Chapter 432: The Whereabouts of Hatred

Bernard’s bold march to the city of Philos.

Surprisingly, more than a thousand soldiers who were present followed this advance. Almost everyone except those who remained behind to prevent Saleino’s remains from being devoured by birds and beasts.

Everyone wanted a purpose, something to engulf their own fears. Bernard’s words filled the empty place left by the loss of their Commander Saleino.

Bernard took the lead, carrying a waving blade on his waist. He could already see the shadow of the city of Philos ahead of his line of sight.

A city that was the tactical goal of Saleino’s expedition. If this place, which connected the east and west of the current base of the Heraldic Order, were to fall, the Saint would have no choice but to sit down to negotiate with Saleino’s side.

Of course, Bernard was well aware that things wouldn’t progress so easily now that Saleino had passed away. Negotiations with the Saint’s side would only go well under Saleino’s influence.

However, Bernard felt that giving up was like a betrayal to his dear master Saleino. The soldiers also had the same feelings.

They couldn’t stop. At the very least, they didn’t want to betray those they trusted. Such feelings, which could be called faith or stubbornness, stuck to the bottom of their hearts like mud.

The cold wind hit Bernard’s cheeks. His eyes were dry, and his face was sore.

Although some repairs had been made to the wall gates of the city of Philos, there were still many cracks from the previous magical beasts’ attack. Bernard could say that those gates were not sturdy at all. Bernard had seen many cities like this during his time as a mercenary.

His heart was beating strongly when he approached the gates. Before Bernard’s eyes, the gates creaked and began to open their mouth.

Why? Bernard looked at it with suspicion. The number of soldiers inside the city should be small, and there should be no generals to lead them. There was no way they would be reckless to engage in a battle by opening the gates.

However, the next moment, Bernard’s eyes twitched as he brushed aside that question. He quickened his pace as he pulled his sword from his waist. Bernard knew why the enemy opened its gates. He could feel the rustle of his soldiers behind his back.

That enemy came on horseback from the other side of the city gates. The green military uniform stood out against the death snow.

「…I guess we’re now enemies since you’re attacking this place. But it’s still quite amusing; I won’t be able to clearly tell who’s my enemy and who’s my ally since you are members of the Heraldic Order. 」

That man spoke in a somewhat casual manner. A silver-haired woman who served as his shield was standing next to him.

He was the biggest reason why Saleino raised his troops. A key figure behind the expansion of the Heraldic Order. A person called both a Hero and a Great Evil.

Lugis himself appeared in front of Philos’ gates with his soldiers behind him. Bernard’s eyes widened greatly.

Bernard could clearly see it now. He narrowed his eyes as if he understood everything.

After all, this Great Evil truly existed. It supported Largud Ann. And because of him Bernard’s master had died.

The person whom Bernard should hate was now in front of him. Bernard felt a surge of emotion welling up in his chest.

—

A little breath escaped from my mouth. It turned into a white mist and flew into the air. My lungs were still pumping, as I had been running on the horse.

My eyes stared at the group of soldiers in front of me. They looked ready for battle, but it didn’t seem like they were going to attack immediately. A tall man who appeared to be their captain stepped forward with dignity.

I noticed that Caria’s gaze, who was standing next to me, had hardened.

「Regardless of what you say, our commander, Lord Saleino, has said you were an enemy. Then we are enemies! 」

My eyes widened involuntarily at those words. It was a response I hadn’t really expected.

After all, if I was truly the enemy, they could’ve used a tactic by saying we were allies and then attack me later by using the element of surprise. Whether I’d believe in that story or not was a different matter, but it would’ve enough power to confuse me.

But that captain was a completely honest person, unlike people like me. He didn’t use such shady tactics to overthrow his enemy.

After all, it was a fight within the Heraldic Order. The more honest my opponent was, the less power my allies would have in their hands. For me, it would’ve been better if the enemy were despicable and brutal, so that my slight conscience wouldn’t hurt.

Caria opened her mouth while pulling the reins by my side. Her silver hair swayed and shined in the air.

