Chapter 105: The Narden Battlefield
King Raymond of Tetir was in despair and had stopped eating and drinking. His worry had not been eased in recent days due to the rapidly changing situation. Right until the point of Aderta’s fall, King Raymond had thought that Merteng would soon fall as well and had felt relieved.
However, the contact with the knights and the Qualified who entered the Demon Realm had all been cut off, and a man named Lee Shin suddenly appeared and captured Delbet in an instant.
The operation to draw out the essential forces of Merteng using Kim Kang-Chun and Ji Eun-Ju had failed completely due to Lee Shin’s intervention, and Wildes had betrayed the alliance and turned to Merteng. That Qualified named Lee Shin was clearly ruining everything.
"What do you think we should do about this, Jermain?" King Raymond asked.
"To be honest, we’re in a dilemma right now. Merteng is to the east, Wildes is to the north, and Lantan is across the southern sea," Jermain explained.
"Yeah… That's right," King Raymond replied.
"Based on the situation, Lantan has also undoubtedly sided with Merteng, and with Wildes also being on Merteng’s side, this is clearly a situation where we will suffer the same fate as Merteng did in the past, unless we get support from another country," Jermain said.
"Ugh... Is there no word from Aman and Cormir still?" King Raymond asked.
"No, there isn't," Jermain replied.
King Raymond was lost in thought, pressing on his aching temples. Geographically, it was difficult for other countries to help Tetir. Moreover, the Citadel of the Red Zone had been captured by just one person. In other words, if Lee Shin wished, the fall of Tetir was just a matter of time.
"I’ve heard that soldiers are moving from Narden to Schult Castle," said Jermain.
"What happened to Tetir’s soldiers in Narden Plains right now?" King Raymond asked.
“They are isolated right now. The chance that they would be attacked by enemies is high because we are not able to reach them at this moment,” Jermain explained to King Raymond.
"Man, this is driving me crazy," said King Raymond.
"Since Delbet has collapsed, it is not easy to get support from the home country. The soldiers of Wildes are fighting in the Green Zone, and reinforcements have been sent to Windsor from the Lantan side, so we may have to face Lee Shin in Schult," Jermain explained.
The fall of the Citadel in Delbet alone had greatly reduced the country's war power. It took at least a week to rebuild a collapsed citadel, and everything that had been accumulated would disappear when it fell. Therefore, if Schult also got captured this time, the damage done to Tetir would be irreparable.
‘If only we had a Qualified individual like Lee Shin!’
Thud!
Raymond slammed his armrest angrily. However, he knew that anger did not change reality. Therefore, Raymond quickly regained his composure.
"What does the Privy Council think about this situation?" King Raymond asked Jermain.
"They are arguing for an alliance with Merteng," said Jermain.
"Hmm… Is that the best decision we can make at this point…?” King Raymond muttered.
"Yes, but that would not be easy either because of the things that we have done to them," Jermain explained.
“Alright then, we should have a meeting then,” said King Raymond.
“Shall we set a time?" Jermain asked.
"Yes, and when will we communicate with Merteng?" King Raymond asked.
"They will contact us soon. Also, it will be a good idea to consider an alliance with them," Jermain suggested.
"Alright, I understood," King Raymond replied.
Not long after the conversation between the two, communication was established with Merteng, and the kings of the two countries came face-to-face with each other. The face of Merteng’s king, Adolf, appeared on the screen. Raymond's expression hardened as he saw Adolf’s arrogant and relaxed expression.
- You don’t look too great, Raymond.
"Well, it can't be good because of someone," Raymond replied.
- That’s how I used to feel.
Adolf’s cold voice contained the anger that had been building up all this time. Since Raymond noticed this and understood Merteng’s position, Raymond could not easily find the words to say.
"I'm sorry."
- Huh, where did the arrogant Raymond from before go?
"People change with the situation."
- Indeed, you've changed a lot.
"... Let's get straight to the point,” said Raymond.
- Sure, I don't want to talk much with you either. Um... I suppose Tetir wants to form an alliance with us?
"What did you say?" Raymond shouted.
Although Raymond had expected the other side to know his intentions, Raymond could not hide how stunned he was, because Raymond did not think Adolf would be so brutally upfront at this point.
- We will send an envoy from our side to discuss the conditions for Tetir to form an alliance with us.
