Chapter 83

"This is turning out to be far more interesting than I expected, don't you think?"

Gility smiled with satisfaction as he watched the Anthromorph move in perfect unison after a brief commotion.

Augustine nodded quietly in agreement.

The two were currently stepping back and observing the Anthromorph at Elric's request.

They planned to intervene if things took an unexpected turn, but it didn't seem necessary.

'Honestly, I had no intention of getting involved.'

Augustine didn't have much desire to meddle in worldly affairs, aiming only to minimize harm.

Unlike Elric, he had little interest in the Beastmen.

In fact, he viewed the Beastmen as barbarians, similar to the common imperial perception of them as subjects for enlightenment.

The relationship between the Tiger King family and the Melvinger family had nothing to do with the Night's Chronicle or Nerester family, so there was no reason for him to get involved.

-This matter is likely an extension of your test for me, so there's no need for you to bother. However, I ask that you help me just once when I need it. Of course, it won't be too difficult for you, Master.

'Just once. What could my disciple, who avoids being indebted to me, be asking for? That's what's more intriguing.'

Augustine stroked his chin, lost in thought.

It seemed related to the Beastmen... but what could it be that he needed help with, especially when things were going so well?

'Could he be asking me to capture the Blood Wolf King, the leader of Fury? Or perhaps to suppress General Winter. Hmm!'

'If it's something like that, I would be very disappointed.'

Augustine muttered to himself.

If he got involved, everything would go smoothly.

But then the test would lose its meaning, wouldn't it?

Of course, Augustine knew well that Elric always brought him a sense of fulfillment and interest, so he thought that the 'request' might bring new excitement instead. 

'Shall I watch a little longer?'

Augustine spread his mana field slowly, closely monitoring the rapidly evolving battlefield.

In the distance, thousands of Beastmen could be seen charging towards Anthromorph like a tidal wave.

* * *

After the vanguard Fierce Beast Squad was annihilated, Fury's expedition force charged towards Anthromorph without looking back.

They had no discipline, no formation, not even a command structure.

They were solely fixated on capturing the city.

"Bring down the Tiger King family!"

"Capture the city, and kill and loot everything inside!"

"The seized property will be yours, and individual achievements will be determined by the number of heads you take!"

"They are a disgrace to the Beastmen! Wipe them from this land!"

"Raise the glory of the Blood Wolf King! Warriors!"

The only orders were to erase the city of Anthromorph from existence.

More precisely, it was to eliminate the Tiger King family and everything related to it, so that Fury could shine even brighter.

As a result, the various squads of Fury's army, each carrying different banners, competed to claim more glory, rushing forward and trying to climb the walls faster, often breaking out into internal conflicts in the process.

Despite this, the leaders of the expedition force were not overly concerned.

The power disparity between them and Anthromorph was significant, and their offensive was overwhelming.

Moreover,

"It's about time for them to open the gates from inside, isn't it?"

The leaders were expecting the collaboration of Anthromorph officials who had promised to revolt at the right moment, capture the Tiger King, and open the gates.

Of course, their rebellion could fail.

But even then, the forces would be weakened, making the conquest much easier if handled properly.

However,

"Look! A flag is being raised over the castle walls!"

"Hmm! It's much later than promised. Beastmen like them are so slow, what can you do? So, is it a white flag?"

"No! Heads on pikes!"

"What?"

The expedition leader, Barasen, frowned deeply and quickly enhanced his vision to inspect the castle walls.

As his subordinate had said, he saw more than thirty heads lined up in a row.

All of them were those who had pledged to side with Fury.

And below them stood Prime Minister Norus, shouting in a resonant voice.

"The cowards have been executed! Fighters of the Tiger King! Do not let the traitor Fury take this land!"

"...We failed."

When Prime Minister Norus had first expressed his intention to defect to them, Barasen had been somewhat suspicious.

Now that it had come to fruition, Barasen could not forgive the deception.

"It's only delayed us a bit. So, capture the city at all costs. Sacrifice as many as needed, but do it!"

Barasen's eyes gleamed menacingly.

* * *

However, Barasen's orders were not easily carried out.

This was due to three main reasons.

"[Swirl!]"

The first reason was Elric.

He had inflicted so much damage on Fury's executives that they had nicknamed him the 'Ice Ghost'.

Elric appeared unpredictably within Fury's disorganized ranks, slaughtering soldiers, and then vanishing in the gusts of wind before he could be countered.

He would then reappear elsewhere, causing more devastation before disappearing again, executing a perfect guerrilla warfare strategy.

His elusive maneuvers made it impossible for Fury's fighters to capture him, no matter how hard they tried.

As a result, Fury's fighters became increasingly paranoid, constantly on edge for a potential ambush by Elric whenever they attempted to scale the walls.

The problem did not end there.

Despite being a magician, Elric was also exceptionally skilled in close combat, making him highly effective at 'hunting executives'.

Thud!

"Co...ward...!"

"Is there such a thing as cowardice in war? Winning is all that matters, right?"

Elric mocked the beastman, who wore an expression of bitter resentment with an ice arrow lodged in his neck. Then, as if he had never been there, he vanished into the wind.

"The... the captain is dead!"

"Damn it! How many times has this happened?!"

"Don't retreat! Push forward and fight... ugh!"

It was impossible to maintain control as captains and adjutants, who tried to rally the demoralized troops after their superior's death, were being killed one after another.

