Chapter 383: Holy War (3)
Most humans had fragile states, especially those in situations that soon became a war.
There was no way ordinary humans could endure prolonged situations where they had to kill and watch each other die.
‘That’s why it’s important.’
The cause and justification of the war became more and more paramount.
Fight for God.
Fight for the country.
Fight for the family.
That was why they had taken it upon themselves to educate their minds on matters of war. The same was true about the “we are right” justification.
There was a distinctive difference between fighting to defend and fighting to invade. In their case, however, the cause had been lost.
The central commanders screamed their hearts out with their sense of duty, but there was no possibility for such a cry to get into the ears of ordinary soldiers.
They had doubted the purpose of the war from the beginning.
They pondered whether the demon summoner was simply deceiving them, in which case it would have been like having the devil live in their brains. It was better to shoot arrows in fear. Some screamed as they attempted to get out of the situation– people who weren’t as bad as the others.
Many of them had given up on fighting.
The more they went on the defensive, the worse the situation got. That was how powerful the visible effects and facts became.
The scene reflected by the Goddess’s Mirror perhaps was enough to confuse them even more.
-Die!
-…
-Die, traitor!
-…
-Dieee!!!
The scene where Yev Karina beat the Bishop, revered by the people of the Republic, with of the main focuses of the propaganda.
Even though allied troops were already invading, the soldiers of the Republic continued to stare at the sky blankly.
The prior footage had been deleted, causing most humans to focus on the scene rather than the context.
Why did Yev Karina, the demon servant, kill the Bishop?
Rather than asking such a question, they chose to focus on the situation in which she smacked his head.
Some people would think humans weren’t that stupid, but based on the extreme articles, news, tabloids, and modern people who got caught making a fuss, I felt like that wasn’t the case at all.
Moreover, the people of the Republic were not familiar with tabloids. It wasn’t worth mentioning that the effect was bound to be even greater.
That was a battlefield with never-ending screams and howls.
Leaving Lee Jihye behind as she constantly gave out orders, I looked around quietly until I saw the Blue Guild members working hard.
Watching them move efficiently and working together smoothly, I felt proud.
Among them, Park Deokgu stood out a little, not because he was active. Rather, it was the opposite. It felt like his movements weren’t the same as before.
He raised a shield and climbed on top of the wall, but it was noticeable that he was displaying subpar performance. He sometimes looked around with widened eyes, unable to concentrate on the battle itself.
Yoo Ahyoung showed better performance, so there was no need for other expressions.
-Deokgu. Front! Front!
-I-I know!
-Help… help me…
-… …
-You have to move. Deokgu! Deokgu! You’re not in bad condition, are you?
-It’s not that, but…
-The order has been given. Unit 4 has started to come up.
-Can we move now?
–Y… yes. I think… that would be better…
He was definitely hesitating. He was unable to adapt to the horrors of war.
He couldn’t take his eyes off the enemy soldiers crying out for help or crying out for their mother.
‘Sigh… This bastard.’
I bit my lips tightly. I never thought he would show such ridiculous behavior.
I didn’t expect him to get used to it completely, but I felt like a fool who had said he would at least adapt to it a bit.
I thought about whether I should make him return right now. If he wandered around like that, he could be hit by a stray arrow.
After raising him like he was the apple of my eyes without compensation, I felt like I was watching my own son get stuck in the corner of a room.
Just as I kept muttering to myself about his confusion, I suddenly realized that I hadn’t been paying attention to him at all.
‘This bastard… Did he even gain any experience?’
I slowly searched through my memory.
However, no matter how many memories I recalled, none of them were scenes where he gained battle experience.
He must have seen a lot indirectly. However, he had never used his fists in an actual battle.
When I first started sparring with Yoo Seok-woo, he had his eyes closed tightly, and whenever something similar happened, he quietly avoided watching it.
It wasn’t that he had never collided with humans. It was just that he had never finished them directly.
‘I don’t think he’s ever done that.’
Honestly, I was a little disconcerted. As long as someone had entered the continent, anyone would experience it at least once.
If they were lucky, they would see it in the tutorial. If not, they might see it after entering the continent. Even if it wasn’t against another human, it could be against humanoid monsters and criminals or thieves.
However, in my memory, Park Deokgu had never had any similar experience before.
I felt stupid. How could I not notice that about the soft-hearted man earlier?
He stood out, looking hesitant despite being able to push a little further forward. It was evident that he was going easy on them. Watching him, I began to get worried.
I knew how weak that pig’s mentality was despite his strong facade.
-Deokgu! Deogku!
-I-I said I’m going now.
-It’s the support!
-O… okay.
In the middle of that hectic battlefield, watching him stupidly turn his gaze to the other side made me feel frustrated.
Left without any other option, I had to point it out to Jihye.
“Park Deokgu and Yoo Ahyoung are… ”
Before I could even finish speaking, Lee Jihye nodded and immediately gave a new order.
