novelzi Chapter 168 : Chapter 168
Chapter 168 : Chapter 168
The battle at the southern fortress of the Monster Mountains began around sunset.That fierce battle, which started against the backdrop of the setting sun, ended only after the moon rose and set, and a new sun rose again.
Whoosh—.
The wind blowing from the mountains carried the smell of blood. It was the smell of ‘war,’ a scent I had grown somewhat accustomed to.
‘…It’s finally over. Was it about twelve hours?’
Just as I had on the Ness Plains, I had swung my sword in a trance-like state here as well.
I could not hear the shouts of the knights and soldiers behind me, nor the screams of the monsters I cut down.
It might have been the same experience as when athletes concentrate so intensely that they cannot hear the cheers of the stadium.
‘I fought with all my might. Perfectly timed to the moment mentioned in the
That’s right. I had definitely done my best. Knowing that I was not destined to die here, I did not care for myself at all and devoted my entire being solely to killing monsters.
Truly, my ‘entire being.’
But… even so, there were casualties.
—Ugh, sob…!
—Hammond, that bastard… couldn’t even fight well, but he fought so damn hard…
—Dane! Where’s Dane! Dane!!
—Father! Father!!
—Hans, you bastard…! What about your younger brother, why did you have to die. You, who couldn’t even fight well… I told you to just hide behind everyone else… If you had stayed behind His Majesty, you would have lived…
A battlefield shrouded in a red mist of mixed blood and water.
Some soldiers cried over the deaths of their comrades.
A son who came to the battlefield with his father searched for him.
Another soldier wandered, searching for a comrade whose fate was uncertain.
‘…Can this truly be called a victory.’
When I saw the sentence ‘the war was won’ in the
That is why I thought I would be happy at this moment.
However, here in the present, on the scene of victory, I honestly could not rejoice.
Come to think of it… the future me never said he was ‘happy’ either.
“Your Majesty, congratulations on your victory.”
Jereuth spoke to me as I was blankly surveying the battlefield.
“Ah… yes, Commander. You have worked hard.”
“……”
When I answered half-heartedly, Jereuth thought for a moment before speaking cautiously.
“Your Majesty. This victory is a great one that will remain not only in the history of Plank but also in the history of mankind. The courage Your Majesty showed on the battlefield is something that even bards would not dare to express.”
“……”
“This war is a miraculous victory that surpasses the best possible outcome. Your Majesty has truly achieved a miracle.”
Jereuth spoke as if he knew my heart was heavy.
However, Jereuth’s tone was not one of consolation. Rather, it felt like… a senior knight speaking to a ‘junior knight.’
“Commander. I wanted to achieve a war where no one died.”
“Your Majesty, that is—.”
“Yes, it’s probably impossible. But I wanted to challenge that. If not that, then I wished that at least one more person could have survived.”
“……”
“But… it seems my abilities were not enough for that.”
At my words, Jereuth was lost in thought again for a moment.
Then he smiled faintly.
“Your Majesty’s heart will surely be conveyed to everyone. Thanks to that, I am certain that the wounds of the kingdom, of those who have lost family, comrades, or lovers, will heal quickly.”
“……”
“But Your Majesty. If I may be so bold as to say one thing, those who reign from above must have a broad perspective. Especially on the battlefield.”
“A perspective… you say?”
“Yes. Your Majesty is currently seeing only the ‘sorrow of victory.’ Please also look at the ‘joy of victory’ that is right beside it.”
Jereuth stood next to me and pointed somewhere on the battlefield. I looked where his fingertip was pointing.
And what I saw was—.
—…….
—…….
—…….
—…….
The knights and soldiers, standing firmly and looking at me. At me, who stood on the hill with the slowly rising sun at my back.
Their eyes were filled with respect, gratitude, and above all, trust.
Is that… the ‘joy of victory’?
“Your Majesty, please declare victory. Only then will the wounds of those who lost precious ones in this war begin to heal. And only then will those who look only to Your Majesty be able to truly rejoice.”
“……”
“This kingdom smiles only when Your Majesty smiles.”
“……Yes, I understand.”
My heart was still heavy. No matter how much I tried to ignore it, the ‘sorrow of victory’ was greater for me right now.
But even the knights and soldiers who were grieving the loss of their comrades were looking at me. They were waiting for my declaration of victory, even while shedding tears.
‘I haven’t thought about how to declare victory, but…’
Clang.
I raised my sword high. I did not say anything special.
And then—.
—Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!
The ‘joy of victory’ seemed to wash away the ‘sorrow of victory.’
That sorrow will still remain with all of us for a long time, but… just as a wound on the body heals, the wound in the heart will also mend.
After the victory at the southern fortress of the Monster Mountains.
Somehow, the news of victory spread throughout the Plank Kingdom at an incredibly fast speed.
