Chapter 391: The Power of Friendship, Love, and Faith (2)
“We will move right away.”
“Yes, sir.”
“The organized troops will leave as soon as possible. Perhaps we’ll be able to arrive on time. The Siege of Castle Rock will also take place exactly two hours after.”
“That means…”
“We will capture Castle Rock in three days.”
“Yes, sir.”
“There is no need to be anxious. Even if there are them. I understand that this is a hard and exhausting time for everyone. Some of you must be having a headache and doubts about okay. We are strong. We won’t be dragged down or forced to collapse.”
“…”
“Arise. It’s time to fight.”
I was not the only one who felt that the atmosphere had changed a little.
Unknown trust arose from Jin Qing’s face as he talked. He was not saying anything significant.
However, his face and attitude could cause a person to feel uplifted. I thought that it was probably because of the trust contained in his eyes.
‘He’s pretty trusting.’
Not only me, but all the commanders present, and the troops who moved together, all felt their morale rising.
It was okay to call it a form of confidence.
It was the confidence in himself who had raised such an army and the confidence in the people he had chosen.
In unison, the people started moving to follow Jin Qing, who got up first. I wanted to join the Siege of Castle Rock, but I was assigned on a different mission.
“Katya.”
“Yes, sir.”
“If you see a bad situation, you should return to Castle Rock right away.”
“Yes. Okay, sir.”
“You should always think about all the possibilities.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I believe you will do well. After the Castle Rock attack is over, I will return.”
He tapped my shoulder, then immediately moved on.
I have had many thoughts, but I didn’t have time to think too deeply because there was not much time left before our departure.
As soon as I got outside the meeting room, the voice that came right away was a bonus. We were already in a hurry to prepare for leaving.
“We will move right now. Move fast! Pack supplies, too! Are you ready yet?”
“…”
“We have to get to the destination before the sun sets.”
“Are we ready to go?”
“Yes. I-it’s almost finished. After the last check, we can leave right away.”
As I nodded, I saw the army raising the flag.
As I stepped forward and got on the prepared horse, I heard a loud shout from where the other side’s troops had been gathered.
It must be the force entering the Siege of Castle Rock.
‘We can win.’
I didn’t know how long the siege would take, but I could undoubtedly say Castle Rock itself was already at its limit.
The supplies inside were running out.
The same could be said about the magic power built into the wall and the soldiers’ strength inside.
Looking at the evident variables, it wasn’t bullshit to consider it possible to attack within the day. Although we took a portion of the troops, the power left at Castle Rock proved to be more than enough.
The infrastructure we had built up so far proved that.
Regardless of whether it was the State or the Republic, one side would suffer significant damage from this battle.
Perhaps it was a situation where we could see the end of the war. It was far too evident in terms of power that our forces had the advantage.
However, it was inevitable for my steps to become sober.
‘We have to win.’
It was a fight that we couldn’t lose.
We couldn’t lose the battle at Castle Rock and fail to stop the Eberian army from advancing to the capital. We’ve already expected many allies to lose their lives.
“Let’s attack!”
* * *
“I’m curious if there’s even a need to do this. If it goes wrong, not only Castle Rock but Dawan as well will be in danger.”
“Do you have to keep complaining like that? It’s already spilled milk.”
“I’m not saying this for nothing, Wi-ran. Castle Rock is definitely at its limit. It was only because Yuno Kasugano, me, and Park Yeon-joo were here that the castle made it through so much. It was the balance that three out of Eight Seats of the State were keeping together. I admit that Lee Kiyoung is an outstanding person, but this a huge gamble. These women can’t afford to hold anymore. They won’t be able to keep the barrier up another day, no, two days. The same goes for the Dawan Front. But because you were there, it was pushed only that much…”
“Stop babbling. It’s embarrassing for a man to keep doing that. Do you think we don’t know it’s a gamble? I’m doing this because it is the only thing that can reverse the current situation. The Dawan Front had already collapsed anyway. I know best since I was there. It felt like a waste to invest troops… Sons of bitches…”
“But…”
“What do you mean, but? I regret getting on board with you whenever you’re babbling like this.”
“Same here.”
“Honestly, you also doubt the ability of the Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung, right?”
