Chapter 525: The Great Cause

The battle for the Bolvat Capital.

The final stages of the battle were so brutal that they remained legendary, even when compared to all previous battles between humanity and the demon army.

Commanders from each army stood on the front lines, and even generals wielded their swords. There was no soldier who was unwounded regardless of the severity of the injuries.

All reserve forces had been expelled, and it was difficult to even save the wounded. Those who could no longer be called wounded lay scattered on the ground.

The demon army’s offensive was at its most ferocious point, and the battlefield truly resembled hell. Some had their arms bitten off by demonic beasts, and others had lost their skin to the flames breathed by demonic birds.

The offensive continued even as the horizon stretched beyond dusk, bringing with it a gloomy night.

Inside the city, Eileen swung one arm around, while her voice rose to the surface. She wanted to tear off her disabled arm.

「You’re still alive, Eileen. We’re both lucky. 」

「Hind, there’s no way I’ll die before you. The honor of dying is negligible. 」

The two generals’ banter was by no means out of composure. It was a kind of ritual to regain sanity in a place where death was everywhere.

It was enough that only the soldiers were tainted by the madness of battle. If their commander was engulfed in the heat, then the only thing that awaited them was suicide.

Eileen paused for a moment, surveying the battlefront from her horse. Another front line retreated.

It was no good.

Eileen heard the calm part of herself telling her that much. An army had a certain level of loss before it could continue fighting. Considering the number of wounded, this was clearly beyond that line.

Furthermore, if the retreats continued like this, then the morale would be at its lowest. The front line could collapse at any moment.

Eileen, with her back turned, looked up at the great mountain. Mount Bephimus, a mountain she had gazed upon since she was a child.

Now, that place was a dragon’s nest. The Great Demon Vrilligant was moving its massive body, ready to take flight at any moment.

No one knew when the Great Demon would devour them. The soldiers fought in fear.

If it weren’t for this situation, Eileen would’ve praised their courage. But they had reached their limit. Unknowingly, Eileen bit her lips.

Perhaps, she should’ve let the soldiers escape after all. The idea of trying to kill the Great Demon had been nothing more than a delusion.

Just as Eileen had finished mulling over her umpteenth hesitation, it rang out.

…The Supreme Dragon roared, piercing through heaven and earth.

Eileen, Hind, the soldiers, and even the demon army all looked up to the sky. No, everyone in the city saw it.

Vrilligant, boasting a massive size that seemed to cover the entire sky. His obsidian-like frame roared as it plummeted into the night.

It was no mistake. But Eileen blinked her eyes vigorously several times. Vrilligant continued to fall, unchanged, within her field of vision.

And then, the earth shook.

There was a moment of silence. The voices faded away, and everyone witnessed the end of the myth.

Those with the greatest military talent wouldn’t miss this moment.

『The evil dragon has fallen, by a hero! Victory is ours! 』

It was unclear who spoke these words. However, it was recorded that they were undoubtedly spoken by someone during the battle for the capital.

Indeed, humanity’s great rebellion began from the moment Vrilligant was annihilated.

—

「…It’s over. We’ve lost. It always happens. 」

Kiel Bazarov muttered. His voice echoed clearly from his horse. The surrounding magical beasts groaned and looked up at his face.

The horse he was riding was also a magical beast. It turned its head and stared into Kiel’s eyes.

「Don’t you see? Look, the dragon has fallen. We have no chance of winning. So we’re retreating. 」

「The magical beasts are still fighting on the front lines, you know? 」

It wasn’t the magical horse that answered, but one of his human subordinates who had accompanied him.

It wasn’t that he felt sympathy for the magical beasts, but rather that he was worried that they might rebel against them.

Kiel remained perfectly calm as he spoke. However, his eyes were filled with emotion.

「Well, you stay behind, then. I’ll run away. It’s foolish to fight a battle you can’t win. 」

Ah, that’s right, his subordinate nodded.

Kiel quickly pulled the reins and turned his horse around. As he did, he glanced once toward the capital and softly twisted his tongue.

Normally, they should’ve been able to push through. No matter how good Mastigius was, he had fought so many battles with demons that by the time the Great Demon opened its eyes, there was nothing they could do.

