Chapter 44
The prelude to the war that began at dawn started by trampling the orcs, much like the booming sound of a horn made from a unicorn's horn.
Their green blood, seeping into the blade, soaked the earth in all directions, and the death cries of soldiers struck by axes flying blindly through the air echoed pitifully.
Red blood and green blood mixed together, covering and covering the ground.
Kill and be killed.
In the distant unfolding sky, only the unblemished, twinkling stars and the sun rising over the ridge signaled that time was still passing even in this seemingly endless war.
'Is this about enough?'
Up to here, it's going as planned.
Kallias and the knights decided to take a wide detour and gradually break away from the battlefield.
Their objective was not the orcs right in front of them, but to cut off their supplies.
"Follow me!"
Around Kallias, who raised his sword high and shouted, the knights gathered one by one, swinging their swords.
Unfortunately, there were those who were struck by axes and vomited blood, but it couldn't be helped.
"You must leave now!!"
"Lord Kallias!"
Ellen shouted as if screaming to Kallias, who was waiting for the knights following behind. If they waited for all the knights who were late to join, they would be surrounded.
"Tch."
It can't be helped.
"Let's go!"
"Wooooooo!!"
"Break through!!"
Like that, avoiding most dangers with the trait [Three-Colored Eyes], and slashing through as they moved, half a day passed.
The dawn that had risen had turned into twilight.
The scenery surrounding Kallias changed.
The snow-white plain scenery reminiscent of the northern winter had changed into a dense forest.
Kallias moved north from Jeyvarsh and reached an unnamed forest.
"Are these all the pursuers?"
"It seems so, but we still can't let our guard down. Lord Kallias."
It was Ellen. A guy who had become more cautious since losing an eye.
Around Kallias and the knights, orc corpses were strewn about.
They were the bastards who obsessively pursued them as they escaped the battlefield.
Since they moved quickly, ambushed, and struck them again, there were no casualties, and the situation was brought to a close for now.
"Who doesn't know that... My lord, wipe off some blood with this cloth!"
"Hmm."
Perhaps feeling his role had been stolen, Brans glared negatively at Ellen, and the other knights were standing guard.
Emily was naturally handling the knights and assigning them roles.
"You wiped all the footprints while coming, right? Erase all traces as much as possible."
"Yes sir!"
Not only Emily, but the knights had grown through experiencing multiple battlefields.
Since they found and did what they had to do without being told, there was some leeway.
Kallias checked for [Corpse Grace] that might appear from the Secret Quests of the moderately strong orcs.
'Nothing special.'
There were a few, but they were quests to kill the northern knights, so there was nothing he could do about them.
Since he had already turned them into swords, he tried handing them to other knights or undoing the Corpse Transformation to receive the reward, but perhaps because he hadn't used them, no reward came back.
It seemed that Guiding Souls was only possible after using them quite a bit as swords.
「Kallias von Zervan」
「Class」 – Pilgrim.
「Divine Rank」 – 3rd Class
「Divine Power」 – 5302/6251.
「Talent」 – [Bard's Blessing]
「Traits」 - [Corpse Grace] [Noble's Duty] [Scoundrel of the Count's House] [Repenting Past Wrongs at Death] [Cult's Prodigal Son] [Glutton] [Three-Colored Eyes]
[Stats]
Strength – 76 (30)
Agility – 55 (30)
Dexterity – 13
Health – 47 (30)
Faith – 63
As his Divine Rank rose to the 3rd Class, his overall physical abilities jumped significantly.
'My Strength has gotten quite high.'
When he grabbed a nearby stone, it crumbled in an instant and turned to dust.
Perhaps if it were now, he could have a good match against the monstrous strength of Jornik, who had become a dagger.
"Lord Kallias. We've erased the traces."
Is it time.
"We head north. I know the location, so move slowly while erasing our traces like now."
"Yes sir!"
Thus, erasing traces and advancing for four days.
The Kallias Knight Order finally pinpointed one of the supply routes, and waited in ambush for two days.
