Chapter 391: The Power of Friendship, Love, and Faith (2) |
“Let’s move,” Jin Cheong ordered.
“Yes, sir.”
“The reorganized unit will move immediately. I’m sure they’ll arrive on time, and our plan to conquer Castle Rock will proceed in exactly two hours,” he added.
“You mean…”
“We’re going to conquer Castle Rock within three days,” he replied.
“Yes, sir.”
“You don’t need to worry, and even if there are variables, we have ways to deal with them. I understand that everyone is tired and exhausted, and I’m sure there are people with doubts and headaches due to this incident, but that’s fine. We’re strong. We won’t get swayed, and we won’t fall easily,” he assured.
“...”
“Let’s get up. It’s time to fight,” he said.
‘He believes everyone.’
He believed in not only me but everyone else at the command center, as well as in the soldiers moving with him. It was safe to say that he was confident. He was confident in the army he had created, and he had confidence in the people he had chosen.
The commander stood up, and the others stood up one by one in response. I wanted to join them at Castle Rock, but I was needed elsewhere.
“Katia,” Jin Cheong called out.
“Yes, sir,” I replied.
“If things look bad, you must return to Castle Rock immediately,” he ordered.
“Yes, Commander,” I said.
“You must keep all possibilities open. All possibilities,” he added.
“Understood.”
“I believe you’ll do well. After we’ve conquered Castle Rock, I’ll make sure I join you,” he said.
I nodded quietly and started walking. I had many thoughts in my head, but I didn’t have time to think deeply about them because it was almost time to leave. Upon leaving the conference room, I immediately heard noises.
“We’re moving right now. Move, move, move! Take the supplies as well! Are we still not done with the preparations?”
“...”
“We have to reach our destination before the sun sets.”
“Are we ready to leave?” I asked
“Yes, t-the preparations are almost complete. We can leave as soon as we complete the final inspection,” a soldier replied.
I nodded and saw the army holding up a banner. Just as I got on the horse that was prepared for me, I started hearing cheers from where the soldiers were gathered. I was sure they were the unit that would participate in the siege of Castle Rock.
‘We have a chance.’
I had no idea how long the siege would last, but the people at Castle Rock were definitely nearing their limits because they had to be almost out of supplies by now. The mana fortifying the castle walls and the stamina of the soldiers were running low. If we took those things into consideration, it was possible for us to conquer Castle Rock today. We had to pull some of our soldiers out, but the forces at Castle Rock were more than enough to maintain the airtight encirclement. The formation we had been maintaining until now was proof of our formation’s effectiveness. Between the Sacred Democratic Country and the Republic, one would have to take a lot of damage. The damage one of us had to sustain could be the definitive end of one side, so we were still under tremendous pressure despite the fact that we had the upper hand.
‘We have to win.’
We couldn’t lose the siege of Castle Rock, and we had to stop the Everia troops from invading the Republic’s capital. It was inevitable that many of our allies would lose their lives. I wasn’t sure if it was just me, but the damp fog spreading throughout the forest made the mood feel even gloomier.
“We’re going to war!” I yelled.
***
“Is there really a need to go this far? If things go wrong, not only will Castle Rock be in danger, but Dawan will be in danger as well.” I[2] pointed out.
“Do you really have to complain about it? No use crying over spilled milk,” Yu Ran complained.
“I’m not saying this just to complain, Yu Ran. Castle Rock is at its limit. We were able to hold out because Kasugano Yuno, Park Yeon-Joo, and I were here. It’s because the three members of the Eight Seats are here that we were able to hold out for this long. Lee Ki-Young is talented, yes, but this is basically gambling. They can’t hold out any longer. They won’t be able to maintain the barrier for another day—no, another two days, and it’s the same for Dawan. It’s because you’re there that they still haven’t pushed—”
“Just stop talking. It’s embarrassing for a man to chatter on like that. Do you really think I don’t know that we are all gambling right now? I’m only following all this because I know that this is the only way to change the current situation. Dawan has already fallen, and I know that very well because I was there. It was a time when I felt like it was a waste to invest in soldiers. Those bastards…” Yu Ran interrupted.
“But…”
“No more buts. Hearing you talk like that makes me feel regretful about the fact that I joined hands with you,” she added.
“I feel the same way,” I commented.
“It’s not like you’re doubting Lee Ki-Young’s abilities either, right?” she asked.
“...”
“The results tell us everything. Everything is going according to Lee Ki-Young’s plan. He pulled you out of Castle Rock, and we’re currently in Laios. And it’s all thanks to that pheromone, whatever potion that he gave that the raging queen calmed down. Even if we’re part of the same Eight Seats, he’s a hundred times better than us, who just ran away and endured. And…” she paused.
“...”
“Who knew we’d be moving along with the Republican soldiers? Have you ever imagined this happening?” she asked.
