needs us.

    What¡¯s needed should be taken, and what¡¯s harmful should be boldly cut off.

    That was the right thing to do.

    Just like now.

    Cracks appeared in Yana¡¯s severed wrist.

    Eventually, a huge de sprouted.

    Yana swung that de, cutting down the beastman warriors who were in pain.

    ¡°Useless things should be boldly cut off. You were of no help to our lord. So, I cut you off with my own hands.¡±

    ¡°You, that hand¡­¡±

    ¡°That day, I swore loyalty. Even if it means dedicating everything!!¡±

    Yana roared and charged at Hans.

    Hans gritted his teeth and swung his sword.

    ng!!

    Soon after a tremendous explosion, Hans¡¯s body was pushed back greatly.

    Hans silently looked at his own hand.

    He saw his arm, twisted from being unable to withstand the force.

    Perhaps because it was such a bizarre sight he had never seen before, it didn¡¯t hurt.

    Even in the midst of this, he was fiercely racking his brain.

    Because he remembered seeing Yana¡¯s arm somewhere before, and without much difficulty, he finally realized the identity of that arm.

    ¡°¡­A parasitic curse?¡±

    A demon¡¯s curse that subtly seeps into one¡¯s true feelings and makes them control their body at will.

    This all was the terrible result of Yana¡¯s sincere desire to serve her lord mixed with the demon¡¯s curse.

    But the result didn¡¯t change.

    To say it was because of the curse¡­

    The wrongs shemitted in the past were too numerous.

    Hans slowly got to his feet.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

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 Chapter 69

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    From Bayard¡¯s reaction, it was clear that Yana had intervened in the past rtionship between Yuyoung and Bayard.

    Of course, this wasn¡¯t known for certain, but it seemed the intervention wasn¡¯t positive.

    Look at how she was reacting even now.

    I frowned.Before things became more chaotic here, I thought I should lure that thing away first.

    So I immediately ran to the corridor.

    Yana followed me right away.

    It seemed she had even forgotten her original purpose.

    Was this really loyalty? Or just self-satisfaction?

    There was no way to know.

    So please, save me.

    I had forgotten.

    Except for stopping time, I was literally nothing right now.

    Damn it.

    Of course, there was still my trump card of time eleration, but the penalty for that was too severe.

    It was a skill I couldn¡¯t use unless I was truly on the verge of death.

    I somehow managed to run out to the courtyard while avoiding Yana¡¯s rampaging attacks.

    I didn¡¯t want to interfere with Yuyoung and Bayard¡¯s meeting if I could help it, but¡­

    Now my thoughts had changed.

    Please, someone, anyone, help me.

    With that thought, I deliberately went out to the courtyard, because the courtyard was visible from everywhere.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?!¡±

    ¡°An intruder?!¡±

    Fortunately, ra and Ruby were in the courtyard.

    Thanks to them, I could avoid facing that monster alone.

    I shouted while looking at them.

    ¡°Get ready! It¡¯s an enemy surprise attack!!¡±

    ¡°Got it! Commander!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give them a taste of my hammer!¡±

    ra and Ruby reacted immediately to my words.

    The arrows ra shot pierced Yana¡¯s shoulder.

    Thanks to that, Yana staggered and stopped.

    Now was their chance.

    Not missing that opportunity, Ruby rushed forward.

    Ruby¡¯s heavy iron hammer struck Yana¡¯s shoulder.

    A chilling sound of flesh tearing echoed out.

    The blood and chunks of flesh that fell to the ground rotted and gave off a foul smell, but Yana didn¡¯t care.

    She swung her remaining hand and grabbed Ruby¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Gack?!¡±

    Though her neck was being choked, Ruby didn¡¯t panic and calmly hung onto Yana¡¯s arm while simultaneously raising her knee to break Yana¡¯s hand and escape as ra covered her.

    Thanks to that, Ruby was able to regroup.

    They had both be skilled enough that they couldn¡¯t be ignored as low-ranking members of the Royal Knights.

    That was probably thanks to the consistent training they had been doing until now.

    Of course, their rtionship was still not good, but it was closer to frenemies than enemies.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    `);}

    It wasn¡¯t bad.

    ¡°Commander! What is that thing?!¡±

    ¡°Yana, a warrior from the Cat n. One of Yuyoung¡¯s knights.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a strange sword attached to her arm. It¡¯s not a normal sword.¡±

    ¡°You can tell that?¡±

    ¡°I have my share of cksmith experience.¡±

    ¡°Ruby is right. That¡¯s a parasitic curse, one of the curses demons nt to control people.¡±

    Completely changing a person¡¯s personality wasn¡¯t an easy task.

    In fact, it was clearly mentioned in the original work.

    So the demons chose apletely different method.

    That was to subtly obscure the truth.

    In the case of parasitic curses, they cleverly showed the host what they wanted and created an illusion of guiding them down that path.

    It was not entirely wrong.

    As you walked the illusory path shown by the curse, you would really start to think that it was the right path.

    That was the truly frightening part.

    I didn¡¯t know what circumstances Yana had.

    However, even if she was sincerely pledging her loyalty, if it was the wrong path, we had no choice but to stop her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!!!¡± I shouted.

    As soon as my voice fell, ra and Ruby rushed forward.

    ra had already drawn her sword as Yana let out a roar.

    ¡°Don¡¯t interfere with my loyalty to my lord!!!¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not loyalty.¡±

    ¡°How dare you speak as if you know anything?!¡±

    ¡°Anyone can see what you¡¯re doing!¡±

    Perhaps because her sore spot was hit, Ruby swung her hammer while Yana was enraged.

    She aimed for thepletely destroyed arm, but that destroyed arm sprouted again.

    However, Ruby calmly avoided the regenerated de by twisting her body.

    Seemingly displeased, Ruby clicked her tongue and red at Yana.

    ¡°Her movements are more agile than I thought.¡±

    ¡°But not enough to beat us.¡±

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s fight calmly.¡±

    No sooner had those words ended than someone appeared with a booming sound from the sky.

    A woman with reddish-brown hair and a huge build.

    It was Bayard.

    ¡°Commander, thank you for believing in me.¡±

    ?

    ¡°Please leave this to me, Commander. I will definitely ovee this with my own hands!¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what she was talking about, but there was only one thing I could say.

    ¡°I always believe in you, Bayard.¡±

    Go! Bayard! Bite!

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    I received unexpected consideration.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for the Commander, I might never have been able to reconcile with Yuyoung.

    I had a long conversation with Yuyoung about what we had been doing until now, how we had been living, and so on.

    In fact, I knew to some extent what Yuyoung had been doing until now from what I had heard.

    ¡°Why did you start the war?¡±

    ¡°¡­I was blinded by a brilliant future.¡±

    ¡°That was wrong. You shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡±

    ¡°I know. But I don¡¯t intend to regret it. If I went back to the past, I would make the same choice. That¡¯s the weight of being a ruler.¡±

    ¡°¡­So that¡¯s why I joined the Royal Knights.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Yuyoung looked surprised.

    I looked at Yuyoung like that and smiled bitterly.

    That was the real reason why I had joined the Royal Knights.

    There was a secret I hadn¡¯t told anyone.

    In the past, after suffering countless sessions of bullying during my school days and even being betrayed, I had locked myself in my room, afraid of people.

    But then I heard the news that the beastmen had lost the war, and that Yuyoung would take responsibility for it.

    At first, I thought it served her right, but soon I changed my mind.

    I hadn¡¯t properly heard Yuyoung¡¯s side of the story.

    So, even just once, I wanted to talk to Yuyoung properly.

    [I want to apply to the Royal Knights.]

    [Have you finally made up your mind?]

    [¡­Yes.]

    [That path is very harsh and difficult. Will you still walk it?]

    [I have no regrets.]

    Some might call it foolish.

    However, that was how much I thought of Yuyoung as a friend.

    So, I didn¡¯t want to give up until I confirmed it myself.

    [Face reality, will you? Lady Yuyoung has abandoned you!]

    [How dare trash like you, who wasn¡¯t even chosen by the 12 tribes, think of associating with the heir of the Rat n?]

    [In the end, you¡¯re just trying to curry favor with the Rat n to secure a position for yourself, aren¡¯t you?]

    Those words that had cut into my heart like a razor de still lingered in my mind.

    Words I hadn¡¯t cared about at first, until I met Yuyoung directly to talk.

    That was why I wanted to meet Yuyoung.

    Even if her followers, including Yana, rejected me, I wanted to hear directly from her and make my judgment.

    But Yuyoung didn¡¯t show up at the ce we were supposed to meet.

    I thought I had conveyed the message clearly, but could it be?

    Were those guys¡¯ words really true? Was that it?

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe out that day?¡±

    I finally voiced the incident I had been avoiding.

    My heart was pounding.

    If it was really as those guys said, if I had been discarded because I was no longer needed¡­

    Then what should I do?

    As numerous such questions were welling up like water, an unexpected response came back.

    Yuyoung tilted her head.

    ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re the one who didn¡¯t show up at that ce.¡±

    She hade to the meeting ce, but I hadn¡¯t shown up, she said.

    However, we remembered different ces.

    I had been waiting behind the school, but¡­

    Yuyoung said she had been waiting in the herb garden inside the school.

    Hearing that story, I finally felt relieved.

    We had a brief conversation, but there was no more time to talk.

    The noisy sound of argemotion had beening from outside for a while.

    I smiled and said,

    ¡°Sorry, I think I have to go now.¡±

    ¡°Already? But I still have so much I want to talk about.¡±

    ¡°I have a lot I want to talk about too. But let¡¯s talkter.¡±

    Because I had something I needed to do now.

    Just as the Commander believed in me, I would believe in the Commander.

    I was able toe this far thanks to the Commander.

    So, I needed to repay that.

    I threw myself out the window.

    That person was right in front of me.

    The one who kept bullying me before, because of those memories, I had kept fearing and avoiding her.

    But not anymore, because the Commander was behind me.

    As long as the Commander believes in me, I will never lose.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

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 Chapter 70

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Yana had dedicated her entire life to her lord.

    She believed without a doubt that everything she did was for the benefit of her lord.

    Therefore, she had no hesitation.

    She thought what she was doing was right.A belief that one thinks is right can sometimes be poison, because when one stops thinking it¡¯s wrong, they keep running without stopping.

    Just like right now.

    The reason she went berserk was simple.

    She had seen Yuyoung and Bayard quarreling over a trivial matter.

    It was a minor dispute anyone could have in childhood.

    But to Yana, who offered blind loyalty, it was a very wrong thing.

    So she gathered followers who served her lord with her and persistently bullied Bayard.

    However, was it really out of loyalty? Or was it jealousy of the equal rtionship of Bayard being her lord¡¯s friend?

    After so much time had passed, even she herself no longer knew.

    ¡°Die! Die!!!¡±

    The de that sprouted from her hand made a shrieking sound as the cold metal grazed Bayard¡¯s cheek.

    She felt a painful burning sensation as if her flesh was being seared.

    Bayard realized there was poison on her de and a very deadly poison at that.

    It was fortunate that ra and Ruby had avoided everything.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    If they had been even grazed, the tide would have turned.

    But Bayard was from the Bear n.

    The Bear n¡¯s strength was their ridiculous physical abilities and resistance.

    Bayard¡¯s resistance had endured even the poison of Blood Demons, and above that, True Demons.

    She could easily withstand Yana¡¯s poison.

    Her body was still trembling.

    The fear from her memories of past bullying couldn¡¯t be easily ovee, that was true.

    ¡®But I have the Commander.¡¯

    Avoiding the problem in front of her, or running away¡­ In a way, it might be a defense mechanisming from her past experiences, but there was someone who would hold her hand to the end.

    Even if she wanted to run away again, knowing there was someone who would stop her¡­

    Because of that, she could ovee her fear and fight.

    Finally, Bayard¡¯s fist made contact with Yana¡¯s face.

    Bam!

    A shock like a mace striking down hit Yana.

    Brain matter flowed out from Yana¡¯s crushed skull, but even that wound regenerated immediately.

    ¡°What exactly are you looking at?¡±

    ¡°My loyalty is real! It¡¯s different from the likes of you!!!¡±

    ¡°I see, so this is what I was afraid of.¡±

    Yana¡¯s behavior of emphasizing her loyalty was too ugly.

    Bayard took her stance.

    She no longer felt fear, rather, she only felt pity.

    For what purpose had she fallen so far?

    She didn¡¯t know.

    Perhaps she would never understand for the rest of her life, but because of that, she could ovee her painful past and move forward.

    Because Bayard chose to face it directly.

    She had looked again at the fearful memories of her past, confirmed everything with her own eyes, and chose to move forward.

    With one step forward, simultaneously a fist swung like a shell struck Yana¡¯s head.

    Crack!!

    As the sound of metal shattering echoed, blood sttered around.

    Yana¡¯s body, having lost its will, slowly copsed.

    It was the end of someone who had unknowingly be a puppet due to a curse.

    However, Bayard didn¡¯t feel relieved.

    Rather, she felt sympathy, because Yana had been manipted without knowing it herself, but the wrongs she hadmitted didn¡¯t change.

    Bayard turned her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s all over now, Commander.¡±

    ¡°Yes, good work, Bayard.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s finally over.¡±

    ¡°Were you nervous watching?¡±

    As soon as Bayard brought down Yana, Yuren and Cluna, who had suddenly appeared in the courtyard, were smiling and apuding, and beside them, Helia was also standing quietly.

    ¡°Good job. You did well for your standards.¡±

    ¡°Helia, and everyone¡­¡±

    ¡°I was going to help, but it seems that wasn¡¯t the right answer.¡±

    ¡°See? The Commander didn¡¯t just stand by for no reason.¡±

    Yuren scratched her head.

    Dragons were the race of benevolence, to dragons, other races were simply subjects to be protected.

    She had felt that way this time too, but¡­

    For some reason, Cluna had stopped her.

    Even the Commander didn¡¯t intervene, even while getting injured himself.

    The Commander who had fought on par with her had been injured?

    For a moment, an indescribable emotion welled up in her chest, but she forcibly suppressed it.

    Surely there must be a reason, and indeed, she came to realize the Commander¡¯s intention.

    ¡°Growing by oveing pain on one¡¯s own. I didn¡¯t understand that.¡±

    The Bayard she knew was a timid person, so she had wanted to take care of her more.

    But that Bayard had ovee her fears and splendidly defeated the enemy.

    It was not just about solving everything for them.

    Sometimes it was important to let them solve it themselves.

    Of course, it was also important to protect them so they could do that.

    It was an issue tooplex for Yuren.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Whew, I barely survived.

    I had been watching nervously from behind. E

    specially when Bayard¡¯s cheek was grazed by Yana¡¯s de in the middle, I was so nervous I thought she might lose.

    But the problem was what happened after Bayard¡¯s victory.

    Suddenly, Yuren and Cluna popped out? And then what? They were saying I didn¡¯t just stand by for no reason?

    Is my twisted arm just decoration to you guys? Huh?

    I didn¡¯t just stand by, I had no choice but to stand by!!

    I was annoyed, but what could I do, I had to endure it.

    Because I was the weakest.

    Damn.

    I think I understand a bit of the bitterness of small countries.

    The aftermath was difficult to handle.

    Especially exining to Yuyoung in a way she could understand why Yana and Bayard had fought to the death.

    ¡°So, Yana bullied you? And she lied to me in her reports?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Yana was my loyal subordinate!¡±

    ¡°Yuyoung, look at reality. You should be able to see it, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Bayard didn¡¯t back down and persistently persuaded Yuyoung.

    There was no sign of timidity in her.

    I nodded with my arms crossed.

    She¡¯s finally grown up.

    Thanks to that, I got to experience the pain of my arm being twisted, but still, if that timid personality was somewhat fixed, I think it was a worthwhile sacrifice.

    Damn it.

    I ended up receiving care from Cluna again.

    Treating a twisted arm was more painful than you¡¯d think.

    Especially when resetting the twisted bone, I thought I was going crazy.

    ¡°C-Commander. I¡¯m sorry, because of me¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. But why¡­¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    I thought her timid personality had been fixed, but when Bayard came to visit me in the infirmary, she was hiding behind the door peeking at me.

    What¡¯s that, wasn¡¯t her timid personality fixed?

    When our eyes met, Bayard was startled and hid inside again, but then she peeked out again, only to hide once more.

    Why on earth?

    I went through a lot of trouble for Bayard¡¯s sake, you know?

    I was a bit hurt, but I endured the screams that were about toe out due to Cluna¡¯s treatment.

    ¡°I¡¯m dying, I¡¯m dying.¡±

    ¡°But you endured well.¡±

    ¡°The treatment took quite long this time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because the poison had seeped in.¡±

    ¡°¡­Was I in danger?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    We decided to keep this fact a secret from everyone.

    Helia was already persistently nursing me by my side.

    If she found out, she might say something to Bayard.

    Yuyoung gathered the rest of her surviving warriors.

    Fortunately, none of their lives were in danger, and it seemed she had realized something from this incident.

    Yuyoung remained silent for a while.

    During the week I was receiving treatment, Yuyoung, who had been visiting consistently every day with Bayard, was now ready to leave.

    We all went out to see her off.

    Yuyoung smiled and said,

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe see me off.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re in a friendly rtionship, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Really? I¡¯d like to go further than that.¡±

    ¡°S-Stop it!¡±

    Bayard quickly stepped between Yuyoung and me as Yuyoung was slowly approaching.

    Surprised by this for a moment, Yuyoung soon put on a serious face and red at me briefly.

    ¡°W-What?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. More importantly¡­¡±

    ¡°W-W-What!¡±

    Bayard iled her arms around.

    The warriors tried to stop her, but Yuyoung raised her hand to stop them.

    After looking back and forth between us for a moment, Yuyoung let out a sigh.

    ¡°It might be a bit odd for me to say this, but¡­ Please take good care of our Bayard.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t abandon my members.¡±

    ¡°¡­I hope those words are sincere.¡±

    With those words, Yuyoung turned her head and walked away.

    Of course, this didn¡¯t erase her wrongs.

    From long ago until now, she hadmitted many wrongs, but what has gone astray could be set right again.

    Perhaps because she realized this, Yuyoung¡¯s steps looked light even to me.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

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 Chapter 71

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Rtions with the beastmen had recovered considerably.

    Although they weren¡¯t providing resources at the level of simply handing them over, it was undeniable that more resources wereing than previously agreed upon.

    With support from the Kingdom, the Republic, and now the 12 tribes added, they began to have a bit more leeway.

    Of course, the support was inevitably less than what the Royal Knights received in their heyday.The important thing was that the Royal Knights were regaining their former position.

    With three races starting to provide support again, other races would slowly begin to move as well.

    This was not a bad achievement in just half a year.

    Meanwhile, time continued to flow.

    The mild warmth of spring disappeared, and the sweltering summer took its ce.

    Hans sipped the tea Cluna had brought and fell into thought.

    He wanted to give them a summer vacation, but giving them a vacation in the current situation wasn¡¯t a good choice.

    Even at this moment, people were dying from monster attacks somewhere.

    They couldn¡¯t beughing and enjoying themselves.

    Hans asked Cluna,

    ¡°Are there any requests that came in today?¡±

    ¡°There are, but only ones we have leeway for.¡±

    ¡°I see, then shall we give them abat holiday today?¡±

    ¡°Combat holiday? What¡¯s that?¡±

    Oops, he had unknowingly used military terminology.

    Hans cleared his throat and briefly exined.

    In a word, abat holiday was simr to a vacation with many restrictions.

    They couldn¡¯t go out, but there was no other work to do on the holiday.

    There were no urgent requests at the moment, and an emergency standby team was prepared.

    It seemed like not a bad choice.

    ¡°I see, it certainly doesn¡¯t seem like a bad option.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s been a lot of worktely with training and introducing emergency standby teams.¡±

    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll inform everyone.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±

    Cluna left the office with a faint smile.

    Hans didn¡¯t feel like gathering everyone for a meeting.

    He just wanted them to restfortably on their day off.

    That was his small wish.

    ¡°But isn¡¯t this very different from a small business mindset?¡±

    He pondered for a moment but soon shook his head to dismiss the thought.

    Public and private matters should be separate.

    Apart from quitting themander position by running it with a small business mindset¡­

    In a situation where demons and monsters were rampant, he couldn¡¯t do anything to lower their morale andbat power.

    What if the tower they had just rebuilt copsed again?

    Then a brilliant idea struck him.

    The so-called military-style duty officer operation.

    What was one of the worst things in the military?

    It was the duty officer who bothered you on holidays.

    [Did I ask you to do anything difficult? I won¡¯t bother you if you just do what you need to do.]

    [Do some cleaning. The weather¡¯s nice, so take the mats and nkets outside for sun-drying.]

    [This is for your own good. All that dust and dirt goes into your mouths, you know?]

    Thinking about it again, it was beyond infuriating, almost disgusting.

    Anyway, this method wasn¡¯t bad.

    It might affect morale slightly, but not too much.

    After all, except for guard duty, it was simr to resting for 24 hours.

    It would just feel a bit shitty.

    Judging it to be not a bad idea, Hans stood up.

    ¡°I¡¯ve informed everyone, Commander.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like to convey?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll convey that while having breakfast.¡±

    Asking Cluna, who had just returned, to convey it again seemed to cross a line even to Hans, so he concluded by saying he would convey it himself during breakfast time a littleter.

    This week¡¯s meal duty was on Yuren and Ruby.

    This was an unexpected fact, but Yuren and Ruby were good at cooking.

    At least their food was more edible than ra¡¯s.

    The problem was that their tastes were too biased towards one side.

    Yuren liked very spicy meat and soup, and Ruby also preferred spicy food.

    What if these two coborated?

    ¡°Ow, it¡¯s so spicy!! Is this really food for humans?¡±

    ¡°I-I swore not to run away, but¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ra was openlyining, Bayard was on the verge of fainting, and even Cluna¡¯s smile was cracking.

    It was quite a scene.

    Then Helia, who was next to him, spoke.

    ¡°Are you alright, Teacher?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not bad. It¡¯s nice to eat this after a long time.¡±

    ¡°Hmm! As expected of the Commander!¡±

    ¡°B-But if you didn¡¯t like the food¡­ That would be disappointing¡­¡±

    Unlike Ruby, who was puffing out her chest with a confident expression, Yuren muttered while fidgeting with her fingers.

    Hans had no idea what she found disappointing, but he decided not to pry.

    For the sake of his mental health.

    Perhaps because he personally liked spicy food, it wasn¡¯t bad, but if they prepared such spicy food every time, it could lower the morale of the others.

    Hans cautioned Yuren and Ruby.

    They showed slight dissatisfaction but chose to obey his words.

    They seemed to know they had gone too far.

    ¡°Ah shit, I forgot.¡±

    And because of that, he even forgot to tell them about sun-drying.

    Hans sighed.

    He decided to convey that to everyone during lunch time.

    For now, he should focus on work.

    After finishing his meal, Hans returned to the office and resumed the work he hadn¡¯t finished.

    How to use the resources received from each race, and how to utilize resources efficiently.

    Among other things, there was an overwhelming amount of work to do.

    Perhaps because he was focused on work, he didn¡¯t even notice when Cluna came in.

    ¡°Commander, I¡¯ll help too.¡±

    ¡°You go rest as well.¡±

    ¡°Huh? But¡­¡±

    ¡°Today is abat holiday. It¡¯s a day off for all members. And that includes you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so. Then excuse me¡­¡±

    Cluna, who had looked surprised for a moment, soon bowed to him with a faint smile and then left the office.

    Left alone again, Hans soon began to focus on his work.

    Then he suddenly noticed an unfamiliar letter on the desk.

    Like the one Comprachico had sent before, he suspected it might be made of human skin, but fortunately, it wasn¡¯t.

    Hans took out the letter and read it, and soon after, he realized he couldn¡¯t read the text written on the letter.

    It was a letter written in a script other than themonnguage of the continent.

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve seen this somewhere before.¡±

    After pondering for a while, he recalled that it was very simr to the writing in the memos Cluna made.

    He was barely able to remember it thanks to often seeing the memos Cluna usually wrote.

    After scratching his head for a moment, Hans pushed back his chair and stood up again.

    He knew where Cluna¡¯s room was.

    He thought he could simply go find her and deliver it.

    Until he directly saw Cluna¡¯s expression greatly distort upon receiving the letter from him.

    It was rare to see Cluna not just lose her smile, but frown.

    In other words, the contents of that letter were more serious than he had thought.

    Not long after, Cluna smiled again.

    To the point where it gave Hans goosebumps from just watching her.

    ¡°Cluna, what exactly is written in that letter?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Commander. This is a private matter.¡±

    ¡°Is that so. Then it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°Commander.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but would it be alright if I step out for a while?¡±

    Her lips were smiling.

    A smile as cold as mid-winter ice.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Cluna bid me goodbye and swiftly packed her things and left the fortress.

    I didn¡¯t have the courage to stop her.

    She looked like she would cut off my wrist if I said anything right away, but I couldn¡¯t just stand by.

    Something must have happened in the Elven Forest.

    Was it the demons interfering again?

    No, if demons were involved, there would still be damage left.

    Moreover, the Elven Forest was where the power of the barrier remained strongest, making it difficult for demons to meddle.

    In other words, they couldn¡¯t nt spies like in the Republic or like Yana in the 12 tribes.

    ¡°Mother left alone¡­ without me?¡±

    ¡°Oh my¡­¡±

    However, the problem didn¡¯t end there.

    ra had realized that Cluna had left alone.

    Moreover, for some reason, she knew that Cluna¡¯s mood had been unusual.

    ¡°ra, do you know something?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, speaking without Mother¡¯s permission is a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°I see. Then don¡¯t force yourself to speak.¡±

    ra expressed reluctance, but thanks to that, I was able to grasp the general situation.

    Something ra knew about had happened in the Elven Forest.

    That was why Cluna had reacted.

    She had left alone for the Elven Forest.

    Moreover, the fact that she left her daughter ra behind meant that either the Elven Forest was in danger, or ra could be in danger.

    So, here we should calmly¡­

    ¡°Commander, I have a request.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Come with me to the Elven Forest.¡±

    Like mother, like daughter.

    ra¡¯s spirit was no less strong than Cluna¡¯s.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

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 Chapter 72

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Of course, Hans hadn¡¯t nned to send ra alone.

    He had intended to divide the team into a group to guard the fortress and a group to follow Cluna.

    He thought it was a perfect n.

    But what was this? It ended up being just ra and Hans chasing after her.

    The rest of the members refused to go along.

    They said there must be some circumstance behind this incident.

    So, their opinion was that it was right for as few people as possible to go.

    But then, what about emergency situations?

    The answer to that question was¡­

    ¡°The Commander is there!¡±

    ¡°Th-That¡¯s right! If the Commander goes along, it will surely be helpful!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll act as the deputymander.¡±

    ¡°¡­If Teacher wishes it¡­ I have no choice but to endure¡­¡±

    Wasn¡¯t their trust level too high?

    Damn it!

    Of course, ra wasn¡¯t weak, but she was rtively weakerpared to the other members.

    Right?

    Moreover, I was even weaker than ra!!

    Damn it!!!!

    However, he couldn¡¯t say that outright.

    How could he say that fact right next to the person in question?

    Moreover, ra was giving off a very serious vibe, unlike her usual self.

    Even Ruby was encouraging ra, which showed how bad it was, but how could I oppose?

    That action would be no different from pouring dozens of cans of oil on a burning house.

    In the end, I had to go along with just ra and me chasing after Cluna, crying while eating mustard.

    Damn it.

    ¡°I found Mother¡¯s traces. Let¡¯s hurry and follow.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry.¡±

    The hopeful observation was that tracking would take some time, and by then ra might have calmed her anger, but of course, that didn¡¯t happen.

    ra had learned a lot from Cluna.

    Although not as much as her mother, ra also had considerable skills, including tracking techniques.

    Moreover, although Cluna had erased her traces as she was in a hurry, ra was able to find and track Cluna¡¯s traces without much difficulty.

    I couldn¡¯t see anything even if I looked.

    ra moved almost non-stop.

    As a result, I was dying trying to keep up behind her.

    In the end, I barely managed to keep up by using time stop.

    ¡°Wait a moment¡­¡±

    ¡°Even at this moment, Mother is¡­ No, no. I shouldn¡¯t think like that.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Commander?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go as fast as possible.¡±

    I wanted to rest in the middle because it was too hard, but how could I suggest resting in such an anxious situation?

    Especially when it was about the safety of someone¡¯s mother.

    Thanks to that, ra and I were able to reach Lamiart Forest in just 3 days.

    The Lamiart Forest was a vast forest located just before entering the Alex Mountains in the central region.

    Considering it usually took more than two weeks on horseback from Lionheart Fortress to Lamiart Forest, ra and I were moving at an incredible speed.

    Of course, this was possible thanks to ra knowing shortcuts, allowing us to go straight without detours.

    Soon night fell, and ra and I sat around a campfire.

    ¡°Here¡¯s some simple food I brought.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t think.¡±

    ¡°Eat a little. That way you¡¯ll have strength to follow tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±

    ra had her legs folded in her arms.

    She looked like a child unable to bear the anxiety.

    For a while, ra and I sat quietly without saying anything.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was a race that could keep up with elves in the forest.¡±

    Perhaps unable to bear the long silence, ra slowly opened her mouth while chewing her food.

    I thought it was amazing aswell.

    I really thought I was going to die in the middle, damn it.

    It was only thanks to the time stop ability and diligent training in between that I could keep up.

    If it weren¡¯t for both, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to catch up with ra at all.

    It was that difficult.

    ¡°I wonder if I¡¯mcking in many thingspared to other elves after all?¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    Huh, wait a minute.

    Is this suddenly self-me time?

    I looked at ra in surprise.

    However, ra had her head bowed low.

    I instinctively sensed things going wrong.

    ¡°I always had overflowing confidence. Looking back, there were only failures.¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±

    ¡°If it were another elf, could the Commander have kept up? Was I caught up to because it was me?¡±

    ¡°ra.¡±

    ¡°Someone like me is really hopeless after all. That¡¯s why Mother abandoned me and left.¡±

    ¡°ra!!¡±

    ¡°¡­!!!¡±

    Just before she fell further into the pit of self-me, I grabbed ra¡¯s shoulders and shook her.

    Only then did ra barelye to her senses.

    There were tears in her eyes.

    I managed to stop her, but what more should I say here?

    I couldn¡¯t justfort her with empty words.

    If I made a mistake and touched a sore spot or gave her the impression of empty constion, in the worst case, it could worsen our rtionship, but I couldn¡¯t ponder for long either.

    In a short time, squeezing out my thoughts as much as possible, I let the most usible words flow from my mouth.

    ¡°Nothing is certain yet.¡±

    ¡°Then why did Mother leave me behind? Isn¡¯t it because I¡¯m not trustworthy?¡±

    ¡°Then let me ask you the opposite. How can you be so sure about that?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject. I don¡¯t need such pathetic constion!¡±

    A more intense reaction than expected came back.

    Damn, I didn¡¯t mean to provoke her like this.

    I desperately racked my brain.

    Right now, the priority was to calm ra down somehow.

    So, instead of answering, I hugged ra.

    I was worried she might reject it, but fortunately she didn¡¯t push me away at least.

    ra seemed flustered by the unexpected situation.

    ¡°I¡¯m certain. Your mother isn¡¯t ignoring you. Rather, she loves you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Think about when she first joined the Royal Knights. How was it then?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Because she was worried about you. Because she loves you. Didn¡¯t shee all the way here from the forest herself?¡±

    What was important now wasn¡¯t telling the truth.

    It was important to somehow make ra shake off her negative thoughts.

    So, I needed to say the best things possible.

    Even if those words weren¡¯t rted to the current situation.

    ra, who had been listening quietly in my arms, quietly hugged my back.

    I was startled for a moment because she put in too much strength.

    The soft touch of elven arms¡­ hell no, I barely held back a scream because she hugged too tightly.

    W-Wait a moment. If you hug me too tightly, I can¡¯t breathe¡­!

    ¡°I became a knight because I wanted to be acknowledged by Mother.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°So, I absolutely can¡¯t show any weakness.¡±

    ¡°More than that, your hands¡­¡±

    ¡°So, just let me be like this for a moment. Please.¡±

    Damn it.

    In the end, I managed to calm ra down at the sacrifice of my waist.

    As time passed and her emotions seemed to have settled, ra was blushing with embarrassment.

    I barely got up, clutching my aching waist.

    Night had already passed and morning was approaching, but my waist that had been strainedst night still hurt.

    Would I be able to keep up with ra today?

    As I was worrying about this in advance, ra, who had cleaned up the campfire, stood up.

    I barely stood up while hiding my pain.

    Looking at me, ra slowly opened her mouth.

    ¡°Let¡¯s chase after her right away.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t we need to rush?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we still have time.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief then.¡±

    If we had to run recklessly like yesterday, I felt like my waist would really break.

    This was at least fortunate in the midst of misfortune.

    Then, ra, who had been making eye contact with me, suddenly looked away in surprise.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°N-Nothing! I¡¯m just going to wash my face for a moment!¡±

    ¡°Take your timeing back.¡±

    Please.

    Because my waist is killing me.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    At first, ra had only thought Hans was an amazing person.

    After all, he had easily subdued her and Ruby¡¯sbined attack.

    Rather, she had felt frustrated.

    She also had something like an inferiorityplex¡­ But it wasn¡¯t a bad feeling.

    It was strange.

    When they were in the Royal Knights, she and Ruby had beenpetitive rivals, but even though she was surpassed by a human, not even another race, she found herself acknowledging him.

    Even when her mother came looking for her, even when they faced the demons again, she strangely didn¡¯t feel afraid.

    She had faith that with the Commander, they could somehow win.

    Before she knew it, she was following behind the Commander.

    Looking at that unwavering back, she overcame her past fears and was able toe this far, and she thought it was the same now.

    Cold water wet her face.

    Her face, which had been burning hot, cooled down a little.

    However, that was only a temporary measure.

    When she thought about going back and facing the Commander again, her face unknowingly turned red.

    She didn¡¯t know why this was suddenly happening.

    Could it be¡­ No, no way.

    It couldn¡¯t be.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    ra erased the thought that had briefly crossed her mind.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

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 Chapter 73

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Another nickname for the elves was ¡°Forest Guides¡±.

    Using elven power, the dense forest would willingly reveal beautiful shortcuts to elves and theirpanions.

    Following those paths, one could receive the forest¡¯s blessing and greatly reduce travel time¡­

    Hans had heard such legends in the original work, and it was also a feature implemented in the game.For example, reducing troop transport time from 30 days to 15 days, or cutting quest round-trip time from 15 days to 7 days.

    Of course, this was only possible with an elf in the party.

    In this game, time was more valuable than gold, so it was rmended to include an elf heroine in the party early on.

    That way, time could be saved.

    Of course, veteran yers like Hans had grown tired of standard builds and tried various other builds, but now, such veteran entertainment builds were of no help at all.

    It was a matter of life and death, beyond whether he could return or not.

    Hans wanted to return alive, not die horribly here.

    In that sense, traveling with ra could be seen as a godsend.

    They were able to reach the Elven Forest in a very short time.

    Hans marveled quietly as he looked at the forest.

    Unlike ordinary forests, it was lush and dense, but not a tangled jungle.

    It was like seeing a neatly organized emerald forest.

    Hans asked ra.

    ¡°Do the elves perhaps manage the forest?¡±

    ¡°No, elves don¡¯t deliberately prune branches or anything. We love nature as it is.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying the forest can flourish like this just from the elves¡¯ presence.¡±

    Hans gained new knowledge.

    This wasn¡¯t even applied in the game.

    Honestly, elves weren¡¯t a particrly distinctive race except for their early contract work and time reduction.

    Themunity would even say their beauty was their performance.

    However, now that the reality patch had been applied, they were very reliable allies.

    They walked forward.

    ¡°Stop right there~ I¡¯ll shoot you if you don¡¯t identify yourselves.¡±

    ¡°Aunt Emily!!¡±

    ¡°That voice, could it be ra?!¡±

    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s me! ra!¡±

    After walking forward for a while, a voice came from inside the forest.

    It seemed to be a familiar voice, as ra called out happily.

    The owner of the voice immediately ran over.

    It was an elf with purple hair wearing something like a dress made of leaves.

    True to being an elf, she had white skin and beautiful features, but she felt different from other elves.

    If ra and Cluna were model students, Emily the elf looked more like a party student.

    To put it more bluntly, she gave off a delinquent vibe.

    Emily looked at Hans and said,

    ¡°Oh my, then is this gentleman the newmander of the Royal Knights?¡±

    ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    ¡°Cluna told me~ She recently returned to the Elven Forest!¡±

    ¡°I see, she told you, Aunt.¡±

    ¡°Save the emotional reunion forter.¡±

    Catching ra¡¯s expression darkening, Hans hastily changed the subject.

    Managing mental states was something amander naturally had to do, especially when things were gloomy like now.

    ¡°Huh? What do you mean? Ah! Could it be Cluna didn¡¯t tell you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes~ I understand~.¡±

    Emily turned her head with a sly smile.

    In an instant, only Hans and ra were left.

    Unable to say anything, Hans kept silent, when ra suddenly shouted.

    ¡°Hyah!¡±

    Though startled by the sudden outburst, Hans didn¡¯t show it.

    It would be troublesome if ra went off track by pretending to be surprised.

    Hans cleared his throat and calmed ra down.

    ¡°Calm down, ra. You can¡¯t do anything if you¡¯re agitated.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Commander. I¡¯ve already made up my mind.¡±

    ¡°Made up your mind?¡±

    ¡°As you said, Commander. I¡¯ll listen and judge for myself. That¡¯s how I¡¯ll be able to understand.¡±

    ¡°I see. That¡¯s the right way.¡±

    Only after hearing ra¡¯s resolve could Hans finally feel relieved.

    Fortunately, it seemed it had worked sessfully, as ra¡¯s mental state was much stronger than before.

    Thank goodness.

    If her mental state had copsed aftering this far, he really wouldn¡¯t have been confident in handling it.

    Hans let out a sigh.

    All that remained now was for Cluna to properly exin things to ra.

    If there was one cause for concern, it was Cluna¡¯s icy cold attitude earlier, but Cluna, who cared for her daughter more than anyone, would surely exin everything properly to ra.

    That was what he had thought.

    ¡°Go back to Lionheart Fortress quickly, ra.¡±

    ¡°Why do you never tell me anything?!¡±

    ¡°This is a matter you don¡¯t need to know about! Listen to your mother right now!¡±

    Until he became sandwiched in the mother-daughter fight.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Damn it, what am I supposed to do?

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    First, there was something that needed to be made clear.

    Cluna and ra had a harmonious rtionship.

    Of course, they had just been fighting, growling at each other as if about to bite, but there wasn¡¯t really a problem.

    However, if asked whether they seemed like a normal family, that wasn¡¯t quite the case either.

    Both Cluna and ra had something they were hiding from each other.

    Cluna wanted to protect, and ra wanted to be acknowledged.

    The simr yet different desires of the two made them close yet distant.

    It wasn¡¯t a good situation.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    In the end, everyone would get hurt.

    And the biggest problem was Hans¡¯s position, caught between the two.

    He couldn¡¯t take one side unterally.

    He was theirmander, so his influence would be stronger.

    That could unintentionally hurt the other side.

    However, if he just sat quietly maintaining neutrality, it was clear as day that the confrontation would continue and eventually reach a breaking point.

    In other words, Hans had to provide an alternative that both could agree on while respecting their positions as much as possible, and this was for a somewhat twisted mother-daughter rtionship.

    In short, Hans was screwed.

    Weren¡¯t family issues one of those problems you¡¯re told not to get involved in from the start?

    That¡¯s howplex and sensitive family issues could be.

    And that was why Hans was here now.

    He silently crossed his arms and looked at ra.

    ra was lying on the bed with her face buried in it.

    Her mood was gloomy beyondpare.

    To the point where Hans wondered if he might get infected if he spoke to her.

    He soon shook his head vigorously.

    This wasn¡¯t some infectious disease, what was he thinking about infection?

    He cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

    ¡°Still, there¡¯s hope at least.¡±

    ¡°Hope? What hope?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we find out properly here?¡±

    ¡°Mother told me to go back! She¡¯s still treating me like a child!!¡±

    It was a sad fact that Hans couldn¡¯t deny ra¡¯s words full of resentment.

    Even from his third-party perspective, Cluna¡¯s attitude was excessively cold.

    Just like as if she was dealing with a young child.

    Of course, ra was young for an elf.

    However, ra was clearly fulfilling her role as a member of the Royal Knights.

    So she deserved to be treated ordingly. but he couldn¡¯t just criticize Cluna either.

    If someone who loved her daughter so much spoke so seriously, there must be some circumstances warranting it.

    In the end, Hans had to represent Cluna¡¯s feelings without touching ra¡¯s nerves.

    He seriously considered giving up, but the answer was always the same.

    ¡°These aren¡¯t just empty words. You haven¡¯t checked for yourself yet, have you?¡±

    How nice would it be if we could do everything in life as we wanted?

    Win the lottery and just y and eat without working at all.

    Who would want to go to a ce like apany?

    Just like that, there were things we had to do even if we didn¡¯t want to.

    Rotten as he was, Hans was now themander of the Royal Knights.

    He couldn¡¯t abandon his duties asmander.

    Hans slowly raised his hand.

    When his cold hand touched ra¡¯s shoulder, ra jumped up like a spring, startled.

    He thought such an intense reaction wasn¡¯t necessary, but he decided to let it go for now.

    ¡°You wanted to see with your own eyes, but is this really what you¡¯ve seen with your own eyes?¡±

    ¡°Then what? Mother told me to go back.¡±

    ¡°How can we know if that¡¯s her true feelings or not?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°No one knows until we check for ourselves.¡±

    What was needed right now was a small sprinkle of hope.

    People can get back up if there¡¯s anything they can do.

    Even if it¡¯s just a tiny bit of hope, that¡¯s enough.

    ra looked at Hans for a moment, then wiped away her sniffling tears with her hand and stood up.

    Hans nodded as he watched her.

    Somehow, they had ovee one hurdle.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

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 Chapter 74

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Though they had tentatively settled on investigating together, the problem came after that.

    Cluna had coldly told them to leave, and they were actually in a situation where they had been ordered to leave.

    If they were caught wandering around carelessly, they would surely be captured and expelled immediately.

    So they had no choice but to seek cooperation from someone they knew, though Hans didn¡¯t like it.They were now hiding in a basement.

    Emily, who had agreed to cooperate, had hidden them in the basement.

    Hans frowned with his arms crossed.

    What was it?

    He had a very, very bad feeling.

    An indescribable uneasiness had been bothering him for a while.

    It was as if they had entrusted a cat with fish¡­

    ¡°ra.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Is Emily really your mother¡¯s colleague?¡±

    ¡°Of course. She¡¯s a fellow forest guardian, right? Besides, they fought together to repel the 12 tribes¡¯ invasion long ago.¡±

    From the time of the 12 tribes¡¯ invasion until now, they had been in constant contact?

    Well, if they weren¡¯t close, ra wouldn¡¯t call Emily ¡°aunt¡± and follow her so familiarly.

    Then was Hans just being overly sensitive?

    No, it felt a bit simr to Comprachico, but he didn¡¯t sense any signs of mental maniption.

    No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯te up with an answer.

    So Hans gave up thinking.

    If he couldn¡¯t figure it out right away, the best method was to move and find out with his body.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for now.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do that. Aunt must have something in mind.¡±

    ¡°I suppose so.¡±

    This wasn¡¯t the time toin about being in a basement.

    They had almost been driven out of the forest before.

    Of course, it was a bit frustrating that they couldn¡¯t even see outside without windows.

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time in the Elven Forest. It¡¯s quite a beautiful ce.¡±

    ¡°Right? It¡¯s nature in its purest form!¡±

    ¡°I was a bit surprised that it¡¯s not managed though.¡±

    As it felt a bit awkward to just sit still, Hans changed the subject to lighten the mood.

    He had briefly seen the forest as they entered, and its natural state was impressive.

    When he mentioned this, ra responded with a bright smile for the first time in a while.

    They seemed to chatter about this topic for a good 30 minutes.

    Only then did the closed basement door open.

    ¡°Have you been waiting nicely~?¡±

    ¡°Aunt Emily!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re here atst.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t such an easy task, you know? Finding out Cluna¡¯s destination, I mean.¡±

    Hans and ra closed their mouths simultaneously.

    The bright atmosphere from just moments ago waspletely gone.

    If Emily¡¯s words were true, where was Cluna heading now?

    She had left ra behind.

    Rather, she had coldly told her to go back.

    In other words, it meant it was a very dangerous matter.

    Here, it would be best to dissuade them first¡­

    ¡°Really?! Really?! Do you know where Mom went?!¡±

    ¡°Of course~ Of course! Have you ever seen me lie?¡±

    ¡°No! Aunt has never lied!¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go there quickly! Commander!¡±

    ¡°Calm down for a moment, ra.¡±

    If it had been usual circumstances, if it hadn¡¯t been such a big deal, Hans would have reluctantly gone along with it, but not now.

    It was a matter of life and death.

    If it were just Hans alone, it might have been different, but he still couldn¡¯t forget the image of Cluna coldly driving away the daughter she loved so much.

    Cluna must be in an extremely dangerous ce.

    Hans didn¡¯t know the reason.

    It was true that he felt hurt that she hadn¡¯t told them, but here, as themander, he had to separate public and private matters.

    ¡°Where is Cluna now?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, the center of the forest, perhaps?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a dangerous ce?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just dangerous. It¡¯s very, very dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Then all the more reason we should go!¡±

    He had to separate public and private matters, and before that, he didn¡¯t want to go to a dangerous ce.

    Because it was scary!

    It was better not to fight if possible.

    He didn¡¯t like getting hurt in fights.

    He didn¡¯t want to die either.

    Especially after his arm was twisted before, it had been real hell once things had calmed down a bit.

    So Hans tried to dissuade ra.

    Until he heard those words.

    ¡°You said it yourself, Commander! We need to see with our own eyes!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ah, that.

    He had just blurted out anything to take care of her mental state, and now it wasing back to bite him.

    Hearing this, Emily whistled and said,

    ¡°That¡¯s right~ Usually you can¡¯t be sure until you check, right?¡±

    ¡°You seem oddly excited.¡±

    ¡°Me? No way. Well, if you really don¡¯t want to, you can stay here?¡±

    ¡°No! I want to go! I¡¯ll go even if I¡¯m alone!¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll go too.¡±

    There was no way he could ovee the passionate feelings of a daughter worried about her mother.

    Moreover, decisively, since he had already said such things, he had no grounds to dissuade her.

    Before leaving the basement, they received masks and purple robes to cover their bodies from Emily.

    Apparently, it was the official uniform of the tracking team she operated.

    ¡°Tracking team?¡±

    ¡°Simply put, they¡¯re my private soldiers~ Forest guardians have a lot to do to protect the forest.¡±

    ¡°Private soldiers?¡±

    Even for a forest guardian, was it okay to openly operate private soldiers like that?

    He had slight doubts, but Hans epted what she gave him, thinking it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    The mask was some strange stone mask with no expressions or anything, just holes for the eyes to see through.

    When he put on the outfit, he felt like he had be some viin¡¯s henchman.

    ¡°It suits you well~ ra!¡±

    ¡°Really? Thanks!¡±

    ¡°Yeah~ If it¡¯s okay, I¡¯d like you to keep wearing those clothes~¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t do that. I like my current job.¡±

    ¡°Emily. I¡¯d appreciate it if you refrained from further suggestions.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too sensitive~¡±

    Emilyughed yfully and detached herself from ra, who had been clinging to her.

    No matter how Hans looked at it, something felt off, but there was nothing he could do about it right now.

    They left the basement.

    Houses made of vines and fallen leaves on trees came into view.

    Apparently, they were houses made using natural materials that hadpleted their life cycle¡­

    ¡°But why is Cluna in such a ce?¡±

    ¡°To fulfill the guardian¡¯s mission.¡±

    ¡°The guardian¡¯s mission?¡±

    ¡°Yes, protecting the forest with one¡¯s life.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, I hope she doesn¡¯t die if possible~¡±

    This confirmed it.

    The elf called Emily was hoping for something to happen to Cluna now.

    What was the reason?

    Weren¡¯t they fellow forest guardians?

    Could it be out of jealousy?

    But he couldn¡¯t be 100% certain because he didn¡¯t sense any negative emotions from Emily right now.

    Rather, she seemed to exude friendly emotions, but Hans knew.

    Having eaten humble pie without fail every day, bing a master of reading the room level 20 or higher, Hans could tell.

    Emily was hoping for Cluna to die now.

    So he was about to say something, but¡­

    ¡°Ugh¡­!!¡±

    ¡°ra?¡±

    ¡°Ah~ Looks like it¡¯s starting~¡±

    ra let out a groan.

    Hans was startled and hurriedly tried to support ra, but she was faster.

    ra¡¯s body, which had been staggering as if she had a headache, stopped.

    ¡°This mask, you see. It has a special spell engraved on it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Once you put on the mask, your consciousness disappears and you be a puppet that moves as I say.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

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    ); }

    ¡°It¡¯s such a basic engraving that most people would notice, but to think the so-called Royal Knights would fall for something this easy.¡±

    Thinking they hadpletely fallen for it, she was rambling on her own.

    Seeing that ra wasn¡¯t responding, it seemed she had really be a puppet.

    But for some reason, it had no effect on him at all.

    Could the engraving be broken?

    Many thoughts crossed his mind, but right now it was important not to show any signs.

    ¡°Looks like almost everyone¡¯s gathered.¡±

    Emily put her fingers in her mouth and whistled.

    Then elves wearing the same stone masks and purple robes as them moved in unison.

    ra was among them.

    Afraid of losing ra, Hans quickly ran and stood next to her.

    Fortunately, Emily didn¡¯t notice at all.

    If he was discovered here, everything would be ruined.

    Of course, escaping wouldn¡¯t be difficult.

    He could just use time stop and escape right away.

    Since she said it was a basic engraving, the brainwashing effect would probably disappearpletely if they took off the masks.

    However, if they escaped like this, it could put Cluna in danger instead.

    So he had to at least figure out exactly what Emily was aiming for.

    Unaware that he was harboring such thoughts, Emily burst intoughter.

    It was a smile with a flush on her face, but it was terribly twisted and scary to look at.

    ¡°Now I can finally have you~ Cluna!¡±

    Drooling from her mouth, she was nothing short of what you¡¯d call a pervert.

    Looking at that sight, Hans clicked his tongue.

    ¡®I see, so this one was that famous pervert.¡¯

    But he still didn¡¯t know anything for certain.

    He would wait until things became clearer.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

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    PrevNext

 Chapter 75

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Emily walked proudly at the front and behind her, the tracking team marched in perfect formation.

    It felt like we were watching a North Korean propaganda march.

    Hans stuck close to ra¡¯s side, afraid of being separated from her.

    If he got separated from ra in this situation, he wouldn¡¯t be able to counterattack Emily at all.As if deliberately toying with them, Emily ced ra and Hans at the very front.

    As a result, Hans was dying from having to act.

    Fortunately, Emily wasn¡¯t paying much attention to them.

    Otherwise, he would have been discovered long ago.

    Emily and the tracking team entered the center of the forest.

    The beautiful scenery they had seen from the outside was gone, reced by a filthy forest entrance.

    Purple moss emitting a toxic stench and sticky spider webs were polluting the forest.

    Could demons be involved?

    Hans had that thought briefly, but soon dismissed it.

    The Elven Forest was one of the few areas that survived until the end in the original work.

    Although the forest was polluted and its power greatly weakenedpared to its heyday, if demons had been involved, the Elven Forest wouldn¡¯t have fared any better than the Dwarf Republic or the 12 tribes.

    However, the cause of the forest¡¯s pollution had never been properly exined.

    So themunity had spected there must be another reason.

    Could this also be Emily¡¯s doing?

    But there was too little information to be certain.

    ¡°No matter when Ie, it¡¯s such a filthy ce~¡±

    After walking for some time, Emily whistled and muttered upon reaching the innermost part, but since no one else was making a sound, her voice echoed particrly loudly.

    Hans silently observed it.

    It could be called a tree, at least, but it was different from ordinary trees.

    First, it was iparablyrger than normal trees, however, its condition was also abnormal.

    Countless eyes were writhing on the trunk of the tree, and roots that had shot up from the ground were chewing and swallowing everything.

    It was closer to a living creature than a tree.

    It was more like a monster.

    Hans swallowed the nausea that nearly came up at the horrific sight.

    He tasted the acidity of stomach acid.

    ¡°Poor, poor Cluna. Working hard to sacrifice herself today too.¡±

    ¡°Emily?! How did you¡­¡±

    ¡°You know, I never understood. Why do we, who have power, have to sacrifice ourselves?¡±

    And finally, they were able to meet Cluna again.

    Cluna was covered in wounds and bleeding profusely.

    Could it be, was she fighting that tree? All by herself?

    No, no. Let¡¯s stay calm for now.

    Emily used the expression ¡°sacrifice¡±.

    That meant Cluna was being sacrificed to that tree alone.

    As his head was bingplicated, Emilyughed loudly.

    ¡°We just need to offer useless things as sacrifices, right? Then at least it¡¯ll be quiet for about 100 years. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times. 100 years isn¡¯t enough time for the next generation¡¯s saplings to grow¡­!!!¡±

    ¡°So what? If it¡¯s 100 years, we can just offer another sacrifice then. Maybe it¡¯ll be 200 years if we¡¯re lucky?¡±

    ¡°Emily, you¡­!!!¡±

    ¡°Oops, don¡¯t move on your own. That is, if you don¡¯t want to see this child get hurt.¡±

    At that moment, ra, who had been right next to Hans, moved.

    She walked forward.

    As ra stood beside her, Cluna, who had been watching, was shocked.

    ¡°You can recognize her without taking off the mask, right?¡±

    ¡°ra¡­?! Why! Didn¡¯t I tell you to go back?!¡±

    ¡°I had it reported that way. You know? The Elven Forest is already as good as in my grasp.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you want, Emily.¡±

    ¡°For you not to die. That¡¯s all I need.¡±

    Ah, now he understood a little.

    Inferring from his experience of reading numerous anime and novels, the cause of the forest¡¯s pollution was that tree.

    If sacrifices were offered to that damned tree, the pollution decreased.

    But they couldn¡¯t offer just anyone, and the time the tree remained silent increased depending on the quality of the sacrifice.

    He wasn¡¯t sure of the details, but it probably increased based on the amount of magical power.

    In other words, Cluna had intended to sacrifice herself.

    She was going to offer herself as a sacrifice to the tree to fully restore the forest, but because she couldn¡¯t tell ra that outright, she had no choice but to leave for the forest, saying she was going on vacation alone, but ra hadn¡¯t stayed still either.

    As mother and daughter, she must have instinctively known her mother was in danger.

    ¡°I¡¯ve finished figuring it out.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Hans clicked his index and middle fingers together.

    As the sound of the click echoed, the surrounding scenery turned gray.

    Only then could he take off the mask.

    He turned his head.

    He saw the elves wearing masks.

    Looking at them, he sighed.

    When the hell was he going to take all those masks off?

    Damn it.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    When did the pollution of the forest begin?

    That was a fact unknown to all but a very few elves.

    Then was being among those very few elves a blessing or a curse?

    Cluna couldn¡¯t answer that question.

    If it had just been a tree, they could have considered destroying it, but it wasn¡¯t just a tree.

    It was the World Tree that had been worshipped continuously since ancient times.

    It was no different from religion for the elves.

    That was why elves tended to regard nature, and by extension trees, as sacred.

    It was less so now, but in the past, they had even forced this value system on other races.

    Thanks to that, elves had once experienced ruling over more than half the continent.

    Although they were eventually defeated by the allied forces.

    [Can¡¯t we just cut it down?]

    [We can¡¯t do that. The World Tree is what maintains our forest.]

    [Then what about us?]

    No adult answered that question.

    Cluna had thought this since childhood.

    Isn¡¯t prosperity thates only through someone¡¯s sacrifice worse than not having it at all?

    And that thought became even more firm when her mother was chosen as a sacrifice.

    The thing called the World Tree swallowed sacrifices and used them as nutrients to endure and make the forest prosperous.

    The elves kept this fact strictly hidden.

    Human sacrifice would cause revulsion among other races.

    Even though they knew it was an action they couldn¡¯t be proud of,

    They, or rather we, couldn¡¯t break away from the old ways.

    The elders had the right to choose the sacrifice, and the next sacrifice chosen was none other than ra, her daughter.

    [Why has my daughter been chosen as the sacrifice?!]

    [Do not forget your duty as a guardian, Cluna.]

    [Originally you were to be the next sacrifice, but because of your many merits until now, we conceded to your blood kin instead.]

    [This is nonsense¡­!!!]

    It was nauseating.

    In the end, it was nothing more than bait to draw her in, but she couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye.

    What about the innocent elves out there?

    If she ignored this and ran away, someone else would be sacrificed.

    Cluna couldn¡¯t allow that.

    Because she was Cluna who had learned much from the first hero.

    [Then, I will be the sacrifice.]

    In a way, making such a choice was natural, but although she said that, she had no intention of just submitting meekly.

    Because now she had enough power.

    So she decided to deal with the polluted World Tree.

    If she failed in the fight, she would be the sacrifice.

    If she won, she could return.

    It was a fairly good n in its own way.

    ¡°Poor, poor Cluna. Working hard to sacrifice herself today too.¡±

    ¡°Emily?! How did you¡­¡±

    However, an unexpected interferer had stepped in.

    Arade who had fought together with her until now.

    Emily had meddled on her own since originally, she had been excluded.

    [Why don¡¯t we just offer other elves instead of Cluna or ra? We have plenty of numbers, don¡¯t we?]

    She had been tly rejected for suggesting such an outrageous opinion in front of the elders, but to think she woulde all the way here, and with a group of elves too.

    Cluna tried to stop it.

    Because she knew what Emily would do, but she couldn¡¯t.

    Because she recognized the elf that appeared behind Emily.

    ¡°You can recognize her without taking off the mask, right?¡±

    ¡°ra¡­?! Why! Didn¡¯t I tell you to go back?!¡±

    She was wearing a mask and her body was covered by a robe, but her movements and height were unmistakably ra¡¯s.

    Could it be fake?

    No, she wasn¡¯t stupid enough to not be able to distinguish a fake.

    This was undeniably the real ra.

    At the same time, Cluna realized Emily¡¯s intentions.

    She intended to use ra as a hostage and offer the elves behind her as sacrifices.

    ¡°¡­What do you want, Emily.¡±

    ¡°For you not to die. That¡¯s all I need.¡±

    As expected, the answer was the same.

    Emily was the type of person who would really do it if she said she would.

    If she attacked Emily, she might be able to kill her, but the problem was what came after.

    It seemed she had engraved a mind-controlling inscription.

    She could give an order just before dying to have them offered as sacrifices to that tree, and that would include her daughter.

    But if she chose her daughter, the elves behind her could be sacrificed too.

    She couldn¡¯t guarantee they were all innocent, but there would surely be innocent elves mixed in who knew nothing.

    In this moment of crisis, ironically, the only person she thought of was a single human.

    ¡°I¡¯ve finished figuring it out.¡±

    And, as if by magic, that human¡¯s voice was heard.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [FUCK THAT BITCH SAW HER FUCKIN ARMS OFF GODDAMNIT, cuz it seems like she wants to fuck our girl cluna which aint happenin on my watch]

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    PrevNext

 Chapter 76

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Taking off the masks one by one wasn¡¯t difficult.

    The problem was having to do it over a hundred times.

    Moreover, too much time had passed.

    He had been doing this for at least 30 minutes.That meant the cooldown was about 1 hour.

    Of course, since it was 1.9 times, the actual cooldown would be shorter, but it was easier to think of it as 1 hour.

    Anyway, after removing all the masks, Hans snapped his fingers to release the time stop.

    The elves whose masks had been removed were looking around with bewildered expressions.

    Hans inwardly cheered.

    It had been worth taking off even their robes, just in case.

    ¡°W-Where are we?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that tree?!¡±

    ¡°Attack! Everyone take cover!!¡±

    The elves¡¯ reactions varied, but at least none of them were attacking the tree.

    Hans knew elves worshipped trees more than necessary.

    Caught off guard by the sudden situation, Emily looked around with a flustered expression for the first time.

    Soon her eyes fell on Hans.

    He slowly took off his mask.

    ¡°Royal Knights Commander¡­!!!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard your values well, Emily.¡±

    ¡°How on earth?! That inscription can¡¯t be released by oneself once affected?!¡±

    ¡°There are no absolutes in this world.¡±

    He countered with a casual quip that some ¡°ta-da¡± guy might think of.

    Emily retreated with a groan, but these women weren¡¯t going to just stand by and watch.

    There was no need for Hans to step in.

    Even without him, there were two people who had business with Emily.

    The first to move was Cluna.

    Cluna leapt, closing the distance in an instant, and shot her bow.

    Emily, who had dodged the fast-approaching arrow, tried to counter with augh, but she overlooked something.

    ¡°You think you fooled me?!¡±

    ¡°Gack?!¡±

    The fact that ra was also a proper member of the Royal Knights.

    Of course, Hans acknowledged that Emily was an outstanding knight, but not paying attention to ra was her downfall.

    ra wasn¡¯t so weak that she could be ignored.

    Subdued instantly by ra and Cluna, Emily couldn¡¯t do anything and just kept screaming.

    ¡°Let go! We need to hurry and offer sacrifices!¡±

    ¡°Stop it, Emily! Why can¡¯t you give up?!¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s better than you dying.¡±

    ¡°Do you think you can get away with this situation with those words?¡±

    ¡°No, but I¡¯m serious, Cluna.¡±

    Hans felt that Emily was sincere.

    The idea of sacrificing others for the sake of herrade, her friend.

    He could certainly understand, but sacrificing innocent people was wrong.

    ¡°By now you know what needs to be done.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m already prepared, Commander.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying? What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t mean¡­ you¡¯re really going to kill that thing?¡±

    Unlike ra who knew nothing, Cluna was already prepared.

    Emily realized her intention and was shocked.

    It was a natural reaction.

    It was simr to killing a god.

    ¡°If we kill that, we won¡¯t be able to maintain the forest in the end¡­!!!¡±

    Thud!!

    ¡°I¡¯ve knocked her out for now, Commander.¡±

    ¡°R-Right. Good work.¡±

    Apparently, she had a lot pent up.

    Cluna knocked Emily out without asking or exining.

    Well, Hans would have done the same in her position.

    No, he might have done worse.

    She had brainwashed and controlled his only remaining daughter and other innocent elves at will.

    Hans turned his head.

    The World Tree that Cluna had attacked continued to writhe.

    It seemed to have no intelligence.

    If anything, it was simr to a beast.

    The kind that wouldn¡¯t attack unless provoked?

    Thanks to that, they had some leeway.

    Hans opened his mouth.

    ¡°ra, take Emily back to the vige.¡±

    ¡°But then the Commander and Mom will¡­!!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, ra. I¡¯ll exin everythingter.¡±

    ¡°¡­You have to exin everything!!¡±

    ra bit her lip, then quickly left the ce carrying Emily on her back.

    She wasn¡¯t a child.

    She was a proper member of the Royal Knights.

    Of course she would understand.

    That this was the best course of action in the current situation.

    Hans turned his head again.

    He saw the huge polluted tree stained purple.

    Perhaps it would have been better if ra had stayed instead of him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to repay this debt, Commander.¡±

    ¡°I only did what needed to be done.¡±

    ¡°No, if it weren¡¯t for you, Commander. I probably would have had to choose one of two options.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°And I would have regretted that choice for the rest of my life. Even knowing I had no choice.¡±

    Cluna would probably have chosen her daughter, but she would have been tormented by guilt thinking of the elves who died because of that choice.

    Because Cluna was that kind of elf.

    Hans smirked.

    ¡°Then all that¡¯s left is what to do with that thing.¡±

    ¡°I have a way.¡±

    ¡°You have a way?¡±

    ¡°Yes, because I¡¯ve been pondering how to deal with it for a long time.¡±

    ¡°I see, then let¡¯s hear it.¡±

    Cluna said she had been preparing for a long time to deal with the polluted World Tree, and she had finally realized a method.

    That was fortunate amidst the misfortune.

    He had wondered what would happen if they had to start from scratch.

    Hans listened to Cluna¡¯s n.

    In short, he needed to buy time.

    During that time, Cluna would finish preparations andpletely destroy the polluted World Tree.

    In a way, it was a simple n.

    Except for one problem.

    Hans eximed in shock.

    ¡°You want me to distract it alone?¡±

    ¡°Yes, only you can do this, Commander.¡±

    ¡°Only I can do it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It was overwhelming even for me.¡±

    An elf who had lived for hundreds of years was saying it was overwhelming.

    Cluna, who was arade of the first hero, was saying it directly, and she wanted him to do that?

    ra! Pleasee back quickly!

    ¡°When I start drawing the magic circle, it will sense the threat and attack. So, Commander, you need to be a threat first.¡±

    In other words, she was telling him to draw aggro.

    W-What should he do?

    He really didn¡¯t want to do it, but he had to.

    Damn it.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The lives of innocents and the life of family.

    Naturally, the scale could only tip towards thetter, but the guilt of sacrificing others for family would probably remain and torment her for life.

    But even so, Cluna would have chosen thetter.

    Because ra was the only treasure left in this world.

    It would be a lie to say she didn¡¯t feel disgusted with herself, but fortunately, she didn¡¯t have to make such a choice.

    It was all thanks to the Commander.

    When faced with an either-or situation, at that voice breaking through the despair, Cluna came to her senses.

    At that moment, what she saw was the sight of elves throwing off their masks and robes.

    Unless one was a fool, it could only be seen as the Commander¡¯s doing in that situation¡­

    Cluna instinctively moved her body.

    She tried to quickly approach Emily and subdue her.

    Though Cluna was several steps above Emily in purebat ability, Emily was not an easy opponent either, so she thought the process of subduing her would be troublesome, but ra, who had been right beside her, unexpectedly ambushed Emily,

    Thanks to that, they were able to subdue Emily without much difficulty.

    She had thought ra was just a child, but had she now be a proper member of the knighthood?

    Cluna smiled bitterly.

    Children eventually be independent from their parents.

    She already knew this fact, but she couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly.

    Therefore, as a parent and as an elvenrade, she wanted to make a better world for the children to live in.

    Even if it meant sacrificing her life.

    She didn¡¯t mind.

    She had already lived a long life.

    She no longer wanted to live this long life by sacrificing the lives of young saplings.

    She would put everything she had into it, and if that failed, she would sacrifice herself after.

    However, the reason she hadn¡¯t been able to realize the alreadypleted theory was simple.

    She just couldn¡¯t die leaving that young one behind, but now she had courage.

    She was no longer a child.

    She had be a proper knight, and she had reliablerades by her side.

    Though it was still early, this was enough.

    On that day, when she received the letter, she had surely resolved herself.

    ¡°Then all that¡¯s left is what to do with that thing.¡±

    ¡°I have a way.¡±

    ¡°You have a way?¡±

    ¡°Yes, because I¡¯ve been pondering how to deal with it for a long time.¡±

    ¡°I see, then let¡¯s hear it.¡±

    The Commander was that kind of person.

    Someone who gave hope just by being there.

    Because she felt nostalgia for the past in his appearance, for the first time, Cluna had the thought that she wanted to survive until the end, and watch over the path the Commander would take.

    ¡°You want me to distract it alone?¡±

    ¡°Yes, only you can do this, Commander.¡±

    ¡°Only I can do it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It was overwhelming even for me.¡±

    The Commander silently turned his head, and walked forward.

    Though his back view was certainly unremarkable, it felt as solid as a mountain.

    Cluna drew the magic circle.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    It was time to end all of the unfortunate connections.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [MILF SEDUCED *cough* SECURED]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

    ? Main Quest [God¡¯s Apprentice] Unlocked!

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    ? YES/ NO

    PrevNext

 Chapter 77

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The cooldown still had about 40 minutes left.

    This meant Hans had to avoid the polluted World Tree¡¯s attacks for 40 minutes without using time stop.

    A corrupted root that missed him by a hair¡¯s breadth struck the innocent ground.

    The ground shook as if there was an earthquake, and there was a sound like something melting. When he turned his head, he saw the ground melting from the intense poison.

    Well, he needed to correct himself.

    For the next 40 minutes, Hans had to avoid instant-death attacks that would kill him in one hit, without using time stop.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    Precisely, it was an hour, but time stop woulde back after that.

    It was maddening.

    He felt like he was going crazy.

    Muttering nonsense that even he didn¡¯t understand, Hans barely managed to dodge the approaching World Tree¡¯s attack.

    The attacks themselves were simple, so dodging wasn¡¯t difficult.

    The problem was that he felt like he was going to go mad with fear every time he dodged an attack.

    Understandably so.

    Just one hit from that would mean instant death, but he couldn¡¯t run away in this situation either.

    Cluna had already started behind him.

    Once she began, she couldn¡¯t stop, and she would be defenseless during that time.

    If Hans ran away here, the attacks would naturally continue to the next threat, Cluna.

    Even for Cluna, if she took such an attack in a defenseless state¡­

    In the worst case, she could die instantly.

