NOVEL NEXT Chapter 77: Monster
“Elsia has dared to invade where?”
The Emperor rushed to gather soldiers to send out to the battlefield. He did not forget to select the superior sons of noble families who were also to participate in the war.
‘Do I need to send out the Grand Duke as well?’
After debating for a moment whether or not to send Damian to the battlefield, the Emperor ultimately gave up on his thoughts.
Whether he disliked Damian or not, he was also a member of the royal family, though he was a mere halfling without the right to succeed to the throne.
Unlike other nobles and commoners, who were required to have at least one member of the family enlist in the war regardless of status, members of the royal family had no obligation to participate on the battlefield.
Though he had no obligation to, Damian had always volunteered to go out and fight. Because of that, not even the Emperor was aware that Damian was suffering from a heart condition. That was how thoroughly he had hidden it.
He could not leave Damian to set more achievements any longer. Even now, there were many among the Imperial Knights who believed that there was none other more suitable than Damian to succeed to the throne.
He didn’t need to send Damian out to the war, using his heart condition as an excuse.
It was a better idea for him to use this chance to test out Cassadin’s abilities instead. If Cassadin successfully stops Elsia’s advance, then his name would also benefit from his decision to give the title of Marquess to Cassadin.
‘To think that a war breaks out on the day after Cassadin’s award ceremony. What a coincidence this is!’
Finding this quite strange, the old Emperor prepared for war.
“Reports from the western guard post have been completely cut off. Go out and show Elsia what the repercussions of daring to meddle with the Empire will be.”
With the Emperor’s final words, the soldiers started towards the South.
Throughout their march, Lumen, the Commander of the 1st Order of Knights, and the knights under his control, continued to steal glances at Cassadin, who was part of the advance guard.
His silver hair was fluttering in the autumn breeze. Under that were his purple eyes, which left no emotion within them to read. Cassadin was emitting an aura that made it difficult for others to approach him.
Perhaps that aura came from his superior looks, which people often praised as the face of a God, or maybe it was because of his outstandingly cold expression.
It might as well be both.
‘Is that man the one named Cassadin, the one that the Emperor had selected himself?’
The knights did not think kindly of Cassadin. That was only natural, as that man had been the one who had defeated Damian, their role model.
They were unable to believe that Damian had lost in the tournament, even after hearing the news. To them, it had been just an exaggeration of rumors, just as all other gossip was. So the knights were certain that it was not Cassadin’s swordsmanship but his beauty that had caught the Emperor’s attention.
There were quite a few people among the ones who did not witness the match who also believed that was the case. It wasn’t just the knights and other nobles who had been chosen to be enlisted who thought so, but the commoners as well.
It was Damian’s heart disease that caused him to lose. If it hadn’t been for his condition, the Grand Duke would have certainly won.
Everyone believed that it was out of pure luck that Cassadin won. That was until they witnessed his swordsmanship with their own eyes.
“…Good heavens.”
When they arrived in the mentioned western region, the sun had already begun to set behind the mountains. The bodies of the soldiers at the western guard post had already gone cold.
“They already passed away. Are there no survivors?”
To Lumen’s, Commander of the 1st Order of Knights, question, the soldiers checked for a pulse in each of the fallen soldiers’ throats before letting out a sigh.
“He’s gone as well.”
“…There doesn’t seem to be any survivors.”
While the imperial army had been checking for survivors, soldiers from Elsia’s army had begun to slip out of the guard tower, which they had naturally thought to have been empty.
As if they had been waiting, the soldiers began to pour down arrows onto the imperial army. Countless arrows with sharp metallic tips rained upon the imperial army.
“Perish!”
Quickly analyzing the situation, Lumen shouted out to the soldiers.
“It’s a trap! Into formation! Prioritize defense over attack!”
Hearing the commander’s order, Cassadin deflected the arrows from the Elsia troops with his sword and answered calmly.
“We will lose this war if we prioritize defense.”
“……?”
“We must distract them and make attacking our first priority. Pretend to retreat and place torches inside the tower they are in. Then we will be able to win while minimizing casualties.”
Also, deflecting the arrows with his sword like Cassadin had, Lumen furrowed his eyebrows.
He was someone who had experienced countless battles and battlefields. The abundant number of medals on his chest proved that.
And what about Cassadin? He was a mere child who had just become a Marquess and had once been a slave.
Born and raised to be a noble, Lumen considered marching into battle with Cassadin in itself to bring shame to his name.
So here was Cassadin, whom he was irritated enough just being with, now telling him what to do. Sneering, Lumen responded to Cassadin.
“My Lord. I don’t think you understand the situation here, but a real battlefield is completely different from a fighting tournament.”
Lumen had a satisfied expression on his face as he looked at the soldiers following his command.
“I have been given all permissions to be in command by His Majesty.”
Cassadin’s reply caused Lumen’s eyes to narrow even further. Just what did the Emperor see in this man to have entrusted all of his commanding authority to this man instead of him, the Commander of the Knights?
‘Is he trying to steal my achievements for himself?’
But as if reading his mind, Cassadin added on in a casual voice.
