NOVEL NEXT Chapter 252
As Jeongjae was pushing northward, diligently breaking through several fortresses, his mood soured the moment he spotted an army blocking his path.
It wasn’t because of the slow advance or the annoyance of battle. After smashing countless fortresses while Wyverns dropped supplies from the sky, he was already piled up with fatigue and wounds. The appearance of one more legion blocking his way was hardly bothersome.
The reason Jeongjae frowned upon recognizing the enemy in front of him was simply that they appeared to be human.
“Slaves, I see. This is my first time seeing them on the battlefield. Actually, I don’t recall ever seeing records of them fighting in a war.”
Alex nodded as Jeongjae explained, and he too seemed displeased at the sight of human foes.
“Are you saying these are humans who fell to corruption after the Demon King’s consecutive victories in the north?”
“It seems so. But I’ve heard that they’re challenging to control due to their humanity, and thus they aren’t utilized in wars…”
“It looks like the enemy is pretty much cornered. Your Highness, is there any way to persuade them?”
“Persuade them, you say?”
“Please wait a moment. I will prepare the necessary tools.”
Jeongjae took off the monocle he was wearing and began to cast a spell on Harriet’s Glasses. Alex watched curiously as Jeongjae worked his spell.
“What kind of spell is that? Is it related to persuasion?”
“It’s a spell for magical vision. Walter’s legacy grants strong vision capabilities, and with a little manipulation, even an ordinary person can see through general mental magic. Use this to check whether they’re affected by any mental spells.”
“And if they are?”
“I will go directly and dispel it. But if there’s no trace of any mental magic, please persuade them in the name of royalty. I’m worried that I might scare them unnecessarily.”
Alex roughly understood Jeongjae’s words. If these humans had been enslaved by the Demon King in the early stages of the war, then it was highly likely they were completely unaware of Jeongjae’s existence. Being a red-haired prince unmistakably from the Audrich royalty would likely be more effective than a human Grand Mage who looked a bit different.
Alex deliberately took off his helmet to show off his hair and donned the glasses, trudging forward.
Jeongjae watched anxiously as Alex shouted something in front of the enemy line.
The result was not good. Having found no traces of magic from the enemy, Alex immediately proposed their surrender and attempted persuasion. However, the Audrich prince was soon startled by a sudden volley of arrows and hurriedly retreated after donning his helmet. Jeongjae quickly stepped forward, casting a magic shield to protect him.
“What happened? Was there no trace of brainwashing magic?”
Jeongjae inquired. Alex nodded and returned the glasses to him.
“Yes. It seems they are not under any spell.”
“Then why did they respond to our intention of embracing them as kin with arrows… They can’t possibly have loyalty to the Demon King.”
“It seems the Demon King played his cunning game. He probably left their loved ones behind in the Demon King’s Territory and forced them to march. They too have no choice but to fight.”
“In that case, let’s try reasoning with them. The Demon King is cornered by the momentum of our northern campaign. If they join us, not only will they become our strength, but it will also pave the way to eternally bring down the Demon King and save their families.”
“It’s not that simple. They don’t trust us at all. To be honest, I felt hatred radiating from them.”
“But they don’t need to hate us…”
“Ten years ago, we cowardly left everything behind to flee south away from their homeland. In that process, my father effectively abandoned the northern citizens and stepped back. It was a choice made with no options, but the hatred they harbor for the Empire that left them as slaves for ten years is certainly not less than their hatred for the Demon King. How can we earn their trust after saying we’re here to save them now?”
Jeongjae fell silent after listening to Alex’s words. Although the command to attack lay with Jeongjae, the Hero’s expression looked troubled. Seeing Alex watch him with concern, Jeongjae slowly opened his mouth again.
“I don’t know what the situation is like in this world. But in the world I came from, war was something that could only ever be waged among humans. There were times, half-jokingly, when I shot at giant birds and called it a war, but still, wars were fought only among humans. That fact always bothered me.”
Jeongjae put the monocle back on his face. Even for a Grand Mage like him, the army on the other side did not seem to be under any mental magic.
“Since coming to this world, I’ve found that my cowardice helped me adapt somewhat quickly to war because the enemy isn’t human. What I kill cannot be considered a being of our kind. Although I’m a weak person, I’m not the type to insist that I must protect even orcs as fellow life forms. No matter how similar they are to us, and whatever bloodline they share, dark races are still dark races. And yet… now that everything is nearing its end, the kind of fight I wanted to avoid the most stands in my way. Especially at the moment when I’ve got all the decision-making authority resting on my shoulders.”
“If facing them directly is difficult, then I can look for an alternative route. Perhaps there is a way to bypass them entirely. We can encircle and isolate them, and once we’ve broken through the Demon King’s Castle, they’ll surrender on their own. I’d prefer not killing those who were once people too.”
“Is that an effective tactic?” Jeongjae asked. Alex shook his head, looking uncomfortable.
“Not really.”
“In that case, there’s nothing we can do. Complaining is just complaining. However, what worries me is…”
Jeongjae drew his Holy Sword from his waist and lifted it forward. Upon seeing the white light of Holy Power, Alex couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration again.
“This power never fails to amaze me. It’s the kind of light that compels anyone who hears the name of the Hero to submit.”