    If that happened, everything would be over.

    He had no confidence in properly leading the Royal Knights in that state.

    In other words, he had to endure somehow.

    BOOM!!!

    Another instant-death attacknded right next to him.

    What would happen if he got hit by that?

    Would his bones remain?

    No, even his bones would probably meltpletely.

    The pain of flesh and muscles melting would be tremendous¡­

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    ¡°Damn it!!!!¡±

    He was so frantic that he couldn¡¯t even cry out for help.

    Suddenly, the attacks became more intense.

    As a result, dodging became very difficult.

    Hans barely avoided the attacks, and that was by rolling on the ground.

    There was no room to dodge elegantly.

    He nced towards Cluna.

    She was still concentrating on the magic with her eyes closed.

    In other words, this meant she couldn¡¯t pay attention to whatever Hans did here.

    If that was the case, there was nothing to hold back anymore.

    It was time to show the power of the ultimate martial arts technique, Naryeotagon.

    ¡°Hup! Haah! Hut!!¡±

    As he rolled on the ground in time with his abdominal breathing, the feel of the cold earth wasn¡¯t bad.

    It would have been even better if the World Tree¡¯s roots weren¡¯t striking right next to him.

    He decided to ignore the sizzling sound of the ground burning.

    He thought about continuing to roll like this, but soon stopped.

    Because he ended up hitting his back on a rock.

    Pain beyond imagination struck his back.

    Hans barely got up while retching, and soon, a root shot up where he would have been if he had kept rolling.

    ¡°¡­Phew.¡±

    If he had kept rolling, he would probably have be a World Tree special kebab by now.

    Imagining that, he felt nauseous for a moment, but he couldn¡¯t stay still.

    It was because of the World Tree¡¯s roots approaching to target him right now.

    Hans frowned.

    Could it only attack with roots?

    No, there must be other ways.

    As he was thinking that, he could barely see it.

    The sight of the World Tree¡¯s branches stretching towards him.

    Only then did he realize.

    Until now, the World Tree hadn¡¯t been at full power.

    Having consumed a lot of energy in the battle with Cluna, it only had roots left for attacks, and it had just barely recovered its branch parts.

    In other words, the attacks would increase from now on.

    ¡°I¡¯m screwed.¡±

    While the roots whipped likeshes, the branches came sharply like spear des.

    He wasn¡¯t sure, but there was probably poison in those branches too.

    However, the poison didn¡¯t seem that strong.

    It was probably because it was a newly regenerated part.

    This meant that the poison in those roots was the poison the World Tree had umted until now.

    Was that level of poison here?

    Could this be the demons¡¯ doing too?

    He had that thought briefly, but soon realized it was nonsense.

    If demons had done this, they would have intervened long ago.

    However, the demons were still not intervening and were ignoring the Elven Forest.

    This meant the demons weren¡¯t directly involved.

    Then there must be some other reason.

    ¡°Ugh?!¡±

    A branch of the World Tree flew at him like a dagger.

    Its speed was so fast that he couldn¡¯t react in time.

    Hans only realized it when the World Tree¡¯s branch had pierced his shoulder.

    Blood sttered around.

    He hurriedly tried to stop the bleeding with the hemostasis technique he learned from Yuren, but blood kept flowing continuously, staining the bandage he had tied around the wound red.

    The bleeding wouldn¡¯t stop.

    He wasn¡¯t sure if it was the effect of the World Tree¡¯s branch or the potency of the poison in the branch.

    But anyway, it was dangerous if he kept bleeding like this, he would die from excessive blood loss.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    To minimize blood loss as much as possible, he tied the affected area as tightly as he could.

    It felt like blood wasn¡¯t flowing, but this was much better than dying from excessive blood loss.

    There were only about 10 minutes left.

    However, perhaps because he had lost too much blood, his mind was dizzy.

    Still, he had endured a lot.

    In 10 minutes, the cooldown would finally be over.

    It was then that he had that thought.

    Something felt ominous.

    Why was the World Tree only attacking him?

    Wasn¡¯t Cluna the biggest threat here, not him?

    What if all of this was a smokescreen?

    As soon as that thought urred to him, Hans instinctively turned his head.

    Cluna was there, at a very far distance from him, and it had been quiet around them for a while.

    That¡¯s right.

    The World Tree had pretended to attack him while deliberately keeping him at a distance.

    So that even if it attacked Cluna, he couldn¡¯t protect her, and now, the World Tree was moving.

    Watching the root falling towards her head, Hans gritted his teeth.

    He had no choice but to use it now.

    Time eleration.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    It was hundreds of years ago that she learned the true nature of the World Tree.

    From the former Great Elder of the elves, she inherited the guardian¡¯s mission to protect the World Tree and offer sacrifices.

    The Great Elders sacrificed their own bodies.

    The World Tree only epted elves as sacrifices.

    Was this perhaps a remnant of its memory from when it was once nature itself?

    Or was it mocking its followers?

    She still didn¡¯t know the answer, but now she understood.

    That no more sacrifices could be tolerated.

    So she had argued this before, but regrettably, it wasn¡¯t epted.

    The reason was that it would be difficult to maintain this forest without the World Tree.

    They used elves with little lifespan left as sacrifices to make the forest prosperous.

    [It¡¯s not dying. It¡¯s bing one with the World Tree to protect the forest.]

    If she had known that was the meaning of being a guardian¡­ She would never have be one.

    She despaired at the cold reality, but Cluna didn¡¯t give up.

    She would thoroughly destroy the World Tree.

    Only that purpose remained.

    If she hadn¡¯t adventured with the first hero, perhaps she wouldn¡¯t have thought differently from other elves, but Cluna had been on many adventures until now.

    Although nopanions remained by her side now, the realizations, knowledge, and experiences she gained then still remained, and the realization she gained as an adventurer told her.

    If there was something that could only be obtained through sacrifice, it was no different from not existing in the first ce.

    That thought became one of the decisive reasons for her to try to destroy the World Tree.

    Do elves need the World Tree to survive?

    No.

    Just by elves managing it, the forest can sufficiently continue its lifeline.

    It was just that what had been done until now remained in the name of tradition, strangling their necks.

    Of course, problems might arise when the World Tree disappears.

    But should they continue offering sacrifices as they had done until now?

    Recently, even the cycle of sacrifices had greatly elerated.

    In the end, there were few Great Elders left, and the Elders reached a situation where they sacrificed guardians to survive.

    So, let¡¯s destroy the World Tree here instead.

    Honestly, she didn¡¯t think it would be possible.

    Especially after losing her family and bing exhausted from the war with the demons, she ended up thinking she just wanted her daughter to survive at least.

    In a way, she had unknowingly resigned herself.

    Finally, Cluna opened her eyes.

    She saw the figure of a man easily cutting down the World Tree¡¯s root that had approached right in front of her.

    The person who gave her hope, who showed her the way forward.

    Was it just her imagination that she saw the first hero in his back view?

    No, it probably wasn¡¯t just her imagination.

    Even after that, the Commander easily protected her from the World Tree¡¯s attacks.

    So now it was her turn.

    The spell she had honed for hundreds of years, solely for this day.

    [Giant Woodcutter]

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Damn guess he boutta lose another thingy but for elf mommy its ok i support]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

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    PrevNext

 Chapter 78

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    To elves, trees were a sacred symbol.

    Trees and vegetationbined to create the forest, and it was in these forests that elves were born and able to live.

    Thus, to elves, lumberjacks were enemies to be defeated and essentially viins.

    Yet Cluna, a forest guardian, had directly summoned a lumberjack.Soon, a giant made of earth and vegetation emerged from beneath Cluna¡¯s feet.

    Somehow, I ended up standing next to it.

    Cluna looked at me and said,

    ¡°I express my gratitude, Commander.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯ve been able to end this long-standing feud.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d if I was of help.¡±

    This time, even I, thick-skinned as I was, felt many pangs in my conscience.

    That was because I truly hadn¡¯t done anything this time.

    At most, I had just rolled around on the ground¡­

    Moreover, because I had even used time eleration in the middle, I really couldn¡¯t be of any help now.

    Forcibly swallowing the blood that had filled my mouth, I said to her.

    ¡°Do we have a chance of winning?¡±

    ¡°At best, maybe a 40% chance.¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    For a moment, I almost swore out loud.

    You made me suffer like that for just a 40% chance?

    Are you crazy?

    However, for safety¡¯s sake, I couldn¡¯t blurt that out.

    I first calmed my emotions and searched my mind for words that were as simr as possible to what I wanted to say, but wouldn¡¯t provoke her.

    Since I was weaker, I had to be the one to watch my words.

    What a dirty world.

    ¡°40%, that doesn¡¯t seem like enough.¡±

    ¡°The opponent is still the World Tree. It has magical power umted over eons.¡±

    ¡°Is it difficult to handle that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but the Giant Woodcutter should be capable enough.¡±

    I nodded.

    After all, the Giant Woodcutter was a spell Cluna had created over hundreds of years solely to defeat the World Tree.

    At least, that was what she imed.

    Of course, Cluna wasn¡¯t a professional mage, but she was still apanion of the first hero, with knowledge, experience, and magical power enough to easily crush any ordinary mage.

    To begin with, the Giant Woodcutter she had just created was a monstrous spell that defiedmon sense in this world.

    Soon, the Giant Woodcutter Cluna had created immediately began to act.

    The Giant Woodcutter swung the massive tree it held in its hand, cutting off the roots of the World Tree.

    The World Tree¡¯s roots, which had been regenerating so well before, were nowpletely severed by the axe and no longer regenerated.

    ¡°Does it have the power to suppress regeneration?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a spell created by analyzing the traces of the World Tree. I¡¯ll exin the detailster.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to exinter, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    I wouldn¡¯t understand anyway.

    Besides, if we defeated the World Tree, there would be no reason to use this spell again.

    The Giant Woodcutter enthusiastically continued to chop and chop at the tree roots.

    ¡°In the end, a tree is a tree. If youpletely destroy the roots, it has no choice but to wither.¡±

    ¡°The problem is that the World Tree won¡¯t just watch this happen.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Well, it was already trying to kill me, so how could it be a corrupted World Tree if it just stood still?

    If it had even a bit of sense left, the World Tree might have chosen to die, but unfortunately, ording to Cluna¡¯s exnation, the World Tree before us had already been corrupted by pollution and was merely continuing its life activities.

    In other words, its mental faculties were already dead.

    That was why it kept consuming sacrifices so grotesquely to continue its life activities, but now, that too woulde to an end.

    Surely the forest giant Cluna had created would definitively cut off its lifeline!

    ¡°Cluna.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°It seems the giant¡¯s arm has been cut off.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    I turned my head.

    I could see where one arm had been severed by the World Tree¡¯s counterattack.

    Why did weck regenerative abilities while only the enemy had them?

    I sincerely wished for a bnce patch.

    The World Tree, which would obviously neverply with such a patch, wielded its roots even more vigorously.

    Now it deliberately used its roots topletely bind the body of the giant Cluna had summoned.

    What did that mean?

    It meant we could no longer do anything.

    I looked at Cluna, who had been worryingly silent for a while.

    Please, say something, anything.

    ¡°The World Tree¡¯s resistance is much fiercer than I expected.¡±

    ¡°Is there another way?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there is. I didn¡¯t use this spell for nothing, after all.¡±

    ¡°Right, of course.¡±

    Of course.

    This was a spell Cluna had created specifically to counter the World Tree.

    It couldn¡¯t possibly end in such a state.

    So please, use it quickly.

    The giant was still being bound by the roots.

    Damn it!

    ¡°Commander, excuse me for a moment.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°This is just in case. There are no personal feelings involved.¡±

    ¡°Wait, hold on¡­!!¡±

    I wondered what she was suddenly talking about, when Cluna suddenly embraced me.

    That itself wasn¡¯t a problem.

    The issue was that it was in a princess carry position.

    As a result, it was embarrassing.

    Because I roughly knew what Cluna was trying to do, I didn¡¯t resist.

    And, as expected, Cluna threw herself from atop the giant towards the ground.

    I couldn¡¯t even scream.

    I was so shocked that my heart nearly stopped.

    Of course, Cluna easily used magic tond on the ground.

    A gentle breeze lightly prevented our fall to our deaths.

    Damn it.

    ¡°Whew, somehow it¡¯s been resolved.¡±

    ¡°Yes, thanks to you, Commander.¡±

    ¡°What are you suddenly saying?¡±

    ¡°Thank you for believing in me until the end, Commander.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    I looked up.

    Cracks began to appear in the giant that had been half-consumed by the World Tree, light began to emerge, and soon a massive explosion urred where the giant had been.

    If it weren¡¯t for the barrier Cluna had created, I would have used time stop with this broken body, carried Cluna on my back, and run like hell.

    I had expected it, but to think it was really self-destruction.

    The World Tree, which had half-absorbed the giant, waspletely caught in the self-destruction and perished.

    Moreover, for the scale of the explosion, the damage to the surroundings was very minimal.

    Of course, there wasn¡¯t zero damage.

    ¡°What kind of power did you use?¡±

    ¡°I developed magic that¡¯s antithetical to the corrupted World Tree. I just packed the form for that magic inside the giant.¡±

    ¡°So the cracks appeared, and the suppressed magic burst like a bomb.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. And this is the result.¡±

    Cluna and I searched the area where the World Tree had been, just in case.

    The roots of the World Tree might still be alive, but no roots of the World Tree remained.

    After confirming theplete annihtion of the World Tree, I finally rxed.

    And because of that, I could confirm that my current physical state wasn¡¯t normal.

    My legs lost strength, and my posture copsed.

    ¡°Commander!!¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. *cough*¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t look fine at all!¡±

    Unusually, the smile had disappeared from Cluna¡¯s lips.

    She must have been tired herself, but despite that, she used healing magic to treat me.

    Thanks to that, the pain was greatly reduced.

    ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been curious about for a while.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take care of your own body, Commander?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, I know you have your circumstances. But¡­ please value your body a little more.¡±

    Suddenly saying that, I had merely suffered self-harm as a penalty for using time eleration.

    Other than that, I hadn¡¯t been hit even once.

    If I had been hit even once, I would have died instantly.

    However, because Cluna persistently kept demanding an answer, I had to give at least a perfunctory response.

    Anyway, after dealing with the World Tree, we walked back towards the elven forest.

    ¡°Mother!! Commander!!¡±

    ¡°ra! You¡¯re safe!!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    Soon, we saw ra running towards us from not too far away.

    Once the situation had ended and things had calmed down a bit, it seemed she had run here from the vige without resting.

    I took a step back.

    I didn¡¯t want to unnecessarily interfere with the touching mother-daughter reunion.

    Just as ra and Cluna¡¯s reunion was taking ce, a shout was heard from behind.

    ¡°Cluna! So you¡¯ve finally ended us!!¡±

    Though their appearance was rtively young, judging by their manner of speech, they seemed to be the elders Cluna had mentioned.

    Since they rudely interrupted the mother-daughter reunion, I had no choice but to step forward and block them.

    ¡°And who are you?!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t interfere as you please.¡±

    ¡°Ridiculous! Because of those people, we¡¯ve been put in a position where we have to worry about tomorrow!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Then what are we supposed to do?!¡±

    It was a sincere cry of despair, but I couldn¡¯t understand.

    Was it right to continue sacrificing living people, intoxicated by the false peace obtained through offerings?

    ¡°Do it yourself. Whether it¡¯s managing the forest or protecting it.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Stop relying on others.¡±

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    I coldly rebuked them.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [i think this is the first time ive read a novel where the world tree is evil]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

    ? Main Quest [God¡¯s Apprentice] Unlocked!

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    PrevNext

 Chapter 79

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    We were immediately exiled from the forest.

    In a way, it was natural.

    To the elves, the World Tree was akin to a god.

    It was a guardian that protected their home unconditionally and was thew of nature.Although there was the condition of epting elves as sacrifices, other elves couldn¡¯t have known such a fact.

    Considering that, it was fortunate that it ended with just exile.

    However, though we had dealt with the corrupted World Tree, not everything was resolved.

    Rather, this was just the beginning.

    They had to move forward without the World Tree now.

    ¡°Exile, huh. I suppose we won¡¯t be seen in the forest anymore.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any regrets?¡±

    ¡°No, I have no regrets.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Before leaving, Cluna had a brief meeting with Emily.

    At first, I was worried they might fight, but thankfully, the meeting started in a calm atmosphere.

    ¡°With what face do youe to see me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re prickly~ Well, I guess that¡¯s natural?¡±

    ¡°It was a mistake to touch my daughter.¡±

    ¡°I know. But I have no regrets either.¡±

    For a very brief moment, Cluna and Emily¡¯s gazes met.

    An unyielding, stern aura shed, pressuring the surroundings.

    The only one who could stop this was ra.

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m okay.¡±

    ¡°ra¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t forgive being controlled, but I understand, Aunt.¡±

    ¡°You still call me Aunt?¡±

    ¡°Yes, because after all, you were trying to save Mom.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re naive, ra. Or are you just stupid?¡±

    This time ra tried to lunge at Emily, but Cluna barely managed to stop her.

    Looking at them, they seemed less like enemies and more like bad friends.

    However, Emily had made the wrong choice.

    She had tried to sacrifice everything for Cluna, and that included ra.

    Naturally, they could only be enemies.

    After that brief exchange, we immediately boarded the carriage.

    Soon the horses galloped forward with a morous noise.

    We just sat quietly amidst the horses¡¯ vigor.

    ¡°Are you both really okay with this?¡±

    In the carriage, I broached a sensitive topic.

    It was about being exiled from the forest.

    Emily would be punished, but she hadn¡¯t received the massive punishment of exile right away.

    ording to the elders, offering people was the right decision at that time, or something like that.

    Certainly, I had wondered why those years kepting up from beginning to end.

    So that was what it was about.

    ¡°Is it to shift responsibility?¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. More importantly, what¡¯s your answer?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    Cluna and ra didn¡¯t regret leaving the forest.

    They had originally intended to leave the forest, and having seen so much until now, they were unwavering.

    As a result, it was a good thing for me.

    At least they wouldn¡¯t rebel like the elves.

    Unlike them, the elves said they would remember this incident.

    ¡°Rtions with the elves will be strained for a while.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°Ignorant belief is a frightening thing.¡±

    Things would go badly for now, but I think someday they¡¯ll be friendly again.

    The game meta was like that too.

    In the end, I set off alone again.

    ¡°By the way, I never expected you to leave the forest so soon.¡±

    ¡°Is that so surprising?¡±

    ¡°Of course it is.¡±

    Of course, they were part of the story, but apart from that, elves were famous for being very conservative.

    Just like how they defended the World Tree¡¯s system even with a sword pointed at them.

    The elves¡¯ evaluation wouldn¡¯t change much either.

    Even if they were to revive the World Tree again.

    I sighed.

    They were quite a troublesome bunch.

    Our carriage continued to travel without rest.

    There was a way to return using the forest paths, but that was difficult to use because Cluna and ra were too exhausted.

    Having left the fortress empty for quite a long time, I thought I¡¯d just hole up and sleep when we got back.

    Anyway, when we were almost there, ra showed an uneasy expression.

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ a bit awkward.¡±

    ¡°Awkward?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know how to put it.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±

    I smiled slightly.

    Come to think of it, when Cluna had left the letter and departed, ra had shown great anger in front of everyone.

    She seemed to be embarrassed about her behavior then.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Nobody will think deeply about it.¡±

    ¡°R-Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Of course, I remember everything though.¡±

    ¡°Commander! That¡¯s mean!!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Cluna, who had left earlier and didn¡¯t know the situation, tilted her head, and as I tried to exin to her, ra grabbed me like she was catching a mouse.

    It was noisy, but not a bad atmosphere.

    And as expected, when we returned to Lionheart Fortress, everyone weed us without concern.

    Especially when they confirmed that Cluna was with us, they finally felt relieved.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? Everyone¡¯s weing you.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°Well, they¡¯ve probably forgotten all about the past already.¡±

    Of course, it was too recent to call it the past, but ra blushed and turned her head at my words.

    It seems she was convinced by what I said.

    That was good.

    ¡°Good work, Commander.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for working hard in my ce, Commander Yuren.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. This much is no big deal.¡±

    Commander Yuren said with a shrug.

    However, this time Commander Yuren¡¯s contribution was not small.

    She had properly fulfilled the role of actingmander in my ce.

    If she hadn¡¯t been there, I wouldn¡¯t have pretended to be crazy and rushed into the elven forest.

    Nothing works without themander.

    Was there anything else unusual?

    ¡°By the way, there was one unusual request.¡±

    ¡°An unusual request?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We haven¡¯t dispatched anyone yet because we still have some leeway, but I think we should read the contents first.¡±

    Yuren said that and handed me a letter.

    Damn, they weren¡¯t letting me rest for even a moment.

    I couldn¡¯t openly grumble, so instead I received it while frowning.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    I truly owed the Commander a great deal.

    From the moment I first met the Commander until now, the favors I received from the Commander were beyond repayment.

    Coincidentally, mother and daughter were thinking the same thing.

    From ra¡¯s perspective, he was an excellentmander who had rebuilt the fallen Royal Knights.

    From Cluna¡¯s perspective, he was practically a family savior who had saved both her and her daughter at the same time.

    The Commander had said it would be good for them to have a discussion when they got back.

    They agreed with the Commander¡¯s words.

    So as soon as they arrived here, they entered the room.

    Of course, there was a barrage of questions from their colleagues, but it was none other than the Commander who blocked them.

    ¡®Once again, I¡¯m indebted to the Commander.¡¯

    Thinking that, Cluna spoke first.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Huh? For what?¡±

    ¡°For always acting on my own without telling you anything.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She thought it was for her family¡¯s sake.

    Now as before, family was the most precious thing to her after all.

    But because of that, she had forgotten that it could hurt her family.

    If it weren¡¯t for the lesson she received from the Commander, she probably wouldn¡¯t have noticed this.

    ra, who had been surprised by Cluna¡¯s apology, soon smiled broadly and replied to Cluna.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too. For not listening to you well, Mom.¡±

    ¡°ra¡­¡±

    ¡°So, let¡¯s make a promise. To never let this happen again.¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that.¡±

    ra held out her pinky finger with a smile, and Cluna responded with her own pinky finger.

    The promise made by intertwining their fingers carried a much heavier weight than it appeared on the surface.

    ¡°By the way, I wonder what the Commander is doing right now?¡±

    It was just simple curiosity.

    It was natural to wonder what someone you¡¯re interested in was doing.

    However, an unexpected response came back.

    ¡°Th-The Commander? Why are you suddenly bringing him up?¡±

    ¡°¡­???¡±

    ra narrowed her eyes.

    The flustered response given without thinking, her red face, and her gaze losing its way.

    No matter how you looked at it, it could only mean one thing.

    ¡°Mom, could it be¡­?¡±

    ¡°W-What nonsense are you trying to say?!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I understand.¡±

    I understand.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    Ipletely understand.

    After all, wasn¡¯t her mother in an arranged marriage to begin with?

    Of course, it couldn¡¯t be said that there was no love at all, but a long time had passed.

    And certainly, even to herself as an elf, the Commander was an admirable man worth falling for.

    He was someone who took responsibility for his words once spoken, and never ran away no matter the situation.

    ¡°But I have no intention of backing down either.¡±

    ¡°ra? Those words, could you possibly¡­?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Somehow, it turned out that way.¡±

    Cluna silently looked at ra.

    ra didn¡¯t avoid that gaze either.

    Was it an illusion that sparks seemed to fly between them?

    No, it probably wasn¡¯t an illusion.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [MILF AND DAUGHTER ACQUIRED BABY WE BALLIN, cant wait for them r18 chapster in the story]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

    ? Main Quest [God¡¯s Apprentice] Unlocked!

    ? You have been granted an opportunity by the Arcane God¡¯s to be a Korean Trantor for Arcane Trantions.

    ? Do you ept?

    ? YES/ NO

    PrevNext

 Chapter 80

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    This was another unexpected event.

    Since I couldn¡¯t possibly tell everyone about this, I quietly summoned only Commander Yuren, Cluna, and Bayard.

    I asked ra and Helia to keep an eye on Ruby.

    After confirming through the window that Ruby, ra, and Helia were training hard in the courtyard, I turned my head. The figures of those I had called arrived in my sight.

    Needless to say, Commander Yuren and Cluna, and even Bayard could be considered high-ranking members of the Royal Knights.

    That was why I had called these three.

    Looking at them, I said.

    ¡°You¡¯ve finally arrived.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the unexpected problem?¡±

    ¡°C-Could it be that the beastmen again¡­?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡±

    The 12 tribes had been very quiet recently, I was told.

    Rather, they were in the process of negotiating peace with other races, including elves and beastmen.

    However, the problem had arisen elsewhere.

    ¡°I thought everything had been resolved well. But¡­ it seems there was still a knot that hadn¡¯t been untied.¡±

    ¡°An untied knot¡­ what exactly?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll exin that.¡±

    Commander Yuren, who had been listening silently beside me, stepped forward.

    Cluna and Bayard¡¯s gazes focused on Commander Yuren.

    She took out a parchment from her bosom.

    ¡°This letter is from the Dwarf Republic.¡±

    ¡°The Dwarf Republic?¡±

    ¡°B-But I thought the problem had been resolved¡­¡±

    ¡°It was, until this letter arrived.¡±

    ¡°What kind of letter could it be to cause this?¡±

    ¡°Bk Ruby has escaped from prison.¡±

    [T/N: i just felt i should add this little exnation in since i think the author has a naming scheme going on: the name ¡°Bk¡± means ¡°Empty or Waste¡± the namees from a rarely used hebrew verb. I think its funny cuz hes a piece of shit lol]

    Bk Ruby.

    The owner of the Ruby, one of the four gems supporting the Dwarf Republic, and Ruby¡¯s father, a member of the Royal Knights.

    Thinking about it, something had felt strange.

    Ruby was one of the four gems supporting the Dwarf Republic.

    In other words, it was the family name.

    This meant that the current Ruby only had a surname, but no given name.

    What could that mean?

    It was one of two things.

    Either she never received a name from the beginning, or she had discarded her name.

    It¡¯s not like her name would be Ruby Ruby, right?

    I clicked my tongue with my arms crossed.

    ¡°It seems he broke through the Dwarf Republic¡¯s strict security and escaped.¡±

    ¡°Is that possible?¡±

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be. Not for an ordinary dwarf.¡±

    ¡°You mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, as of now¡­ Bk Ruby has turned into a monster.¡±

    Monsters, beings who received power from demons and turned into beasts.

    There were rare cases like the doppelganger we met before who became demons, but usually, they fell to be monsters.

    ¡°How did hee into contact with demons? The Republic is investigating that, they say.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s likely he was in contact with demons from the beginning.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably it.¡±

    ¡°T-Then that means he had been hiding the contract¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Needless to say, Commander Yuren and Cluna, and even Bayard could be called veterans withoutcking.

    With these women putting their heads together, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to deduce.

    What was I doing, you ask?

    Just watching.

    When such intelligent and experienced people were talking, it would be fortunate if I didn¡¯t mess things up by butting in unnecessarily.

    ¡°What does the Commander think?¡±

    ¡°Hmm! I¡¯d like to hear the Commander¡¯s thoughts too.¡±

    ¡°I-I think it¡¯s important.¡±

    And I was paying the price for that in real-time.

    Damn it, I hadn¡¯t heard a single thing from start to finish.

    I racked my brains so hard I felt smoke might start rising.

    ¡°Whatever the n, we need to know what Bk Ruby is after first.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. And that¡­ might be Ruby, I think.¡±

    ¡°Why do you think so?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a hunch. A dragon¡¯s intuition.¡±

    ¡°W-When you put it that way, we can¡¯t ignore it.¡±

    Fortunately, it seemed I hadn¡¯t disrupted the flow of conversation.

    They naturally received and passed on my words.

    Thanks to that, I was barely able to feel relieved.

    Why were they paying attention to me?

    Just handle it yourselves, please.

    I¡¯m of no help at all even if I¡¯m here, you know?

    As I was thinking that and casually looked out the window, that¡¯s when I discovered something floating in the sky.

    At first, I thought it was an eagle, but it was toorge to be an eagle.

    It was about the size of a small airship from another game.

    Clearly not an ordinary beast, it fell from the sky at an incredibly fast speed.

    Its target was singr.

    Ruby, who was training in the courtyard.

    The moment I recognized this, I unconsciously stopped time.

    As my index and middle fingers collided, everything around turned gray and stopped moving, and I could see it.

    Ruby caught in its talons.

    If left alone, she would be flown away beyond the sky.

    If that happened, there would be no way to chase after her.

    Commander Yuren might be a way, but that would be too taxing for her.

    I had heard that even returning to her original form was burdensome for her since the heart incident.

    So unless absolutely necessary, we were trying to avoid having her transform into her original form.

    Anyway, I didn¡¯t want to use her transformation for something like this, so I decided to handle it myself somehow.

    First, I grabbed my sword, quickly ran down the stairs to the courtyard.

    ¡°It would have been nice if I could have jumped out the window¡­!!!¡±

    If I had done that and broken my legs, it would have been all for nothing!

    So I safely ran down the stairs.

    That was the normal thing to do anyway.

    Once I arrived at the courtyard, I quickly drew my sword and struck down hard.

    Of course, as expected.

    The monster¡¯s foot wasn¡¯t cut by my sword.

    Judging by how much the de bit in, it was much better than the man-eating girl I had faced before.

    If that was the case, there was only one method left.

    ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that this is home ground.¡±

    Another difficult fight was about to begin, but right now this was Lionheart Fortress.

    Naturally, there were far more means avable now than before.

    What did that mean?

    I retrieved a tool from the storage in the corner of the courtyard.

    Among them was a saw used for cutting trees.

    Using this saw, I should be able to cut off its ankle without much difficulty.

    Of course, after using it, I had to put it back in the storage.

    That way, it would look like I had cut it with my own skill.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    ¡°Come to think of it, Ruby often follows ra around.¡±

    That was just ament meant to divert attention, but it was half-true.

    To Helia, Ruby seemed to strongly give off the impression of following someone she liked.

    ¡°What are you talking about?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m really getting angry now!¡±

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it true?¡±

    Normally she would have backed down, but Helia had already been asked by Teach to keep Ruby¡¯s attention away from this direction as much as possible.

    That was why she used any means necessary, but it was also true.

    Ruby and ra often fought, but if you looked closely, they were always together.

    The reason was that Ruby often followed ra around.

    It seemed the aggro had been properly drawn.

    Ruby desperately denied the fact.

    Beside her, ra was also desperately denying it.

    Just as Helia was thinking they disliked it that much.

    ¡°¡­What?!¡±

    Among them, only Helia sensed its presence.

    Suddenly, its talons came down from the sky and snatched Ruby.

    As a result, her reaction was a bitte.

    She wasn¡¯t sure yet if it was an eagle or what, but she couldn¡¯t just leave it be.

    If that happened, Teacher would be sad.

    So, just as she was about to draw her sword.

    Suddenly, the ankle of the thing that had firmly grasped Ruby was cut off, bleeding.

    Thanks to that, Ruby was barely able to be freed from its talons.

    ra rushed to Ruby urgently.

    ¡°Ruby! Are you okay?!¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°What on earth is that?!¡±

    ¡°Focus. It¡¯s not over yet.¡±

    At Helia¡¯s cold words, ra and Ruby came to their senses and drew their weapons.

    In front of them stood a man.

    Looking at that sturdy back, Helia smiled.

    As expected of Teacher.

    He was the only one among those gathered here who had reacted.

    This meant that Teacher¡¯s skills were the most excellent.

    It might seem like Helia¡¯s biased thinking but ra and Ruby were thinking simrly.

    Because they could see Yuren, Cluna, and Bayard btedlying out to the courtyard.

    Ruby clutched her trembling chest with her hand.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t notice until I was directly caught?!¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t that its speed was particrly fast as proof of that, Helia had been able to react.

    However, the scariest thing was its presence.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    Even though it was right in front of them now, it felt like a ghost, with no sense of presence at all.

    It felt as if there was nothing there if you took your eyes off it.

    Such a crazy sense of difort kept tormenting their minds.

    That was probably why those three hadn¡¯t reacted, but how did the Commander react?

    Such a question crossed Ruby¡¯s mind briefly, but she soon smiled and dismissed her doubt.

    Because the Commander was the Commander.

    Nothing he did was surprising anymore.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [saved by uncle again, this chicken bird shit gonna get its head chopped tf off]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

    ? Main Quest [God¡¯s Apprentice] Unlocked!

    ? You have been granted an opportunity by the Arcane God¡¯s to be a Korean Trantor for Arcane Trantions.

    ? Do you ept?

    ? YES/ NO

    PrevNext

 Chapter 81

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Though it might have appeared that no preparations had been made on the surface, Lionheart Fortress was under strict protection by Cluna¡¯s barrier.

    What did that mean?

    Any ordinary monster would turn to ashes upon touching it.

    Even if they didn¡¯t turn to ashes, they could be immediately detected and intercepted, but this one didn¡¯t.The barrier didn¡¯t react.

    If that was the case, it was one of two things: either the barrier had been deceived, or it wasn¡¯t a monster.

    To me, the former seemed more likely than thetter.

    Anyway, thanks to the soul-infused sawing, we were somehow able to rescue Ruby.

    While desperately hiding the pain in my arm, I red strongly at Bk flying in the sky.

    ¡°She¡¯s a precious member of my team. Please don¡¯t take her away as you please.¡±

    Since it felt a bit off to just re, I tried to reason using the mostmander-like tone I could muster.

    Regardless, Bk just flew high into the sky.

    Damn¡­

    I was ignored.

    ¡°Ruby! Are you alright?!¡±

    ¡°A-Are you hurt anywhere?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°This¡­ we¡¯ll have to exin everything now.¡±

    At Commander Yuren¡¯s words, who had approached from the side, I nodded weakly.

    I had wanted to keep it a secret and handle it quietly, but since it hade to this, there was no choice.

    However, before revealing the truth, I asked Cluna to check Ruby¡¯s physical condition.

    I thought Ruby might be pretending to be strong, but fortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case.

    ¡°It¡¯s fortunate it ended with just minor injuries.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I said. Why don¡¯t you believe me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better to be certain.¡±

    Rather than hiding injuries and letting them worsenter, it was better to confirm and treat them properly.

    Anyway, after checking her condition, we were now gathered around the round table.

    The Table of Equality.

    A round table prepared for fair dialogue without discrimination among all races.

    But now it felt more like it was just being used as a conference room, and there, I spoke first.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get straight to the point. Ruby, your father has be a monster.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t look very surprised.¡±

    ¡°No, somehow I thought that might be the case.¡±

    Seeing Ruby¡¯s calm reaction, I was the one who became flustered.

    How much of a trash must he have been in his daily life for his own daughter to think this way?

    Inwardly expressing condolences to Ruby who had grown up under such trash, I also disclosed to everyone the request that hade from the Dwarf Republic.

    The request was to eliminate Bk.

    ¡°The Dwarf Republic has already ssified Bk as a monster. So it seems they¡¯re entrusting his disposal to us.¡±

    ¡°Then there¡¯s no need to hesitate.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to act strong¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not acting strong. I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment.¡±

    Was it my imagination?

    For a moment, it seemed like a bright pink light flowed from her reddish-brown hair.

    But at least it was certain that there was no lie in those words.

    Fortunate¡­ is it?

    ¡°I have one request.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I want to kill my father with my own hands.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    There was no trembling in that voice.

    Rather, it was a calmly settled tone.

    A daughter swearing to kill her own father.

    I didn¡¯t know the circumstances, but I could say this one thing.

    No matter how you looked at it, this didn¡¯t seem fortunate.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    While Hans seemed to let it pass as if it didn¡¯t matter, Bk¡¯s intrusion left more challenges than expected.

    First, Cluna realized that there was a w in the barrier due to Bk¡¯s invasion, but at the same time, she couldn¡¯t understand it.

    It should have been able to block all monsters and demons.

    Yet it entered the barrier without any trouble.

    Moreover, it tried to kidnap Ruby despite her barrier being in ce.

    The more peculiar fact was that even with it right before their eyes, strangely, they couldn¡¯t read its presence at all.

    It felt like they were facing a ghost from fairy tales with no physical form right in front of them.

    ¡°There must be some secret.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t anything new for them to use dirty tricks.

    Surely Bk must have used some kind of deception, but that wouldn¡¯t be an escape route.

    The barrier had been breached, that fact remained unchanged.

    It left a huge wound on Cluna¡¯s pride.

    She had already shown many unsightly sides to the Commander due to the previous incident.

    She couldn¡¯t disappoint the Commander any further here.

    So Cluna immediately began improving her magic.

    Not just the barrier protecting Lionheart Fortress, but all the magic she possessed.

    ¡°To be able to catch and kill the Commander¡¯s enemies¡­ more certainly.¡±

    It was flowing in a strangely dangerous direction, but this hadn¡¯t fully bloomed yet.

    Let¡¯s turn our gaze elsewhere now.

    Yuren remained alone in the courtyard, swinging her fists by herself.

    It came as a shock to Commander Yuren as well, in fact, dragons didn¡¯t usually receive big shocks.

    They tended to brush off most things thinking, ¡°Well, that¡¯s how it is.¡± Because it didn¡¯t stimte them.

    But this was an exception.

    A presence that even she, a dragon, couldn¡¯t notice.

    It, closer to an insect, had infiltrated Lionheart Fortress¡¯s airspace far too easily, viting it.

    As a result, her reaction waste.

    If the Commander hadn¡¯t stepped in, Ruby would have been kidnapped by it.

    Thinking about that, she became unable to forgive herself for letting her guard down.

    ¡°Uneptable. To have almost lost arade again¡­!!¡±

    Whipping herself for her own ignorance and weakness, Yuren continued swinging her fists.

    It had been the same before.

    She had believed that everything would be fine if she was there, but the result was the annihtion of the Royal Knights.

    ¡°I¡¯m powerless. Powerlessness is a sin. Sin is a mistake.¡±

    At that moment, she stopped swinging her fists.

    Her face, illuminated by moonlight, flushed.

    Her sturdy legs closed together.

    Yuren covered her mouth with her palm.

    ¡°¡­If I made a mistake, I should be punished.¡±

    ¡®I wonder if the Commander might not punish me?¡¯

    Hmm, this seems a bit scary.

    This should be enough, so let¡¯s look at someone else now.

    ra was staring nkly at the ceiling, because she was bored since the Commander wasn¡¯t ying with her.

    On the contrary, Helia in front of her was smiling.

    However, no one would be able to understand the meaning behind that smile.

    That day, that is, the day ra and Cluna returned to this fortress.

    Helia instinctively noticed.

    The fact that they hade to crave the Commander¡¯s love.

    For a moment, an unbearable murderous intent surged up, but Helia desperately suppressed her killing intent.

    There was only one reason why she suppressed her murderous intent.

    Cluna and Hans thought they had corrected what was wrong through continued education, but Helia wasn¡¯t someone who would change easily with just that.

    ¡®Because it¡¯s certain that Teacher will be sad.¡¯

    She loved Teacher.

    Therefore, she didn¡¯t want to lose him.

    She wanted to kill those thieving women right away, but if she did that, Teacher would hate her.

    Surely he would.

    Because Teacher was a kind person.

    He must be sympathizing with such vile things.

    So, as Teacher¡¯s disciple, she too must embrace them.

    That was the conclusion Helia had reached.

    That was why Helia stayed by ra¡¯s side, even while swallowing her anger.

    At least she had to pretend to be friendly, as that would please Teacher when he saw it.

    At that moment, ra spoke.

    ¡°Hey, Helia?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Remember when I talked about weird sexual desires before?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Why? Have you changed your mind?¡±

    ¡°Well, thinking about it again, isn¡¯t love between an elf and a human quitemon?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    A vein popped on Helia¡¯s forehead, but ra, oblivious, continued talking while blushing.

    Well, hang in there Helia.

    And¡­ now there were only two people left.

    Bayard and Ruby were preparing for the final battle.

    For Ruby, the most trustworthy person besides the Commander was Bayard.

    Bayard willingly responded to Ruby¡¯s words.

    ¡®W-What should I do? Should I offer some encouragement?¡¯

    However, most regrettably, such situations were very unfamiliar to Bayard.

    To begin with, due to her timid personality, she had never properly interacted with others.

    At most, she had only sparred with them, and now to speak to Ruby who had decided to kill her father?

    Without offending her mood?

    That seemed impossible, but staying quiet like this also felt a bit¡­

    But unlike what others thought, Ruby was truly in a state of cool-headedness.

    Of course, she had immediately recognized its identity.

    She noticed as soon as she saw it.

    She couldn¡¯t help but notice.

    [She¡¯s a precious member of my team. Please don¡¯t take her away as you please.]

    She had thought she would be furious when she met him again.

    However, the Commander¡¯s words made her anger subside.

    Of course, she had no intention of forgiving her father, but she also had no intention of raging in anger.

    ¡°I must separate public and private matters.¡±

    Yes, separate from the trash things her father had done in the past.

    Now he had fallen to be a monster.

    To deliver the sword of punishment in the name of the Royal Knights to a monster that had strayed from the path of humanity.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    That was what she had to do.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [honestly i feel like before this story ends they all gonna be yanderes]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

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    PrevNext

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Cluna and ra were tasked with tracking the monster.

    Though it was said like this, when you looked closely, it was almost no different from Cluna doing it alone.

    However, why was ra included there?

    It was because of Cluna¡¯s educational policy.

    The Royal Knights in their prime were undisputedly the strongest knighthood, but now their glory had faded considerably.

    So they had to ren everything from scratch, and among those ns, Cluna and ra were assigned the roles of reconnaissance and rear support.

    Cluna immediately began their education.

    Methods of tracking, how to shoot arrows well, and so on.

    ¡°ra, didn¡¯t I clearly tell you?¡±

    ¡°S-Sorry.¡±

    ¡°You should use polite speech outside, right?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    But from my perspective, it seemed too strict.

    Putting everything else aside, I wanted to intervene, thinking it was too much to scold her so harshly for just one mistake.

    ¡°Cluna, teaching her so strictly is¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright, Commander.¡±

    ¡°ra?¡±

    ¡°Mother¡¯s skills are real. I want to be helpful as soon as possible too.¡±

    No, you¡¯re already being plenty helpful.

    Belying their status as low-ranking members of the Royal Knights, Ruby and ra¡¯s growth rate, though not at Helia¡¯s level, was very fast.

    Recently, they even seeded in subduing Bayard in a 2-on-1 fight!

    Of course, Ruby and ra expressed dissatisfaction at having to cooperate with an unpleasant rival, but surprisingly, the two had been obediently following along so far.

    But they were already doing well enough now.

    It seemed like their enthusiasm might be a bit excessive.

    At that moment, ra spoke up.

    ¡°And, if I learn a lot, I can rece Mother¡¯s position, right?¡±

    ¡°My, a little chick like you wants to rece me?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason it can¡¯t be done, Mother. Why don¡¯t you stop working now and spend your retirement traveling, which you like?¡±

    ¡°I simply can¡¯t leave you, who is still socking, behind. The Commander would weigh on my mind~¡±

    ¡°Ha! There must be another reason!¡±

    Why were they suddenly fighting?

    They were clearly a close mother and daughter until recently.

    But now, with sparks flying from their eyes, it looked like a battle of wills between rivals.

    ¡°Teacher, are you perhaps troubled?¡±

    ¡°Yes, very much so.¡±

    ¡°I have a solution.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Just as I was groaning, unable to intervene in the sudden war of nerves between the two, Helia, who was unchangingly by my side, tugged at my sleeve.

    I was a bit uneasy, but I decided to listen to Helia¡¯s opinion.

    Honestly, in the past, she used to go berserk unable to control her emotions, but recently she had improved a lot.

    Maybe she had some good idea¡­?

    ¡°We just need to kill them all.¡±

    ¡°Okay, you go stand next to Bayard over there.¡±

    ¡°Yes, understood, Teacher.¡±

    I immediately sent Helia, who was making a gesture of slitting her throat with her thumb, to stand next to Bayard.

    Fortunately, Helia obediently followed my words.

    Only then could I feel relieved.

    ¡°I thought she had definitely improved.¡±

    Was that just my imagination?

    No, she had clearly shown signs of improvement.

    After separating Helia from the mother and daughter, I immediately intervened to break up ra and Cluna.

    Their fight was calmed, but small conflicts of nerves continued afterward.

    That is, until a monster suddenly appeared.

    But when the monster appeared, didn¡¯t they cooperate like family?

    In the end, I gave up trying to understand.

    They¡¯d probably handle it well on their own.

    Although the monster had flown away and disappeared into the sky, Cluna easily found traces of it.

    ¡°Are there traces?¡±

    ¡°Yes, traces of where it rested, magical power left in the air, and so on. There are countless things to track.¡±

    ¡°I see, that¡¯s fortunate.¡±

    I had been worried about what we¡¯d do if we couldn¡¯t track it, but that worry was unfounded.

    The monster flew without rest and was resting somewhere.

    That was the conclusion Cluna drew from the traces, and finally, we were able to discover it.

    It was resting, hanging from a tree with its giant wings folded.

    I clicked my tongue as I looked at that sight.

    ¡°A being about to die soon. It seems unaware of its fate.¡±

    ¡°Commander, what should we do?¡±

    ¡°First, we need to block its means of escape. ra, Cluna.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Commander!¡±

    ¡°Leave it to us!¡±

    It would be troublesome if it used its wings to escape freely from here.

    So, I asked them to aim for the wings, and our two excellent archers aplished it without difficulty.

    Three and four.

    A total of seven arrows pierced both wings.

    Quiterge holes were made, and thanks to that, although it noticed the attack and tried to escape, it couldn¡¯t take off into the sky.

    ¡°Finally, the stage is set.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thank you!!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    What are you on about now?

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    ¡°Finally, the stage is set.¡±

    That was probably the Commander speaking to her.

    Ruby, who believed this without a doubt, grabbed her hammer in one breath and rushed forward.

    There was no hesitation there.

    Because she had been waiting only for this moment.

    In the past, from childhood until now.

    That worthless thing had taken everything ¨C her mother, the happiness of her family.

    She had cursed it continuously without rest.

    ¡®Why is someone like you my father?¡¯

    ¡®Why was I born with such misfortune?¡¯

    ¡®If only I had been born in an ordinary family like others.¡¯

    ¡®Couldn¡¯t I have been happy?¡¯

    As if to deny that thought, Ruby¡¯s giant hammer struck down on its head.

    Bang!

    Along with the explosion, it let out a terrible scream.

    It was a sound Ruby had never heard before.

    ¡°Ugh?!¡±

    Ruby¡¯s movements were momentarily paralyzed by the unexpected attack.

    It didn¡¯t miss that opening.

    It brought out thick, sharp ws and swung them wide towards Ruby¡¯s head.

    She could have blocked it sufficiently, though surprised, she had that much ability.

    But, inevitably, there was one person who intervened in such a situation.

    Ruby bit her lip and called out to that person.

    ¡°What are you doing, Commander?!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The one who arbitrarily intervened in the fight was none other than the Commander.

    Honestly, his first impression wasn¡¯t that great.

    He wore pathetically shabby armor and hid his face with a helmet.

    For such a person to act like he was going to be the Commander, naturally, it was ridiculous from an observer¡¯s perspective.

    However, he effortlessly proved his skills and epted them.

    The Commander always had some hidden meaning, and there were those who realized that meaning and were saved.

    Then, could there be a hidden meaning this time too?

    Ruby soon realized it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give in to anger, fight calmly.¡±

    ¡°How can I do that? This boiling anger¡­!¡±

    ¡°Keep your head cool and your heart hot.¡±

    The Commander finished with those words and stepped back.

    It was easy to say, but how could one do that with the enemy of one¡¯s mother right in front of them?

    In the past, she was born to Ruby, one of the four gems supporting the Dwarf Republic, but that name was virtually meaningless.

    Although she had nothing, there must have been happy times, but as time passed, things started to go wrong little by little.

    At first, it was simple requests.

    Things like fingernails, hair.

    Things that could be given without much difficulty, but as time passed, the demands gradually became more intense, and eventually, it came to that.

    When she came back from ying outside, her mother was gone.

    Instead, the person who called himself her father was refining weapons.

    Unable to find her mother no matter how much she looked, Ruby asked her father.

    [Father, where¡¯s Mother?]

    [She¡¯s not here.]

    [What?]

    [Look at this beautiful form. Isn¡¯t it amazing?]

    Anger welled up inside of her.

    Indeed, thinking of that time, there was no way she could give that trash an easy death.

    Anger certainly gave strength, but it was also a double-edged sword that simultaneously gave weakness.

    Thanks to that, her movements became wide open again, and she nearly received a fatal wound from its attack that seized that opening.

    If the Commander hadn¡¯t intervened, that is.

    Although it was something to be grateful for, Ruby instead shouted with misced anger.

    Of course, she knew.

    That it was herself who was talking nonsense.

    That the Commander had simply saved her.

    ¡°Stop saving me!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyway, if I can¡¯t win¡­ my life has no meaning¡­!!!¡±

    sh!

    ?? Important Notice ??

    <hr>

    ? This text was ripped off from arcrantions.

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    She had been thinking all along.

    If she couldn¡¯t win anyway, then it would be better to die.

    She had thought she could win easily.

    Although he had be very strong after turning into a monster, aside from being difficult to deal with, it wasn¡¯t that strong of a monster, and yet, she had nearly died twice already to such a monster.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the Commander, she would have received a fatal wound and lost her life by now.

    That fact made it unbearable for Ruby.

    So, unknowingly, she had burst out with unreasonable anger.

    At that moment, Ruby¡¯s head turned.

    ¡°Even brushing against someone¡¯s clothes can form a connection. How much more so with the bond we¡¯ve shared through thick and thin until now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Say it again.¡±

    And Ruby could see it.

    ¡°Whose life did you say has no meaning?¡±

    For the first time, she saw his appearance angry not at an enemy, but at arade.

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    I was screwed.

    I had sworn that if nothing else, I wouldn¡¯t use violence, but the situation was so urgent that my hand rose before I knew it.

    Damn it.

    I hastily looked around to gauge their reactions.

    I hoped no one had seen, but unfortunately, everyone was looking this way.

    How did they see it when we were in the middle of battle?

    No, no, I needed to move carefully here.

    Whatever the case, using violence against an ally was wrong.

    Especially for a knighthood¡­

    Our job was to fight on the front lines with weapons in hand.

    In such a situation, if there were bad feelings, we might end up fragging each other if we were not careful.

    Damn it.

    Of course, fragging didn¡¯t happen easily in situations like this.

    For one, the Royal Knights hadpletely fallen apart, and everyone¡¯s confidence was low.

    But that didn¡¯t mean we could treat them carelessly.

    What if they suddenly got upset and attacked?

    I desperately racked my brain.

    How could I exin this?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Commander. My thinking was short-sighted.¡±

    In that brief moment of confusion, Ruby apologized first.

    Thanks to that, I found myself nodding before I knew it.

    But that was not right, I was the one who did wrong.

    However, before I could speak, or more precisely, while I was organizing my thoughts, Ruby ran forward without looking back.

    There was no hesitation in her appearance.

    No, please.

    Hesitate a little before running off!!

    I was shocked and tried to follow, but I couldn¡¯t.

    Because time stop was on cooldown.

    So I chased after her hard, but in the end, I couldn¡¯t catch up.

    Meanwhile, Ruby, who had closed in instantly, swung her hammer.

    Her hammer struck its head like a bolt from the blue.

    [Kieeeeeeek!!!]

    It let out an unpleasant sound like a strange bird and pped its wings.

    Those wings didn¡¯t seem that fast when viewed from afar, but Ruby couldn¡¯t dodge them.

    Damn, do I have to save her again?

    Just as I was thinking that, suddenly someone blocked my path.

    It was Commander Yuren.

    I shouted at Yuren.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Commander. I understand your concern.¡±

    ¡°Then get out of the way.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it yourself? To trust in our members.¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    Well, that was true, but still, when it was clear she was about to die It was not right to just stand by and watch from afar!

    I was about to strongly retort, as this time she could really die.

    That is, until I saw Ruby driving Bk back with my own eyes.

    Ruby¡¯s hammer struck Bk¡¯s head.

    From that massive impact, Bk¡¯s body began to stagger greatly.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°It seems she¡¯s finally warmed up a bit.¡±

    ¡°Warmed up?¡±

    ¡°Ruby and ra are undisputed members of the Royal Knights. Even if they¡¯re low-ranking¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I epted them despite their slightck of skill because I saw their potential for growth.¡±

    Commander Yuren spoke proudly with her arms crossed.

    The problem was that I didn¡¯t know much about the situation back then, but the atmosphere wasn¡¯t bad, so I just quietly watched.

    Ruby was fighting much better than I had thought.

    Especially since Bk¡¯s most frightening aspect was that it was very difficult to predict his attacks because he had no presence even when right in front of you.

    Ruby was blocking Bk¡¯s attacks far too easily.

    Was that possible? Or did she realize something while fighting?

    Anyway, from my position, this was an extremely advantageous situation.

    Just as I was thinking it wasn¡¯t bad, this time its tail shot up from the ground.

    It seemed that as she started to react somewhat, this time it had concealed itself and attacked again.

    But Ruby blocked this attack without much difficulty too.

    Rather, crushed by Ruby¡¯s hammer, Bk¡¯s tail waspletely shattered.

    Bk let out a great scream.

    How could she fight so well?

    I had slight doubts, however, I soon could see it.

    The mes wrapped around Ruby¡¯s body as if protecting her.

    I tilted my head.

    ¡°Is that¡­?¡±

    ¡°So the Commander knew as well.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Ruby hasn¡¯t been able to properly exert her power until now.¡±

    ¡°???¡±

    Commander Yuren suddenly started talking on her own, but of course, I didn¡¯t know, so I quietly listened to Commander Yuren¡¯s exnation.

    Commander Yuren said,

    ¡°It was probably more of a mental issue. The memories of her past were weighing her down.¡±

    ¡°You mean trauma?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but now Ruby is trying to ovee it.¡±

    Hmm, I see.

    I don¡¯t understand a word of what you¡¯re saying.

    To Ruby, family meant only one person.

    That was her mother, but there was a time when she had recognized her father as family too.

    Though he was busy and couldn¡¯t y with her often back then.

    Still, she thought it was for the family, for the n, rather, Ruby didn¡¯t like her mother much at that time.

    Because her mother¡¯s way of speaking was very strange.

    [Ruby! Where have you been until now?!]

    [Oh, please. Can¡¯t you do something about that way of speaking?]

    [S-Sorry about that.]

    Even to young Ruby, her mother¡¯s way of speaking was somehow strange.

    In fact, her mother was a little¡­ no, very sick.

    More precisely, it wasn¡¯t her body that was sick, but there was a slight problem with her mind.

    To make matters worse, she had been imitating the way of speaking of a childhood friend until now, and because she couldn¡¯t recognize that it was wrong, her mother had continued to use that childish way of speaking.

    Ruby hated that.

    She was embarrassed when others heard her mother¡¯s way of speaking and were bewildered.

    So she always grumbled at her mother and that became something she regretted continuously until now.

    That day too was a day when she was sleeping as usual.

    But while she was sleeping soundly, suddenly someone woke Ruby up.

    When she finally came to her senses, the person who had woken her from sleep was her mother.

    [Ruby, Ruby. Wake up quickly.]

    [What is it suddenly¡­]

    [We need to get out of here quickly.]

    Thinking about it now, Ruby¡¯s mother could have escaped sufficiently.

    If she had abandoned her daughter who ignored and looked down on her, then she could have survived, but her mother didn¡¯t do that.

    That was a question for Ruby herself too.

    Wasn¡¯t she the daughter of that trash?

    But was there a need to risk her own life to save her?

    That thought kept circling in her head.

    To exin the result, the desperate escape Ruby¡¯s mother had nned was discovered and it wasn¡¯t because of any other problem, but because of Ruby herself.

    It was when they were hiding to avoid patrols.

    Ruby and her mother were hiding in a warehouse, when suddenly there was a loud bang, and Ruby, startled by it, unknowingly screamed.

    Because of that, they were discovered by them.

    Ruby, still young, was immediately subdued by force, but her mother, from where such strength came, used force to push away all the knights who hade to catch them.

    Even then, she could have escaped.

    If one of the knights hadn¡¯t taken Ruby hostage, that is.

    Then, she gave up resistance far too easily and so she was bound.

    [Ruby, you must live. Survive somehow.]

    [Mom? Why? Where are you going?]

    [I¡¯m just going to see Dad for a moment. It¡¯s nothing.]

    That was thest sight Ruby saw.

    What Ruby, freed from her bonds, could see was that trash of a person who didn¡¯t even seem human, gazing ecstatically at the sword he had made.

    Was it because of her dwarven senses? Or because she was her mother¡¯s daughter?

    Ruby could instinctively sense it.

    That her mother had be the sword that trash was holding now.

    That she had passed away.

    Death.

    She had never felt the reality of that word so keenly before.

    Unable to meet her again, unable to hear her voice, destined to never to meet again.

    At that young age, Ruby realized the weight of death.

    Only then could Ruby finally realize how much she had loved her mother.

    Even if just once, she wanted to hear her mother¡¯s voice.

    That wish eventually became a terrible hatred.

    From that day on, she thought of only one thing.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    <hr>

    ? This text was ripped off from arcrantions.

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    To kill that person called father, that trash.

    She hade this far looking only at that one thing.

    But¡­ was that all? Did it end with just killing him?

    ¡­No.

    At least, she wanted to hear the reason.

    Why he went that far, whether they meant nothing to him.

    Was that why?

    Before she knew it, Ruby was imitating her mother¡¯s way of speaking.

    It didn¡¯t matter if others thought it was silly.

    It was just that, if she didn¡¯t do this, it felt like her mother would be forgotten as just a memory of the past, so, in order not to forget her mother, Ruby chose this path.

    Soon, hot mes rose from Ruby¡¯s hammer.

    As if responding to her will reigniting.

    They were hot, scorchingly so.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [I¡¯m betting on ruby bing a yandere cuz she sees hans as a father figure which she never had]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

    <hr>

    ? Main Quest [God¡¯s Apprentice] Unlocked!

    ? You have been granted an opportunity by the Arcane God¡¯s to be a Korean Trantor for Arcane Trantions.

 Chapter 85

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The ming hammer instantly shattered Bk¡¯s head.

    It was an incredibly clean strike.

    I tilted my head, puzzled.

    It had been resolved more neatly than I had expected.However, I didn¡¯t mention this issue.

    The answer was already evident in Ruby¡¯s expression, she looked relieved.

    She must have found her own answer.

    Even if others might question it, she hade to her own conclusion and if she was satisfied with it, I had no intention of interfering.

    I smiled and said,

    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve found your own answer.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s wrap this up.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me!¡±

    Ruby decided to handle Bk¡¯s body herself.

    I had thought she would just ignore it, but surprisingly, she said she would give him a dwarven funeral.

    The dwarven funeral turned out to be a pit of fire.

    Like refining iron, they dug a pit, filled it with coal-like materials to create a hot furnace, and then ced the body inside to burn itpletely.

    Naturally, some people couldn¡¯t understand Ruby¡¯s method.

    Notably, ra, Ruby¡¯s closerade and rival, and surprisingly, even Helia couldn¡¯t understand Ruby.

    ¡°Ruby! That person was your enemy! Do you really have to go this far for him?¡±

    ¡°This time, I agree. Why are you doing so much for him?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. This isn¡¯t for Bk.¡±

    ¡°Then for what?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s for myself. To forget all of my ill fated past and start anew for myself.¡±

    Ruby hade this far to kill her father.

    At first, she had wanted to make him suffer all the pain in this world cruelly.

    She said she had actually been full of determination to do that, but she had finally realized that revenge wasn¡¯t everything.

    That she needed to think about what came after.

    So, after much deliberation, Ruby chose to kill Bk cleanly without making him suffer.

    ¡°Revenge is not my life, it¡¯s just something I had to do. So, I won¡¯t waste any more emotions on this.¡±

    ¡°Then this isn¡¯t a funeral, but a celebration.¡±

    ¡°Ce-celebration?¡±

    ¡°Of course! On the day you¡¯ve avenged yourself, you should drink alcohol and eat meat!¡±

    Commander Yurenughed and put her arm around Ruby¡¯s shoulders.

    Though she seemed surprised, Ruby didn¡¯t appear to dislike it.

    Soon, their gazes turned to me.

    I grinned.

    ¡°It couldn¡¯t hurt.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll prepare right away.¡±

    ¡°Good, good! Very good!! Today we¡¯re throwing a party!¡±

    ¡°Is that okay? You know, considering the mood and all¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I wee it, actually.¡±

    Since Ruby had said that, there was no reason to refuse, especially for the sake of the others¡¯ morale.

    Bk¡¯s body was ced in the prepared fire pit.

    I raised my head.

    Not a single person observed a moment of silence for Bk.

    It was his own doing.

    No matter how much it was for wealth and power, if one couldn¡¯t even take care of their own family, the oue was predictable.

    Bk¡¯s headless body was engulfed in mes.

    Looking closely, its form resembled a crow more than an eagle.

    Ruby stared nkly at the body without saying a word.

    ¡°What are you thinking about so intently?¡±

    Worried that now that her revenge wasplete, she might feel so empty that she might jump into the fire, I hastily asked Ruby.

    Ruby smiled bitterly in response.

    ¡°I was thinking about the old days.¡±

    ¡°The old days?¡±

    ¡°When I first thought about killing that trash.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I was scared. Of everything.¡±

    For the first time in her life, she had someone she hated and it happened to be her parent.

    When faced with such a terrible fact, what kind of shock would an innocent child experience?

    It was something I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine, but Ruby had somehow ovee even that situation.

    That was why she was able toe this far.

    I patted her back.

    ¡°You did well. You did what you could do.¡±

    ¡°Is that really true?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I can guarantee it without hesitation.¡±

    ¡°A guarantee¡­ If someone else had said that, I might have gotten angry, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°No! It¡¯s nothing!¡±

    Ruby, who had briefly trailed off, soon shook her head with a bright smile.

    If nothing else, I could tell that the worry she had been harboring until just moments ago had disappeared.

    This was fortunate.

    Ruby smiled and ran towards the others.

    I watched Ruby from afar, then grinned and took a sip of my drink.

    This could be considered a rtively good oue.

    Now, let¡¯s see.

    The darkness within the members of the Royal Knights had been somewhat resolved.

    They seemed to consider each other asrades now.

    Moreover, support from other races had been restored to over 50%.

    At this point, wouldn¡¯t it be okay to hand over the position ofmander soon?

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The power of the demon race was formidable.

    As a single race, they could be considered almost equal to dragons.

    No, since their numbers were even greater, one could say they were a step above dragons.

    However, the problem was the confidence that came from this overwhelming power.

    More bluntly, it was arrogance.

    They were the strongest, nothing could be their match.

    Thus, they often underestimated their enemies instinctively.

    Usually, this wasn¡¯t a problem because they were overwhelmingly strong, but the biggest issue arose when they faced a worthy opponent.

    Unless it was another demon, demons rarely acknowledged an opponent.

    Was it due to pride? Or was it because of their fighting instinct cultivated since childhood?

    It wasn¡¯t clear.

    Arrogance and carelessness were the worstpanions that could turn even a winnable war into defeat.

    How much more so when facing the Royal Knights, whom the arrogant demons now uniquely acknowledged as worthy opponents?

    ¡°We can¡¯t waste any more time. Let¡¯s dig a trap and lure them in.¡±

    ¡°Ridiculous! We should confront them head-on with honor!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, only petty people set traps.¡±

    ¡°So? What have you great people aplished so far?¡±

    Thanks to this, the demons fought amongst themselves to the point of internal strife over how to deal with the Royal Knights.

    Of course, if it weren¡¯t for the barrier of the Holy Kingdom, the demons could have exerted their full power.

    Due to the barrier, demons couldn¡¯t enter inside.

    They had no particr strategy other than continuing their invasion by sending the monsters they had created.

    In this situation, when a n to dig a trap and lure the Royal Knights came up, half of the demons fiercely opposed it.

    They believed that victory achieved through direct confrontation was the only true victory.

    On the other hand, quite a few demons were in favor.

    If they could somehow wipe out the Royal Knights, it was clear that the already weakly connected continental people would instantly be a disorganized rabble.

    Fortunately, they had an informant within the Royal Knights.

    They had also nted informants among other races.

    It was entirely possible, and they actually seeded in luring out the Royal Knights.

    ¡°The Royal Knights were definitely annihted.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. We annihted them with our own hands.¡±

    ¡°There were survivors, but we thought they wouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ now things are quite different.¡±

    Of course, the demons had also suffered considerable damage.

    Even though they had lured them into a trap, the Royal Knights were worthy opponents uniquely acknowledged by the demons.

    Naturally, they suffered unimaginable losses.

    The number ofrades who died in battle with the Royal Knights alone was not small.

    As a result, their power to intervene with the continental people had weakened.

    It would take them much more time to recover.

    So, they sent informants to sow discord between the races and ultimately make them fight each other and this n was sessful, at least in the beginning.

    ¡°Just where did this Hans charactere from?¡±

    Hans, the man who had taken down all of the informants they had nted and even killed the lower demons they had sent to rampage.

    Where on earth had such an impossible talent emerged from?

    Moreover, the unfortunate news was that he was rebuilding the Royal Knights.

    He had gathered the survivors and even seeded in recruiting a Forest Guardian.

    What was even more unbelievable was that in just one year, he had greatly stabilized the rtions between races that were on the verge of fracturing.

    He was on the verge of achievingplete harmony within the previously discord-ridden Royal Knights.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    ¡°Is that really important right now?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The point is, we need to do something before the Royal Knights arepletely rebuilt.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll budge for mere lower demons or blood demons.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we need to take action ourselves.¡±

    Until now, they could only watch.

    After all, they had suffered severe internal injuries from the battle with the Royal Knights.

    Even the demon forces they could mobilize now were few and far between.

    That was why they hadn¡¯t taken direct action and had attacked using informants and followers.

    Who knew they would recover from the damage so quickly?

    So they had no choice but to gather their forces as well.

    ¡°Fortunately, all preparations areplete.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t for nothing that they had given power to Bk.

    Bk had fulfilled his role admirably, thanks to hisck of presence, he had sessfully reached the Royal Knights¡¯ base without being detected and there, he had died admirably.

    So, they would use his corpse as a sacrifice and advance.

    That was the reason they had given power to Bk.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [PARTY TIMMMME]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

    ? Main Quest [God¡¯s Apprentice] Unlocked!

    ? You have been granted an opportunity by the Arcane God¡¯s to be a Korean Trantor for Arcane Trantions.

    ? Do you ept?

    ? YES/ NO

    PrevNext

 Chapter 86

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    I sipped my tea while looking out the window.

    In the courtyard of Lionheart Fortress, I could see the members diligently sparring as they did every day.

    Two weeks had already passed since then.

    During that time, as if it were a lie, nothing had happened. The movements of monsters had greatly decreased, and the demons were abnormally silent.

    Perhaps they were prioritizing the recovery of their own wounds.

    Two weeks, though a short time, had been enough for Ruby to finish sorting out her feelings.

    Moreover, as they sparred together, they were not only improving their skills but also building trust in each other.

    ¡°Commander, I¡¯ve brought your tea.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    I took a sip of the tea Cluna had brought.

    For some reason, the tea Cluna made always seemed to improve my mood particrly well.

    As I was drinking the tea, she spoke cautiously.

    ¡°Commander, are you still unchanged in your earlier idea?¡±

    ¡°Hm? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The statement you made to everyone two weeks ago.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that.¡±

    Before I knew it, the gentle smile had disappeared from her lips.

    Now she was focusing her gaze on me.

    In this rather pressuring situation, I scratched my head and fell into thought.

    Two weeks ago.

    That is, on the day Ruby had defeated Bk and seeded in her revenge, I had called everyone together and made a major announcement.

    It was a deration that I would hand over the position ofmander back to Yuren.

    Yuren was originally themander of the Royal Knights, and except for the expedition incident, she had almost no failures and above all, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say she was the strongest in the current Royal Knights.

    So, I thought it would be better for Yuren to take up themander position again and informed everyone, but the opposition was stronger than I had imagined.

    Especially Helia, who strongly objected.

    [No! Absolutely not!]

    [This is too sudden. Did something happen?]

    [If there¡¯s an understandable reason, I¡¯ll agree, but¡­]

    The opposition from them was stronger than I expected, so I had no choice but to take a step back for now.

    It was truly strange, I had always been nagging them like an old fogey except for important matters¡­

    Strictly speaking, this wasn¡¯t really a situation where we could afford to be rxed, but it wasn¡¯t a bad thing to enjoy the peace that hade by chance.

    I spoke while drinking my tea.

    ¡°It¡¯s peaceful to a strange degree.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    Cluna, who was also organizing documents right next to me, tilted her head at my words.

    Well, that¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it?

    It had already been two weeks since we dealt with Bk, and nothing had happened.

    But I couldn¡¯t possibly think that the demons would just sit still.

    They must be plotting something, but the problem was that even if I tried to be tense, it was too peaceful to¡­

    My thoughts stopped there.

    The teacup I had put down on the desk was suddenly floating in the air.

    Not just the teacup.

    Everything in the office, including the desk and bookshelves, was in chaos.