They were able to spot a column of orcs moving, carrying military rations.
"They're holding hostages?"
Behind the column of orcs, figures with quite familiar faces were tied in a line and being dragged away by them.
Kallias immediately commanded.
"Attack."
No matter who was captured.
The objective was the seizure of supplies anyway.
Or their destruction.
"Kill them all without exception."
"Yes sir!"
He threw Jornik at the forehead of the orc shouting about a surprise attack.
The dagger flew from Kallias's hand, which was swung like lightning, and struck precisely between the orc's eyebrows.
'Not bad.'
Thanks to the skill of Throwing, the accuracy went up quite a bit. It seemed he received a correction for everything he threw.
It was a skill that wasn't strictly necessary once one reached Kallias's level, but there was no harm in having it.
"Attack! Kill them all!!"
"Those damned orcs!"
The knights dashed out first like a flash of light and swung their swords.
A blonde boy holding a short sword and a small shield, Allen.
Aron swinging a greatsword suited to his build.
Brans swiftly swinging a dagger.
And a sleek longsword.
Emily swinging Lucent, cutting the orcs' necks as if flying.
And behind them.
Shwik! Kallias walking with an aristocratic stride, cleanly slicing down the orcs rushing at him.
"As expected, it's you."
Slaying the orcs, Kallias looked at the faces of the crouching hostages and spoke as he saw a woman.
Her name was Orphin.
A long time ago.
She was the female knight who guarded Kallias.
* * *
"Արագ քայլիր!"
Thud!
Kicking the woman's waist with his foot as if telling her to walk faster, with a voice like scraping iron plates.
She falls over, receiving the kick powerlessly. However, her hands and feet tied to the cart drag her fallen body across the ground.
The sound of orcs giggling and laughing.
The glances of the hostages like herself, looking at her with pity.
She had no choice but to stand up again and walk in the column of orcs.
Her name was Orphin.
A female knight of Zervan who had been standing by under Killavan's orders.
Orphin de Liophen.
"Orphin, are you okay?"
"I am fine."
Beside her were the Killavan twins, who were also taken hostage, and a few half-crippled knights.
"Haa..."
Her sigh turned pure white as it met the dawn air.
Bad luck.
The problem was discovering the column of orcs transporting supplies.
Trying to somehow help the north by delaying their column even a little, she got caught.
Just like that, a battle broke out in an instant and ended in a flash.
A perfect defeat.
That was the reality of being dragged around as a hostage.
Perhaps the reason they were keeping them around was to use them as playthings or to use them for provocation on the battlefield.
Either way, they wouldn't be killed easily.
'Even if that's fine for me, Rivan and Lady Rini...'
It was shameful as a knight.
The guilt of failing to protect them pressed down on her shoulders even more heavily.
It was then.
"Անակնկալ գրոհ է!!"
The column of orcs became chaotic.
They immediately drew their axes and started fighting someone.
Several knights began cutting down the orcs.
They did not bear the insignia of Zervan. However, the knights skillfully dealt with the orcs and brought them down one by one.
Among them, what caught the eye was a young girl swinging her sword with black bobbed hair fluttering. And behind them, the sleek face of a man, whose every step was heavy and solemn, caught her eye at once.
The scoundrel of Zervan, who was said to have the most handsome face among the nobles of the kingdom.
Kallias von Zervan.
It was his appearance.
"As expected, it's you. Orphin."
"Ah... Lord Kallias."
"Lord Kallias!!"
"…."
Orphin shed tears, and Rini welcomed Kallias, but Rivan kept silent as if in solemn gloom.
Swish.
Kallias cut their handcuffs and shackles with a single stroke, and annihilated the orcs while covering the knights' backs.
Orphin shed tears and kept watching his back.
It was the back she used to protect before, but now she was being protected by that back.
She felt an indescribable emotion swirling inside her.
As a knight.
As a knight serving Zervan, she felt shame and gratitude at the same time.
'He has changed beyond recognition.'
He was no longer the scoundrel she knew.