Adolf continued on as if Tetir would definitely want to form an alliance, without even hearing Raymond's response. Seeing Adolf’s attitude, Raymond narrowed his eyes.
"Why should we accept your conditions and form an alliance with you? Even if Merteng is doing well, you will still be crushed by WOFP. Don’t you think so?" Raymond asked Adolf.
- Well, that's WOFP’s position, not Tetir’s... don't you know that? Do you really think a silly wordplay will work with me here?
"..." Raymond could not say anything in return.
- Do you even know how many captives from Tetir we’ve got this time? I mean, if we add the ones who are dead, there should be many more.
"... So, if we form an alliance with you, will you release the captives?" Raymond asked.
- That will depend on what Tetir does.
Thud!
Raymond slammed the armrest of his chair with his fist again.
"What kind of alliance are you babbling about!" Raymond shouted at Adolf.
- Shut up, Raymond! Some of us are holding back our anger, you know!
Adolf's glare was searing, like a flame, and it seemed like he was about to explode in anger.
- Just because Merteng is forming an alliance with Tetir doesn't mean we have become friends. We're showing mercy. Understand? We still remember Tetir's past atrocities.
"..." Again, Raymond could not say anything.
- I won't say it again, so listen carefully. If you don't want to be killed, start begging for your lives and join us. Then we'll show mercy and stop the war with Tetir and include you in the alliance.
Raymond could no longer rebut even after hearing Adolf's tough words. Tetir had neither the legitimacy nor the power to retaliate.
***
The army of Tetir and Aman still camped in front of Narden. While waiting for news about luring the Saviors in Narden out using Kim Kang-Chun and Ji Eun-Ju, a knight looked up and saw an army coming down the mountains in the far distance. When the knight saw an army, his eyes widened in surprise.
"What is that?" the knight muttered.
"Oh, it's an army of undead!"
"Undead? Why are they suddenly appearing from over there?!" the knight shouted.
With an army of hundreds of undead appearing, there seemed to be chaos not only in Tetir's army but also in Aman's army.
"What about the trap? What happened to Merteng’s Saviors?" the knight asked urgently.
"There's no news! Besides, we can't tell because there’s no movement from Narden either.”
"What about Aderta's reinforcements?" the knight asked.
"It seems like they need more time to arrive."
“It feels ominous… Why is there an army of undead…? Wait… no, that can’t be true…” the knight mumbled.
There was less chaos in Aman’s camp at the sight of the army of undead. It seemed like the undead had far fewer troops compared to their own forces. However, it was different for Tetir.
"No… No way…"
"Could that be Lee Shin? Is that Lee Shin’s army?”
"Damn it! I heard they just captured Delbet a little while ago, and now they've already broken through and come this far?"
"Then, the traps must have failed."
The people of Tetir were in a state of panic. Tetir had suffered more at the hands of Lee Shin than anywhere else. Their morale plummeted just at the mention of his name.
"Everyone, get in formation! We will retreat to Aderta with Aman!"
"They’ve already come quite close. Retreating could lead to an even greater disaster!"
"You damn bastard! Are you saying you'll face Lee Shin head-on then? He is the monster who captured Delbet alone. And if Lee Shin appears, do you think Narden would just stay calm? Narden would also join and we'll all be slaughtered! Use your brain before you open your mouth!" the knight shouted.
"I'm sorry, sir!"
The French challenger, who had been waiting with Tetir's army, felt his heart pounding like crazy as he watched the undead charging at them at high speed. It felt like the undead were like the zombies from a movie. They were just like dolls who couldn’t care less about who died, only seeking to kill what they saw.
The fact that humans could die fighting the undead while the undead that could not be killed terrified the humans.
‘Damn it.’?
The knight summoned his mana upward and rushed toward Aderta.
Crack—! Thud—!
Suddenly, the ground shook as if there was an earthquake. As the people tried to retreat, the ground split open in front of them and boulders began to gather together.
"What's going on?"
"Is that a Golem?"
A stone Golem appeared. It was several meters in height. A Qualified standing on Tetir's side furrowed her eyebrows.
"Summoning of Golem," said the female Qualified.
Her mana seeped into the ground and created a Golem just like the first one.
Kugugugugugu–
"I'll take care of this Golem! So, move quickly!" the woman shouted urgently.
Thud! Thud!
While the two Golems were fighting each other, Tetir and Aman's armies began to retreat again.
"Stop moving," said a voice.
