Eson couldn’t gather his thoughts.
Having received advance information that the regular army’s raiders were going to attack a civilian house, Welt and Eson, the only forces of the revolutionary army, moved quickly. But it was a trap, and they were met by the encirclement of the regular army and the disaster that was the knights.
It was almost as if they had been waiting for Welt and Eson to show up.
‘Betrayal….’
There was no doubt a traitor within the revolutionary army. And from the knight’s words and actions, it was clear that the traitor was already dead, and the prince of the principality wanted Welt and Eson captured.
Welt was severely injured while trying to protect Eson, and then a sudden group appeared and saved both of them….
‘Is this a trap too?’
Having just been betrayed by a trusted comrade, Eson couldn’t help but view this sudden kindness with suspicion.
“Threats don’t work on me!”
Above all, despite the smile on his lips, the barbarian’s eyes were coldly observing him as if he were prey, an image that reminded Eson of a predator. He instinctively shouted, not wanting to admit the fear that sent shivers down his spine, but soon realized that it didn’t make sense.
Logically speaking, it didn’t add up.
This was a group that had easily dealt with a knight, who was undoubtedly one of the strongest in the principality, and even had a mage capable of driving away the regular army that should have rushed in upon hearing the commotion.
The revolutionary army that Welt and Eson belonged to wasn’t formidable enough for strong individuals to go to the trouble of setting a trap. They were simply a group trying to minimize casualties in the war between the regular and revolutionary armies, protecting the common people throughout the principality.
“…From the beginning, have you been looking for us? No, for old man Welt?”
Upon calmer reflection, he realized that they had revealed their purpose from the start.
Hadn’t their conversation indicated that Welt would take them to a place called the ‘Sorceress’s Workshop’?
‘Surely, the warriors of Hoarfrost Gorge hate lies.’
He had no idea how Welt could guide these people to the Mage’s Workshop, but since they needed Welt, it meant Welt could live.
“In that case, please save the old man! I’ll cooperate with anything…….”
“It’s true we came looking for him, but there are a few things we need to confirm first. It’s difficult for now.”
Eson, who was about to argue that saving a life should come first, closed his mouth. The barbarian’s intense gaze, while smiling slightly, made his shoulders slump involuntarily.
“To my knowledge, he held quite an important position in the revolutionary army. Why is he out here without any escorts?”
“What?”
“The person you treat like family.”
“Nonsense! How could old man Welt be one of those crazy bastards? There’s no way….”
“Exactly. That’s what we need to confirm now.”
“How do you plan to confirm something even I, who’s been with him every day, don’t know…?”
“But of course, it’s already decided.”
Eson swallowed hard, overwhelmed by the certainty in his voice and the subtle aura emanating from him that seemed to prove the legendary prowess of the ‘Warriors of Hoarfrost Gorge.’
“Why don’t we ask the person lying over there pretending to sleep and observing the situation?”
“…Old man?!”
“I noticed your breathing habits since earlier. Just like swordsmen deeply trained in certain martial arts.”
“Ugh. So you noticed?”
“Next time, pay attention to your breathing as well. Monsters have sharp senses.”
“You’re quite an unusual barbarian….”
With a slightly strained laugh, Welt, the middle-aged man with greying hair and a muscular build, sat up.
“Alright. There’s no point in beating around the bush; it seems you knew from the start. I’m curious about how you found out.”
“That’s a trade secret.”
“I suppose it is.”
“Old man! Were you really in cahoots with those crazy bastards?!”
“You fool. Don’t make such a big fuss.”
Eson felt a surge of emotion at Welt’s condescending tone. After hiding such a significant secret from everyone, even from him, and then calling him out for making a fuss?
While he wanted to demand explanations and clarity right then and there, he knew now was not the time. He bit his lip and silently vowed to confront him later.
“Getting to the point, it is true that I was once with the revolutionary army. Very few people know that.”
Despite his calm admission, Welt’s eyes were sharp, as if trying to peer into Khan’s mind, determined to find out how he knew this secret.
“That’s not what I’m asking. What I want to know is why someone like you, with such a past, nearly got killed by the regular army while protecting someone as inexperienced.”
Eson flinched noticeably at the word “inexperienced” from the barbarian, but the room’s focus on the conversation spared him from much attention.
‘How shrewd.’
Despite the situation, Welt quickly realized that the barbarian before him was highly intelligent, far from the stereotype. His subtle questions sidestepped direct confrontation, subtly forcing the conversation forward and revealing the power imbalance between them.
“The answer is simple. I’m no longer part of the revolutionary army. We parted ways long ago. In fact, they are probably desperate to kill me right now.”