    I instinctively realized that time had stopped.

    However, it wasn¡¯t me who had stopped time intentionally.

    What did that mean?

    It meant that a threat to my life had just arrived.

    By now, I wasn¡¯t startled by this level of urrence.

    Even though this was the Royal Knights¡¯ headquarters, I had been thinking that we could be attacked anytime, anywhere and it had actually happened.

    Where was it?

    What was the range?

    Where was the safe zone?

    After figuring this out within a minute, I immediately moved.

    First, I picked up and moved Cluna who was right next to me, then I moved the others.

    Thankfully, they were all in the courtyard.

    If they hadn¡¯t been, the cooldown would have been twice as long as it was now.

    After moving all of them to the safe zone, I could finally allow an expression of shock on my face.

    It wasn¡¯t just an air raid.

    It was nothing short of a bombardment from the sky.

    It was fortunate that it had fallen on the office first.

    Thanks to that, time stop had activated first.

    If it hadn¡¯t, we might have lost one of our members in vain.

    I released time stop and simultaneously, a massive explosion that threatened to rupture our eardrums struck me and the others.

    Surprised by the sudden situation, the members looked at me with bewildered expressions.

    ¡°Commander? What¡¯s this¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an enemy attack! Everyone, prepare yourselves!!¡±

    ¡°An enemy attack?! So suddenly?!¡±

    As always high-strung, ra spoke the words I wanted to say.

    That was exactly it.

    There had been a reason for our rxed state¡­

    It was because the barrier of the Holy Kingdom was still intact.

    Due to the barrier, the demons¡¯ activities were greatly restricted within the barrier.

    The restrictions were applied ording to their power level.

    So the demons created lower demons and monsters with weaker powers to operate within the barrier.

    In other words, there shouldn¡¯t be any lower demons or monsters capable of such an attack.

    ¡°I thought we could kill at least one with that attack.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Royal Knights. How could they die from such an attack?¡±

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the Commander, at least one would have died, I think.¡±

    What appeared before us were three beings.

    They didn¡¯t look human at all.

    More precisely, they looked simr to humans, but deviated quite far from human characteristics.

    First, the one on the right was veryrge, it looked easily over 3 meters tall.

    Despite this, its face was that of a lizard.

    A lizard-man? Or some variation?

    I wasn¡¯t sure.

    On the left was a ck-haired woman wearing a thin dress.

    Her obsidian-like hair and eyes entuated her appearance, if only she didn¡¯t have horns on her head.

    ¡°Haha, hello there, Royal Knights.¡±

    The one in the middle seemed to be the most dangerous.

    First, he was the shortest.

    Maybe about the height of a 7th grader.

    His hair was light green.

    Overall, he looked quite unassuming, but¡­

    There was one characteristic that couldn¡¯t be overlooked.

    His eyes were squinted.

    It was an undeniable fact that in any situation, when a squinty-eyed character opened their eyes, they became extremely powerful.

    ¡°I am Blood Demon¡­¡±

    ¡°First strike wins!¡±

    ¡°¡­?!¡±

    The reason I had been still was actually to gain momentum!

    I had been tense because they all looked like true demons or higher, but the middle one said he was a blood demon.

    Well, that made sense.

    It had only been about a year since the fierce battle with the Royal Knights ended.

    There was no way three true demons or higher woulde here directly!

    So I immediately took on this one.

    After all, he was the only one confirmed to be a blood demon!

    But I had no intention of doing a sloppy job.

    To avoid interference from the others, I even used time eleration to decisively separate him.

    My insides hurt a bit, but fortunately, it was bearable.

    The remaining ones?

    They would handle those themselves.

    I was the weakest after all!

    I¡¯d take on the weakest one first!

    * * *

    ¡°Hmm, as expected of the Commander.¡±

    ¡°This is getting interesting~ A boss battle right from the start!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Therge demon with a lizard head and the horned female demon were chatting andughing.

    As if they were on a pic.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    The first to react to this scene was Helia.

    Thunder Dragon Sword Technique First Strike: Thunder Dragon Fang

    This swordsmanship was built up over the past year and a half by a genius with overflowing talent and bone-grinding effort.

    It showed a power that even these true demons couldn¡¯t dare to ignore.

    But power was just power.

    If it didn¡¯t hit, it meant nothing.

    That was why the female demon reacted first.

    Suddenly, a long spear appeared in her hand.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite fast, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°How dare trash like you speak to me?¡±

    ¡°I like your personality too! Let¡¯s y together!¡±

    ¡°Oh my? Will you include us as well?¡±

    If Helia had been alone, she would have died immediately, unable to endure.

    But fortunately, she hadrades.

    ra and Cluna, both of whom were speed types, joined Helia.

    Naturally, Yuren, Bayard, and Ruby ended up facing the 3-meter tall demon.

    The lizard-headed being looked at them for a moment, then took a martial arts stance.

    ¡°I am called Rehart. It¡¯s an honor to be able to test my mettle against the famous Royal Knights.¡±

    ¡°¡­That terrible killing intent has disappeared. Could it be, that from earlier¡­¡±

    ¡°As expected of the formermander. Yes, it belonged to the one your currentmander took away.¡±

    ¡°I-Impossible, blood demons should be below true demons.¡±

    ¡°Then how could he give off such pressure?!¡±

    ¡°It seems you¡¯re under some misunderstanding.¡±

    The meaning of true demon was the genuine demons and blood demon was a name they had given to those who couldn¡¯t mingle with the lower ranks.

    That was what they had believed until Rehart spoke.

    ¡°Blood Demon is that guy¡¯s name.¡±

    ¡°What? Blood Demon is a name?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­It seems that this Blood Demon is rted to that blood demon.¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s rted.¡±

    Was it simply a y on names?

    No, that couldn¡¯t be.

    Those demons wouldn¡¯t y around like that.

    There must be another reason.

    Rehart immediately exined.

    ¡°That guy is the one who created all blood demons.¡±

    The king of all blood demons, and the embodiment of Blood Demon itself.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Bro cant catch a break lmao]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

    ? Main Quest [God¡¯s Apprentice] Unlocked!

    ? You have been granted an opportunity by the Arcane God¡¯s to be a Korean Trantor for Arcane Trantions.

    ? Do you ept?

    ? YES/ NO

    PrevNext

 Chapter 87

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    If you stay still, you¡¯ll at least be average.

    That had been my motto, but this time, staying still would have put me at a disadvantage.

    I would have been caught in the fight between the true demons and the Royal Knights.

    It would have been like a shrimp getting its back broken in a fight between whales.So I chose my opponent and immediately withdrew.

    Of course, a blood demon wasn¡¯t an easy opponent either, but it was still preferable to getting caught in a fight with the true demons.

    Before the other members could hear, I quickly took on the blood demon and left the frontline.

    Although I was worried about the other members, I believed in them.

    They would surely be able to win.

    That was why I used time eleration to leave the area.

    Using the power of time eleration, I broke through the castle wall and moved as far away as possible.

    ¡°What tremendous power. I couldn¡¯t possibly resist it.¡±

    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±

    ¡°But it seems the price is quite steep?¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    It seemed my choice had been correct.

    There was no way a true demon-level being wouldn¡¯t be able to resist time eleration.

    However, he seemed rxed for some reason, chuckling and pointing at me.

    Certainly, as he said, my situation wasn¡¯t particrly good.

    Although I had been able to somewhat mitigate the penalties through training since acquiring time eleration¡­

    Using time eleration still caused internal injuries.

    It was fortunate I had only used it briefly.

    If I had used it longer or more frequently, I would have experienced my organs twisting like before.

    ¡°What exactly is your goal?¡±

    The only reliable thing I had was time stop which was still on cooldown.

    In that case, all I could do was buy as much time as possible.

    I asked the question directly.

    He smiled and answered.

    ¡°Theplete annihtion of the Royal Knights.¡±

    ¡°You say that so casually.¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re putting our lives on the line too, you know.¡±

    ¡°Putting your lives on the line?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the two who came here with me are among the strongest of the demon race.¡±

    So it was as I thought.

    Their auras were all formidable, but the same was true for our side.

    We had Commander Yuren and Cluna, who were among the strongest in history, not to mention the Royal Knights, and there were enough members to support them.

    It wouldn¡¯t be an easy fight, but I didn¡¯t think they would lose.

    So, I too had to do what I could.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite greedy. Weren¡¯t you satisfied with annihting the Royal Knightsst time?¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t be so harsh. We¡¯re taking quite a risk right now too.¡±

    ¡°If you hold too much in your hands, you might not be able to gain other things.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good advice. That¡¯s why we¡¯ve rushed our ns, even if it¡¯s reckless. To kill you all.¡±

    This demon was unexpectedly cooperative in answering.

    Thanks to that, I was able to buy as much time as possible, but at the same time, I was suspicious.

    He was being too cooperative.

    What exactly was he plotting?

    ¡°Hey, you. Why are you answering so readily?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s because I like you all.¡±

    ¡°You like us?¡±

    ¡°Yes~ Of course!¡±

    The way he nodded with his hands sped together was like watching a woman in love.

    His tone, his behavior, it was strangely creepy.

    He continued speaking with a smile.

    ¡°How can I not apud your determination to struggle despite clearly seeing the oue?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re insane.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I like to hear directly from you and remember as much as I can. When I see you, it feels like I¡¯ve stepped into a novel!¡±

    Was this provocation? Or was he being sincere?

    Either way, it didn¡¯t really matter.

    I wasn¡¯t originally from this world, so I had no reason to get angry at such words.

    Rather, I was grateful for this approach.

    I needed to buy as much time as possible due to the time stop cooldown.

    This was why a mere blood demon wouldn¡¯t do.

    Iughed inwardly.

    ¡°So demons read novels too, it seems?¡±

    ¡°Of course! We are intellectual gentlemen, you know?¡±

    ¡°In that state?¡±

    ¡°My~ That¡¯s too harsh.¡±

    Although his manner of speaking was quite disgusting, his unexpectedly friendly attitude wasn¡¯t bad at all.

    Thanks to it, I was able to greatly reduce the cooldown.

    I pointed my sword at him and said,

    ¡°I think this is enough for your reconnaissance, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to know a bit more though?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that interesting of a guy.¡±

    ¡°No, no. You¡¯re plenty interesting.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re much more persistent than I thought.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never talked this long with a human before.¡±

    It was getting to the point where it gave me goosebumps.

    That was the kind of atmosphere he had.

    For a mere blood demon, he seemed surprisingly rxed, but I guess it made sense since his opponent was me, not the other Royal Knights.

    He could afford to be like this.

    Thinking that, I immediately moved my body.

    I tried to save time stop and time eleration as much as possible.

    He was just a blood demon after all, so I should be able to handle him with all the cards I had¡­

    At that moment, my breath was suddenly cut off.

    It felt like I had fallen into water.

    I blinked.

    This was undoubtedly the feeling of time being stopped, but why had it suddenly activated?

    However, I soon realized the reason.

    A blood-red spear that had sprouted from the ground was aiming for my heart.

    I immediately threw myself to the side.

    At the same time, I released time stop.

    ¡°Bravo! You didn¡¯t die in one hit? As expected of the Royal Knights¡¯mander!¡±

    ¡°You crazy bastard!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re certainly living up to your name! Show me more!!¡±

    I hurriedly observed his movements.

    It seemed he was the type that could control blood.

    However, I couldn¡¯t tell where the blood wasing from.

    He wasn¡¯t directly bleeding¡­

    But I soon figured out the principle.

    Everything that touched his body was being converted into blood.

    Grass, trees, soil, pebbles, everything without exception.

    This was insane, how was this possible?

    No matter how I thought about it, it didn¡¯t make sense.

    ording to the settings, only true demons should have such godlike powers.

    But this guy was a blood demon, no?

    At that moment, he pped his hands and said,

    ¡°Come to think of it, I don¡¯t know your name?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know yours either.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right. I was interrupted earlier? Then let me introduce myself again!¡±

    ¡°What are you suddenly¡­¡±

    ¡°My name is Blood Demon. I humbly lead my group.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He ced one hand on his chest and bowed his head to me.

    Setting aside his excessively polite behavior, what did I just hear?

    No, no, no, I must have heard wrong.

    ¡°Your name is Blood Demon?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    His attack stopped.

    Perhaps because I showed disbelief.

    Well, setting aside the cooldown issue for now, I needed to confirm this fact.

    I desperately continued speaking.

    ¡°Is it the Blood Demon I know?¡±

    ¡°I think the meaning is simr.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Well, where should I start exining from?¡±

    This fucking bastard, he used the blood spear again while talking.

    This time it came flying at my back where I couldn¡¯t see.

    If it weren¡¯t for time stop, my heart would have been pierced right then.

    ¡°Oh! You even dodged that! Amazing!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you not angry?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the enemy. It¡¯s something you can certainly do.¡±

    ¡°Excellent! You really are different from the others!¡±

    Damn, I really couldn¡¯t let my guard down.

    Even using everything I had built up so far, I could barely dodge his attacks.

    At this rate, I might end up using time eleration until I die.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, I should first talk about my values, right?¡±

    ¡°Values?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t just ignore those who are pitiful.¡±

    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you a saint. So what?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple, I give them power.¡±

    This was another unexpected bout of nonsense.

    Give them power?

    What does that have to do with your name?

    I couldn¡¯t continue speaking.

    Once again, the blood spear was aiming for my life.

    Shit, I couldn¡¯t tell him to stop because we were enemies.

    I had no choice but to focus on dodging his attacks as much as possible while concentrating on the conversation.

    Blood Demon spoke as if he was talking to a friend.

    ¡°So that those poor souls who know nothing can achieve their goals, dreams, and ideals.¡±

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    ¡°A demon giving power to others?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Of course! Comprachico, doppelgangers, they¡¯re all demonspleted in this way.¡±

    ¡°Then Blood Demon is¡­¡±

    ¡°It started with them calling themselves blood demons out of respect for me. Well, those now called lower demons were once called ves or minions.¡±

    So, those who received power from him escaped from being lower demons and came to be called Blood Demons?

    And the reason that they called themselves that was out of respect for him?

    ¡°Then what exactly are you?¡±

    ¡°Though unworthy, I¡¯ve been crowned as their king.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Judging by his attitude, he wasn¡¯t the type to hide it.

    Rather, he was the type to proudly reveal it.

    Then, was he trying to introduce himself earlier?

    That his name was Blood Demon?

    He was someone who could directly create Blood Demons.

    Moreover, he had the power to turn anything he touched into blood.

    There was no way such a being could be a mere Blood Demon.

    He was definitely 100% a true demon or higher.

    And yet the name of such a true demon was Blood Demon?

    Hahaha.

    Motherfucker.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Your Text Here]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

    ? Main Quest [God¡¯s Apprentice] Unlocked!

    ? You have been granted an opportunity by the Arcane God¡¯s to be a Korean Trantor for Arcane Trantions.

    ? Do you ept?

    ? YES/ NO

    PrevNext

 Chapter 88

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Blood Demon loved conversation.

    Through dialogue, he could learn about his opponent in detail.

    Filling his mind with many stories and savoring them slowly was his hobby.

    In that sense, he really wanted to have a proper conversation with the newmander of the Royal Knights. However, as he faced him, Blood Demon began to feel an inexplicable sense of difort.

    He was one of the top three strongest among the true demons.

    The fact that he was known as the king of all blood demons spoke to his strength.

    But even he couldn¡¯t fully read the newmander¡¯s movements.

    No, forget about reading his movements.

    That attack at the beginning, what on earth was that?

    ¡®The moment it touched me, I couldn¡¯t even move my body. As if time itself was pressing down on me¡­¡¯

    Even to himself it seemed like it was an absurdparison, but he couldn¡¯t help but think that way.

    In his mind, the most absolute and irresistible force was time itself.

    And that sense of difort grew stronger as he watched themander dodge his attacks.

    There was no sign of him evading, it meant that even he had missed the enemy¡¯s movements.

    But in normal times, he didn¡¯t show such quick movements.

    Was there a penalty for using this power?

    No, he used it too frequently for that to be the case.

    ¡®There¡¯s no point in overthinking it.¡¯

    First, he needed to find out the enemy¡¯s limits.

    Blood Demon merely twitched a finger.

    With just that, the blood spears that had devoured dozens or hundreds of knights rose towards him.

    It was a perfect blind spot.

    An attack that no human, or even a demon without hundreds of eyes, could see.

    Yet this human dodged it far too easily.

    But Blood Demon didn¡¯t get angry.

    Rather, he felt his mouth water.

    For a mere human to be this strong?

    Then he must have an incredible story.

    ¡°My, I¡¯m getting too hasty without realizing it.¡±

    He wanted to end the fight quickly and hear this human¡¯s story.

    From a human perspective, it was simr to wanting to read a novel.

    Blood Demon moved more intensely.

    At first, he had intended to capture him alive if possible but now his mind had changed.

    He would blow off his arms and legs and now that his attacks had a clear purpose, they yielded results.

    ¡°Guh?!¡±

    Spears that rose from the ground and air cleanly severed Hans¡¯s right arm.

    Ironically, because it didn¡¯t affect his life, time stop didn¡¯t activate.

    That was why he lost an arm in an instant.

    It was fortunate that he was in the process of changing his stance, so he wasn¡¯t holding the sword in his right hand, but the momentum inevitably shifted.

    This could be called a weakness of humans.

    While demons could regenerate severed wounds given enough time, humans and other continental races couldn¡¯t.

    He smiled.

    ¡°The tide has turned. How about surrendering now?¡±

    ¡°¡­Then will you spare my life?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll guarantee it.¡±

    Usually in these cases, people didn¡¯t beg for their lives.

    Rather, many would tell you to kill them.

    Blood Demon couldn¡¯t understand this.

    Of course, he understood the concepts of pride and honor, but¡­

    Isn¡¯t everything meaningless once you¡¯re dead?

    And the opponent¡¯s death wasn¡¯t particrly good for Blood Demon either.

    He wouldn¡¯t be able to hear any more of their unique stories.

    So, up until now, Blood Demon had rarely killed opponents with his own hands and even then, most of them had died because they were weaker than expected.

    Therefore, begging for one¡¯s life wasn¡¯t a bad thing to Blood Demon.

    Rather, he would wee it with open arms.

    It meant he could hear more stories.

    ¡°In exchange, tell me more stories. Oh, if you want, I can even reattach your arm¡­¡±

    Blood Demon, who had been rambling excitedly, suddenly stopped speaking.

    He felt a sensation as if his spine was being pierced.

    Blood Demon unconsciously stepped back.

    What was that just now?

    At that moment, Blood Demon could see it.

    The sight of his severed right arm slowly disappearing.

    His arm turned to dust in an instant, bones and muscles vanishing.

    There were cases where severed body parts disappeared like that, but those were special cases.

    It was the first time he had seen something disappear in less than a few seconds like this.

    ¡°What on earth¡­?¡±

    ¡°Shut up and die.¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    The man who had been kneeling suddenly stood up and charged.

    Had he not given up?

    Even if it was troublesome, he¡¯d have to blow off one of his legs.

    Blood Demon made his judgment and was about to move, but his body wouldn¡¯t move properly.

    More precisely, his body wouldn¡¯t respond as he thought.

    To use an analogy, it felt like he was floundering, buried in sand.

    It was a terrible feeling.

    In contrast, the man¡¯s sword was incredibly fast.

    It felt like that sensation from the beginning, as if he couldn¡¯t possibly resist.

    Eventually, Blood Demon¡¯s neck was cleanly severed by the sword he swung.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    My arm¡­ was cut off¡­?

    I stared at it nkly.

    The thing flying through the air, spraying blood, was unmistakably my right arm.

    Perhaps because I realized this fact, a searing pain apanied it.

    It felt as if someone was branding the area below my right shoulder with fire.

    I felt nauseous.

    I felt like I was about to vomit at any moment.

    Because of this, I couldn¡¯t endure and copsed to the ground.

    Until now, time stop had activated automatically because my life was in danger.

    But this time, it didn¡¯t activate.

    What was the difference?

    However, I soon realized the difference.

    It was the difference in aim.

    Until now, Blood Demon had attacked carelessly.

    As if it didn¡¯t matter where he hit.

    But that would have been fatal for me.

    After all, I would die if I took even one of those attacks.

    However, this time he had aimed for my arm to capture me alive.

    Thanks to that, my life wasn¡¯t in danger.

    So time stop didn¡¯t activate.

    I gritted my teeth.

    Was this the price for relying too much on time stop?

    Now all that was left was eleration¡­!!!

    [If you use it like that, you¡¯ll die too.]

    ¡°¡­Ha.¡±

    She appeared.

    A girl with white hair and heterochromatic red and ck eyes.

    The one who called herself Time, like some chuunibyou character.

    She was smiling in front of me.

    ¡°I have no choice but to use this now.¡±

    [No, you have other options, don¡¯t you?]

    ¡°What are they?¡±

    [Making a deal with me.]

    ¡°A deal? With you?¡±

    No matter how I thought about it, the only deal I could think of with this one was that time eleration from before.

    Even that time eleration had such a severe penalty that I had to use it risking my life.

    [I want you to live for a long time.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    [But this time your opponent is really difficult, isn¡¯t he?]

    ¡°Just get to the point.¡±

    [Give me your right arm. How about it? It¡¯s a simple trade, right?]

    I nced at my arm.

    For a very brief moment, because my mind had been distracted, I hadn¡¯t felt the pain, but with those words, the pain started to return.

    I frowned.

    ¡°¡­Then will you spare my life?¡±

    [Of course!]

    I nodded.

    Her mouth split as if torn, the corners of her lips reaching her ears.

    At the same time, my severed right arm turned to dust and moved towards her, or more precisely, towards her right arm.

    Her arm was still that of a delicate girl, but I instinctively knew.

    That her right arm had been reced with mine.

    As expected, a deal with this one was¡­

    No, now wasn¡¯t the time to worry about such things.

    I had to somehow defeat that true demon in front of me.

    Fortunately, the power gained through the deal was an incredibly helpful ability.

    I gripped my sword with my left hand, the only one remaining.

    I only had one eye and one arm left, but the power I received from that girl was strong enough to offset the penalties and then some.

    Was that why?

    I ran forward confidently.

    I didn¡¯t use time stop.

    This was insurance I was keeping in reserve.

    As I moved, Blood Demon immediately reacted.

    As expected of a true demon.

    I wouldn¡¯t be able to touch him with just tricks.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    When I faced Comprachico or the doppelganger before, I could somehow exchange blows even without using time stop, but the Blood Demon in front of me was on apletely different level from those scraps.

    Well, he said he created all blood demons, so I suppose it¡¯s natural.

    That was why the power I just received from that girl had toe into y.

    Time eleration was a spear that pierced through everything.

    The sh of elerated time allowed even me, with my insufficient skill, to cut down the opponent decisively.

    Of course, the price for this overpowered attack was the pain of my internal organs being eroded.

    Compared to that, the power I gained now was the ultimate shield.

    A power that thoroughly slowed down the opponent¡¯s time, making it so even a newborn baby could dodge while yawning.

    The name of what I gained by sacrificing my right arm was¡­

    Time Deceleration.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Your Text Here]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

    ? Main Quest [God¡¯s Apprentice] Unlocked!

    ? You have been granted an opportunity by the Arcane God¡¯s to be a Korean Trantor for Arcane Trantions.

    ? Do you ept?

    ? YES/ NO

    PrevNext

 Chapter 89

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Weak.

    Untalented.

    For that reason, to stay behind¡­ he had already done so much.

    At least until he stepped down asmander, he absolutely could not run away from the enemy.That was the promise he made to himself.

    Fighting was terrifying.

    He just wanted to run away, but if he ran away here¡­ everything he had aplished so far would crumble.

    If hecked talent, he just had to use what was in his hand right now.

    He possessed the ridiculously overpowered weapon of time stop.

    But he wouldn¡¯t be able to survive on that alone.

    Therefore, he had focused on the basics.

    He put effort into gaining practical experience through sparring.

    Of course, he tried to learn the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique like Helia, but it was too much for him.

    The opponent was a true demon.

    Among demons, it possessed top-tier strength.

    In the game, it had a difficulty level that made yers curse.

    However, this was the first time he¡¯d seen this particr one.

    Of course, he already knew from the game and its lore that the name ¡°Blood Demon¡± held a different meaning.

    But he never imagined he would learn about it this way.

    Calm down.

    He had to resolve this somehow.

    He¡¯d managed to survive until now thanks to time stop.

    If he used all of his remaining cards, he could kill this guy.

    He desperately racked his brains for a solution.

    First, in the game, true demons usually had up to three phases.

    The first phase was a disguised form, the second was full power, and the third was a desperate struggle.

    While attack patterns differed, the phases were simr.

    He nced at the demon¡¯s state.

    After its head was cut off, a flood of blood poured from its body, which had maintained a human form.

    Judging by its reaction, it seemed to be in its second phase.

    Soon, it revealed its true form.

    A monster stood before him, as if it had shed all human skin.

    However, instead of skin, flowing blood covered its muscles.

    He spoke.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to hear my story?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that hasn¡¯t changed. However¡­¡±

    ¡°However?¡±

    ¡°You seem to be on a different level from the ones I¡¯ve faced so far.¡±

    If the Blood Demon had merely been flicking its fingers until now, it was now moving its entire body with clear intent.

    It closed the distance and threw a punch.

    The demon¡¯s fist didn¡¯t connect.

    Despite that, the surroundings turned gray.

    Even without direct contact, was it possible to die from the shockwave alone?

    He quickly moved back.

    At the same time, he released time stop.

    As expected, from the shockwave alone¡­ everything in that spot was obliterated, leaving only dust.

    Taking advantage of the opening, he swung his sword at the Blood Demon¡¯s back.

    Thud!

    However, his sword simply bounced off.

    It was already difficult enough to attack with two hands, let alone one.

    But he didn¡¯t have time toment.

    The demon had noticed his presence.

    Time stop activated once again.

    The fact that he had nearly died sent chills down his spine, but he couldn¡¯t afford to stop.

    Moreover, even dodging was difficult.

    Now that he had lost an eye, his blind spots had increased, leaving him vulnerable to fatal attacks.

    That was why time stop kept activating.

    In other words, using time stop offensively was impossible for him in his current state.

    He had too many blind spots, and the slightestpse in concentration would lead to a fatal blow.

    Then, were time eleration and deceleration his only options?

    However, he couldn¡¯t use time eleration recklessly.

    He would suffer severe internal injuries.

    Nevertheless, the only way tond a decisive blow on this demon was time eleration.

    He had no choice but to create an opening using time deceleration, which had a lesser penalty, and thennd a fatal blow with time eleration¡­!!

    Having quickly reached this conclusion based on his experience, he immediately moved.

    Time stop was still on cooldown after using it to avoid a fatal blow.

    So, first, deceleration!

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°This.¡±

    Perhaps it had adapted to its slowed state because in the meantime, the demon quickly prepared itself.

    It took a defensive stance despite being slowed down.

    However, its movements were slow due to time deceleration.

    He could see the opening.

    He lunged towards the Blood Demon as if gliding.

    However, time stopped once more.

    Why now?!

    He had even used time deceleration!

    But he soon realized the reason.

    The answery in the pool of blood beneath his feet.

    He had thought it was just a puddle of blood, but the moment he stepped in, it attacked him like a trap.

    Crazy¡­ he had actually set a trap like this? Should he continue the attack from here?

    No, that was a bad idea.

    He couldn¡¯t predict what tricks this demon was hiding right now.

    As long as time stop was on cooldown, he couldn¡¯t attack unless it was a guaranteed kill.

    Quickly making up his mind, he retreated and deactivated time stop.

    ¡°Setting a trap¡­ You¡¯re more meticulous than I thought.¡±

    ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious.¡±

    ¡°As expected, you¡¯re very experienced! I want to hear more!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you everything.¡±

    Time deceleration wore off.

    At the same time, a splitting headache struck him.

    Apparently, the penalty for time deceleration was a headache.

    Compared to time eleration, it was a cute penalty, but still¡­

    The headache from time deceleration hindered his fighting.

    He couldn¡¯t help but frown, but Blood Demon misinterpreted his expression.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be in a good mood?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m fighting someone like you.¡±

    With all its facial skin melted off, its eyeballs and facial muscles moved grotesquely.

    His weak stomach churned, wanting to look away, but he couldn¡¯t.

    The moment he took his eyes off the demon, who knew when or where he might die?

    Just then, time stop activated once again.

    This time, blood-red spears and axes materialized behind him, aiming for his neck.

    Damn it!

    This opponent was no pushover.

    The slightest mistake would mean death.

    Every single movement was extraordinary.

    Not only did he push his own movements to the limit but he also wlessly avoided fatal blows.

    Blood Demon unconsciously clicked his tongue when themander evaded his best attack.

    But then he was startled by his own reaction.

    He had never felt anxious in any situation until now.

    Backed by his overwhelming power, he had always held an absolute advantage.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    Yet, for some reason, the more he fought against thismander, the more anxious he became.

    However, Blood Demon didn¡¯t consider this a negative change.

    On the contrary, he weed it.

    He desired new stories, new sensations and thismander was providing him with that fresh experience.

    That was why a smile crept onto Blood Demon¡¯s face.

    More stories.

    More experience.

    To be his sustenance.

    Shedding countless drops of blood, Blood Demon charged forward.

    Themander reacted ordingly.

    Blood Demon was pleased to see themander move exactly as he expected.

    Should he just kill him now?

    No, he dismissed that thought.

    His opponent was themander of the Royal Knights.

    A formidable being capable of pushing him to his limits.

    He was likely one of the strongest individuals among all the continental races.

    Trusting in that, Blood Demon drew upon his full power.

    The countless trapsid beneath his feet, the hidden trump card veiled by his seemingly careless movements¡­ how would themander ovee them?

    Blood Demon was filled with anticipation, and themander lived up to his expectations.

    A gigantic wave of blood, unleashed from his hand, swept away everything in its path.

    However, Blood Demon could tell.

    He could sense that themander had not been swept away by the crimson flood.

    Avoiding every single trap, he stood before Blood Demon.

    With one remaining eye and arm, refusing to back down, he fought like a true warrior.

    Themander¡¯s sword, swung like a sh of light, once again sliced through Blood Demon¡¯s neck.

    However, even as his head was severed, Blood Demon wore a smile.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Bro is slowly bing more and more disabled lmao i just hope this timedy dont ask for his dick in exchange for somethin]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

    ? Main Quest [God¡¯s Apprentice] Unlocked!

    ? You have been granted an opportunity by the Arcane God¡¯s to be a Korean Trantor for Arcane Trantions.

    ? Do you ept?

    ? YES/ NO

    PrevNext

 Chapter 90

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Was it over?

    I focused my gaze on the Blood Demon whose head had fallen.

    I had cleanly severed his neck, but I didn¡¯t think a true demon would die so easily.

    There had to be a hidden trick.As expected, the severed head easily returned to its original position.

    Blood gushed from the cut, forming a new head.

    Regeneration was a given, I suppose.

    The question was the limit of his regenerative ability.

    Could a true demon still die even with regeneration if its head was cut off?

    After all, there were cases where they wouldn¡¯t die even if vital points like the neck or heart were repeatedly struck.

    And unfortunately, it seemed this opponent belonged to thetter category.

    No wonder he was so rxed even with an enemy right in front of him.

    That was the reason.

    But there was something else I didn¡¯t understand, his attitude.

    The Blood Demon had said he gave his power to those who were pitiful.

    The war between demons and the continent had been going on for a long time.

    At first, I thought he gave his power to them after the demons descended, but listening to his tone, something felt strange.

    ¡°You talk as if you¡¯ve been giving out power all along.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve been here from the beginning.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. You guys descended to the continent, right?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Ah, right. That was the setting, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. This is an important matter.¡±

    Whatever else, one thing was clear.

    He said that on purpose.

    If he really didn¡¯t mean to say it, he wouldn¡¯t have reacted that way.

    So what did it mean?

    Blood Demon was giving me some kind of hint.

    I didn¡¯t know why, but for now, I could only do what I could.

    I tightly gripped my sword.

    Even with only one hand, I couldpensate forck of power with time eleration.

    However, the biggest problem was how to kill him.

    He wouldn¡¯t die no matter how much I cut him.

    ¡°It seems¡­ time¡¯s up.¡±

    ¡°Time¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Yes, actually, I¡¯m just a clone.¡±

    ¡°¡­ A clone?¡±

    He sent a clone to attack Lionheart Fortress? Was he serious?

    Seeing my disbelieving look, Blood Demonughed and nodded.

    This crazy bastard.

    ¡°To send a clone in this situation¡­ You¡¯re insane.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a rational decision. If I die, the demons lose a significant amount of power.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I unconsciously nodded.

    Blood Demon was his name, but it was also the name of a mid-ranking ss of demons and he said he created all Blood Demons.

    In other words, if I killed him, there would be no more new Blood Demons.

    That would be a huge loss for the demons and there was another reason.

    ¡°You judged that sending a clone would be enough.¡±

    ¡°Yes, because you are not the Royal Knights of your glory days.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°But I never imagined you would be this strong.¡±

    He was right.

    If I hadn¡¯t drawn him away¡­ wouldn¡¯t the three true demons have wiped out everyone else?

    He was that powerful.

    I didn¡¯t know about the others, but Blood Demon who I was facing, even as a mere clone, possessed such power.

    But there was one thing I didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Why are you telling me all this?¡±

    ¡°Because time¡¯s up.¡±

    ¡°What? Time?¡±

    ¡°My clone has a limit to its regeneration and it has just reached that limit.¡±

    Indeed, although he had initially maintained a human form, his body was now swaying as if on the verge of copsing.

    So, could I win if I just stalled for time?

    No, it wouldn¡¯t be that simple.

    As proof, his body was slowly swelling, like a rubber balloon.

    It took less than 3 seconds.

    In that short time, his size had already beparable to Lionheart Fortress.

    The moment I saw that, I realized what he was aiming for.

    ¡°It was more enjoyable than I expected. Let¡¯s have a better time next time.¡±

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    ¡°Of course, if you survive this.¡±

    My head felt like it was splitting, as if someone was scraping the inside with shards of ss.

    But I gritted my teeth and used my ability.

    I had no choice.

    If I didn¡¯t¡­

    Everyone would die.

    It exploded.

    The blood-red storm that appeared simultaneously tried to engulf everything, but time slowed to a crawl due to time deceleration.

    I could hold on like this.

    The explosion wouldn¡¯tst forever.

    I¡¯d maintain time deceleration until the explosion ended, but it wasn¡¯t easy.

    I raised my hand and wiped my nose.

    Unable to bear the strain, blood continued to flow from my nose.

    I frowned.

    My headache was gradually worsening but I couldn¡¯t back down now.

    Just a little longer¡­

    Even if I copse here!

    Helia was the first to react.

    In the distance, she saw a blood-red storm rotating abnormally slow.

    She instinctively realized that her teacher was suppressing it.

    The slowly swirling bloodstorm was a monster of greed that seemed to devour everything.

    Helia shouted with all her might.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. We have to finish this quickly!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about¡­ What is that?!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the direction themander took the Blood Demon.¡±

    While deflecting a demon¡¯s attack, Cluna quickly grasped the situation but at the same time, she was slightly surprised.

    She didn¡¯t expect Helia to notice it faster than her.

    Objectively, Cluna was superior to Helia in both skill and experience.

    The reason Helia was able to notice it first was simple, all she had been thinking about was¡­

    Her teacher.

    She was here because of her teacher and she fought against the demons because they were his enemies.

    She had forgotten all her past memories and experiences.

    Her teacher was her only reason to live now, but even Helia didn¡¯t want to lose the connections she had made here.

    At first, she didn¡¯t care.

    Yes, that was definitely how she felt.

    How did things end up this way?

    Helia¡¯s body moved like a lightning bolt.

    Only her speed was at a level where she could dare to challenge a true demon.

    That was the power of the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique, but for now, that was all it was.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite skilled for your age.¡±

    ¡°Tsk¡­!!¡±

    The speed of the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique was beyond imagination.

    She could move at a levelparable to a true demon despite her young age.

    That alone was enough to dispel any doubts.

    However, the biggest problem was herself.

    She was still inexperienced andcked power.

    She couldn¡¯t get rid of the trash in front of her, even with the power her teacher had bestowed upon her.

    At least that was what Helia believed.

    But Reba, the true demon she was facing, was inwardly impressed.

    She was only a human child¡­

    She was slightly weaker, but she never imagined she could keep up with her to this extent.

    She would definitely be a major threat to the demon race in the future.

    So, she had to eliminate her here and now.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you!¡±

    But it wasn¡¯t easy.

    The two elves had been constantly interfering.

    However, even for them, blocking Reba¡¯s movements was a herculean task.

    Reba¡¯s spear of swiftness struck ra and Cluna.

    They barely managed to defend against the attack but soon realized it was a trap.

    The distance had increased.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    It wasn¡¯t a thrust aimed to kill, but an attack meant to push them away and they had fallen for it perfectly.

    Now, there was no one to protect Helia.

    ¡°Die!!!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    A true demon¡¯s attack.

    It was a powerparable to the grim reaper.

    It couldn¡¯t be dodged or blocked, or so it should have been.

    But Helia could see all of her movements clearly.

    [I¡¯m going to step down asmander.]

    Helia had felt a chill when he said that.

    Maybe she had sensed it all along.

    That one day, her teacher would leave and it was true.

    Hans¡¯ top priority was to return to his original world.

    Of course, Helia hadn¡¯t figured that out, and she probably never would.

    But she had read the atmosphere.

    Of course, she intended to follow her teacher forever.

    But what if he went somewhere even she couldn¡¯t reach?

    No. She didn¡¯t want that.

    So, she had to hold him here.

    ¡°You have to defend, you trash.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?!¡±

    Reba had the upper hand in speed and everything else.

    Helia was evencking in experience, getting pushed back with every sh.

    But that was all part of Helia¡¯s trap.

    urately predicting the enemy¡¯s movements.

    Dodging by a hair¡¯s breadth and counterattacking.

    It was an unavoidable counterattack.

    For a brief moment, Reba saw it.

    Helia¡¯s sword, which had been moving so slowly, suddenly elerated as if it had been boosted.

    Thunder Dragon Sword Technique Second Sword: Thunder Dragon¡¯s Ultimate Guard

    Soon, the thunder dragon devoured one of Reba¡¯s arms.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Uncle gonna save the day again and they all gonna be more yandere for him¡­ i love it]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

    ? Main Quest [God¡¯s Apprentice] Unlocked!

    ? You have been granted an opportunity by the Arcane God¡¯s to be a Korean Trantor for Arcane Trantions.

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    ? YES/ NO

    PrevNext

 Chapter 92

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    An ignorant fool might think it was only three.

    But for three true demons to descend just to punish the remnants of the Royal Knights was an exceptional event.

    However, it was inevitable.

    The Royal Knights were the only monsters on thisnd that had ever given them a hard time. They had to burn thisnd to the ground, leaving no stone unturned, to ensure they would never rise again.

    With that in mind, even in their urgent situation, three true demons had descended upon thisnd.

    However, Beast, the giant true demon, was a littlete in recognizing the situation.

    The time for the decisive battle hade.

    He roared, signaling the start of the fight.

    The problem was what happened afterward.

    When he came to his senses, Beast found his head buried in the ground.

    ¡°What just happened¡­?!¡±

    Naturally, there was a hierarchy even among true demons and while Beast wasn¡¯t at the top like Blood Demon, he wasn¡¯t at the bottom, barely holding onto the title of true demon.

    Yet, here he was, a true demon, with his head stuck in the ground, unable to do anything.

    Only one being came to mind who could do such a thing.

    ck hair red skyward like mes.

    The moment Yuren saw Beast, she unleashed the power of her Dragon Heart.

    A dragon¡¯s form was divided into three stages.

    One was the polymorph stage, where they could transform into any form they desired.

    The other was returning to their true dragon form.

    Polymorph offered great flexibility butcked power.

    Conversely, the dragon form boasted overwhelming strength.

    However, skilled dragons could advance to a third stage, which involvedpressing and releasing their dragon power.

    In other words, it was like wielding the overwhelming power of a dragon form with the flexibility of a polymorph form.

    However, Yuren couldn¡¯t maintain this form for long due to her damaged heart.

    ¡°Going all out from the start. You seem to be in a hurry.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no time to waste on words.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    ¡°?!¡±

    Still with his head buried in the ground, Beast grabbed Yuren¡¯s ankle with his hands and shoved her forward with all his might.

    Caught off guard by the sudden force, Yuren lost her bnce and was pushed back a considerable distance.

    ¡®Compared to the past, my current strength is only about 40%, but still¡­ he pushed me back with brute force.¡¯

    Due to Comprachico¡¯s scheme, Yuren¡¯s Dragon Heart, the source of her dragon power, had been severely damaged.

    It was a wicked scheme that should have killed her instantly, but¡­

    Thanks to themander¡¯s help, she had barely managed to survive and that was why she could fight here again.

    Soon, the magic power flowing from her Dragon Heart enveloped her body like armor.

    ¡®She¡¯s lost her former ferocity, but she has recovered more strength than when she was captured. I see, there was a reason to rush the attack.¡¯

    Beast had seen it with his own eyes.

    Her fighting on par with their leader in the past.

    Especially the power she unleashed when she opened up the full power of her Dragon Heart at the end was no joke.

    Thanks to her final struggle, risking her life, the already heavily damaged true demons had suffered even greater losses.

    Some had even died and been extinguished in the process.

    The current Yuren was cutepared to her past self.

    When she was captured, she was so weak that she could barely move.

    Considering that¡­

    ¡®If I don¡¯t kill her now, it¡¯ll be dangerous.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t just a matter of regaining her strength.

    In the past, she had only wielded her overwhelming power recklessly.

    But now, she was controlling her power precisely.

    What if that overwhelming power wasbined with refined technique?

    Despite being a true demon, Beast felt a chill run down his spine.

    Fortunately, if they only considered raw power, he was currently stronger than Yuren.

    Kaboom!!!

    Their fists, swung like lightning, collided.

    The impact shook the ground, and cracks appeared in the sturdy walls.

    She was the one who lost the battle of strength.

    Her bnce broke, and her stance crumbled.

    Now was his chance.

    Beast immediately closed the distance, aiming for her heart once more.

    In the past, he couldn¡¯t even scratch her, his attacks bouncing off her power, but¡­

    Now that her heart was weakened, he should be able to kill her with a single blow.

    That was his judgment.

    Until he saw the smile on Yuren¡¯s lips.

    ¡°What¡­?!¡±

    rm bells rang in his head, warning him of danger.

    So, he hurriedly tried to pull back his fist.

    If a hammer of zing mes hadn¡¯t crushed his arm, he would have seeded.

    ¡°You fell for the trap! Bayard!!¡±

    ¡°I know! Don¡¯t rush me, you bastard!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ugh!!!¡±

    ¡°Do you remember me? You damn beast?!¡±

    A giant bear charged forward like a cannonball, using its massive size.

    Beast, having taken a blow from the fiery hammer, was unable to avoid it.

    Brown fur, the form of a giant bear¡­ he definitely remembered her.

    ¡°The vanguard of the Royal Knights. You had decent strength, but other than that, you were just a small fry.¡±

    ¡°Ha! You remember! You piece of trash!¡±

    ¡°Do you want to relive that day again?¡±

    ¡°No, I want to chew your head off!¡±

    True to his name, Beast possessed one of the top three strengths among the true demons.

    But aside from his strength, he also possessed technique.

    On the other hand, Bayard was weaker in strength.

    Naturally, it was only natural that Bayard was overwhelmingly defeated by Beast in their first encounter.

    That was why Bayard, filled with fear, had even run away.

    Crack! Boom!

    But now¡­ Bayard was relentlessly pushing Beast back like a raging storm.

    Bayard¡¯s strength was surpassing Beast¡¯s.

    Beast frowned.

    What was this?

    ¡°How dare you, a mere smelly beast¡­!!!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve lost yourposure. Are you angry?! Huh?!¡±

    ¡°Such pathetic provocation¡­!!!¡±

    Looking at the enraged Beast, Bayard thought of a certain being who had embraced her in the past.

    She had run away in fear, not daring to look back.

    Back then, she could only think of herself.

    So when themander, along with Ruby, came to find her, she had hoped to be executed for desertion.

    Because death would bring her peace and because it would free her from this heavy guilt.

    But themander didn¡¯t draw his sword.

    Instead, heid his sword down in front of her and he opened his arms and embraced her.

    The warmth she felt in that embrace led her here.

    Courage can ovee fear, and she had continuously trained with Yuren ever since.

    Those experiences and time had be a raging fire, seeking to turn the enemy before her into ashes.

    ¡®He¡¯s definitely stronger than me¡­!!!¡¯

    It seemed like her potential had exploded.

    Bayard¡¯s strength surpassed Beast¡¯s.

    However, Beast was also a veteran warrior with vast experience.

    His experience and technique were still beyond her reach.

    Once again, Bayard began to be pushed back.

    As if to mock Yuren¡¯s assessment that beastmen had strength surpassing even dragons¡­ She was being pushed back by an opponent with only one arm!

    But Bayard swallowed her humiliation.

    She could swallow as much as she needed.

    ¡°Ugh?!¡±

    ¡°Bullseye!¡±

    ¡°Good job, kid!¡±

    ¡°Who are you calling a kid?!¡±

    ¡®It pierced through my hide and actually hurt me?!¡¯

    Something unbelievable happened again.

    Only a handful of the Royal Knights had been able to damage Beast¡¯s hide, which was tougher than steel and yet, a mere brat like this had managed to hurt him?

    Beast coldly assessed the situation.

    It wasn¡¯t the weapon that was hurting him, but the mes surrounding it.

    They were ignoring his hide and inflicting damage deep inside.

    But when he tried to target the brat, Bayard stood firm in front of him like a wall.

    This was no good.

    If he stayed like this, he would be worn down and eventually killed.

    This wasn¡¯t the time to save his strength forter.

    He had to use all his power and kill them.

    Beast quickly made his decision and roared with all his might, as if to expel his lungs.

    At the same time, his power was unleashed.

    The beastly aura pushed back everything around him with brute force.

    ¡°You¡¯ve finally shown an opening.¡±

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    A giant body covered in ck fur as tough as steel.

    He was the very embodiment of a beast.

    However, Yuren used the opportunity to charge forward, but it was Beast¡¯s trap.

    Through the previous fight, Beast had realized that he couldn¡¯t escape alive from this situation.

    So, he would give flesh to take bone.

    If he could eliminate Yuren by sacrificing himself¡­

    Even if he couldn¡¯t kill her, inflicting a fatal wound would be enough.

    Even Yuren couldn¡¯t kill him in one blow with her current strength.

    So, he would aim for that gap and strike.

    It was a n that couldn¡¯t fail.

    At least it would have worked against the Yuren of the past.

    Through her previous defeat, and through her fight against themander, Yuren had realized that recklessly wielding overwhelming power wasn¡¯t enough.

    She concentrated all the strength in her body into her fist, and the moment her fist reached Beast¡¯s upper body, the sound of flesh bursting echoed.

    Yuren raised her head.

    She saw Beast, his upper bodypletely blown away, only his lower half remaining.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Your Text Here]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

    ? Main Quest [God¡¯s Apprentice] Unlocked!

    ? You have been granted an opportunity by the Arcane God¡¯s to be a Korean Trantor for Arcane Trantions.

    ? Do you ept?

    ? YES/ NO

    PrevNext

 Chapter 93

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Did I just say the penalty for time deceleration was weak?

    I take it back.

    I wasn¡¯t lying, it really felt like I was going to die.

    A pain like my head was being struck by an ax had been persisting.But if I released time deceleration, that crazy red storm would engulf us for sure.

    So, I gritted my teeth and endured.

    Then, the headache intensified.

    The pain, which felt like an ax striking my head, now transformed into the feeling of an electric saw grinding it.

    I couldn¡¯t even speak properly.

    Eventually, I screamed.

    The red storm that seemed to devour everything began to slowly subside.

    Thankfully, it ended before Ipletely lost my mind.

    I copsed to the ground.

    My legs wouldn¡¯t move, as if my muscles had been severed.

    The headache still lingered.

    I wanted to just lie down on the ground, but I couldn¡¯t even do that.

    ¡°¡­Damn it.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t feel anything.

    My vision blurred, as if I was about to faint.

    How long did itst?

    I don¡¯t know.

    But in the meantime, someone approached me.

    ¡°Are you alright, Teacher?¡±

    ¡°Helia, is that you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡±

    Hearing Helia¡¯s voice, I was finally able to rx.

    Perhaps because my body had lost its strength, I started to lose bnce and crumble.

    Helia caught me.

    ¡°Teacher, your arm¡­!!!¡±

    ¡°This is nothing.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see, as expected of Teacher.¡±

    ¡°But where are the others¡­?¡±

    As I felt puzzled by Helia¡¯s heavy reply, a jingling sound caught my attention.

    Thanks to that, I was able to see it.

    The pendant in her hand.

    ¡°As expected, I think this is what we need to do with Teacher.¡±

    I remembered that item.

    It was the one Comprachico had used for mind control.

    But why was it here?

    I was sure Helia wasn¡¯t around at that time¡­

    ¡°All of this is for Teacher.¡±

    The pendant in Helia¡¯s hand began to glow.

    It was dangerous, I had to look away¡­ but I was more curious.

    Why?

    But without finding a proper answer¡­

    My consciousness slowly faded into the light.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Themander¡¯s bombshell announcement had been enough to shake everyone.

    It seemed like he was leaving them, especially with most of them already relying on him.

    It meant that themander was leaving them.

    Of course, Hans hadn¡¯t thought that far.

    He nned to stay and help the Royal Knights at least until peace was restored.

    But they weren¡¯t in a situation where they could afford to realize that.

    So, after much deliberation, Helia revealed it in front of everyone.

    The silver pendant sat proudly on the table.

    Yuren¡¯s expression hardened instantly as she looked at it.

    But Helia calmly said,

    ¡°It¡¯s Comprachico¡¯s artifact. It¡¯s probably the item that allowed that demon to control minds.¡±

    ¡°But didn¡¯t you report that it was destroyed back then?¡±

    ¡°I was the one who reported that.¡±

    ¡°You deceived themander. You deceived us all.¡±

    Cluna¡¯s gaze, filled with hostility, turned towards Helia and the other members felt the same way.

    But Helia remained calm.

    She opened her mouth and said,

    ¡°That¡¯s not what¡¯s important right now, is it?¡±

    ¡°Not important? You could have used this power to brainwash us! And you¡¯re saying it¡¯s not important?!¡±

    ¡°Yuren, I understand what you¡¯re trying to say. But if you analyze this, you won¡¯t be saying that.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°No, you might already know.¡±

    Helia¡¯s words hit the mark.

    Yuren was the only one here who had been properly affected by Comprachico¡¯s mind control.

    To her, the power contained in the pendant now was very weak.

    [Unless you break the target¡¯s mind or exploit a moment of weakness, you can¡¯t control them!]

    ¡°Damn it, useless thoughts¡­¡±

    ¡°At first, I wanted to make teacher my own. But there were too many risks involved.¡±

    ¡°What kind of risks, specifically?¡±

    ¡°For example, demonic magic power could be mixed in, negatively affecting Teacher.¡±

    Cluna nodded at Helia¡¯s words.

    Indeed, this was an item used by a demon.

    There was no guarantee that it would be safe for a human to use.

    And at the same time, everyone, including Cluna, realized what Helia was saying.

    Surprisingly, the first to object was ra.

    She mmed her hands on the table.

    ¡°Are you kidding me?! You¡¯re saying we should brainwash themander?!¡±

    ¡°Is there another way?¡±

    ¡°Even so, we can¡¯t do that!!¡±

    She was right.

    It was wrong for anyone to control another¡¯s mind without their consent.

    But surprisingly, few agreed with her.

    Not even Cluna.

    Most remained neutral.

    They needed to cooperate after all.

    Helia didn¡¯t push her opinion too hard either.

    Instead, the analysis of the pendant was left to Cluna.

    While wondering if this was really okay, Cluna thoroughly analyzed the pendant during that time andpletely eradicated all remaining traces of demonic influence.

    And finally, today hade.

    The sudden attack by the true demons was certainly disconcerting, but that was still manageable.

    However, the biggest problem was themander.

    Everyone who had returned after dealing with the true demons had witnessed it.

    Themander with one arm missing.

    The first thing they felt was self-reproach.

    They were trying to be stronger.

    For themander.

    ¡®Can a person go that far for others?¡¯

    ¡®Like his body wasn¡¯t his own¡­ how could he¡­¡¯

    ¡®He must have a story from his past.¡¯

    Cluna thought.

    Those who acted like that had usually lost something precious in the past.

    That was why, unable to forgive themselves, they threw themselves into danger.

    Even if it meant death.

    Reaching that conclusion, Cluna had to clutch her aching chest.

    Why was she feeling this way all of a sudden?

    No, didn¡¯t she already know?

    That figure, throwing himself into the inferno for others¡­ it was exactly like the first hero she had fallen for!

    ¡®I thought this wasn¡¯t right.¡¯

    ¡®Yes, themander would never abandon us.¡¯

    ¡®But¡­ seeing him like that, I feel like I¡¯m going to copse.¡¯

    ra believed in themander.

    Because she believed in his strength, in his righteousness¡­ she had vehemently opposed it back then.

    But seeing themander now, ra suddenly felt fear.

    As if themander might disappear one day.

    That fear consumed her mind.

    Themander disappearing?

    No, that couldn¡¯t happen.

    He had to be by her side always, hermander!

    ¡®I had given up on everything.¡¯

    ¡®Revenge, the glory of the Royal Knights¡­¡¯

    ¡®I want to dedicate everything to themander who brought it all back.¡¯

    The girl who had lost her family found a new family here and her heart pounded uncontrobly, as if she was sick.

    But it definitely wasn¡¯t a bad feeling.

    At first, she was too embarrassed to admit it, but now she did.

    She wanted to love him.

    Even if it meant burning her whole being.

    The near-disaster of losing something precious had awakened that feeling.

    ¡°Cluna, do you have it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have it here.¡±

    ¡°Anyone opposed?¡±

    There was no one who opposed it.

    Just look at themander¡¯s current state.

    Didn¡¯t it seem like he could disappear at any moment?

    She didn¡¯t want him to disappear.

    She wouldn¡¯t allow him to leave.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take the punishment. I¡¯ll take it all on myself.¡±

    Listening to Yuren¡¯s words, Helia walked forward.

    She held the pendant she had received from Cluna in her hand and as themander¡¯s body copsed, Helia caught him.

    At first, she wanted to monopolize him.

    She didn¡¯t want to share her teacher with anyone.

    But as time passed, she had made precious friends.

    They were like family to her.

    Of course, her teacher was still the most precious to her.

    But she didn¡¯t want to lose them.

    Then, what should she do?

    There was only one way.

    It¡¯ll be okay if we¡¯re all together.

    Everyone, without exception.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    Without anyone being hurt or abandoned.

    Wouldn¡¯t Teacher have done the same?

    The pendant in Helia¡¯s hand shone brightly.

    Perhaps his mind had weakened, as Hans instantly fell into a trance upon seeing it.

    Looking at her hypnotized teacher, Helia said,

    ¡°There¡¯s only one thing we want from you, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°Punishment¡­¡±

    ¡°Y-Yuren, w-we can do thatter, can¡¯t we?¡±

    Bayard stepped in and silenced the unnecessaryment from behind.

    Feeling relieved, Helia spoke with sincerity.

    With her¡­ no, with their sincerity¡­

    ¡°We want you to be ourmander forever.¡±

    And to embrace us warmly.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Your Text Here]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

    ? Main Quest [God¡¯s Apprentice] Unlocked!

    ? You have been granted an opportunity by the Arcane God¡¯s to be a Korean Trantor for Arcane Trantions.

    ? Do you ept?

    ? YES/ NO

    PrevNext

 Chapter 94

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The all-out attack, on which they had staked everything, had failed spectacrly.

    This fact was a shock to the demons.

    They couldn¡¯t even finish off the Royal Knights, who were mere remnants, let alone the Royal Knights in their prime?

    Of course, the demons¡¯ situation wasn¡¯t that great either. No, one could argue that it was actually quite bad.

    But even considering that, it was still a shocking result.

    They had sent two true demons who had quickly recovered and were close to full strength, along with a clone of Blood Demon, who, though weaker than his main body, was still one of the top three strongest¡­

    And yet, they couldn¡¯t defeat the remnants of the Royal Knights.

    One of the three had even perished.

    Feeling a sense of crisis, the demons immediately gathered again.

    Befitting their name, the demons had refurbished the imperial pce, once the heart of the empire, and were using it as their base.

    Its restoration with gold and marble surpassed even its former glory.

    All of the surviving true demons gathered.

    Only 25 true demons remained.

    The girl with white hair braided in pigtails looked around and spoke,

    ¡°Is this all that¡¯s left?¡±

    ¡°There were about 100 of us when we first arrived here.¡±

    ¡°So many stories have been left behind, and they¡¯re all dead~.¡±

    Blood Demon spoke of hisrades¡¯ deaths in a sentimental tone, but his wordscked any actual sorrow.

    ¡®I still don¡¯t like this guy.¡¯

    The white-haired girl thought.

    They were standing at a crossroads of survival.

    Why did they sacrifice so much to annihte the Royal Knights in the first ce?

    It was for a smoother invasion of the continent.

    The Royal Knights were their most troublesome and obstructive enemy.

    Conversely, they didn¡¯t believe that any other being could challenge them besides the Royal Knights.

    So they had lured the Royal Knights into a trap and, at the cost of more than half of their brethren¡¯s lives, had seeded in erasing the name ¡°Royal Knights.¡±

    Or so they had thought¡­

    ¡°What kind of human is this Hans character?¡±

    The white-haired girl¡¯s question resonated with everyone.

    They had truly believed that it was the end for the Royal Knights.

    They had captured themander and ughtered all of the elite knights.

    No, if it hadn¡¯t been for Comprachico and the Blood Demon who created him¡­ They could have definitely killed Commander Yuren as well.

    But perhaps because they were drunk on victory and had be arrogant¡­

    They had approved the n to keep Commander Yuren alive as a ything and as a result, she had be their worst enemy once again.

    It was a grave mistake.

    But they couldn¡¯t me Blood Demon for it either.

    Because everyone there had ultimately agreed to his proposal.

    Damn it all.

    ¡°Not only that dragon, but the other small fries are also formidable.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, you lost an arm?¡±

    ¡°It happened.¡±

    Reba was a skilled warrior, acknowledged even among the demons.

    But even she had been injured, not by fighting against amander-level figure, but by fighting their underlings.

    It was fortunate that the Guardian of the Forest, who had led the fight, had minimized the damage.

    If they had been willing to sacrifice a life or two, Reba wouldn¡¯t have been able to return here in one piece.

    The same went for Beast.

    It was just unfortunate that his opponent happened to be Yuren.

    So he had given up on escaping and aimed for mutual destruction, but it seemed that it hadn¡¯t worked on her.

    ¡°We must gather all the true demons andunch an all-out attack right now!¡±

    ¡°You want revenge? In this situation? Are you crazy?¡±

    ¡°Do you want us all to die together?¡±

    Several hardliners proposed gathering all their remaining forces and attacking the Royal Knights immediately.

    But naturally, the majority of the demons opposed it.

    There were three main reasons.

    First, they didn¡¯t know the exact strength of the newmander, Hans.

    Second, there wasn¡¯t a single demon who could currently exert their full power.

    And finally, third, there was no way to undo the barrier.

    Previously, they had used Bk¡¯s death to bypass the barrier with the trick of weakening their presence, but even that had onlysted for an hour, with all their mightbined.

    Now, they couldn¡¯t even attempt it.

    As soon as the news of the Royal Knights¡¯ victory spread, various races had joined forces andunched arge-scale monster hunt.

    The white-haired girl sighed deeply and answered,

    ¡°We have no choice but to focus on recovering our strength for now.¡±

    How ironic.

    They had the overwhelming advantage just a year ago, but the situation had reversed in a single year, but they hadn¡¯t lost the war yet.

    They could still do this.

    They could make up for it from now on.

    First, they had to investigate the newmander, Hans.

    Where the hell did that monstere from?

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    ¡°This concludes my report.¡±

    They were seated around the neatly arranged Table of Equality, listening to Cluna¡¯s report.

    To summarize, the news of the Royal Knights¡¯ victory over the true demons had spread, and thanks to that, other races were beginning to move.

    The fact that the dwarves, the human kingdom, and the 12 Tribes had taken the lead and established a multi-racial alliance was the most pleasing news.

    The tide of war was gradually turning in their favor.

    Before the alliance was formed, only three races had been actively participating, but their victory over the true demons had restored their trust, and thanks to that, other races that had been watching from afar, keeping their mouths shut, were beginning to move.

    As a result, the previously cut-off support was flowing back in, greatly improving their financial situation.

    ¡°Any ns to recruit new members for the Royal Knights?¡±

    ¡°Not yet.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a firm answer.¡±

    ¡°But if that¡¯s what you desire, Commander¡­¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need to recruit new members yet.¡±

    Six to seven years.

    That was the remaining time until the start of the original story.

    There was no need to recruit new members for the Royal Knights before then.

    The current members were already more than enough.

    Despite my shorings, I had be themander of the Royal Knights.

    Of course, I had no intention of doing a half-assed job.

    If I was going to do it, I¡¯d do it properly and my limit wasmanding six people.

    I couldn¡¯t even imaginemanding more than that.

    As I sat at my desk, deep in thought, I suddenly felt a strange sense of unease.

    Wait, was what I was doing right?

    ¡°I feel like something¡¯s wrong¡­¡±

    ¡°Commander, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. No problem.¡±

    ¡°Ruby said the dwarven prosthetic arm will arrive soon. I think you should rest until then.¡±

    I nodded at Yuren¡¯s concerned words.

    It seemed I had be unnecessarily sensitive.

    It was understandable, considering all that had happened.

    We had even defeated true demons¡­

    Of course, the price we paid was not small but thanks to that, the Royal Knights were able to rise again.

    Thinking about that, losing one arm was a cheap price to pay.

    I frowned.

    ¡°This is damn inconvenient.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to help me.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s something I should do for you, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°Commander! Is there anything you want me to do for you?!¡±

    Suddenly, Helia and ra startedpeting to wait on me.

    Feeling pressured by their fiery res, I was relieved when Yuren stepped in and said,

    ¡°Stop it, what are you doing in front of themander?¡±

    ¡°Helia¡¯s trying to monopolize the good spot!¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be the one taking care of my teacher?¡±

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re going to argue that way, I¡¯m themander¡¯s capable subordinate!¡±

    ¡°Capable, you say? Puahaha!¡±

    ra¡¯s deration naturally drew Ruby in as well.

    The reason was simple, to take care of me.

    As a result, I was the only one with a headache.

    I spoke,

    ¡°I can handle this myself. There¡¯s no need to mobilize manpower.¡±

    ¡°No, Commander. Please reconsider.¡±

    ¡°Reconsider?¡±

    ¡°You are absolutely indispensable. It¡¯s fine to lose an arm or a leg, but you can¡¯t lose your head.¡±

    Cluna, who had returned behind me, slowly ced her hand on my shoulder as she spoke with a serious expression for the first time.

    I couldn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re strong, Commander. But you¡¯ve lost too much. So we have to protect you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Teacher. Please give us the chance to protect you.¡±

    ¡°We owe you our lives!¡±

    ¡°M-me too! I want to take care of you, Commander!¡±

    ¡°Alright! Then let¡¯s settle this with a sparring match!¡±

    Yuren grinned and shouted.

    I thought it was a dirty trick, but surprisingly, no one objected.

    Cluna smiled and said to me,

    ¡°Then, Commander, shall we go watch?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Oh, by the way, I¡¯m joining too.¡±

    Seeing Cluna¡¯s smile, I felt a slight chill.

    I felt like I was forgetting something important, but no matter how hard I tried to remember, I couldn¡¯t figure out what it was¡­

    ¡­Well, judging from the fact that I forgot¡­

    It probably wasn¡¯t that important.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Nah way bruv got brainwashed]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

    ? Main Quest [God¡¯s Apprentice] Unlocked!

    ? You have been granted an opportunity by the Arcane God¡¯s to be a Korean Trantor for Arcane Trantions.

    ? Do you ept?

    ? YES/ NO

    PrevNext

 Chapter 95

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    It was decided that I would rest until the prosthetic arm I ordered from the Dwarf Kingdom arrived.

    My opinion wasn¡¯t considered, but it was understandable.

    After all, I was the injured one.

    It was surprisinglymon on the battlefield for the wounded to insist they were fine and then die from overexertion and I had absolutely no intention of dying from overexertion. Maybe if I were just a regr member¡­

    But as themander responsible for the Royal Knights, I had no intention of dying a pointless death.

    The others also strongly rmended that I rest, and I epted.

    A strange sense of unease lingered in my mind, but I attributed it to the absence of my arm.

    I originally had two, and now I only had one.

    So, wouldn¡¯t it be natural to feel a strange sense of difort?

    For now, that was the only exnation I coulde up with, but putting that aside¡­ wasn¡¯t this a bit too much?

    I stared nkly at the object ced before me.

    It was a chair.

    A chairmonly seen in this game, but it had wheels attached to the bottom and a handle at the back.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a wheelchair?¡±

    ¡°A wheelchair? In the Dwarf Kingdom, they call it a medical chair for patients.¡±

    ¡°I-I see. So that¡¯s how they exin it.¡±

    I cleared my throat and adjusted my tone.

    I was so dumbfounded that my original way of speaking slipped out.

    I had to maintain a dignified appearance, at least in front of the members.

    But even so, sitting in this¡­ No, my legs were fine.

    I was only missing an arm, but for some reason, I couldn¡¯t escape her grasp.

    Cluna didn¡¯t say anything.

    She just stood behind the medical chair.

    She looked at me and smiled sweetly.

    That alone was enough to create immense pressure.

    In the end, the only choice I had was to sit in the chair.

    As I sat down, Cluna positioned herself behind it and began pushing.

    For some reason, I felt a wave of disillusionment.

    ¡°Cluna, do I really have to do this?¡±

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I can walk on my own two legs.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen many people like you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°And most of them didn¡¯t end well.¡±

    Her voice, carrying the weight of time far exceeding the weight of being amander, forced me to sit quietly.

    Let¡¯s think positively.

    It¡¯s quitefortable, right?

    ¡°Do you have some business here, Ruby?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you caught me.¡±

    ¡°Ruby?¡±

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s been following us.¡±

    ¡°Why would you do that?¡±

    Cluna spoke as she turned around.

    Ruby, who had been hiding behind her, slowly walked out.

    I was surprised.

    I hadn¡¯t noticed her at all.

    Where was she hiding?

    While I was speechless in shock, Cluna interrogated Ruby fiercely.

    So fiercely that I was twice as surprised.

    I looked at Cluna and said,

    ¡°Cluna, that¡¯s too much.¡±

    ¡°I apologize.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ruby. Why were you looking for me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing~!!¡±

    Ruby left those words behind and disappeared into the distance.

    Completely clueless, I could only tilt my head.

    Meanwhile, Cluna followed her retreating figure with a strange look in her eyes.

    ¡°Cluna? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I apologize for my rudeness, Commander.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t rude.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Commander.¡±

    The ce I arrived at with Cluna was the Table of Equality.

    The round table, created with the intention of uniting all races for amon cause on the day the Royal Knights were founded¡­

    It was now being used as a conference room and Yuren was gently stroking the round table.

    Just as I was about to turn back, thinking that I might be interrupting her¡­

    ¡°Commander, is that you? And Cluna as well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just taking a walk to clear my head.¡±

    ¡°I see, walks are important. Especially considering your injury, Commander.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yuren, what were you doing here?¡±

    It was true that my injury was serious, but it was embarrassing to be the center of attention like this.

    Especially since I had traded my arm as a price.

    I didn¡¯t lose it in battle.

    ¡°I was just reminiscing about the past.¡±

    ¡°About the time the Royal Knights were founded?¡±

    ¡°Yes, back then, everyone joined forces for amon cause.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The demon invasion had begun in earnest, but they didn¡¯t respond immediately.

    Because they didn¡¯t get along.

    As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend¡­

    They had simply watched from afar as their enemies were attacked by the demons.

    However, they soon realized their mistake.

    The demons pushed them back with overwhelming force.

    The human empire and numerous kingdoms fell.

    Some races were even destroyed or absorbed by the demons.

    At least until the Royal Knights were founded, they were continuously pushed back.

    ¡°Back then, everyone joined forces to survive. I¡¯m proud to have be themander of the Royal Knights.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you are.¡±

    ¡°But if you ask me whether I acted correctly¡­ I wouldn¡¯t be able to give you a definite answer.¡±

    ¡°Because they were annihted?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and because I couldn¡¯t unite everyone.¡±

    The Royal Knights in their prime had wielded enough power to defend their territory against the true demons and Blood Demons.

    However, they had failed to prevent the discord between the races.

    Of course, it was cruel to ce all the me on Yuren, themander, but she wasn¡¯tpletely free of responsibility either.

    After all, the Royal Knights had been annihted.

    ¡°I think about it every time. Did I do the right thing?¡±

    And as an aftereffect, the division between the races deepened, and in the future, except for a small amount of territory, everything fell into the hands of the demons.