“That’s why I’m worried,” I commented.
“I don’t know what happened, but the Republican priests seemed like they had pledged their loyalty to Lee Ki-Young. It’s understandable for them to detest the Republic because the Republic has taken the side of a demon summoner,” she said.
“You think so?” I asked.
“Don’t worry too much. All we need to do is carry out the task we’ve been given. You have enough mana, right?” she asked.
“Of course,” I answered.
“That’s a relief. I was worried that you used it all at Castle Rock, but it looks like you saved some to make your last stand. You haven’t changed at all,” she said.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I told her.
All I could do was nod without saying anything because Yu Ran was right. When I got cornered, Lee Ki-Young gave me a way out, and if it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have been able to carry out a proper siege defense.
‘That competent bastard...’
He was the type of person that I really didn’t want to be my enemy, and even though I always had that kind of feeling the first time I met him, I became even more sure that I definitely wouldn’t want him as my enemy, the more I got to know him better. Setting aside his personality, he was meticulous and brave. It was shocking how he managed to destroy the Everia Front within a day and turned the Republican priests into allies. It was hard to believe that he changed the status of this war with just a few words.
‘No wonder Miss Cha Hee-Ra was desperate…’
When I heard rumors that the Mercenary Queen started moving with some rookies, I naturally thought that they were nothing but rumors and that she had just found a new toy to play with. Naturally, I forgot that rumor, and I eventually forgot the Mercenary Queen’s lover as well. However, I was soon reminded of him when the Eight Seats were announced.
‘He’s skilled.’
He was a dragon’s chosen as well as a talented alchemist. However, that was all. If the mage who was always with him were one of the Eight Seats, then he would be more reliable. However, that wasn’t the case, so he was the weakest among the Eight Seats.
He had strong comrades, but he was far from strong. I even questioned and opposed his appointment as one of the Eight Seats because I thought that he only became one of us because of his influence over the Vatican as well as the late emperor, but when I got to know him better, my jaw dropped. It was all because I couldn’t even list all of his achievements.
In the blink of an eye, he turned the Holy Empire of Benigoa into the Sacred Democratic Country. He even became an honorary cardinal of the Vatican. In addition, he started accepting vagrant foreigners as denizens and imposed policies for the sake of the foreigners. In other words, he created laws and policies with his own vested interests, and no matter how much I thought about it, the policies and laws he had created ended up giving him a ton of benefits.
If my memory was serving me right, then it was about that time when I started getting anxious about him. I didn’t really hate him, nor was I being unfriendly to him. There was just this anxiety that sprouted in me.
‘He’s not some envoy that the gods sent.’
He wasn’t innocent or holy like how the Sacred Democratic Country portrayed him. He was actually the opposite. He always moved for his own benefit as well as for the people around him. He used everything around him, and he would whatever means necessary to survive. For me, Lee Ki-Young was evil. I wasn’t really sure about it, but the idea was even more reinforced when I thought about how I got out of Castle Rock.
I managed to get out of Castle Rock through a tiny passage only one person could use at a time. Even more shocking was that the passageway led to the black market, which was in ruins. It was a passageway only those familiar with the black market knew, so I managed to escape Castle Rock using it. I found it absurd when I thought about it. He knew about the secret passageway, so it basically meant that he had been the owner of the black market all this time, despite being the respected honorary cardinal of the Sacred Democratic Country’s Vatican.
I finally saw the forest that would lead us to the Republic. I walked slowly and eventually saw a familiar face.
“You’re the commander of the Republic’s Everia Front, right? Have we met before? Ah, now that I think about it, I’ve heard from Mr. Lee Ki-Young. Yevkarina, right? That must’ve been you,” I started.
“You’re…” Yevkarina paused.
“Do you know me?” I asked.
“I-I think I know now. I know what he’s thinking now. I know... W-Why are you here? You should be at Castle Rock!” she stuttered.
“I just asked you whether you know me or not,” I reminded her.
“Shit… B-Bastard… Bastard! You said you wouldn’t touch the prisoners!” she screamed.
“I’ll ask again. Do you know me or not?” I asked.
“Eight Seats of the Democratic Country… Mist Summoner, Cheon Kwan-Wi,” she replied.
“Correct.”
“What are you… What are you trying to do?” she asked.
“Who knows? I’m just following orders. However, I don’t really feel good about doing things like this. I hope you understand that I have no choice. We’re in a war, after all,” I told her.
“You…”
“How did he manage to come up with something like this? He’s really crazy. Ah, Mr. Lee Ki-Young asked me to tell you this—you’re the one who broke your promise first. Anyway, just treat this as something similar to getting bitten by a dog because even I can’t do anything about this situation,” I told her.
1. Katia’s POV ☜
2. Cheon Kwan-Wi’s POV ☜
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