“Unit 7, focus on protecting the surrenderers and the priests. This is your top priority. Unit 7, focus on protecting those who surrendered from the frontlines and the priests.”
“Order received.”
I continued to watch Park Deokgu and Yoo Ahyoung as they confirmed their new orders.
-Park Deokgu!
-Yes?
-A new order has been given. The content is different from the previous one. They want us to protect those who surrendered from the battlefield and the priests. It’s a top priority.
-Ah. I see. Q-quickly…
-Yes. The location is being transferred. Shall I take the lead?
-No. I think it would be nice for me to take the lead.
-Then do it.
-Careful!
-Oh, thank you. Park Deok-gu.
I was sure I wasn’t hallucinating when I saw his face brighten up a little. However, the slightly brightened expression soon began to turn into an anxious one.
He noticed why that kind of command suddenly came.
The original purpose of Unit 7, including Park Deokgu and Yoo Ahyoung, was not to protect the priests. A different unit was definitely in charge of their new mission, which had been announced through a prior briefing.
The purpose of Unit 7 was to support other units in ascending the walls.
I said that I would give orders according to the situation through the Goddess’ Mirror, so he might be thinking that I must have seen his unsightly appearance.
‘It was fortunate we could afford it.’
If the war were running tight, I wouldn’t have been able to pull him out. I could only do what I did because the tide of the battle was on our side.
Even though not much time had passed, the demon was already gradually losing its power.
‘That’s why the priests are so important on the battlefield, everyone.’
I began to wonder if this war had been going in our favor too much.
‘Is it obvious?’
In the first place, I already thought that the troops and walls blocking the Eberian front were all looks with no substance.
It was unreasonable for their tactic to be viewed as nothing but their way to buy time. Their strategy focused on endurance, and it didn’t seem to be hoping for victory.
That was why there was no support from the other side. No, I didn’t even have to find a reason.
The same was true for the masked trash in a situation where there were nowhere for large numbers of floating troops could be placed.
‘These bastards can’t afford it either.’
The most important thing at the moment from their point of view was to attack Castle Rock.
I didn’t know if the masked trash abandoned the Eberian front or not.
One thing was for certain: the Castle Rock front was more important than the Eberian front. If he didn’t protect it, he could be put into a situation where he couldn’t remove his troops in the first place. Well, it didn’t matter either way.
If the enemy commander and priest line were solid, we might have had to wait and see if the enemies would attack Castle Rock.
However, the result was the opposite. The Eberian front was collapsing.
The enemy commander was shouting for a retreat, and those who were withdrawing were starting to stand out. Some could be seen surrendering and throwing their weapons. Priests who risked their lives and didn’t even participate in the fight were a bonus.
It’s only been eight hours since the battle started.
The battle was gradually reaching a conclusion.
“Then I’ll be going to the frontlines, Jihye-ssi.”
“Yes. Do that, Honorary Cardinal. I’ll finish the job in the control room…”
“Thank you for fighting with us until the end.”
“Yes.”
She didn’t announce our victory.
However, I heard a shout that made my ears ring. The command post wasn’t the only one that was aware of our situation.
The ordinary soldiers were also aware that victory was on the way.
It seemed that there were many more occupied areas than unoccupied areas.
Afterward, we would have to recheck the troops, but it seemed that the damage was small enough for us to consider this a significant victory.
‘How did they climb up on this?’
As soon as I reached the frontlines, I was greeted by a large wall.
It was definitely taller than I thought. I didn’t think I could even dare to climb it after seeing it up close.
As I kept walking, taking care of the soldiers around me, I reached the place where Deokgu was. The guy with the prisoners and priests in tow slowly approached my side, but I saw his head bend down when I looked at him.
He was visibly depressed.
I wanted to talk to him, but the most important thing right now wasn’t him.
Giving him advice or scolding him could be done afterward. My top priority was to check if she’s alive or dead.
Initially, that was the Bishop’s role, but I had no choice but to appoint an agent after his death.
Although the crackling sound and sensation were unpleasant, I had to smile upon seeing Kim Chang-ryul.
“Is she alive?”
“Yes. Vice Guild Master. She is alive.”
“That’s fortunate. How is her condition?”
“She’s still out of it. We’ve already applied First Aid, so there’s no longer any harm to her life, and she’ll be able to wake up after she calms down.”
“Very good. Oh. Let me see her now. Is she in the room?”
“Yes.”
Kim Chang-ryul guided me to the room. No matter the circumstances, his skills were a blessing.
I wanted to applaud him for his first aid. I liked the part that he cared for details I didn’t bother thinking about.
Upon entering the door, I could see the dead Bishop with his head broken. There was also Yev Karina lying down on the bed.
As I touched her cheek with my finger, I could see her unfocused pupils looking at me.
“Jin… Qing…?”
“Sorry, but I am the Honorary Cardinal, Yev Karina. Hahaha.”