“You can have all of the credit, Commander. I just have to win this war. Once you place the torches, I will do the rest from there.”
His voice sounded much too casual for someone who was standing in the middle of a battlefield. There wasn’t a single inch of confidence or arrogance inside that dry voice.
‘…Is it just my imagination, or does he look almost bored?’
Lumen was at a loss for words. It was for a short moment, but he almost felt mesmerized by Cassadin for a second.
Regaining his senses soon after, Lumen ordered the soldiers to retreat, then placed torches on the tower as Cassadin had told him to.
Right after placing the torches inside the tower, as Cassadin had said, the Elsia soldiers that had been shooting arrows at them fell into chaos.
Seeing flames spreading throughout the tower they were in, the Elsia troops stopped attacking and began climbing down the ladder to escape the tower.
But not a single Elsia soldier was able to escape. That was because the moment they stepped out of the tower, they lost their lives to Cassadin’s sword.
Cassadin’s sword glowed brightly from the reflection of the flames. Just like moths flying toward flames, unaware that they would burn, all the soldiers collapsed helplessly in front of Cassadin’s blade.
Some attempted to attack him in a group, but their lives were stolen away with a single swipe from Cassadin.
“…What am I seeing right now?”
His swordsmanship contained both grace and strength, boasting its beauty in a horrifying way.
This was no longer swordsmanship. It was something beyond that, even beyond humans.
Seeming to forget that they were in battle, the Empire’s soldiers all stared at Cassadin’s movements as if mesmerized. That was also the case for Lumen, the Commander of the Knights.
“Those damned Empire bastards! They have a monster on their side!”
The remaining Elsia soldiers, who were now trapped in the burning tower due to Cassadin, began shouting curses as they showered down an array of arrows at Cassadin.
But the arrows were unable to make even the smallest of wounds on Cassadin.
It was the Empire’s absolute, complete victory.
A mere hour was taken to crush the one thousand Elsia soldiers. And there wasn’t a single casualty from the Empire’s troops in that process.
“Not a single casualty, you say.”
Hearing the report from his aide, the Emperor smiled with satisfaction.
“Yes, Your Majesty. They claim that the Marquess had a major portion of the credit for the victory of this war.”
“I knew he was no ordinary man, but this is beyond my expectations.”
Nodding his head, the elderly Emperor then added, his golden eyes glittering voraciously.
“What a truly remarkable man.”
Immediately after the invasion had resulted in defeat, Elsia sent an ambassador to the Emperor with an official apology.
“The invasion of the Seville Empire was not of my, the King’s, decision. It was an independent act carried out by several of the ministers. I have personally executed the ones who rashly put it upon themselves to invade the Empire. Please forgive this grave mistake. We will provide whatever Your Majesty asks for.”
Likely fearing the repercussions of their actions, Elsia had voluntarily declared themselves a vassal of the Seville Empire. After listening to what the ambassador had been saying with narrowed eyes, the Emperor then spoke.
“How odd. According to what the ambassador said, it means that some of the ministers had done this without notifying the King, but why bother to do so? They should be well aware that Elsia cannot win against our troops no matter how much they have expanded.”
Hearing that, the ambassador from Elsia swallowed anxiously as he responded.
“I’m very sorry. His Majesty the King himself had personally interrogated the criminals, but they had all decided to claim they didn’t know why and ultimately didn’t reveal the reason even until death.”
“That is quite strange. So those who had planned the invasion had died without explaining the reason for the invasion?”
“Yes. We have used methods of intimidation, such as mentioning their family, but they never opened their mouths.”
What the ambassador was saying sounded like the truth. The King of Elsia was not a fool. He had been the one to make Elsia, which had been a small country just years ago, into the kingdom it is today. Such a man wouldn’t have started a war that he would lose.
A dead man tells no tale. So it would be incredibly difficult to figure out who had been behind this incident.
‘Then all I have to do is use this as an opportunity.’
Loosening the tension in his lips, the Emperor spoke to the ambassador.
“Does Elsia truly promise to provide whatever it is that I ask?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor’s eyes curled into thin arches.
“I have heard that the youngest daughter of the King is quite the beauty.”
“……”
“Her name was Bella, was it? Send her over here to the Empire.”
The ambassador’s hands trembled. Bella was the King’s favorite daughter. However, he couldn’t dare refuse the Emperor’s request after saying that they would provide whatever he asked for.
He was a mere messenger. So there was only one thing that he could say in this situation.
“…As Your Majesty wishes.”
Once the ambassador had left, the Emperor waved towards Cassadin, who had been the greatest contributor to winning this war, to come forward.
To the Emperor’s call, Cassadin used his long legs to move from his position next to Commander Lumen of the 1st Order of Knights.
When Cassadin arrived in front of the Emperor, he called out solemnly to Cassadin.
“Marquess Cassadin.”
“Yes. Your Majesty.”
“In recognition of your role in this war, I am thinking of giving a special gift to you.”
Seeming to be incredibly pleased with whatever he was thinking, the Emperor’s lips curled upward.
“I bestow upon you the youngest Princess of the Elsia Kingdom.”
But Cassadin was unable to smile at the words that came out of the Emperor’s mouth.