Chapter 292

Chapter 292 - Advent (1)

The unique advantage of the Predator is that you can confirm whAAether the opponent is truly dead. Just as a beast that bites the neck of its prey feels the pulse with its teeth, the piercing lance transmits even tiny vibrations inside the body.

When Eugene stepped back and announced the death of the Devourer, the knights and mercenaries ran over to watch. Because of its size, even the corpse was terrifying, but it was too precious a prey to just watch from afar.

"Is this really dead?"

"You saw His Excellency the Count confirm its heart stopped earlier."

"But do crabs even have hearts?"

"Look at the blood. The ground has turned all blue."

Medium-sized monsters are often seen while living a mercenary life, but large monsters are on a different level.

In the past, when neither iron smelting techniques nor the current belief system existed, they were entities worshipped and deified under the name of Titans.

Having participated in a battle with such a monster, witnessed its death, and even touched it up close. This becomes a career highlight when joining another mercenary band later. It's also the best story to tell while drinking.

Might was also excited. Because his mouth watered at the lump of flesh dangling from the hole where the lance was pulled out.

"Ah-ah! No you don't."

Eugene blocked him and made Might close his upper and lower lips.

Keureung-?

"It's a crab that lives in fresh water, right? It must be teeming with all sorts of parasites."

Keureung-!

Might snorted as if to say his stomach could melt even steel, but it was ignored.

Kkeueuung-.

It was useless to make earnest eyes uncharacteristic of the guy.

"Your Excellency the Count. I express my gratitude on behalf of the Papal State."

Bishop Patricio, dispatched from the peninsula, bowed politely.

"I just did what I had to do as a knight."

"Large monsters are the main enemies of faith, no less than pagans. Thanks to Your Excellency, another false idol disappears."

Priests consider monster subjugation a supreme task, but they are particularly hostile toward large species.

Because the starting point of the evil custom of human sacrifice is the Titan faith. Even now, outside the light of civilization, there are many groups that erect idols of large monsters and worship them as local gods.

This becomes the cause of wicked pagans growing like poisonous mushrooms everywhere. Because offering humans to appease a powerful and vicious entity was once a culture across the continent.

The reason priests earnestly set out on missions is also to expand the religious influence, but it also aims to eradicate the Titan faith and human sacrifice. If this is not done first, it is impossible to uproot the pagans.

"I was worried because the Shadow Legion could not deploy, but I am reassured since Your Excellency is with us."

The bishop spoke while gauging Eugene's reaction.

"It certainly was an army suitable for facing large ones. Using mobile ballistae as standard equipment and operating many of them in field battles was impressive."

No matter how much a knight is a human weapon, there is a limit to human muscle strength. Considering the weight class of a large monster, one has to risk their life for a few attacks.

However, the Shadow Legion is special. Ballista mobile units, slingers, firebomb grenadiers, and hundreds of knight units throwing pila. They have hunted medium to large monsters by utilizing them organically.

"Although they were enemies who fought on Gaius's side, they were merely following the King's orders. They didn't pillage either."

"I heard they would surrender if the new king in the capital orders them to. Does the bishop see it that way too?"

"Of course. They do not mix emotions into national affairs. The shield that protects the world. Is that not the true honor of the legion?"

The bishop spoke in an even more earnest tone.

The reason the priests, who would be busy just providing relief to the South, followed all the way to the front lines is simple. Because they were worried that the nobles, enraged by the battle at the Rein River, would attack the Shadow Legion framing them as collaborators as well.

-Bishop Patricio. Will the Allied fOrces really attack the legion? I heard the legion also preserved their fOrces and retreated.

-They are isolated from Gaius's main fOrce. The supply situation will get worse as time goes by, and there are no reinfOrcements coming to help. Besides, Count Mayer's army is also here...

-The knights of the legion insulted the Count tremendously. It was too harsh to harp on the humble origins of his family like that.

-Not everyone can be an honorable knight. If public opinion to attack the legion arises and the Count agrees, that's the end of it. We must stop it before that. By all means!