It was the same for any kingdom, but when a war was won, rumors about war heroes were bound to circulate.
The Plank Kingdom was no exception. Stories of which knight played a great role in which battle, how a certain soldier killed as many enemies as a knight, the birth of a famous war horse like 'Kartum', and so on.
Until now, the protagonist of the war hero stories in the Plank Kingdom had always been Jereuth.
The hero of mankind, called ‘a single ray of light cutting through the battlefield’ or ‘a single ray of hope cutting through the battlefield,’ was the pride and symbol of the Plank Kingdom.
But this time, it was a little different.
The protagonist was not Jereuth, but another person.
“Did you hear?! His Majesty Leonardo, who annihilated the monsters on the Ness Plains, also played a huge role at the southern fortress!”
“They say he’s called the ‘Devil of the Battlefield’?!”
“‘Devil of the Battlefield’? You son of a bitch, are you trying to die… What are you talking about! How dare you call His Majesty a devil? You want to be beaten to death?!”
“N-no! Would I dare call His Majesty that? It’s what the monster bastards shouted as they fled from His Majesty! I heard it from the soldiers who returned early due to injuries!”
“O-ooh…! The monsters feared His Majesty that much?”
“Yes! That’s why the knights and soldiers also followed His Majesty, calling him the ‘Devil’! They say angels and devils look the same, perhaps our King is like that?!”
As such, the person most mentioned by the people was Leonardo.
It was inevitable, as the soldiers who returned to their respective cities talked the most about the King’s performance.
By the time the rumors had completely spread throughout the kingdom.
Leonardo, the new war hero and the King beloved by the kingdom, returned to the royal capital.
In front of the central gate of the royal capital.
The widest and cleanest road, created by Leonardo’s royal capital maintenance project.
On that road, everyone in the royal capital was now out, waiting for the victorious army.
—When is the King returning?
—He’ll be here soon! They said he’ll arrive in about 10 minutes!
—Didn’t you say 10 minutes ago just now?
—That wasn’t me!
—W-what if I make eye contact with His Majesty?
—You crazy bitch… would His Majesty even glance at you? If anyone, it would be me!
It was then.
Puuuuuuuuuuu—!
With the resounding sound of a horn.
People began to appear from the royal capital’s gate. Standing at the forefront was a young man riding a large black warhorse, the man most loved by the kingdom’s people, King Leonardo.
In the sky, griffons and crows flew about excitedly.
—Waaaaaaaaaah!
—The King has returned!
—Blessings upon our King!
—Soldiers! You’ve worked hard!!
—Kyaaaaaaaaaaak!
—The pillar of the kingdom! Our King! Waaaaaaaaah!
Shwa-ra-ra-rak—!
With the cheers, the people threw the ‘gifts’ they had prepared for the King.
Petals, pretty leaves, or beautifully cut pieces of cherished bright-colored fabric.
So many people threw them at once that the sky looked like a flower garden.
At such a welcome, the corners of all the knights’ and soldiers’ mouths twitched. They tried hard to maintain a tense expression to show the image of a ‘cool and dignified victorious army,’ but it was not easy.
The relief of returning home.
And the joy of having protected this beautiful peace with their own dedication.
It seemed to erase the sorrow and pain they had experienced on the battlefield.
As Leonardo slowly headed towards the royal castle.
On the road cleared for the victorious army, a group of people was waiting for Leonardo and his army. They were the servants and officials who had remained in the royal castle, and the old knights and soldiers who could not join the war.
“……”
“……”
Standing at the very front of them were Elly and Olivia. Elly looked as if she would shed tears of joy at any moment.
In contrast, Olivia looked so cold that someone who did not know her might think she disliked the King’s return alive.
However, anyone who knew Olivia even a little knew. Olivia was just as happy about the King’s return as Elly was.
The two of them simultaneously bowed their heads slightly to Leonardo and said.
“Welcome back, Your Majesty.”
“Welcome back, Your Majesty.”
“Then, Your Majesty, I shall take my leave. Please rest well.”
Click—.
Elly quietly closed the door and left. As she left, I gave a light wave to Elly, who kept her eyes on me until the very end.
“Huuu….”
Leaning back deeply in my chair, I closed my eyes and sighed.
The scent of flowers, which I could not smell on the battlefield, tickled the tip of my nose.
That scent and the coziness seemed to wash away my mental fatigue.
‘Jereuth was entrusted with the post-war arrangements… I can check on it later.’
That being said.
I slowly opened my eyes and looked at the documents neatly stacked on the desk.
‘How did she know I would send letters of condolence to the families of the fallen knights and soldiers. Olivia is truly amazing.’
All I had to do was sign at the bottom of the letters written by Olivia, and they would be complete.