「Then, where is Saleino? If he’s your commander, why won’t he come forward and exchange at least a few words with us! 」

The tall man’s expression became distorted in response. Then, he raised his voice as he swung his sword. Its tip was pointing straight in this direction.

「What are you talking about! You were the ones who killed our commander, Lord Saleino, by luring him into a despicable trap! That’s what you’ve done! 」

He said so while looking at Caria’s gaze. His long arms waved frenetically, and he took a step forward. I could see that his eyes were on fire. The soldiers he led also had the same fiery eyes.

I knew the emotion shown in his eyes. After all, that was something I was familiar with.

Most people who held those feelings could no longer retreat. Their hearts just couldn’t accept it even if they understood that it was unreasonable. The emotion of hatred didn’t easily leave people behind.

The soldiers said that Ann had left the city to negotiate with Saleino. They said she took Bruder and Ves with her too. Well, it seemed that Ann did it too well. As expected, huh.

In most cases of rebellion or revolution, the momentum decreased once the leader met its demise. I was sure Ann was aiming for that as well. With her talent, she must had succeeded in doing so.

But that didn’t mean she could stop everyone else. There were some people who wouldn’t be able to choose any other path.

As I was, so were they. I took a small breath.

The tall man opened his mouth, pointing his blade at me. His gaze pierced my cheeks. There was so much hatred in it that I could almost feel the pressure.

「…Great Evil Lugis. I want you to exchange swords with me! Do it if you still have pride as a warrior! 」

The voice traveled through the air. The man’s skills were well-honed. His words were an invitation to one-on-one combat. In another words, a duel.

It was a much more elegant invitation compared to the one thrown at me by the renowned Storm Valerie Brightness. The person who stood in front of me now looked like a surprisingly good person.

Caria called my name and made her horse move lightly. I nodded slightly and opened my mouth as if I understood her intention, yes as if…

「Alright! I don’t care about pride, but if we can’t understand each other anymore, then I have no choice but to face you head-on. 」

Actually, there were fewer soldiers on my side even including the soldiers I brought with me. Even if we were to siege ourselves, we were in a situation where we had almost no military equipment. I wanted to avoid that dire scenario.

Besides, I didn’t want to kill too many soldiers if possible. This was a conflict within the Heraldic Order. If many soldiers were to die, then there would always be some grudge left behind.

And that thing usually came back to life at the worst possible times.

「Hey, wait. There’s no need for you to do that. I’ll take care of everything in one breath. This time, you should stay here and watch. 」

Caria said in a slightly irritated voice. Her silver eyes flickered as they stared at me.

Well, I knew that my words would be different from Caria’s intentions. Still, I never thought that she’d be so authoritarian in announcing that she’d go in my place instead.

I opened my mouth while looking at Caria as if trying to appease her. I got down from my horse and looked up at Caria, who stood majestically on her horse.

「No, he hates me. I’m the only person he can vent his feelings to…No matter how much you try to explain this situation, I’m still the cause of this internal conflict. 」

Revenge was a demon that lived deep inside the heart. Retaliation was a natural right that everyone had. How could I refuse him since I had been there so many times before?

This was no longer a story that should be told rationally. The passion that dwelled within him made it impossible for him to find any solution other than turning his blade on me.

I asked Caria if she understood what I was saying. Hearing that, Caria pouted her lips slightly and answered.

「…No, I understand. It’s fine if that’s what you mean. But I’d like you to rely on your shield once in a while. 」

「I know that I can always rely on you. 」

I pulled out the sword from my waist and let my treasure sword emit the purple light. When I gripped it tightly, the tip of the treasure sword rang loudly as if in response. Perhaps because we had known each other for so long, as it felt like we were having a conversation. The treasure sword didn’t seem too keen on a fight today.

As I walked forward, I looked at the tall man and asked.

「Sorry, but I can’t move forward if don’t know your name. What’s your name? 」

The man opened his mouth while holding his sword. The sunlight reflected on the waving blade, giving it a powerful color.

「It’s Bernard. I will kill you under the will of Lord Saleino. I will have no peace as long as you live. 」

That was the last thing he said. The time for exchanging words was now over. The only time that remained was for blades and blood to be exchanged.

The iron was ringing loudly.

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