It is the Papal State that looks at a bigger picture than secular power struggles. They did not want the Shadow Legion, which should protect humanity, to vanish vainly. Fortunately, Eugene came out lenient despite the insults he suffered.

"I also wish the legion would solidly support the new king. I heard Lord Damian is a strong candidate, and isn't he a wise king we haven't seen in a while? Their strength is needed to stabilize the country upright."

"The tolerance of Goddess Banas has fully filled Your Excellency."

"Thanks to the Goddess."

"Thanks to the Gods."

The bishop made the sign of the cross with a bright face. They had passed the biggest hurdle. No knight would patiently endure their origins and family being insulted. For a knight who had accumulated the glory of Eugene's level, it goes without saying.

Of course, Eugene himself didn't attach much meaning to the insults, especially since he had punished the knights who ran their mouths. Although outsiders wouldn't know these true intentions.

"Move! I said move!"

Dwarves and Dark Elves who heard the news of the subjugation came running breathlessly. Everyone was dressed in work clothes and carrying various boning tools and reagents. They are experts in monster corpse processing.

"Oh my, our Lord! What a gift this is..."

They're eyes sparkled looking at the giant exoskeleton carcass.

"With this size, the pumps we have right now wouldn't be able to handle the flesh, right? Should we just use corrosive liquid instead?"

"What if the shell gets damaged doing that!"

They touched the exoskeleton of the Devourer, which they had only heard of in legends, or tapped it with the back of their hands, preparing for work.

"Is the flesh inside this guy useful?"

Eugene asked the old Dark Elf who followed as an advisor.

"Unfortunately, it's not a special alchemy ingredient. However, crustacean-type monsters are all edible. The meat tastes excellent and has no poison."

"It's a shame, but we can't use it for food. It's a guy that ate people, and honorable knights at that."

Eugene spoke while looking at the bishop, whose eyebrows were raising.

It is an era where criminal law also applies to livestock and monsters. In particular, cannibalism is a double felony that also doubles as blasphemy. There are quite a few cases where a pig that ate a child received a death sentence in a trial and was executed.

Eating that meat is considered indirect cannibalism and is taboo. Of course, it's fine to process and use monster by-products. Even the religious orders compromised appropriately because the knights' backlash would be too great if they completely blocked that too.

"Your Excellency. Where did this guy's claws go? It's a shame because the most important decorations are missing."

"I think they are roughly around that area."

"Thank you!"

The boners ran and scoured the ground, then sent a messenger to the Moving Castle.

"Hey, call more people from the castle. We need about 30 more. Ask the witches for an especially strong glue. Take one of these fragments and make sure to confirm the material for them too."

Looking at their enthusiastic faces, it seems they plan to collect all the broken claws and put the puzzle back togAAether one by one.

Eugene soothed the dispirited Might and inspected the warriors overturning the mountain. The Lantzheim Warrior Band, who live in mountainous areas and frequently exterminate Goblins, are playing a big role.

"Captain! There's a secret door here!"

"Here too!"

Even without Vertigo's help, they perfectly handled the military dogs to find the tunnels. Unlike Goblins living in the outside world, the Goblins of the Fog Plain lacked the effort to hide their lairs. Because they didn't need to.

When they burned branches and secret tear-inducing herbs in several entrances, a signal came immediately.

"⬛⬛⬛! ⬛⬛!"

"Keheeeeek-!"

The Goblins who sprang out with tears and snot running down their faces became fish meat in front of the long spears densely filling the entrances.

* * *

The fog on the plain vanished, and the massive monster subjugation ended successfully. This news was also conveyed to the crouching Imperial army.

"The enemy fOrces are at least 20,000 strong. They are attacking the bottleneck leading to the Rein River with irresistible fOrce."

"What is Viscount Mikhail doing? To not hear a single piece of news about an engagement!"

Mikhail is the lord governing the bottleneck leading from the south of the Fog Plain to the Rein River.

"He abandoned his territory and retreated."

"Such a coward!"

"It can't be helped. The difference in troop numbers is nearly fivefold just with the vanguard, but they are pushed back even further in quality. Fighting to stop that is a suicidal act."

Thanks to this, the Allied fOrces swiftly crossed the Viscount's empty territory.