Rather, wasn't he the very image of the knight she had so desperately desired and aspired to be? Orphin looked at Kallias with eyes of admiration, sparkling with tears.
"Take up your sword."
A sword thrown after turning one of the nearby orcs into a corpse.
Orphin felt a surge of emotion at the sight of Kallias handing her a sword.
She bit her lower lip so hard it almost drew blood. She quietly received the sword Kallias offered with both hands.
That sight was truly devout.
The hesitation in her heart vanished.
Orphin steadied her mind.
She opened her mouth as if hesitating, wanting to say something, but the situation didn't flow only in a good direction.
Kaboom!
"Argh!"
It exploded as if a bomb went off on one side where the knights were.
Soon, a murderous intent that made her whole body tingle weighed down on her.
Thump, thump.
Only the heavy sound of footsteps landed over the orcs' corpses.
"L-Lord Kallias!!"
The one who soon revealed himself was none other than a green-skinned, red-haired figure.
A warrior with high honor among the orcs.
A warrior among warriors.
It was the Orc Grand Warrior.
"Grand Warrior...."
The Orc Grand Warrior exuding an aura that made her legs go weak already.
He possessed a more ferocious atmosphere than before.
"Ah..."
A Grand Warrior!
Orphin, who had just thought she survived, fell into despair once more.
"It's different. Isn't it?"
"Yes! He's different from the one we saw last time! That guy is smaller and skinnier!"
The one who interjected into Kallias's muttering was Rini.
"...You saw him?"
"I saw him from afar last time! I have pretty good eyes!"
Rini pointed at her eyes and smiled brightly.
Kallias glanced at Rini with unchanging eyes and muttered.
"It must be the 'grace' brought by the blessing of the god."
"Yes! That's right!"
The blessing of the god Valterus, said to be received only by the nobles and royal family in the founding myth.
It seemed to be a grace regarding that.
The grace of the god manifests occasionally over generations.
'Zervan's was the eyes.'
Ash-gray eyes resembling a god.
Of course, Kallias didn't have such a grace.
"It's a shame it's not Keltuk, but it's more than enough to cross swords with."
"Lord Kallias! That guy seems to be quite confident in his speed!"
Ignoring Rini's shout, Kallias stepped forward and drew the Predator Sword.
The Axe God of the Orcs.
Kunta bestowed a different miracle upon his warriors compared to other gods.
The axes they possessed were mostly enhancement-type weapons.
The moment they grip it, they gain near-superhuman strength in their physical aspects.
Whether it's the shoulders or the legs, no one knows, but the orcs' miracles are mostly like that.
Therefore, that guy probably.
'His inherent ability must be related to agility.'
Since Keltuk was brute strength.
Rini seemed to have noticed that his physique and trained muscles were different, with her eyes blessed by the god's grace.
It looked like it would be quite a unique battle.
However, Kallias rather welcomed it.
It had been a series of breathless wars since then, but no opponent had appeared who could make Kallias's heart race.
The corner of Kallias's mouth twitched.
"Come."
Tung. The sound of kicking off the ground is clear.
However, the Grand Warrior charging in was as fast as a striking lightning bolt.
Kaaaang!!
The hand axe containing speed invisible to the eye clashed with the Predator Sword - Roas.
The red sparks spread fiercely enough to light up the twilight sky that had now grown dark.
Kwang! Kang! Kigigigigik!
The intense exchange of attacks sent vibrations trembling through the air.
At the thunderous roar like a thunderstorm, Rivan and Rini covered their ears with both hands.
However, the children's ash-gray eyes did not blink even for a moment.
Because if they blinked even for a moment, they felt they would miss the sight of the Grand Warrior and Kallias forever.
"Rivan. Watch closely. If the man who crossed swords with you had held a fork instead of a sword, you wouldn't be here right now."
Emily, who had taken a position behind them at some point, looked beyond Rivan and Rini.
She looked proudly at Kallias fighting fiercely and spoke.
"Someday, you will be proud of yourself. Just for the fact that you crossed swords with him."