—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: TushChen
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Although he had dealt with many priest-knights, the disadvantageous battle situation remained unchanged.
The strategist, who had blocked Aldebaran’s slash with an invisible barrier, twisted his mouth and showed signs of discomfort.
“What a truly vicious attack. Who would have thought such power was hidden in the holy sword…”
He had intentionally caused the divine collision by injecting the holiness of the Earth Mother into a body cloaked in the blessing of the Disaster God.
It was a cruel technique that was only possible for a cold-blooded person without mercy.
He hadn’t known the power of the holy sword Aldebaran.
It was a ridiculous blunder.
If he had known beforehand, he wouldn’t have rashly activated divine possession.
The strategist nodded, keenly feeling his own ignorance.
“It seems you’ve been time traveling for 3 years or something.”
“What do you mean by that?”
The strategist asked in response to Edanant’s words.
Then Edanant answered.
“The Apostle of the Disaster God, who’s supposed to be the leader of the cult followers, is too ignorant, even for an ignorant person. The same goes for the priest-knights who’ve been turned to mush. Just what are your true identities?”
“……”
The strategist didn’t answer.
He only revealed his uncomfortable inner thoughts with a stiff expression.
Did I hit the nail on the head?
Edanant bared his teeth while raising the holy sword.
“What difference would it make if we revealed our identities? The fight between the Creator God and the Disaster God has always existed.”
“That sounds like you’re asking to be killed.”
“No, we will surely bring down the empire and the Holy Kingdom. And we will forever erase the holiness of the Creator God that they revere as the one true god.”
“That’s nice and easy to understand.”
The strategist revealed his ambitions.
As if to prove this, numerous forces attacked the central plaza where the clock tower was located.
It was the empire’s rebel army.
Their hatred towards the Valtarian Imperial Family resounded loudly.
The morale of the rebel army that had broken through the city streets was as fierce as a bird of prey.
He felt a momentary sense of crisis at the sight of soldiers wielding torches and weapons flooding the central plaza.
The rebel army, which had finally broken through the empire’s defense line, began attacking the imperial city directly, riding on their momentum.
“But can puppets dancing to the tune of the Disaster God’s Apostle really bring down the Valtarian Empire?”
“……”
The Valtarian Empire was strong.
The prestige of the strongest nation that had conquered the continent was by no means empty.
It was the victorious country that destroyed the Demon King’s army and the Holy Kingdom in the Racial War.
Forces hastily assembled through sorcery and brainwashing could never threaten the empire’s lifeline.
“Suppress the rebel army!”
“The forces of the Red Dragon never retreat!”
The subordinates of the Red Dragon launched a counterattack.
The battle situation changed rapidly when the elite army guarding the imperial city was deployed.
As if to show the overwhelming difference, the formation of the rebel army advancing like a raging wave collapsed.
When the empire’s knights launched a charge, a bloody carpet vibrating with the smell of blood was born.
“Hoho, you’re sorely mistaken.”
“What?”
“Did you really expect anything from those expendable pawns? They are merely live sacrifices to be offered to the god.”
“…No way.”
──────!!!!
The ominous feeling that instantly dyed his mind soon became a reality.
Dark magical power surged up.
Sinister-looking characters densely occupied all floors of the clock tower.
A forbidden technique was being activated.
Using the clock tower in the central plaza as coordinates, it targeted the surrounding area.
It was different from conventional black magic.
Unlike black magic that controlled corpses or used fresh blood as sacrifices, it only sucked up the life force of the injured who were on the brink of death.
“From now on, a passage connecting to the chaos realm will open.”
“…The chaos realm?”
It was a name he was hearing for the first time.
Edanant’s face contorted at the strategist’s declaration.
The chaos realm.
Such a strange name had never been mentioned in the original story.
Could it be a space wholly cut off from the outside world, like the fairies’ paradise?
The forbidden technique that greedily sucked up the numerous life forces existing in the surroundings was slowly nearing completion.
A pitch-black passage appeared in the sky.
“You son of a bitch.”
Edanant raised his gun and fired repeatedly at the elderly man.
However, all the magical bullets were deflected by an invisible barrier.
It was precisely the same as when he had unleashed a sword slash.
Invisible energy was continuously blocking the attacks.
“M-Monster!”
“Monsters are coming down from the sky!!”
Screams filled with terror erupted.
It was a scene straight out of hell.
Vicious monsters appeared from the jet-black darkness covering the imperial city.
A total of five monsters popped out like that.
A mutant from the chaos realm, armed with sharp metal, spewed fire.
The monster, boasting a huge body, swept away both the imperial and rebel armies while wielding sharp claws and a massive tail.
“Damn, he opened the passage and escaped…!”
The old man who had been sneering maliciously disappeared without a trace.
The same went for the priest-knights guarding him.
They vanished when Edanant’s gaze was briefly fixed on the cityscape that had transformed into a scene from hell.
