Chapter 431: His Death

A voice always conveyed something whether it was good news or bad news. The first thing that usually reached the ears was a voice. This time too, a voice brought a certain report.

「…Lord Saleino was attacked by despicable demon beasts and bandits and died in battle! He was killed in battle! 」

The news of that death immediately echoed in Saleino’s camp by a brown-haired messenger soldier. The messenger soldier’s high-pitched words echoed throughout the camp over and over again, making each and every soldier deeply aware of that fact.

After a huge uproar, the Heraldic camp finally swallowed that incident.

The de facto death of the commander from the Elders’ faction.

What those soldiers felt when they heard this report were shock and grief, followed by dismay and confusion. Everyone asked themselves what they should do now. They didn’t know if it was okay to hold spears given the current circumstances.

The military was one of the most sophisticated organizational systems. The words spoken by superiors were taken as an absolute truth, and the army moved forward with those words as guidelines. The brain and limbs weren’t one unit since they were clearly separated. That’s why the military worked.

So what should those soldiers do if they lost the brain, which was the highest level of intelligence? Especially these rebel soldiers, who were guided and led by Saleino. They had no other guidelines.

What should these soldiers do? Where should they go? They didn’t know what to do.

…Lord Saleino was killed in battle.

Largud Ann rolled her eyes while listening to those words repeated inside the tent. Her heartbeat increased immediately. Her eyelashes blinked faster than normal.

She asked herself if what her ears had caught was true.

It was Bruder’s voice that conveyed the news of his death, and her words must had been carefully arranged in advance. In truth, she had decided that when she killed that old man, she would use the words “killed in battle”.

The moment Ann realized that Saleino was dead, she felt a cold chill pierce through her skin and her nerves. Even though she felt exalted, as the dice she had rolled turned out exactly as she expected, her suspicions and doubts were actually stronger.

Of course, she was hoping for this outcome, and it was definitely something she was waiting for.

An indescribable emotion emerged through Ann’s chest. It was not regret or sadness, much less emptiness. It wasn’t a simple feeling that could be expressed in just one word.

「Well, it looks like the bet turned out to be a win. But to be honest, this ending sort of leaves a sour taste in my mouth. 」

Telsarat Rwana, Elizard’s envoy and fighter, sat in her chair and stretched out her long legs. It showed how tall she was.

Telsarat Rwana took a deep breath when she professed those words. But her words didn’t sound like a lie or sarcasm. She seemed to think that way from the bottom of her heart.

Ann suddenly regained her senses when she heard those words. She forced the confusion that was in her heart to the edge of her thoughts.

「Then, what do you prefer, Lady Telsarat? Isn’t this the shortest way to reach your goal? 」

Ann asked casually. Partly because she wanted to calm her own turbulent heart, but she was also genuinely interested in Telsarat’s thoughts.

In particular, it would be a good move to know what kind of system Elizard’s fighters had when negotiating the future.

Telsarat said, leaning on her elbow. She even seemed like she was smiling.

「The shortest way isn’t necessarily the best. Largud Ann. Dedicating one’s life to a difficult situation is the best way to train people and discover their true worth. 」

Even if one has to spill blood, it will be fine as long as it makes that person stronger as a whole. In peacetime, there’s no difference between a hero and an ordinary man. But during a period of crisis, heroes are born. In that case, I could say that sometimes a predicament is a good thing.

Those who die because of a predicament lack strength and luck. Telsarat said so without any hesitation.

It was astonishing. Ann pressed her cheeks at Telsarat’s answer. At the very least, Ann understood that Elizardians’ way of thinking was completely contradictory to that of Gharasts.

Ann didn’t believe that all Elizardians thought like this, but it was safe to assume that at least all people who became fighters thought like this. Without a doubt.

Ann touched her head with her fingers, turning her thoughts around as she finally calmed down. Ann had to think about the future even if trouble was just around the corner.

Now that Saleino had died, the elders no longer had the will to challenge the Saint and the Hero.

Ann knew this fact not because she used to be close to them, but because the elders were much more rational. Ann knew that those people were capable of making reasonable calculations.

Therefore, Ann was convinced that there was no way they would kill themselves in this situation. Rather, they would try to negotiate on their own terms. Ann told the soldiers nearby that she’d like to speak with the elders. The soldiers, who looked agitated before, followed Ann strangely calmly.

The soldiers were scared and didn’t know what to believe right now. They were desperately looking for a straw to grab in order to avoid drowning.