"Is there no story about the guy who ruled the Goblins of the Fog Plain?"

The Western and Southern nobles didn't know the existence of the Devourer, but some Central nobles had a vague guess. Because there were a few reports of seeing a giant silhouette during the Emperor's Fog Plain subjugation battle.

"They say it was a large monster that looked like a crab."

"How much of a blow did it deal to the enemies?"

The hope contained in the question was immediately extinguished.

"About 20 mercenaries and knights combined were injured, but not many died. It is said that Count Mayer appeared at the right moment and killed it single-handedly."

"...Hah."

Everyone sighed. Even if he was an enemy, it was an act of a knight subjugating an evil monster. They should have duly respected that honor, but their mouths shut tight. Sweat poured down when they thought that they were next in line.

"What should we do now?"

"Why are you asking when you already know? His Majesty says he will never surrender. But if we hold out here, we are doomed."

The dissatisfied nobles also slowly voiced out. The Emperor's own fOrces had also weakened. If things go wrong, retreating to their own territories and holding out is also worth considering. The current Emperor doesn't have the capacity to pursue and condemn them.

However, if they were to do it, several people had to do it togAAether. If they acted out alone, they might take the whole blame and be hung on the gallows.

"Are you suggesting we abandon His Majesty and run away?"

The noble asking in surprise lowered his voice. If he intended to guard the Emperor's side until the end, he would have shouted and lectured. The fact that he didn't meant even he was wavering.

"Let's speak straight. His Majesty abandoned us. The situation is like this, but there's no particular command or diplomatic effort, is there?"

"The Baron is right. If we are to act, now is the last chance. His Majesty is not facing reality at all."

When a certain baron opened the floodgates, many nobles agreed. Everyone had endured enormous expenses dragging along with the Emperor's stubbornness. Just thinking about the debts they had incurred made their hands tremble.

"To be honest, I am on the verge of bankruptcy. If I am caught by the Allied fOrces, I won't be able to pay the ransom. I am over 50 years old, and I will probably meet my end falling ill and starving in a prison for the rest of my life."

It was not the time to treat the lonely grumbling of the old noble as someone else's business. The noble who heard the news of his firstborn being born on the battlefield and hasn't even held him yet, and the noble who hasn't seen his young and beautiful new wife for a year, are the same.

"Is there any point in hiding in our respective territories? Once the supply route from the Fog Plain to the Rein River is completed, a massive amount of supplies and troops will flood in."

"No, there's no need to go that far. Just the food piled up in the ancient castle will be enough to feed the entire army. I heard the scale of the internal warehouse from the merchant company that traded with the Mayer family. They said it's on an absurd level."

The reason the Imperial faction nobles hold their positions is partly due to loyalty, but also because they can't be sure they'll be safe if they hide.

"I'm not suggesting we retreat to avoid the Allied fOrces. I'm saying we should show our will to Lord Damian, who will soon enter the capital."

In order to switch sides and receive protection when the new king is elected, they had to distance themselves from the Emperor from now on.

As if dealing a decisive blow to the nobles' thoughts, a decree from the throne in the capital came down. The sender, as everyone expected, was Lord Damian.

⌜Descendants of the ancient kingdom. Kings of all nations watching the civil war. As of the time this letter is announced, I declare the deposition of Gaius.

This tyrant made loyal and righteous people shed each other's blood, and sprayed filth on the banner of protection that Roman took pride in.

I, Damian, as the new king, order a ceasefire to both the Royalist faction and the Noble faction.

The conviction and courage shown by both armies were certainly honorable. However, the tears of the people are heavier than the fighting spirit of the knights, and our land is tired of swallowing blood.

For us to survive as the glorious Roman, we must be a strong country. We must stop the fratricide of killing each other.

Shadow Legion. The Allied Noble fOrces are no longer your enemies. I order you to immediately return to the capital.

The 112th King of Roman.

Damian Aureus.⌟

The first to react to the new king's order was the Shadow Legion. They officially declared surrender to Damian and headed to the capital holding white flags. The Allied fOrces did not attack them, and Eugene even supported them with food.

* * *

"A battle has broken out among the central nobles!"