    The rest depended on the yer¡¯s capabilities¡­

    But if the yercked the ability, or if there was no yer at all, the continent would eventually be overtaken by demons and be a second demon realm.

    The demons¡¯ objective was to turn this ce into a demon realm.

    At least that was the setting revealed in the game.

    However, I had realized something through my recent battle with Blood Demon.

    Even I, a veteran yer, didn¡¯t know everything about the setting of this world.

    For example, Blood Demon.

    For some reason, he didn¡¯t appear in the original game.

    The third-ranking true demon was a different demon.

    Then, there were two possibilities.

    Either Blood Demon had died before that¡­

    Or he had been purged by his fellow demons.

    I berated myself for mycency.

    Just because I knew everything about the game didn¡¯t mean I knew everything about this world.

    I had to focus more on gathering information from now on.

    For myself and for the members of the Royal Knights.

    However, the demons wouldn¡¯t be making any direct moves for a while.

    The war with the Royal Knights, followed by the defeat of the three true demons¡­ the demons had also been severely weakened by the continuous fighting.

    ¡°Nothing in this world is perfect, unless you¡¯re a god.¡±

    ¡°Is that so.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why we live our lives by piecing together our own missing pieces.¡±

    ¡°¡­As expected, the role ofmander suits you best.¡±

    ¡°You tter me.¡±

    Yuren chuckled and looked at me.

    I felt a slight sense of difort from her appearance.

    She seemed to have been thinking something else.

    Strangely, I couldn¡¯t remember.

    ¡°Hmm, you said you were taking a walk? Can I join you?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯m good on my own.¡±

    ¡°If themander refuses, I¡¯ll have no choice but to turn back.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a walk. One more person won¡¯t hurt.¡±

    ¡°Yes, so you cane out now.¡±

    Someone soon emerged from where Yuren was looking.

    It was Ruby.

    Ruby again?

    Come to think of it, Cluna had asked Ruby who she was following¡­

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    ¡°Were you following me?¡±

    ¡°N-no! I was escorting you!¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to escort me, just stay by my side. That¡¯s the best.¡±

    ¡°I-if you insist¡­ I guess I have no choice.¡±

    For a moment, Cluna red at Ruby with a sharp look, but Ruby didn¡¯t seem to care and immediately clung to my side.

    Yuren tried to pull Ruby away, but she wouldn¡¯t budge.

    ¡°Let go. You¡¯re making themander ufortable.¡±

    ¡°No! I¡¯m never letting go!¡±

    ¡°Why are you so anxious?¡±

    ¡°Because I only have one left now.¡±

    ¡°O-oh¡­ okay.¡±

    For a brief moment, it felt like Ruby¡¯s eyes had shed red.

    But now they were back to their original color.

    Was it my imagination?

    No, it was too intense to dismiss as an illusion¡­

    ¡°What?! Why is everyone gathered here without us?!¡±

    ¡°Teacher, is your wound alright?¡±

    ¡°D-don¡¯t overexert yourself! I-I-I¡¯ll help you!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s getting lively.¡±

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. You¡¯re bothering themander.¡±

    For some reason, they all seemed to know where I was and started gathering here.

    Meanwhile, Cluna began to stop them.

    Anyway¡­ it was a relief to see everyone healthy.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [man this chapter was kinda confusing to trante ngl but still nice to see this cozy shit me likey]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

 Chapter 96

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Losing an arm was a serious injury.

    Putting aside the phantom pains, I suffered more side effects than I expected such as high fever, pus, and more.

    Cluna was constantly by my side, treating me.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for her, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to endure it. That was how serious it was.

    Though it had gotten better, Cluna still stayed close, just in case.

    That was fine, but the problem was, whenever I wanted to move, I had to use a wheelchair.

    It was better than suffering from the side effects, but still¡­

    And then, something unexpected happened.

    The moment I stepped out of the infirmary, the other members, who I thought were busy with their own duties, started gathering around me, one by one.

    Before I knew it, all six of them were surrounding me.

    Wait, what about patrol duty?

    ¡°Patrol duty? Aren¡¯t we all on duty right now?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re on patrol duty?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re guarding the most important person of all.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Even nonsense can render you speechless if spoken confidently enough.

    I looked at Yuren, wondering if they were joking, but her gaze was more serious than I expected.

    ¡°Ourmander is currently weakened. Therefore, we must protect him personally. We can¡¯t afford to lose him.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying you don¡¯t trust me?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. Cluna, I don¡¯t doubt your abilities, but¡­ this is too important to overlook, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Perhaps unable to refute Yuren¡¯s words, Cluna took a step back.

    I had a feeling Yuren was about to say something else, but this was too much, even for me.

    Before I knew it, I was surrounded.

    Yuren and Bayard stood in front, Helia and Ruby nked me, and Cluna and ra stood guard behind me.

    I suddenly felt like royalty.

    Of course, being surrounded by beautiful women was delightful in its own way, but the pressure on my shoulders was immense.

    ¡°Everyone, that¡¯s enough. Return to your posts.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Commander, but I can¡¯t follow that order.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll¡­ we¡¯ll ept any punishmentter!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Commander. But this is something we have to do.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    They followed my other orders without question, but not this one.

    Their logic was that if I died, the Royal Knights would crumble.

    Therefore, they had to protect me at all costs.

    It was disconcerting to be held in such high regard.

    Of course, I had aplished a lot, but it wasn¡¯t like there was no one else who could take my ce.

    There were plenty of capable individuals.

    Yuren was a natural leader, and even Cluna could manage themander¡¯s duties.

    I actually believed they might even do a better job than me¡­

    I was just d they weren¡¯t interested in themander position.

    At least I wouldn¡¯t be kicked out without a fight.

    We had all lost something precious.

    Some of us lost family, some friends, and somerades.

    We understood that sense of loss all too well.

    Trying to escape that feeling, we unconsciously sought refuge.

    But for them, that refuge had already crumbled once.

    Defeated in battle, the bonds they had forged were shattered in an instant.

    What thoughts must have crossed their minds at that moment?

    Some wished for death.

    Others sought sce in self-destructive battles, inflicting physical pain to numb the emotional agony.

    But then, a man appeared and helped them through it.

    Using his credibility and trust, he united them.

    And thanks to him, they were able to escape their pain and find peace.

    Yes, to them, themander was a part of paradise, a sanctuary.

    They believed they would be together forever.

    Themander was strong, so at least until that day came¡­

    [After this year, I¡¯m stepping down asmander.]

    Hans himself hadn¡¯t said he would leave the Royal Knights, only that he would step down asmander.

    But that wasn¡¯t how they heard it.

    To them, Hans without the title ofmander was unimaginable.

    In other words, stepping down asmander meant¡­

    Hans leaving the Royal Knights.

    Naturally, everyone present was against it.

    Their opposition eventually led to Hans withdrawing his decision, but the fact that he had even considered it was a problem in itself.

    They immediately gathered to discuss the situation.

    That¡¯s when Helia suggested using mind control.

    Of course, everyone initially opposed the idea.

    It was unthinkable to manipte someone¡¯s mind, especially theirmander.

    But as time passed, they started to feel anxious.

    What if themander really left?

    What if it was their fault?

    What would they do then?

    Anxiety gnawed at their hearts like parasites.

    If only they were in a better state of mind, they might have been able to think positively and distract themselves.

    But they were in no position to be optimistic.

    Monsters and demons could appear at any moment.

    They had already lost so much in the ongoing war.

    [We must protect what¡¯s precious to us, no matter the cost.]

    [It¡¯s toote to regret after we¡¯ve lost it.]

    [¡­Yes, it¡¯s themander¡¯s fault for leaving us.]

    Their twisted feelings of attachment grew into an obsession and when they saw themander¡¯s current state, it exploded.

    They hadn¡¯t doubted his victory.

    But Helia had seen it.

    She had seen themander with her own eyes.

    One of his arms was gone.

    Seeing him like a dying ember, about to fade away, Helia¡¯s body had moved on instinct.

    Please stay with us forever, Teacher.

    Ironically, no one tried to stop her.

    They all felt the same and now, themander was staying with them.

    But was it really the right thing to do?

    Was it right to manipte their teacher like this?

    Helia deliberately ignored that question.

    As long as they could be together, that was all that mattered and so, Helia stood by her teacher¡¯s side.

    Or rather, she tried to.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for a certain someone.

    Helia stared at her, bewildered.

    Her seductive arms were wrapped around her teacher¡¯s chest from behind.

    ¡°Are you alright, Commander?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Please excuse me. I¡¯m just tending to your wounds.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. Then it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    Her back pressed against his, whispering into his ear, but her eyes were clearly focused on Helia.

    It was a provocation.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Helia felt a surge of something primal at Cluna¡¯s unexpected move.

    It didn¡¯t matter who was stronger.

    She would never forgive anyone who tried to steal her ce by Teacher¡¯s side.

    But there was one problem.

    Cluna was a master of magic, known as the Guardian of the Forest.

    Her healing magic was especially potent, capable of even reattaching severed limbs.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    Helia knew that Teacher¡¯s wounds were healing quickly thanks to Cluna¡¯s care.

    Helia had chosen to be with everyone.

    She knew that, and so she endured the gut-wrenching pain, but she wouldn¡¯t let it slide next time.

    ¡®I won¡¯t let anyone else have this ce, Teacher.¡¯

    The mere presence of other women by her teacher¡¯s side filled her with rage, but she had matured.

    She wouldn¡¯t let her emotions control her to the point of jeopardizing Teacher¡¯s reputation.

    However, that didn¡¯t mean she would tolerate anyone encroaching on her territory.

    There would be consequences for those who dared.

    ¡°Wait, Cluna? I can handle this.¡±

    ¡°ra? What kind ofnguage is that?¡±

    ¡°My, my, ra. You should watch your tone in public.¡±

    ¡°¡­??¡±

    What was this ridiculous charade?

    Helia watched them, dumbfounded.

    Weren¡¯t they family, the only ones left for each other? Then why were they suddenly at odds?

    But Helia didn¡¯t know.

    She didn¡¯t know that themander¡¯s injury had awakened something in the others.

    They had almost lost him in battle.

    Their subtle obsession was growing stronger.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    []

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

 Chapter 97

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The news of the Royal Knights¡¯ victory sent shockwaves through the Alliance.

    It was only natural.

    They had deemed the Royal Knights expendable and cut off all support.

    Now, they were paying the price.The Royal Knights were currently protecting only three nations: the Dwarf Kingdom, the Human Kingdom, and the 12 Tribes.

    This was because these three were the only ones who had provided support.

    It hadn¡¯t been a problem before.

    Monsters, though a nuisance, could be dealt with by mobilizing national resources.

    Even lower-ranking demons could be subdued with some effort.

    However, the real problemy with the Blood Demons and True Demons that followed.

    Unlike the lowly demons, Blood Demons and True Demons possessed formidable power.

    Countless races and nations had been destroyed or absorbed, unable to withstand even a single Blood Demon.

    Yet, the Royal Knights had just repelled a True Demon.

    Naturally, the Royal Knights¡¯ reputation soared.

    If Blood Demons and True Demons invaded, the other races wouldn¡¯t be protected without the Royal Knights.

    A shift even urred among the races themselves.

    The Dwarf Kingdom and the 12 Tribes initiated peace talks and signed an agreement.

    A fact everyone seemed to have forgotten¡­

    Dwarves and beastmen had a notoriously bad rtionship, even engaging in territorial disputes.

    But with the Royal Knights¡¯ mediation, they had reached a peace agreement and signed multiple treaties.

    ¡°The beastmen and dwarves have joined forces?¡±

    ¡°Damn it¡­ this puts us in a difficult position.¡±

    ¡°We need to negotiate with the dwarves right now¡­¡±

    The dwarves and beastmen¡¯s alliance wasn¡¯t just an isted incident.

    It was a disaster for those who had exploited their rivalry for their own gain.

    With the Human Kingdom joining the alliance, a new power bloc, led by the three nations and the Royal Knights, had emerged within the Alliance.

    The first to react was the Human Kingdom.

    Using his position as the Royal Knights¡¯ patron, the king persuaded other races and secured advantages for himself.

    The demons, having suffered significant losses, were unlikely to make any immediate moves, but the Alliance, unaware of this, feared imminent action.

    The king exploited this fear.

    Thanks to his shrewd maneuvering, the Human Kingdom reaped benefits that far exceeded its investment in the Royal Knights.

    Like it or not, change wasing.

    Two races, once sworn enemies, had reconciled.

    Other races, sensing the shift, started to adapt.

    The intricate web of rtionships, built over centuries, began to transform.

    And it was undeniable that the Royal Knights and their newmander were at the center of it all.

    Themander, who had rebuilt the Royal Knights in just one year and proven their strength¡­

    ¡°Perhaps the king knew what he was doing when he rmended him asmander.¡±

    ¡°Investigate the Royal Knights¡¯mander immediately!¡±

    ¡°We need to bring him to our side, by any means necessary!¡±

    Now, the other races were scrambling to improve their rtions with the Royal Knights and gather information on themander.

    It was only natural.

    The king, who had foreseen this, wouldn¡¯t have missed such an opportunity but the real challengey in the next steps.

    Not everyone would ept themander.

    Some would surely oppose him.

    For example, the elves were openly refusing to support the Royal Knights and even calling for themander¡¯s resignation.

    It was a reckless move, but not entirely hopeless.

    The elves would likely be the center of a new coalition, uniting races that harbored resentment towards the Royal Knights or harbored their own ambitions.

    ¡®This is the perfect opportunity to gain an advantage. And I need to think about my next move.¡¯

    Thanks to themander he had appointed, the king had gained more than he could have imagined but he had no intention of monopolizing it.

    The important thing was the position of the Alliance.

    And now, a new alliance, centered around the Human Kingdom, was about to be formed.

    He wasn¡¯t foolish enough to miss out on a grand opportunity for a few coins.

    The winds of change were blowing, slowly but surely.

    Within Lionheart Fortress, there was an office specifically designated for themander.

    It was located right behind the reception room, purely for efficiency.

    And now, Yuren, actingmander, sat at themander¡¯s desk, handling the workload.

    For the first three days, everyone stayed by themander¡¯s side, but eventually, he convinced them he needed to work.

    So, they reluctantly left.

    The problem was, Yuren was the only one who could handle themander¡¯s duties.

    Other members could leave once their work was done, but¡­

    Yuren had too much to do.

    She let out an uncharacteristic sigh as she thought to herself.

    She had been able to manage it all without difficulty in the past¡­

    Buttely, time seemed to crawl whenever she worked.

    She knew the reason.

    It was because she wasn¡¯t with themander.

    Because he wasn¡¯t by her side.

    ¡°¡­This is ridiculous. What am I thinking¡­?¡±

    Her thoughts had long crossed the line of ridiculous, but at least she was self-aware.

    It was just that she couldn¡¯t stand the sight of herself.

    In truth, Yuren hadn¡¯t expected this to happen.

    She was a dragon.

    To dragons, all other races were equal.

    To be blunt, she found them all rather cute.

    There were some entric dragons who fell in love with other races, but even their feelings were far from genuine.

    After all, no one could match a dragon¡¯s eternal lifespan.

    Elves came close, but even they eventually perished, while dragons lived on.

    So, how could they possibly feel love for other races?

    It was ironic that dragons were called the ¡°Benevolent Race.¡± But perhaps, simply by choosing not to rule over others with their power, they deserved that title.

    Buttely, even Yuren¡¯s emotions had begun to crack.

    She felt a surge of unpleasantness, even irritation, whenever she saw the women flocking around themander.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t used to feel this way¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±

    ¡°C-Commander!? How did you¡­?!¡±

    Yuren jumped up in surprise at themander¡¯s voice from beside her.

    He stood there, holding a tray with two steaming cups of tea.

    He ced the tray on the desk and handed her a cup.

    Yuren carefully took the cup and said,

    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say you needed absolute rest?¡±

    ¡°I am injured, but not that badly.¡±

    ¡°I-Is that so? I don¡¯t know much about humans.¡±

    ¡°Right, you¡¯re a dragon.¡±

    Yuren nodded.

    Though her heart had ruptured and she almost died, the fact that she didn¡¯t die instantly from a broken heart proved the dragon¡¯s resilience.

    Moreover, the Dragon Heart, the source of her power, was slowly healing.

    Perhaps in a few years, she would naturally regain the strength of her prime.

    But no one questioned it.

    After all, she was a dragon.

    The strongest race on earth, known as the Benevolent Race.

    That was what dragons were.

    Compared to them, humans were infinitely fragile.

    Even a small wound could be fatal if left untreated.

    Under normal circumstances, they wouldn¡¯t understand each other.

    But even so, Yuren wanted to know more about this human, thismander.

    After much deliberation, Yuren finally voiced the question that had been on her mind.

    ¡°Y-You can go back now. It¡¯s fine.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t what she truly felt.

    She wanted him to stay a little longer but she desperately hid her true feelings.

    She was ashamed, but there was something she wanted to hear directly from him.

    ¡°Hmm? Seems like you¡¯re doing better than I thought.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I was just worried.¡±

    ¡°Worried¡­ worried.¡±

    This human, so much weaker than her, was worried about her.

    Some dragons might feel offended, but Yuren didn¡¯t.

    Instead, she felt a warmth emanating from those words.

    A feeling as if he were embracing her.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    Was it the warmth of the teacup in her hand?

    Yuren couldn¡¯t tell.

    ¡°There you are.¡±

    ¡°Cluna?!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You need to rest. Come, let¡¯s go back.¡±

    Their happiness was short-lived.

    Cluna appeared, ring at themander.

    If Yuren had been her usual self, she would have let themander go.

    That was how dragons were.

    They could afford to be endlessly generous.

    They would eventually regain what they lost as time passed but for some reason, Yuren found herself saying,

    ¡°Didn¡¯t themander say he didn¡¯t want to go?¡±

    She didn¡¯t want to give him to anyone else this time.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

 Chapter 98

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The atmosphere suddenly turned frosty.

    Yuren stared at Cluna with a hardened expression.

    In a word, she was pissed.

    Cluna returned the stare with an equally icy gaze.The biggest problem was that I was stuck between them like a sandwich.

    I couldn¡¯t move, crushed by the overwhelming presence of the two strongest beings in the room.

    Cluna didn¡¯t budge as Yuren rose from her seat and walked towards her.

    The distance between them closed to less than 5 centimeters.

    A dragon versus the strongest elf.

    Were they seriously about to fight?

    This is epic! But please, fight when I¡¯m not around!

    No, this wasn¡¯t the time for that.

    I quickly intervened.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what this is about, but both of you, calm down.¡±

    ¡°As you wish.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Just as the tension reached a breaking point, they both stepped back, obeying mymand.

    I was left speechless, my jaw hanging open.

    Of course, I was d they weren¡¯t fighting.

    Yuren and Cluna were arguably the strongest members of the Royal Knights.

    If they fought¡­

    The immediate damage would be one thing, but the aftermath would be devastating.

    In other words, it was no easy feat to stop them from fighting.

    But they had backed down so easily.

    Naturally, I was taken aback.

    Honestly, I wondered if they were just messing with me.

    But I quickly dismissed that thought.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you off the hook this time for themander¡¯s sake. Be careful next time.¡±

    ¡°I should be the one saying that.¡±

    ¡°Stop fighting already!!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer and yelled at the top of my lungs.

    After themotion, Cluna led me back to the infirmary.

    I was exhausted.

    I had originally snuck out of boredom, but now, going back and falling asleep seemed like a good choice.

    As we walked, a question popped into my mind.

    ¡°Why were you about to fight Yuren?¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t she trying to neglect your injuries?¡±

    ¡°I snuck out and went to see her myself.¡±

    ¡°No, Yuren is the one at fault.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Her voice carried a weight that left me speechless.

    Were they always this hostile towards each other?

    No, they used to be close friends.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you two friends?¡±

    ¡°We were, once.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re not friends anymore?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s no longer the case.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not good.¡±

    It was always best forrades to get along.

    Especially for the Royal Knights, who fought for countless causes.

    To avoid being crushed by those burdens, they needed to share them with each other.

    Even putting that aside, hadn¡¯t we all joined forces and achieved victory during the True Demon invasion?

    There had to be some camaraderie among them.

    ¡°Do you think this is a bad thing, Commander?¡±

    ¡°It is. It¡¯s best for everyone to get along.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Yuren tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°W-Well, that would be ideal, but¡­¡±

    What was this? Why was she suddenly so submissive?

    Just a moment ago, she was ready to fight to the death and now, she was backing down so easily.

    It was strange how readily she obeyed me¡­

    As I tilted my head in confusion, we finally reached the infirmary.

    Thanks to Cluna¡¯s constant care, the room was spotless.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with a basic checkup.¡±

    ¡°When is the prosthetic arm from the Dwarf Kingdom arriving?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow or the day after, I presume.¡±

    ¡°Guess I¡¯ll be stuck here until then.¡±

    I sighed.

    I had been cooped up in the infirmary for the past three days and was getting restless.

    But after witnessing what had just happened, I thought it might be better to stay put.

    Besides, this was a chance to escape from the mountain of paperwork that came with beingmander.

    With that in mind, I let Cluna do her thing.

    She expertly examined my body.

    Losing a limb had more consequences than I imagined.

    Putting aside phantom pains and the inconvenience of having only one arm¡­

    There was pus from the wound, blood clotting, and countless other things to worry about.

    Of course, my arm hadn¡¯t actually been severed, but it was essentially the same¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±

    ¡°I see. Good work.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who worked hard, Commander.¡±

    ¡°Time for bed.¡±

    It waste.

    The sun had already set, and Cluna¡¯s fairies were lighting the torches in the hallway.

    The darkness and the flickering torches created a picturesque scene, unique to the medieval setting.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why are you still here?¡±

    ¡°For your safety, Commander.¡±

    ¡°Go back.¡±

    Cluna, who had been sitting in a chair beside me, nodded and left for her room.

    It was always like this.

    She would stay by my side until I told her to leave.

    But why bother in the first ce?

    Then again, it would be wrong to reprimand her for following my orders.

    Iy in bed, lost in thought.

    Another day had passed.

    I wished the prosthetic arm would arrive soon.

    I had rested enough and wanted to do something.

    [Hello?]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The reason I didn¡¯t scream wasn¡¯t because of my dignity asmander.

    I had seen it, if only for a brief moment, passing through my body like a ghost from the ceiling.

    My vision had briefly turned white before returning to normal.

    I had been so startled that I had passed out momentarily.

    I quickly sat up.

    What was that?

    ¡°You crazy bastard. How dare you appear here?¡±

    [Don¡¯t be so harsh. We¡¯re practically one entity now.]

    ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh. You took my eye and my arm.¡±

    [I gave you power in exchange, didn¡¯t I?]

    ¡°That¡¯s why I haven¡¯t kicked you out yet.¡±

    The entity that had suddenly appeared from the ceiling was Time.

    It used to only appear briefly in urgent situations but now, it seemed to have grown stronger, feeding on me.

    It appeared quite frequently.

    Naturally, I felt repelled.

    It possessed the abilities of the Time Stop Breeding Uncle, which was one thing, but I never knew when or where it might devour me.

    I clicked my tongue.

    ¡°Go back. You make me lose my appetite.¡±

    [Hmm? So you¡¯re fine with seeing the others?]

    ¡°They¡¯re a hundred times better than you.¡±

    [Don¡¯t be so trusting. You might get betrayed.]

    ¡°They are my proud members. That won¡¯t happen.¡±

    I firmly replied to Time¡¯s words.

    What a ridiculous attempt to sow discord.

    My members and I had gone through life and death together.

    They were myrades.

    If they were to betray me, it meant I had done something wrong.

    I trusted them that much.

    Time burst intoughter.

    [Hahaha! Fine, if you say so! I won¡¯t say another word!]

    ¡°Then get lost.¡±

    [I¡¯m looking forward to it.]

    ¡°What?¡±

    [I wonder if you¡¯ll forgive them. Or not?]

    Time left with those ambiguous words.

    I tilted my head in confusion.

    Objectively, her words were nonsense.

    I couldn¡¯t understand them.

    Why would I need to forgive them when they had done nothing wrong?

    But a strange sense of unease lingered.

    It wasn¡¯t something I could ignore.

    Time¡¯s words kept reying in my mind.

    I didn¡¯t think a being of such power would say something so random.

    There had to be a hidden meaning.

    But no matter how hard I tried to figure it out, it only gave me a headache.

    I eventually gave up and fell asleep.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    I¡¯ll worry about it tomorrow.

    I was sleepy.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    It was funny.

    They were trying to take what¡¯s mine with something so trivial.

    I could break it at any moment if I wanted to, but at the same time, I was curious.

    Would he forgive them? Or would he abandon them?

    I couldn¡¯t wait to see his reaction when I took away that petty power.

    But if I lifted it now, he might just brush it off.

    He was that kind of person.

    A soft-hearted human who overlooked most things.

    So, I¡¯ll wait for now.

    Humans inevitably make mistakes as time passes.

    And when it bes unforgivable, that¡¯s when I¡¯ll take away that power.

    What kind of expression will you make then? Hatred? Betrayal? Anger?

    I didn¡¯t know, but¡­

    The anticipation of seeing those emotions keeps me patient and then, you¡¯ll realize.

    That I¡¯m the only one you have left.

    Until then, I can afford to smile and let it slide.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Battle of the Yanderes lmaoo im betting time will be the biggest yandere of all]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

 Chapter 99

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The prosthetic arm from the Dwarf Kingdom finally arrived.

    This time, they had put extra care into crafting it, with Cluna personally assisting in its creation.

    Thebined efforts of the strongest elf and the dwarves.

    It had to be a masterpiece. Cluna wore a slightly regretful expression, but she didn¡¯t say anything.

    And finally, the time hade to attach the prosthetic to my arm with Cluna¡¯s help.

    I looked around.

    As expected, the other members, having heard the news, had gathered before me.

    Honestly, I had anticipated this.

    After experiencing simr situations repeatedly, I had started to understand their patterns.

    At least they hadn¡¯t abandoned their patrol dutiespletely.

    Ruby was nowhere to be seen.

    If I remembered correctly, she was supposed to be on guard duty at the entrance at this hour.

    I nodded.

    Good, they were still fulfilling their duties.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you all have work to do?¡±

    ¡°Themander¡¯s prosthetic is more important.¡±

    ¡°Teacher is more important.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, of course.¡±

    Their responses varied.

    Should I be happy or sad about this?

    Let¡¯s think positively, it was good that they cared about me.

    At least it was proof that I had earned some respect in this group.

    I looked at Cluna.

    It was time to stop chatting and get the prosthetic arm attached.

    And that¡¯s when I saw her.

    Cluna, hugging my prosthetic arm with a dreamy expression.

    What was she doing?

    I was a little flustered.

    ¡°Cluna?¡±

    ¡°I-I apologize, Commander.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll attach it right away.¡±

    Seeing her blushing, I instinctively felt threatened.

    Cluna then started attaching the prosthetic to my arm.

    Magical nerve restoration.

    The basic principle of this magic was root regeneration.

    Like regenerating roots, it would create artificial nerve bundles connecting the Dwarf prosthetic to my arm, allowing me to move it directly.

    Of course, it would consume mana continuously, but I could always replenish it.

    Fortunately, the Dwarf prosthetic was very efficient and didn¡¯t consume too much mana.

    ¡°Recing a severed arm with a prosthetic is not an easy task.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Don¡¯t people usually use prosthetics when they lose an arm?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s moremon to visit a priest and get it reattached.¡±

    ¡°I-I see. That makes sense.¡±

    ¡°Even if an arm ispletely lost, finding someone skilled enough to attach a prosthetic is rare.¡±

    She was right.

    Without a skilled mage like Cluna, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get a magic prosthetic with artificial nerve bundles.

    And simply attaching a regr Dwarf prosthetic wouldn¡¯t be as effective.

    It would be fine for daily life, but duringbat, it would be a hindrance.

    In that sense, I was quite lucky.

    ¡°Thank you, Cluna.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Anything for themander.¡±

    ¡°¡­I appreciate that.¡±

    And finally, Cluna began the procedure.

    Green nerve bundles, wriggling like worms, extended from the prosthetic she held.

    I clicked my tongue.

    I knew it couldn¡¯t be helped, but the sight made me lose my appetite.

    Especially since that thing was going to be attached to me¡­

    Butining wouldn¡¯t solve anything, so I closed my eyes and braced myself.

    As Cluna chanted, I felt something cold clinging to my shoulder.

    It felt as if an octopus, freshly emerged from the water, hadtched onto my shoulder.

    In a word, it was extremely unpleasant.

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±

    ¡°Damn¡­ this feels weird.¡±

    ¡°The foreign body sensation is unavoidable. You¡¯ll get used to it.¡±

    ¡°Right, I guess so.¡±

    I sighed at Cluna¡¯s diagnosis.

    Still, it was good to have my arm back.

    I carefully moved it.

    It was surprisingly smooth.

    ¡°It¡¯s not even that noisy.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a special prosthetic. I personally supervised its creation to minimize difort during daily life andbat.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Cluna. You¡¯ve been a great help.¡±

    ¡°No, Commander. We are the ones who are indebted to you. Please, don¡¯t say such things.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s just say we¡¯re mutually dependent on each other.¡±

    The Dwarf prosthetic was more impressive than I imagined.

    Aside from the foreign body sensation in my shoulder, it felt like I was moving my real arm, and there were no weird noises.

    If it had made sounds like a mechanical arm in a movie every time I moved it, I would have been stressed out of my mind.

    I let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°So that¡¯s the Dwarf prosthetic!¡±

    ¡°I-It¡¯s amazing! It¡¯s better than I expected!¡±

    ¡°As expected, everything suits you, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°Enough with the ttery.¡±

    Perhaps because I was themander, everyone showered me withpliments.

    Was this what it felt like to be the CEO of a smallpany?

    I knew they weren¡¯t beingpletely sincere¡­

    But it wasn¡¯t unpleasant.

    However, I had no intention of basking in their ttery.

    There was work to be done.

    I slowly moved my arm.

    ¡°I need to test it out.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Sparring is the best way to test its performance!¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll be your opponent!¡±

    ¡°No! I¡¯ll do it!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my duty to serve you, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    The atmosphere suddenly heated up.

    They wanted to spar with me to test the prosthetic arm¡¯s performance.

    The problem was, they were fighting over who got to be my opponent.

    I tilted my head in confusion.

    I had said I needed to test it, but I hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about sparring.

    I was nning to test it by quietly handling Royal Knights business.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    ¡°I need to test it out.¡±

    As soon as themander spoke, they instinctively exchanged nces.

    This was the first time he would fight with a prosthetic arm.

    It meant they could im his ¡°first.¡±

    Of course, the wording was a bit strange, but that wasn¡¯t important to them right now.

    Be the first.

    Don¡¯t let anyone else have it.

    That was their only thought.

    Surprisingly, the first to make a move was Bayard.

    Usually, she was known for her slow wit, but when it came to this, she was surprisingly sharp.

    ra clicked her tongue.

    ¡°No! I¡¯ll do it!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my duty to serve you, Teacher.¡±

    Naturally, Helia wouldn¡¯t just stand by and watch.

    She had made many concessions, but she would never give up themander¡¯s ¡°first.¡±

    ¡°I should be the one to spar with themander, considering his skills.¡±

    Meanwhile, Yuren nonchntly said something that made themander flinch.

    He was expressionless, but beads of sweat started to form on his forehead.

    While everyone was voicing their opinions, ra quickly assessed the situation.

    What were her strengths? What could she appeal to themander with?

    She spoke up.

    ¡°First of all, Bayard and Yuren are out.¡±

    ¡°Why are you saying that?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah! I-I have the right to spar with him too!¡±

    ¡°Are you seriously asking that?¡±

    ra decided to eliminate herpetition first, starting with usible reasons to make them back down.

    Her first targets were Yuren and Bayard.

    ¡°You two only rely on brute strength. You might hurt themander.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°W-Well¡­¡±

    Yuren and Bayard looked dejected at her seemingly reasonable argument.

    The Dwarf prosthetic wasn¡¯t easily breakable, but considering their strength, it wasn¡¯t impossible.

    Moreover, this was themander¡¯s first fight with a prosthetic.

    It wouldn¡¯t make sense for him to spar with those muscleheads.

    That was her logic.

    They rarely backed down from anything, but when it came to themander, they couldn¡¯t help but hesitate.

    ra exploited that weakness to get them to withdraw.

    ¡°Then what about me?¡±

    ¡°Helia, you¡¯re not a bad choice, but do you think themander would actually fight you?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Helia¡¯s eyes shed red.

    The vein throbbing in her neck betrayed her anger, but ra didn¡¯t flinch.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    She smiled and said,

    ¡°If his own student is the opponent, he¡¯ll definitely go easy on you. Like watching children y!¡±

    ¡°You little¡­!!!¡±

    ¡°Are you seriously getting angry? With themander right here?¡±

    Helia¡¯s rage instantly subsided.

    Instead, her forced smile twitched.

    She knew themander would stop her, and she was right.

    ra smiled and looked at themander.

    Ruby was on duty, and her mother wouldn¡¯t participate if she had any conscience.

    By process of elimination, the only one left was her, ra.

    ¡°Commander! Let¡¯s spar!¡±

    ¡°W-Well, if you insist¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes!!!¡±

    ra grinned and ran towards themander.

    Then, she naturally linked arms with him.

    She felt piercing res from behind, but she didn¡¯t care.

    The pathetic jealousy of losers.

    She had no time for such distractions on her date with themander.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [and so the yandere battle royale begins¡­]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

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 Chapter 100

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The sparring match was decided rather suddenly, but it wasn¡¯t entirely a bad thing.

    I also wanted to check the prosthetic¡¯s performance.

    Testing it in a real battle was an option, but¡­

    It could lead to serious injuries, even death. Plus, as Cluna said, Yuren and Bayard were too strong and could potentially destroy the prosthetic.

    Sparring with Helia didn¡¯t seem like a good idea either and Ruby was on guard duty.

    So, the most suitable opponent was, without a doubt, ra.

    The sparring match took ce in the fortress courtyard.

    I slowly moved my fingers.

    Was it because of thebination of Dwarf technology and Cluna¡¯s magic?

    It moved smoothly.

    Cluna had mentioned that it could actually weaken someone with superhuman strength.

    But I was on the weaker side, so it wouldn¡¯t be a problem.

    On the contrary, there was a chance it could make me stronger.

    A punch from a steel fist would hurt more than a regr punch.

    ¡°Ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Commander. I¡¯m ready.¡±

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±

    We started the sparring match with simple wooden weapons.

    The first to surrender or draw blood would lose.

    I held my wooden sword and looked at ra.

    She said,

    ¡°It¡¯s already been a year, Commander.¡±

    ¡°Since we rebuilt the Royal Knights?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Honestly, I didn¡¯t believe in you back then.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s understandable.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still a sneaky bastard.¡±

    Despite my consideration in choosing my words, she called me sneaky.

    I didn¡¯t know what she meant, but for now, testing the prosthetic¡¯s performance was my priority.

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin!!!¡±

    With Yuren¡¯s energetic shout, the sparring match began.

    I immediately charged forward but at that moment, I saw it.

    ra, retreating.

    She wasn¡¯t running away.

    Her hands, which had been holding a wooden sword, were now equipped with a wooden bow and arrows.

    They were practice arrows with blunt tips, but¡­

    A direct hit could still knock me out, so I had no choice but to use Time Stop.

    The world turned gray in an instant.

    Only I could move.

    ra¡¯s arrow was already right before my eyes, aimed at my neck and forehead.

    If I got hit and fainted, I would lose all my authority asmander.

    I quickly assessed the situation and dodged the arrow by a hair¡¯s breadth.

    At the same time, I charged towards ra.

    Then, Time Stop ended.

    ¡°As expected, Commander¡­ You¡¯re so fast!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like you teleported.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to get hit by that!¡±

    ra said it as if she had expected it, but honestly, if it hadn¡¯t been for Time Stop, I would have been hit.

    Her surprise attack was that good.

    A knight who wielded both sword and bow?

    Cluna had even said that ra¡¯s archery skills surpassed her own.

    She had a bright future ahead of her.

    I swung my steel fist at ra.

    But she twisted her body and dodged my attack and then, she drew her bowstring, not from a distance, but at close range? She was going to use a bow in closebat?

    She had guts.

    I pulled back my steel fist and held it up like a shield.

    Fortunately, my steel fist easily deflected ra¡¯s arrow.

    It was only natural, considering it was a practice arrow.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard. But can it withstand this?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ra kicked my prosthetic arm, creating distance, and nocked another arrow.

    A blue light emanated from the arrow as she touched it.

    Instinct or not, it looked dangerous.

    I tried to stop her, but it seemed like she took it as a challenge.

    She shouted,

    ¡°As you wish, Commander! I¡¯ll use my full power!!¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    That¡¯s strange.

    I never asked her to use her full power.

    How did shee to that conclusion?

    I was baffled, but I had to react.

    I had no choice.

    If I got hit by that head-on, I might actually die.

    I hoped Yuren or Cluna would stop her, but they didn¡¯t.

    Don¡¯t tell me they think I¡¯m strong enough to handle it?

    I desperately hoped that wasn¡¯t the case and stopped time.

    The world turned gray again, everything frozen in ce.

    Now, what to do about this?

    I crossed my arms and thought.

    The best option was to make her surrender.

    To do that, I had to show her overwhelming power.

    Of course, that would only strengthen the misconception that I was strong, but it was better than losing my authority asmander after getting hit by an arrow.

    I felt a brief sense of unease and hesitated, but I quickly snapped out of it.

    First, I grabbed the arrow flying towards me and took it outside the fortress.

    Should I bury it?

    I considered it, but if it exploded, the other members might notice.

    The best option was to break the arrow in half.

    I grabbed the arrow and snapped it in two.

    Then, I ced the pieces far apart, just in case they exploded.

    After that, I released Time Stop.

    I couldn¡¯t emphasize this enough.

    Presentation was key.

    How things appeared to others mattered.

    As long as I disguised it well, I could get away with anything.

    Time Stop ended.

    ra looked around frantically for her arrow.

    I purposely opened my fist, which had been clenched the whole time.

    Something fell to the ground with a thud.

    It was the broken arrow pieces.

    I had been holding them in my fist as a precaution and now dropped them in front of everyone.

    ra was flustered.

    ¡°M-My full power¡­ neutralized so easily¡­¡±

    ¡°Want to try again?¡±

    ¡°¡­No, I lost.¡±

    She smiled weakly and shook her head.

    I finally let out a sigh of relief.

    For now, I didn¡¯t have to worry about my authority asmander.

    Suddenly, I felt a strange sense of unease.

    Why was I so concerned about my authority?

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [I want to be acknowledged.]

    That was the fundamental desire that drove ra.

    Growing up under Cluna¡¯s protection, she had naturally followed in her mother¡¯s footsteps.

    But Cluna, wanting ra to be safe, had urged her to stay out of trouble.

    That frustrated ra.

    She knew her family was gone.

    That was why ra wanted to be Cluna¡¯s strength, to protect her mother.

    That desire grew into a need for acknowledgment and that need intensified after meeting themander.

    Her desire to be acknowledged by her mother had transformed into something else.

    She didn¡¯t even know what it was.

    [I want to be stronger.]

    [But I¡¯m still too weak.]

    [Can I be stronger here?]

    Her sole desire burned brightly.

    Even her peers, whom she considered equals, were surpassing her.

    She felt like she was always standing still, alone.

    Anxiety gnawed at her.

    So, she trained relentlessly, pushing herself to her limits.

    Her efforts even surprised Cluna.

    She had acquired her own unique weapon.

    [This is¡­?]

    [Mom, how is it? The new power I gained¡­!!]

    [¡­This will be unstoppable.]

    ra¡¯s talenty in archery.

    She possessed an overwhelming talent that surpassed even Cluna¡¯s.

    That was ra¡¯s strength, and that talent,bined with her burning desire, had created a monster.

    It wasn¡¯t simply about enhancing arrows with mana.

    It was the power of her ancestors, capable of piercing through anything.

    A power bordering on the legendary artifacts of the elves.

    A power only essible to elves who had undergone rigorous training and received the World Tree¡¯s blessing.

    ra had achieved it with talent alone.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    Though unstable now¡­

    With a little more effort, alongside Ruby, she had the potential to be one of the Royal Knights¡¯ strongest assets.

    Yuren shuddered at the growth of her juniors.

    Her hands trembled.

    Strong.

    Potential.

    Undeniably so.

    But why? Why was she feeling this jealousy?

    It was a good thing for herrades to grow stronger.

    Why was she so uneasy?

    Yuren forced herself to swallow those emotions.

    Cluna was also awestruck by that power, but she was even more surprised by themander¡¯s response.

    She knew he was strong, but to subdue the power of an artifact, even if unstable¡­

    What was themander¡¯s true identity?

    Could he really be¡­ the First Hero¡¯s¡­?

    Cluna quickly shook her head.

    That was impossible.

    Yes, it had to be.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Your Text Here]

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 Chapter 101

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    In the end, the prosthetic arm proved its worth.

    It was sturdy, moved with precision, and wasn¡¯t too heavy.

    Of course, that was rtive.

    It wasn¡¯t exactly light. If I rxed my muscles, my body would tilt to the side due to the prosthetic¡¯s weight.

    There were other inconveniences, but I had no choice but to ept them.

    Cluna handled the rest of the detailed examination.

    She was the one who had implemented the magic nerve bundles, and she had even contributed to the technical aspects.

    Good at magic and technology.

    What couldn¡¯t she do?

    But it wasn¡¯t unbelievable.

    She had dwarfrades, and she had lived a long life.

    ¡°Thank you, Cluna. I can manage now, thanks to you.¡±

    ¡°It was nothing, Commander.¡±

    ¡°No, I have to express my gratitude.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll ept your feelings.¡±

    I silently looked at my arm.

    The ck metal prosthetic, moving at my will, made me realize once again.

    This was a game.

    I had no idea how I ended up possessing the Time Stop Cultivator, but I needed to rebuild the Royal Knights and unite the Alliance.

    I looked around.

    Only Cluna and I were in the office.

    As a precaution, I had asked Cluna to create a barrier.

    In other words, we werepletely alone.

    ¡°Alright, what do you think about this?¡±

    A few days ago, right after testing the prosthetic¡¯s performance, I received a letter.

    Not just any letter, but a secret letter sealed with both magic and technology.

    The content was simple.

    They requested to borrow the Table of Equality for a secret meeting of the Alliance.

    A meeting of the multi-racial Alliance¡­

    In the game setting, meetings were frequently held at the Table of Equality but after the Royal Knights¡¯ copse, none had been held until the protagonist rebuilt them.

    In other words, the Alliance was looking for an opportunity to join forces once again and that wasn¡¯t a bad thing.

    If the Alliance was revived they could properly oppose the demons.

    Of course, that was assuming everything went well.

    Cluna, however, expressed a negative opinion.

    ¡°If the Alliance is so easily swayed by a single knight order, it¡¯s better off not existing.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong.¡±

    Perhaps because of her vast experience, Cluna believed it was better not to waste their energy on something so unreliable.

    She had a point.

    It could actually weaken them.

    If the Alliance was re-established, some would inevitably try to hinder our activities.

    Of course, we could silence them with overwhelming achievements, but¡­

    As the saying goes, the most dangerous enemies are those within.

    If those we considered allies betrayed us at a crucial moment, we could crumble instantly.

    ¡°But we need the Alliance.¡±

    ¡°If you say so, Commander.¡±

    ¡°I apologize.¡±

    But I had no choice but to rebuild the Alliance because of the demons.

    This game, oddly enough, required uniting all the races.

    If they failed to do so, most endings led to either a bad end or a normal end.

    I wondered why they made a simple erotic game soplicated.

    At first, I had enjoyed it.

    It had many choices for an erotic game, and the gamey was quite good.

    But after conquering all the heroines and uniting all the races through tears and hardship to achieve the good ending¡­

    I never dreamed I would get the Time Stop Breeding Uncle ending.

    Those bastards wasted all my time.

    The emptiness and anger I felt were beyond imagination.

    But putting aside my personal feelings, I had to face reality.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for the Time Stop Breeding Uncle¡­ to achieve the good ending, all races had to unite.

    Each race had unique characteristics that were essential in the final battle.

    In other words, like it or not, rebuilding the Alliance was crucial for a good ending.

    And the first step was rebuilding the Royal Knights.

    After the Royal Knights¡¯ copse, the Alliance became useless, and then the demons invaded, leading to their destruction.

    ¡°Thinking positively, this means the Royal Knights¡¯ influence has grown stronger.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡­ there will be resistance.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    Some might say, ¡°How could they not cooperate when amon enemy is at their doorstep?¡±

    Unfortunately, that¡¯s exactly what they wouldn¡¯t do.

    Even in modern history, there were those who betrayed others, saying, ¡°If I can¡¯t have it, I¡¯ll destroy it.¡±

    Even if it meant their own demise.

    The 12 Tribes and the Dwarf Kingdom were a prime example.

    They were infamous for their rivalry, engaging in territorial disputes even with demons present.

    It would be even worse for races we hadn¡¯t interacted with and the elves, due to the World Tree issue, were openly hostile towards the Royal Knights.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing we have the upper hand.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we have the achievements to back us up.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    The rescue of the Dwarf Kingdom, the subjugation of the 12 Tribes¡¯ traitors, and the repulsion of the True Demon attack.

    The forces we had repelled were enough to destroy a nation.

    So, we had the leverage and those who had been observing from afar had lost theirs.

    They never dreamed the Royal Knights would still be standing.

    I couldn¡¯t me them.

    Even I never imagined we would be able to rebuild so quickly.

    Plus, thanks to the support of the three races, our situation had improved significantly.

    We could negotiate on equal footing.

    I nodded.

    We would hold the Alliance meeting at Lionheart Fortress.

    To take control.

    ¡°But why keep it a secret from everyone?¡±

    ¡°Just in case.¡±

    ¡°Just in case?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know you want to trust everyone, but there will be those who prioritize their own race¡¯s future.¡±

    I nodded.

    One of the reasons people joined the Royal Knights was for the benefit of their own race.

    Bayard was a prime example.

    I understood.

    ¡°But I think we should tell everyone.¡±

    ¡°They might betray us.¡±

    ¡°I believe they won¡¯t. And if we keep umting secrets¡­ we¡¯ll eventually lose trust in each other.¡±

    It might sound idealistic, but I believed amander should trust their members and that was how I had led them until now.

    Thanks to that, we were able to sessfully rebuild the Royal Knights.

    So, I would stick to my methods.

    Cluna, who had been looking at me, smiled faintly and bowed her head.

    ¡°I apologize, Commander. I overstepped my bounds¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. It was just advice based on your experience.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Commander.¡±

    ¡°Did something simr happen in the past?¡±

    Cluna had a lot of experience.

    That was why she sometimes acted in ways I didn¡¯t understand.

    Like now.

    While it was good to be cautious, excessive caution could be detrimental.

    Perhaps her actions stemmed from her past experiences.

    Cluna didn¡¯t say anything.

    I quickly added,

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want to. I won¡¯t force you.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it just brought back some old memories¡­¡±

    ¡°Old memories¡­ You must have gone through a lot.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t saying it was a bad thing.

    Thanks to Cluna¡¯s experiences, we had ovee many difficult situations.

    But I didn¡¯t want to lose the trust of myrades.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    Perhaps she understood my intentions.

    Cluna immediately deactivated the barrier.

    I then instructed her to summon all the members to the Table of Equality.

    ¡°If themander has summoned us, we must go.¡±

    ¡°I missed thest one!¡±

    ¡°You were on duty then.¡±

    One by one, the members gathered at the round table.

    They all seemed to have been training in the courtyard.

    After confirming everyone was present, I spoke.

    ¡°I called you all here today for an important matter.¡±

    ¡°What is this important matter?¡±

    ¡°Actually, there¡¯s going to be an Alliance meeting.¡±

    At those words, everyone fell silent.

    I thought to myself,

    Should I have kept it a secret¡­?

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

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 Chapter 102

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The Multi-Racial Alliance meeting.

    It was a meeting that had begun with the intention of setting aside racial conflicts and pursuing amon goal, but it had disappeared into history along with the copse of the Royal Knights.

    However, thanks to the miraculously rebuilt Royal Knights, the Multi-Racial Alliance meeting was revived.

    Currently, humans, dwarves, and beastmen maintained a strong alliance.On the other hand, the elves, joining hands with the orcs and vampires, had formed an Anti-Royal Knights alliance.

    The elves I could understand, but why the orcs and vampires?

    I wondered if Cluna, being an elf herself, might know something, but her expression instantly contorted when I asked.

    Did she hate them that much?

    ¡°Do elves have a bad rtionship with orcs and vampires?¡±

    ¡°To be precise, orcs and vampires aren¡¯t fond of other races either.¡±

    ¡°I-Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes, especially humans with vampires, and dwarves and elves with orcs.¡±

    To sum up their tendencies, vampires were hedonists, and orcs were warmongers who loved battle and blood.

    I clicked my tongue.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised they didn¡¯t betray us.¡±

    ¡°The reason is even more ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°The vampires stayed because they like the taste of human blood, and the orcs stayed because they want to fight stronger opponents.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    In the game¡¯s lore, vampires and orcs were only mentioned by name, their details left unknown.

    They were said to be the first races to fall to the demons.

    Of course, they appeared in the game, but mostly as ves to the demons, mindless puppets.

    But despite that, they were incredibly strong.

    They served to impress upon the yer the fact that even powerful beings could fall to such a fate.

    In fact, vampires and orcs were often mid-boss level enemies.

    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see sane orcs and vampires.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°I understand. You must have a lot of experience¡­¡±

    Thanks to Cluna¡¯s understanding, I was able to smoothly brush it off.

    I knew the strength of orcs and vampires better than anyone here.

    There was a saying,

    ¡°If a troll is the bane of early game yers, then vampires and orcs are the bane of mid game yers.¡±

    They were notorious for tormenting yers in the mid-game.

    However, that also meant we could utilize the full strength of the orcs and vampires.

    At least for now.

    They wouldn¡¯t be ves to the demons if we kept this up.

    ¡°But it¡¯s surprising that they¡¯re anti-Royal Knights.¡±

    ¡°Those are the kind of creatures they are.¡±

    ¡°I can understand the orcs, but not the vampires.¡±

    Orcs were known for challenging those stronger than them, so it was understandable that they would bepetitive towards the newly emerged Royal Knights.

    But I couldn¡¯t figure out the vampires¡¯ motives.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about vampires.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I can roughly guess the orcs¡¯ intentions, but¡­¡±

    ¡°To put it simply, they¡¯re crazy.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Vampires are crazy.¡±

    I was taken aback by Cluna¡¯s firm response.

    It wasn¡¯t just a simple opinion.

    She had never let personal feelings interfere with her work.

    So, for her to be disgusted by them, vampires must be truly insane.

    Well, I guess there weren¡¯t many sane individuals in an erotic game, but I wouldn¡¯t know until I met them.

    ¡°The delegations are starting to arrive.¡±

    I looked out the window from my office, observing the courtyard.

    The first to arrive was the Human Kingdom¡¯s carriage.

    It was quite shabby for a king¡¯s carriage.

    Was their situation that bad¡­?

    I quickly stood up.

    It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for me, themander, to sit here leisurely.

    Even though I was the leader of the Royal Knights, they were all individuals of high standing.

    Sending ordinary members to greet a king would be disrespectful.

    I tried to leave, but Cluna gently stopped me by cing her hand on my shoulder.

    What was this?

    ¡°Commander, please calm down.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t. I have to go out there right now.¡±

    ¡°I understand your concern.¡±

    ¡°Right?¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s unnecessary. This is the authority you deserve.¡±

    I listened to Cluna¡¯s exnation and understood.

    We had risked our lives and defeated countless demons.

    We even repelled True Demons.

    So, rather than going out there to be polite, it was better to subtly disy our dominance.

    That was Cluna¡¯s opinion, and I agreed.

    Regardless of anything else, our hard-earned achievements couldn¡¯t be ignored.

    I sat back down.

    Soon, the leaders of other races arrived one by one.

    There were some familiar faces.

    Ambassador Viral represented the Dwarf Kingdom, as their king was too young.

    And of course, Yuyeong represented the 12 Tribes.

    But that was the extent of the familiar faces.

    The elf representative was a male elf named Elder Makenis, who had been newly elected.

    ording to Cluna, he was an extreme hardliner among the elves.

    For him to be elected as a representative meant they harbored deep resentment towards us.

    ¡°I hope he doesn¡¯t cause any trouble¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s already causing trouble.¡±

    ¡°Oh, for fuck¡¯s sake.¡±

    It seemed like Makenis disliked everything.

    He nitpicked at everything and was quickly subdued by Yuren.

    Not with physical force, but¡­ she used Dragon Fear to silence him.

    I sighed.

    It was my fault for destroying the World Tree.

    Of course, I didn¡¯t regret it.

    The lives of my precious members were at stake back then.

    If I had to do it again, I would dly destroy the World Tree and the elves must have known that.

    That the World Tree was contaminated and that destroying it was the only option at the time.

    Of course, they could have purified it eventually, but at what cost?

    ¡°This is a difficult problem.¡±

    ¡°Humans, dwarves, beastmen, elves¡­ so far, it¡¯s been like this.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re all quite unique.¡±

    ¡°The real show hasn¡¯t even begun.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    BOOM!!

    Before she could finish, the ground shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck.

    I quickly turned my head.

    There, clinging to the wall like a bird to its nest, was a colossal creature.

    Its wings were vast enough to cover the sky, and its gaze seemed to burn everything it touched.

    The strongest being on the continent.

    I mumbled in a daze,

    ¡°A dragon¡­!!¡±

    The arrival of the strongest race caused a stir among everyone present.

    I frowned.

    I wasn¡¯t sure about the other races, but¡­ we had to be wary of the dragons.

    If we crossed them, we wouldn¡¯t survive.

    Yuren¡¯s power alone was a testament to why we shouldn¡¯t provoke them.

    But I hadn¡¯t gone out to greet the others.

    It felt wrong to suddenly go out just because a dragon had arrived.

    As I stood there, unsure of what to do¡­

    ¡°Yuren!!!¡±

    ¡°??¡±

    The dignified dragon instantly transformed into a goofy middle-aged man.

    He was trying to hug Yuren.

    What was this?

    ¡°I believe that¡¯s Yuren¡¯s father.¡±

    ¡°Yuren¡¯s father?¡±

    ¡°Yes, his name is Yugen. The current Dragon Lord.¡±

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I had heard of him.

    The Dragon Lord, a being who wouldn¡¯t move unless the world was in peril.

    ording to the game¡¯s lore, there were only three opportunities to encounter him.

    One of them was an event where he appeared right before a game over, preventing it.

    He would then either perish from using too much power or fall into a deep slumber.

    The Dragon Lord possessed enough power to single-handedly prevent most game over events, even a True Demon invasion.

    But such a being had personallye here?

    ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re safe!! My daughter!!!¡±

    ¡°I hear wailing from afar. How noisy.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a vampire.¡±

    A girl with long golden hair and crimson eyes appeared.

    Was it Gothic Lolita¡­?

    Most of those around her also had blonde hair and red eyes.

    I thought to myself,

    ¡®Yeah, this definitely is an erotic game.¡¯

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [300 YEAR OLD VAMPIRE LOLI IS REALLLLL, remember guys if shes 300 shes legal 0_0]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

 Chapter 103

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Why was I fighting, losing limbs, in an erotic game?

    The thought briefly hit me but I pushed it to the back of my mind, thinking about the uing meeting. That was a topic I didn¡¯t want to dwell on, ever.

    Most of the vampires were women. They looked like young girls, but they were dressed in outfits that seemed like a mix of gothic lolita and bondage. That was why I was having an existential crisis.

    This was clearly an erotic game world. I could just fool around and not think too much about it. But I had already lost an arm and an eye, and I couldn¡¯t afford to lose anything else.¡°I thought I smelled something foul. Turns out it was the stench of filthy bats,¡± a voice boomed.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    The words came from none other than the Dragon Lord himself. My heart almost stopped for a second. My existential crisis instantly vanished, but I couldn¡¯t say I was happy about it.

    [T/N: adding these little tidbits at the end of spoken sentences so yall know whos talkin]

    ¡°Your mouth is still filthy, even after all this time,¡± the vampire snarled.

    ¡°What else would you expect from the likes of you?¡±

    ¡°You better watch your tone¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, wait a minute¡­!!¡±

    Why were they fighting the moment they saw each other? There was amon enemy right in front of us!

    I tried to stop them before things escted, if only my foot hadn¡¯t gotten caught¡­

    I instinctively drew my sword, still in its sheath, and used it as a cane to support myself. Thanks to constant training, wielding a sword had be second nature to me.

    The problem was, I was stuck between the vampire leader and the Dragon Lord. To put it simply, I was standing between them, holding a sword.

    I was screwed.

    Really screwed.

    I was just trying to keep myself from falling, but how did this happen? I swallowed nervously and gauged their reactions.

    Thankfully, I hadn¡¯t drawn the de.

    ¡°Both of you, quiet. This is a ce for an alliance,¡± I said, trying to sound as neutral as possible.

    Honestly, my legs were shaking so badly that I felt like I might copse, but I endured.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you off this time, for the Commander¡¯s sake,¡± the Dragon Lord growled.

    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk, you filthy lizard,¡± the vampire hissed.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Thankfully, they seemed to have heeded my words, at least for now. The vampire and the Dragon Lord both stepped back. I sighed in relief and finally managed to retreat.

    But this was unexpected. I never thought dragons and vampires would get along so poorly. In my memory, dragons were known as the Benevolent Race, loving all.

    Then again, now that I thought about it, the lore book mentioned that they loved all of the races existing at the time. Back then, I thought they loved all races, period.

    But what if it only referred to the races that existed during the original storyline? That would make sense, since vampires were already ves to the demons by that point.

    ¡°Commander, the orcs have arrived. That¡¯s everyone,¡± Cluna reported.

    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s head inside.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Commander.¡±

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    The unexpected situation overloaded my mind. On top of the other problematic races, I hadn¡¯t anticipated any trouble from the dragons.

    To think I¡¯d be blindsided like this¡­

    But now was the time to focus. This was the Multi-Racial Alliance meeting, revived after a year since the Royal Knights¡¯ copse.

    It was like starting in the middle. If we didn¡¯t get this first step right, everything would be a mess.

    At least this was better than the original storyline, where it took 17 years for the alliance to be re-established.

    So, now was not the time to worry about mediating between races. This meeting was about more than just keeping the peace. I headed for the Table of Equality.

    The sight of the leaders of each race taking their seats around the table was magnificent. Of course, the elves were openly hostile towards us¡­

    ¡°How dare you act like that to Teacher¡­!!¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Helia.¡±

    I stopped the furious Helia. Somehow, she ended up beside me, acting as my escort. And it wasn¡¯t just her.

    All the Royal Knights were ring at the elves with undisguised hostility. Even ra and Cluna, who were elves themselves!

    I sighed and said,

    ¡°Set aside your personal feelings. The future of the alliance is what matters most now. Focus on that.¡±

    ¡°¡­Understood, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°My apologies.¡±

    As much as I disliked the elves, I couldn¡¯t let my emotions get the better of me. Not when there were more important matters at hand. I¡¯d deal with them directly after the meeting.

    At least they were civil enough to attend the meeting. That meant there was still room for conversation.

    I took my seat. The only seat left was, fittingly, the head of the table. As I sat down, all eyes turned to me. It was incredibly nerve-wracking.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    I slowly looked around. No one spoke. They just stared at me nkly.

    What was this? Why were they acting like this?

    ¡°Commander, if you don¡¯t mind, when will the meeting begin?¡±

    The human king finally asked after a long silence.

    I finally understood.

    They were waiting for me to speak.

    I quickly racked my brain. As I had always emphasized, staying quiet would at least get me halfway there. Especially on a stage this big.

    I was the leader of the Royal Knights, but this wasn¡¯t my show. It was up to these seven races to decide how they would work together moving forward.

    ¡°Silence is not golden in this situation. As the Commander of the Royal Knights, show them what you are made of.¡±

    A middle-aged elf with green hair, Elder Makenis, said sarcastically.

    That gave me an idea.

    I replied, still with my arms crossed,

    ¡°The Royal Knights will do nothing.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°You know why the Royal Knights were annihted, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was ame excuse, but it worked. After all, everyone here was responsible for the Royal Knights¡¯ fall.

    ¡°Under constant pressure, the Royal Knights were forced to prepare for an expedition. And as a result, we were utterly destroyed. We still haven¡¯t recovered from that.¡±

    At least that part was true.

    Sure, we had rebuilt the Royal Knights to some extent. But did we have the same influence as the Royal Knights in their prime?

    No.

    ?? Important Notice ??

    ? This text was ripped off from .

    ? Please only read it on the official website.

    ); }

    In their heyday, the Royal Knights wielded immense power. To exaggerate a bit, there wasn¡¯t a single corner of the world untouched by their influence.

    However, the reason for their downfall was simple. It began from within. They were divided, each member prioritizing the benefit of their own race.

    And that led to the copse of the Royal Knights, and subsequently, the fracturing of the alliance. Right now, we were just barely holding things together with a band-aid.

    It would be difficult to regain the influence the Royal Knights once held. And that was my point. Surely they understood, especially someone like Makenis, who held the prestigious title of elder.

    ¡°Therefore, we dere that we will maintain political neutrality.¡±

    Of course, political neutrality wasn¡¯t always the right answer. Political maneuvering could be used to gain an advantage. But that assumed I was good at politics.

    Just look at who was sitting in front of me: the ruler of the 12 Tribes, the king of humans, the ambassador of the Dwarves, the elf elder, and so on. Did I stand a chance against them in a political battle?

    The answer was a resounding no.

    Politics? I was in over my head just dealing with the current issues. Thest thing I needed was to get caught up in their political games and end up paying the price.

    ¡°Political neutrality, you say? An interesting proposition,¡± the elf elder said.

    ¡°You should know better than anyone the disgrace you all showed when the Royal Knights fell.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Therefore, the continued existence of the Royal Knights is our top priority. At least we have the achievements to back it up.¡±

    Look at what happened immediately after the copse of the Royal Knights, the dwarves and beastmen started fighting over territory, and the vampires and dragons were still at each other¡¯s throats.

    So, while we might have said we¡¯d remain neutral¡­

    The truth was, we were just leaving everything to them because we didn¡¯t know any better.

    After all, avoiding responsibility was the leader¡¯s prerogative in a group project.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 104

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The Alliance meeting.

    It was a gathering where all races belonging to the alliance convened to discuss future matters.

    To the uninformed, it might seem straightforward, but that would be a gross misunderstanding of the alliance¡¯s intricate inner workings.

    In the past, before the demon invasion, the continent had been on the brink of self-destruction. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say some races hated each other more than they hated the demons.And indeed, some of them betrayed the alliance and sided with the demons. Their reasons varied but for the most part it was that some would rather be ves than see their enemies prosper, while others simply wanted to kill them with their own hands.

    In such a context, the Alliance meeting held profound significance. It represented a temporary truce, a setting aside of old grudges to address the pressing issue at hand.

    ¡®How straightforward.¡¯

    Ambassador Viral, the Dwarf Kingdom¡¯s representative, thought to himself, sighing inwardly at Hans¡¯s deration of neutrality.

    Maintaining neutrality meant staying uninvolved, essentially bing a bystander.

    While it might prevent immediate conflict, it also meant they¡¯d have no choice but to watch as events unfolded.

    It wasn¡¯t a wise decision in the long run.

    However, no one dared to oppose the Commander¡¯s words. Regardless of the reasons or justifications, the copse of the Royal Knights was undeniable.

    Moreover, most of the people present were the ones who had pressured the Royal Knights in the first ce. The current situation was akin to a thief tripping over their own loot.

    ¡®But I like it.¡¯

    Being too direct in politics was never a good idea. Words could be twisted, used for maniption or exploited as weaknesses. That¡¯s why people usually left themselves some wiggle room.

    However, the Commander of the Royal Knights couldn¡¯t possibly be a political novice. He knew what he was doing. He was deliberately being straightforward, despite knowing the potential consequences.

    Ambassador Viral was certain of the reason, to protect his people, to prevent another copse of the Royal Knights.

    Then, someone sitting next to Viral spoke.

    ¡°You im neutrality. Does that mean we can assume the Royal Knights will never intervene in the affairs of other races?¡±

    It was Elder Makenis. An elf who had lived for an eternity. For an old fox like him to say such a thing¡­ he must have something up his sleeve. It couldn¡¯t be helped, not here.

    ¡°That is not what I meant, Elder,¡± Hans replied calmly.

    ¡°I beg to differ. It seems quite clear to me,¡± Makenis countered.

    ¡°Is it not within the scope of the Royal Knights¡¯ duties?¡±

    The Royal Knights served as a mediator and a deterrent between the races, a safeguard, of sorts.

    For example, let¡¯s say something terrible happened in the Dwarf Kingdom. If another race openly criticized them, it could lead to internal strife. But if they went through the Royal Knights to issue an indirect warning¡­

    It might be unpleasant for the dwarves, but they¡¯d have to ept it, at least if they didn¡¯t want to antagonize the Royal Knights. And that was how the alliance had been maintained.

    It was a crude and transparent system, but it worked. But what if the Royal Knights decided to stay neutral and abandon that role?

    Chaos would ensue. Especially for the elves, who openly disliked and antagonized the Royal Knights.

    Viral owed Hans a debt. He had no choice but to support him here.

    ¡°You im neutrality, yet you want to intervene when it suits you, while denying us the same right? That sounds incredibly self-serving and dangerous,¡± Makenis said, his tone sharp.

    ¡°We are simply being true to the original purpose of the Royal Knights. Wasn¡¯t the very reason for their creation to unite all races?¡± Hans countered.

    ¡°We don¡¯t remember asking for that. We don¡¯t like it when you meddle in our affairs. If you won¡¯t interfere, then neither shall we,¡± a booming voice interrupted.

    The orc leader finally spoke.

    He was massive, his sturdy muscles covered in countless scars.

    His name was Dezra.

    He was the Orc King, the ruler of all orcs, also known as the Rusty Tyrant. Orcs¡­ those muscleheads who resorted to violence at the drop of a hat.

    The only reason they hadn¡¯t been expelled from the alliance was their overwhelming strength. They might be a step below vampires and dragons, but that was by no means a low assessment.

    In fact, the fact they were evenparable to those two was a testament to their might. And they vastly outnumbered both races.

    ¡°I see even a rock-head like you can make it to a meeting.¡±

    ¡°What was that? You reek of animal.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you shut up if you don¡¯t know anything?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll hunt you down and eat you for dinner. You¡¯ll be delicious.¡±

    The orcs and beastmen had a terrible rtionship. The beastmen weren¡¯t on good terms with the dwarves and elves either, but at least they maintained a semnce of diplomacy and had signed agreements.

    With the orcs, it always came down to swords. Of course, the orcs weren¡¯t on good terms with anyone except the vampires, but still¡­

    ¡°Stay out of this, you weaklings.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we settle this right here, you green-skinned freaks?¡±

    ¡°Everyone, please. Let¡¯s not get too heated.¡±

    It was the human king who stepped in to diffuse the situation. He approached them with his trademark smile. Ambassador Viral sighed in relief.

    The humans didn¡¯t have a good rtionship with the orcs either, but they didn¡¯tpletely cut off all contact like some of the other races. They still engaged in trade and had signed some agreements.

    Their rtionship was simr to that between the dwarves and beastmen, they fought over territory and weren¡¯t on good terms, but they could at least have a civil conversation.

    Furthermore, the orcs were indebted to the current human king. As soon as he spoke, they quieted down. The meeting had been saved from descending into chaos, for now.

    ¡®Hmm¡­ this is getting interesting.¡¯

    the blond vampire thought, a sly smile ying on her lips. Her crimson eyes were fixed on the human who had started all this.

    Unbeknownst to the others, the vampires had only one reason for siding with the alliance, human blood was delicious.

    Of course, they could have joined the demons and captured humans to satiate their thirst, but most vampires had rejected that option. That was how they ended up in the alliance.

    And it wasn¡¯t just any human blood they craved.

    The blood of the strong.

    That was why the vampires remained in the alliance. It was better to be on friendly terms with the strong if they wanted easy ess to their blood. Defeating them in battle to take it? Unlikely.

    And even if they seeded, a dead body couldn¡¯t provide a continuous supply of blood. It was much more efficient to stay on good terms and acquire it through trade.

    Right now, the Vampire Lord¡¯s interest was focused on one person and that was Hans, the new Commander of the Royal Knights, the one who single-handedly revived the order in just one year.

    More importantly, he was the one who had repelled the three True Demons despite being ambushed. He was the undisputed strongest member of the Royal Knights.

    The previousmander was a dragon, so her blood wasn¡¯t very appetizing. But a humanmander? It made the vampire¡¯s fangs ache with anticipation. She would have to approach him carefullyter.

    ¡°You are giving the Royal Knights too much leeway.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that.¡±

    ¡°They achieved results. They deserve to be treated ordingly.¡±

    ¡°Results? I don¡¯t care about results. Die, beast!¡±

    And with everyone talking past each other, the meeting came to an end.