But he survived. Now that this had happened, it was Kiel and his human subordinates who were left helpless. They had to get away as quickly as possible.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t even be able to sprout any seeds of rebellion again.

The capital was already in ruins. It would take a considerable amount of time to rebuild. For the time being, they could say their objective had been achieved.

「Lord Kiel…an army of 20,000 has been deployed near the border. 」

A kobold with a beast’s face ran up to him and spoke haltingly.

Perhaps, it was a mistake to turn a human into a demonic leader. Those demons’ sanity was questionable. But they were perfect for scouting.

An army of 20,000. Kiel had no idea where they came from. But there was no way they were friendly with demons.

And with that, everything was settled. Their army was now at best 5,000 strong demons. Those capable of fighting properly were even fewer.

5,000 versus 20,000. Hand-to-hand combat would undoubtedly result in a massacre. Kiel said, covering his eyes with one hand.

「They’re desperate to kill us. We can’t escape as an army any longer. Everyone, scatter and flee! Retreat! 」

At this point, the demon army that had taken the Bolvat Dynasty was completely subdued, along with its remnants. It could be said that the personal campaign of a woman named Philos, the illegitimate princess, was the final blow against the demon army.

The morale of the demon army was completely destroyed, and they were driven away.

Historical records described this day as a holy personal campaign in which the people transcended the interests of the nation and joined hands to stand up against the demons.

—

「That’s right. Not only has the Bolvat Dynasty’s territory been invaded by evil, but its capital as well. Even the sorcerers have succumbed to it. 」

Princess Philos, dressed in her black military uniform, spoke inside the tent of the New Kingdom of Gharast’s Army. Several of her advisors agreed and discussed their future course of action, but the princess called out to one person with a glance.

Someone’s white beard titled after seeing the monocle piercing his own eyes.

「…Well, that’s the testimony of several captured sorcerers, so it must be credible. Putting aside the appearance of the Great Demon Vrilligant, the presence of magical devilish being made it entirely possible. 」

Veteran Richard spoke in a husky voice. Immediately, several of the generals flashed displeased looks.

It seemed they were annoyed that the princess was favoring a member of the old Gharast army.

This is a hassle, Richard thought, shaking his head gently and avoiding that gaze. His dislike of these types of people was one of the reasons he’d given up on the title of hero.

「We’ve sent scouts into the capital, but we’ve been unable to contact most of them. We don’t even know what’s going on inside. We must assume that something unusual is afoot. 」

「I see, that’s good for now. 」

Saint Matia distorted her lips, as if to add something to Richard’s words.

The Heraldic Order’s spies were often highly skilled. Perhaps, this was due to the long period of persecution and hiding. Their failure to return was a sign of something serious.

「We need to be careful here. We’re an expeditionary force. There’s no turning back If we stumble. 」

「Hey, are you trying to tell me that the princess’ expedition will fail? 」

Multiple gazes pierced Richard after he professed such words. Richard shrugged his shoulders in exasperation.

It was probably because the princess’ influence had been growing recently. Richard grimaced at the thought of seeing more and more of these people.

Still, the princess was more capable than Richard had expected. Every decision she made was standard practice even though he was unsure about this expedition.

Princess Philos spoke.

「Richard, you’re right. 」

For a moment, the atmosphere in the tent trembled. The general who had spoken earlier glared at Richard, biting his lips in frustration.

But the atmosphere changed again the moment Philos spoke again.

「But there are times when it’s okay not to be right. 」

Richard wasn’t the only one whose thoughts froze at these words. Saint Matia and the other generals also stiffened their looks, while their throats and eyes got tense, wondering what she meant.

Philos had captured everyone’s attention. The black military uniform gleamed within the tent.

「…We will accelerate our advance and take the capital of the Bolvat Dynasty. Our hero is fighting alone among the enemy. What do we have to do if we don’t rush to his aid? All troops, prepare for a forced march! In this nation, even humans have become our enemy! All negotiations are forbidden among our troops! 」

The officers inside the tent responded to Philos’ order. Richard responded as well, while touching his head with his hands.

Why did everyone go crazy when they were involved with his former student?

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I always loved Richard’s thoughts…aahahah

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