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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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He had forgotten. This was an erotic game.
Having once witnessed the legendary Clam Dance, a CG spectacle said to revitalize men, Hans considered a naked dogeza rather tame in comparison. It was just… unexpected.
Regardless, he understood that Cluna and Clara were truly remorseful. And he acknowledged that his own behavior had contributed to the situation.
He sighed. They were knights who had spent their lives on the battlefield. Of course they would be perceptive. He had, after all, constantly hinted at his desire to leave. At least, he thought he had.
Of course, that didn’t excuse their actions. Manipulating someone’s mind was a grave offense, and it wasn’t a pleasant experience to be on the receiving end. He understood their reasoning, but that didn’t mean he could forgive them immediately.
He thought for a moment, then spoke.
“I understand your feelings. But I can’t forgive you right now.”
“We know.”
“I want to see you earn it.”
“If that’s what you want.”
Hans was optimistic. If they continued to fight alongside him for the next three years, he would eventually be able to forgive them. But first, he had to deal with Bayard.
“Do you really think Bayard, the leader of the Twelve Tribes, will return to me?”
“Of course.”
“I think she’d be more likely to run.”
“But she’s still ruling the Twelve Tribes?”
“Well… maybe that’s why she’s forcing herself to stay.”
Bayard, the Vanguard of the Royal Knights.
Her role was to break the enemy’s front lines and boost morale. But that didn’t mean she neglected the main force. When Bayard had been happily rampaging, Hans, their Commander, had been attacked and killed by True Demons.
The guilt, rage, and grief Bayard must have felt… Hans couldn’t imagine it.
He hadn’t had any negative feelings towards Bayard. She had always been timid and self-deprecating, more like a hamster than a bear.
’Bayard, a tyrant? I can’t believe it.’
He trusted Cluna, but the image didn’t fit. That Bayard? A tyrant? It was absurd.
“I need to contact Bayard.”
“I have a way.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I’m supposed to meet her after this. To discuss our future plans.”
“Future plans… to eradicate the True Demons?”
Cluna nodded grimly.
While Cluna and Clara had been the most vocal in their hatred, Bayard’s pain was no less real. She had changed the most out of all the Royal Knights. It was impossible to predict what she might do.
Cluna had mentioned a plan to eradicate the True Demons.
It didn’t sound like a particularly sane plan. He doubted Bayard would do anything reckless, but still… you never really knew what someone was thinking.
“When and where are you meeting?”
“If we travel at full speed for three days, we’ll reach Thunder Hammer Fortress, an outpost built by the Dwarf Kingdom. That’s where we’re meeting.”
“You’re working with the Dwarves?”
“We’re not on the best of terms, but we’re not enemies like the Orcs.”
That meant the plan was significant enough for them to cooperate with the Dwarves, despite their strained relationship. The more he learned, the worse the situation seemed.
“We’ll leave immediately.”
“Understood.”
“Hey, kid. Keep up.”
“Are you talking to me?”
“Yes, you. You.”
Clara pointed at Lua.
Lua scowled, and a vein throbbed on Clara’s forehead.
‘I’m worried about you, and this is how you repay me?’
“You seem to be misunderstanding something. When an elf runs at full speed in the forest, it’s like a fish swimming in water. You think you can keep up? You?”
“Mind your own business.”
Clara was half-right. Only someone with Hans’s level of skill could keep up with an elf in the forest. The other half was pure provocation.
“…”
They didn’t realize that Hans was the one who was screwed.
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Normally, a three-day journey meant traveling at a leisurely pace, with breaks in between. At least, that’s what Hans thought.
Had they all become monsters, driven mad by revenge? Or were they subtly trying to torture him? He hadn’t expected them to run at full speed for three days straight, without sleep.
He was exhausted, but the elves seemed more concerned about his mood. He looked annoyed, apparently.
“You seem to have a lot on your mind, Commander.”
“Of course I do. Bayard is a tyrant now.”
“You’re feeling guilty for our sake? How kind of you.”
Hans was just tired. He had been using Time Acceleration, and even Time Stop, just to keep up with them.
‘Is it just me, or are the penalties less severe now?’
Time Acceleration used to feel like his insides were being burned alive. It still hurt, but it was more like a stomachache now.
Manageable.
He focused on controlling his breathing and looked up. A massive iron fortress stood before them, its shape resembling a lightning bolt.
How did he know? Because he had seen it while diving off a cliff earlier. He glared at the elves.
“Something you want to say?”
“I was just going to ask if that was the right place.”
“Yes, it is.”
Hans nodded.
After all that, it had better be. He was exhausted, but they had arrived exactly on the morning of the third day. They hadn’t lied, at least.
To build such a massive fortress in just three years… in demon territory, no less… it was either incredibly bold or they had used the Iron Golems. He felt a strange sense of awe. A giant fortress in the heart of enemy territory. All that hard work hadn’t been in vain.
“They’re coming.”
“The demons?”
“No, the Beastkin emissaries.”
“Emissaries? That?”
Cluna pointed towards a group that looked more like an army than a diplomatic envoy, marching in perfect formation.
Hans was speechless. They looked like they were about to attack the fortress.
He had met countless emissaries as Commander of the Royal Knights. They were usually dignified, but not overtly threatening. They needed to project strength, of course, but they were also there to negotiate. They didn’t want to intimidate the other party unnecessarily.
At least, that’s how normal emissaries behaved. Bringing siege weapons was a bit much. And that siege weapon… he had seen it before.
“Is that…?”
“It’s a new weapon the Twelve Tribes commissioned from the Dwarf Kingdom. They call it the Steel Thunderbolt.”
“Steel Thunderbolt?”
“Yes, because it rains steel thunderbolts on the enemy.”
Hans looked at the Steel Thunderbolt, his face a mask of disbelief. It was a massive, cylindrical structure with a hole in the middle, mounted on wheels, pulled by hundreds of Beastkin.
It was a fantasy version of a self-propelled artillery piece. Only much, much larger.
He couldn’t believe it. This was their plan to eradicate the True Demons? This giant cannon?
“Is that the core of your True Demon eradication plan?”
“Yes. The plan is to bombard demon territory with ‘thunderbolts’ and turn it into a sea of fire.”
‘It’s just an incendiary cannon.’
He couldn’t believe it. Those monstrous True Demons were going to be defeated by incendiary rounds?
Cluna’s voice turned serious.
“The Dwarves poured all their remaining technology into creating this weapon, specifically designed to kill True Demons. Its power is said to be capable of burning half the continent. Even we wouldn’t be safe.”
“…”
‘So it’s even worse than I thought.’
Hans shook his head.
‘Is this really an erotic game?’
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[Your Text Here]
Only one way to find out. Hans “sword” vs the weapon
I am a positive thinker so the sword was the ego sword that still didn’t know much about his user… And usually help him by itself only. 😑
*is