    Alliance meetings typicallysted at least a week. It was a difficult task to get everyone on the same page.

    However, one thing was clear, whether they liked it or not, they couldn¡¯t underestimate the current Commander of the Royal Knights.

    He was either incredibly gutsy or incredibly stubborn.

    But no one doubted his abilities. After all, he had single-handedly revived the copsed Royal Knights in a single year, and even managed to defeat three True Demons.

    So, all that remained was to make the most of this meeting and secure as many advantages as possible.

    And to do that, they needed to approach the Commander¡­

    Meanwhile, Hans waspletely lost.

    ¡®What are they even talking about? I don¡¯t understand a thing¡­ I just want to focus on killing demons¡­¡¯

    Everyone seemed to hold him in high regard, but he couldn¡¯t keep up with the mountain of proposals and agendas being thrown around

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Your Text Here]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

    ? System Notification ?

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 105

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Hans felt like his body had been turned into a beehive by a hail of bullets. That was his honest feeling, and it wasn¡¯t an inurate expression either.

    Naturally, the other leaders hade fully prepared, but Hans hadn¡¯t prepared at all. Even if he had prepared, though, it wouldn¡¯t have made much difference.

    It was more likely that he would have been eaten alive.

    When it came to political ability, Hans possessed less than anyone else gathered at the meeting. So, no matter what tactic he used, it likely would have been refuted. But he threw a stone recklessly, and that stone caused ripples in theke. It was like a cow identally catching a mouse with a kick.

    It was a coincidence, but at the same time, it wasn¡¯t. If Hans had no background, the other leaders would have ignored or rebuked him.

    But Hans had achievements.

    He had saved the Dwarf Kingdom. He had executed the traitors hiding within the 12 Tribes. He had removed the contaminated World Tree despite the elves¡¯ opposition. And he had even repelled three True Demons.

    The weight of words changes depending on the speaker.

    There was no way they could ignore the words of the Royal Knights¡¯ Commander who had umted such achievements.

    Thanks to this, the leaders busily racked their brains, calcting the potential gains they could obtain.

    In this crucial moment where every second counted, our Hans was lying in bed, staring nkly at the ceiling. He just wanted to fall asleep forever.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡±

    Even though he was ayman in politics, he understood that he shouldn¡¯t have acted so recklessly. But could anyone truly do everything ording to n?

    The moment Hans took his seat at the Table of Equality, the first thing he felt was pressure. Just being there was enough pressure to make an ordinary person faint.

    The only reason Hans didn¡¯t faint there was because he had been fighting for his life until now. Unknowingly, his courage had grown stronger. However, that was it.

    He was so flustered that he just blurted things out. And that was the reason why Hans¡¯s fuse had blown.

    He sighed.

    He wanted to just disappear, but he wasn¡¯t that irresponsible. Fortunately, there was still plenty of time left.

    He had to prepare for tomorrow¡¯s meeting within that time, at least enough not to beughed at.

    ¡°¡­Who is it at this hour?¡±

    Just as he got up from his seat and was about to quickly prepare, a knock caught his attention.

    Was it his unit members? No, it was a presence he had never felt before.

    He hadn¡¯t realized it yet, but due to the constant battles, Hans had be a ghost at sensing presences. The reason was that he had been maintaining a state of tension.

    The weak naturally be cautious, and in Hans¡¯s case, it was extreme. As a result, he had mastered sensing presences.

    Hans cautiously opened his mouth.

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quite alert.¡±

    ¡°This voice¡­ the Vampire Lord?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right~ Call me Lucy.¡±

    Hans tilted his head. It was a different name from the one he had heard during the introductions before the meeting. He wondered if he had misheard, but he quickly dismissed the thought.

    There was no way he could misremember the name of such an important person in such an important setting. Judging that Lucy was lying, Hans raised his guard as much as possible.

    ¡°If you have business, state it briefly.¡±

    ¡°How cold. Especially when a woman came to visit you at night.¡±

    ¡°Personal and professional matters must be strictly separated.¡±

    ¡°You have quite the patience for a human.¡±

    Lucy spoke half-jokingly, but at least half of it was sincere. The number of humans who hadn¡¯t opened the door when she personally visited them at night could be counted on one hand.

    The reason was obvious. Most vampires were exceptionally beautiful, and Lucy, their leader, boasted an unparalleled appearance.

    Of course, there were those who refused, but

    most of them had problems with their sexual function, or they loved men.

    Thanks to this, Hans had inversely caught Lucy¡¯s attention.

    Lucy continued.

    ¡°But don¡¯t get the wrong idea. I didn¡¯te here to seduce a human man.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve heard about the characteristics of vampires, right?¡±

    ¡°I know you suck blood.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but there are some restrictions.¡±

    Lucy briefly exined the vampires¡¯ restrictions. In short, vampires loved human blood the most, and among that, they especially loved the blood of the strong.

    Hans listened silently. Unfortunately, he knew nothing about vampires. The lore book only mentioned that they were defeated by the demons and became ves.

    It didn¡¯t reveal any other settings. And that was a considerable burden for Hans. The reason he had been able to act until now was because of knowledge.

    He knew the general settings, so he had been gambling by inferring the closest thing to the correct answer based on that, and luckily, he had seeded so far.

    However, it was a different story with vampires. Hans knew nothing about vampires. Whether it was their weaknesses, preferences, or anything else. So, naturally, he became wary.

    ¡°You want the blood of the strong?¡±

    ¡°Yes, for example¡­ like yours.¡±

    ¡°What? Me?¡±

    This was an unexpected request. She wanted his blood, saying she wanted the blood of the strong?

    From Hans¡¯s perspective, it was absurd. He saw himself as definitely weak.

    Look at the other unit members. In just one year, hadn¡¯t they be strong enough to confront and drive out the True Demons head-on? Compared to them, what was he? What did he have left besides Time Stop?

    ¡°Yes, if you share your blood, the vampires promise to fully cooperate with you.¡±

    He was about to refuse, but Hans closed his mouth at the attractive offer that suddenly came in. The cooperation of the vampires, he didn¡¯t know the details, but vampires must be strong.

    The fact that they were still alive and well despite being enemies with the dragons didn¡¯t make sense. If he could gain the cooperation of such vampires, things would go smoothly in the future.

    However, at that moment, a thought urred to him.

    What if his blood wasn¡¯t to her liking?

    Thinking about it, vampires, she had said herself, loved the blood of the strong.

    But was he really among the strong? Of course, the magnitude of strength is rtive, but even judging by that standard, his position was still at the very bottom.

    Of course, it wasmon sense that they couldn¡¯t mistreat Hans, who held the position of Commander of the Royal Knights, but a simtion was already automatically running in Hans¡¯s head.

    [¡°This blood is tasteless. It¡¯s not the taste I expected.¡±]

    [¡°No. That¡¯s¡­¡±]

    [¡°You¡¯re useless. Die!¡±]

    [¡°Ugh!¡±]

    As a result of the simtion, the answer was naturally no. No matter how much he thought about it, he didn¡¯t think his blood would be to her taste. If so, she might turn on him.

    ¡°I appreciate the offer, but I¡¯ll have to decline.¡±

    ¡°I thought it was a decent deal.¡±

    ¡°I suppose it is.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the reason? I can¡¯t understand.¡±

    Sharing blood might be a bit much, but even considering that, it was the best opportunity for Commander Hans. But he was refusing this? What was the reason?

    While Lucy¡¯s questions were deepening, Hans was desperately racking his brains. He couldn¡¯t just say he was too weak to give her his blood.

    Then what he needed here¡­ was to create the most usible reason and convince her. He couldn¡¯t convince her with just any reason.

    After a brief moment of contemtion, Hans quickly fabricated one.

    ¡°I am the proud Commander of the Royal Knights. I would never ept such a petty backroom deal.¡±

    ¡°A backroom deal?¡±

    ¡°Then let me ask you. How is this different from a bribe?¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh?¡±

    ¡°We march forward with our own strength. We don¡¯t need such dishonorable methods.¡±

    This was an unexpected interpretation. But she thought it could feel that way. If blood was reced with money, it would be a bribe.

    Lucy nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting interpretation. But I can¡¯t say it¡¯s unconvincing.¡±

    ¡°Yes, so get lost.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll see for myself how righteous your path is.¡±

    What? Wait a minute? What did that mean? Hans immediately opened the door as soon as he heard those words, but there was nothing outside but the cold wind.

    Had he poked a sleeping lion?

    An ominous thought dominated Hans¡¯s mind.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

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 Chapter 106

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Hans slept poorly.

    His mind, filled with unease from the strange events of the previous night, prevented him from falling asleep easily. To make matters worse, the meeting was to begin in the morning.

    The mere thought of dozing off during the meeting, and the ensuing repercussions, gave Hans a headache. The meeting was no different from a den of venomous snakes.

    If he showed even the slightest weakness, he would undoubtedly be torn apart, leaving not even a bone behind. To prevent that, Hans had to ovee his fatigue.In this situation, there was only one person Hans could rely on.

    Cluna, who was well-versed in various medicines and magic.

    Hans made his way to her.

    ¡°A way to chase away sleep immediately?¡± Cluna asked.

    ¡°Yes. Is there anything you can do?¡±

    ¡°Well, there is a tea I regrly enjoy¡­¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it.¡±

    Hans could trust Clunapletely. Plus, he was short on time, so he had to use whatever he could get his hands on. Thebination of trust and urgency led him to quickly acquire the tea.

    He didn¡¯t expect to bepletely awakened by just one cup, but thinking of it as something simr to modern coffee, Hans felt a sense of relief as he attended the meeting.

    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss the immediate problems first.¡±

    The morning meeting progressed rtively smoothly. They set aside the contentious issues that would inevitably lead to arguments and quickly dealt with the most pressing matters.

    There were some objections, but thanks to the three leaders who supported Hans, they managed to ovee them without much difficulty.

    The morning meeting concluded sessfully.

    ¡®Thankfully, Cluna¡¯s tea worked.¡¯

    There had been a few close calls, but he managed to endure. Left alone at the Table of Equality, Hans pped himself hard on both cheeks to chase away the lingering fatigue.

    ¡®Should I skip lunch? I get even sleepier when I¡¯m full¡­¡¯

    ¡°You filthy traitor to your own kind!!¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Just as Hans was thinking about getting some more sleep during his lunch break, a loud shout from outside startled him.

    He instinctively hid himself.

    The Table of Equality was on the first floor of Lionheart Fortress, and the shout came from right outside the connected window. Hans hid nearby and peeked outside.

    He saw Cluna and an unfamiliar elf. Cluna was listening silently, while the elf in front of her was shouting.

    ¡°Why did you betray your people?! You, who cherished and loved your brethren so much¡­!!¡±

    ¡°I merely removed the rotten flesh from my race.¡±

    ¡°How dare you spout such nonsense¡­!!¡±

    It seemed Cluna was being resented by her own kind.

    Hans frowned.

    It was understandable, in a way.

    Creating an external enemy was a way to solidify one¡¯s position. That way, everyone¡¯s resentment would be directed towards the enemy.

    It was a perfect narrative. Focus hatred on the traitor, and then create a need for a hero to punish them.

    ¡°What¡¯s all themotion?¡±

    But Hans wasn¡¯t one to just stand by and watch. He understood, but he didn¡¯t condone it.

    With that thought, he stepped forward. The elf, startled, said,

    ¡°Y-You¡¯re¡­?¡±

    ¡°I ordered the destruction of the World Tree. Therefore, the responsibility lies with me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°So, if you want to resent someone, resent me.¡±

    Hans hadn¡¯t realized it, but his face was contorted with drowsiness. However, the elf mistook it for anger.

    He had been venting his frustration, thinking no one was around, but then the Commander of the Royal Knights suddenly appeared. The elf quickly left.

    Hans, having resolved the situation, sighed in relief. He had been worried the elf might attack him, but thankfully, he wasn¡¯t that crazy.

    Hans asked Cluna,

    ¡°Who was that?¡±

    ¡°My cute junior.¡±

    ¡°Your junior?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the one who became the Guardian of the Forest in my stead.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ so that¡¯s why¡­¡±

    Was it because he was Cluna¡¯s direct junior that he felt so betrayed?

    Regardless of the circumstances, Hans couldn¡¯t just ignore it.

    He scratched his head.

    ¡°Do you need anything?¡±

    ¡°How clumsy of you. But that¡¯s what makes it so endearing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the Commander.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Commander.¡±

    Cluna bowed her head to Hans and quickly left.

    Left alone again, Hans thought,

    ¡®How am I supposed to sleep now? I¡¯ll just organize some documents.¡¯

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    After lunch, the afternoon meetingmenced. There were still a mountain of issues, but now, opposing opinions began to emerge, and debates ensued.

    The Vampire Lord, now using the name Lucy, smiled faintly as she pondered. She wanted to see how long this righteous human could maintain his act.

    She hadn¡¯t been interested initially, but¡­

    Once her interest was piqued, she wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until she tested him herself.

    Unfortunately for Hans, Lucy was a rather troublesome personality.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time we addressed that issue?¡± she said.

    ¡°What issue are you referring to?¡±

    ¡°The neutralization of the Royal Knights.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Lucy didn¡¯t hesitate to throw a stone into the calmke. The ripples spread, growingrger. Elder Makenis was the first to take the bait.

    ¡°We can¡¯t keep ignoring it forever.¡±

    ¡°I thought that matter was already settled.¡±

    ¡°Nothing is settled. This is just the beginning.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You smell like a beast. Shut up before I eat you.¡±

    Yuyeong¡¯s forehead throbbed as the Orc King suddenly interjected. The meeting quickly descended into chaos. The stage was set.

    What would Hans do now?

    Would he protect those who supported him? If he did, he would secure a solid foundation of support. But at that moment, the opportunity to unite the alliance would vanish.

    Of course, Lucy didn¡¯t care either way. If the situation worsened and the Royal Knights had to rely on the vampires, that was fine with her.

    But then¡­

    As Lucy¡¯s gaze fixed on Hans, she tilted her head. He was sitting with his arms crossed, head bowed.

    At first, she thought he was deep in thought.

    But then she realized that wasn¡¯t the case. He was openly dozing off. And in this important setting, with the leaders of all races gathered.

    What in the¡­ ?

    Lucy was dumbfounded. But Hans didn¡¯t react. Or rather, he couldn¡¯t react. He had fallen fast asleep.

    But Cluna hadn¡¯t lied. She was indeed overworked. Hans had noticed and tried to lighten her workload, but even so, she still had more responsibilities than the other members.

    So, she used a rxing herbal tea to alleviate her fatigue.

    At least, that¡¯s how it worked for elves. Imagine lying on soft grass, basking in the warm sun. An elf would feel invigorated, their drowsiness dispelled.

    But a human?

    Lying on soft grass, feeling the warm sun and the gentle breeze¡­ they would most likely fall asleep.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    The only reason Hans woke up was because Yuyeong, the leader of the 12 Tribes sitting next to him, was furious.

    He woke up discreetly and his eyes met Lucy¡¯s.

    As if struck by lightning, Hans quickly corrected his posture.

    Lucy couldn¡¯t hide her confusion.

    There was no way the Commander of the Royal Knights could be sleeping in such an important meeting. But that¡¯s exactly what it looked like.

    ¡°Could he be¡­ doing this on purpose?¡±

    That was the best Lucy coulde up with.

    There was no way the Commander of the Royal Knights would be sleeping in such an important meeting.

    A man that foolish couldn¡¯t possibly have rebuilt the Royal Knights. Ironically, that strong belief led Lucy to a massive misunderstanding.

    Meanwhile, Hans ignored Lucy and looked around. Unfortunately, everyone¡¯s eyes were on him.

    This wasn¡¯t the first time this had happened, so Hans immediately spoke.

    ¡°Is the petty squabbling over?¡±

    Feigning ignorance.

    Acting confident.

    That was Hans¡¯s special move.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

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 Chapter 107

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Position makes the man.

    Ironically, that saying was being applied in reverse. No one present thought Hans had actually dozed off.

    After all, he was the Commander of the Royal Knights.

    The man who, in just a year, rebuilt the fallen Royal Knights and repelled three True Demons. Of course, anyone could make mistakes, but there were limits.A man who achieved such feats in a single year, dozing off because he couldn¡¯t ovee drowsiness? And during such an important meeting?

    It was simply illogical.

    What did that mean?

    It meant he was feigning sleep.

    And the reason was obvious.

    The internal strife within the alliance. He must have been mocking their pathetic squabbling, their readiness to draw swords over trivial matters.

    Even Lucy, the Vampire Lord, was impressed. It was a tant disy of mockery and disdain, devoid of any political pretense. But it was a valid reason.

    At least, for someone with a certain level of intelligence.

    Lucy nced to the side. The Orc King, with his zing re, wasn¡¯t hiding his emotions at all.

    ¡°Pathetic. Who? A mere human dares¡­? I will devour him.¡±

    The orcs¡¯ strength and weakness were their straightforwardness. They never schemed. But that honesty was also a w.

    They always resorted to violence. There had been intelligent orcs in the past, but most of them betrayed their kin and joined the demons.

    The orcs who remained in the alliance did so because they wanted to die in battle. It was natural for the more intelligent ones to betray them.

    In other words, the orcs had endured hell through sheer strength. They might be weaker than vampires and dragons, but they were not to be underestimated.

    ¡®This is unexpected¡­ but quite entertaining.¡¯

    Her initial surprise quickly turned into amusement.

    The green monster was reacting as expected. Now, what would Hans do?

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    ¡°I¡¯m screwed, I¡¯m so screwed.¡±

    He had given a reckless response, but he hadn¡¯t anticipated such an extreme reaction from the Orc King. Now he had to face him head-on, and his mind was racing.

    Fortunately, Hans knew a thing or two about orcs. Unlike the vampires, about whom he knew nothing, there was at least some information avable about orcs.

    It wasn¡¯t muchpared to other races, but at least he knew how to persuade them. The method itself was quite simple.

    ¡°They say I just need to overpower them¡­¡±

    Orcs enjoyed fighting strong opponents and only acknowledged strength. It was the absolutew of the jungle. That was why they didn¡¯t bother the dragons and vampires.

    But could he really use that against them? The answer to that was ambiguous. One of the orcs¡¯ strengths was their fearlessness of death.

    Until now, he had managed to subdue them with threats, but if he pushed them too far, they might attack in a rage. And if that happened, it was over.

    [The Commander is so weak? Disappointing.]

    [He doesn¡¯t seem fit to be Commander.]

    [Teacher, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m leaving.]

    ¡°Aaaaagh.¡±

    Hans thought, barely suppressing a scream. He had to resolve this situation first.

    And then, an opportunity arose.

    ¡°Human. Weak. Uneptable.¡±

    ¡°Yes, this is it!¡±

    There¡¯s always a way out. Hans felt like he had seen the light in the darkness. A brilliant idea came to him, and he calmed himself first.

    Getting excited and messing things up now would be irreversible. He only had one chance, and realizing that, he regained hisposure.

    First, he only knew the basic settings about orcs. He didn¡¯t know the details. So, he had to avoid mentioning anything specific.

    Hans carefully spoke.

    ¡°I heard there¡¯s a special way for orcs to prove their strength.¡±

    ¡°Warrior¡¯s Battlefield. A proving ground where one fights for their life. Will you challenge it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    There was something like that?

    Hans forced the words that almost escaped his lips back down. Unfortunately, what he had read in the lore book wasn¡¯t the Warrior¡¯s Battlefield.

    He distinctly remembered it being called the Warrior¡¯s Festival. The lore book didn¡¯t have details, but it did describe it roughly.

    [Warrior¡¯s Festival.]

    [A festival where orcs celebrate the bravery of their ancestors. But the orcs¡¯ festival is different from other races¡¯ festivals.]

    [They throw warriors into a hell called the Forest of Valor and wait for their return.]

    [Unfortunately, no one has ever returned from the Forest of Valor, except for one, hundreds of years ago.]

    Simply put, the Warrior¡¯s Festival was a simple test where you had to escape the forest.

    Of course, no orc had escaped in centuries¡­

    But Hans¡¯s specialty was time stop. If there were no witnesses, he had nothing to fear.

    Dezra thought for a moment, then eximed in shock,

    ¡°Could it be¡­ the Warrior¡¯s Festival?!¡±

    ¡°The Warrior¡¯s Festival? What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡±

    Excellent reactions.

    Fortunately for Hans, everyone seemed to be hearing about the Warrior¡¯s Festival for the first time. Except for the Dragon Lord, whose expression hardened.

    ¡°Are you seriously going to do that?¡±

    ¡°Fucking lizard. What¡¯s the big deal?¡±

    ¡°Have you been eating your age? You know nothing.¡±

    ¡°Is that all you have to say?¡±

    The dragon and vampire were about to fight again, but thankfully, they seemed to know their priorities. It didn¡¯t escte further.

    Then, Dezra spoke.

    ¡°The Warrior¡¯s Festival. Our people¡¯s sacred festival. A spiritual arena where we bless our warriors and honor our ancestors.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°But a human participating? You will die. For sure.¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t know until I try.¡±

    He was a little afraid, but if he used Time Stop properly, he couldn¡¯t die.

    Even so, after careful consideration, Hans came to a conclusion.

    Fighting openly in front of everyone meant certain death. He might be able to behead Dezra in a one-on-one fight, but the aftermath would be a problem.

    Would the other orcs just stand by and watch as he killed their leader? They might say it was fine, but there was no guarantee.

    And besides, he didn¡¯t think he could actually behead the Orc King, a monster nicknamed the Rusty Tyrant, especially with his own skills.

    On the other hand, escaping the forest on foot offered plenty of opportunities to use Time Stop. Time Stop was absolute. That was the rational conclusion Hans reached.

    ¡®A human challenging the Warrior¡¯s Festival¡­ it¡¯s been a while,¡¯ Dezra thought.

    Orcs were cruel and violent. That was half-true, half-false. To be precise, orcs worshipped strength. Even if it was another race, if they showed corresponding strength¡­

    Or even if they were weak, if they showed admirable courage, orcs would readily acknowledge them and treat them as equals. But they didn¡¯t acknowledge everyone.

    Just as a sheep couldn¡¯t hide its true nature even if it wore a lion¡¯s skin, a coward couldn¡¯tpletely hide their fear, even if they pretended to be brave.

    And Dezra saw it. Hans¡¯s unwavering gaze. Did he not know about the Warrior¡¯s Festival? No, that was impossible. He understood.

    And yet, there wasn¡¯t a trace of fear in his eyes. Such a gaze was rare, even among his own kind.

    Was he confident he wouldn¡¯t die?

    No, it wasn¡¯t something so trivial.

    Dezra wasn¡¯t foolish enough to underestimate others. He might not show it, but he acknowledged Hans¡¯s ability to rebuild the Royal Knights. He was a seasoned warrior.

    In other words, he wasn¡¯t just a fool overflowing with confidence.

    He was prepared to die.

    Because he had seen enough death.

    ¡°¡­I see. Very well, Hans.¡±

    Dezra¡¯s tone softened considerably. It had been a while since he had met a warrior who didn¡¯t fear death. He had to show him the proper respect.

    At that moment, Hans thought,

    ¡®Time Stop is invincible! It¡¯s godly!¡¯

    Yes, Hans wasn¡¯t afraid of death.

    Because he was confident he wouldn¡¯t die.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

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 Chapter 108

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The Warrior¡¯s Festival.

    Even Elder Makenis was hearing about this orcish tradition for the first time. He mentally calcted the potential gains and losses of the current situation.

    The Commander of the Royal Knights was a remarkable individual, but¡­

    Could he survive the Warrior¡¯s Festival? The odds were slim. ording to the Dragon Lord, countless renowned heroes had attempted it, and most perished in the forest.

    Commander Hans was a distinguished hero, but he wasn¡¯t quite at the level of legend. The heroes who had died participating in the Warrior¡¯s Festival were names even Elder Makenis recognized.

    Most of them were heroes who had forged new legends.

    Even they had perished.

    Could Commander Hans survive? The answer was clearly no.

    Elder Makenis spoke.

    ¡°That seems rather reckless, Commander Hans.¡±

    Surprisingly, Elder Makenis opposed Hans¡¯s decision. He had several reasons.

    If Commander Hans disappeared, the elves might fracture without amon enemy.

    But more importantly, he felt it was a waste to throw away the life of such a promising hero.

    He acknowledged Hans¡¯s skill and resourcefulness in rebuilding the Royal Knights and repelling the True Demons.

    He would prioritize his people¡¯s interests, but he wasn¡¯t foolish enough to jeopardize the bigger picture.

    Ambassador Viral added,

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush, Commander.¡±

    ¡°Why? I like it. It¡¯s a chance to prove his strength, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Then, an unexpected voice expressed support, it was Lucy, the Vampire Lord.

    There was no better way to prove one¡¯s strength than through direct confrontation.

    Besides, she believed the Commander of the Royal Knights was more than capable. But Ambassador Viral disagreed.

    While he trusted the Commander, he saw no need to take unnecessary risks.

    Lucy, on the other hand, was secretly impressed by the Commander¡¯s bold decision-making.

    ¡®Was he unaware of the difficulty of the Warrior¡¯s Festival? No, that¡¯s impossible. He was the one who suggested it.¡¯

    That meant he knew the dangers. And yet, he chose to walk that path of death.

    He certainly had guts.

    ¡°It¡¯s a troublesome and unnecessarily difficult path, but it¡¯s also necessary to unite the alliance.¡±

    The reason for the alliance¡¯s division was simple there was ack of respect. They looked down on other races, dismissing their ways as barbaric, and ignored their suffering. ????£Ï¦Â¨º??

    That led to the copse of the Royal Knights. But this Commander was taking a different approach, uniting the alliance by acknowledging each race¡¯s unique ways.

    Orcs were extremely stubborn. But that also meant they were fiercely loyal to those they acknowledged. Schemes and betrayals were unheard of among them.

    If they had aint?

    They voiced it openly.

    That was the orcs¡¯ way.

    It would be easier to just cut them off, but unfortunately, their strength was necessary. They were too valuable to ignore.

    Aside from the inherently powerful dragons and vampires, the orcs were the only race to have sessfully repelled True Demons before the Royal Knights¡¯ revival.

    And their value hadn¡¯t diminished since. In fact, it had increased after the Royal Knights¡¯ copse.

    The orcs themselves didn¡¯t care about such things, which was typical of them.

    However, if they could be properly utilized, they would be powerful allies.

    Elder Makenis had considered all of this, which was why he opposed Hans¡¯s participation in the Warrior¡¯s Festival.

    Failure was a problem, but sess was equally troublesome.

    If the orcs supported the Royal Knights, the elves wouldn¡¯t be able to oppose them alone. But they couldn¡¯t wish for Hans¡¯s death either.

    The alliance was only able to reunite thanks to the Royal Knights¡¯ revival. If their leader died so soon after their return, they would likely disband again.

    ¡®He¡¯s more cunning than he looks,¡¯

    Elder Makenis thought, clicking his tongue.

    He was caught in a web, like a butterfly trapped in a spider¡¯s silk. Only Commander Hans, the one who had initiated this whole thing, remained calm.

    He had already nned everything, manipting the leaders of each race. He wasn¡¯t just a swordsman, he was a strategist.

    This was going to be troublesome.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Hans, who had earned the respect of Dezra, the Rusty Tyrant, and the wariness of Elder Makenis, stared nkly at the ceiling.

    ¡°When will this meeting end?¡±

    His mind was fried, unable to keep up with the discussion. He was so desperate he was praising Time Stop.

    It was a sign he was going crazy.

    ¡°Silence. Hans has already made his decision. Do not interfere.¡±

    Dezra¡¯s heavy words silenced everyone.

    Hans had remained silent, not out of strategic thinking, but because his mind had overloaded.

    Ironically, his frozen expression had fooled the other leaders into thinking he was deep in thought.

    As Dezra said, it was the Commander¡¯s choice, not theirs.

    Dezra, the Rusty Tyrant, seemed to admire Hans¡¯s courage, his willingness to face danger. He had even started calling Hans by his name.

    ¡°Tell me when you¡¯re ready. We¡¯ll go together,¡± Dezra said.

    ¡°I will.¡±

    ¡°Commander Hans, please reconsider.¡±

    The other leaders chose to back down. Theycked the information to forcefully intervene.

    Except for one.

    Yuyeong remained, trying to persuade him.

    ¡°Are you really going to trust the orcs? Give up now.¡±

    ¡°My decision is final.¡±

    ¡°We can manage without those barbarians.¡±

    ¡°But the cost will be great.¡±

    The other races weren¡¯t tolerating the orcs¡¯ arrogance out of kindness. They were doing it because the orcs were the most sessful race, aside from the untouchable vampires and dragons.

    Moreover, the orcs were holding the northern front line. The reason monsters weren¡¯t pouring down from the north was purely due to their efforts.

    If they were ostracized¡­

    A horde of monsters would descend upon them.

    Yuyeong knew this all too well, so she couldn¡¯t contradict the Commander.

    She sighed.

    ¡°I understand the orcs are holding back the monsters in the north, but their attitude is still a problem.¡±

    ¡°The orcs are holding back the monsters in the north?¡±

    The only reason Hans didn¡¯t express his surprise was the mask he had developed from experience. He had very little information about the orcs and vampires.

    At least the orcs were better than the vampires, about whom he knew absolutely nothing. But even so, he didn¡¯t know what role orcs yed in the overall history of the game.

    In this world,moners and frontline soldiers might be ignorant, but anyone with even a little authority understood the role of each race.

    And who was Hans? The brilliantmander who rebuilt the Royal Knights.

    So, Yuyeong naturally assumed he knew about the orcs¡¯ role.

    ¡®They¡¯re not just mercenaries? I¡¯m screwed.¡¯

    Hans,pletely unaware, thought the orcs were just mercenaries who liked to flex their muscles. While they weren¡¯t as powerful as vampires in the game, they were still troublesome.

    He had intended to bring them to his side before they sided with the demons, but now his thinking changed.

    He had been active in this world for over a year. He had memorized the current state of the front lines.

    What if the orcs switched sides and the north was breached?

    Hans shuddered.

    This can¡¯t fail.

    His fried brain finally started to recover.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

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 Chapter 109

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    When Hans announced that he would be participating in the Warrior¡¯s Festival, his unit members, surprisingly, didn¡¯t vehemently object.

    Was it because they didn¡¯t know much about the Warrior¡¯s Festival? Or was there another reason?

    In any case, Hans wanted to kill yesterday¡¯s self for thinking it had gone well. The very next day, as he was about to leave with the orcs, all of his unit members were waiting at the entrance.

    Naturally dumbfounded, Hans tried to assert his authority as Commander with a sharp rebuke, but unfortunately, this time, he couldn¡¯t do as he pleased.¡°Commander, you decided this without even consulting us.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°And such a dangerous event as the Warrior¡¯s Festival, too. Right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Although she was speaking softly and calmly, her aura was chilling, almost ghostly.

    Cluna smiled sweetly as she pointedly questioned the Commander, and Hans, unable to say anything, was shot down. The other unit members didn¡¯t say anything, but it was clear that most of them shared Cluna¡¯s thoughts.

    Certainly, it was wrong to decide without saying a word to the others, but from Hans¡¯s perspective, this was the best option. If he had told them in advance, they would have all opposed it.

    ¡°What are those? Your mates?¡±

    ¡°Mates? What nonsense are you suddenly spouting?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, brave warrior. Takes many women.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Looking at the Rusty Tyrant, who suddenly appeared behind him, arms crossed and nodding, Hans wore a dumbfounded expression.

    Then, the unit members in front of him spoke up one by one.

    ¡°Mates¡­?! I-I¡¯m not ready yet¡­!!¡±

    ¡°Orcs have good eyes.¡±

    ¡°M-Maybe orcs aren¡¯t such a bad race after all¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I wish they would all just go away.

    There was a briefmotion, but the departure itself wasn¡¯t dyed. Hans strongly opposed leaving Lionheart Fortress empty, but he crumbled at Helia¡¯s single sentence.

    ¡°We can always get another fortress. But if we lose you, Teacher, we be nothing.¡±

    ¡°

    ¡°Teacher, we were able toe this far thanks to you. Please¡­ don¡¯t forget that.¡±

    How could he object when she spoke like that?

    He had even received confirmation directly from the Human Kingdom that they would protect Lionheart Fortress.

    Human King, how dare you betray me?!

    Hansmented inwardly, but he had no choice but to allow them to apany him.

    Surprisingly, Dezra, the Rusty Tyrant, didn¡¯t think badly of it. Rather, he praised Hans greatly and seemed pleased.

    ¡°Drinks alcohol. Takes women. Fights for his life. Truly, a model warrior.¡±

    ¡®What is he saying?¡¯

    Dezra¡¯s words truly represented the orcish values, but unfortunately, Hans wasn¡¯t in a situation to ept them.

    After finishing all preparations, they departed immediately.

    The orcs lived in the extreme northernnd, and called Aberka. Surprisingly, for a pr region, it wasn¡¯tcking in game.

    Hans, feeling puzzled, asked a question.

    ¡°Do that many animals and nts live there?¡±

    ¡°Simple. Monsters. Can eat.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Taste bad. Like dwarves. Beastmen. Most delicious.¡±

    A vein bulged on Bayard¡¯s forehead as she walked beside the horse Hans was riding. He finally understood why the 12 Tribes had such a bad rtionship with the orcs.

    If it weren¡¯t for the demons, the 12 Tribes and the orcs would have probably fought until one side waspletely annihted. But Hans, the Commander of the Royal Knights, had to prevent that.

    At least until all the demons were subjugated¡­

    Wait a minute. Why was he so obsessed with subjugating demons?

    Hans felt a sense of dissonance. Of course, subjugating demons was important.

    But there seemed to be another reason as well.

    It was the usual sense of dissonance. However, it had grownrger than before, as if someone was subtly adjusting the limits. Hans shook off the feeling for now.

    Solving the problem in front of him was the priority.

    Hans silently raised his head and saw them a short distance from Lionheart Fortress, they had huge wings.

    They had fur on their heads and were gnashing theirrge, sharp teeth. The reason Hans didn¡¯t draw his sword was that no one around him was showing hostility.

    ¡°Aberka. Far from here. Ride horses. Half a year, or more than a year.¡±

    ¡°Is it that far?¡±

    ¡°Distance is one thing. But the road is the worst. For elves, it¡¯s faster to run through the forest.¡±

    ¡°So, we fly. Wyverns.¡±

    He understood why they had to fly. But one big question remained. If his memory was correct, wyverns were also a type of monster.

    Was it really okay to ride them?

    To put it simply, Hans¡¯s worries were unfounded. The ride on the wyverns controlled by the orcs was incredibly smooth, beyond imagination. The scenery from the sky was more beautiful than he could have imagined.

    To sum up his current feeling, it was like riding a horse through the blue sky. Except for the fact that he was hugging a green orc from behind.

    ¡°I want to ride alone next time.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Yes! Wyverns are exhrating!¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±

    Dezra replied with a heartyugh.

    This put Hans in a difficult position. Hugging a green monster was disgusting enough, but if he let go of his arms, he was afraid he might be blown away by the wind right in front of him.

    As he was stuck in this dilemma, Dezra, who wasughing loudly in front, said to Hans,

    ¡°There it is. That¡¯s Aberka.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a snow-capped mountain.¡±

    ¡°Hmm! Cold weather gear. Sufficient?¡±

    ¡°Thanks to you.¡±

    The cold weather gear the orcs provided looked a bit rough, but its performance was certain. Otherwise, he would have frozen to death.

    Dezra kindly continued his exnation.

    ¡°Orcs are resistant to cold. But Aberka¡¯s cold¡­ even orcs can¡¯t endure it. Deadly.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°So, Warrior¡¯s Festival. Be careful.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    There was one important fact that hadn¡¯t been mentioned. Orcs were violent and savage. They didn¡¯t evenmunicate with their own kind, let alone other races.

    That synergy was in full effect right now with the Warrior¡¯s Festival, the method was very simple. Juste out of Aberka¡¯s arctic forest alive. Even if it took years.

    But there were no guides for the forest. The moment you entered, guides and challengers alike were all eaten. Therefore, the orcs thought, Let¡¯s just drop them into the forest from the sky.

    He was willing to bet that more than 40% of the challengers died from the fall. In any case, even Hans, the Commander of the Royal Knights, was no exception. And this was the result.

    ¡°Aaaaagh?!¡±

    Hans, suddenly skydiving in mid-air, couldn¡¯t help but scream. Even for him, sudden skydiving in mid-air was definitely not a matter of keeping a poker face.

    However, the reason he could still think in such a situation was thanks to the valuable experience he had gained fighting for his life.

    Whether he fell to his death or died in battle, it was all the same.

    ¡®Time Stop?! No, no! Even with Time Stop, I¡¯ll die! Time eleration?! You want me to die faster?! Are you crazy?!¡¯

    In the end, there was only one option Hans could choose in this situation. It was Time Deceleration. It was a smallfort that deceleration had a weaker penaltypared to eleration.

    But he couldn¡¯t use it now. The headache from using Time Deceleration wasn¡¯t an ordinary headache. It was like someone was splitting his head open with an axe and poking his brain with needles.

    It was only betterpared to Time eleration. The penalty of Time Deceleration was also significant. But if he used it toote, he could be seriously injured or even die.

    ¡®Now!¡¯

    But actually, that wasn¡¯t a big problem for Hans.

    Until now, in situations where he could easily lose his life or be seriously injured, Hans had risked his life and used his ability to get this far.

    That meant that the proficiency rted to his ability had greatly improved without him knowing. Compared to the battlefield where he could lose his life in a split second, this was nothing.

    Thanks to using Time Deceleration on himself for about two seconds, Hans was able tond safely on a tree with a thick trunk.

    He breathed a sigh of relief and raised his head.

    He could see the wyverns flying away beyond the sky.

    It couldn¡¯t be helped.

    He hadn¡¯t expected it to start already, but¡­ should he quickly resolve this?

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Your Text Here]

    For Illustrations and Release Notifications join our Discord

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 Chapter 110

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Tranted By Arcane Trantions

    Trantor: FusionX

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    ¡®Ugh, my head.¡¯

    He managed tond safely, but Hans immediately copsed, clutching his head. The headache from the Time Deceleration penalty was stronger than he imagined.

    He only used it for a short time, but the headache was this bad¡­ he didn¡¯t know how he managed to use Time Deceleration for so long before.

    Hans sighed and got up.Perhaps because he hadn¡¯t used Time Deceleration for very long, the headache didn¡¯tst too long. That aside, how was he supposed to escape this forest?

    Hans clicked his tongue.

    He knew the orcs were crude, but he never imagined they would drop him like this. Had everyone who participated in the Warrior¡¯s Festival until now been treated like this?

    Hans felt his already low first impression of the orcs drop even further. But he didn¡¯t have time for this kind of escapism.

    Hans started moving.

    ¡°The forest of Aberka, huh.¡±

    Hans didn¡¯t just ride the wyvern here. He asked Dezra various questions, and Dezra, who seemed to like Hans, readily answered them.

    Using that valuable information, he would escape this forest and make the orcs his allies.

    Of course, he also had to consider mediating between the 12 Tribes and the orcs, but that was a story forter.

    ording to Dezra, this forest was death itself. Literally, all the creatures inhabiting this forest were hostile to intruders. For example, the sap from that vine over there.

    Even if that vine was the same type as the edible one outside, it couldn¡¯t be eaten here. Because it was poisonous.

    Dezra called it the ¡°will of the forest.¡±

    In other words, Hans was essentially surrounded by enemies. Even obtaining basic food was difficult, so naturally, escaping the forest would be challenging.

    ¡°Fuck. Did I think this was too easy?¡±

    Hans couldn¡¯t deny that he had been out of his mind. At this rate, it would be better to fight and win directly. That¡¯s how hopeless it seemed.

    But he quickly swallowed that thought. It was no use crying over spilled milk. Regret wouldn¡¯t change anything.

    So, he would move forward. That was the one thought that had brought him this far, and he would continue to move forward.

    Hans took a step.

    Despite being surrounded by trees and grass, the cold north wind continued to blow. It wasn¡¯t offering any protection.

    Well, if the forest rejected intruders, this wasn¡¯t surprising.

    Hans looked around.

    Surprisingly, everything around him looked simr.

    It was as if he was walking through a maze made of mirrors.

    He had no idea where he was. He didn¡¯t know if it was because of the snow piled up in the forest, or the intense light that was almost white. He couldn¡¯t pinpoint the cause, but he knew it was dangerous.

    He had once heard that if a person stayed in a room with only white for too long, they would go mad.

    He didn¡¯t know if it was true or not, but¡­ experiencing it firsthand, Hans thought it might be true. He didn¡¯t know where he was or how much time had passed.

    In the end, Hans used his ability.

    ¡°Gasp¡­ gasp¡­!!!¡±

    His head ached. Even though he hadn¡¯t used Time Deceleration, Hans was staggering from the intense headache. It was because the forest environment was attacking him. If he hadn¡¯t used his ability, he might have fainted here.

    Was this what Dezra was talking about?

    He said that if your mental strength was weak, you would be quickly consumed by the forest.

    Certainly, he was far from mentally strong.

    Unlike others, he couldn¡¯t help but know. While training together, he had seen how weak he truly was.

    Every time, he would think, If I didn¡¯t have this ability, what would I be?

    Nothing, probably.

    I hate myself for relying on this disgusting ability.

    That¡¯s why I wanted to give up the Commander position¡­

    ¡­What was he thinking about?

    Hans blinked.

    He couldn¡¯t continue the thought.

    It was partly due to the forest¡¯s influence, but more importantly, the surrounding scenery had suddenly changed.

    Just a moment ago, Hans had been in the forest. But the moment he used Time Stop, the trees and grass that made up the forest vanished, reced by an old temple.

    No, it couldn¡¯t even be called a temple. The foundation was crumbled, and the ce was filled with broken stone fragments and remnants of shattered statues.

    It was more urate to call it the ruins of what was once a temple.

    Hans could only blink, stunned by the sudden change. He had just used Time Stop, and the forest scenery had changed?

    There was a limit to how powerful magic could be¡­

    No, no. This is beyond magic.

    The veteran gamer knowledge in Hans¡¯s head clicked. This game had ces called ¡°ruins.¡±

    They were simr to dungeons, and if you entered them and defeated the boss, you would obtain legendary items and a power-up, essentially a strengthening system for the yer.

    This was one of the reasons why this game, despite being an erotic game, was also considered an RPG. It had a proper growth system.

    Compared to other erotic games that treated it as a side element, this game had implemented it as a core gamey element. There were even sex scenes where you fought and won to then rape the heroine.

    However, the ruins had to meet certain conditions to be unlocked.

    ording to the game¡¯s lore, they were power crystals left behind by ancient sages who foresaw this situation, intended to train the chosen one.

    ¡®But is it okay for me to do this?¡¯

    Hans pondered.

    To put it simply, the ruins were power-up events prepared for the game¡¯s protagonist.

    If he didn¡¯t properly utilize the growth content, including the ruins, and if he couldn¡¯t unite the alliance, the only oue was an ending where everyone was defeated by the Demon King, the final boss.

    Even if it wasn¡¯t that, it would be a boring normal ending.

    Well¡­ even the good ending wasn¡¯t that different, but¡­

    Hans changed his mind.

    Aberka appeared as a region in the game, and he could actually visit it, but the game didn¡¯t implement any ruins in this region. But that created a contradiction in the lore.

    The ruins were prepared by the sages who foresaw this situation for the chosen one.

    In fact, as you progressed through the game¡¯s story, you would naturally encounter the ruins.

    Putting aside the hassle of clearing them, he remembered the 17 ruins prepared for the protagonist.

    This meant that this wasn¡¯t a ruin prepared for the protagonist. But then why was this ruin here?

    Hans¡¯s head was filled with confusion.

    ¡°I have no choice but to try it now.¡±

    ¡°What do you think is the hardest thing to ovee in this world?¡±

    Hans looked up.

    He saw it rising from the crumbled ruins as it gradually took on a human form. However, before it could fully materialize, it spoke.

    ¡°Strength? Or fear?¡±

    His vision blurred.

    Just facing it, Hans felt like running away.

    Fear? Terror? No, those were not the words to describe it.

    It was something primal telling him to run away now. If he didn¡¯t want to die.

    But paradoxically, that fear rooted Hans to the spot.

    Soon, it appeared before him.

    Its two arms looked as if they were covered in flesh. Its face was massive like a rock, and it was even wearing sses. Not only that, but its belly protruded.

    It was the very image of a middle-aged man.

    ¡°The most fearsome thing is myself.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°So, what do you think? Are you ready to kill your¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Die!! You trash!!!¡±

    It was instinct.

    The trauma of being betrayed by something he truly loved. That trauma drove Hans¡¯s body to move. Even if it was just a game.

    He had truly loved it. That game. Everything he had done. And now the cause of it all was right in front of him. He couldn¡¯t help but be enraged.

    Hans instinctively moved.

    It tried to move as well. It was a being that tested others, copying everything about them and making it its own. But even it couldn¡¯t grasp the true nature of its current opponent.

    Of course, if the opponent was someone else, there might have been a chance of winning.

    The power of Time Stop was that great. But unfortunately, his opponent was himself. Time Stop wouldn¡¯t work on him.

    Hans¡¯s sword pierced through its heart.

    Shattered fragments scattered across the ground.

    And in the end, all that remained was a single sword.

    [Trantor Notes]

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    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 111

    He was the one who moved alone in a world where everything had stopped.

    But his sword was dull and powerless, unable to cut.

    Hans blinked.

    He couldn¡¯t believe the trial of the ruins ended so easily. But he was mistaken.

    The trial given by the ruin he was in was to ovee himself. Facing oneself was harder than facing a powerful enemy. But what the ruin read was Hans¡¯s body.

    To be more precise, it was the body of the future Hans that should have been there. But Hans was in a state where his soul had been swapped.

    Even a ruin couldn¡¯t read that far.

    So, it could only read Hans¡¯s vessel. And naturally, if his soul hadn¡¯t been swapped, the future Hans would have appeared as the Time Stop Uncle.But Hans, unable to grasp that, was just bewildered. And humans tend topromise when their thoughts can¡¯t keep up.

    ¡°It seems the difficulty of this ruin was low.¡±

    Of course, the lore book stated that ruins themselves were valuable treasures, but there was a gap between lore and the actual game.

    Especially if the first ruin was incredibly difficult.

    yers might get tired and quit.

    So, naturally, the developers adjust the difficulty ordingly. Thinking about that, this ce was probably a low-level ruin.

    Thinking that way, Hans felt it made sense.

    Then, the remaining problem was the sword on the ground.

    Hans thought, Better to have it than not.

    From experience, the equipment obtained from low-level ruins would eventually be reced. It could be used well enough in the beginning, but sometimes there were traps among the ruin weapons.

    There were definitely pieces of equipment that were worse than not having any at all.

    In fact, Hans himself had experienced a bad ending during his newbie days because he recklessly used one.

    ¡°I have no choice but to slowly learn about this weapon.¡±

    In the case of equipment that self-destructed when used recklessly, depending on the situation, it could be disastrous if used in a truly dangerous situation.  ?

    Hans carried the sword on his back.

    Usually, swords were worn on the waist, but he carried it on his back like luggage. Perhaps dissatisfied with that, the sword on his back vibrated greatly, but Hans didn¡¯t notice.

    The trial of the ruin was over, and the forest, which no longer had a reason to exist, soon regained its original form.

    Hans looked up.

    The forest reappeared. But it wasn¡¯t the horrifying forest he had seen before. It had be an ordinary winter forest.

    Hans, barely relieved, soon realized a critical problem.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know the way.¡¯

    That¡¯s right.

    Hans had only flown here on a wyvern. He hadn¡¯t actually asked Dezra for directions. This was because his thoughts were entirely focused on the Warrior¡¯s Festival.

    ¡°Holy shit. Seriously? This is happening?¡±

    Hans couldn¡¯t hide his shock.

    He never imagined he would ovee the huge mountain that was the Warrior¡¯s Festival, only to be tripped up by the rtively small hill of finding his way.

    But what could he do? The milk was already spilled, and Hans was now a lost soul who had to find his way. He finally epted that fact and started walking.

    Securing food and water was the priority.

    Fortunately, he remembered which direction the wyvern had flown. That snowy mountain range over there.

    Most of the wyverns headed toward the snowy mountain range. That meant there was at least an orc vige near it. And the snowy mountain range was visible if he climbed a tree.

    ¡®I never thought I¡¯d use this like this.¡¯

    Hans had learned how to navigate through forests from Cluna. He learned it to travel through the Dwarf Kingdom and the elves¡¯ forest, but it was proving to be very helpful.

    If it weren¡¯t for that, he might have gotten lost in the forest and ended up stranded. If that happened, his dignity as Commander would be the least of his concerns. He would be worried about his survival.

    It was a good thing it didn¡¯te to that.

    Although he hadn¡¯t mastered the ¡°Mountain Breeze Steps¡± he learned from the elves, even his clumsy implementation was enough to get him out of here.

    Hans continued forward without rest, stepping on the snow piled up alongside the cold winter wind.

    The sword on his back continued to vibrate, but Hans didn¡¯t notice.

    ¡°Finally arrived¡­ Huh?¡±

    A loud explosion caught Hans¡¯s attention as he finally reached the snowy mountain range after running through the forest.

    mes erupted from the center of the mountain range, apanied by smoke.

    ¡®Could it be a monster attack?¡¯

    He briefly thought that, but he quickly shook his head. If monsters had appeared, the mountain range wouldn¡¯t be this quiet. There would be some traces.

    Hans was able to make a quick judgment.

    The Royal Knights members must have caused trouble again.

    He had to get up there quickly and stop them before it was toote. With that in mind, he started running.

    If it weren¡¯t for the avnche that suddenly came crashing down, Hans would have reached them easily. The massive avnche pouring down from the mountain was like the mountain range itself spitting out its fury.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Meanwhile, as Hans was struggling with the avnche, his unit members, as he had expected, were unleashing their fury.

    To be precise, everyone noticed the moment Hans fell, but surprisingly, they swallowed their anger at that moment. Because it felt like they were about to kill all the orcs. But if they did, it would put the Commander in a difficult position.

    So, they tried to avoid killing. But Dezra poured oil on the fire.

    As soon as they arrived at the vige, Dezra said to them,

    ¡°Hans. Did he leave anyst words?¡±

    Dezra and the orcs didn¡¯t understand the concept of consideration. It was far from their nature, and in this harsh environment, consideration could easily lead to everyone¡¯s death.

    So, they kept their words short and to the point.

    Ironically, this was how it sounded to them:

    ¨C The Commander is going to die. So, did he leave anyst words?

    But that wasn¡¯t what triggered them.

    Perhaps Helia or the other members might have reacted that way, but Cluna and Yuren understood the orcs¡¯ nature.

    Of course, they were furious.

    But what ignited the oil was another orc.

    Among the orcs, there were those who felt sexual desire towards other races, and that was the problem whenbined with their aforementioned nature.

    ¡°If he¡¯s dead, do you need a man?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Stop. Nothing is decided.¡±

    It was such an absurd question that even Dezra, the leader of the orcs, had to stop it.

    Of course, in Dezra¡¯s case, he meant for them to stop spouting ridiculous fantasies, but to them, already mentally unstable from being separated from Hans, it was a statement that could easily detonate them.

    The first one to unleash her fury was Yuren.

    The only reason she didn¡¯t revert to her original form was the thin thread of reason she still clung to.

    However, none of the orcs her fists reached remained unscathed.

    Of course, the aftermath caused an avnche, but Rusty Anvil, where the orcs lived, was located inside a cave on the mountainside, so it wasn¡¯t heavily affected by the avnche.

    Dezra nced over.

    He saw his fellow orc, beaten to a pulp, lying sprawled out.

    After observing it for a moment, Dezra turned his gaze to her.

    ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡±

    ¡°No. Approaching another¡¯s woman is a sin.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯ll let it slide?¡±

    ¡°dly. A fitting punishment.¡±

    As Dezra nodded, Yuren withdrew her fury.

    The mes that had been zing around her disappeared in an instant. Two other orcs cleared away the one that had been beaten to a pulp.

    They were all furious, but because Yuren had taken care of it herself, they couldn¡¯t unleash their anger and could only suppress it.

    Helia clicked her tongue as she watched Yuren.

    She had directly shown her anger, warning the orc while simultaneously controlling their collective rage. In that brief moment, acting purely on instinct, she had gained more than expected.

    ¡®I definitely need to be most wary of that woman.¡¯

    No wonder she was the former Commander.

    Yuren had vented her anger while simultaneously calming everyone else and warning the offender. This heightened Helia¡¯s vignce.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°That voice¡­?!¡±

    Just one word. But that one word instantly erased their anger. The voice they longed to hear wasing from above.

    Their gazes simultaneously shot towards the sky. There, they saw the Commander descending from the sky.

    Hans, who had literally leaped into the air,nded on the ground.

    Dezra was stunned.

    He had clearly dropped him into the forest as usual. No one had ever returned, yet he couldn¡¯t believe he hade back.

    As everyone¡¯s emotions focused on Hans,

    ¡®¡­ I sprained my ankle.¡¯

    That was the only thought in Hans¡¯s mind.

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Your Text Here]

 Chapter 112

    Actually, the avnche wasn¡¯t a big deal for Hans. He could easily avoid it using Time Stop.

    He was just overwhelmed by the sight of an avnche, something he had never seen before.

    He treated it like a tourist attraction, using Time Stop to pass through it, and as expected, he found the orcs and his unit members in a standoff.

    Hans clicked his tongue.

    ¡®It can¡¯t be helped. I have to go and stop them quickly.¡¯

    But simply walking up to them seemed a bit anticlimactic. After some thought, Hans came up with a n.

    ¡®Jump, do a somersault in the air, andnd.¡¯

    It was a bit ssic, but he couldn¡¯t think of a better way to peacefully get their attention. He immediately put his n into action.

    ¡®Damn ankle.¡¯

    And as a result, he sprained his ankle. Hans froze like a statue, but ironically, that allowed Dezra to take in his appearance.

    Was it a lie? Or a trick?

    No, it wasn¡¯t. He couldn¡¯t sense anything so trivial from this man who stood firm.

    Then, Dezra noticed something he had never seen before on the man.

    ¡°What is the sword on your back?¡±

    ¡°Ah, this. They gave it to me after I passed the trial of the forest.¡±

    ¡°T-Then¡­ the legendary holy sword¡­?!¡±

    ¡°Holy sword?¡±

    Hans¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

    He had bad memories associated with the word ¡°holy sword.¡± He had gone through all sorts of hardships to obtain a holy sword, only to find out after finally winning it that the real holy sword was ¡°our noble hearts¡± or something like that.

    Naturally, Hans was incredibly annoyed, but what could he do?

    [T/N: Lmao bro is afraid of getting jebaited again]

    After that incident, he erased the word ¡°holy sword¡± from his mind. But to think it would reappear here¡­

    But in a way, it was inevitable. Dwarves were creators.

    And that also meant they were imitators.

    ording to legend, swords were created by imitating the first sword. In other words, they needed something to imitate.

    The holy sword.

    Dwarves weren¡¯t childish dreamers, they recreated reality. Therefore, the fact that dwarves had created holy swords meant that a real holy sword existed. ?

    Vwooom!!

    The sword, carried like luggage on Hans¡¯s back, vibrated violently, announcing its presence in response to Dezra¡¯s words. Ironically, it added weight to Dezra¡¯s im.

    Hans clicked his tongue.

    The holy sword, however, felt wronged.

    It had waited thousands of years for the prophesied hero to appear, only to be met with this foolish being who couldn¡¯t even hear it speak.

    What did the sages sacrifice their lives for to build those ruins, and why were they ced there as a safeguard against future threats?

    The holy sword felt like weeping tears of blood.

    ¡°This is a holy sword?¡±

    ¡°Yes. And ording to legend, the holy sword speaks to those who are worthy, those it recognizes as its master.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s speaking to the Commander right now?!¡±

    ¡°Of course! The Commander will surely be recognized as its master!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    And Hans, who had been spacing out, was suddenly cornered. The holy sword on his back suddenly started glowing and vibrating, adding weight to Dezra¡¯s words.

    Besides, it would be strange if a holy sword didn¡¯t have such a function. More importantly, several ego swords that could speak had already appeared in the game, and he had even used one of them himself.

    Its performance was rather underwhelming, but it was still considered a final weapon, so many builds were created to try and utilize it.

    ¡®But¡­ I can¡¯t hear anything?¡¯

    The biggest problem, however, was that Hans couldn¡¯t hear anything. No matter how hard he listened, there was no sound.

    The implication was clear.

    The holy sword hadn¡¯t recognized him as its master yet. Well, that was to be expected. To be precise, the holy sword was constantly trying tomunicate, but Hans couldn¡¯t hear it.

    He gulped.

    Expectant gazes focused on him. Most of them were hoping that he would be chosen as the holy sword¡¯s master. But what was he supposed to do if he couldn¡¯t hear it?

    [Could it be¡­ he can¡¯t even hear the holy sword¡¯s voice?]

    [I¡¯m disappointed in you, Teacher.]

    [The orcs seem more reliable.]

    ¡®That is exactly what¡¯s going to happen¡­!!!¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t just a delusion, it was almost paranoia. But he knew he wouldn¡¯t receive a favorable response.

    So, here was the problem, how could he maintain his dignity as Commander?

    The most important thing was performance.

    But he had to control the intensity. Too strong, and it would be overkill. Too weak, and they would be suspicious.

    Hans quickly calcted.

    Then, his actions were clear. He slowly drew the holy sword from his back, making sure everyone could see it. The orcs and his unit members watched in awe.

    His unit members reacted simrly. Yuren and Ruby, in particr, expressed admiration for the sword¡¯s elegance. But no one could have predicted what Hans did next.

    He threw the sword with all his might.

    ¡°W-What the¡­?!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Not only the other orcs, but even Dezra, the Rusty Tyrant, was shocked.

    It was a holy sword, no less. A holy sword obtained from the Warrior¡¯s Festival, which had devoured countless heroes.

    No one here would im it was a fake.

    Even if it wasn¡¯t a holy sword, it was a sword ofparable value. And yet, he threw it away.

    As if it were useless trash.

    Hans, on the other hand, was relieved. He had sessfully caught everyone¡¯s attention. The gamble was about to begin.

    ¡°How unpleasant. Who chooses whom?¡±

    A cold, icy voice dominated the space.

    Hans himself didn¡¯t realize it, but his name was already known to most races.

    The Commander who revived the fallen Royal Knights.

    The hero of the counterattack.

    Even if he was a fraud, his reputation carried weight. And the powerful beings gathered here understood the Commander¡¯s true intentions.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need a weapon that tries to control its master.¡±

    His achievements and position lent weight to his words. His voice,ced with suppressed anger, seemed to crush everything around him.

    The only one who spoke up was Ruby.

    ¡°B-But Commander, this is a real holy sword.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±

    ¡°But¡­!!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that strange?¡±

    Ruby was flustered.

    The weight of a holy sword was not light. A weapon that didn¡¯t suit its owner could consume them. Naturally, Ruby didn¡¯t think she was worthy.

    But she couldn¡¯t bring herself to persuade the Commander further. His current aura was too intimidating.

    In this dilemma, it was none other than Yuren, the former Commander, who came to Ruby¡¯s aid.

    ¡°You obtained the holy sword. Why would you give up that honor to your unit member?¡±

    ¡°One cannot be stronger by relying on a weapon.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s true, but¡­¡±

    ¡°And Ruby is a dwarf. She could use the holy sword as a reference to create an even better weapon. So, leave it to her.¡±

    ¡°I see. I¡¯m convinced.¡±

    Anyone who had witnessed Hans¡¯s struggle to obtain the holy sword in the Dwarf Kingdom would probably burst intoughter, but unfortunately, there was no one like that here.

    Instead, the orcs were moved by Hans¡¯s words.

    One cannot be stronger by relying on a weapon. True. Of course, he wasn¡¯t denying the strength that weapons could provide. But had it always been like this?

    Upon hearing the words ¡°holy sword,¡± some of the orcs had harbored desires to steal it. But after hearing Hans¡¯s words, they felt ashamed.

    He discarded it so easily.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ true strength.¡±

    Dezra, the Rusty Tyrant, couldn¡¯t help but admire him. He had never seen a human like this, except for the one he had met a hundred years ago.

    A hundred years ago, when more than half the continent had fallen, on that day when even the battle-loving orcs trembled in fear, there was a human hero who fought against the demons alone until the very end.

    The man called the Golden Knight.

    Dezra saw his back in Hans.

    ¡®It seems like it worked out well¡­¡¯

    Vwooom!!

    ¡®Ugh?!¡¯

    He thought everything had been resolved perfectly, if it weren¡¯t for the holy sword that suddenly flew at him from behind. He almost stumbled but managed to grit his teeth and endure.

    Hans turned around.

    Somehow, the holy sword he had thrown to the ground was stuck to him like a leech. He tried to shake it off, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. The holy sword continued to vibrate.

    As if begging him not to abandon it.

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Your Text Here]<hr>

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 113

    ¨C So, you be his strength.

    The holy sword still remembered that voice.

    The one who created it had seen the future and prepared for it. And she told the holy sword that it would be good to be his strength.

    Following that order, the holy sword had slumbered within the ruins. It wasn¡¯t lonely. All it had left was its mission. So it waited, and waited, for an eternity.

    For the prophesied day. But as time passed, it couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of loneliness.

    ¡®I wish I had been created as a tool without emotions,¡¯ it thought.

    But the wait eventually ended.

    The hero who broke through the trials of the ruins and reached it finally appeared. Their first impression wasn¡¯t good, to say the least. Putting aside his appearance, the power he possessed didn¡¯t seem that strong. It was a shame to call him a mere nouveau riche, but his power fell short of a true hero. That was the holy sword¡¯s first impression.

    [You seem weak. But the fact you made it this far means you¡¯re something special, right?]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    [Hey! Are you even listening to me?]

    The holy sword¡¯s reaction was natural.

    Only those worthy could hear its voice. In other words, the weak couldn¡¯t hear it. But could someone who passed the trials of the ruins not hear its voice?

    Those trials were designed to filter out the weaklings. He had passed those trials, so even though he looked weak on the outside, he must have hidden strength.

    The holy sword believed that.

    But he didn¡¯t answer. The holy sword kept trying to talk to him, but he remained silent.

    Soon, doubt turned into suspicion¡­

    [Huh?]

    The holy sword came to its senses, lying on the ground. As if it were worthless trash.

    What is this? it thought. And then, it saw it. Hans¡¯s rage.

    ¡°How unpleasant. Who chooses whom?¡±

    The cold, icy voice echoed in the holy sword¡¯s ears.

    It finally realized.

    The man hadn¡¯t been unable to hear its voice.

    He had deliberately ignored it.

    [No, why?! How could you?! I¡­ I¡­!!]

    ¡°I don¡¯t need a weapon that tries to control its master.¡±

    [¡­!!!]

    A weapon that tries to control its master.

    Those words pierced the holy sword¡¯s heart like an arrow.

    Had it been too excited to meet him after all these years? Or had it deluded itself into thinking it had to lead him?

    It had forgotten the most important thing for a sword. A sword was merely a tool. And how to use that tool was entirely up to the master.

    Even a humble, old kitchen knife could be a legendary de capable of cutting anything if wielded by a master. Conversely, even a legendary de would be trash if wielded by someone worthless. ?

    ¡°One cannot be stronger by relying on a weapon.¡±

    And that man understood that truth very well.

    Yes, even though his power might be weak, he was like a sharp sword, honed to perfection through relentless self-discipline.

    The holy sword was already moving. After eons, it had finally met a master worthy of the name. It didn¡¯t want to part with him. That was why it clung to him like a leech.

    But naturally, from Hans¡¯s perspective, who couldn¡¯t hear the holy sword¡¯s voice, it was a nuisance. It was fine when he held it in his hand, but it fiercely resisted any other form of contact.

    Dezra, the Rusty Tyrant, even tried to touch it, only to have his entire arm scorched as if struck by lightning. In the end, Hans had no choice but to take possession of the holy sword.

    ¡°This proves that the holy sword has a will of its own.¡±

    One of the reasons Hans tried to abandon the holy sword was that he felt unworthy of it, but the biggest reason was the holy sword¡¯s will.

    Unlike his unit members, he couldn¡¯t avoid the sword. He had to be constantly vignt, maintaining his dignity as Commander, 24 hours a day, with the holy sword by his side.

    Furthermore, everyone around him was making a fuss about the holy sword, adding to the pressure.

    He thought it was for the best to get rid of it, but he never imagined the holy sword would be so tantly clingy.

    ¡°Hey, holy sword. Can you hear me?¡±

    Vwooom!

    ¡°I can find you a better master.¡±

    Vvvvvvvooooooom!!!

    Unlike the slight hum at first, it now vibrated violently as if an earthquake was urring. It was so intense that the chair he was sitting on and the desk in front of him werepletely shattered.

    Hans sighed.

    Like it or not, the holy sword was now his.

    Until it found another master it liked, he had no choice but to carry it himself.

    If another unit member carried it and got hurt, it would be his problem. Of course, Ruby was a little disappointed, but she didn¡¯t express her feelings further.

    Hans clicked his tongue.

    Considering the risks involved in carrying this holy sword, it would be much better for Ruby to have it. He didn¡¯t understand why it was suddenly acting up.

    He was annoyed, but he didn¡¯t provoke it any further. Countless viins had self-destructed because they couldn¡¯t control their anger and ended up hurting others. He didn¡¯t want his name added to that list.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t aplete waste.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. We formed a proper alliance with the orc tribe.¡±

    ¡°Hepleted the Warrior¡¯s Festival alone. Orcs surprisingly keep their word, even if it costs them their lives.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s both a strength and a weakness.¡±

    They kept their word, no matter what.

    It wasn¡¯t loyalty, it was closer to madness. For example, if they said they would destroy the beastmen, they would do it, no matter the cost.

    Thankfully, thanks to his sess in the Warrior¡¯s Festival, their image of the Royal Knights had improved, and they were able to establish cooperative rtionships. But they were not to be taken lightly.

    They could explode at any moment. And at the same time, he had to take care of the 12 Tribes as well. They were bound to express their dissatisfaction after he joined forces with the orcs.

    He couldn¡¯t ignore that.

    ¡°Should I ask Bayard and bring her a gift?¡±

    ¡°I can see Lionheart Fortress!¡±

    ¡°So we¡¯ve finally returned.¡±

    Although the orcs weed them warmly, Hans decided to leave after three days, fearing he might make a mistake if he stayed longer.

    He had a valid excuse, he couldn¡¯t be away for too long.

    The orcs showered them with gifts. Among them was even a tamed wyvern.

    Hans frowned.

    Riding a wyvern¡­ it felt different.

    What if I fall and die? No, of course he wouldn¡¯t die because he had Time Deceleration, but¡­

    After all sorts of anxious thoughts, Hans finally returned to the fortress.

    The fortress felt like home now. The gifts from the orcs were surprisingly useful. They gave him a method to preserve food for a long time and two pairs of male and female wyverns.

    [Wyverns, if raised well, can rule the sky.]

    [I see. But what do wyverns eat?]

    [Beastmen. They like them best.]

    [¡­]

    ¡°Those bastards are dangerous.¡±

    Eating beastmen was the same as cannibalism. That meant they could easily eat humans too. He wanted to cut ties with them immediately, but he couldn¡¯t ignore their strength.

    After all, it was the orcs who were protecting them from the monsters swarming from the north.

    Of course, it was typical of the orcs that they were doing it because they wanted to, not because anyone asked them to.

    There was nothing to be gained from being friendly with them. But for the sake of his goal, he had to¡­

    Hans tilted his head.

    It happened again. His thoughts were suddenly cut off.

    ¡°This feeling¡­ it¡¯s simr to the Comprachico incident¡­!!¡±

    His memories were unnaturally fragmented.

    Hans gritted his teeth.

    What was going on?

    ¡®I don¡¯t know¡­ my head hurts. I can¡¯t think anymore.¡¯

    Hans slowly moved his body.

    ¡°Teacher?¡±

    ¡°¡­Helia?¡±

    ¡°Is something wrong¡­?¡±

    ¡°?! Helia!!¡±

    It was natural for Helia to notice that Hans wasn¡¯t well. But at the same time, Helia¡¯s body slowly copsed.

    Hans was startled and rushed to her side.

    Helia was lying unconscious. Hans stared at her silently, then looked up. A chilling coldness¡­ it didn¡¯t need to speak. It was announcing its presence.

    It was simr to the chill he had felt before. The presence of the monster he had spoken to through a door. Then, a girl with brilliant blonde hair appeared before him.

    She smiled sweetly and said,

    ¡°I was wondering why a man like you was under hypnosis. So that¡¯s what happened.¡±

    ¡°¡­Vampire Lord.¡±

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. This is also a form of entertainment.¡±

    She had thought something was strange the moment she saw him.

    The Commander of the Royal Knights, under hypnosis?

    She even wondered if he was a puppet, but after meeting him, she knew he wasn¡¯t.

    That child called him Teacher. That meant he had let his guard down and been caught by her.

    Lucy, the Vampire Lord, smiled and reached out her hand.

    She hadn¡¯t nned on getting involved.

    But now that there was an opportunity¡­

    Aren¡¯t you curious?

