novelzi Chapter 139
Chapter 139
Chapter 139 – Let’s Fight Together (1)
Meanwhile, the Hart Kingdom was in utter upheaval.
“Y-Your Majesty!”
“What is all this commotion?”
“W-We’ve just received an urgent message via the Mask of Night......”
“The Mask of Night? Isn’t that an external intelligence organization?”
The King, tilting his head in curiosity, took the telegram without delay.
The envelope had already been opened. It was a routine procedure for any item coming from outside the palace.
And moments later,
“......!”
King Terry’s eyes slowly widened in shock.
“Summon the nobles to the royal audience hall immediately! This is an emergency!”
Not long after, the nobles began to assemble. They were influential figures who usually stay in their mansions at the capital, rather than their estates.
It was safe to say that nearly all nobles with significant political influence were in attendance.
Soon, they were confronted with astonishing news.
“Th-The Swordsman of Slaughter has been captured?”
“It’s true. According to reports, Duke Serin, Marquis Foltaine, and...... Unbelievably, even Baron Ancelot joined forces to capture the murderer at Black Swan.”
“......!”
The nobles were stunned into silence by what seemed an absurd statement. But with the king himself as the speaker, they couldn’t dismiss it as mere nonsense.
“B-But I heard that the Swordsman of Slaughter lived over 50 years ago......”
Duke Kairos’s voice trailed off.
He was straining to recall the stories about the infamous Swordsman of Slaughter.
‘Does that mean the rumors that they were a half-elf weren’t false after all?’
The elven forest was at Black Swan. It seemed plausible the murderer had been hiding there all this time.
‘......Damn it.’
The report was more than believable. Duke Kairos’s face twisted into a grimace.
“To think we’ve captured a criminal condemned by the entire continent. Surely this is a monumental achievement for the Hart Kingdom!”
King Terry’s expression was brimming with satisfaction as he spoke.
He had not only defied widespread opposition to grant Baron Ancelot a noble title but had also rewarded him with land.
Now, with such an extraordinary accomplishment added to the Baron’s name, how could the King not favor him even more?
‘That damned upstart......!’
This success also elevated the standing of Duke Kairos’ political rivals, Duke Serin and Marquis Foltaine, much to his frustration.
He groaned inwardly.
Though he didn’t like it, he had to acknowledge the significance of the accomplishment.
“Indeed...... Even the Empire will surely be pleased.”
“You think so too, Duke? Hahaha! Well, of course.”
The matter promised to be a valuable diplomatic tool.
After all, the Swordsman of Slaughter wasn’t just a common criminal. The atrocities she had committed were carried out in one of the ten major cities of the Empire.
In the past, when the Empire was still a kingdom and hadn’t risen yet, it was a large city called Helbern, which was among the top five largest cities.
“However, it seems transporting the captive to the capital immediately won’t be possible.”
“......!”
Duke Kairos’s eyes glinted sharply. At last, he found a reason to criticize.
“What do you mean by that? If the captive had been killed, it would be one thing—but why is it difficult to transport a live prisoner?”
Killing the Slaughterer would have been foolish.
A live capture could serve as undeniable proof and yield even greater rewards when handed over to the Empire.
In politics, grand gestures like this were crucial.
“They say a deal was made.”
“A deal? Are you telling us they negotiated with that murderer?”
Duke Kairos’s voice rose in outrage, emboldened by the apparent misstep.
However......
“They plan to use that murderer to subjugate the monsters in the northern territories.”
“What......!?”
Even Duke Kairos was taken aback by the sheer audacity of the plan.
“Isn’t it amusing? They’ve decided to employ a criminal who terrorized the continent for a task like that. And how on earth did they convince such a monstrous figure?”
“......”
“To wipe out the monsters of the Black Swan’s forest...... Haha! Ahahaha! If that succeeds, we’ll no longer have to abandon those lands.”
Unable to contain himself, King Terry burst into laughter.Nôv(el)B\\jnn
“Baron Ancelot! You never fail to exceed my expectations. I’m thoroughly impressed! Hahaha!”
In stark contrast, Duke Kairos’s brow furrowed deeply.
And within half a day, Bolt’s warning became reality.
***
Roaaarrr!
“M-Monsters are approaching.”
“......!”
It happened as everyone was hauling construction materials. In the distance, the faint but menacing cries of monsters filled the air.
“Fly!”
A few elves, stationed for support, swiftly elevated the command post into the sky.
From above, Duke Serin, Marquis Foltaine, the lunatic Erina, and I surveyed the horizon.
“Whoa......”
From this vantage point, the scene below was starkly clear.
In the distance, like a massive swarm of ants, a dark horde advanced. The sheer number was overwhelming.
Hundreds.
No—easily over a thousand.
“They’re probably excited to catch the scent of humans again after so long.”
Erina smirked.
This was the primary reason the two nations had ceased their territorial disputes.
The further the war expanded, the more blood was spilled, drawing hordes of monsters southward.
“This is overkill, though, especially from the start, isn’t it?”
I couldn’t help but shake my head..The monsters varied in kind. Goblins and orcs were the least of it.
Trolls, ogres, and even rare colossal monsters like minotaurs, desert-dwelling basilisks, and harpies in the skies were among them.
“A sight like this could shatter morale in an instant. Others on the ground must have seen it by now.”
Marquis Foltaine muttered, sighing.
Indeed, Black Swan deserved its reputation as a land of death.
Thump, thump, thump.
But I felt something different. My heart began to race for the first time in a while.
‘How long has it been since I’ve experienced a battlefield like this?’
Standing on this ‘true’ battlefield, my blood surged with excitement.
“Give the orders, Commander.”
Marquis Foltaine, who had already returned to the ground, said playfully.
Command for this operation had been entrusted entirely to me.
“Stay close and assist as much as you can.”
“That’s why I’m glued to you, isn’t it?”
As I prepared to issue commands, something caught my eye.
It wasn’t just Duke Serin, Marquis Foltaine, and the Swordsman of Slaughter standing nearby.
Unexpectedly, figures who shouldn’t have been here stood not far away.
“What are you guys doing here?”
“We’re...... Here to fight, too!”
“What? You guys aren’t......”
“Wh-When the slavers captured us, didn’t you say it yourself? That if we wanted to grow stronger, we’d have to make the effort ourselves.”
“......”
Harun stammered but stood firm in his resolve.
“I don’t want to hide behind your back anymore”
Jan said, his single eye glinting with determination.
“We won’t get in the way. I swear, honored guest.”
Kiriann said, his usual timidity replaced with unshakable confidence.
Shiiing.
Winley unsheathed her sword, her aura crackling with energy as she faced me.
“......”
Their resolve was palpable, as if no amount of reasoning could dissuade them.
But then—
“......!”
Why was it?
Why did these children suddenly overlap with a memory—a vision of someone I’d lost?
-This time, let’s fight together, Dad.
Yes.
It was ridiculous, impossible even, but......
“......Andy......?”
At that moment, I saw my late child in them.
* * *