Does this mean it’s over now that they’ve achieved their mission?
He gritted his teeth, vowing to find and tear that bastard to shreds no matter what.
‘Where on earth should I start?’
The clock tower is being used to summon coordinates for the forbidden technique.
The battlefield where tens of thousands of troops were chaotically entangled.
The mutants from the chaos realm rampaged as if they would burn down the imperial city at any moment.
On top of that, the Valtarian Empire’s forces were dispersed due to successive unfortunate events.
The cult followers would launch a sudden attack on the imperial palace, where security had become somewhat lax.
“……”
It would be possible if he used his blessing.
He could at least clean up the hellscape unfolding in the imperial city in a short time.
His identity might be revealed, but there was no time to worry about such trivial concerns.
Tens of thousands of lives could disappear due to a moment’s carelessness.
Thinking this, Edanant raised his fist to his chest, pushing away his worry about his identity being discovered.
─────!!!!
Just as he was about to finally activate his blessing,
A crimson beam emitting fierce heat energy flew in and struck down a monster from the chaos realm.
It happened in an instant.
The monster, whose head had half-melted from the intense heat, perished without even being able to scream.
Edanant, who had been feeling an overwhelming sense of crisis, raised his head.
He sighed relief upon seeing the crimson light illuminating the sky surrounded by pitch-black darkness.
“Your Highness! Your Highness!!”
As the Red Dragon’s flames scattered, a beautiful woman appeared.
The woman who descended onto the battlefield with her luscious golden hair flowing was undoubtedly Ludmilla.
He called out in an agitated voice.
Unfortunately, Ludmilla was too busy dealing with the rampaging monsters from the chaos realm to hear Edanant’s call.
It was the same even when he waved the holy sword, emitting pure white radiance like a light stick.
How on earth could he call her?
After pondering for a moment, Edanant swallowed and shouted again.
“Ludmilla-!!”
He called her name with a half-doubting heart.
It was an urgent situation.
He had no choice but to commit a breach of etiquette.
“Did you call me, Edanant!”
Had she caught his desperate voice amidst the hellscape filled with explosions and screams?
Ludmilla was once again enveloped in crimson light and landed on top of the clock tower where Edanant was located.
She really heard.
He had just shouted it out in a state of resignation.
Edanant welcomed Ludmilla with a dazed reaction.
“The cult followers who serve the Disaster God are behind this. They used the blessing of the Disaster God to manipulate nobles hostile to the imperial family as puppets.”
“…The Disaster God.”
Ludmilla’s expression darkened upon hearing the ominous name.
It was a natural reaction.
The Disaster God was an entity of terror that should never be faced.
“They offered the wounded on the battlefield as sacrifices to summon monsters from another world. Such cruel beings are surely planning even more terrible deeds.”
“What could that be?”
“They will try to assassinate His Majesty.”
“……!”
The atrocities that the Disaster God’s followers, consumed by vengeance, would commit were all too clear.
They would assassinate the emperor.
The hands of the cult followers were reaching for the empire’s ruler.
It would be dangerous if they didn’t return to the imperial palace.
That’s why Edanant urgently conveyed the danger to Ludmilla.
The result would be determined in a moment.
“But dealing with the monsters that fell from the sky is also an urgent matter. If we leave the monsters unchecked, unprecedented damage will follow.”
No sooner had Ludmilla’s words fallen than a shocking variable occurred.
A monster stood up.
The very monster’s head had melted after being directly hit by the crimson beam.
Despite receiving a fatal wound that should have indeed killed it, it recovered immediately.
The monster from the chaos realm raised its fully restored head high and spewed flames toward the city streets.
“But we have to…”
“I’ll leave it to you. Guard His Majesty in my stead.”
We can’t save everyone.
It’s a situation where we must choose.
We have no choice but to accept innocent sacrifices for now.
He was about to say such harsh words.
But Ludmilla, sensing his inner thoughts, turned her head and cut off Edanant’s words.
“…Can I really do it?”
“I believe in you. More than anyone else in the world, I believe in you.”
The princess’s pure trust pierced his lungs like a dagger.
Edanant stared at Ludmilla’s back with eyes full of anxiety.
There wasn’t a shred of distrust.
Her voice was brave and gallant as always.
He kept his mouth shut for a moment.
Then he raised his head and answered.
“I will obey your command, Your Highness.”
It was indeed an unreasonable order.
But he couldn’t betray the princess’s trust.
He vowed to himself that he would live up to her faith no matter what happened.
“A-And one more thing! From now on, when we’re alone… you can call me by my name. Like you just did.”
“…Yes.”
To think she would remember that.
Given the chaotic situation, he thought she would have dismissed it as insignificant.
Edanant felt embarrassed, wanting to hide in a mouse hole at Ludmilla’s bold words.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Not much to add on here, Ludmilla is forever #1 pick <3
Here we go!⚔️