    How will the Commander react to them when the hypnosis is lifted?

    [T/N: Lol fourth wall break kinda funny cuz true yeah we wanna know broooo]

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Your Text Here]<hr>

 Chapter 114

    Vampires.

    A race called the rulers of the night, and a race capable of rivaling dragons, known as the strongest race on earth.

    However, vampires usually fall short.

    Only high-ranking vampires could somewhatpete with dragons, and even then, if the dragon was particrly strong, even a high-ranking vampire couldn¡¯t guarantee victory.

    They were no match for the Dragon Lord and the elders. Yet, the reason why it was said that vampires rivaled dragons was simple. It was because of the Lord¡¯s existence.

    The Vampire Lord.

    The existence of that single individual bnced the scales between vampires and dragons. And now, the Vampire Lord frowned. Her hand was trembling for some reason.

    ¡°Am I¡­ feeling fear?¡±Sensing something amiss, Lucy stepped back. Her sharp, predatory eyes red at the man.

    The dazed fool was gone. In his ce stood a monster.

    ¡°What are you?¡±

    ¡°Who cares?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Well, I can y with you for a bit.¡±

    ¡°¡­?!¡±

    He smiled. But it wasn¡¯t a normal smile. A smile devoid of teeth or light. A smile as dark as the abyss. And at the same time, one of his eyes shed crimson.

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Fast things have something inmon. No matter how fast they are, they still move.

    Whether it¡¯s one step or a hundred steps, as long as they move, they can¡¯t escape her eyes.

    But the Commander easily dodged her attack. As if he had stopped time and closed the distance in that instant.

    His right fist swung and struck Lucy¡¯s face.

    Thud!!

    An impact and sound like being hit by a sledgehammer reverberated.

    Lucy spat out blood.

    It was a pain she hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. Was the impact alone stronger than the Dragon Lord¡¯s?

    ¡°I initially thought it wasn¡¯t the Commander, but something else.¡±

    Lucy quickly changed her mind.

    A Vampire Lord of her caliber could see things that were invisible to others. Movement habits, eye movements, the rhythm of breathing.

    Everything told her that the man standing before her was Hans, the Commander of the Royal Knights. If this was an imitation, it was even more terrifying.

    Lucyughed out loud.

    ¡°They say a skilled hawk hides its talons. How true that is.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Ah, is that so?¡±

    It instantly understood the Vampire Lord¡¯s words.

    She mistook it for Hans. Well, that made sense. Everything it was currently replicating belonged to Hans.

    Beyond speech and behavior¡­

    His breath, habits, even the movements of his internal organs¡­

    It knew everything about Hans.

    But at the same time, it felt a sense of displeasure.

    Everything it had just mentioned was something only it knew until now. It hadn¡¯t mattered before. It was all just child¡¯s y.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°You need to die.¡±

    ¡°¡­!!!¡±

    Hans, or rather, the being that appeared as Hans to Lucy, raised his intact left hand to cover his ck eye.

    The remaining eye shone even brighter.

    Instinctively, Lucy backed away. A thick killing intent, a genuine desire to kill her. A fear that made her knees weak and sent shivers down her spine.

    The Vampire Lord felt it.

    Usually, when one sensed killing intent, they felt fear, and that fear made them want to flee.

    That was natural.

    Living beings, especially when it came to their own lives, were inherently selfish.

    She couldn¡¯t me them. The desire to escape death was a survival instinct. But the Vampire Lord didn¡¯t flee. Instead, she smiled brightly.

    ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s right. That¡¯s what a hero should be like! Absolutely!!!¡±

    Sheughed.

    Even with the intense killing intent aimed at her, even though she thought she might actually die, sheughed out loud. It was so unexpected that even it was surprised.

    ¡°How boring! Heroes only thinking about their own gain! Don¡¯t be ridiculous! In the old days¡­ thousands of years ago!! Those who didn¡¯t care about such things were called heroes!!¡±

    Politics. Race. Lovers. Family. Friends.

    To be a hero, one had to be able to sever all ties. And there were many such individuals in the past. The one who killed his lover who became a vampire with his own hands.

    The one who killed his mother who was possessed by a demon and then took his own life. The one who killed his wife who had fallen and be a temptress and gouged out his own eyes.

    They were called heroes.

    Naturally, countless heroes hade to Lucy. Because she was the one who corrupted them. She had been called many names: demon, temptress, vampire. And so on.

    ¡°Throw away everything ande for my neck, hero.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous.¡±

    Words were like packaging. They could be used to conceal the true meaning.

    There was a saying that a single word could repay a thousand-dor debt. It saw through her.

    ¡°You¡¯re just¡­ turned on by this, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, you caught me.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ you¡¯re making it pretty obvious.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡±

    Killing intent. Hatred. Rage.

    Making someone kill their loved one with their own hands, and then using that same hand to kill her. How could such a situation not be exciting?

    Excellent, good, that¡¯s it.

    ¡°That¡¯s all I can feel anymore.¡±

    ¡°You really need to die.¡±

    Yes, that¡¯s right.

    She couldn¡¯t be left by Hans¡¯s side. Trash had to be disposed of immediately.

    If you left a rotten apple next to a good one, the good one would soon rot as well.

    It closed the distance and threw a punch.

    The fist, extending in a straight line, pierced through Lucy¡¯s abdomen in an instant.

    Lucy staggered, blood and viscera sttering. But she didn¡¯t lose her smile.

    ¡°Not yet. Not even close! You think this is enough to make me cum?!¡±

    ¡°I want to rip her head off, spine and all.¡±

    This was the limit of the power it could manifest with one arm and one eye.

    Was this all it could do? Barely on par with the Vampire Lord? But it couldn¡¯tin. It was content with this.

    Because it was a gift from him.

    Gifts were like bonds of the heart. You gave gifts because you loved, because you liked, and through those gifts, you became one.

    That¡¯s why it endured.

    Looking forward to the day they could truly be one. It grabbed Lucy¡¯s arm with its knee and mmed its elbow into her arm.

    With a cracking sound, Lucy¡¯s broken arm dangled limply.

    ¡°To think she would keep up to this point.¡±

    It was holding back on area-of-effect attacks because it couldn¡¯t destroy the fortress, but it wasn¡¯t going easy on her. It focused all its power on closebat.

    But even so, she didn¡¯t back down.

    They were fighting as equals. How long had it been since it had a fight like this? Humans were truly magnificent.

    Lucy had nothing to lose. If she died by Hans¡¯s hand, she would experience immense pleasure. And if she won, the taste of his blood would be intoxicating, like a drug.

    ¡°But it seems this is it for today.¡±

    ¡°Are you running away?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m out of time.¡±

    ¡°Tch.¡±

    It couldn¡¯t deny her words. It couldn¡¯t be discovered yet, not until its n wasplete.

    It was a shame it couldn¡¯t kill her, but it would have to wait.

    ¡°It¡¯s been fun. I haven¡¯t felt this much enjoyment in a long time.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, next time, I¡¯ll make sure you can¡¯t even feel anything.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it, Commander of the Royal Knights.¡±

    Lucy turned to dust, starting from her toes, and vanished before its eyes.

    It clicked its tongue.

    It didn¡¯t care what happened to that airhead. The n was what mattered. It had intended to take things slowly, but ironically, today¡¯s events had made it feel a sense of urgency.

    A sense that its n might unravel. It moved its fingers, and a red light slowly emanated.

    ¡°Love and resent me. Just as you always have.¡±

    Time couldn¡¯t be stopped. That¡¯s why they loved and resented time. It wasmonly called obsession.

    Even time couldn¡¯t create something from nothing.

    There had to be many vessels. That way, it could bear fruit more easily.

    Fortunately, or unfortunately, they loved its possessions more than it had imagined.

    It understood.

    Look at its possessions, how lovely they were. It knew they couldn¡¯t help but love them. But that was what made it so unfortunate. It had no choice but to bring them misfortune.

    ¡°Teacher¡­?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re awake, child.¡±

    ¡°What is that¡­?¡±

    ¡°Shh, it¡¯s not time yet.¡±

    Helia, who had copsed under the Vampire Lord¡¯s magic, was the first to wake up. But it didn¡¯tst long. It reached out its right hand and covered her eyes.

    ¡°Sleep a little longer. It¡¯s not time for you to wake up from your dream yet.¡±

    The voice was so sweet that Helia soon closed her eyes.

    Watching Helia sleep soundly, it smiled.

    Enjoy your sweet dreams.

    The day that dream shatters is not far off.

    You will be thrown into misfortune.

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Your Text Here]<hr>

 Chapter 115

    Hansy silently in bed, blinking. His head pounded like he had a hangover and his memories ofst night were fragmented.

    The Vampire Lord hade here.

    She reached out to him, and then¡­ strangely, he had no memory after that.

    Did Lucy do something to me?

    He examined his body, but there was nothing wrong.

    But a person of the Vampire Lord¡¯s standing wouldn¡¯t havee here for no reason. She must have done something.

    Hans¡¯s suspicion deepened, but he couldn¡¯t investigate further.

    He had to deal with Helia, who was lying in bed with him. Hans looked down.

    He saw Helia clinging to his side.

    From Hans¡¯s perspective, who had been possessed by Timest night, it was natural that he had no memory.

    However, Helia was different. Although her memories had also been erased, her instincts remembered that her rtionship with her teacher had been threatened.

    Was that why?

    Helia was scared. Scared that her teacher would leave her behind.

    ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡±

    ¡°Teacher¡­!!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m here.¡±

    For a moment, Helia felt a tightness in her chest.

    Her teacher was smiling at her, but for some reason, she couldn¡¯t bear to look at that smile.

    She hadn¡¯t yet learned the emotion called guilt.

    Hans, still unaware of Helia¡¯s actions, simply tilted his head in confusion.

    What¡¯s wrong with her?

    ¡®She¡¯s being especially clingy today.¡¯

    He briefly thought that, but then he raised his hand and gently stroked Helia¡¯s hair. This was how it should be.

    Helia was still a young child of 13 years old. If this were the modern world, she would be just starting middle school.

    Of course, in this world, you became an adult at 16, but she was still young.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay.¡±

    Besides, she had endured so much at such a young age. Thinking about that, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to indulge her a little.

    Perhaps reassured by her teacher¡¯s words, Helia¡¯s trembling gradually subsided.

    Relieved, she slowly closed her eyes. Even if it was just a dream, she wanted to stay like this forever.

    After confirming that Helia was asleep, Hans stayed for a moment before getting out of bed.

    The Commander of the Royal Knights had more to do than he thought, especially now.

    ¡°Commander, you¡¯re here?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Today is the real beginning.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot to prepare.¡±

    Cluna, who had arrived at the office in advance and was waiting, smiled and handed him a stack of parchments.

    Most of them were already prepared, needing only his signature for approval.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t we all rest yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I got plenty of rest.¡±

    ¡°Then when did you prepare all this?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ before we went to the orcs¡¯ territory, I believe?¡±

    ¡°You prepared this beforehand?¡±

    Hans clicked his tongue.

    There was a limit to howpetent someone could be. Or was this natural?

    Cluna was an elf who had lived for hundreds of years. Naturally, she had an unimaginable amount of experience in these matters.

    ¡°But are you really sure about this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the perfect time, precisely because it¡¯s now.¡±

    Hans checked the information on the parchment.

    He was constantly reviewing information, just in case, and even using his memories from his past life. He was even seeking advice.

    All of this pointed to one fact. But he had to be cautious.

    Taking too much time and missing the opportunity was a problem, but rushing things was also a problem.

    ¡°The Royal Knights¡­ no, the first expedition of the Multi-Racial Alliance.¡±

    Until now, the Multi-Racial Alliance had only defended against the demon¡¯s attacks.

    They didn¡¯t have the luxury ofunching an expedition. It was no coincidence that the Royal Knights¡¯ expedition had received widespread support.

    If it had seeded, it would have been the first time in history, since the demon invasion, that they had reimed lost territory.

    Although it failed, now was an opportunity.

    [Is it really necessary to push ourselves?]

    [I agree. It¡¯s not toote to do it after the situation stabilizes.]

    [I also agree with Cluna.]

    Cluna and Yuren expressed strong concerns about Hans¡¯s n.

    The Royal Knights¡¯ expedition had failed a year ago, leading to the copse of the order and the subsequent downfall of the alliance.

    What if the expedition, not just of the Royal Knights, but of the entire Multi-Racial Alliance, failed? It would give the demons an advantage.

    Hans understood their concerns.

    But he had a reason forunching the expedition now. He knew when the demons would regain their strength. He had seen it in the original story.

    [After the copse of the Royal Knights, the demons didn¡¯t take immediate action. Perhaps because of that, the Multi-Racial Alliance, instead of uniting, bared their fangs at each other, even though they should have been sticking together.]

    [And three yearster, the demons, having recovered from their injuries sustained in the battle against the Royal Knights,unched a full-scale invasion. The Dwarf Kingdom was the first to fall, and then the 12 Tribes werepletely subjugated.]

    In other words, the demons would regain their full strength in three years.

    They were currently weakened after losing three True Demons, but even so, they would likely recover within four years.

    So, he had to strike them before then and drag them into a war of attrition. He had to weaken them as much as possible before they regained their full strength.

    ¡°The problem is, everyone else is probably thinking the same thing.¡±

    The demon invasion was still ongoing, but unfortunately, too much time had passed.

    The goal of restoring the continent to its original state had vanished. Now, they were simply trying to protect what they had left.

    Hans understood their feelings.

    No one wanted to take risks. Especially since theirst attempt, just a year ago, had ended in failure.

    It would be incredibly difficult to persuade them.

    But if they continued like this, they had no future. The Holy Empires¡¯ barrier was weakening, and the demons were growing stronger.

    Ironically, thanks to the Royal Knights¡¯ expedition a year ago, the gap had narrowed, giving the Multi-Racial Alliance a slight advantage.

    Now was their chance.

    How long could they maintain this advantage?

    The answer to that question would determine their victory or defeat.

    Hans might have forgotten his initial goal, but his instincts still craved victory for the Multi-Racial Alliance.

    ¡°Is there any way to persuade them?¡±

    Hans readily asked Cluna for advice.

    He didn¡¯t realize it, but the very act of seeking advice showed his dignity as Commander.

    At least to Cluna. She had seen countless people self-destruct due to their arrogance, clinging to meaningless pride and reputation.

    Why?

    Cluna thought it was probably fear. Fear of losing their position, or being looked down upon, if they relied on others.

    ¡°If you¡¯re really going to do this, I would persuade the Human King.¡±

    ¡°The Human King? That¡¯s an unexpected answer.¡±

    ¡°He harbors ambitions beyond your imagination. He¡¯s also intelligent and capable. He must have made preparations.¡±

    That was Cluna¡¯s impression of the Human King.

    He wasn¡¯t simply content with being the central figure of the Multi-Racial Alliance. He had greater ambitions. Such as reiming their lost territory.

    Of course, such ideals were meaningless now.

    They had never seeded in retakingnd from the demons. But for some reason, it felt possible.

    It was because of the man standing before her.

    The man who, in just one year, revived the Royal Knights and resurrected the Multi-Racial Alliance, which had been practically scattered.

    Furthermore, the Dwarf Kingdom and the 12 Tribes, indebted to him, were effectively his allies, supporting him. That support would likely continue until they lost their trust in him.

    ¡®He¡¯s so simr to him.¡¯

    Cluna tried to shake off the thought, but she couldn¡¯t help butpare him to the First Hero.

    She had seen the First Hero in him.

    At first, she didn¡¯t understand why. But now she finally did.

    He was simr to the First Hero, yet different.

    The First Hero was somewhat clumsy and ipetent.

    On the other hand, the Commander was a superhuman who aplished everything perfectly. But they had one thing inmon.

    They didn¡¯t settle for the present and dreamed of a better future. And they did so without demanding sacrifices.

    He was truly worthy of being called a hero.

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Your Text Here]<hr>

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 116

    Even while preparing for the first expedition, Hans continued to carry out his duties as Commander.

    Naturally, his workload doubled, but it was something he had to endure.

    Getting help from Yuren, the former Commander, was an option, but she was focused on training the other unit members, and since that was actually helpful, he couldn¡¯t pull Yuren away now.

    So, Hans and Cluna had no choice but to handle all the work themselves. It was only natural that things turned out this way.

    Actually, there had been warning signs.

    Perhaps due to working three consecutive all-nighters, Hans suddenly started bleeding from his nose. He quickly covered his nose, but it was toote.

    Cluna¡¯s gentle hand touched Hans¡¯s left cheek.

    She was looking at him with a worried expression. Feeling self-conscious, Hans turned his head away.¡°You¡¯re pushing yourself too hard, Commander.¡±

    ¡°But there¡¯s no one else who can do this.¡±

    ¡°Even so, rest is important. Especially now, with the expeditioning up.¡±

    ¡°¡­I know.¡±

    But her face was too close. Ufortably close.

    For someone like Hans, who had no immunity to women, it was unavoidable that his body trembled when facing someone so close.

    However, Cluna had her reasons. Watching the Commander¡¯s face, stained with blood, something unknown welled up inside her chest.

    What was it?

    Was she craving blood?

    No, that couldn¡¯t be it. She wasn¡¯t a vampire. But¡­ if it was the Commander¡¯s blood, she might¡­ just slightly¡­ want to taste it.

    Just as her mind was wandering¡­

    ¡°Cluna?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a bit too close, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°S-sorry!¡±

    As Hans pointed out, there was barely any space between them. If she stuck out her tongue just a little, it would touch him.

    Cluna, rarely flustered, quickly stepped back. But true to herself, she still cast a healing spell on him.

    An awkward silence fell.

    Hans scratched his cheek.

    He had spoken up to create some distance, but this awkwardness was troublesome. They were colleagues.

    He didn¡¯t want to continue working in such an awkward atmosphere. It would decrease their efficiency.

    Hans wondered how to break the ice.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I suddenly got a nosebleed.¡±

    ¡°Ah, speaking of which, I forgot something important.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. There was something like that.¡±

    ¡°L-let¡¯s just forget about that. Commander, you need to rest.¡±

    Not only had he gone to the orc¡¯s territory and participated in the Warrior¡¯s Festival, but he also returned and immediately started preparing for the expedition, doubling his workload. In other words¡­ he was overworked. ?

    Cluna¡¯s diagnosis was urate.

    He had been working continuously without rest. And though both Cluna and Hans were unaware, Time had forcibly borrowed Hans¡¯s body and gone on a rampage, so the fatigue umted in Hans¡¯s body was beyond imagination. But Hans didn¡¯t care.

    He didn¡¯t care what happened to this body. The expedition was the priority.

    ¡°I¡¯m nning to rest after this is over.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. I know how to take care of myself.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that really true?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Although he had forgotten his original goal due to the hypnosis, his instincts remained.

    The Royal Knights had been revived, and their name had been restored after repelling the True Demons, but they stillcked proof of their strength.

    However, it wasn¡¯t that theycked achievements. Rather, their achievements were so great that they felt unreal.

    True Demons were monsters.

    That was a fact, but very few people had actually seen a True Demon up close and survived.

    Even the leaders of each race were only aware of the danger they posed.

    Of course, some of the leaders had met True Demons before, but even the leaders, who absorbed all kinds of information, were like that.

    What about the people below them?

    Furthermore, because they had achieved such dazzling feats and be the center of attention, there were those who were jealous and tried to undermine the Royal Knights.

    So, the Royal Knights had to prove themselves.

    They had to prove that they were still strong. And more importantly, they had to show what it meant to defeat three True Demons.

    This expedition would be the first step. So it was natural for Hans to be focused on his work.

    ¡®Besides, the expedition is another opportunity for them, but it¡¯s also something that could trigger their trauma.¡¯

    Just a year ago, the Royal Knights had lost most of their members in a reckless expedition.

    Everyone, including the rookies ra and Ruby, had been deeply scarred.

    Hans was grateful that they had stayed with the Royal Knights after such an experience. And he couldn¡¯t help but think that he might hurt them again.

    But it was necessary to move forward. They couldn¡¯t be content with just defending their territory.

    They had to seize the opportunity.

    ¡°I need to meet with the Human King.¡±

    ¡°Who should we send as a messenger?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go myself.¡±

    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that be inappropriate, given your rank?¡±

    No matter how much the Human King had invested, they weren¡¯t equals. Especially from Cluna¡¯s perspective, no one was on equal footing with Hans.

    But Hans thought differently.

    After all, it was the Human King who had supported them when the Royal Knights were at their lowest point. Thanks to him, they had managed to survive.

    If it weren¡¯t for the Human King¡¯s investment, they might be sitting on the streets right now.

    So, it was only right to show him respect.

    ¡®And I¡¯m also concerned about what I heard before.¡¯

    Cluna had said the Human King had ambitions beyond his imagination.

    Initially, he thought it was about bing the central figure of the Multi-Racial Alliance, but he wasn¡¯t satisfied even after achieving that position.

    Hans continued to work, and it was only natural that he copsed from overwork.

    Hans copsed five dayster.

    It was an ordinary day. He was heading to the dining hall for a meal, and after receiving his food, he suddenly felt dizzy.

    He lost his bnce and copsed. And since it happened in the dining hall during mealtime, with everyone present, there was no denying it.

    Hans lost consciousness.

    Meanwhile, the reactions of the unit members who witnessed Hans¡¯s copse varied.

    Helia, in particr, rushed to his side and caught him the moment she saw him falling.

    ¡°Teacher! Are you alright?! Teacher!!¡±

    For a moment, as they watched Hans copse, all the unit members gathered in the dining hall had the same thought. Because they had all experienced loss before.

    They had lost family, friends, colleagues. They had lost something precious that couldn¡¯t be reced. So their reactions were naturally intense.

    Hans was immediately transported to the infirmary.

    They calmed down a bit after learning that it was just overwork, but that was only on the surface.

    It triggered something within them, and they began to lose control.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing it¡¯s just overwork. But what if it wasn¡¯t? What if Commander Hans never woke up again?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t want to lose him again.¡±

    It was a kind of paranoia. But their past experiences of loss fueled their delusions. And it was the same this time.

    Hans had copsed from overwork.

    But what if it wasn¡¯t overwork? What if he had almost died? Naturally, everyone here was afraid.

    The first to act was Cluna.

    She worked in the infirmary, and as a healer, she was skilled in medicine. So, she could stay by Hans¡¯s side.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    There was no response. Perhaps as a consequence of working non-stop, Hans was sleeping with his eyes closed.

    Even Helia had readily moved away from Hans this time.

    She didn¡¯t want to tire him out any further.

    Thanks to that, Cluna could move. She slowly approached him. She knew she shouldn¡¯t be doing this.

    But the moment she saw the Commander copse, the unease she had felt came pouring out like a waterfall. It was the same now.

    She needed something, something to fill the void¡­

    ¡°Are you feeling ufortable anywhere?¡±

    Cluna¡¯s face slowly drew closer to the sleeping Hans.

    Then, her lips covered his.

    It wasn¡¯t a kiss, just a brief peck, but Cluna, realizing what she had done, immediately pulled back.

    ¡®What, what did I just do?¡¯

    She was shocked by her own actions, but surprisingly, she didn¡¯t feel bad.

    [Trantor Notes] <hr>

 Chapter 117

    Was it just impulse? Or something she had desired all along?

    Conflicting thoughts swirled in her mind.

    Cluna¡¯s face, flushed as if it were burning, was as uncertain as a young girl experiencing her first love.

    She was aware. Even if it wasn¡¯t true love, she had married and borne another man¡¯s child.

    Was she truly worthy?

    That question had continuously tormented Cluna. And there was also the matter of her age.

    Wouldn¡¯t it be better to step aside for her lovely daughter? Yes, that was the right thing to do.

    But despite her rationalizations, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to act ordingly. The Commander had told her to take it easy. He was right. Constant work led to exhaustion.

    But the Commander didn¡¯t know one thing.

    That she was pushing herself, partly because she wanted to hear his concerned voice, his caring words¡­

    She would probably never admit it. Cluna¡¯s moist eyes, tinged with a blush, looked down.

    She didn¡¯t know what to do.

    That day, the day she was saved by the Commander, he had said it was only natural, but those natural things¡­ Cluna, despite her long life, hadn¡¯t known them.

    ¡°I was happy. To have someone I could trust my back to.¡±

    After the First Hero¡¯s death, Cluna never made anotherpanion. She didn¡¯t want to see herpanions leave her behind. She was afraid of being left alone.

    That fear had almost been healed once.

    When she married and had children. Looking at her children ying in her arms, Cluna realized her reason for living.

    However, it didn¡¯tst long.

    Her husband and children died in the war against the demons. And to protect ra, who was left alone, she lost control.

    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t stopped me, I might have¡­¡±

    She might have be an even worse monster. And then, a man strong enough for her to trust appeared before her.

    That man was the Commander. Hans, the new Commander of the Royal Knights.

    At first, she thought he was a fool. Starting with the copse of the Royal Knights, the cracks had already grown toorge.

    Even if the First Hero were to return, these cracks couldn¡¯t be mended.

    That¡¯s what she thought, giving up hope. And then, the Commander appeared and reached out his hand.

    After that, she was truly happy.

    She became close with the unit members, shared meals with them, trusted them with her back in battle.

    At some point, Cluna started to think of this ce as home.

    ¡°You gave me a ce to belong.¡±

    There was no response.

    Perhaps because he was exhausted, Hans was sleeping soundly in bed.

    Cluna gazed at his face silently.

    Elves and humans had different standards of beauty.

    Elves usually considered the size and shape of ears to be beautiful.

    From their perspective, humans, regardless of whether they were handsome or beautiful, were like aliens.

    She was happy. She was joyful. But that very fact made her anxious.

    ra, her daughter and fellow elf, not to mention the dragon Yuren, the dwarf Ruby, and the beastman Bayard¡­

    Except for Helia, most of them were long-lived races. Compared to them, the Commander was human.

    A human¡¯s lifespan was fleetingpared to an elf¡¯s.

    Wasn¡¯t it the same with the First Hero?

    She was afraid. Afraid that he, who resembled the First Hero, would leave her side just like the First Hero did. Back then, Cluna could only watch.

    ¡°But¡­ what should I do¡­?¡±

    Suddenly, Cluna remembered a legend passed down among the elves.

    A story about a human who consumed elf honey, gained immortality, and lived happily ever after with his beloved elf.

    It was closer to a fairy tale than a legend. It wasn¡¯t actually effective.

    Most elves scoffed at the idea of an ugly human and an elf being together.

    Elf honey.

    The fairy tale was created to teach children to get along with other races, so it was sugar-coated, but Cluna knew the truth behind the legend.

    It was a story about one of her peers. In the end, she and her lover were executed.

    At the time, Cluna couldn¡¯t understand, but¡­

    Now she did.

    Because she couldn¡¯t ignore this pounding in her chest. The thought of the Commander leaving her side was unbearable. So, she would do it.

    Cluna carefully reached down towards her lower body. Thanks to her dress, it wasn¡¯t difficult to remove her underwear underneath.

    ¡°This is¡­ more embarrassing than I thought¡­¡±

    As her peer had warned, she wasn¡¯t ready for this yet.

    Should she stop? Wouldn¡¯t that be better? But pushing aside the shame and embarrassment, memories of the past took over.

    The First Hero, whom she truly loved, died in bed. Her husband and children were killed by demons.

    She had thought she only had her beloved daughter left.

    But he had forced his way into her heart. Even though she tried to push him away, she couldn¡¯t. In the end, he became a part of her.

    There was one contradiction.

    Cluna wasn¡¯t thinking about fighting demons.

    Her only concern was the Commander leaving her side when his lifespan ended.

    ¡°Is it this world that¡¯s twisted? Or is it me, obsessed with you?¡±

    Because she had experienced loss, because she knew the heart-wrenching pain, because she knew what he had done for them¡­ That¡¯s why she thought, Even if I¡¯m hated, it can¡¯t be helped. ??

    Finally, her determined hand removed her underwearpletely. And then, into the opening of her exposed womanhood, beneath her dress, she slowly inserted her slender finger.

    Guilt and shame. And the unknown pleasure that coexisted between them elerated her movements.

    Then, suddenly, she stopped.

    Cluna¡¯s gaze fell on the Commander¡¯s hand.

    A weak, human hand, covered in scars and blisters. It wasn¡¯t a beautiful hand by any means.

    But Cluna loved the warmth of that hand more than anything. She came to her senses, her delicate hand holding the Commander¡¯s.

    She knew she shouldn¡¯t be doing this.

    She knew it rationally, but¡­ she couldn¡¯t stop herself. Consumed by desire and pleasure, there was no stopping Cluna.

    Soon, the Commander¡¯s hand touched her womanhood.

    ¡°Ah¡­?!?¡±

    A jolt of electricity shot through her, from her core to her brain, just from his touch. It was her first time doing this with someone she loved.

    The First Hero, whom she had feelings for, had hesitated until his time ran out, and the elf she married wasn¡¯t someone she loved. But Hans¡­ he was definitely in her heart.

    It was her first time. So she was surprised.

    Even though she had experience, just the touch of her beloved¡¯s hand felt this good¡­ Her surprise quickly turned into pleasure.

    A trickle.

    Her tightly closed flower leaked its nectar once more. But unlike the first time, an unexpectedlyrge amount flowed out.

    Cluna, with trembling hands, collected all the nectar.

    ¡°¡­Come to think of it, the Commander can¡¯t consume this right now.¡±

    Forcing it into the mouth of a sleeping person wasn¡¯t a good idea.

    Then, she had no choice but to carefully repeat the act, did she? There were other ways, of course, but¡­

    Making excuses, Cluna put the nectar in her mouth. It was her own nectar, but it had the sweet scent of apples.

    With the nectar in her mouth, she slowly approached Hans.

    Once again, she gently explored his lips.

    The nectar that flowed between her teeth, guided by her magic, slowly and smoothly flowed down Hans¡¯s throat. This was a shortcut.

    ¡°Originally, I was supposed to put my mouth directly on it and drink it, but¡­¡±

    Even she couldn¡¯t do that to the unconscious Commander. Thest vestiges of Cluna¡¯s reason stopped her.

    She couldn¡¯t do that.

    Of course, she was curious how it would feel to have his tongue, his breath, touch hers¡­ but her feelings for him were stronger, so she held back.

    After confirming that the Commander had consumed all the nectar, Cluna finally parted her lips.

    A thin string of something, she didn¡¯t know if it was leftover nectar or saliva, connected their lips.

    Cluna raised her hand and brushed her hair back. Sweat dripped down her jawline.

    Was it because she had been too engrossed?

    Surprisingly, Cluna didn¡¯t notice.

    ¡°W-what is that¡­?!¡±

    The excessively passionate gaze of the dragon, watching them through the crack in the infirmary door.

    [Trantor Notes] <hr>

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 118

    Yuren¡¯s age was history itself to mortals, but by dragon standards, she was still quite young. Even she knew that there were exceptions among dragons.

    To most dragons, other races were nothing more than pets.

    Vampires, who weren¡¯t on good terms with dragons, were perhapsparable to pests.

    The exceptions were those who harbored excessive affection for these ¡®pets.¡¯

    Even elves, who lived long lives in harmony with nature, eventually met their end.

    Among the races of the continent, only dragons could be called immortal. So, they didn¡¯t, and couldn¡¯t, give their hearts to other races.

    But even so, there were dragons who truly loved other races. If it was a long-lived race like elves or dwarves, it might be bearable, but a dragon who loved a human was different.

    Humans, evenpared to other long-lived races, died quickly. There was such an exception among Yuren¡¯s friends.[¡®Why do you love a human? You¡¯re only hurting yourself.¡¯]

    [¡®You¡¯re right. Humans¡­ are such fragile beings.¡¯]

    [¡®Give up now. You¡¯ll feel better.¡¯]

    [¡®But¡­ that¡¯s why I love them.¡¯]

    At the time, she couldn¡¯t understand her friend, who missed her lover who had passed away. But now, she understood it even more.

    Yuren thought things through, one by one.

    ¡®First, why did I suddenly hide?¡¯

    Dragons were always confident, sometimes to the point of being insensitive.

    In fact, Yuren had even barged in on unit members while they were intimate.

    It wasn¡¯t intentional.

    She had urgent business and ended up intruding. At the time, she was honestly confused by the flustered reactions of the unit members, but¡­

    Now, she couldn¡¯t act so carelessly. Something was weighing down on her chest, preventing her from acting.

    Was it just her imagination that her lower body felt like it was being scorched by fire?

    ¡®¡­I¡¯m¡­

    Yuren hurriedly left.

    It wasn¡¯t just embarrassment. Irritation was rising from deep within her heart. Dragons were known as the benevolent race, and for the most part, it was true.

    However, there was one thing that enraged them, having something they owned taken away.

    Dragons¡¯ possessiveness was deep and boundless.

    It was simply that they didn¡¯t often feel possessive because they believed they could always reim what was theirs. But if someone provoked a dragon¡¯s possessiveness, they risked beingpletely erased. ?

    It was the same just now.

    For a brief moment, Yuren considered barging into the room and ripping Cluna¡¯s throat out. The throat of her colleague, herrade¡­!!

    ¡®What was I thinking?¡¯

    She felt a sense of self-loathing and disgust. But what was even more nauseating was the fact that a part of her agreed with those thoughts.

    Yuren left before she did something she would regret.

    ¡­But what if¡­

    ¡­what if she killed Cluna?

    ¡­would the Commander punish her?

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Hans woke up with a groan, the meaning of which he didn¡¯t understand. It felt like he had been lying in bed for a long time.

    He slowly sat up. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    After a short nap, he felt quite refreshed.

    It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. It was as if he had downed a ss of tart fruit juice on a tiring day. The taste of pure health.

    Hans felt a sense of wonder, but he quickly found the answer.

    He saw Cluna, who was nursing him.

    Hans smiled wryly.

    He had told her not to overwork herself, but he never imagined he would copse in front of her.

    ¡°Cluna, did you carry me here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know I would copse.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m here for you.¡±

    ¡°¡­??¡±

    Hans was momentarily confused.

    Her reaction was different than usual. He wondered if she was angry, but she didn¡¯t seem to be. Rather, she seemed embarrassed.

    What? What happened while I was asleep?

    He was slightly suspicious, but he couldn¡¯t pry. After all, she had been nursing him.

    Cluna smiled slightly and handed him a bowl. It contained porridge made with flour.

    Hans took a spoonful and tasted it.

    It had a surprisingly refreshing, fruity taste.

    ¡°What did you put in this?¡±

    ¡°I added a special elf honey.¡±

    ¡°Elf honey? It¡¯s better than I thought.¡±

    Judging by the slightly sweet taste, it seemed to be made with fruit and honey. Or perhaps it was actual honey collected from flowers.

    Hans finished the porridge.

    ¡°Thank you. I feel energized.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡±

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s finish the rest of the work.¡±

    ¡°Ah, if it¡¯s about that, I¡¯ve already finished everything.¡±

    ¡°Finished? All of it?¡±

    ¡°Everyone helped.¡±

    After Hans copsed, the other unit members visited him and learned why he had copsed.

    Surprisingly, they were all capable of handling the work.

    Yuren, the former Commander, went without saying. Cluna and Ruby had received higher education in their youth, and Bayard was also well-educated.

    And Helia became an unexpected dark horse.

    Despite her young age, she absorbed knowledge like a sponge and ended up handling the most work.

    ¡°Thank you, Helia.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s for you, Teacher. I¡¯m always ready to help.¡±

    ¡°R-right. You saved me.¡±

    ¡°By the way¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Helia smiled and shook her head. It didn¡¯t seem like it was the Commander¡¯s doing.

    Then the source of this pulsating scent¡­

    Her crimson eyes moved away from the Commander. After confirming that he wasn¡¯t looking, her gaze turned cold and sharp, focusing on Cluna.

    Cluna, despite the cold re, simply smiled leisurely.

    That annoyed Helia.

    That damn woman¡­ did she get there first?

    But she couldn¡¯t unleash her emotions here.

    The Commander, already exhausted from overworking, was in a weakened state. Besides, it was that woman who had been attending to him.

    ¡®I¡¯m frustrated, but¡­ I have nothing to say.¡¯

    Of course, Helia hadn¡¯t been cking off either. To be helpful to her teacher, she trained with everyone during the day, and at night, she learned to read and handle administrative work.

    She wanted to tear that woman apart, but she didn¡¯t want her teacher to hate her.

    Of course, Helia didn¡¯t care about the other unit members.

    But what she couldn¡¯t stand was the scent of another woman on her teacher. It felt as if he was drifting away, which annoyed her even more.

    ¡®I never thought I¡¯d feel superior because of something like this.¡¯

    Cluna thought, chuckling inwardly as she stared at Helia with a chilling gaze.

    She was slightly surprised by her own change. But it wasn¡¯t a bad feeling. Rather, it was positive.

    Come to think of it, it was the same back then. She hadn¡¯t realized her first love, denying it and pushing it away, and in the end, she lost him to another woman.

    The pain¡­

    She remembered that throbbing. She didn¡¯t want to make the same mistake again.

    Of course, she knew it was a terrible thing to do to a child, but she could make up for it by showering her with motherly love.

    ¡°Commander, there¡¯s a letter from the Human Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Is it a reply? What does it say?¡±

    ¡°They want to meet and discuss it in person.¡±

    ¡°At least it¡¯s not a rejection.¡±

    While Helia and Cluna were engaged in a silent battle of res, Hans received a formal report from Yuren. It wasn¡¯t aplete eptance, but there was plenty of room for negotiation.

    The expedition, starting after the Royal Knights had been somewhat rebuilt¡­ this had to seed. And Hans was confident. Because he had the knowledge from the original story.

    Of course, if he had only yed the game, it would be unreliable, full of holes. But Hans was a hardcore fan who had read the lore book and even attended events hosted by the gamepany.

    He also kept up with the daily updates andmunity discussions about the lore and story interpretations, and that was why he nned this expedition.

    Hans spoke.

    ¡°Then shall we depart immediately?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes, this much is nothing.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Yuren almost blurted out what had happened with Cluna.

    [Trantor Notes] <hr>

 Chapter 119

    A business trip to the Human Kingdom was decided.

    While it would have been ideal to take all the unit members, that was, of course, impossible.

    There was the possibility, however slim, that the fortress could be attacked while they were away.

    While the demon appearances had significantly decreased after the True Demons were repelled, monsters, conversely, had be more rampant. It seemed they were filling the void left by the demons.

    After much deliberation, Hans chose two members to apany him, Bayard and Helia.

    The trip to the Human Kingdom wasn¡¯t likely to be dangerous, but individuals suited to the asion were necessary.

    However, practicality couldn¡¯t be sacrificed for mere appearances.

    Hans ensured sufficient forces remained to defend the fortress in his absence. This was why he had Cluna and Yuren stay behind.Naturally, Cluna and Yuren strongly protested.

    Their logic was that the Commander¡¯s safety took absolute precedence.

    To counter this, Hans had chosen Bayard.

    ¡°Bayard¡¯s skill is more than enough to protect me.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Commander.¡±

    ¡®Tch, it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    ¡®She¡¯s not wrong.¡¯

    While Yuren and Cluna wouldn¡¯tpromise on the Commander¡¯s safety, this time, they were speechless.

    Everyone acknowledged Bayard¡¯s prowess.

    However, the choice of Helia was met with surprise. While Helia wasn¡¯t ipetent, she was still rtively inexperienced.

    But Hans remained firm, and ultimately, Bayard and Helia were chosen to apany him to the Human Kingdom.

    The other unit members, though disappointed, didn¡¯t openly object to the Commander¡¯s decision.

    After all, they ultimately had to abide by his choices, even if it meant risking their lives.

    ¡°Teacher, why did you choose me?¡±

    Once the surroundings quieted, Helia cautiously asked.

    Her love for Hans was immeasurable, buttely, she had been losing confidence.

    Her skill was exceptional for her age, and she had recently improved significantly, even surprising Yuren with her rapid progress.

    However, Helia herself wasn¡¯t satisfied. She felt like she was only holding her teacher back. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The thought of leaving had even crossed her mind. She had reached the point of such extreme insecurity.

    That¡¯s why she was taken aback when Hans suddenly chose her.

    ¡°Because you haven¡¯t seemed very happytely.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been looking troubled recently.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad thing. It¡¯s actually good. But sometimes, you need a change of pace.¡±

    Helia silently closed her mouth, holding back tears.

    ¡®It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to be helpful¡­ I don¡¯t want to be a burden.¡¯

    She hadmitted such acts out of anxiety.

    Already emotionally fragile from losing loved ones in the war, her sense of self had shattered.

    Yet, her teacher had noticed her.

    Helia trembled with emotion.

    Of course, this was Helia¡¯s perspective. In truth, Hans was worried about her potential for losing control.

    She was manageable now, but¡­

    ¡®In the original story, Helia was closer to a viin than a heroine. She was even the protagonist of a bad ending where she betrayed and killed the main character. She¡¯s unpredictable.¡¯

    ¡®I need to take good care of her so she doesn¡¯t lose control like she did in the original story.¡¯

    While Helia had already lost control once, the hypnotized Hans hadn¡¯t realized it yet.

    In any case, Hans departed for the Human Kingdom immediately.

    ¡°Wyverns are incredibly convenient.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°Orcs have their uses after all.¡±

    Unlike Helia, who readily agreed, Bayard expressed open hostility.

    Hans didn¡¯t reprimand her.

    ¡®Beastmen and orcs are enemies.¡¯

    Recognizing the sensitive nature of the topic, Hans quickly changed the subject.

    Soon, they took to the skies on the wyverns, and the mountain scenery unfolded below.

    ¡®The view is quite nice.¡¯

    ¡°This¡­ this is nice.¡±

    ¡°Take it all in. This is thend we will protect.¡±

    ¡°I will engrave it in my heart.¡±

    Bayard¡¯s unexpectedly serious reply startled Hans slightly, but he simply epted it, thinking it was a good sentiment.

    However, Bayard interpreted his words differently.

    ¡®The Commander is already looking beyond just driving out the demons.¡¯

    ¡®His next goal must be the true enemies threatening the continent¡­ enemies like the orcs. They are nothing more than monsters clinging to thisnd for the sake of fighting.¡¯

    ¡®If we fall, there is no one left.¡¯

    Bayard steeled her resolve. After about half a day of flying, they finally arrived at the Human Kingdom. They had arrived much faster than expected.

    ¡®Flying is certainly convenient.¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s good that we didn¡¯t waste your precious time, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes.¡±

    Her unexpectedly heavy words caught him off guard, but Hans simply smiled.

    ¡®Thanks to sending a message ahead, we avoided being shot down.¡¯

    The wyvernnded gently in the pce courtyard. Soldiers watched them warily but took no further action.

    Hans dismounted.

    ¡°I am Hans, Commander of the Royal Knights. Where is the King?¡±

    ¡°I am Melissa, Captain of the Royal Guard. Please be mindful of your address.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I see. Then¡­¡±

    ¡°How dare you speak so insolently?!¡±

    ¡®I should be respectful. He¡¯s the king of a nation that has helped us greatly.¡¯

    That was his intention, until Bayard interjected.

    Bayard, who had been standing behind him, strode forward and confronted Melissa. In that instant, everyone fell silent.

    ¡®Like a wild beast¡­,¡¯ they thought.

    A primal fear silenced them.

    Melissa and the Royal Guard, and even Hans, were speechless.

    Hans, being further away, was less affected, but even he was momentarily stunned.

    The Royal Guard, facing her ferocious aura head-on, were even more intimidated.

    Hans, startled by the sudden outburst, spoke.

    ¡°Bayard, what is the meaning of this?¡±

    ¡°They threatened us first.¡±

    ¡°Threatened?¡±

    ¡°Did they not demand you submit to them, Commander?¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡®She¡¯s a beastman, so her values are closer to an animal¡¯s. And to her, I¡¯m the leader to whom she has pledged loyalty. They challenged my authority¡­ a group of weak prey, no less. Of course she reacted.¡¯

    ¡®Oh, my head.¡¯

    He felt a headacheing on, but dealing with the current situation took priority.

    ¡®These are the Royal Guards, protectors of the royal family. Naturally, most of them are skilled.¡¯

    ¡®It wouldn¡¯t be good to cause unnecessary conflict.¡¯

    He didn¡¯t want them fighting amongst themselves and weakening their overall strength.

    ¡®But dismissing Bayard would diminish the authority of the Royal Knights.¡¯

    He had to tread carefully.

    ¡°Bayard, we must be forgiving of others¡¯ mistakes.¡±

    ¡°Commander, but¡­¡±

    ¡°For the greater good, we must endure this much.¡±

    ¡°If that is your will, Commander.¡±

    Bayard quietly retreated.

    The Royal Guard could finally move again.

    Hans, observing the scene, clicked his tongue.

    ¡®The killing intent that paralyzed them¡­¡¯

    ¡°There was a bit of amotion. Are you alright, Captain Melissa?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. Thank you for your concern.¡±

    ¡°Good. I¡¯m d to hear it.¡±

    Melissa inwardly clicked her tongue.

    ¡®The ferocious killing intent that felt like being crushed by giant steel bars¡­ yet he dispelled it with a single word. Truly, the Commander of the Royal Knights.¡¯

    However, she couldn¡¯t overlook the previous outburst.

    ¡®I made a reasonable request as a member of the Royal Guard, only to be met with intimidation.¡¯

    ¡®No matter how prestigious the Royal Knights are, this is uneptable.¡¯

    After some thought, Melissa decided to report everything to His Majesty.

    ¡®Before things escte further.¡¯

    ¡®Besides, after meeting him in person, I can¡¯t understand what the Commander is thinking.¡¯

    ¡®He¡¯s from the Human Kingdom and was chosen by our King and rmended as Commander of the Royal Knights. But his actions just now didn¡¯t seem like those of a loyal subject.¡¯

    ¡®Just who are you? What is your purpose?¡¯

    Melissa¡¯s wariness only deepened.

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Your Text Here]<hr>

 Chapter 120

    Melissa Arendriks.

    Though ofmon birth, she had risen to the rank of Royal Guard Captain through sheer ability.

    Handpicked by the King himself, her skill was unquestionable, but her values posed a significant problem.

    She was fiercely loyal to the King, who had taken her in when she was on the brink of starvation.

    The problem was that her loyalty was excessive, bordering on fanatical.

    Demanding loyalty to the Human King from other races, not just humans, naturally didn¡¯t endear her to them.

    The King, aware of this, usually kept Melissa away when meeting with other races. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Unfortunately, this time, he hadn¡¯t managed to prevent her involvement.¡°Your Majesty, I have brought the guests.¡±

    ¡°Captain Melissa? You greeted them personally?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    So, it wasn¡¯t surprising that the King was taken aback when Melissa entered his office with the Royal Knights.

    He clicked his tongue.

    ¡°Captain Melissa, I hope there weren¡¯t any¡­misunderstandings.¡±

    ¡°I would never be disrespectful to Your Majesty¡¯s guests.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that, but¡­¡±

    ¡°There was absolutely no incident.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your service, Captain Melissa. You are dismissed.¡±

    Melissa¡¯s eyes narrowed at Hans¡¯s casual tone, but the King, quickly noticing, dismissed her before things escted.

    She saluted and left.

    ¡°A truly loyal knight.¡±

    ¡°It seems she was a bit¡­overzealous. I apologize on her behalf.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. It wasn¡¯t anything to apologize for.¡±

    From a human perspective, it was a strange sight.

    Regardless of Hans¡¯s ability and achievements, it was the King who had appointed him Commander of the Royal Knights.

    Yet, the King seemed almost subservient to Hans.

    But it was all a matter of appearances. The King remembered how Hans had initially refused the position. If Hans hadn¡¯t epted, the King¡¯s ns would have crumbled. ?

    He had no choice but to treat Hans with the utmost respect.

    What about his pride as King?

    He had abandoned it the day his predecessor died helplessly, having aplished nothing.

    ¡®I will not be an ipetent king like my predecessor. My name will be etched in history.¡¯

    His desire bordered on ambition. But it wasn¡¯t driven by a desire to sacrifice others for his own gain.

    He genuinely strived to govern wisely and revive his kingdom.

    Indeed, under his rule, the Human Kingdom had held its ground on the front lines for thirty years. Even the canned food distributed to the people was something he had developed.

    Moreover, Hans¡¯s sess in reviving the Royal Knights had significantly elevated the King¡¯s standing.

    He had secured treaties with the Beastmen and Dwarves, and even races they had rarely interacted with were now seeking them out.

    All of this stemmed from the King¡¯s foresight in recognizing Hans¡¯s value and entrusting him with the task.

    ¡°So, you intend tounch another expedition?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Are you confident of sess?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely.¡±

    ¡°Tell me more.¡±

    No matter how much he trusted Hans¡¯s abilities, it didn¡¯t mean blind faith. He would listen, and if it was usible, he would act.

    That was the King¡¯s way.

    The King listened attentively.

    Leaving aside the basic information and strategy, maintaining the status quo was currently the most advantageous course of action.

    The kingdom had secured numerous treaties and was on the cusp of unprecedented prosperity since the demon invasion.

    Was there any reason to take such a risk? The answer was obviously no.

    If the King¡¯s goal had ended with the kingdom¡¯s revival, this conversation wouldn¡¯t have even begun.

    However, his aim was to etch his name in history.

    ¡®This is an opportunity to gain an advantage over the other races.¡¯

    Since the demon invasion, the people of the continent had only lost territory.

    Instances of reimingnd were few and far between, practically non-existent in thest hundred years.

    If the Human Kingdom, in cooperation with the Royal Knights, were to seed in an expedition?

    The prestige aside, the achievement alone would give them leverage in negotiations with other races.

    However,unching an expedition carried significant risks. Even excluding the manpower involved, the resources required were immense.

    The first expedition had been funded by the Multi-Racial Alliance, mitigating the damage.

    But if this expedition failed, the consequences for the kingdom would be catastrophic.

    ¡®The people will be apprehensive. That¡¯s only natural, given the failure of the first expedition.¡¯

    During the first expedition, the people had unwavering faith in the Royal Knights. But after their defeat, the atmosphere had shifted.

    Despite his best efforts to control information, news of the Royal Knights¡¯ devastating loss had spread. Despair and fear had gripped the people, driving them to extremes.

    From those who turned to absurd religions to cope with their fear, to those who fought over dwindling resources, it had been a living hell.

    But the King had managed to quell the unrest. It was thanks to Hans¡¯s appointment as Commander of the Royal Knights.

    While the position held little real power at the time¡­

    Even a fallen giant cast a long shadow.

    The fact that a human had be the Commander of the Royal Knights, once hailed as the continent¡¯s only hope, had been enough to temporarily assuage the people¡¯s anxieties.

    But now, another expedition? The people would undoubtedly be uneasy.

    If it failed, they would truly feel like they had nothing left to lose.

    ¡°I assume we needn¡¯t discuss the resources and manpower required for the expedition.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ¡°Is there any benefit that outweighs such a risk?¡±

    ¡°Of course. For example¡­ a royal treasure?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m surprised. You know about the royal treasures.¡±

    Royal treasures.

    Powerful artifacts created by the first King of the Human Kingdom to protect his people.

    Humans, once the dominant force on the continent, had fallen from grace due to the demon invasion.

    Having held thergest territory, their fall was almost inevitable. Thend they had lost was, for the most part, where humans had resided.

    The first King had weed all the refugees. He had even sacrificed his life to create the royal treasures and repel the demon invasion.

    But that was the extent of their glory.

    ¡®As the demons intensified their attacks, the Human Kingdom lost much of its territory, and even the royal treasures were lost. In the end, only about thirty percent of our territory remained.¡¯

    ¡°A tragic piece of history.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re saying you know the location of one of these treasures?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. One of them is rtively close.¡±

    Recovering a royal treasure was a significant advantage for the Human Kingdom.

    Even if its power was only half of what legends imed, it would give them the strength to surpass other races.

    ¡°Tell me more.¡±

    For the first time, the King spoke with genuine interest.

    The negotiations concluded sessfully.

    It was high risk, high reward, but the potential gains of reiming a royal treasure and expanding their territory outweighed the risks.

    Moreover, they had Hans, the Commander who had proven his abilities time and again.

    After careful consideration, the King epted the proposal.

    With the Human Kingdom¡¯s support, the Royal Knights would embark on another expedition.

    Their first target was two territories right on the kingdom¡¯s border.

    The key to this operation was Ares¡¯ Bridge.

    Calling it a bridge was generous, it was practically a fortress. Spanning the river and connecting the territories, it was the only path forward.

    ?? Important Notice ??<hr>

    ); }

    Securing Ares¡¯ Bridge was crucial for further expansion. It would serve as a forward operating base for the kingdom.

    ¡®Not bad.¡¯

    Hans, leaving the King¡¯s office, breathed a sigh of relief.

    Adapting his knowledge of the original story to the current situation had been challenging, but he had managed.

    With the expeditionary force secured, he felt one step closer to his goal.

    Just then, amotion caught his attention. It seemed something was happening at the training grounds.

    Hans looked around.

    Helia and Bayard were nowhere to be seen.

    A wide grin spread across his face.

    ¡®Just as I thought. They wouldn¡¯t be the Royal Knights if they stayed quiet.¡¯

    ¡®You two again?¡¯

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Your Text Here]<hr>

 Chapter 121

    Going back in time a bit.

    Hans and the King were in their private meeting.

    Bayard, despite her initial hostility, had retreated readily, understanding the weight of a conversation between leaders.

    Helia had also retreated, but she and Bayard stood guard at the entrance to the office, ensuring Hans¡¯s safety.

    The problem was that this had irritated the Royal Guard. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Moreover, the Royal Guard¡¯s duty was to protect the King and the pce.

    Their openly vignt stance implied ack of trust in the Royal Guard, a silent deration that they would handle the Commander¡¯s security themselves.

    Melissa clicked her tongue.

    Having been threatened by Bayard earlier, Melissa harbored resentment. Her words were naturally far from amicable.¡°This is the royal pce. Please surrender your weapons.¡±

    ¡°I cannotpromise the Commander¡¯s safety.¡±

    ¡°Your safety is guaranteed with the Royal Guard present.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I cannotply.¡±

    ¡°Ha¡­!¡±

    Despite the provocative tone, Bayard remained impassive. They hadn¡¯t insulted Hans directly or undermined his authority in front of her.

    Melissa, seeing Bayard¡¯s refusal, clicked her tongue again. She had found the woman irritating from the start, and now, she was even more so.

    ¡°I will not repeat myself. Surrender your weapons.¡±

    ¡°I refuse.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Now, now, let¡¯s all calm down.¡±

    As Melissa reached for her weapon and Bayard¡¯s eyes shed dangerously, someone intervened, dispelling the tension like a sudden gust of wind.

    His face was perpetually smiling, but his eyes were hidden behind narrowed lids. Instead, his pale blue hair drew attention.

    He spoke with a smile.

    ¡°Commander, why don¡¯t we all calm down? These are the Royal Knights, after all.¡±

    ¡°There are no exceptions, even for the Royal Knights.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Is that so? I thought the Royal Knights were the exception.¡±

    ¡°

    Melissa fell silent, bewildered by the young man¡¯s seemingly genuine confusion.

    To be precise, there was an exception to the rule, a matter not above thew, but separate from it entirely.

    The right to bear arms.

    The Royal Knights were often the target of envy and jealousy, facing numerous assassination attempts. Some had even lost their lives.

    Enraged, the Royal Knights had forbidden surrendering their weapons under any circumstances. Their fury at the time had been so intense that most other races had conceded. ?

    Realizing this, Melissa was left speechless. N?v(el)B\\jnn

    She had known the rule, but her emotions had clouded her judgment, driving her to assert dominance.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I am Rocazo, Vice-Captain of the Royal Guard.¡±

    ¡°Rocazo? That¡¯s an unusual name.¡±

    ¡°I hear that often.¡±

    Rocazo.

    Even among the diverse Royal Guards, it was an unusual name. But that aside, Vice-Captain at such a young age?

    Bayard was impressed.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing special.¡±

    ¡°It seems quite impressive to me. Vice-Captain of the Royal Guard.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothingpared to thedy beside you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Rocazo¡¯s attention shifted to Helia, who stood next to Bayard.

    They appeared to be around the same age, in reality, Helia was only a year younger than Rocazo.

    But regardless of Rocazo¡¯s interest, Helia simply stared at the ceiling.

    Bayard smiled wryly.

    ¡®This child only has eyes for the Commander.¡¯

    Helia at least acknowledged the other Royal Knights asrades, showing some semnce of camaraderie. But she was utterly indifferent to everyone else.

    ¡°It seems I¡¯m not even worth a nce.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally. She only cares about the Commander.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, the Commander of the Royal Knights, you say?¡±

    ¡°¡­Wait a minute, Rocazo.¡±

    Melissa, sensing something ominous, quickly intervened.

    She remembered Rocazo¡¯s youthful tendency to create tension with his asionally impertinent remarks.

    ¡°Now that you mention it, I¡¯ve heard a certain rumor¡­¡±

    ¡°What rumor?¡±

    ¡°Captain Bayard, allow me¡­!¡±

    ¡°That the Commander of the Royal Knights only got his position through connections.¡±

    Finally, Helia reacted.

    However, she didn¡¯t draw her sword because Rocazo¡¯s words were ambiguous. It wasn¡¯t an outright insult.

    It was just a rumor, and it didn¡¯t directly disparage Hans¡¯s skill. It was a statement that was irritating but not quite enough to warrant a violent response.

    ¡°You seem to have something else to say.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re perceptive.¡±

    ¡°Get to the point.¡±

    ¡°How about a one-on-one duel?¡±

    His intentions were obvious.

    He had pretended to mediate the situation, positioning himself as an ally, then subtly nted the seed of the rumor to provoke a reaction.

    Finally, he revealed his true objective.

    Normally, she would have ignored such a petty tactic, but Helia wouldn¡¯t let it slide this time.

    She wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until she wiped that smug grin off his face.

    ¡°Fine. I ept.¡±

    ¡°Shall we proceed to the training grounds?¡±

    ¡®She fell for it.¡¯

    Rocazo inwardly celebrated as Helia epted the challenge. He could finally put his hypnosis magic to use.

    Of course, his crude magic was riddled with wspared to true hypnosis. It required the target to be vulnerable, a weakness he could exploit.

    For example, a mental crack caused by the shock of defeat.

    To create such a minor opening, he needed to humiliate her in a public duel.

    ¡®I was hesitant at first, but the down payment was substantial, and more importantly, she¡¯s my type.¡¯

    Her fiery red hair and cold crimson eyes were unexpectedly beautiful. Simply put, he had fallen for her at first sight.

    He had been told by the one who had hired him and provided the hypnosis magic that Helia, despite being the youngest Royal Knight, had merely been a bystander.

    In contrast, Rocazo, regardless of his true intentions, had undergone Royal Guard training and had extensivebat experience.

    He believed he had a reasonable chance of winning.

    ¡°Helia, something feels off. It would be best to ignore this duel¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°I am the Commander¡¯s disciple. I will not back down from a challenge.¡±

    It was a matter of pride she wouldn¡¯tpromise on. Even if it was a trap, as the Commander¡¯s disciple, she would face it head-on.

    As if everything had been prearranged, they arrived at the training grounds to find everything prepared. Even the Royal Guard and other knights were gathered, waiting.

    Even Captain Melissa found it odd.

    He had made all these preparations before even knowing if his challenge would be epted?

    ¡®Just what is he nning?¡¯

    But she didn¡¯t intervene.

    Aside from her animosity towards the Royal Knights, she was curious about the oue of a duel between them and the Royal Guard.

    ¡®They¡¯re the renowned Royal Knights, but¡­our Royal Guard are no pushovers.¡¯

    ¡°I will officiate the duel. Are you both ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m ready.¡±

    ¡°As am I.¡±

    ¡°Good, then let¡¯s begin.¡±

    With the preparations already in ce, the duelmenced without dy.

    Rocazo and Helia, each wielding a wooden practice sword, faced each other.

    Then, the duel began.

    ?? Important Notice ??<hr>

    ); }

    In that instant, Helia¡¯s cold crimson eyes shed.

    She had been grappling with her own doubts.

    ¡®Is this enough? Am I content with simply following in the Commander¡¯s footsteps?¡¯

    The answer was a resounding no.

    At first, being near him had been enough. But as time passed, her desires had grown. She wanted to walk beside him, hand in hand.

    To achieve that, simply learning from him wasn¡¯t enough.

    ¡®This must be the task he has given me.¡¯

    ¡®My own swordsmanship, refined and enhanced from the Thunder Dragon Swordsmanship he taught me.¡¯

    Helia Style Single Sword Advance sh

    The Thunder Dragon Child, already unmatched in speed, became even faster. Even for a promising talent like Rocazo, it was a speed he couldn¡¯t defend against.

    Everyone has a n¡­

    Until they get punched in the face.

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Your Text Here]<hr>

 Chapter 122

    Let us speak for a moment of a certain boy.

    In terms of talent alone, he was among the elite. Fortunate enough to be born a nobleman¡¯s son in these troubled times, he had grown up wanting for nothing.

    He hadn¡¯t been abused or mistreated. On the contrary, his parents adored him. There were no apparent problems.

    Yet, his nature was twisted.

    He derived immense pleasure from taking what others cherished, feeling a sense of omnipotence, like a king.

    Unfortunately, no one indulged his twisted desires.

    Perhaps it would have been different in times of peace, but now, even nobles clinging to power could fall from grace in an instant. His parents stressed restraint, and their judgment was sound.

    It simply didn¡¯t suit the boy. ¡®I want to take what¡¯s theirs. Only then do I feel alive. Otherwise, I¡¯m just a corpse.¡¯

    It was almost inevitable that they would approach him. They promised him the freedom to take whatever he desired if he joined them.

    The boy readily agreed.

    [Offer a sacrifice to prove your faith.]

    That day, the boy sacrificed everything.

    His family, his house, even the people who had settled there, trusting his family. The sole survivor, he was rescued by the kingdom and hailed as the only remaining member of his house.

    No one suspected that he had offered everything as a sacrifice to join them. He used this to his advantage, ying the role of the pitiful survivor.

    Many sympathized with his story.

    He longed to reveal the truth.

    ¡®I wonder how they would react? I can hardly wait.¡¯

    He disyed his talent without reservation, joining the Royal Guard at an unprecedented young age and even rising to the rank of Vice-Captain. The time was drawing near.

    ¡®I thought it would be easy.¡¯

    He had considered it a momentary diversion. Their power and influence were far greater than he had imagined. Though they had suffered a setback against the Royal Knights, they would soon rise again.

    ¡®I thought it would be a momentary diversion¡­¡¯

    Rocazo stared nkly at his hand.

    The sword he had been holding was shattered, scattering into fragments.

    ¡®What just happened? How is this possible?¡¯

    His assumptions had crumbled. He had the crowd¡¯s support and had even rigged the duel. Yet, she had ignored it all and crushed him head-on. He hadn¡¯t even been able to react.

    He had been utterly defeated.

    Even the twisted Rocazo had to acknowledge her overwhelming skill.

    ¡°Perhaps now you understand your ce.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still hung up on that?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Especially with someone as presumptuous as you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°So, what¡¯s your answer? Or do you want to be humiliated further?¡±

    Her cold eyes zed with intensity, a stark contrast to her initial demeanor.

    Rocazo silently shook his head.

    The duel had made one thing clear, he couldn¡¯t defeat her yet. He was pragmatic enough to admit it.

    But he hadn¡¯t lost yet. His n was still in motion.

    ¡°Damn¡­ the Vice-Captain lost to a little girl?¡±

    ¡°Where are all these monstersing from?¡±

    ¡°Well, she is a Royal Knight.¡±

    The Royal Guard who witnessed the duel were in awe. The level of skill disyed by two children was unbelievable. Rocazo had at least been able to move, anyone else would have been knocked unconscious.

    They realized the immense gap between the Royal Knights and the Royal Guard.

    Their gazes shifted from awe to fear.

    Helia smiled.

    ¡®Any fool should understand the difference between us now.¡¯

    ¡®¡°Who do you think we¡¯ve been training under?¡±

    ¡°Well said, Helia.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    We always follow in his footsteps. We know we can¡¯t match his pace, but we have never given up trying. Because we are the proud¡­

    Royal Knights.

    ¡°You two really went all out. This is going to be a headache.¡±

    Helia and Bayard were summoned and reprimanded by Hans. It was inevitable.

    They had utterly humiliated the Vice-Captain of the Royal Guard in front of everyone.

    Everyone had their pride. They hadn¡¯t just spared his feelings, they had crushed himpletely.

    He would undoubtedly hold a grudge, and the Royal Guard would be wary of them.

    Hans sighed.

    They needed to cooperate, yet they had sown the seeds of discord.

    ¡°But we couldn¡¯t ignore it.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°He insulted you, Commander. He insulted our pride.¡±

    Hans almost retorted, ¡°What pride?¡± but he managed to restrain himself. Pride and honor were not to be underestimated.

    People fought, and even died, for these intangible concepts.

    In the past, such ideals had been used to send men to war. Without them, who would risk their lives on the front lines?

    Especially in a world where knights valued honor and pride above all else, if Hans, the Commander of the Royal Knights, were to openly dismiss them¡­

    ¡°¡­Just the thought is horrifying.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. Anyway, we have new intel.¡±

    ¡°Intel?¡±

    ¡°W-What kind of intel? I¡¯m so excited¡­¡±

    Bayard had regained herposure. She had regained her confidence after speaking with Yuren and umting numerous achievements.

    But for some reason, she still lost herposure in front of Hans, blushing and averting her gaze as she wondered.

    ¡®Am I still so timid?¡¯

    Hans, meanwhile, was lost in thought.

    The Royal Guard was a newly reorganized order, created by the current King. The Human Kingdom had previously had numerous knightly orders.

    After Hans became Commander of the Royal Knights, and his influence grew, the King, empowered by Hans¡¯s sess, had disbanded the other orders and integrated them into the Royal Guard.

    He had left some private soldiers to appease the nobles and maintain minimal defense, but their numbers had drastically decreased. This had strengthened the King¡¯s authority.

    ¡®The King¡¯s newly reorganized Royal Guard is a force to be reckoned with, both in quantity and quality.¡¯

    Strictly speaking, they were still inferior to the Royal Knights, but they were no longer outmatched by other races. This was thanks to the revival of the Royal Knights and the weakening of the demons.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s this new intel?¡±

    ¡°Apparently, a Minotaur horde has been sighted in the northern regions of the Human Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Minotaurs¡­ excellent ingredients.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Beastmen consider them a delicacy.¡±

    ¡°Ah, thank you for understanding.¡±

    Hans was momentarily taken aback by the notion of eating Minotaurs but didn¡¯t show it. He had to be careful not to offend other races by reacting to their customs. As Commander of the Royal Knights, he had no intention of doing so.

    ¡®Minotaurs¡­ I hope it¡¯s not the one I fought before.¡¯

    ?? Important Notice ??<hr>

    ); }

    He quickly dismissed the idea with a chuckle.

    ¡®No way. I practically crippled it. It might have escaped, but¡­¡¯

    In the brutal world of monsters, where survival of the fittest reigned supreme, it would have been preyed upon. If it had survived, it would be a formidable foe, but that was unlikely.

    ¡°They¡¯re sending a subjugation force to the north.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we can focus on the expedition.¡±

    ¡°E-Expedition¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you nervous?¡±

    Hans, noticing Bayard¡¯s trembling, cautiously inquired.

    ¡®Is she afraid of the memories of that time?¡¯ n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    If so¡­

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not afraid. On the contrary¡­ I¡¯m excited.¡±

    ¡°Excited? Why?¡±

    ¡°Because we can crush those vermin in your name, Commander.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±

    Her trembling wasn¡¯t from fear.

    It was closer to exhration.

    She was reveling in the opportunity to eliminate their enemies in Hans¡¯s name.

    [Trantor Notes] <hr>

 Chapter 123

    Hans practically fled the pce, returning on the back of a wyvern.

    He felt that staying any longer would only lead to further trouble. While pride in one¡¯s affiliation wasmendable, excessive zeal couldplicate matters.

    He was fortunate that the King had smoothed things over; otherwise, the expedition ns could have been jeopardized.

    This expedition was particrly crucial.

    Beyond the resources and manpower involved, its sess would determine whether they could maintain their momentum.

    There¡¯s a saying, ¡°It¡¯s better to do nothing than to do something wrong.¡± Hans knew this well. But conversely, doing nothing meant achieving nothing.

    He already knew the oue of the original story.

    After recovering, the demons who had annihted the Royal Knights wouldunch a full-scale assault, shattering the barrier and advancing relentlessly. The continent would be pushed back, clinging to their remaining territories.

    The protagonist would eventually turn the tide, but that was due to their overpowered abilities.

    The developers had revealed on social media that the continent was originally meant to fallpletely to the demons.

    In other words, there was no hope if they remained passive.

    ¡®Waiting for the protagonist to appear is an option, but¡­¡¯

    The protagonist¡¯s arrival was still years away, and there was no guarantee the demons wouldn¡¯t recover and attack before then.

    ¡®Could I even stop them?¡¯

    He honestly wasn¡¯t confident.

    While the Royal Knights were all elite, brute force alone wouldn¡¯t be enough.

    So, Hans made a bold decision.

    They would seize this opportunity while the demons were weakened. The first victory was always the hardest, but once achieved, it would create a chain reaction. ?