‘But I won’t use these. I feel sorry for Olivia who went through the trouble, but I want to write them myself.’
No, I must write them myself. These were letters to the families of heroes who had sacrificed the most precious thing for me and the kingdom; I could not borrow someone else’s hand.
After looking at the letters Olivia wrote for a moment.
I decided to check something more important right now.
My
‘I’ve endured the war with the monster army, one of the biggest crises to befall the kingdom. Now I must prepare for the war that will come after this.’
Although the entire kingdom was drunk on victory.
My mind was still in a state of war.
Shwarak—.
I opened the
…….
After the war with the monster army ended.
The kingdom quickly returned to normal. This was thanks to the fact that there was no significant damage to farmlands, major farms, or cities.
Of course, the aftermath of the war still remained. The national treasury, which had been steadily accumulated over the past few years, was nearly depleted by a single war, and it seemed that filling the void left by the fallen would not be easy.
Still, everyone in the kingdom came together to heal the wounds of war.
The Elves and Giants also helped the humans, their ‘blood allies’ with whom they fought together. I was truly grateful.
Due to being busy with various matters, Jereuth and Silvia’s wedding was held very modestly.
There was an issue with Elvandor opposing their marriage, but it seems to have passed well. Probably.
…….
For now, this was the content of the first page.
‘It says the post-war arrangements went well. It must be thanks to Jereuth doing a good job.’
That being said.
‘Jereuth’s wedding was held modestly… that won’t do.’
This was Jereuth, of all people. The number one contributor who had helped me stay alive until now.
Even if I could not hold a grand wedding for him, it should not be a modest one.
‘Even if Jereuth says it’s fine to keep it simple, I’ll insist that I don’t want that.’
Jereuth’s wedding. It sounded like it would be fun. A smile formed on my face.
Shwarak—.
I turned to the next page.
However… as soon as I saw the first line, the ‘pleasant thought’ of Jereuth’s wedding vanished from my mind.
I had realized reality again.
In April, the year after the war with the monster army ended.
An urgent message came through a crystal ball from the lord of ‘Véry-Catena,’ the largest city southwest of the royal capital.
I was now able to have real-time ‘calls’ with the entire kingdom via crystal ball.
[Your Majesty, this is Geoffrey, the lord of Véry-Catena. I will skip the greetings as this is an urgent matter.]
“What is it?”
[About 70 ships from the Jerpan Archipelago have occupied the coast. We hurriedly called the people of the villages into the city, but there are too many enemies, and it seems difficult to defend with the strength of Véry-Catena alone.]
“……”
[I have requested help from Walter, the lord of Misty Port. However, they said that the Misty Port area is also under attack, making it difficult for them to send support. It is shameful, but please send support from the royal capital’s army.]
The invasion of the Jerpan Archipelago.
I knew about it, but I did not know when it would begin…….
A new war had begun before the war with the monster army was even forgotten.
This was the content of the newly written ‘nearest future to the present.’
‘They’re invading next April…’
I wanted to avoid this war.
It was not that I was afraid of war. I just did not want to fight. Having seen the ‘sorrow of victory,’ I wanted to avoid war at all costs if possible.
Nevertheless, if I had to fight, I wished that my people would suffer no harm.
…Though that would be impossible.
‘Let’s think of a way to minimize the damage of the war. Next April means I don’t have absolutely no time, so a good method… wait.’
It suddenly occurred to me.
A way to truly minimize the damage.
‘First, let’s send an envoy. Let’s try to prevent the war through diplomacy.’
But that was not the only method I had just thought of.
I am not an idiot who believes that everything can be resolved with words—'diplomacy.'
‘It might not be resolved through diplomacy. Since the diary already states that the Jerpan Archipelago will invade, I should consider the possibility of diplomacy failing to be higher.’
If so.
‘I need to prepare power for peace. A power so strong that they won’t even be able to set foot in this kingdom.’
As I thought, I took out a piece of paper and began to draw a picture.
What I was drawing was a ‘ship.’ But not just any ship.
The ship I was conceptualizing now was… ‘a ship that griffons could ride.’
‘To minimize the damage of the war, I must prevent the Jerpan Archipelago’s army from landing in the kingdom. To do that, I must stop them at sea.’
After transporting the griffons to the middle of the sea.
The Griffon Knight Order will drop madans from the sky to destroy the ships of the Jerpan Archipelago.
That was the second method I was thinking of right now.
‘For the griffons to take off and land freely, there can be no sails. Then the ship must be operated only with oars… but that would make it slow. To move the ship by means other than oars and sails… should I try using something like a propeller?’
The 'ship that griffons could ride' that I was imagining and drawing.
It was becoming a picture like an aircraft carrier—
Just as I was thinking that.
“!”
Sasa-sasa-sak—!
The contents of the