“…”
“The results are telling us otherwise. Things are moving the way Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung wants, plus the fact that he took you out of Castle Rock. It’s also true that we are currently entering Laios. It was because of something like a pheromone potion he gave that made Mercenary Queen calm down. Even if we are also part of the State’s Eight Seats, it’s 100 times better to think and move like them than to work our asses off running away and enduring. More than anything…”
“…”
“Who knew the Republic’s troops would move, too? Have you ever imagined something like this?”
“That’s why I’m feeling nervous.”
“Well. I don’t know what happened, but the Republic’s priests seem to be loyal to the Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung. It’s understandable for the priests to be scared as the opponent is said to be a demon summoner.”
“Is he?”
“You don’t have to worry too much. We only have to do what we are ordered to do. You have enough magic power left, right?”
“Of course.”
“That’s fortunate. I was worried that you might have run out of it in Castle Rock. I guess you saved some power for the final resistance? You’re still the same.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
I had to nod quietly. Wi-ran was indeed right.
It was Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung, one of the Eight Seats of the State, who had found the way out when we were all driven to a corner.
If he had not appeared, we would not have been able to wage war on equal grounds.
‘Competent bastard.’
He was the kind of person I would hate to have as an enemy.
I had felt that way since I first saw him, but the more I knew about him, the more I felt like that about him.
It was not because of his character but because of his meticulousness and boldness.
He dominated the Eberian front in a day, and his power to turn the Republic’s priests into allies was disconcerting. It was unbelievable that it only took him a few words to change the flow of the war.
‘It’s understandable that Cha Hee-ra is so hung up on him.’
When I heard rumors that the Mercenary Queen had begun hanging out with a newcomer who had just entered the place, I also thought it was bullshit.
I thought she had simply found a new toy.
I naturally forgot about it. After some time, I had forgotten entirely about the Mercenary Queen’s Gigolo.
Not long after that, he got a position in the State’s Eight Seats.
‘He’s not ordinary.’
I knew that a dragon chose him. I knew that he was an excellent alchemist.
Other than that, everything was ordinary. It would have felt credible if the wizard, who was with him, had been in the same Eight Seats.
His body’s strength was indeed the weakest.
He had strong fellows around him, but he was far from being powerful no matter how I thought about it.
I thought that the Vatican and the emperor had some sort of influence, so of course, I questioned the decision and actually opposed it.
However, after opening the lid, my jaw dropped. His achievements were beyond words.
I couldn’t even list everything that he had done.
He had quickly turned the Empire into a State and became the Honorary Cardinal of the State.
Afterward, he accepted the half-circumvented the foreigners into the community called State and came up with a policy for the foreigners.
In other words, all the politics and law for privileges were all just for himself.
It was around that time that my anxiety about him arose. It didn’t mean I had become hostile or disliked him. What sprang up had been a touch of uneasiness.
I came to realize that he was an outstanding person.
‘He’s not like an apostle of God.’
He was not as holy or divine as he was propagating in the State. Instead, it was the opposite. He moved thoroughly for his own gain and for those around him. He did everything he could to take advantage of all the circumstances in front of him and survive.
I evaluated Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung to be evil.
Of course, I felt dubious, but I was even more convinced after I left Castle Rock.
There was an exit small enough for only one person to pass. It was the only entrance to the now completely collapsed black market.
It was a secret passage known only to officials. That was the reason why I was able to get out of Castle Rock.
Thinking about it again, it was a funny situation.
The fact that he knew such a secret doorway was no different than the fact that the Honorary Cardinal of the State, who had been admired by everyone, was the owner of the black market.
As I moved slowly, a familiar face slowly came into sight.
“Commander of the Eberian front. Have we ever met before? Oh, come to think of it, I heard about you from the Honorary Cardinal. Is it Yev Karina? I guess that was you.”
“And you…”
“…”
“…”
“Do you know me?”
“N… Now I see what he meant. I see it now. W-why are you here? You should be at Castle Rock at this point… No, you have to be in Castle Rock.”
“Didn’t I ask you first if you know me?”
“Damn… F-Fucking dog… fucking dog! He said that he definitely wouldn’t’ touch the prisoners!”
“I will ask you again. Didn’t I ask if you know me?”
“One of the Eight Seats of the State… Mist Summoner Cheon Gwan-wi.”
“Correct.”
“What… What are you trying to do?”
“Well. I just obey orders. I don’t feel good about doing this. I just want you to know that it couldn’t be helped because this is a war.”
“You…”
After being bitten by a dog, there’s nothing one can do, even if I think about it.