The proposal Ann was about to make would be that straw for them. Well, if they were swept away by the torrent, they wouldn’t be able to escape from drowning even if they grabbed a straw.

Besides, even if a soldier became impulsive and stabbed Ann to death, that would be no problem. Even if that were to happen, a situation where Saint Matia or the Lord Hero were threatened would no longer happen.

Besides, this was the moment Ann looked for.

Ann curled her lips quietly. It wasn’t caused by anxiety, but by imagination. A pleasant feeling surged through her chest.

She wondered what the Hero would think if she died here. She was sure he’d put on a really nice face even though he was carrying something that wasn’t good for him.

Dissident soldiers who rebelled against the actions of the Lord Hero. He wouldn’t be able to forget this event if a familiar face like Ann’s were to die under those circumstances.

Ann was sure that she would be a scar in Lord Hero’s life. Ah, indeed. That future would’ve been a little better.

Ann shrugged her shoulders and let out a sigh as she thought about that foolish thing.

​–

This familiar face seemed so close yet far away. Why? That was the definition for the loss of life.

Bernard bent down and looked at that face, then lifted that familiar face’s body up. He had some scars, but not enough to make him unrecognizable.

There was no doubt it was Saleino, the elder statesman of the Heraldic Order. His body was frighteningly cold. It was easy to see that his light of life had been extinguished.

At this point, Bernard finally understood why the attacking mercenaries suddenly turned around and left the area.

They probably knew this. From the very beginning, their goal was Saleino alone.

The soldiers all opened their eyes in disbelief and stopped on the spot. More than a thousand soldiers remained silent in front of Saleino’s remains.

No, they weren’t soldiers anymore. It was a crowd of people who had lost their way, lost even their guidelines, and stood there alone in the death snow.

There was a hard snapping sound. After a while, Bernard realized that it was the sound of his own teeth chattering.

The sound wouldn’t stop. The more he became conscious of it, the more his teeth kept chattering as if they were anxious. Bernard pressed his lips as he heard that unpleasant sound.

His mind went blank, and he realized that he was going crazy. His current self was definitely not sane.

Bernard stood before the death of someone who supported and guided him. The death of someone precious was an event hard to bear. He felt dizzy and his sanity started to melt away.

When Bernard looked back, he realized that the soldiers looked just like him. They felt depressed, and their fighting spirit got broken into pieces.

At this rate, they’d barely be able to return to their base. They didn’t have the will to accomplish anything anymore.

…But that was no good. That was definitely not what Saleino had wanted.

Bernard took a deep breath and let it all out. He spoke while handling Saleino’s body respectfully.

「…Soldiers, listen to me. At the end of that battlefield, Lord Saleino said to me, “No matter what happens to me, you must accomplish our goal”! 」

Bernard said quietly, yet with as much emotion as he could muster. His choice of words was somewhat clumsy, and his expression was slightly stiff.

But it had to be done, Bernard insisted. He spoke to his soldiers and showed them the way.

Bernard was convinced. His master’s death was a plot conceived by Largud Ann. That woman wielded her blade while speaking words of compassion.

Everything would be as she intended if Bernard and his soldiers were to abandon their will and fighting spirit.

That was not what his master wanted. At least he never told Bernard to stop thinking and bend his knee.

Therefore, Bernard taught himself to think about it, then act it out.

Then, what would he do? He could’ve returned to his base and attack Ann, but Bernard didn’t choose that option.

Even if he were to return to his base now, there was a possibility that Ann would be up to some kind of plot again. Besides, Bernard didn’t want to get close to Ann if possible.

Bernard realized that he wasn’t a match for Ann, at least in terms of words and logic. There was no doubt that Ann would overpower him under those circumstances.

Besides, the people of the Heraldic Order would probably listen to the words of the Saint’s right-hand person more than the words of a man who was nothing more than Saleino’s servant. If the soldiers came face to face with Ann, they would no longer be able to maintain their fighting spirit.

So what should Bernard do? What was the worst enemy? He had to think carefully.

Bernard said while holding up his waving blade. The soldiers simply stared in the direction his blade was pointing.

「This is Lord Saleino’s last will! March to the city of Philos! Let’s accomplish his goal because we have the pride of being Lord Saleino’s soldiers! 」

In front of Bernard’s words, the soldiers exhaled their fighting spirit and sanity with a bright light shining slightly in their eyes.

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I felt sorry for Bernard. Saleino was like a father to him. It was heartbreaking. But Saleino’s death had to happen for our heroes to win and keep going on their journey.

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