A cold voice seeped into the ears of the people of Tetir and Aman. It was not a very loud voice, but it clearly reached everyone on the battlefield. Without anyone noticing, the person who spoke approached and stood in front of them.
Flicking his purple hair, the Qualified revealed his Yellow Pattern.
"So, he is the Qualified with the Yellow Pattern…”
"Is this Lee Shin, just as we have expected?"
No matter how powerful the opponent Lee Shin might be, there were thousands of troops on this side. Even excluding all the soldiers, there were still nearly a hundred people who were above the Green Pattern level.
‘Only if we can capture Lee Shin before Narden notices…’
‘This could be an opportunity for us!’
They had thought they were trapped at a dead end, but the courage that had disappeared suddenly sprang up again. Their eyes changed and were filled with desire.
"You're too arrogant, coming alone," said the knight, looking at Lee Shin.
Lee Shin was standing alone, because it took a little while for the undead army to get this far. The knight knew that if his people could deal with Lee Shin before the undead army arrived, the undead would disappear too. The knight leading Aman's forces drew his sword.
"Kill him!" the knight ordered.
"The one who cuts Lee Shin’s neck will get a reward from the king!" added the knight added on.
"Yeahhh!"
The momentum that had taken a nosedive earlier rose again in an instant. No matter how strong Lee Shin may be, there was only one of him. It was impossible for Lee Shin to stop thousands alone.
"If we capture Lee Shin, this war will practically be a victory!"
"The one who captures Lee Shin would become a hero who ended the war!"
Watching the skilled commander who boosted the morale of the soldiers, Lee Shin clicked his tongue.
"Man, you know nothing about necromancers," Lee Shin muttered.
Click!
When Lee Shin flicked his fingers, a black portal appeared in the air.
"What is that?"
There was a sense of uneasiness among the soldiers as they witnessed this strange phenomenon. The energy of death emanated from the dead and out through the portal, surrounding the enemies.
Keaaauuuuhhh—
"Ahhh!"
"What the hell!"
"Monsters are falling!"
Thump. Thud.
Countless Skeletons fell from the portal.
"Keaukkkk!"
"Go away! Stay away from me!"
"Damn it! Smash their bones! Crush their skulls!"
The Skeletons, who single-mindedly killed any living being in front of them and could not care less about who died, attacked indiscriminately. The soldiers, who were confused by the unfamiliar battle situation, started to panic and scatter.
Swish! Clang!
The commander kicked and crushed the skulls of the Skeletons rushing toward him with his sword. He started to frown. He had faced necromancers before, but he had never encountered a sorcerer who used Skeletons like this.
"Focus! The Skeletons coming out now are nothing if you just get a grip! Stay in your position and crush the approaching enemies! Do not allow them to approach you!" ordered the commander.
The commander ran about, helping to stabilize the formation that was falling apart.
‘Whoa…’
Watching the commander, Lee Shin amazed. He was a commander with excellent judgment, troop control, and military power.
‘It would be nice to have him.’
Lee Shin wanted to kill the commander and make him one of Lee Shin’s subordinates, but Lee Shin knew he could not do that if he were to consider the future. The current fight was just to lay the groundwork, and the real enemy was elsewhere.
"Well, this battle is just to drag things out a little," Lee Shin muttered.
In fact, Lee Shin’s gaze was fixed beyond the fiercely fighting soldiers in front of him. He was looking at the people who were watching this battle from inside Narden.
‘I have shown them enough. They will probably be able to step out, since I showed them this much.’
As if the people of Narden had heard Lee Shin thoughts, the iron chains were quickly loosened and the drawbridge came down, the castle gate opening wide.
"Mr. Lee Shin has arrived!"
"Now's the time! We'll show those damn bastards our strength!"
"Go out there! Fight with Mr. Lee Shin! And we will be victorious!"
Whoa—!
The soldiers of Narden appeared, screaming at the top of their lungs. How much had they suffered and endured, hiding in the castle and avoiding the enemy until now. As if they had been holding back their frustration all this time for this moment, they rushed out with anger, bursting out like a volcano.
Hearing their shouts, the soldiers of both nations panicked. Their confusion was obvious from the mess at their front line.
"Stay calm! Maintain your formation! Break through Lee Shi— Damn it!” The face of the commander leading them was distorted.
His head was throbbing as he faced the situation before him—Lee Shin’s undead coming from the front and Merteng’s soldiers coming from behind.
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