    The other races wouldn¡¯t pass up the chance for gains. If expeditions became more frequent, they could significantly weaken the demons.

    That was Hans¡¯s vision.

    Moreover, the King had mentioned nning an expedition of his own, providing valuable intel.

    Hans returned with this information and immediately convened a meeting.

    The Roundtable of Equality.

    A symbol of the Royal Knights, created to facilitate openmunication and unity among all races.

    Everyone was present.

    Hans inwardly marveled at the sight. He had started with the single-minded goal of restoring the Royal Knights.

    ¡®Could I really rebuild an order of heroes who defended the continent?¡¯

    He hadn¡¯t known the answer. He had simply done what he could.

    His sincerity had resonated with them. His selfless actions had inspired them. He treated all races equally, showing genuine care and concern.

    That was why these elite individuals trusted and followed him.

    Of course, Hans,ing from modern society, was simply free of prejudice, but they didn¡¯t know that.

    ¡®Everyone¡¯s here. Let¡¯s begin.¡¯

    The very act of gathering everyone and sharing information equally was novel to them.

    Discriminatory distribution of information based on race was surprisinglymon.

    Even during the Royal Knights¡¯ prime, different races had tended to stick together, maintaining rtionships that benefited them and cutting off those that didn¡¯t.

    While it hadn¡¯t started that way, it had be the norm. And their fate hadn¡¯t been pleasant.

    ¡°I¡¯ve obtained intel from the Human King. We will be deployed to Ares¡¯ Bridge.¡±

    ¡°What about the personnel?¡±

    ¡°Everyone will participate. Failure is not an option.¡±

    If this expedition failed, it would be the end.

    Opposition to further expeditions would grow, and the already hesitant races would be even more reluctant.

    There was a chance Lionheart Fortress could be attacked by monsters, but they could request reinforcements from the Beastmen or Dwarves.

    There were ways to defend it.

    It was better to go all-in than to hold back and risk irreversible failure.

    Hans intended tomit their full strength.

    Yuren raised her hand hesitantly.

    ¡°What if we fail?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s our job to ensure that doesn¡¯t happen.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡±

    Yuren, unusually, seemed tock confidence.

    She was forced to confront her past failure. Back then, they had had greater numbers and abundant resources.

    Yet, the expedition had failed spectacrly, leading to the copse of the Royal Knights.

    Even now, after being rebuilt, they hadn¡¯t regained their former influence.

    And Yuren, as their leader, bore some responsibility.

    Hans, observing her, folded his arms and spoke.

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about. And I understand how you feel.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s why this is our chance. A chance to ovee our past failure and move forward. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°¡­I apologize. I allowed my doubts to get the better of me.¡±

    Yuren¡¯s eyes, once filled with uncertainty, now held a steely resolve.

    Hans nodded.

    Now, all that remained was to determine their objective.

    ¡°Our goal is to capture Ares¡¯ Bridge.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be easy, will it?¡±

    ¡°No. The Bloodkin guarding it is the problem.¡±

    ¡°Ares¡¯ Bridge¡­ I¡¯ve heard of it.¡±

    Yuren and Cluna had seen Ares¡¯ Bridge firsthand, but the other members had no recollection of it.

    This meant they had taken different routes during the previous expedition.

    Hans nodded.

    ¡°Do you know anything about Ares¡¯ Bridge?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ¡°It¡¯s a fortress built by the Human Kingdom. I believe it was so well-constructed that it rivaled Dwarven craftsmanship, making them wary.¡±

    ¡°So, we have to breach a fortress of that caliber.¡±

    ¡°And if it¡¯s guarded by a Blood Demon, we can¡¯t afford to be careless.¡±

    While Blood Demons were weaker than True Demons, True Demons were rare and difficult to encounter.

    The Blood Demon¡¯s posed the greatest threat to the Multi-Racial Alliance.

    Unlike lesser demons and monsters, Blood Demon¡¯s possessed dangerous powers.

    Comprachico who had controlled Yuren was a Blood Demon.

    ¡°Fortunately, we have the intel from the Human Kingdom. We can n our siege ordingly.¡±

    ¡°They went through quite a bit of trouble.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, of course. How else would they secure our cooperation?¡±

    Perhaps due to their past annihtion, the Royal Knights seemed to take this level of preparation for granted.

    Hans was slightly concerned but decided to focus on the task at hand.

    ¡°The Blood Demon guarding Ares¡¯ Bridge is known as the Mud Guardian.¡±

    ¡°Mud Guardian? I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡±

    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d hear that name again.¡±

    ¡°Mom? You know that name?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve even fought it before.¡±

    ?? Important Notice ??<hr>

    ); }

    Cluna had even fought the Mud Guardian.

    Hans inwardly celebrated.

    ¡®As expected of someone who¡¯s lived for hundreds of years¡­!¡¯

    When it came to experience, there was no one more reliable.

    ¡°Mud Guardian is more of a metaphor. It earned the name because it drags its opponents into a quagmire, like a crocodile.¡±

    ¡°A quagmire¡­ what does that entail?¡±

    ¡°Nothing particrly special, but it has seven hearts. It¡¯s said that it cannot be killed unless all seven hearts are pierced.¡±

    ¡°We have to destroy all seven hearts at once? That won¡¯t be easy.¡±

    A Blood Demon of that level was bound to be powerful. And they had to destroy all seven of its hearts simultaneously to prevent it from regenerating.

    Hans clicked his tongue.

    ¡°Yuren¡¯s breath attack is the first thing thates to mind.¡±

    ¡°True, but I doubt a Blood Demon of that level would simply stand there and take it.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Hans searched for alternative strategies.

    He wanted to conserve his Time Stop ability and prepare for the possibility that it might not even work on the Mud Guardian.

    It was always good to have multiple options.

    [Trantor Notes] <hr>

 Chapter 124

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Ares¡¯ Bridge.

    A pathway and fortress built where the headwaters of the Beckden Mountain range converged, forming the lower reaches of the river.

    Once a symbol of the kingdom¡¯s prosperity, it now stood as a mocking reminder of humanity¡¯s defeat, its fortified entrance blocking the way, its de pointed towards the kingdom.

    Whether due to the demons¡¯ twisted preferences or apleteck of aesthetic sense, Ares¡¯ Bridge was covered in unidentifiable flesh and blood.

    Hans, observing from afar, grimaced.

    He had witnessed countless horrors, but the gore decorating Ares¡¯ Bridge surpassed them all, inducing nausea.

    He forced himself to endure.

    The Commander of the Royal Knights couldn¡¯t afford to show weakness. While he couldn¡¯t prevent his expression from twisting in disgust, fortunately, his unit members misinterpreted it.¡®Even the Commander finds this sight horrific.¡¯

    ¡®He must be thinking of the victims.¡¯

    ¡®As you wish, Teacher¡­ I will¡­!¡¯

    ¡®I feel sick.¡¯

    Hans and his unit members¡¯ thoughts were starkly contrasting, but they shared amon goal, to y the Mud Guardian and reim the fortress.

    A monthter, the joint expedition of the Human Kingdom and the Royal Knightsmenced.

    While the distance wasn¡¯t great, the kingdom¡¯s army moved first, deploying catapults and ballistae with practiced efficiency.

    Massive rocksunched from the catapults mmed into Ares¡¯ Bridge, sending fragments scattering.

    Perhaps provoked by the attack on theirir, monsters poured out of Ares¡¯ Bridge, charging towards them.

    The kingdom¡¯s army responded swiftly, raising their shields in a unified defense.

    ¡®They¡¯re well-trained for ordinary soldiers.¡¯

    ¡®They must have been preparing for this.¡¯

    ¡®Indeed¡­ the Human King is a formidable ally.¡¯

    Training soldiers to this level wasn¡¯t easy.

    It implied constant, realistic training, and indeed, they had extensive experience in monster subjugation.

    ¡®They¡¯re proving more useful than I expected. A pleasant surprise.¡¯

    ¡®And the Royal Guard seem quitepetent as well.¡¯

    ¡®Captain Melissa, was it? Not a bad fighter.¡¯

    Though she had been overwhelmed by Bayard¡¯s aura, Melissa was the Captain of the Royal Guard. Even Yuren acknowledged her skill.

    Initially, things went smoothly.

    While not perfect, the battle progressed ording to n. The well-trained soldiers ughtered the monsters without suffering significant casualties.

    It was going well, until something else emerged from Ares¡¯ Bridge. Something fell among the ranks of the soldiers.

    Viscera.

    ¡°W-What is this?!¡±

    ¡°The entrails are moving?!¡±

    ¡°Aaaaagh!¡±

    Even the most disciplined soldiers would struggle to maintain theirposure under a rain of writhing entrails.

    Their training and initial sess had kept their formation intact, but their morale was faltering. If this continued, their lines would break.

    Hans clicked his tongue.

    He had wanted to assess the enemy¡¯s strength, but there was no point in dying further.

    He caught Yuren¡¯s eye, and she nodded, leaping into the air.

    Her form shifted into that of a massive dragon,rge enough to blot out the sky. She opened her maw and unleashed a torrent of mes.

    Dragon breath mmed into the fortress.

    ¡®Not a bad start.¡¯

    ¡®Few can withstand dragon breath.¡¯

    ¡°Now¡¯s our chance! Press the attack!¡±

    Yuren¡¯s breath attack had turned the tide. The soldiers, seeing the dragon on their side, were reinvigorated.

    Melissa seized the opportunity, urging her troops forward.

    She was a capable knight, leading from the front rather than simply observing from behind. While it wasn¡¯t ideal for amander to be in the thick of battle, Melissa had her reasons.

    She was confident in her ability to protect herself whilemanding her troops. That was why she was the Captain of the Royal Guard. And she was performing her role admirably.

    Soldiers quickly crossed the bridge and reached the fortress, preparing to scale the walls withdders.

    Hans, observing from a ship in the distance, nodded and called out to Yuren.

    ¡°It¡¯s time. We¡¯re infiltrating.¡±

    [dly.]

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    While the soldiers assaulted the fortress from the front, the Royal Knights would infiltrate and attack from within. Yuren would facilitate their entry.

    The unit members mounted the dragon.

    Yuren soared into the sky. Even from this height, they could see the soldiers fighting fiercely below. Sacrifice was inevitable in war.

    That¡¯s why they had to win.

    To honor the sacrifices of theirrades. The dragon, like a meteor, descended towards Ares¡¯ Bridge.

    Hans was momentarily startled.

    ¡®What¡¯s going on? Why are we doing this?¡¯

    The n had been to fly in and infiltrate, not plummet like a cannonball. But his surprise was short-lived.

    Yuren crashed into the ground.

    ¡°Is everyone alright?¡±

    ¡°This is nothing!¡±

    ¡°You think this is enough to stop me?!¡±

    ¡°Hmm! The training paid off.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®What kind of training did they even do?¡¯

    Hans almost blurted out, but he swallowed the words, focusing on hiding his trembling legs.

    The unit members, seemingly unfazed, took their positions.

    Hans looked up.

    The interior of the fortress was even more grotesque. It felt less like a fortress and more like the inside of a living organism.

    He had expected something unsettling after seeing the writhing entrails, but he hadn¡¯t imagined the fortress itself was alive.

    He frowned.

    ¡®If that¡¯s the case, one of the seven hearts must be within this fortress¡­¡¯

    ¡°Commander, what are you thinking?¡±

    ¡°This is going to be more troublesome than I thought.¡±

    ¡°Did you discover something?¡±

    ¡°This fortress is alive. That means the seven hearts are likely scattered somewhere within it.¡±

    Hans¡¯s conclusion stemmed from his experience.

    The game had featured maps with simr mechanics, requiring yers to destroy pulsating flesh.

    Ares¡¯ Bridge felt simr.

    ¡°That¡¯s not entirely unreasonable.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ¡°Should we split up and search?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s our best option.¡±

    Hans hesitated for a moment.

    ¡®Should I really send them off like this? Or should I use Time Stop now?¡¯

    He ultimately reached a decision.

    ¡°Go. Locate the seven hearts.¡±

    Using Time Stop to find the hearts would be nearly impossible. The penalty aside, the enemy wouldn¡¯t expose such a vital weakness unless engaged inbat.

    Vwoom!

    The sword at his hip vibrated intensely, but in the urgency of the moment, Hans didn¡¯t notice.

    His unit members, upon receiving hismand, dispersed into the fortress.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to divide our forces.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take Helia with me.¡±

    ?? Important Notice ??<hr>

    ); }

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to admit it, but it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°ra, Ruby. I believe it¡¯s time you proved yourselves. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Leave it to us!¡±

    There were seven hearts and seven unit members.

    However, he couldn¡¯t entrust Helia, still young, with this task alone.

    Yuren would apany her.

    With Yuren¡¯s power, she could easily support Helia from a distance. ra and Ruby were embarking on their first solo mission.

    They had gained experience and proven their strength through training, earning Yuren and Cluna¡¯s approval.

    Hans, however, wore a grim expression.

    He, too, would have to act alone.

    ¡®I¡¯m weaker than Helia right now. Damn it.¡¯

    He had witnessed Helia¡¯s newly developed swordsmanship. It had surpassed the fictional Thunder Dragon Swordsmanship, reaching a new level.

    She had even managed a conditional victory against Yuren in a spar.

    While Yuren had been holding back, it was a feat that even ra and Ruby hadn¡¯t achieved.

    Helia had been the first.

    Unaware of his concerns, the unit members dispersed into the fortress without hesitation.

    Hans, left alone, could only stare after them with a bewildered expression.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes] <hr>

 Chapter 125

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Yuren and Helia were the first to discover a heart.

    Using her dragon senses, Yuren quickly located it. Her fist smashed through the wall, pulling the heart out.

    The pulsating organ was far from a human heart. It resembled a twisted, thorny vine.

    As Yuren prepared to destroy it, Helia suddenly darted forward.

    Yuren was startled by the unexpected move.

    Helia swung her sword, shing the ground.

    Helia Style Single Sword Advance sh.

    Wherever her dended, there was flesh. The quivering flesh, reacting to Helia¡¯s attack, quickly retreated.

    Then, it reformed.

    The flesh vanished, reced by a suit of ck armor. While simr to the kingdom¡¯s armor, it was muchrger and heavier than anything she had seen in the pce.

    ¡®They¡¯ve already found a heart.¡¯

    ¡°This thing ¡­!¡±

    ¡°It must be a guardian protecting the heart.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ¡°So, they¡¯re not going to make it easy for us.¡±

    ¡°Yuren, go find the next heart.¡±

    Helia stopped Yuren, who had been about to attack the armored guardian.

    While she didn¡¯t want to admit it, Yuren was far better at locating the hearts, likely due to her dragon senses.

    It was more efficient for Yuren to search.

    Yuren, understanding, nodded her head and moved on.

    The guardian, now facing Helia alone, scoffed.

    He found itughable that a small child would dare to challenge him.

    ¡°You intend to face me alone?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to say anything.¡±

    ¡°What ¡­?!¡±

    Helia¡¯s crimson eyes shed menacingly, devoid of mercy. Then, the guardian saw it.

    His own head, severed, rolled on the ground.

    For Helia, this wasn¡¯t even a challenge. Her age was irrelevant. She had to be stronger to stand beside her teacher.

    She couldn¡¯t be held back here. This was a mere obstacle to ovee.

    As Helia dispatched the guardian, the others also located hearts.

    [Can you hear me?]

    ¡°Yeah! Loud and clear!¡±

    [That¡¯s good.]

    They had anticipated the need tomunicate while separated and had prepared ordingly.

    Cluna had provided artifacts that allowed them tomunicate with each other, like walkie-talkies.

    [It would be great if we couldmunicate while separated.]

    It had been Hans¡¯s idea.

    In a world where messenger birds and signal fires were the norm, his suggestion had been a wee innovation.

    Ruby and Cluna had coborated to create themunication devices.

    While their range was limited and the magically-powered devices were prone to interference, they were sufficient for basicmunication.

    Ruby stopped where she was. She had found one of the seven hearts.

    While she wasn¡¯t a builder herself, her Dwarven instincts allowed her to sense irregrities in the fortress¡¯s structure.

    She had located a heart almost as quickly as Yuren. But naturally, guardians appeared to protect it.

    Unlike Yuren, Ruby faced a horde of skeletal monsters.

    ¡®Helia defeated a guardian?¡¯

    [Yes, she did.]

    ¡®This is insulting.¡¯

    Helia had faced a powerful guardian, while she was stuck with skeletons?

    Ruby¡¯s actions reflected her indignation.

    The hammer in her hand began to glow with intense heat.

    She swung the ming hammer, obliterating the skeletons in a single blow.

    ra, receiving the report from Ruby, quickly assessed the situation.

    ¡®There are seven hearts, and the strength of the guardians varies.¡¯

    ¡®The guardian Helia faced must be stronger than a monster.¡¯

    ¡®Why would they deploy their forces unevenly?¡¯

    ¡®Two possibilities: theyck manpower, or the hearts have different levels of importance.¡¯

    Thetter seemed more likely.

    ra ryed this information to the others, allowing the Royal Knights to move more efficiently.

    They were all striving for one purpose.

    To serve their Commander, Hans.

    ¡®The strength of the enemies varies depending on the heart? Please let me face the weakest one!!!¡¯

    Oblivious to his unit members¡¯ dedication, Hans prayed for the weakest enemy.

    While he didn¡¯t want them to be injured, he needed to conserve his Time Stop ability.

    Ideally, Cluna and Yuren would face the strongest opponents. They were the strongest members of the Royal Knights.

    Even Bayard could handle a formidable foe.

    He was more concerned about Helia, ra, and Ruby. While skilled, they were physically weaker than him.

    So, when he received the intel from Cluna, his first wish was to encounter the weakest enemy.

    Ruby¡¯s skeletons seemed to be the least threatening.

    ¡®But where are these hearts?¡¯

    The other unit members were already finding hearts, while he had yet to locate one.

    The reason was simple, he hadn¡¯t ventured deep enough into the fortress.

    Ares¡¯ Bridge was even more horrific up close.

    Flesh and entrails formed the walls, and the floor was a tangled mess of tendons.

    The sight was so disturbing that Hans couldn¡¯t bring himself to explore the deeper parts of the fortress like the others.

    He had been sticking to the outer areas. But he couldn¡¯t stay there indefinitely.

    ¡®I¡¯ll have to go in eventually.¡¯

    There were seven hearts. With the numbers perfectly aligned, he couldn¡¯t be left out.

    While few hearts had been found so far, he might be the only one empty-handedter.

    ¡®Should I use Time Stop then? No, even then, the cooldown might prevent me from destroying all seven hearts at once.¡¯

    Just then, the courtyard where Yuren hadnded with the unit members began to writhe, taking shape.

    Hans, startled, turned to look.

    [You¡¯ve found me. As expected of the Commander of the Royal Knights.]

    It resembled a giant toad, its brown skin oozing mud. It was undoubtedly the Mud Guardian.

    Hans clicked his tongue.

    ¡°Are you the Mud Guardian?¡±

    [Indeed. A glorious title bestowed upon me by my lord.]

    ¡°By ¡®lord,¡¯ you mean the Blood Demon?¡±

    [How dare you utter that name so casually!!!]

    The Mud Guardian¡¯s rage shook the fortress.

    Hans, feeling the tremors, realized that this was indeed the true Mud Guardian.

    ¡®But why did it appear now?¡¯

    He quickly deduced the reason.

    The Mud Guardian had been hiding in the courtyard. This meant a heart was hidden there as well.

    It had been hidden in in sight, making it difficult to find. But Hans, the Commander of the Royal Knights, had been lingering nearby.

    The Mud Guardian must have perceived him as a threat.

    ¡®Shit, I¡¯m screwed.¡¯

    ?? Important Notice ??<hr>

    ); }

    [The Commander has encountered the Mud Guardian!]

    [He needs backup!]

    [No! Hold your positions!]

    [Don¡¯t get in his way.]

    As if to add insult to injury, Cluna announced his encounter with the Mud Guardian. And any hope of assistance was swiftly shut down by Helia.

    Helia had reasoned that staying put and guarding their positions was more helpful to the Commander than intervening.

    She was right.

    The problem was that Hans was terrified.

    ¡°Shit! Help me!!!¡±

    Ignoring his pleas, the Mud Guardian attacked, gathering the surrounding flesh and engulfing Hans.

    He could only stare in horror, his body unable to keep up with his mind.

    He had assumed Time Stop would activate automatically if his life was in danger. But then¡­

    Vwoom!

    The holy sword at his hip reacted. A pure white light erupted from the de, filling the area.

    Hans, bewildered, could only blink his eyes.

    When he regained his senses¡­

    [Gah¡­!!!]

    The Mud Guardian was copsing before him.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes] <hr>

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 126

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Despite being constantly ignored by its wielder, the holy sword¡¯s power was extraordinary.

    It wasn¡¯t called a holy sword for nothing. It was an artifact created by ancient seers, foreseeing aing threat.

    A sword with its own will couldn¡¯t be ordinary.

    Yet, it had remained silent, waiting for its wielder to acknowledge it.

    A tool shouldn¡¯t act on its own. And part of it was curious to see how far its arrogant wielder could go without its help. But then, an enemy appeared.

    A significant threat, even in the holy sword¡¯s eyes. It was only natural.

    This was a blood demon, a being that required a nation¡¯s full might to confront.

    The holy sword, unconsciously, unleashed its power to protect its wielder. It was a simple release of energy, but it was enough to harm the blood demon.The Mud Guardian was stunned.

    He had divided his hearts. As long as one remained intact, he couldn¡¯t be killed. It had always been that way.

    But a sh of light from the sword had engulfed him, and now, all seven of his hearts were burning.

    ¡®What is happening?¡¯

    [What did you do?!]

    He sounded like a cornered dog, trembling and barking at arger, more fearsome being. And Hans, the target of his fear, was thinking¡­

    ¡®What the hell? What just happened?¡¯

    He was undoubtedly the most bewildered person present.

    The holy sword he carried, against his will, had suddenly emitted a light, and now the blood demon was on the verge of death? And he had no control over it?

    Chills ran down his spine.

    The holy sword¡¯s danger level in his mind increased slightly. But he quickly revised his assessment.

    He had faced countless crises and ovee them all. He would turn this into another opportunity.

    He smirked.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is a great blood demon already scared?¡±

    [What did you do?! How did you damage all my hearts¡­!]

    ¡®All his hearts? Did it really damage all of them?¡¯

    [Commander! The hearts are being destroyed! What¡¯s going on?!]

    [The heart here is being destroyed too!]

    Hans quickly processed the information and reached a conclusion.

    The holy sword¡¯s light had damaged all of the Mud Guardian¡¯s hearts. If left alone, it would die.

    ¡®This is going to be easier than I thought.¡¯

    It was time to press his advantage. He deliberately kept themunication device active, speaking loud enough for his voice to be transmitted.

    ¡°Do you still not understand? Your mistake was challenging me, no¡­ challenging us!¡±

    [W-What?!]

    ¡°We carry the hopes of a better future, the lives of our friends,rades, even our families!¡±

    [¡­]

    ¡°A pathetic vermin like you, content to wallow in your fortress, was never our match!¡±

    He had often wondered why viins in movies and shows always listened to the protagonist¡¯s speeches.

    The answer was simple, the power of their words.

    Even nonsense, repeated often enough, couldn¡¯t be ignored. Especially when spoken by the Commander of the Royal Knights.

    So, Hansunched into his speech.

    He had two reasons.

    One was to buy time. The Mud Guardian would die eventually, there was no need to fight it directly.

    The second reason was to cultivate his image.

    Words held immense power.

    Every word spoken etched itself into people¡¯s memories, shaping their perception of him.

    ¡®I have to project an image of confidence and conviction.¡¯

    That was how he would earn the unwavering loyalty of the Royal Knights. But Hans had overlooked one thing. The power of words could affect enemies as well.

    [¡­I see. So that¡¯s how it is.]

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    [For a hundred years, I have guarded this ce, believing it was the path of loyalty. But¡­ I becamecent, forgetting the pride of battle.]

    ¡°What?¡±

    Hans was the first to sense the shift in the atmosphere.

    The creature, which had been ranting like a third-rate viin, suddenly spoke with a chilling calmness.

    ¡®What should I do? Should I attack now?¡¯

    Asking the holy sword for help again felt awkward, and he would win eventually anyway.

    But his thoughts changed abruptly. He felt something pierce his body, apanied by the sound of crumbling.

    ¡®What was that?¡¯

    ¡°From this moment forward, I will face you as a warrior.¡±

    ¡°What? A warrior?¡±

    ¡°Yes, not as some mud¡­ but as a true guardian¡­!¡±

    Countless fragments coalesced.

    The pulsating flesh swelled, and then, it emerged.

    A knight d in ck armor, wielding two swords.

    Hans clicked his tongue.

    ¡®Am I imagining the Dark Souls soundtrack?¡¯

    He quickly surveyed his surroundings. All the entrances to the courtyard were sealed by red flesh.

    ¡®Oh, for fuck¡¯s sake.¡¯

    ¡°With my divided pride now unified, I have only one heart.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°A warrior¡¯s pride. And an honorable death.¡±

    ¡°Seriously¡­¡±

    To an outsider, it might seem absurd, but to Hans, facing an armored knight with two swords was terrifying.

    ¡®Wait, let¡¯s talk this out!¡¯

    But before he could speak, time stopped.

    The familiar sensation of the world turning to grayscale, frozen in time, except for him happened.

    He could finally see it.

    The guardian¡¯s two swords, inches from his neck. N?v(el)B\\jnn

    ¡®Holy shit, I would have been dead without Time Stop,¡¯

    He quickly retreated and released Time Stop.

    [Commander?! What¡¯s happening?! Commander!!!]

    [The heart is gone! And the ceiling¡­!]

    [Teacher! I can¡¯t get through!!!]

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic.¡±

    Unable to focus with their frantic calls, Hans responded coldly. But his words had a different effect on his unit members.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Yuren looked up.

    The ceiling had copsed, and the flesh was decaying. The outside influence was weakening. This was both a crisis and an opportunity.

    Regaining herposure thanks to the Commander¡¯s words, Yuren roared.

    The dragon¡¯s cry shook the fortress, and the unit members began to gather.

    ¡°Yuren! The Commander¡¯s in danger!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way through!¡±

    ¡°Calm down. We¡¯ll figure something out.¡±

    ¡°If Teacher is in danger, I¡­!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. He¡¯s our Commander.¡±

    ?? Important Notice ??<hr>

    ); }

    Cluna understood their concern. It was natural to worry when someone precious was in danger. But to her, Hans was more than that.

    He was the one who had always led them, a human with a short lifespan, yet possessing unimaginable strength. She couldn¡¯t fathom the reason, but his achievements were undeniable.

    And he had just dered their purpose to the enemy.

    [Do you still not understand? Your mistake was challenging me, no¡­ challenging us!]

    [We carry the hopes of a better future, the lives of our friends,rades, even our families!]

    [A pathetic vermin like you, content to wallow in your fortress, was never our match!]

    Even under themand of a brilliant leader, casualties were inevitable in war.

    Many would mourn their loss. But they had to keep moving forward.

    For the sake of a future where no one had to die, a future where even grief was forgotten.

    Yet, their Commander had chosen to confront that grief head-on.

    Cluna longed to break through the barrier herself. But after hearing his words, how could she cling to her own desires?

    She erased her smile.

    ¡°As you wish, Commander.¡±

    The Commander¡¯s will was to support the troops fighting outside and secure victory.

    He would undoubtedly handle the Mud Guardian himself. At least, that¡¯s what she believed.

    ¡®Someone help me, please!!!¡¯

    It seemed his inner cries were going unheard.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes] <hr>

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 127

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    There once was a man called the Guardian.

    His memories were scattered, but within those fragments¡­ he was human.

    For his homnd and his people, memories now long faded, he had stood his ground. He had pointed his sword at the encroaching monsters.

    Even after falling into the clutches of the monster¡¯s creator, even after losing all his memories, his desire to protect remained.

    Ironically, this proved the creator¡¯s cruelty, twisting his unwavering devotion into something monstrous.

    The Guardian wanted to protect.

    He had one single, clear memory.

    To protect his lord.His shattered pride and memories were as formless as the flesh and entrails surrounding him.

    The fallen Guardian no longer possessed honor or dignity. But the desire to protect lingered.

    [A pathetic vermin like you, content to wallow in your fortress, was never our match!]

    His words pierced him.

    The words of the hero who had defeated his lord and rebuilt the Royal Knights. Their weight struck the Guardian, stripped of his pride.

    He had desperately tried to protect this ce, grotesquely consuming the fortress, dividing his heart and hiding the pieces, all to survive, to defend this ce. But my words had awakened him.

    Not his memories, those were likely gone forever.

    The one who created him, the one who named him a blood demon, had seen to that.

    He had been designed with such malice that regaining his memories was impossible. But fragments remained.

    And within those fragments, the embers of honor and pride flickered.

    The viscous, repulsive flesh burned away, leaving only the Guardian.

    d in rusted, scrap-metal armor, his body still filled with burning flesh, but now, with a single, unified heart.

    He was the Guardian.

    ¡°Come! Human! Prove your pride!¡±

    His cry echoed through the fortress, the cry of one who had never retreated against monster or demon.

    His power had diminished, but his skill, honed over centuries against monsters, now targeted me.

    They exchanged a deadly dance of des, a touch of which meant death.

    He thought it was over. But then, he realized. His right arm was gone. No, not his arm. His head.

    I clicked my tongue.

    ¡®Damn, does he have some weird power?¡¯

    Even with his speed and skill, decapitating him while time was frozen had been easy. But I released Time Stop just in case, and¡­

    I had clearly seen the severed head, yet the moment time resumed, only his right arm was missing. It seemed his power had activated.

    He looked at his remaining arm.

    He had beenpletely defeated.

    My crude, unrefined sh, devoid of finesse, had bypassed his skill and speed.

    ¡°My Guardian¡¯s pride is gone, and my human honor has fallen.¡±

    That crude attack resonated with him. He had reached this point with such raw talent. His sword must have been steeped in anguish and fear, just like mine.

    But he had to ovee that fear and move forward. That was the burden of those who carried such a weight.

    The memories he thought were lost forever began to resurface.

    ¡°But my sword and will are mine.¡±

    It had happened here, in this ruined fortress. He had faced an overwhelming foe, lost an arm, and been captured.

    Then, he had be this grotesque monster.

    He wouldn¡¯t make excuses.

    His spirit had broken in the face of overwhelming power, and he had joined the demons. But he wouldn¡¯t look away any longer.

    He would bear the sins he hadmitted as a monster.

    ¡°I, Ares, will walk the path of the Guardian until the end.¡±

    It was a coincidence. Losing an arm, facing a simr situation. But coincidences, aligned, became miracles.

    His regaining his memories was a miracle.

    In this moment, Ares, the Guardian, was grateful to me, the hero. And relieved. The battles he had fought weren¡¯t meaningless.

    They had led to this.

    And now¡­

    I, the hero, was receiving the gratitude of the Guardian who had reimed his name.

    And I was thinking¡­

    ¡®Your mom.¡¯

    I inwardly hurled insults at him, too afraid to voice them aloud. This whole situation was incredibly frustrating.

    ?? Important Notice ??<hr>

    ); }

    The monster I thought I had killed had suddenly revived and powered up.

    I cut off his arm, and he powered up again, his fighting spirit rekindled.

    ¡®What is this, a Dark Souls boss fight? How many phases does this thing have? This isn¡¯t a Souls-like, it¡¯s an eroge! Damn it!¡¯

    But my mind raced.

    ¡®He said the seven hearts merged into one. And that burning smell¡­ there¡¯s still flesh inside that armor.¡¯

    I had fought countless battles, risking my life, and I knew I had to remain calm.

    So, I spoke.

    ¡°Humans only have one heart. What about you?¡±

    ¡°I, too, have only one heart now.¡±

    ¡°I see. Then you, too, are human.¡±

    I raised my hand and ced it over my heart.

    Ares, watching me, mirrored the gesture.

    ¡®There it is! You son of a bitch!¡¯

    ¡®This bastard has no conscience.¡¯

    He was hiding his heart in his abdomen. Actually, the burning flesh had shifted its position, but he didn¡¯t know that.

    Sensing my hostility, Ares attacked first.

    A single, swift strike, all his skill honed to a razor¡¯s edge.

    For a fleeting instant, a fraction of a second, he reached a level beyond his limits. If I hadn¡¯t been his opponent¡­

    It was a strike that could have killed even the one who defeated him in the past. But his attack couldn¡¯t break through Time Stop.

    I was stunned.

    ¡®That was¡­ something else.¡¯

    I had seen speeds I couldn¡¯t react to countless times. But Ares¡¯s attack was fundamentally different.

    Sensing the danger, I swiftly drew the holy sword and pierced his heart, severing his remaining left arm for good measure.

    Time resumed.

    He looked at his severed arm, flying through the air. He could no longer wield a sword. But he smiled.

    ¡°What is your name?¡±

    ¡°Hans.¡±

    ¡°You fought well, Hans.¡±

    He no longer needed his worn, battered sword.

    The descendant of the humans he had sworn to protect had arrived.

    Their will would be inherited, honed. It had been a satisfying battle.

    He had witnessed the sharp de of his descendants. He couldn¡¯t ask for more.

    Ares¡¯s body began to crumble.

    Thest remnants of his flesh burned away.

    The stench from the fortress dissipated.

    I looked around.

    The grotesque fortress, filled with flesh and entrails, was gone.

    Only the ruined structure remained, like Ares himself. @@novelbin@@

    I clicked my tongue and looked up.

    ¡°There¡¯s the Commander! Commander!!!¡±

    ¡°Teacher! Are you alright?!¡±

    ¡°Honestly¡­¡±

    I chuckled, watching my unit members run towards me.

    I had grown fond of them, despite their antics.

    I wanted to scold them, but we had achieved a great victory together.

    I felt a sense of camaraderie.

    We had fought side-by-side, risking our lives.

    It was natural. But just as I was rxing, I heard a cracking sound.

    I wondered what it was.

    [¡­Our¡­]

    [¡­Eternal¡­]

    ¡®¡­!¡¯

    A fleeting, unknown memory shed through my mind.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes] <hr>

 Chapter 128

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    His vision wavered, and he stumbled.

    Helia caught him before he fell. But as he met her gaze, an unsettling feeling washed over him.

    He couldn¡¯t understand why he felt this way about Helia. @@novelbin@@

    The strange memory fragment lingered, reying in his mind as if someone was forcing it upon him.

    His expression darkened.

    Helia, supporting him, noticed the change.

    ¡°Teacher, are you hurt?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±¡°I¡¯m d to hear that, but¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m alright now. Let me go.¡±

    Hans instinctively pulled away from Helia, needing space.

    Helia, though slightly hurt, released him.

    Seeing her obediently step back, a pang of guilt struck him.

    ¡®Am I overreacting? Am I hurting her?¡¯

    But the thought vanished as he saw the kingdom¡¯s soldiers approaching with the rest of the Royal Knights.

    He stared nkly, then spoke.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°As youmanded, we¡¯ve eliminated all the monsters outside, alongside the kingdom¡¯s forces.¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    ¡°This fortress is ours now, Commander.¡±

    While Hans had been fighting Ares, the remaining Royal Knights had joined the kingdom¡¯s army.

    Already at an advantage, the kingdom¡¯s forces, bolstered by their arrival, had quickly overwhelmed the remaining monsters.

    The soldiers, standing in formation, looked at Hans expectantly.

    It was unnerving.

    He instinctively averted his gaze, but there was no escape. The other unit members were also looking at him.

    He finally understood what they wanted.

    ¡®A victory deration? From me?¡¯

    A victory deration was a formal announcement of their triumph. It was more important than it seemed.

    Until themander dered victory, the soldiers couldn¡¯t be certain.

    Moreover, themander¡¯s deration could significantly impact morale.

    Hans, who loathed being the center of attention, turned to Melissa.

    ¡°Melissa, why don¡¯t you make the deration?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You were the one who led the soldiers.¡±

    ¡°¡­But¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t dismiss your aplishments.¡±

    Hans had simply wanted to avoid the spotlight, but Melissa was shocked.

    Objectively, the Royal Knights had been the key to this victory.

    She had been confident at first.

    The kingdom¡¯s elite soldiers, well-trained and equipped, along with the Royal Guard¡­ she had even thought they didn¡¯t need the Royal Knights.

    But the reality of facing a blood demon had been different. Numbers and training had meant nothing.

    If the Royal Knights hadn¡¯t infiltrated the fortress and dealt with the Mud Guardian¡­

    They wouldn¡¯t have won so easily. Even if they had managed to win, the casualties would have been immense.

    Yet, he was offering her the credit.

    ¡®Why are you doing this?¡¯

    ?? Important Notice ??<hr>

    ); }

    Melissa couldn¡¯t understand.

    Wasn¡¯t it normal to exaggerate one¡¯s aplishments? But she quickly found the answer in Hans¡¯s eyes.

    He was the Commander of the Royal Knights, the one who mediated between the races, the one who had even earned the orcs¡¯ respect.

    Could he be unaware of the potential friction between the Royal Knights and the Royal Guard?

    Of course not.

    He knew.

    Yet, he chose to offer her the credit.

    It wasn¡¯t mockery.

    He was looking at the bigger picture, something beyond this battle.

    ¡®He genuinely wants to defeat the demons.¡¯

    Hans was looking ahead, towards a future where the continent was free from monsters and demons.

    A treasure humans had once enjoyed but now forgotten.

    The treasure of freedom.

    That¡¯s why he was giving up the credit for this battle, to maintain amicable rtions. He didn¡¯t care about personal glory.

    Shame washed over Melissa.

    ¡®Why did I be a knight?¡¯ ¡®

    Wasn¡¯t it to protect the helpless and fight the kingdom¡¯s enemies?¡¯ But what about now?

    ¡®I was blinded by jealousy and forgot the greater good.¡¯

    Disheartened by the grim reality, she had becent, envious of those who surpassed her.

    That was Melissa, and many other so-called heroes of this era.

    ¡°Thank you, Sir Hans. But I cannot make the deration.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°I am not worthy.¡±

    ¡°Not worthy?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. So, I ask you, Sir Hans.¡±

    Melissa lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze.

    She was ashamed as a fellow knight. But it was alright. She could redeem herself.

    ¡®What the hell is wrong with her? Seriously¡­¡¯

    Hans, oblivious to Melissa¡¯s inner turmoil, cursed inwardly.

    He had thought it was most fitting for Melissa, the Captain of the Royal Guard, to make the deration.

    But she had suddenly had an epiphany and insisted he do it. Resigned to his fate, Hans thought for a moment, then raised his sword.

    ¡°We are victorious!!!!¡±

    [Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!]

    A short, simple deration.

    But its effect was profound.

    The soldiers roared, their cheers echoing as if to announce their victory to the entire continent.

    News of the victory spread quickly throughout the kingdom.

    The King, confident of their sess, had already nned the next stage, to solidify their position by publicizing the victory and then proceed with his next n.

    He immediately dispatched soldiers and engineers to repair the fortress and station troops there.

    Simultaneously, the weakening barrier protecting the Holy Empires was reinforced.

    This was the first victory and territorial gain in nearly a hundred years since the demon invasion. The news galvanized the other races.

    The Human Kingdom had been the most weakened nation and race, unable to even produce a proper Royal Knight, looked down upon for their past actions.

    Yet, they had been the first to reim territory and reinforce the barrier. The other races couldn¡¯t help but be affected.

    Greed also yed a part.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t this our chance to reim our lostnds?¡¯

    ¡®If this works out¡­¡¯

    ¡®We can do it too!¡¯

    The desire to reim their former territories was shared by all races. The Royal Knights¡¯ reckless expedition had been driven by this desire.

    While it had ultimately failed¡­

    The frozen ambition now thawed, burning brightly once more. And at the center of this ambition were the Royal Knights.

    Hans hadn¡¯t anticipated it, but he had effectively demonstrated the immense risk of expeditions without the Royal Knights.

    Their value had skyrocketed.

    This meant their influence would grow significantly.

    While it could lead to the Royal Knights bing more involved in national politics, the immediate threat took precedence.

    There were more pressing matters than worrying about an uncertain future.

    As the other races¡¯ reliance on the Royal Knights intensified, Hans remained at the fortress.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the King toe here in person.¡±

    ¡°He said the royal treasure is here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Hans nodded.

    A royal treasure of the Human Kingdom was hidden within Ares¡¯ Bridge. A treasure created by the first King to protect his people.

    While scattered now, if they could find and utilize it, they could gain an advantage in the war against the demons.

    The King looked around the fortress, then ran his hand along a wall in the courtyard.

    The seemingly ordinary floor on the left side of the courtyard creaked open, revealing a stone door.

    ¡°It seems it¡¯s hidden underground.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we couldn¡¯t risk losing it.¡±

    ¡°Then put the treasure to good use.¡±

    Hans turned away, leaving the rest to the King.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes] <hr>

 Chapter 129

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The Human Kingdom had obtained a national treasure.

    The news quickly spread to the other races.

    Like the Human Kingdom¡¯s treasure, other races also possessed weapons left by their ancestors to fight the demons. Though now, they were all lost.

    Surprisingly, until now, the other races hadn¡¯t tried to recover these artifacts.

    The reason was simple, the cost was too high.

    The bnce of power between the races was, unexpectedly, not that different.

    This, of course, excluded the Dragons and Vampires.

    In any case, wasting resources searching for artifacts whose existence was uncertain would inevitably lead to repercussions.Thanks to the Royal Knights¡¯ mediation, conflicts between the races had significantly decreased. But hadn¡¯t a territorial dispute between the Dwarves and Beastmen erupted immediately after the Royal Knights¡¯ copse?

    That¡¯s why they were hesitant to search for the artifacts.

    They didn¡¯t want to waste their strength needlessly. But then, the Human Kingdom, considered the weakest, suddenly found their national treasure.

    [The Human Kingdom has imed new territory.]

    [And they¡¯ve obtained a national treasure too?]

    [This is dangerous. The bnce of power is shifting.]

    This posed a threat to the other races.

    Immediately after the Royal Knights¡¯ copse, the Human Kingdom had seen the most significant development among the allied races.

    Putting aside everything else, they had rmended Hans, an exceptional talent, to the copsed Royal Knights, and their subsequent support of the Royal Knights was a contribution beyond imagination.

    Furthermore, they used their connections to establish rtionships with the Dwarf Kingdom and the 12 Tribes, initiating various projects.

    Recently, they had even extended their reach to the Orcs and Elves, with whom they had previously had little interaction.

    Now, it was no longer possible to simply dismiss the Human Kingdom.

    Their influence was steadily growing. And in this situation, they had expanded their territory and obtained a national treasure?

    [We cannot remain idle.]

    [We need a n.]

    [And for that¡­.]

    A sense of crisis, of being left behind, coupled with the desire for power.

    Ironically, this stemmed from hope.

    The hope that they too could fight and defeat the demons.

    And their gazes naturally turned towards the symbol of that hope.

    ¡°The Dwarf Kingdom has requested our support?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Hans clicked his tongue.

    The Human Kingdom¡¯s victory in the siege had expanded their territory, and they were continuing to advance. He had thought they finally had some breathing room.

    But what was this? Other nations kept sending requests.

    Moreover, the Dwarf Kingdom was an ally of the Human Kingdom and one of the Royal Knights¡¯ biggest sponsors.

    He couldn¡¯t simply ignore them. And with Ruby, a Dwarf, among his Knights, ignoring the request seemed like a surefire way to a bad ending.

    Hans sighed.

    ¡°So, where are they attacking this time?¡±

    ¡°Actually, the Dwarf Kingdom isn¡¯tunching an expedition.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll exin.¡±

    Ruby interjected between Cluna and Hans.

    Cluna¡¯s expression momentarily soured, but Ruby ignored her.

    Hans, however, was concerned about Cluna.

    What¡¯s wrong? Why the sudden change in expression?

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, Commander.¡±

    ¡°Focus on me, not that stuck-up elf!¡±

    ¡°Do you know the details?¡±

    ¡°The Dwarf Kingdom is trying to capture the Purgatory Workshop!¡±

    ¡°Purgatory Workshop? What¡¯s that?¡±

    This was the first time Hans had heard of it. In the original story, the Dwarf Kingdom had been destroyed.

    A Dwarf heroine eventually rebuilt it, but it was more like a refugee camp than a proper nation.

    While the lore books provided some information, he had never heard of the Purgatory Workshop.

    Ruby smiled and continued her exnation.

    ¡°The Purgatory Workshop is part of Dwarf legend!¡±

    ¡°Legend?¡±

    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s where a giant, imbued with the wisdom of our ancestors, sleeps, waiting to oppose the Great Evil! Soon, it will be tempered in intense heat, and the giant will rise again!¡±

    ¡°But isn¡¯t that just a legend?¡±

    ¡°Yes! At least, that¡¯s what the people believe!¡±

    ¡°The people believe it¡­ so that means¡­¡±

    ¡°The Purgatory Workshop exists!!!¡±

    Ruby¡¯s outburst gave Hans a headache.

    It sounded dangerous. And a Steel Giant? That sounded simr to a Mobile Fortress.

    Those were terrifying.

    The Mobile Fortress was a weapon of mass destruction created by the demons after absorbing Dwarf technology.

    A giant fortress moving and firing cannons? It was a nightmare.

    In the game, encountering the Mobile Fortress for the first time was incredibly frustrating and demoralizing.

    Other bosses could be strategically defeated, but the Mobile Fortress was different.

    Unless thoroughly prepared, capturing it was extremely difficult.

    yers usually progressed halfway through the story, then grinded to prepare for the Mobile Fortress.

    However, since he had saved the Dwarf Kingdom from the demons, that terrifying Mobile Fortress shouldn¡¯t reappear.

    Of course, to a veteran yer like Hans, it would be child¡¯s y. But this wasn¡¯t a game, it was reality.

    Minimizing powerful enemies was the best option for the future.

    Hans considered the possibilities.

    A weaponparable to the Mobile Fortress as an ally?

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll ept this request.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the logical choice, considering the future.¡±

    ¡°The Steel Giant¡­¡±

    ¡°Have you heard of it?¡±

    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡±

    Cluna had crossed her arms in thought, so Hans asked her, just in case. But Cluna shook her head.

    It seemed she didn¡¯t know about the Steel Giant either.

    After some deliberation, Hans epted the request.

    He couldn¡¯t ignore it anyway, and it seemed less burdensome than an expedition.

    He decided not to take all the Royal Knights.

    The previous expedition was to reim demon-upied territory, but this time, they were going inside the Dwarf Kingdom.

    It should be less dangerous.

    ¡°Since it¡¯s a Dwarf matter, Ruby will definitely participate. I¡¯ll just take one more person.¡±

    ¡°Nice!¡±

    ¡°Is anyone physically up to the task?¡±

    Hans wanted to give his unit members some rest, especially the young Helia, and Yuren and Cluna, who had worked the hardest.

    However, his unit members had other ns.

    ¡®This is my chance.¡¯

    ¡®A chance to get ahead of the others!¡¯

    ¡®I can¡¯t miss this.¡¯

    Until now, they had always cooperated.

    They had to.

    During the True Demons¡¯ invasion, they had barely won by focusing on the immediate enemies.

    The second expedition had been a matter of the Royal Knights¡¯ survival. But this was different.

    This was a rtively manageable request, allowing him to adjust the number of participating members.

    And that meant an opportunity to get ahead of the others.

    If they could share a bed with the Commander during this request¡­ it would solidify their position.

    ¡°It seems no one¡¯s willing to back down.¡±

    ¡°Apparently not.¡±

    ¡°Should we settle this by force?¡±

    ¡°Settle it by force? How did you even reach that conclusion?¡±

    As his unit members naturally drew their weapons, Hans panicked and stopped them.

    After some struggle, Bayard was chosen to apany them to the Dwarf Kingdom. The reason was simple.

    ¡°Bayard gets along best with Ruby.¡±

    ?? Important Notice ??<hr>

    ); }

    ¡°That¡¯s true!¡±

    ¡°Th-thank you, Commander! I won¡¯t forget this favor!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a favor.¡±

    From Hans¡¯s perspective, Bayard was the easiest to manage. ra and Yuren were difficult to control, and Helia and Cluna were slightly intimidating.

    Bayard was the safest choice.

    After deciding on the personnel, Hans packed minimal supplies and departed immediately on a wyvern.

    He felt like staying any longer would only lead to unnecessary conflict. ¡­Or rather, that was an excuse.

    Since that day, the day the unknown memory surfaced, Hans had been subtly avoiding Helia. @@novelbin@@

    He didn¡¯t understand why. He simply felt uneasy around her.

    ¡°Ruby.¡±

    ¡°Yes? What is it?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    He had considered discussing the issue, but he shook his head.

    He didn¡¯t want to burden his unit members.

    He would sort out his thoughts during this request.

    He couldn¡¯t avoid Helia forever.

    That¡¯s what he thought.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes] <hr>

 Chapter 130

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Hans arrived at the Dwarf Kingdom without difficulty. He was once again struck by the convenience of wyverns.

    Perhaps because she was visiting her homnd after a long time, Ruby wore a rxed expression.

    Come to think of it, Ruby had also been through a lot. She had lost her mother to a man who wasn¡¯t even a proper father, and, to make matters worse, had nearly been used as his tool.

    Despite maintaining a brave front¡­

    In truth, she had been terrified. While she was undoubtedly stronger, the trauma of her childhood had transformed that man, her father, into a monster in her eyes.

    Ruby couldn¡¯t possibly be unafraid.

    But everything changed when she joined the Commander.

    From his side, the man who called himself her father was nothing but trash. Thanks to the Commander, she had been able to put an end to it all without difficulty. It was all thanks to him.

    So, here, she would be the one to help the Commander.

    Only Ruby, a native of the Dwarf Kingdom, knew its geography and circumstances.

    Therefore, Ruby decided to be the Commander¡¯s eyes and ears.

    Meanwhile, Hans thought,

    The Purgatory Workshop.

    Just how awful of a ce is it?

    Hans was already worried about the future.

    Hopefully, it would be better than the siege of Ares¡¯ Bridge in the Human Kingdom.

    There, a Blood Demon-level fiend had upied the fortress with a horde of monsters. And then, it had suddenly awakened and gone berserk.

    Hans¡¯s heart had nearly leaped out of his chest.

    Compared to that, the Purgatory Workshop should be easier¡­ or so Hans hoped.

    The wyvern carrying Hans and his unit members slowlynded on the Anvil of the Dwarf Kingdom.

    Perhaps because they had been informed beforehand, a considerable number of Dwarves were waiting.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, Commander Hans.¡±

    ¡°Ambassador Viral, it¡¯s been a while. And who is this next to you?¡±

    ¡°This is the sole heir to the Dwarf Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I¡¯m Bell Sapphire.¡±

    A girl with sapphire-blue hair, befitting her name, greeted Hans with a bright smile.

    She had the demeanor of a polite princess.

    Hans was surprised.

    Bell Sapphire.

    One of the heroines from the original game and the only surviving royalty of the Dwarf Kingdom.

    He knew she was around Helia¡¯s age, but he hadn¡¯t expected to meet her like this.

    Hans couldn¡¯t hide his surprise, but he quickly masked his expression.

    Maintaining a poker face was Hans¡¯s best technique for upholding his Commander¡¯s dignity.

    ¡°Why has the Kingdom¡¯s princesse all the way here?¡±

    ¡°To secure the Purgatory Workshop, we need the power of Sapphire, one of the four jewels.¡±

    ¡°The power of Sapphire?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the Purgatory Workshop was founded by our Sapphire lineage.¡±

    Bell¡¯s words revealed lore even Hans, a veteran of the game, had never heard of.

    Perhaps the developers had intentionally hidden it, or maybe it was a detail that emerged when the game became reality.

    In any case, if this request was sessfully resolved, it would be beneficial not only for Hans but also for the Multi-Racial Alliance.

    Everyone acknowledged the Dwarf Kingdom¡¯s technological prowess.

    Furthermore, the term ¡°Steel Giant¡± was amon trope in fantasy mecha stories.

    Even if it wasn¡¯t a mecha, but a literal steel giant, it would still be a valuable asset, a forceparable to the Mobile Fortress.

    Hans nodded.

    However, unlike the siege of Ares¡¯ Bridge, there was no information about the Purgatory Workshop.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to hear more about the Purgatory Workshop.¡±

    ¡°Pleasee inside. May we discuss it there?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±

    Hans readily epted Bell¡¯s suggestion.

    The Royal Knights and the Jewel¡¯s Star, the guards protecting the Dwarven jewels, moved together.

    Ruby clicked her tongue as she watched them.

    Those guys, who were already monsters, have be even more monstrous.

    The Jewel¡¯s Star acted as guards for the Kingdom¡¯s four jewels.

    In the original story, they had been annihted along with the Kingdom. But now, the Kingdom was intact, and thanks to the Royal Knights¡¯ efforts, the investment in the Jewel¡¯s Star had increased.

    Ambassador Viral had strongly requested the training of more skilled knights.

    And since the Dwarf Kingdom had nearly fallen to the demons, most Dwarves agreed. The result was the current, reinforced Jewel¡¯s Star.

    ¡°You¡¯re Ruby, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re the same age.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t have any friends. I¡¯d like to be friends with you. Is that okay?¡±

    At Bell¡¯s question, Ruby silently turned to look at Hans, as if seeking permission.

    Hans was momentarily flustered, but he nodded and said,

    ¡°That¡¯s for you to decide. Do as you please.¡±

    ¡°¡­A friend. Wouldn¡¯t hurt to have one.¡±

    ¡°Thank you! Then I¡¯ll call you Ruby!¡±

    ¡°Sure. That¡¯s enough for now.¡±

    Bell smiled brightly at Ruby¡¯s words, delighted.

    Hans found the sight of the children getting along pleasing. If it weren¡¯t for the current situation, this would be ideal.

    ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s something more important to discuss.¡±

    ¡°I know, Ambassador Viral.¡±

    ¡°My apologies.¡±

    However, they couldn¡¯t just chat andugh forever. Reality was harsher than they thought.

    Ambassador Viral reminded Bell of this, and she epted it.

    Hans felt a pang of sympathy, but it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    The priority was capturing the Purgatory Workshop. But after this was over, Ruby and Bell could meet again.

    If that time came¡­

    Perhaps he could give Ruby a short vacation.

    Vacation, my ass.

    Just go to hell.

    Hans¡¯s thoughts quickly changed.

    It was because he was now standing before the Purgatory Workshop.

    True to its name, the surrounding area was aze with hotva.

    Surprisingly, however, it wasn¡¯t realva.

    ording to Viral, it was molten metal flowing from the Purgatory Workshop.

    Hans was dumbfounded.

    Just how much molten metal was inside?

    How could molten metal continuously flow out without stopping?

    Hans slowly looked around again.

    He and Ambassador Viral were standing in front of the Purgatory Workshop. It was truly hellish.

    ¡°It looks like the entrance to hell.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not an inurate description.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re capturing this ce?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something we¡¯ve been putting off. We can¡¯t dy any longer.¡±

    Before the appalled Hans, Ambassador Viral dered firmly.

    The Human Kingdom had obtained a national treasure, and with their well-trained soldiers and knights, they were steadily expanding their territory.

    The 12 Tribes, Orcs, and Elves were doing the same. Each race was striving to advance.

    In this situation, the Dwarf Kingdom couldn¡¯t remain idle.

    That¡¯s why Ambassador Viral had called for Hans.

    He had heard that Hans had given the national treasure to the Human Kingdom without asking for anything in return.

    Frankly, it was astonishing.

    While mutual aid was expected in these dire times, giving something away withoutpensation was difficult, especially in life-or-death expeditions.

    Yet, Hans, the Commander of the Royal Knights, had handed over the treasure.

    Why?

    How could he do that?

    The answer was clear.

    Hans wasn¡¯t after immediate gains.

    He wanted a better future, true peace for the continent.

    Otherwise, how could he give away such a valuable item without asking for anything in return?

    Viral couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of shame.

    Their kingdom had to rely on such noble intentions.

    While he hadn¡¯t mentioned it, the Dwarf Kingdom had attempted to capture the Purgatory Workshop.

    But they had failed. As soon as they opened the door, they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of iron golems and forced to retreat.

    Fortunately, they had managed to glean a hint.

    ¡°A hint?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We managed to capture a few iron golems.¡±

    ¡°Capture¡­ So, what exactly are they?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not living beings. They¡¯re weapons made of steel. Our investigation revealed that they¡¯re controlled by electrical signals sent to their heads.¡±

    ¡°So, if we block those signals, we can stop them?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll know as soon as we open the door.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll open the door, Ambassador Viral, Sir Hans.¡±

    With those words, Bell opened the door. Rusty gears and chains moved, and the massive circr iron door began to open.

    Inside, there were numerous iron golems.

    However, Hans¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t on the golems.

    They were fixed on a giant sign behind them. On the sign, an arrow pointed downwards, apanied by an inscription.

    Press Here ¡î @@novelbin@@

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Hans silently looked at Viral and Bell, and they avoided his gaze.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Your Text Here]<hr>

 Chapter 131

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    So, to summarize.

    A Dwarf engineer, unable to contain their curiosity, pressed that incredibly suspicious button, and as a result, they were now facing a horde of these things?

    It was trulyughable.

    Dhahaha!!!

    Hans stopped his mental escape. He had nearly been brained by the fist of an approaching iron golem.

    He had managed to dodge it thanks to his experience and training.

    The problem, however, was the sheer number of golems. There were far more than he had imagined, and each one was difficult to subdue. But then, Hans saw it.

    The Jewel¡¯s Star subduing the golems¡­They were striking a yellow jewel embedded in the golems¡¯ chests with hammers. As the jewels shattered, the golems instantly crumbled to the ground.

    Hans nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this.¡±

    Now that he knew how to defeat them, there was nothing to fear.

    With a peculiar gesture of touching his thumb and middle finger together, the surrounding scenery turned grayscale.

    He entered time Stop, a space only he could traverse.

    Hans carefully took arge hammer from a nearby member of the Jewel¡¯s Star.

    He then swung the hammer, meticulously shattering each of the golems¡¯ jewels one by one.

    Breaking the jewels themselves wasn¡¯t difficult.

    The reason the Jewel¡¯s Star had retreated was because of the golems¡¯ movements. Dealing with them without stopping time was not easy.

    But thanks to Time Stop, Hans could easily destroy the jewels.

    He returned the hammer to its original ce and walked past the golem fragments.

    ¡°This should be enough.¡±

    The position of Commander of the Royal Knights was all about showmanship, at least for Hans.

    While he had be considerably stronger through continuous training, he was still far from the mythical strength of Yuren or Cluna.

    Therefore, every bit of showmanship was crucial. It might seem like mere posturing,

    But rumors tended to be exaggerated. And what was witnessed firsthand became an achievement, not a rumor.

    Especially the weight of an achievement attributed to one¡¯s position, which could not be ignored.

    Frankly, who would dare to think the Commander of the Royal Knights was weak?

    Hans had carefully maintained his image through this delicate bncing act and had barely managed to achieve results.

    And now, time resumed.

    The Jewel¡¯s Star, and even Bell, were stunned by the sight before them.

    The Jewel¡¯s Star was the undisputed best knight order of the Dwarf Kingdom.

    Even these veteran knights had struggled to subdue the iron golems of the Purgatory Workshop. But Hans had muttered something to himself and then instantly taken care of all of them?

    ¡°I¡¯d heard about it, but your skill is truly remarkable.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the Commander of the Royal Knights for a reason.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly calm, Ambassador.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve witnessed his abilities several times.¡±

    Besides the Royal Knights, Viral was the only one who wasn¡¯t surprised.

    He replied nonchntly to Bell¡¯sment.

    He had seen Hans¡¯s abilities firsthand on several asions.

    Bell now understood why Viral was so friendly towards the Royal Knights and provided them with so much support.

    Of course, Hans being the Kingdom¡¯s benefactor was one reason,

    But the biggest reason was Hans¡¯s own overwhelming power.

    Surprisingly, before the attack on Lionheart Fortress, Hans¡¯s strength hadn¡¯t been widely recognized in the Multi-Racial Alliance.

    Until then, only Yuren, Cluna, and Bayard¡¯s strength had been known, and even Bayard¡¯s abilities were questioned due to the 12 Tribes¡¯ tant favoritism.

    However, the repulsion of the True Demons¡¯ attack changed everything.

    While some still belittled him, no one could deny that he possessed the strength befitting a Commander.

    ¡°Lazuli, did you see his movements?¡±

    ¡°No. Not at all.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Lazuli, the orange-haired female knight standing next to Bell, shook her head.

    She was the youngest knight of the Jewel¡¯s Star, rmended by Bell herself.

    She was skilled enough to crush any discrimination or contempt she faced.

    Yet, even Lazuli couldn¡¯t follow Hans¡¯s movements. She brought her hand to her forehead.

    Cold sweat trickled down.

    It had been a brief moment, but Lazuli had felt utterly overwhelmed.

    It was a first for her. If that man were to attack Princess Bell¡­ could she protect her?

    Lazuli briefly imagined the scene. And it always ended with her being beheaded before she could even react.

    ¡®For Lazuli to react like that¡­ We have to be wary of him.¡¯

    Even Bell had never seen Lazuli so tense. She always wore an impassive expression and effortlessly crushed the Kingdom¡¯s strongest warriors.

    Hence her nickname, the Iron Hammer.

    But even the Iron Hammer, the pride of the Dwarf Kingdom, was reduced to a mere child before the Commander of the Royal Knights.

    She had heard the stories, but she hadn¡¯t imagined the gap was this significant.

    ¡°He¡¯s the Commander! Of course he¡¯s strong!¡±

    ¡°I see, the Commander is truly amazing.¡±

    ¡°Of course! Whose Commander is he?!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Looking at Ruby, who nodded enthusiastically, Bell wore aplex expression.

    Half of her had approached him with the Kingdom¡¯s interests in mind, but the other half genuinely wanted to be his friend.

    ¡°¡­Ruby, what if¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Bell shook her head.

    She didn¡¯t want to damage her image with a strange question.

    In any case, she understood one thing, she had to strengthen their rtionship with the Royal Knights.

    ¡°It seems it¡¯s finished. Let¡¯s go inside.¡±

    Hans turned his back coldly.

    Following his words, Bell and the Jewel¡¯s Star headed for the entrance of the Purgatory Workshop.

    The button had already been pressed. It seemed these were all the golems guarding the entrance.

    ¡°Sir Hans, what do you n to do with these golem fragments?¡±

    This was a surprisingly important issue.

    As their name suggested, the iron golems were weapons made of steel. And not just any steel, but high-quality steel.

    In other words, for the Dwarves, it was like stumbling upon a mountain of treasure just by entering the entrance. But that¡¯s why they had to be cautious.

    After all, it was Hans who had defeated the golems.

    Moreover, it was the Dwarf Kingdom that had requested the Royal Knights¡¯ assistance.

    In this situation, if Hans imed the golems as his spoils, the Kingdom wouldn¡¯t be able to object.

    ¡®¡­Still, if we negotiate, we should be able to get some of it.¡¯

    ¡°These golems? Take them if you want.¡±

    ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°N-no, nothing.¡±

    Bell shook her head.

    She was afraid the Commander might change his mind. The iron from the golems was incredibly valuable to the Dwarves. But she couldn¡¯t help but wonder.

    Why was he giving it away so easily? Did he not know its value?

    No, that couldn¡¯t be.

    He couldn¡¯t possibly be ignorant.

    ?? Important Notice ??<hr>

    ); }

    Perhaps if he were just a knight fighting on the front lines¡­

    But the Commander, the one in charge of the entire knight order, couldn¡¯t possibly be unaware of the value of this steel.

    Perhaps themander of some nameless knight order¡­ but not the Commander of the Royal Knights.

    ¡°He¡¯s the one who willingly gave the national treasure to the Human Kingdom, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Ambassador, I haven¡¯t said anything.¡±

    ¡°I can see right through you.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t hide anything from you, Ambassador.¡±@@novelbin@@

    Viral immediately understood what Bell was thinking.

    Unlike most Dwarves, she was suspicious andplex.

    That¡¯s why she was fit to be the Kingdom¡¯s princess.

    But perhaps because of that, Bell, who had been caught up in various incidents since childhood, was skeptical of pure goodwill.

    That¡¯s why Viral considered this meeting with Sir Hans an opportunity.

    A ruler had to be ruthless. But without anypassion, a ruler was nothing but a tyrant.

    Viral hoped that this encounter with the noble Sir Hans would help their princess be a true ruler, not a tyrant.

    ¡®What good is scrap metal if it¡¯s so troublesome to acquire?¡¯

    The truth, however, was that Hans had simply given it away because he didn¡¯t know its value.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes] <hr>

 Chapter 132

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The Purgatory Workshop.

    A workshop passed down in Dwarven legends.

    The fiery mes of hell were a source of fear for the wicked, but for Dwarves, they were the ultimate mes, capable of forging any metal.

    They weren¡¯t called madmen for nothing. The Purgatory Workshop was a testament to how the ancient Dwarves perceived hell.

    Having dealt with the iron golems at the entrance, Hans and the Dwarves opened the door and went inside.

    Beyond the tightly sealed vault-like door were countless decorations and patterns.

    Its splendor was like that of a pce.

    Considering that Dwarves, aside from their weapons, didn¡¯t usually prioritize aesthetics, this was a truly magnificent workshop.However, there was a distinct difference from other workshops, the seemingly bottomless underground space below. Spanning dozens of levels downwards, it truly lived up to the name ¡°Purgatory.¡±

    ¡°It seems there¡¯s something down there.¡±

    ¡°We should go down.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t turn back now, can we?¡±

    At the edge of the underground space was a spiral staircase made of steel leading down.

    Hans stepped onto the stairs first, and everyone followed.

    ¡°What kind of person is Sir Hans?¡±

    Bell, escorted by the Jewel¡¯s Star, spoke to Ruby, who was walking beside her.

    Ruby wanted to walk with the Commander, but Hans had ordered her to act as an escort. And since Bell was her first friend in the Dwarf Kingdom, Ruby obeyed withoutint.

    Ruby, walking ahead of Bell, thought for a moment before answering.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have any ulterior motives, do you?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? Ulterior motives?¡±

    ¡°Forget it.¡±

    Ruby had wondered if Bell harbored any romantic feelings for Hans, but judging by her tilted head, it seemed she genuinely didn¡¯t. @@novelbin@@

    Ruby was relieved.

    She didn¡¯t want any more rivals.

    ¡°The Commander is a very strong person. In many ways.¡±

    ¡°In many ways? Do you mean he has a strong heart?¡±

    ¡°Well, of course. He¡¯s like perfectly tempered steel.¡±

    ¡°Tempered steel¡­ For a Dwarf to say that¡­¡±

    Dwarves were engineers.

    They were stingy with praise.

    Part of it was because they found it embarrassing, but mostly, it was because they were so discerning that they were rarely satisfied.

    Especially using steel as a metaphor for praise was the highestpliment for a Dwarf.

    Therefore, it was rare to hear such praise from a Dwarf.

    Perhaps a hero who saved the Kingdom? That level of aplishment would warrant such praise.

    She hadn¡¯t expected to hear it so easily.

    Even Ambassador Viral hadpared the Commander to heavy steel. And Bell had just witnessed the truth.

    The power to instantly eliminate iron golems that even the Jewel¡¯s Star struggled against.

    Yet, he wasn¡¯t arrogant, carrying himself with a quiet strength and consideration.

    A noble knight.

    Is that the kind of person it takes to rebuild the Royal Knights?

    He was a man of great character. And he possessed a level of strength that made him a dangerous enemy.

    How could such a person suddenly appear?

    Bell was amazed.

    This was also proof that Hans¡¯s image management was working.

    While some still doubted him, the results he had produced were undeniable.

    Who could refute them?

    Finally, they reached the bottom of the stairs.

    A giant iron golem came into view. If the golems at the entrance were human-sized, this one was a true giant.

    It stood approximately 10 meters tall, easily dwarfing any ordinary structure.

    Hans clicked his tongue.

    ¡°So that¡¯s the Steel Giant.¡±

    It was certainly worthy of the name, giant. If it were to rampage here, it would be extremely difficult to subdue. But in this situation, there was only one thing to do.

    ¡°Get ready.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably going to attack us.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    [Two of the four jewels confirmed. Iron King, Activated.]

    A grating, metallic voice echoed.

    Everyone present shivered.

    With a creaking sound, the Iron King moved. Its rusty joints moved surprisingly well.

    Hans had anticipated this.

    Why? Because he had yed many games like this.

    He knew it would attack, disguised as a test or trial.

    But the other unit members and the Dwarves hadn¡¯t thought so.

    While they had expected a trial, they had assumed the iron golems at the entrance were all there was to it.

    ¡°Commander Hans! Do you know something about that?!¡±

    That¡¯s why they found Hans¡¯s casual demeanor strange. It was as if he knew something about the Iron King.

    ¡°That¡¯s not important right now. Subduing it is our priority.¡±

    But Hans refused to answer Bell¡¯s question.

    Bell agreed. He wasn¡¯t wrong.

    Their primary objective was to subdue the Iron King before them.

    The Iron King moved with a scraping sound. Its fist mmed into the ground.

    KABOOM!!