Eugene and the Allied nobles examining the operation map received the report.

Hearing of the Shadow Legion's departure, the Imperial faction nobles wavered sharply, and the loyalists attacked those who attempted to escape, causing a double civil war to break out.

"Very good! They say they are killing each other, who in the world would oppose that?"

"We're really almost there now. It seems the dawn is finally breaking in Roman."

For the Allied fOrces, it was very welcome news. However, there were quite a few with bad expressions.

'Even if the civil war ends, will it take a long time to bridge the regional animosity?'

These are the ones thinking the same thing as Eugene.

In a few decades, the lost army will be quantitatively restored. However, the deep emotional rift between the nobles is certain to hinder unity for a long time to come.

"Your Highness. Why is your expression dark?"

"It's nothing."

Will they truly be able to regain the power of their prime? With this concern, the worries of the two Dukes, Leray and Robert, deepened.

Afterward, as the basic supply routes and river crossing boats were prepared, the first wave of reinfOrcements crossed over from the Rein River. With thousands of troops pouring into the central region every day, the mood in the Imperial faction camp hit rock bottom.

"Another battle has broken out in Gaius's camp!"

"It's not particularly surprising anymore."

"If it's not a lord who died, report briefly."

The nobles spoke indifferently to the messenger who came running breathlessly.

"Lords. This time is special. The central nobles who plotted the escape bribed several royal guard knights."

"What?"

This was a different story. It was a major rebellion that could blow away the Emperor's life if things went wrong.

"They defined the mages and summoners who offered magic to Gaius as the cause of the civil war and drew their swords."

It's an obvious but always effective justification. The heads of those who clouded the monarch's eyes with wicked secret arts. Because there is no justification that paints a better picture than this.

"So the result?"

"It makes no sense to settle it just with the heads of the mages."

However, this alone is not enough. No matter how hard they try to shift the responsibility, there was too much shed blood and grudges. Proper negotiations could only proceed if the Emperor himself was dragged out tied up.

"It is said that the nobles and bribed royal guard knights struck during Gaius's worship time."

"A good judgment."

Gaius was famous for having the summoners officiate the worship. This was also one of the evidences submitted by the rebel nobles in the capital for the charge of pagan worship.

It was a perfect opportunity to catch the Emperor and the summoners all at once while being vulnerable.

-Such people who will receive heaven's punishment!

"As the enraged Gaius personally stepped forward wielding his sword, the guarding knights also panicked and attacked. Naturally, those who had joined the uprising also drew their swords, and a brawl ensued. It is said that many died in the process, and Gaius himself suffered severe injuries."

Exclamations came from everywhere, but many also expressed concern.

"According to the spies' reports, Gaius recovered from the injuries sustained at the Rein River in less than a week. Being protected by various secret arts, he might easily shake off this injury too."

"Let's attack right now! The enemies are in the worst situation, so if we strike now, they will collapse completely!"

"It could be the opposite! In military strategy, it is said not to interfere when the enemies are doing something stupid. Our attack might make them stop their internal conflict and unite!"

While arguments went back and forth within the Allied fOrces, another anomaly occurred. An unidentified fog began to stealthily rise centered around the Emperor's tent.

"Lord Marbas. This couldn't be?"

Eugene felt an ominous feeling as soon as he heard the intelligence.

"It's probably not a natural fog. It must be the fog he summoned to cross the river just before the Rein River battle."

"Why would he spread that in his own camp?"

"What wouldn't a desperate person do? There are too many reasons, I don't know where to start..."

Marbas, who stroked his beard for a moment, continued speaking.

"It could be the work of the summoners trying to escape, or it could be that Gaius dabbled in dangerous black magic to overturn the war situation. In the past, a certain great summoner called forth winter to a small kingdom for 2 years to block the invasion of nomadic pillagers. Compared to that, covering the country with fog is nothing."

"Will it end with just fog?"

"...Honestly, that's the worry. Surging river water always brings bugs and fish mixed in."

Under Eugene's leadership, the Allied fOrces decided to attack. It was for the reason that they had to stop early whatever suspicious thing the Emperor was doing.