“What worries me is about the belief of being a Hero. I’ve heard the legends surrounding the Holy Sword. It says if a Hero loses his belief, they will no longer receive an answer from the sword. In fact, there are Heroes who have made that mistake and lost their eligibility to wield the Holy Sword. Isn’t that so?”
“Such an incident occurred in the era of Walter’s previous generation. It happened over 500 years ago.”
“When I held the Holy Sword, I believed in becoming a shield to protect all mankind. Pointing this sword at them, wouldn’t that undermine my qualifications as a Hero?”
“This is my opinion, Hero.”
Alex Caprice looked up at his own red flag. In contrast to Rose Caprice’s shield, Alex’s distinctive flag bore a cavalry lance. Interestingly, when considering the siblings’ tendencies, Alex was the one who leaned more defensive, while Rose was more aggressive.
“A spear exists to confront someone. If you were to vow the belief of becoming a spear, it would mean you swore to strike someone down. But if you’ve sworn to be a shield, then you’ve sworn to protect someone. I don’t believe it matters who your enemy is, as long as you fight to protect the soldiers behind you and the people that lie beyond them.”
“If Confucius and Mencius were to invade our land, we would have to fight against them; that’s the teaching of Confucianism…”
“What?”
“Never mind. I’ve steeled my resolve.”
Jeongjae pulled a revolver from his pocket, holding it at an angle alongside the Holy Sword. Confirming that the enemy position didn’t seem particularly special, Jeongjae issued a command to Alex.
“Your Highness, please do what you’re best at. No matter how I see it, they are nothing but a ragtag bunch designed to delay us. It seems unlikely that a formidable force to obstruct our cavalry’s maneuver is hidden among them. While our main force advances, target their flanks and rears.”
In simpler terms, he was instructing Alex to move as he always did. Alex, who was a genius at crushing enemies with his medium cavalry, nodded and donned his helmet.
Jeongjae raised the gun with slightly trembling hands, aiming it at the enemy. The moment he pulled the trigger, a bullet fired from the muzzle and struck the enemy soldier at the forefront.
Seeing the enemy fall with a hole in their heart, Jeongjae bit his lips tightly. Even after living in this world for several years and participating in countless battles, this was officially his first experience of killing.
“Charge!”
Jeongjae, cloaked in a robe, wielded his sword and dashed madly at the front line. As the humans began shooting arrows at the sight of the approaching Grand Mage, the arrows—clearly not processed through proper magic—couldn’t possibly pierce the Grand Mage’s robes.
The slave soldiers watched in shock as the Mage ran headlong into their arrows without any defensive magic.
“W-What is that… Monster?”
“Such a bizarre thing…”
“I’ll stop the army if you surrender now. Those without the will to fight should lay down their weapons!”
Jeongjae’s warning seemed to be taken as a threat, as the human troops subservient to the Demon King readied their spears against him. With no other choice, Jeongjae swung his Holy Sword, slicing several enemy soldiers in half at once.
Surprisingly, or perhaps not, the sensation of slashing humans wasn’t that different from slaying orcs. The bodies of these humans, a bit thinner than orcs yet thicker than goblins, provided a feeling that resided right in the middle.
Having been a battle-hardened veteran, Jeongjae’s body did not instinctively halt or stop moving.
However, tears flowed from his eyes for some unknown reason while he was swinging his sword like a madman, shattering the enemy infantry formation. The Holy Sword did not lose its luster; in fact, the more he swung it, the brighter its Holy Power blazed.
“Wait, stop.”
It was then that a girl’s voice came from the cross necklace hanging around Jeongjae’s neck. Startled by Jenis’s voice, Jeongjae grabbed the cross necklace.
“Jenis? Where are you speaking to me from?”
“I can’t stand seeing you slash at people anymore. I’ve sent my troops over there, so leave this battle to them.”
“The tragedy of humans engaging in fratricidal conflict is unavoidable. What difference does it make whose troops are doing it?”
“I didn’t say anything about sending humans.”
At that moment, thousands of orcs slinking in from the opposite direction, where Alex’s cavalry was stationed, revealed themselves. Jeongjae was momentarily flustered and tried to issue an attack command to his subordinate troops, but soon realized something was off about the orcs’ condition and tilted his head.
“What in the world…?”
“Those are my subordinates. If fighting against humans is always in favor of monsters, then let’s do that. Pull back the soldiers. From now on, I’ll take control myself.”
The demon-side human troops turned pale at the sight of the suddenly emerging zombie orcs. Jeongjae looked blankly at Jenis’s zombie army and spoke to the necklace.
“Your intentions are appreciated. Truly, I thank you, but…”
“What more can I do? This is crossing the line in magic, but if it’s for you, I can do even worse. Now retreat from there. I’ll clear away the obstacles.”
Following Jenis’s direction, Jeongjae slowly fell back, ordering his troops to retreat. Even the Royal Knight Order, which had charged forth for an attack, pulled back in accordance with the Hero’s command.
As all units retreated to safety, the powerful zombie orcs, now devoid of consciousness, lunged at the humans, unleashing a merciless slaughter.
Jeongjae could do nothing but watch the scene unfold. Jenis had claimed she could do even worse things for him. While it sounded somewhat romantic, honestly, Jeongjae wished even more that she wouldn’t have to do that. What more could he do now?