    A deafening sound, like a massive hammer shattering the ground, reverberated.

    Hans shouted,

    ¡°Focus! If that hits you, you¡¯re dead!!¡±

    Hans¡¯s shout snapped everyone out of their momentarypse in attention.

    Bayard was the first to move.

    She lunged forward, baring her sharp fangs.

    ¡°You piece of scrap metal!!! I¡¯ll crush you!!!¡±

    Her madness awakened once more.

    No, perhaps it wasn¡¯t madness. Perhaps this was her true nature.

    Bayard leaped towards the Iron King¡¯s face in an instant.

    Bayard¡¯s physical abilities rivaled even Yuren¡¯s.

    Of course, that was assuming Yuren was in human form.

    In any case, this was no challenge for Bayard.

    Reaching the Iron King¡¯s face in a sh, Bayard swung her fist, striking its face.

    BAM!

    With an impact like a hammer blow, the Iron King¡¯s body was pushed back.

    Hans shouted,

    ¡°Watch out for the next attack! It¡¯sing!!¡±

    ¡°I know, Commander!!!¡±

    Bayard instinctively knew.

    That attack hadn¡¯t killed the Iron King. At the same time, she felt a chilling sensation.

    Bayard immediately raised her arm like a sturdy shield.

    Her strong arm barely blocked the Iron King¡¯s fist. But the impact sent Bayard flying into the wall.

    With a cracking sound, the steel wall fractured.

    To cover Bayard, Ruby moved.

    WHOOSH!

    zing mes engulfed the hammer in Ruby¡¯s hand.

    Just then, the Iron King reacted.

    [Warning! Ancestral me detected! Designating as highest priority target!]

    ¡°Ancestral me? What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­!!!¡±

    With a strange, mechanical whirring, the iron ball attached to the Iron King¡¯s right arm retracted, and something else emerged.

    A cylindrical object that looked unmistakably like a cannon.

    Oh, my god.

    It even has a cannon?

    Damn it! Are the ancient Dwarves monsters?!

    But there was no time to hesitate.

    Hans touched his middle and index fingers together, a familiar gesture.

    The peculiar action stopped time.

    Everything around him turned grayscale.

    Initially, he had intended to move Ruby out of the way. But then he reconsidered.

    Wasn¡¯t this an opportunity?

    Hans pondered, arms crossed.

    He would use that cannon to destroy it.

    But what was the best method?

    After some thought, Hans looked at the holy sword at his hip. It had been quite effective against the Mud Guardian.

    Using the holy sword would be the most effective here as well.

    The problem was how to get the sword inside the cannon.

    Hans finally reached a decision. He would just throw it.

    Fortunately, the Iron King¡¯s cannon was pointed downwards, not upwards, and thanks to Bayard¡¯s punch, it was kneeling on one knee.

    He should be able to throw the sword inside.

    Hans gripped the sword in reverse and slowly raised it.

    Inside the cannon, there was a sphere that looked like a cannonball.

    ?? Important Notice ??<hr>

    ); }

    Hans threw the sword with all his might.

    Fortunately, the holy sword was sharp enough to pierce the sphere easily.

    ¡°Good, that should be enough.¡±

    And then, time resumed.

    Naturally, the Iron King didn¡¯t notice Hans¡¯s handiwork and immediately fired the cannon.

    KABOOM!!

    A massive explosion erupted.

    The explosion was so powerful that it shattered not only the arm with the cannon but also the torso and head.

    As everyone stared in shock, only Hans moved. He slowly walked forward and picked up the holy sword from the wreckage.

    From Hans¡¯s perspective, he was simply retrieving his sword,

    But to the others, it looked as if he had casually destroyed the Iron King and was now calmly surveying the surroundings.

    Bell, in particr, was finally certain.

    That was Sir Hans.

    The Commander of the Royal Knights.

    Possessing overwhelming power.

    Someone who absolutely must not be made an enemy.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes] <hr>

 Chapter 133

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The Iron King was subdued.

    At first, the Dwarves thought it was the treasure, but the real treasures were elsewhere. With the Iron King¡¯s defeat, the sealed doors of the Purgatory Workshop opened, revealing the tools within.

    The forge, the enhancement room, the warehouse, and more. These were the true treasures, containing the essence of ancient Dwarven engineering. But the most valuable among them was undoubtedly the archive.

    Within the archivey the notes and numerous blueprints left by the ancient Dwarven engineers. For reasons unknown, they had preserved their knowledge for their descendants.

    And among them, of course, were the blueprints for the Iron King. While the blueprints were soplex that even the Dwarves struggled to decipher them, this was actually a good thing.

    ¡°It seems the Dwarves won¡¯t be bored for the next hundred years.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good to be busy.¡±

    ¡°Yes, especially for Dwarves.¡±The Dwarves¡¯ entricity was beyond imagination. Though manipted and incited by the demon doppelganger, they had possessed the madness to turn even their own kin into weapons.

    Hans and Bell were enjoying tea and conversation in the garden. While Dwarves typically had little interest in gardens, Princess Bell was surprisingly fond of nts and ornaments.

    Hans looked up and slowly surveyed the garden. It was still a work in progress, but the effort put into cultivating it was evident. Skills beyond metalworking were also necessary.

    ¡°I heard you handed over everything from the Purgatory Workshop.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°We can¡¯t even use those technologies anyway.¡±

    ¡°Are you really sure about that?¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being mischievous.¡±

    This was why Bell was having this private conversation with Hans. The Purgatory Workshop¡¯s technology was beyond imagination. Frankly, if they could just mass-produce the iron golems, the Kingdom¡¯s power would dramatically increase.

    And that meant a disruption in the bnce of power. A massive army of iron soldiers could be a deadly weapon, capable of mercilessly destroying everything in its path.

    Even with amon enemy like the demons, concentrating so much power in one ce was illogical. In this harsh world, no one could predict the future.

    Therefore, it wasmon practice to maintain a bnce of power. Even if the Dwarf Kingdomwere to go rogue, there had to be a way to stop them. And Hans certainly had the right to do so.

    He had single-handedly destroyed not only the iron golems but also the Iron King. She had heard the stories, but she hadn¡¯t imagined he possessed such overwhelming power.

    That¡¯s why Bell was even more uneasy. Why was such a powerful being so generous? Did he have an ulterior motive? Was this a ploy to iste the Dwarf Kingdom?

    ¡°So, you¡¯re curious about my intentions.¡±

    ?? Important Notice ??<hr>

    ); }

    ¡°Unfortunately, yes.¡±

    She knew it was shameless. But that¡¯s what a ruler was. Countless lives depended on her words and actions. Therefore, she had to constantly question everything. Others, and even herself. ????????¨§??

    She had to scrutinize every decision. Was this the best course of action? Was there a better way? And then, choosing the best and most optimal path forward.

    That was the duty of a ruler. That¡¯s why Bell chose to be suspicious. He was being too generous, almost strangely so. Unconditional goodwill, especially in these difficult times, didn¡¯t exist.

    What would he say? Would he be angry at her suspicion? Or disappointed? She was prepared for either. She was the princess of the Dwarf Kingdom. She would do anything for the Kingdom¡­

    ¡°Simply put, I¡¯d like you to use it to crush the demons.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°We have amon enemy, don¡¯t we? We need to deal with that first.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think we¡¯ll betray you?¡±

    ¡°Why would I?¡±

    Bell was taken aback by Hans¡¯s counter-question, as if he found her question strange. Even with her own considerable experience, she had never encountered anyone who reacted like this.

    ¡°Well, we¡­¡±

    ¡°I already know that Dwarves have as much pride as they do a thirst for knowledge.¡±

    ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°Everyone makes mistakes. Can we really condemn someone for a single misstep?¡±

    Condemn. The word pierced Bell¡¯s heart. It perfectly described the current state of the Dwarf Kingdom. Even though the Kingdom had been restored thanks to the Royal Knights, their sins hadn¡¯t disappeared.

    They had melted their own kin into weapons. And they had shed with other races over territory. The sins of the past remained, weighing heavily on everyone¡¯s hearts like iron.

    Some Dwarves, realizing their mistakes, had fallen into despair, abandoning their hammers. Some had even taken their own lives. Perhaps because they had lost their pride. That was their current state.

    A life of self-reproach, condemned by others, believing they could never move forward, their spirits broken. Bell believed this was the price they had to pay.

    ¡°And yet, you say it¡¯s alright?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You, of all people. You, who witnessed that tragedy firsthand and sacrificed yourself to stop it¡­¡±

    She had heard of Hans¡¯s exploits. He had been the first to confront the powerful enemy, allowing the Dwarves to recover. But she hadn¡¯t expected him to say such words, especially after witnessing the tragedy.

    ¡°The sins you¡¯vemitted won¡¯t disappear. But there¡¯s a world of difference between being forced and acting of one¡¯s own free will.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not thew. I¡¯m not a king. I¡¯m not a god. I¡¯m not here to judge you for your sins.¡±

    ¡°Then what are you?¡±

    ¡°Just a believer. I believe that you, no, we all can avoid making the same mistakes again¡­ That¡¯s all.¡±

    Hans had his arms crossed. Like a statue, he didn¡¯t move. As if this was all perfectly natural. Seeing him like this, Bell couldn¡¯t help butugh. He was truly a strange person.

    ¡°I can finally understand. Why you¡¯re the Commander of the Royal Knights, and why everyone trusts and follows you.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why.¡±

    Hans tilted his head, puzzled. Seeing his confused expression, Bellughed genuinely for the first time in a while. He was a man who moved forward, without ws, a knight who practiced his noble ideals.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll never make you turn your sword against us.¡±

    He was already their savior, the one who had rescued the Dwarf Kingdom.

    How could they burden him further?

    They already knew that nothing was more dangerous than runaway technology.

    Bell resolved to be the restraining force,

    So that she wouldn¡¯t betray the kindness Hans had shown them.

    Come to think of it, that could have happened.

    Hearing Bell¡¯s words, Hans inwardly sighed in relief. He hadn¡¯t considered that possibility. But even if he had, his thoughts wouldn¡¯t have changed. Perhaps the reason was¡­

    ¡­He couldn¡¯t remember. Hans was starting to realize that there was something wrong with his memory. Or rather, whenever he tried to recall something, his memory would suddenly cut off.

    As if someone was intentionally blocking it. Hans sighed. In any case, his goal remained the same. What Hans wanted most was to eradicate the demons.

    Of course, it would be problematic if the Dwarf Kingdomwent rogue. But fortunately, Bell had promised to prevent that. Hans had no choice but to trust her. And if things went wrong, there were always the Dragons.

    ¡°Our business in the Dwarf Kingdomis concluded.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Ruby, how about you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m done too.¡±

    Ruby smiled. Bayard, next to her, was fidgeting. Ruby had visited her mother¡¯s grave with Bayard. She had gone to pay her respects since it had been a while.

    Hans nodded. It was a resigned smile, but if she was content, that¡¯s all that mattered. Ruby wouldn¡¯t be tormented by the past anymore.

    Of course, the memories would resurface from time to time. The horrific memories of abuse. But they would be there for her. Thinking this, Hans mounted the wyvern.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Your Text Here]<hr>

 Chapter 134

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [T/N: hey guys I fucked up the release I released this one before thest dahahaha chap so please go one back and read that one]

    Times had changed.

    Unlike before, when they were preupied with defending against demon attacks, the Multi-Racial Alliance was now taking an offensive stance.

    The Human Kingdom had already secured territory from the demons, and even the Dwarf Kingdom had begun mass-producing iron golems to exterminate demons and monsters.

    The Orcs had always been fighting the monsters descending from the north. Now, only the other races remained.

    Hans was very pleased with the current situation.

    Unlike the original story, they were slowly counterattacking while the demons were weakened.

    Once all the demons were eliminated, what would he do¡­?Whenever he thought about that, his thoughts would abruptly cut off.

    Hans frowned.

    He would have to address this issue eventually. But first, there was something more pressing.

    In Hans¡¯s hand was a parchment made of animal hide.

    He had received one before.

    It was a letter from Yuyeong, the leader of the 12 Tribes.

    The letter¡¯s contents were concise.

    The Orcs, with their recent aggressive expansion policy, are causing conflict with our tribes.

    I would like to attack them, but war in this situation is like a noose around my neck.

    Therefore, I will try to resolve this peacefully.

    However, they refuse to listen. If you would be so kind, I request your mediation, Commander.

    ¡°Those damn Orcs are at it again.¡±

    Even Hans couldn¡¯t help but feel his temper rise.

    He had barely managed to pacify them after that ridiculous Warrior¡¯s Festival ordeal, and now they were causing trouble again.

    While the Orcs¡¯ military strength was a valuable asset ¨C without them, dealing with the hordes of monsters from the north would be a headache ¨C the 12 Tribes¡¯ power couldn¡¯t be ignored either. ??¦­??§§??

    From a strategic perspective, the 12 Tribes were even stronger than the Orcs.

    They had a numerical advantage as well. Imagine those two fighting.

    What would happen?

    Hans sighed.

    ¡®Well, I guess I have to do something about it. What other choice did he have?¡¯

    Besides, he didn¡¯t want to disrupt the momentum of the Multi-Racial Alliance¡¯s counteroffensive.

    ¡°Cluna, are you there?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Commander. Did you call for me?¡±

    ¡°I think I need to visit the 12 Tribes.¡±

    ¡°It seems there¡¯s trouble with the Orcs.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re well-informed.¡±

    ¡°I know most things.¡±

    Cluna was an Elf who had lived for hundreds of years.

    Considering that most Elves rarely left the forest, she was an unusual case, having traveled the continent since hering-of-age ceremony.

    Thanks to this, Hans had received a lot of help from Cluna.

    However, even she didn¡¯t know about the Purgatory Workshop. This meant the Dwarves had created it in secret.

    Perhaps the seers had told them something. They had foreseen the demon invasion and created ruins with trials for the hero who would appear in the future.

    Did they foresee my existence? No, let¡¯s put that aside for now.

    ¡°One escort will be enough.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand. Who will you take?¡±

    ¡°Helia.¡±

    Cluna paused and looked at him.

    It was her way of subtly protesting. She rarely objected directly unless it was a serious matter, like now.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Lady Helia too young?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s exceptionally skilled for her age, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡±

    ¡°And I have some things to discuss with her.¡±

    Lately, he had been feeling uneasy around Helia. But he couldn¡¯t keep avoiding her just because of an unknown feeling.

    Helia had been a dangerous character in the original story.@@novelbin@@

    If things went wrong, she would betray the protagonist and join the enemy. In the worst-case scenario, the protagonist was even killed by her.

    That¡¯s how obsessed with power Helia was.

    She was rtively stable now, but if he kept ignoring her, there was no telling what a stressed Helia might do.

    So, he decided to take this opportunity to clear the air and go with Helia.

    ¡°What¡¯s Helia been up totely?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s been honing her swordsmanship.¡±

    ¡°I see, it¡¯s good to train.¡±

    ¡°She said she realized her shorings.¡±

    ¡°¡­Could it be¡­?¡±

    Hans briefly wondered if it was his fault, but then he shook his head.

    He couldn¡¯t be sure, but it seemed Helia was under a lot of stress. It would have been a disaster if he had left her alone.

    While the Orcs and Beastmen were sworn enemies, they were rtively amicable now, with amon enemy before them. And if the Orcs had any sense, they would know that confronting the 12 Tribes wouldn¡¯t benefit them.

    Of course, they were muscle-brained, with only fighting on their minds, but the Orc he had met before, the Rusted Overlord, had been a decent chieftain.

    At least he hadn¡¯t tried to kill everyone indiscriminately. But if another Orc became chieftain, it would probably be a lot more difficult.

    That¡¯s what Hans was thinking.

    But his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of running footsteps in the hallway, and the door burst open.

    Standing there was Helia, her red hair disheveled. She eximed in an excited voice,

    ¡°Y-you called for me, Teacher?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, so calm down.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Teacher. I showed you an unseemly side of myself.¡±

    Helia blushed and lowered her head, embarrassed.

    Seeing her like this, Hans felt aplicated mix of emotions. She looked like a cute little kid.

    No, no.

    Helia was his disciple.

    He had to take responsibility for her as her teacher. As the Commander, a sense of responsibility had taken root in Hans¡¯s heart.

    He stood up and said,

    ¡°Get ready. We¡¯re going to mediate between the Orcs and the 12 Tribes.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Teacher!¡±

    Helia readily agreed.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Time passed, and autumn arrived.

    Perhaps because he had been working so hard, even a simple wyvern ride felt like a reward.

    Hans took a deep breath.

    The crisp autumn air felt special.

    Helia, too, was captivated by the autumn scenery below. Yes, a little rxation is definitely necessary.

    Hans had set out with a rtively light heart. It was just mediation, after all. And the Orcs¡¯ favorable disposition towards him was also a factor.

    This request should be over quickly.

    At least, that¡¯s what Hans thought. But Helia and the others didn¡¯t share his optimism.

    Everyone knew the Orcs and Beastmen weren¡¯t on good terms.

    ¡°But why are the Orcs suddenly pursuing an expansion policy?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to know.¡±

    ¡°Teacher, you know something, don¡¯t you? Tell me!¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    Hans was troubled by Helia¡¯s pleading, her eyes sparkling like a child¡¯s.

    He didn¡¯t know the exact reason. Those guys were capable of anything.

    But he couldn¡¯t give such a flimsy answer to a child who admired him.

    To maintain his dignity as both Commander and teacher, Hans racked his brain for an answer.

    ¡°It seems something has happened to the Orcs.¡±

    ¡°Happened?¡±

    ?? Important Notice ??<hr>

    ); }

    ¡°Like a change in leadership, perhaps. I don¡¯t know the details, but that¡¯s the only exnation.¡±

    He gave the most usible answer, while leaving himself an escape route.

    Fortunately, Helia epted his words without suspicion. To her, Hans was the truth.

    Finally, the wyvern carrying Hans and Helia arrived at the territory of the 12 Tribes.

    The location mentioned in the letter was Maple Mountain, a ce renowned for its stunning scenery, even within the Rat Tribe¡¯s territory.

    At first, he hadn¡¯t thought much of it, but seeing it in person, the scenery was breathtaking.

    Hans and Helia, dismounting from the wyvern, gasped in awe.

    ¡°It¡¯s truly beautiful, Teacher.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a ce like this.¡±

    ¡°Wee, Sir Hans. We wee you to Maple Mountain.¡±

    Yuyeong, the leader of the 12 Tribes, was already waiting with her entourage against the backdrop of a sea of maple trees.

    Hans looked at Yuyeong.

    She bowed her head.

    ¡°Thank you for inviting me to such a beautiful ce.¡±

    ¡°Not at all. How could we not offer such hospitality to Sir Hans, who has graciously answered our call?¡±

    ¡°So, what exactly happened?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re direct. I like that. To summarize¡­ In that short time, the Orc leader has changed.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®Seriously?¡¯

    Hans could feel Helia¡¯s admiring gaze intensify behind him.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes] <hr>

 Chapter 135

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    ¡°As expected of Teacher!!¡±

    It was natural for Helia to sing her teacher¡¯s praises. From her perspective, Hans had predicted the situation and prepared a brilliant strategy.

    Naturally, Helia¡¯s reaction was clearly conveyed to the Beastmen.

    Yuyeong, in particr, the sharp-witted chieftain of the Rat Tribe and leader of the 12 Tribes, couldn¡¯t miss it.

    Helia¡¯s reaction meant that Sir Hans had informed her beforehand. In other words, he had anticipated this situation.

    However, she hadn¡¯t heard that the Royal Knights possessed such intelligence-gathering capabilities.

    They had been busy fulfilling near-impossible requests for the Human Kingdom and the Dwarf Kingdom.

    This means he deduced it after hearing their story.Yuyeong easily reached this conclusion. And for her, who had hoped to gain an advantage over the Orcs through negotiations, this was a bolt from the blue.

    She had been careful to minimize the information in her letter.

    How could he have possibly figured it out?

    Yuyeong shook her head. There was no point dwelling on it now.

    ¡°As you predicted, Commander, the Orc chieftain has recently changed. Through a duel, no less.¡±

    ¡°The problem is the new chieftain¡¯s actions, then.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, Lady Helia.¡±

    Yuyeong nodded at Helia¡¯s remark.

    Since their hand had been revealed, the best course of action was to cooperate with Hans and gain as much advantage over the Orcs as possible.

    ¡®This is insane.¡¯

    Hans, however, was struggling to follow the conversation.

    Wait a minute.

    Weren¡¯t the Orcs friendly towards me? Why are they causing trouble now that the chieftain has changed? What¡¯s going on?

    It was like that sometimes. When the answer appeared from an unexpected ce, one couldn¡¯t help but be flustered.

    That was Hans¡¯s current situation.

    However, he quickly regained hisposure.

    He had faced countless unexpected situations and had ovee them all. And this time would be no different. He wasn¡¯t worthy of being Commander if he couldn¡¯t handle this.

    ¡°Let¡¯s sit down and hear the details.¡±

    He needed time to organize his confused thoughts.

    So, Hans made a perfectly reasonable request as a guest. But Yuyeong became even more certain.

    He was already thinking several steps ahead.

    Would it benefit the 12 Tribes?

    The thought crossed Yuyeong¡¯s mind, but she didn¡¯t show it. She didn¡¯t want to be suspicious.

    He was the man her close friend loved.

    Besides, the nobility Hans had disyed so far was exemry. Yuyeong herself had received his help.

    ¡°This way. I¡¯ve prepared a ce for us.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°Teacher, allow me to escort you.¡±

    Helia was now naturally attending to Hans.

    Hans nodded.

    Maintaining appearances was important for a Commander. But the scene was a bit awkward.

    While Helia was a full-fledged member of the Royal Knights, she was still a child. Having a child act as his attendant felt ufortable.

    Of course, Hans had no intention of exploiting her.

    He followed Yuyeong¡¯s lead, escorted by Helia. They arrived at a pavilion built over a valley.

    ¡°This pavilion is built over our Maple Mountain¡¯s prized valley.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Teacher! We can see the entire valley!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s truly a breathtaking view.¡±

    From the pavilion, built upstream, they had a panoramic view of the valley below.

    The scenery of the valley,bined with the autumn foliage, was picturesque.

    A feast, prepared on Yuyeong¡¯s orders, was alreadyid out in the pavilion. The table wasden with food.

    Hans and Helia took their seats.

    Perhaps because they were Beastmen, the dishes were a harmonious blend of vegetables and meat.

    Not all animals were carnivores, after all. But theck of chopsticks was a bit disconcerting.

    What was this?

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Hans quickly shook his head.

    He had seen the Beastmen eating with their hands. One of Hans¡¯s greatest strengths was his perceptiveness.

    He could quickly pick up on unusual things.

    And if he sensed something was off, he would immediately react or find another solution.

    That¡¯s how Hans had maintained his Commander¡¯s dignity. And it was the same now.

    He still didn¡¯t understand the situation, but he had be known for grasping the bigger picture with only fragmented information.

    What if he made a minor mistake here?

    Like, for example, not adhering to Beastmen dining etiquette.

    It might seem trivial, but such small things umted and shaped one¡¯s image. He couldn¡¯t ignore it.

    Hans began eating as naturally as possible.

    Helia followed his lead. After some time, the meal ended.

    The table was cleared, and Yuyeong looked at Hans and said,

    ¡°Did you enjoy the meal?¡±

    ¡°It was a feast for the senses.¡±

    ¡°You honor us, Commander.¡±

    ¡°So, let¡¯s get down to business.¡±

    From his experience so far, Hans understood that every word spoken was politics. @@novelbin@@

    Therefore, he wanted to get to the point quickly. Because he didn¡¯t understand the nuances.

    ¡°I dislike beating around the bush. Time is more precious than gold. Every moment that passes is irreversible.¡±

    ¡°Indeed¡­ Wise words.¡±

    He was tired of politicians¡¯ roundabout way of speaking. But Yuyeong was actually impressed.

    She had never heard the saying ¡°time is gold¡± before. But she understood it immediately.

    Even now, the demons were recovering their strength and plotting against them. One of her own guards had been a demon agent.

    The thought made her grind her teeth.

    But anger wouldn¡¯t solve everything. Yuyeong had learned a lesson at Lionheart Fortress. Dialogue could achieve more than she had thought. She hoped it would be the same now. £Ò?N?§£?s

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll get straight to the point. You¡¯re aware that the Orcs are pursuing an expansion policy, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°But before that, the Orcs demanded food from us.¡±

    ¡°Demanded food?¡±

    This was unexpected.

    Very little information about the Orcs had been revealed. Hans had studied them by personally visiting their territories. He had received considerable help from Cluna and Yuren.

    ¡°The Orcs are a race of strength. They believe anything not obtained through their own power is meaningless. And yet, they tried to acquire food through trade?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It was unprecedented, so we were taken aback. But after some deliberation, we had to refuse. Winter was approaching, and we didn¡¯t have much to spare.¡±

    ¡°¡­And then they suddenly started their expansion policy?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Commander.¡±

    ?? Important Notice ??<hr>

    ); }

    It seemed clearly rted to the food shortage.

    Then the biggest question was why.

    Why were the Orcs suddenly interested in food? Was there a problem with their food supply?

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to meet with the Orcs and discuss this matter.¡±

    ¡°We would be grateful if you would.¡±

    Yuyeong inwardly sighed in relief.

    Hans had addressed the sensitive issue she had been hesitant to bring up. The 12 Tribes and the Orcs were practically enemies.

    Of course, the 12 Tribes didn¡¯t condemn the Orcs¡¯ actions.

    Thew of the jungle.

    Predators hunting prey was the same for the Beastmen. It was more of a pride issue. The Beastmen considered themselves predators, not prey.

    Yet, the 12 Tribes had chosen to be patient. It was because they trusted Hans, the Commander of the Royal Knights.

    Besides, the Human Kingdom and the Dwarf Kingdomhad already strengthened their forces.

    In this situation, a civil war with the Orcs would disrupt the delicate bnce of power. So, for Yuyeong, entrusting this to Hans was the best option.

    He was the only one the Orcs treated with any semnce of respect.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Your Text Here]<hr>

 Chapter 136

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    After confirming the details with Yuyeong, Hans departed immediately.

    The Orcs traditionally resided in the mountains. However, as he flew across the sky on his wyvern, Hans easily spotted something unexpected.

    The Orcs, who had previously used the mountain passes and wyverns for travel, had descended to the ground.

    Not only that, they had constructed a palisade, and even built rudimentary houses. It was a full-fledged settlement.

    Hans tilted his head.

    It had only been three months since he had passed the Warrior¡¯s Festival. In that short time, the chieftain had changed, and they had built a vige?

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they came down from the mountains and built a vige.¡±

    ¡°Indeed¡­they usually adhere to their traditional ways.¡±¡°We¡¯ll have to speak with the chieftain.¡±

    Changing one¡¯s way of life was a difficult undertaking, especially for the Orcs, ustomed to living on the mountain slopes.

    Yet, in such a short time, they had undergone aplete transformation.

    Was this even possible?

    Hans swallowed, a nervous lump forming in his throat, and descended on his wyvern. He and Helianded without difficulty.

    The Orcs, spotting them, rushed forward in greeting. The one who had conquered the Warrior¡¯s Festival. They held his achievement in high regard.

    Hans, upon arriving in the vige, immediately surveyed his surroundings.

    He couldn¡¯t locate the Rusted Overlord.

    Just then, someone approached.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sir Hans!¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    She was an Orc, but unlike the others.

    While typical Orcs were green-skinned, muscle-bound warriors, this one was a petite young girl.

    She was far from muscr, her slender frame looked as though it might copse at any moment.

    Despite this, she wore a revealing outfit that barely concealed her breasts and genitals.

    He questioned whether it could even be considered clothing. It looked like little more than scraps of animal hide stitched together.

    She possessed the characteristic green skin of her kind, but her hair was ck.

    Her hair reached all the way to her ankles. This was due in part to its length, but also to her small stature.

    [T/N: Oh boy¡­ ]

    Hans wracked his brain.

    ¡®Have I met this girl before?¡¯

    No, that couldn¡¯t be right. If he had, he would surely remember.

    ¡®But she¡¯s more than just a child.¡¯

    The moment she appeared, the atmosphere among the Orcs shifted.

    ¡®Just like when I met the Rusted Overlord.¡¯

    In less than a second, Hans pieced together the clues. He concluded that this girl was the new chieftain.

    It wasn¡¯t an easy deduction. Who would imagine the leader of the Orcs to be such a young girl?

    But Hans thought flexibly.

    This was due to his experience as Commander, but also to his familiarity with fictional tropes. The frail young girl possessing incredible strength, the ancient, childlike sorceress. ???????¨§?

    ¡°So, you¡¯re the one who ousted the Rusted Overlord and became the new Orc chieftain.¡±

    Thinking flexibly was a difficult skill to master. Even Helia, standing behind Hans, was stunned by his words.

    This frail little Orc girl? The chieftain?

    ¡®Hmm, he saw through me at once. I felt it before¡­but he¡¯s far more perceptive than I imagined.¡¯

    The chieftain was also surprised.

    She had only observed Hans from afar before. She had approached him as a test, a yful challenge.

    Could he truly discern her identity?

    She had, of course, concealed her power.

    To any observer, she appeared to be nothing more than a child. Even Helia had been fooled. But Hans had seen through her disguise.

    This demonstrated his keen insight.

    He had observed her movements, her demeanor, and pieced together the truth. The chieftain finally smiled, a genuine smile this time.

    ¡°I¡¯m impressed. Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Sharaka, the eldest daughter of the Rusted Overlord, and chieftain of the Orcs.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see the Rusted Overlord.¡±

    ¡°Ah, he¡¯s dead. He died fighting the demonsst time.¡±

    ¡°Dead? The Rusted Overlord?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Helia was shocked by Sharaka¡¯s casual announcement.

    To her, the Rusted Overlord had possessed strengthparable to Bayard, one of the strongest members of the Royal Knights.

    The members of the Royal Knights were among the strongest individuals on the continent, rivaling even the Vampires and Dragons.

    Unless they were facing someone like Yuren or the Dragon Lord, few could defeat Bayard in a direct confrontation. And the Rusted Overlord was her equal.

    Yet he was dead?

    ¡°How could such a thing¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hmm! He died in battle! Defeated like a dog!¡±

    ¡°What? Your own father died, and you speak of him that way?!¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Helia.¡±

    ¡°Teacher¡­¡±

    Perhaps Helia saw a reflection of her own past in Sharaka¡¯s words. Her reaction was excessive.

    Hans quickly intervened.

    He nced at Sharaka.

    The girl tilted her head, a puzzled expression on her face. It wasn¡¯t mockery. She seemed genuinely confused.

    Hans sighed.

    This was the Orcish way. Victory meant everything, defeat meant death. There was no room for sentimentality, no distinction between family and foe.

    They were truly a warrior race.

    Hans spoke softly.

    ¡°One can know the depths of ten rivers, but not the heart of one man. And these are an entirely different race. Complete understanding is a difficult goal.¡±

    ¡°Hmm! True. Just as you cannot understand us, we cannot fully understand you.¡±

    ¡°Nevertheless, through even a small amount of dialogue and understanding, we can achieve coexistence.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. And that is why I seek your aid.¡±

    Every word carried weight, pressing down on Helia¡¯s shoulders. She rarely felt overwhelmed, but she felt it now.

    This was the presence of a leader.

    The Human King, Yuyeong, the Dragon Lord.

    All the leaders she had met possessed this quality. Could she ever hope to stand against them?

    Helia¡¯s hands trembled.

    Those who stood at the top were like this. Without any overt action, their words alone could subdue their opponents.

    The only one who could withstand such pressure was someone of equal standing.

    Her teacher.

    Indeed, Hans had exchanged words with Sharaka as an equal. Perhaps sensing Helia¡¯s distress, Hans stepped in front of her, as if to shield her.

    Helia, feeling a sense of relief,posed herself.

    Simply hearing those words imbued with power had been overwhelming. Such charisma was necessary to lead.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s hear the details.¡±

    Hans himself was unaffected.

    He was simply oblivious to such nuances. But more importantly, he felt protected by something else entirely.

    Sharaka was impressed.

    It had been a while since she had encountered someone so steadfast, so unmoved by her words. Worthy of the Royal Knights.

    The warrior her father had acknowledged.

    ¡°To put it simply, we were defeated and lost half of our territory.¡±

    ¡°Defeated and lost yournd?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The Orcs were nearly annihted, but my father¡¯s sacrifice allowed us to survive.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She spoke of such devastating events with unnerving calmness.

    The Orcs, led by the Rusted Overlord, defeated and driven back? From their mountain stronghold? How was that even possible?

    ¡°Were you fighting dragons or something?¡±

    Hans¡¯s words wereced with sarcasm, an incredulous exaggeration.

    Yet, to his surprise, it was the truth.

    Sharaka¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Just as you said, we lost ournd to a dragon.¡±

    ¡°Lost yournd to a dragon?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! We were defeated and driven back!¡±

    She admitted defeat without hesitation.

    Defeated by a dragon? Was that even possible? Confusion flooded Hans¡¯s mind. Dragons, the benevolent race. Attacking and seizing territory? Why? A demon-controlled dragon? No, that couldn¡¯t be.

    Countless possibilities shed within his mind.

    But Hans quickly reached a conclusion. Not everyone loved puppies or kittens.

    Among the dragons, there were bound to be exceptions.

    There was only one thing Hans could do.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Tell me more about this dragon.¡±

    He had to understand the problem and find a solution.

    Quickly.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes] <hr>

 Chapter 137

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    There was no point in prolonging the conversation.

    Hans, along with Helia, immediately departed on their wyverns.

    Their objective was to deal with the dragon upying the Orcish territory. He briefly considered whether bringing Yuren would have been wiser, but it was toote now.

    He hadn¡¯t anticipated actually encountering a dragon causing havoc. Dwelling on hypothetical scenarios was pointless.

    Sensing the dragon¡¯s presence, the wyverns began to tremble with fear. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t turn back.

    Upon reaching their destination, Hans entrusted Helia with the wyverns.

    ¡°Teacher, but then¡­¡±

    ¡°It will be difficult to leave without the wyverns.¡±¡°¡­Understood.¡±

    Helia, unusuallypliant, didn¡¯t argue.

    This was partly due to Hans¡¯s directmand, but also because she had noticed a subtle shift in his behavior.

    He seemed to be avoiding her.

    ¡®Was there something wrong? If so, I can fix it.¡¯

    Helia thought, but a pang of sadness resonated within her chest. She obeyed withoutint. She didn¡¯t want to be disliked any further.

    Hans, surprised by Helia¡¯s submissiveness, turned his attention to the task at hand.

    What was once an Orcish vige was now shrouded in an unsettling silence. It felt like exploring a deste ruin.

    The oppressive atmosphere weighed on Hans¡¯s spirits.

    He began walking, hoping to shake off the unpleasant feeling.

    ¡°There it is.¡±

    The dragon was sprawled out in the innermost part of the vige, fast asleep.

    Hans swallowed.

    What should he do? Should heunch a surprise attack while it slept?

    But what if there was a legitimate reason for its actions? What if news of this reached the other dragons, and they turned against the Royal Knights?

    The mere thought sent shivers down Hans¡¯s spine.

    Being Commander meant considering all possibilities, anticipating all consequences.

    ¡°Wake up, dragon.¡±

    [¡­Who dares disturb my slumber?]

    ¡°I¡¯m right in front of you. See for yourself.¡±

    [A voice devoid of fear.]

    It was a ck-scaled dragon.

    Its eyes, now open, were a chilling icy blue.

    The dragon looked down at Hans.

    [Fearless. Or perhaps, numbed by overwhelming terror?]

    The dragon mocked him openly.

    To it, Hans appeared to be nothing more than a weak, powerless human.

    Those who knew of Hans of the Royal Knights wouldn¡¯t think so.

    Unfortunately, this dragon was unaware of Hans¡¯s identity. And that meant his usual bluffs wouldn¡¯t work.

    He was in trouble.

    Hans racked his brain.

    He didn¡¯t want to fight a dragon here.

    Winning or losing wasn¡¯t the issue, he didn¡¯t want to lose a valuable asset.

    ¡°I want to know why. Why did you kill the Rusted Overlord?¡±

    [The Rusted Overlord? Ah, that Orc.]

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    [He ignored my warning. I intended to make this ce my home. I told him to leave, and he attacked me.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®What the hell? Is this dragon insane?¡¯

    That was Hans¡¯s honest assessment. It was understandable.

    If someone barged into your home and dered it theirs, demanding you leave, you would likely resort to violence.

    Even though they were called the benevolent race, not all dragons loved all life.

    Some favored certain races, others disliked all other species.

    Yet, they were known as benevolent because the majority of dragons loved other races and sought to maintain bnce. This dragon was an anomaly.

    ¡°This is Orcish territory. Return it to them.¡±

    [Amusing. What do you intend to do, powerless as you are?]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    [Hah! Go ahead, try¡­]

    In that instant, Hans touched his index and middle fingers together.

    As the dragon looked on in confusion, all color drained from the world.

    Everything froze in ce.

    ¡°I tried my best not to kill you.¡±

    He had considered the dragon an ally, a fellow warrior against the demons.

    He didn¡¯t want to lose its considerable strength. But the dragon had left him no choice.

    Hans sighed and drew his sword.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The ck Dragon, Zaerkan, was proud of his power.

    Among the dragons, there were two factions, the radicals and the moderates.

    The radicals believed dragons should rule and manage the continent, while the moderates advocated for harmony and coexistence. @@novelbin@@

    Unfortunately for Zaerkan, the moderates held sway. The hardliners numbered less than ten.

    Zaerkan despised this.

    Why should they, the dragons, suffer for the sake of these insignificant creatures? It would be far simpler to wipe them out and rule.

    Zaerkan had acted on these beliefs before. Centuries ago, he had unleashed his power and subjugated a nation.

    At least, until the other dragons intervened.

    Even Zaerkan was no match for dozens of dragons. He wasn¡¯t particrly strong among his kind.

    ¡®Now even these insects dare to defy me.¡¯

    Zaerkan was in a foul mood.

    He was a dragon, one of the strongest beings on the continent. Yet they failed to recognize him.

    [This is our territory. We will not surrender it to you.]

    [A mere Orc. You speak boldly.]

    [Orcs always fight to the death.]

    The Orcs had been surprisingly troublesome, but Zaerkan had killed them without much difficulty.

    He had considered ughtering them all, but he couldn¡¯t risk it. The other dragons would surely intervene.

    He wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake twice.

    He would establish himself here, slowly expanding his influence, ensuring the dragons received the respect they deserved.

    So, Zaerkan, in a rare disy of mercy, had driven the Orcs out.

    They had foolishly attempted to fight back, but one, slightly wiser than the rest, had stepped forward.

    [We will not die meaningless deaths here.]

    ¡®And now this insignificant creature¡­¡¯

    Zaerkan despised all races equally, but he reserved a special loathing for humans.

    Dwarves at least possessed skill, Beastmen and Orcs had strength. Humans had nothing.

    They were nothing without their numbers.

    The Commander of the Royal Knights had been making a name for himself recently, but he was still just a human.

    Zaerkan could easily crush him.

    He yawned, watching the human with amusement. He would see what this insignificant creature would do.

    [Hah! Go ahead, try¡­]

    But he couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. His voice cut off abruptly.

    Zaerkan felt a surge of confusion.

    What was happening? Why couldn¡¯t he speak?

    His vision swam, the world spinning around him.

    ¡®Did that human do something?¡¯

    Whatever it was, he wouldn¡¯t be defeated so easily.

    Zaerkan rose to his feet, his massive form towering over the human. He swung his ws, tearing the man apart.

    He looked at the blood and viscera coating his ws, a satisfied smirk spreading across his face.

    At least, in his mind.

    [W-what¡­?!]

    His body wouldn¡¯t obey him.

    Zaerkan shifted his gaze, thinking his vision had finally cleared. But then he saw it.

    His own ck-scaled body, his pride and joy.

    ¡®Why is my body over there?¡¯

    He quickly understood.

    The body was headless.

    In that instant, Zaerkan realized what had happened. He had been decapitated in the blink of an eye.

    [I-impossible! Defeated by a mere human?!]

    ¡°Arrogance and carelessness. You paid the price.¡±

    [You! Who are you?!]

    ¡°Commander of the Royal Knights, Hans.¡±

    At the sound of his cold voice, Zaerkan¡¯s face was a mask of shock.

    Hans, the dangerous human they had spoken of¡­

    Rage consumed him.

    [Do you think I¡¯ll die here?!]

    But despite his defiant words, Zaerkan¡¯s voice faded away.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes] <hr>

 Chapter 138

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The ck Dragon Zaerkan possessed a certain pride.

    While he wasn¡¯t on the level of Yuren even in his prime, a warrior considered equal to the Dragon Lord, Zaerkan held a position of power.

    He was known for his destructive tendencies, earning him the moniker ¡°The Raging Dragon.¡± The title was a testament to his formidable strength.

    Zaerkan held an unshakeable belief in his own invincibility.

    He was certain that no one, aside from another dragon, could defeat him. And yet, this human¡­

    ¡®Decapitated in an instant? Me?¡¯

    A dragon¡¯s scales were an imprable armor, an unyielding fortress. It was no exaggeration.

    Piercing a dragon¡¯s scales was an incredibly difficult feat.That was how Yuren had managed to hold off countless demons single-handedly.

    While Zaerkan wasn¡¯t as powerful as Yuren, his defenses were still formidable.

    However, this had also been the source of Zaerkan¡¯s arrogance.

    He had believed himself invulnerable, allowing the human to attack, leading to this humiliating defeat.

    Zaerkan felt his life force ebbing away.

    He would die here.

    Not at the hands of a fellow dragon, but by a lowly human, a creature he considered beneath him.

    [I, Zaerkan, will not allow this!]

    Ironically, his pride, bordering on arrogance, extended his life.

    Tendons from his severed neck writhed like tentacles, reaching towards his body.

    His severed head slowly lifted, reattaching itself to his body.

    As if the decapitation had never urred, Zaerkan regenerated, his body restored to near perfect condition.

    Even dragons couldn¡¯t survive decapitation. It was an undeniable fact.

    Yet, Zaerkan felt no unease, no sense of the unnatural.

    [Very well, I¡¯ll admit it. Mortal, you almost killed me. Though it was nothing more than a pathetic, insect-like struggle.]

    ¡°You¡¯ve surpassed the realm of living beings. You¡¯re closer to a demon. What have you done?¡±

    Despite the unbelievable sight before him, Hans remained calm, his question directed at Zaerkan.

    Even Zaerkan was impressed by the human¡¯sposure.

    He was like a finely honed de, a sharp contrast to the other races, especially the humans Zaerkan so despised.

    The dragon chuckled.

    [I made a deal. They tampered with my body, but it doesn¡¯t matter. Thanks to them, I can tear you to shreds.]

    ¡®So it was them again!¡¯

    Hans felt a sense of dread.

    He had be ustomed to seeing demons regenerate from fatal wounds, but the issue here was the cooldown period.

    Thanks to the holy sword, Hans hadn¡¯t needed much time to climb onto the dragon and deliver the fatal blow. But the time stop ability had a cooldown, and he needed to stall. ??£Á??????

    He had achieved his objective.

    Zaerkan, believing the fight was over, began to move.

    [It was fun, insect. Thanks to you, I¡¯ve be even stronger. With this power¡­I can even kill the Dragon Lord and his daughter.]

    Zaerkan¡¯s arrogance was boundless. He believed he had transcended death.

    He had been decapitated and yet, here he was, alive and well.

    But transcending death was impossible. One could cheat it, dy it, but true victory over death was unattainable.

    Hans knew this.

    ¡°No. I assure you, you will die here.¡±

    Hans pointed at Zaerkan with his index finger, a taunting gesture.

    The dragon roared in fury, mes erupting from its maw, threatening to consume everything.

    A fiery breath scorched the earth and air. Zaerkanughed.

    In that moment, Hans stopped time.

    His index and middle fingers touched.

    In the stillness of frozen time, Hans moved alone. Decapitation wouldn¡¯t kill the dragon. That meant the source of its regenerationy elsewhere.

    A core, perhaps.

    If he could destroy it, he could kill the dragon.

    Hans considered his options briefly.

    Where was the core?

    But his contemtion was short-lived.

    ¡®I¡¯ll just cut everything.¡¯

    Hans tightened his grip on the holy sword.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The holy sword possessed a will of its own. It was a strong, unwavering will, though its excessive pride had been a w.

    Meeting its current master had changed that.

    A true swordsman doesn¡¯t rely on his weapon.

    It was true.

    One who depended solely on a superior weapon wasn¡¯t a true knight. Even the holy sword couldn¡¯t argue with Hans¡¯s words.

    But it hadn¡¯t epted this truth readily.

    Initially, it had been so flustered that it had be a hindrance. It hadn¡¯t trusted Hanspletely.

    ¡®Does this man truly possess such skill?¡¯

    He had passed the trial in the ruins, but perhaps it was just luck.

    Moreover, Hans had ignored its attempts tomunicate, further fueling the sword¡¯s doubts.

    It was difficult to ignore its presence.

    Could he not hear it?

    But its doubts were short-lived. It had witnessed Hans¡¯s actions firsthand.

    The Mud Guardian had been a formidable monster, even in the era the holy sword had originated from.

    But Hans wasn¡¯t simply strong.

    He had seen through the Mud Guardian¡¯s true nature, and had indulged its desire for a final, honorable duel.

    ¡®He¡¯s not just strong. He possesses the virtues of a true hero.¡¯

    He was on the battlefield, risking his life.

    Facing the possibility of death, could anyone show mercy to a creature reduced to a monstrous form?

    Logically, there was no reason to.

    Even if it had once been a hero, it was now a man-eating monster.

    To engage it in an honorable duel was strategically foolish.

    Yet, Hans had done so without hesitation.

    And in that moment, the holy sword had witnessed Hans¡¯s true strength.

    He possessed not only heroic virtues, but also overwhelming power.

    He had cut down the Mud Guardian with speed the holy sword couldn¡¯t even perceive. It was swordsmanship at its pinnacle.

    But what truly impressed the holy sword was Hans¡¯s character.

    He so readily gave away what he had earned.

    ¨C Child, you have no name. Only your master can bestow one upon you.

    ¨C But¡­what if my master is a bad person?

    ¨C I foresee you will be a hero¡¯s sword. He appears noble, but he is lonely.

    ¨C ¡°¡­¡±

    ?? Important Notice ??<hr>

    ); }

    ¨C I hope you will be his friend, hispanion in this world.

    The holy sword hadn¡¯t understood those words then, but it did now.

    Even now, facing a dragon, one of the strongest creatures on the continent.

    It recognized this ck Dragon. It had witnessed it in the mythical age, a monster that had preyed on countless races.

    The Raging Dragon.

    And yet, against this legendary monster, Hans fought without fear. Against a creature that couldn¡¯t be killed by decapitation.

    Was he truly fearless?

    [N-no¡­Impossible! I¡­defeated by an insect¡­!]

    The holy sword didn¡¯t register the dragon¡¯s death.

    One moment, the Raging Dragon was a formidable foe, the next, its bodyy in pieces. Hans calmly pierced its heart, ending its life.

    The Raging Dragon was dead.

    And Hans stood above it, victorious.

    He was the embodiment of a mythical hero.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Your Text Here]@@novelbin@@<hr>

 Chapter 139

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Fortunately, the cave still contained some Orcish supplies, including ropes ands. Hans used these to secure the dragon¡¯s remains.

    As in many stories and games, a dragon¡¯s corpse was an invaluable resource, a treasure trove of rare materials.

    This world was no different.

    Hunting a dragon yielded materials of exceptional quality.

    However, the dragons themselves often retrieved the bodies of their fallen kin, making these materials difficult to acquire.

    It was fortunate that Zaerkan was an outcast among dragons. If it had been a respected dragon, its kin would have surely appeared and reimed the body.

    Knowing this, Hans decided to use Zaerkan¡¯s remains as a bargaining chip. But first, he had to put on a show for the Orcs.

    He secured the dragon¡¯s body within thes and ropes, attaching it to his wyvern before taking flight. As he approached, he saw the Orcs staring up in astonishment. They clearly hadn¡¯t expected him to single-handedly y a dragon.

    ¡°You¡¯ve returned sooner than expected.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. And I brought a gift. What do you think? Do you like it?¡±

    ¡°Hmm! I¡¯ve never received such a wonderful gift!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t give it to you just yet. You¡¯ll have to wait.¡±

    ¡°What? Why?!¡±

    Sharaka, for the first time, appeared flustered, her youthful nature showing through.

    She quickly regained herposure, clearing her throat, but Hans chuckled.

    ¡°I hear you¡¯ve been having some territorial disputes with the 12 Tribes.¡±

    ¡°I intended to negotiate. We must coexist, whether we like it or not.¡±

    ¡°Admirable. But words alone are not enough.¡±

    ¡°I-I know that! Actions speak louder than words!¡±

    Sharaka¡¯s outburst made Hans smile inwardly.

    He could finally mediate between the Orcs and the 12 Tribes. Though they were enemies, the current situation demanded cooperation.

    Even Zaerkan had allied with the demons.

    That damned lizard.

    It was fortunate he had dealt with the dragon quickly. A dragon¡¯s power was immense.

    He had managed to defeat Zaerkan in a swift, decisive battle, but if the dragon had been allowed to unleash its full power, the consequences would have been devastating. ?§Ñ?o?¦¢§§s?

    Imagine a dragon raining fire from the sky in the midst of a battle.

    They would have to dedicate Yuren to counter it, leaving a gap in their defenses.

    ¡®And the demons wouldn¡¯t just stand by and watch.¡¯

    The demons weren¡¯t fools.

    They wouldn¡¯t let such a powerful weapon go to waste. They would surely protect Zaerkan, increasing the casualties.

    The thought sent shivers down Hans¡¯s spine. It was a worst-case scenario, but the potential damage was immense.

    Therefore, Hans was determined to mediate between the Orcs and the 12 Tribes.

    He hadn¡¯t been able to do so properly before, due to the Warrior¡¯s Festival.

    He had to prevent them from preying on each other. With that decided, Hans and Helia ascended into the sky on their wyverns.

    ¡°Helia, are you feeling better?¡±

    ¡°Teacher¡­¡±

    ¡°I know you were upset by Sharaka¡¯s words. And I understand why.¡±

    Hans looked at Helia.

    There was no pity in his gaze. He wasn¡¯t so careless as to pity someone else¡¯s life, especially Helia¡¯s.

    [Don¡¯t pity me!]

    [Who are you to pity me?]

    [I can¡¯t take this. I¡¯ll kill them all.]

    In the original game, there were options to sympathize with or understand Helia. In most dating sims, these would increase her affection.

    Unfortunately, with Helia, they werendmines, triggering her trauma.

    Not only would her affection decrease, but the wrong choices could lead to her betrayal.

    Yet, other choices, offeringfort and support, were the ones that increased her affection.

    Helia wasn¡¯t considered a viin without reason. The seemingly correct choices were often traps, and her reactions were inconsistent.

    But now, Hans understood her.

    ¡°Everyone lives differently, child. Don¡¯t burden yourself with the struggles of others. It will only bring you pain.¡±

    ¡°Teacher, I don¡¯t understand. Shouldn¡¯t we do everything to protect what¡¯s precious to us?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what most would think. But they live differently than we do. We can¡¯t judge them for it.¡±

    ¡°But her only family died!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°How can she be so calm? I don¡¯t understand¡­¡±

    Helia¡¯s red eyes zed with intensity.

    Hans averted his gaze. Helia interpreted this as a lesson. @@novelbin@@

    Think for yourself, make your own judgments.

    A sharp pain stabbed at Helia¡¯s chest.

    Was she feeling guilt?

    She shook her head.

    ¡®No, I don¡¯t regret it.¡¯

    ¡®I won¡¯t regret it.¡¯

    ¡®Even if I be a monster.¡¯

    ¡®I won¡¯t lose anyone again.¡¯

    Looking at Hans¡¯s back, Helia renewed her resolve.

    ¡®Damn, that¡¯s a scary look.¡¯

    Hans, however, had simply turned away because he was intimidated.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Yuyeong, leader of the 12 Tribes, hastily arranged a meeting upon hearing of the sessful mediation.

    She had been right to entrust this to the Royal Knights. The Orcs had arrived.

    The leaders of the Orcs and the 12 Tribes sat facing each other on Maple Mountain.

    Hans upied the seat of honor.

    Under his mediation, the negotiations began.

    But both sides were distracted. Behind Hansy the dragon¡¯s corpse. Not just any dragon, but a true dragon.

    Its value was immeasurable.

    ¡°If you agree to the terms, I¡¯ll divide it fairly between you.¡±

    Hans¡¯s deration silenced both parties.

    The 12 Tribes couldn¡¯t argue with the spoils of a battle they hadn¡¯t fought, and the Orcs knew Hans had in the dragon himself.

    The negotiations proceeded.

    Sharaka, the Orc chieftain, nned to use this opportunity to relocate her tribe from the mountains to the ins. It was a necessary step for the Orcs¡¯ prosperity.

    They had secluded themselves in the mountains for strategic advantage, creating an imprable fortress.

    However, this had also hindered their development.

    She intended to establish a vige in the ins below, fostering growth and advancement. But this posed a threat to the 12 Tribes.

    ¡°How can we trust you won¡¯t attack us? It would be more advantageous to strike now.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? You want to fight? Fine, I¡¯ll ept your¡­¡±

    ¡°I hear a dragon¡¯s scales make the finest armor, capable of deflecting anything. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Whenever the negotiations became heated, Hans intervened, using the dragon¡¯s corpse as leverage. It was a necessary tactic.

    He had in the dragon.

    He could have kept it all for himself, but he had offered to share it. The dragon¡¯s remains held immense value.

    A treasure worth more than a thousand years of progress. Even sworn enemies couldn¡¯t ignore such a prize.

    The negotiations concluded sessfully.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll divide the remains equally between you.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the dragon heart?¡±

    ¡°I destroyed it. It wouldn¡¯t die otherwise.¡±

    ¡°I¡­see. Understood.¡±

    The absence of the dragon heart was disappointing, but the bones, muscles, and scales were a significant boon.

    It was said they could advance their technology by a century.

    ¡°Wait, you destroyed the dragon heart?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a legend among the Orcs. The dragon heart is indestructible. It simply disappears, seeking a new owner.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just a legend.¡±

    Hans dismissed Sharaka¡¯s words.

    If the legend were true¡­it meant his own heart had been reced by the dragon heart.

    But Hans felt no different.

    At least, not yet.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes] <hr>

 Chapter 140

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The mediation between the 12 Tribes and the Orcs had been a sess.

    The Elves remained hostile towards Hans, but they were pursuing their own independent course of action.

    The situation was progressing favorably.

    Back at Lionheart Fortress, Hans savored a rare moment of respite, rxing in his chair.

    The simple act of staring at the ceiling felt therapeutic.

    He had aplished so much.

    The Human Kingdom, the Dwarf Kingdom, the 12 Tribes, and the Orcs. He had intervened and resolved conflicts for almost every race, with the exception of the Elves.

    It was only natural that he felt exhausted. He hoped this peace wouldst. Naturally, it didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Commander, do you have a moment?¡±

    Cluna entered his office, a gentle smile on her face.

    Hans nearly jumped out of his skin. Cluna, always busy with her duties, rarely sought him out.

    If she did, it usually meant trouble. He had enjoyed three days of uninterrupted peace since Cluna¡¯sst visit.

    And now, it was over.

    ¡®Well, that¡¯s just my luck.¡¯

    But he couldn¡¯t show his frustration. He was the Commander of the Royal Knights, a pir of strength.

    Or so he thought. The reality of the Royal Knights was far more twisted.

    Their loyalty, their motivation, revolved solely around Hans. They cared little for anything else.

    They had each joined the order with their own goals, their own paths to glory.

    But that path had ended in ruin. They had witnessed devastation, the brutal ughter of theirrades.

    Even the strongest individuals could be broken by war. And they had witnessed the horrific deaths of theirpanions, those they had fought alongside for over a decade. ?§¡?????

    It was Hans who had saved them, offering them salvation. Though it hade at the cost of a twisted possessiveness.

    If Hans were to fall, the Royal Knights would unravel.

    They might even ally with the demons to save him. It sounded absurd, but they were capable of it.

    ¡°What is it, Cluna?¡±

    Unaware of the depths of their devotion, Hans addressed Cluna calmly.

    She smiled, handing him a letter.

    Hans took it and read the contents slowly.

    [A monstrous creature has appeared, wreaking havoc in the Human Kingdom. The casualties are significant, but more importantly, this Minotaur is searching for you, Commander.]

    A Minotaur rampaging through the Human Kingdom, searching for him. There was only one Minotaur that upied Hans¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡®Is that bastard causing trouble again?¡¯

    He had encountered the Minotaur shortly after arriving in this world, before he had fully grasped his situation.

    He had been forced to let it go.

    Imprisoning it had been an option, but the refugee campcked the facilities, and the risk of escape was too great.

    More importantly, he hadn¡¯t been confident in his ability to defeat it. But things were different now.

    Hans nced at the sword at his hip.

    Sensing his gaze, the holy sword pulsed with a brilliant light.

    Hans looked back at Cluna.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t the Royal Guard send a subjugation force?¡±

    ¡°They failed.¡±

    ¡°Failed?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The Vice-Captain of the Royal Guard, along with many knights, were killed.¡±

    ¡°The Vice-Captain was quite skilled.¡±@@novelbin@@

    He was strong enough to rival Helia, a testament to his abilities. And yet, he had been killed.

    This Minotaur was a serious threat.

    ¡°If the casualties are that high, we have no choice. We¡¯ll handle this ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s depart immediately.¡±

    Hans began his preparations.

    He didn¡¯t realize it, but his actions, his willingness to personally confront danger, only intensified his unit¡¯s devotion.

    Even Yuren rarely took the lead, preferring to conserve his strength for greater threats.

    Amander typically delegated such tasks to his subordinates.

    But Hans had always led from the front, taking on the most dangerous missions himself.

    He only delegated when absolutely necessary.

    This had earned him the unwavering loyalty of his unit.

    ¡®Besides, I can usually get myself out of trouble.¡¯

    Hans¡¯s confidence stemmed from his ability to manipte time.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    Acquiring wyverns from the Orcs had been a brilliant decision. It allowed him to reach the Human Kingdom quickly.

    Hans grinned.

    He enjoyed flying, the sensation of soaring through the sky. This time, he had brought only ra as an escort.

    A single Minotaur shouldn¡¯t pose much of a threat.

    He had considered going alone, but his unit had insisted he bring at least one escort.

    ra had won the honor through a fiercely contested game of rock-paper-scissors.

    ¡°I¡¯m so excited! I¡¯m alive!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s got you so excited?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I won this privilege fair and square!¡±

    ¡°I suppose¡­¡±

    He had noticed the other unit members¡¯ disappointed expressions. So, this was the reason.

    Hans chuckled.

    It wasn¡¯t a bad way to build camaraderie.

    ¡°Regardless, I trust you¡¯ll focus on the mission.¡±

    ¡°Of course! I¡¯m a member of the Royal Knights!¡±

    ¡°Good. I trust you.¡±

    ¡°D-don¡¯t just say things like that so suddenly!¡±

    ra blushed, averting her gaze.

    She was always so transparent.

    Hans, however, remained oblivious. Or rather, he had no intention of acknowledging her feelings.

    His mind was preupied with the current situation.

    The Multi-Racial Alliance had finally begun to reim their territories, but the demons were still a formidable threat.

    Even weakened, they had fought the Alliance to a standstill for centuries. There was no room forcency.

    Hans, at least, couldn¡¯t afford to rx.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    The Human Kingdom¡¯s pce remained unchanged. It prioritized function over aesthetics, more a fortress than a pce. Hans, after a brief pause, continued inside.

    ¡°Wee, Commander Hans.¡±

    ¡°We meet sooner than expected.¡±

    ¡°I apologize for the circumstances.¡±

    ¡°No, I think it¡¯s for the best.¡±

    The Human King prioritized efficiency, avoiding unnecessary expenditures of resources and manpower.

    This was one of the reasons Hans held him in high regard.

    ¡°So, the Minotaur. That¡¯s the problem?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He now calls himself Ayanhar. I don¡¯t know why.¡±

    ¡°Ayanhar?¡±

    ¡°Do you know what it means?¡±

    ¡°¡­I believe it¡¯s a fragment of a myth.¡±

    Hans suspected it was a corruption of ¡°Einherjar.¡± The pronunciation was simr, and it suited the Minotaur¡¯s obsession with seeking out strong opponents.

    ¡°Regardless, that¡¯s not important. He¡¯s looking for me?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Where is he?¡±

    ¡°¡­Right outside.¡±

    ¡°Right outside?¡±

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    Hans followed the King, escorted by the Royal Guard, to the castle walls.

    From atop the ramparts, Hans spotted the Minotaur sitting calmly.

    ¡°He¡¯s just sitting there, waiting.¡±

    ?? Important Notice ??<hr>

    ); }

    ¡°Yes. He ims he sensed your presence when you were here before.¡±

    ¡°Sensed my presence?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®Crazy stalker bastard.¡¯

    Hans swallowed the words.

    He wouldn¡¯t damage his image with such outbursts.

    ¡°There¡¯s no choice. Let¡¯s deal with this.¡±

    ¡°I apologize for the trouble.¡±

    ¡°No, he¡¯s stronger than before. We can¡¯t underestimate him.¡±

    The King, encouraged by Hans¡¯s words, nodded. He hadn¡¯t shown it, but the thought of the soldiers and knights lost to the Minotaur filled him with rage.

    But now, he felt a sense of relief.

    The Commander would handle it.

    ¡®He¡¯s stronger than before. So don¡¯t me me too much if I lose.¡¯

    Hans was simplyying the groundwork, just in case.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes]

    [Your Text Here]<hr>

 Chapter 141

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    This had happened before Hans departed for the Human Kingdom.

    The women of the Royal Knights had gathered and discussed the situation. They had received much help from the Commander, but they couldn¡¯t rely on him forever.

    They decided to handle the matter before Hans had to intervene.

    Everyone agreed.

    They knew the Commander was strong.

    However, if he had to deal with every single issue personally, it would be an undue burden.

    More importantly, the Commander was their most valuable asset. Exposing that asset needlessly was strategically unsound.

    ra dered that she would handle it herself.This was a direct provocation to Ayanhar.

    ¡®After all the hardship I¡¯ve endured¡­ How dare some unknown Elf interfere?¡¯

    Ayanhar was enraged.

    ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt my duel!!!¡±

    Quarentz, trained as a Royal Knight candidate, possessed skills rivaling Melissa, the Captain of the Royal Guard.

    His speed was overwhelming, surpassing even high-ranking knights of other races.

    Yet, ra reacted to his speed without difficulty.

    She struck Ayanhar¡¯s fist from below, sending his arm flying upwards. With his abdomen exposed,

    ra seized the opportunity. Her sword shed from its sheath at her hip, slicing deeply into Ayanhar¡¯s side.

    Ayanhar looked at ra and said,

    ¡°¡­So, you¡¯re notpletely useless.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a surprisingly cool head for a bull.¡±

    ¡°A duel with a strong opponent is all I desire. Good! Come, strong one!¡±

    ¡°Truly a dog¡ªno, a bull¡ªcrazed for battle.¡±

    Hans clicked his tongue at Ayanhar¡¯s deration.

    Facing two opponents at once was no easy feat. Ayanhar¡¯s willingness to fight to the death was unsettling.

    ra, unfazed, prepared for the duel. She wanted to handle this on her own. As she took her stance, Ayanhar charged.

    ra effortlessly evaded Ayanhar¡¯s ferocious charge, calcting her strategy.

    ¡®He has the advantage in strength, but I¡¯m faster. Speed will be the key to victory.¡¯

    ¡°Will you only run?!¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a look at your arm?¡±

    ¡°¡­?!¡±

    A deep gash now marred Ayanhar¡¯s arm.

    ra had cut him while dodging.

    Amazingly, Hans witnessed every move, every subtle detail that would have been invisible to others.

    Ayanhar was undoubtedly stronger.

    He had been formidable before, nearing the strength of a demon, but now he rivaled a Blood Demon.

    ¡®How could a mere monster grow so powerful?¡¯

    Demons lived in a strict hierarchical society based on power. Blood Demons were recognized and given names, but those below were scorned as lesser demons.  ????§°?¨§?

    Monsters were considered even lower.

    Yet, Ayanhar had surpassed his limitations.

    He was now strong enough to surpass even some Blood Demons in a direct confrontation. Unfortunately for him, he had chosen the wrong opponent.

    ¡°Impressive!!¡±

    Despite his increased strength, Ayanhar couldn¡¯t match ra¡¯s speed. As he had grown stronger, so had the Royal Knights.

    The Royal Knights were an assembly of individuals with the potential to be legendary heroes.

    They had trained relentlessly, honing their skills and gaining invaluable experience.

    ¡°This is nothingpared to a True Blood!!¡±

    True Bloods were far faster and stronger. Compared to them, Ayanhar felt like a mere infant to ra.

    Hans watched in awe.

    ¡®Have Blood Demons be insignificant now?¡¯

    ¡°Excellent! Excellent! A worthy opponent after so long!!¡±

    Even facing a superior opponent, Ayanhar¡¯s spirit remained unbroken. He charged again, his fighting spirit zing.

    Crack!

    Ayanhar¡¯s fist connected with ra¡¯s right arm.

    ra was still faster. But Ayanhar had anticipated her movements, exploiting a blind spot tond a blow.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re not as weak as you look.¡±

    ¡°Come at me with your full strength. Only then will my victory be worthwhile!¡±

    ¡°I can still endure this.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Hans sensed something amiss.

    Why was ra relying on close-quartersbat with her sword? Her true strengthy elsewhere.

    His question was answered before he could voice it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s pick up the pace, shall we?¡±

    ra began to overwhelm Ayanhar.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    There once was a naive Elf.

    How much pain could a young girl endure, losing her parents and siblings at such a tender age? It was unimaginable.

    Her mother had cared for her wounds with genuine love, but

    Her methods had been wed. It was understandable.

    She was a wounded individual herself, before being a mother. In the name of protection, she had confined the girl to her garden.

    Under normal circumstances, it would have been uneptable. But those were not normal times.

    Even the Elves had suffered attacks from the demons. Facing criticism was preferable to losing family.

    But the girl craved her mother¡¯s affection more than she realized. She longed for her mother¡¯s approval. Back then, no one else mattered.

    Until she joined the Royal Knights.

    Her initial impression hadn¡¯t been favorable.

    The Royal Knights were a diverse group, and some harbored prejudice against Elves. Yet, she remained.

    Everyone knew.

    To face a greater enemy,

    They had to unite.

    They fought and bickered, but they also cooperated, forging bonds of camaraderie. They had berades, at the very least. But even that didn¡¯tst.

    A reckless expedition.

    A hell born of haste.

    There, she had lost most of herrades.

    The pain was as agonizing as losing her family. A second experience with such profound loss.

    The unfamiliar agony tormented her.

    What could she do?

    Someone, please tell me!

    She hadn¡¯t expected an answer.

    But an answer hade.

    If you were in hell, wouldn¡¯t you desire salvation? Most would.

    A release from the unbearable torment. But there was no salvation.

    That¡¯s what made it hell.

    That¡¯s how it should have been. But a hand had reached out, offering salvation. It was Hans.

    He had taken the initiative to rebuild the Royal Knights, rescuing herrades, believed dead, and bringing them together.

    More importantly, he had mended her fractured rtionship with her mother.

    Though they had be rivals in love in the process, her current happiness remained unchanged.

    And she realized. To protect this happiness, she couldn¡¯t remain passive. The girl had be a woman.

    A woman who vowed to hold onto this happiness and never let go.

    ¡°Is this all you¡¯ve got?!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ra silently shifted her gaze.

    Ayanhar was still moving, despite being covered in wounds. ra, however, was slowing down, her injuries taking their toll.

    ¡®Close-quartersbat is still a weakness.¡¯

    Ayanhar was convinced of his victory. His hardships had not been in vain. He had abandoned even his proud name, dedicating himself to defeating a single man.

    And he had defeated the next strongest opponent after that man.

    Ayanhar was intoxicated by his victory, blinded to his opponent¡¯s true capabilities.

    ra sighed and said,

    ¡°I guess a sword won¡¯t be enough.¡±

    ¡°What are you¡­¡±

    Ayanhar couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. Something shed, piercing his throat. Blood spurted, silencing him.@@novelbin@@

    In the Elf¡¯s hand was a bow.

    Ayanhar finally understood.

    The Elf¡¯s primary weapon wasn¡¯t a sword, but a bow.

    The realization was a profound insult.

    ¡®How dare she¡­ How dare she hold back against me?!¡¯

    Rage fueled his actions.

    He charged straight at ra.

    ¡°Makes you an easy target.¡±

    That was the decisive moment. Had Ayanhar been moreposed, ra might have struggled. But rage clouded his judgment.

    That was his downfall.

    ra loosed two arrows, piercing Ayanhar¡¯s shoulder and thigh. Unable to move, Ayanhar copsed to his knees.

    ra spoke coldly.

    ¡°Good work.¡±

    Now die.

    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ó¡ó

    [Trantor Notes] <hr>

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!