『You truly excel at hitting people from behind.』

[Can you at least phrase it as 'also good at hitting from behind'?]

『...I forgot. Such words are indeed compliments to you.』

[Of course.]

『But where did you learn such a thing?』

Mephisto clicked his tongue as he looked at the ominous Seal of Ferocity glowing fiercely on the back of Elric's hand.

Given how much Elric had accomplished so far, the Seal of Ferocity had already reached the 9th-star.

[Someone just taught me.]

『Just... taught you?』

[Yes. They called it the method of using the seal. Thanks to that, I'm using it quite comfortably.]

The thoughts of the Demon King Yu, imbued in the Seal of Ferocity, had taught Elric a technique as he began to prove himself in battle.

Shadow Step.

Yu had developed this technique long before he became a Demon King, during his wretched days as a Preta, to protect himself from various predators.

It allowed him to walk and run through shadows, making it perfect for concealing his presence.

[It integrates well with my magic martial arts, so I use it frequently.]

『Ha!』

[It would be nice if someone could teach such things.]

『This king has never experienced such a wretched time, so there was no need to create such lowly tricks!』

[Yeah, yeah. Of course. No wonder you ended up with an M-shaped bald spot from taking everything so easily.]

『What did you say, you punk?』

Mephisto was furious at the baseless taunt, but Elric had already disappeared, using Shadow Step to find his next target.

The cold wind from the oncoming sandstorm was perfect for his needs.

While Elric's exploits shone brightly, the combined efforts of Heize, Sean, Karl, and the dazzling prowess of the Blue Hawk made it extremely difficult for Fury to breach the castle.

This was the second reason.

The third and final reason was that under the leadership of King Velence and Prime Minister Norus, the citizens of Anthromorph were united in pushing back the enemy.

For three days and nights, the battle raged without respite, but Fury could not even reach the castle walls.

"... Retreat."

Realizing that they had no chance of victory, Barasen ordered a full retreat.

"But, Captain! If we withdraw without any accomplishments, the Blood Wolf King will be furious!"

"In the current situation, it's better to fall back, regroup, and then come back. The 'Blessing of the Tail' is reaching its limits... If we stay, we risk being caught in the General Winter."

"But...!"

"I will bear the King's wrath."

"Understood."

The retreat was carried out with extreme caution, unlike the invasion. Anthromorph had no strength left to pursue them, so they didn't bother.

Once Fury's offensive ceased completely,

"Hurrah!"

"We've won!"

"The King has triumphed!"

The citizens of Anthromorph clasped hands and celebrated victory.

* * *

"Thank you for your hard work, Your Majesty."

Prime Minister Norus held the young Tiger King's small hand in his wrinkled one, tears streaming down his face. 

Ever since the previous Tiger King's death, he had longed to cleanse the traitors and eliminate the threat of Fury. Achieving this, how could he not feel joyous?

Of course, Fury's offensives were bound to continue intermittently. But the fact that they had repelled them this time would surely strengthen the resolve of the citizens.

Most importantly, Prime Minister Norus had long been planning a strategy to repel Fury's domination based on this victory.

The problem was...

Thump!

Thump!

It was the shadow of death tightening around his neck.

'But with him…!'

Norus believed that even if he was no longer around, King Velence would manage well on his own.

"I'm sorry, Prime Minister. Please forgive me for not trusting you for a moment."

Tears welled up in King Velence's eyes as well.

Norus, with his usual warm smile, shook his head.

"Your Majesty, a ruler should not know shame. Therefore, do not feel ashamed. Anyone can make mistakes, but what's most important is not making the same mistake twice. You possess the wisdom to be a great ruler, and you will continue to grow into an even greater king."

"No, this time I realized for sure. I need you, Prime Minister. Please, live long and stay by my side."

For a moment, Norus was speechless.

How could he not want to stay by King Velence's side? He wanted to live long enough to see Anthromorph flourish and to witness King Velence restore the past glory of the royal family.

But how could he tell the king that he could no longer endure, that he had reached his limits? His mind was a whirl of confusion.

At that moment, Elric quietly interjected between the king and the Prime Minister.

"Excuse me for interrupting, but may I ask something?"

Elric and his party had already been hailed as heroes in Anthromorph for their exploits during the recent battle. No one would object to anything he said.

Moreover, Prime Minister Norus was deeply grateful to him, fully aware of the tremendous favor he had asked of him.

"What is it, Radiant Star Duke? Speak freely."

"Is it not true that the Prime Minister is unable to answer the king's request because he believes he doesn't have much time left?"

"...!"

"What? Prime Minister, is this true? Radiant Star Duke, explain yourself!"

Prime Minister Norus froze at having his secret revealed, while King Velence turned pale, demanding an explanation from Elric.

Elric nodded calmly and relayed what Mephisto had explained to him earlier. An unknown force had coiled around the Prime Minister's heart, gradually causing an assimilation and rapidly depleting his lifespan.

As Elric's explanation continued, Prime Minister Norus's face hardened, and King Velence's large eyes welled up with tears again.

What should be done now? The remaining officials and citizens, who were listening to the conversation, were also plunged into concern.

"...."

Prime Minister Norus eventually closed his eyes tightly. 

He had not wanted to burden the citizens, who should still be celebrating the victory, with such news. He felt only resentment towards Elric for pouring cold water on the celebration.

But then, Elric's next words made him open his eyes wide again.

"What if there were a way to heal you? What would you do?"

[T/L: You can read ahead chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]