“You left them?”
“Explaining that will take a while. It’s not something I can just tell anyone, and it could throw the principality into greater chaos. Most importantly-.”
Attempting to intervene without understanding could cost you your life.
Welt’s grim warning met with indifferent reactions both from the barbarian and his group, as if they weren’t taking his threat seriously at all.
‘Are they confident in their strength?’
Welt examined the barbarian’s group. They were a diverse bunch, with such distinct characteristics that it was surprising they were banded together. The only commonality was their youth and their extraordinary strength despite their age.
If that’s the case, the answer is simple.
Young and talented geniuses often suffer from the chronic disease of not being able to distinguish between arrogance and confidence. They likely hadn’t experienced life-threatening dangers that their strength alone couldn’t overcome.
“Haa… Regardless of your objectives, the current Georges Principality is a place where safety cannot be guaranteed anywhere. This is irrespective of one’s strength.”
Such is the nature of war.
In this human hell, even the mightiest can lose their lives all too easily. Only those who have surpassed human limits, reaching a superhuman level, can be free from such threats.
“So don’t take your lives lightly and go back. Otherwise, you could end up in danger-.”
Bang──!!
“-or so I thought….”
No, I was mistaken.
Welt glanced at the spot where there had been a large rock moments before and laughed dryly.
The rock, which would have been difficult to break even with powerful magic, was not just shattered but pulverized with no trace left behind. The most shocking part was that it had been effortlessly smashed with a single-handed swing of a hammer.
Would it even be possible for a knight imbued with Aura?
‘It could be.’
However, it would require them to concentrate their Aura fully and release it all at once. An ordinary knight couldn’t manage that. To pulverize such a rock with a casual gesture, one would need to be at the level of Ehhram. Not quite in the realm of superhumans but extraordinarily close to it.
“Is this enough to assure you we can protect our lives?”
“More than enough. Rather, I feel like asking for your help.”
Welt revised his judgment of the barbarian’s group.
They were indeed young and confident, but they were also strong enough to determine their own fates. Though he didn’t know why such strong individuals were searching for ‘Welt, once a leader of the revolutionary army,’ one thing was clear.
‘In the current situation of needless bloodshed, they are a variable powerful enough to cause a disruption.’
And he realized belatedly that the sword wound on his chest had healed incredibly fast. Given that he didn’t detect the bitter taste typical of healing potions, it was likely he had been treated using the healing arts of the Pantheon Church.
‘Was it that child?’
Welt guessed that the lightly armored young girl with silver hair, who bore the hallmarks of a paladin’s equipment, was the one who healed him, and he nodded.
“Alright, I will tell you. I, who once led the revolutionary army, why I left it and nearly died at the hands of the regular army.”
***
“How about the supplies?”
“We’ve requisitioned everything from the nearby villages. The rest will be secured as we advance, and according to plans, we should have enough to last a week.”
“Good. For now, make sure the soldiers are well-fed. When the day of revolution arrives, they must be in the best possible condition to enter the battlefield.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Dismissed.”
The person who sent the revolutionary army’s quartermaster away with a few brief words was Camus Ecel, the leader of the revolutionary army that currently divided the power of the Georges Principality.
“Not much time left.”
Camus Ecel muttered to himself as he slowly opened his previously closed eyes.
At the age of only forty, he had dedicated himself to the revolution. In the process, he was captured by the regular army. Despite their brutal torture to extract the location of the revolutionary army’s base, he kept his silence, losing his sight as a result.
“Hmm.”
Camus Ecel looked around the room with his two eyes. Though it seemed impossible for a blind man to see anything, incredibly, he could vaguely make out the room’s interior where he stayed.
‘Really. Not much time left.’
How he had longed for even that blurry vision. Camus Ecel quietly shed tears. Kneeling in the solitude of his room, he clasped his hands together. His kneeling, tearful appearance resembled a devout priest repenting for his sins.
‘Please, forgive this pitiful lamb.’
In truth, it wasn’t far from that. Camus Ecel was a sinner.
Even now, in the darkness of his mind, the whispers of the demon echoed, proving it.
『…….』
“I know. I will keep my promise, so you must keep yours.”
The demon laughed. Despite the blatant mockery, Camus Ecel was unshaken. He had already betrayed his mission, so there was nothing left that could sway him.
Camus Ecel slowly stood. He took in the blurry world around him, feeling an energy in his worn-out body that he hadn’t felt even in his youth.
“Those of us who made a pact with you in the revolutionary army’s leadership will all surely fall to hell.”
『…….』
“But even if we go to hell, the rulers of this principality, who rot this country, must join us there as well.”