Chapter 466: The Sound of the End

The Bolvat soldiers and Heraldic soldiers stared in amazement at the sight that appeared before their eyes. They felt a strange heat on their cheeks, no longer feeling the chill of the death snow.

What met their eyes was a huge sandstorm that seemed to devour the earth. The wind was turbulent, and fine sand rose up and struck the air. In an instant, the soldiers of both forces were enveloped in sand.

Everyone was unable to understand this abnormal sight. Was this magic invoked by someone, or was it a natural anomaly? If it was magic, why would it engulf both armies? On the other hand, no one had ever heard of a sandstorm occurring near Garoua Maria.

So, what was this? Why was this happening?

A torrential downpour of sand was so intense that it was hard for the soldiers to open their eyes. Everyone stopped moving for a moment, while their minds whirled in confusion. Their strength dissipated every time the sand tangled their limbs. It was so hard to hold their weapons. The magical beast soldiers were easily forced to lie on the ground.

The sandstorm grew stronger as if to take away even the confusion, engulfing the soldiers. Then, it vanished in an instant, leaving only the sand behind. The sky returned to its usual cloudy state.

At that moment, everyone was speechless, and even the heat of the battlefield was lost. A voice echoed.

『…Both sides, lower your spears. There’s no longer any reason to lose your lives! 』

A voice filled with dazzling confidence and an oppressive atmosphere. The voice, amplified by magic, spoke as if to envelop the entire battlefield.

A voice that was more familiar to the Bolvat soldiers than anyone else. The voice of the one who led them, the one who guided them. With a voice that seemed to have a slight tinge of sadness, it continued speaking.

『In my name, the Sorcerer General Mastigius La Volgograd, I command you. Bolvat soldiers, cease fighting. It has now become meaningless. 』

For a moment, the sudden order to end the war was hard for any of the Bolvat soldiers to accept. But even so, it was difficult for the soldiers to go against the Sorcerer General’s words.

What should they believe? Or rather, what was happening right now?

Everyone on the battlefield looked confused, and they slowly lost their will to fight.

But Vice-Commander Eileen Ray Rakiador was different. Her eyes were still swirling with pure hostility and ambition. Eileen opened her mouth as if she was shouting to the heavens.

「…How ridiculous! Right before our eyes is our victory. Right before our eyes is our glory! Your Excellency, we can become the rulers of the continent! 」

She spoke from the bottom of her heart. The long-cherished wish of the Rakiador Family, to lead the Bolvat Dynasty to glory themselves, was right in front of her. So why would she lower her spear?

Eileen even wondered if the Sorcerer General was doing this to prevent her from achieving success. But next, she heard a voice ring directly in her ears.

「Your homeland is about to be destroyed, Rakiador. I was a fool, but you are not. 」

The sound of a horse’s hooves lightly kicking the sand was heard in the distance. Eileen, who was stationed at the main camp, turned towards the sound without realizing it.

There stood the Sorcerer General Mastigius, riding on his horse. He must have already approached the main camp when he spoke before.

Even though he was wounded, Mastigius was a dignified man leading his guards. Eileen looked at him to ask what he meant, and Mastigius slowly lowered himself from his horse and said the following words.

「The magical devilish being Rabel promised not to harm my people, but she broke that promise. Those demons no longer have any intention of keeping the promise they made with us. 」

After hearing Mastigius’ words, Eileen unconsciously gritted her teeth. There was no way she would be shocked by his words.

After all, everyone knew that fact, anyway.

The demonic beings only saw humans as their toys and livestock. They only submitted themselves to their mysterious Great Demons.

Of course, why should the demonic beings keep their promise with the humans? There was nothing humans could do. With their demonic blades stuck in their homeland, it wasn’t surprising that they would die at any moment.

Eileen’s sharp eyes gleamed as she spoke. The emotions exploded vividly from her mouth by the Infection Magic she wielded inside her body.

「…You knew that too, didn’t you, Your Excellency? You knew that our homeland chose to extend its life for a short time. 」

It wasn’t a condescending voice, which was unusual for Eileen. It was a voice that contained something gloomy. Her voice carried emotions that were difficult to describe.

Eileen’s words were the truth. The Bolvat Dynasty had been defeated by those demonic beings, and its authority had been humiliated. The once great army was now only used by demons.

There was no more kingship, and their dignity had been shattered. But if they still chose to live and not die, then they had no choice but to get drunk on blood and lust. To keep their sanity, they had no choice but to find ale to distract them from the worst of their reality.

The General, the Vice-Commanders, and even the soldiers probably understood. What kind of expedition was this?

Mastigius was silent for a moment upon hearing Eileen’s words. There was a hint of empathy in his eyes.

There was nothing he could do even if he knew everything. So he had no choice but to focus on what was in front of him. He had no choice but to believe that it was the truth.

Eileen was immersed in the frenzy of the battlefield but maintained her sanity.

「Rakiador. 」

Mastigius spoke one word. Eileen lifted her head, which had been lowered without her realizing it, and looked intently at her superior.

「…Look up and see ahead. There is no need to look away any longer. Our enemy is in the east. That’s the only truth. 」

Mastigius looked up slightly in that direction. His black eyes reflected the setting sunlight.

「Your Excellency, did you just say you will defeat them? Are you going to stand up against the monsters that usurped our nation? 」

Those demonic beings devoured all kinds of magic and twisted the sorcerers as if they were nothing. Just seeing their figures before her eyes made Eileen feel something dark in her heart.

It would be much better to keep her eyes on other battlefields. It would be much easier to find peace by living in lies.

「That’s right. You can understand, Rakiador. I finally understand. Humans no longer have time to fight each other. We are standing on the edge of a cliff. 」

Eileen hated this kind of words from Mastigius himself. He wasn’t trying to flatter her, he truly believed that Eileen was a wise and resourceful person.

Even if her wisdom, talent, and magic were all curses she had acquired in order to overthrow the Volgograd Family.

Eileen just hated those black eyes that looked straight at her. She didn’t like his confident expression.

「You are not to blame. The fault is all mine. When it’s all over, I’ll be the only one who will bear the blame. Rakiador, can you lend me your strength once more? 」

Despite her greed, Eileen knew very well that Mastigius was the only one who honestly acknowledged her strength.

That’s why she was still in the position of his second-in-command. Even if she went against his orders, she couldn’t bring herself to hate him.

It would be a lie to say that she wasn’t at a loss for words. It would be a lie to say that she had no thoughts in her heart. However, Eileen knelt down and replied.

「…If that’s what you desire, then yes, Your Excellency. 」

And so, the Demon War came to an end for the time being. The scars were still deep, and humanity was still at odds with one another.

But it was certain that an opportunity had arrived. The new Kingdom of Gharast, the southern nation of Elizard, and the eastern power of the Bolvat Dynasty.

Even if one looked through the history books, there was no record of these three nations forming a cooperative system. If one wanted to look only at the fact that nations of a similar size were unified, then one had to go back to the time of Altia.

So this was a historical opportunity. For the warring nations to unite and become one force.

The only thing who held it together was one man.

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The chapter ends on such an elegant way…Love it!

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