The Luthien Theocracy. Aaron Bernecker, a 2nd-hierarchy paladin of the Cult of Abundance. He had come here to carry out an extremely important assignment.
The secret society “Night Raven”, operating in the border cities against the Theocracy. Its objective was the capture of the owner of the “Silver Compass” merchant guild—who, as it turned out, was a member of that organization.
“This is my chance.”
Normally, missions of such importance were entrusted to paladins of higher hierarchies. However, thanks to an auspicious alignment of timing and circumstances, Aaron had been able to take this assignment for himself. No difficulties were expected. According to reports, Kalian Ladenbach possessed absolutely no combat skills.
“They said he’s more of an HR man than a fighter.”
Someone who knows a great deal, yet is helpless in a fight. All Aaron had to do was take him alive, and a torrent of priceless information would be secured. Besides, luck was on the paladin’s side. Kalian hadn’t brought battle mages or elite “Night Raven” fighters with him. Ordinary caravan guards and a handful of pathetic mercenaries would hardly be enough to stop him—a paladin.
...That was what Aaron thought before the battle began.
“Something’s off.”
Standing before the caravan’s defensive formation, Aaron felt an inexplicable unease. Of course, he expected resistance. But the way it had been organized looked frighteningly orderly.
The formation looked as though it had been prepared in advance. The wagons had been turned into barricades, creating a solid defensive line. Behind them, in precisely measured positions, crossbowmen and archers stood ready.
Heavy infantry with spears held the front ranks. Along the flanks, stakes had been driven in tight and obstacles set up, cutting off any attempt to circle around. It was the kind of formation you would see only in a regular army. This wasn’t improvised resistance. Even the battle-hardened warriors of the Holy Army hesitated despite themselves.
“...They knew we were coming? But how?”
But it wasn’t only that.
“They have a commander.”
He wasn’t visible. But he could be felt. Because the people who should have scattered in terror were acting not merely calmly, but like a single living organism. That could mean only one thing. ...They were being led by someone who knew war and understood how to command a battlefield.
“Could there be a former soldier among the mercenaries or the guards?”
At that moment...
Grrr...
A nauseating spasm rolled up from the deepest pit of his stomach. A disgusting sensation, as if something greasy and sticky had clung to his heart. Aaron hurriedly lowered his head.
“Forgive me.”
The “Corpulent King”, the deity he had contracted with, was enraged. Aaron had not yet reached the level where he could hear direct revelations, but he felt his god’s fury on his skin.
“...I will hurry.”
The god did not want heavy losses among his followers. Everything had to be finished quickly, even at the cost of unjustified risk.
Otherwise, the deity would demand payment again. He would be forced to choke down raw meat until his stomach turned inside out and his intestines knotted into a twist. The very thought sent a cold sweat down the paladin’s spine.
B-oo-oo-m!
Aaron erupted with divine power. Without hesitation, he charged straight into the thickest part of the formation. His target was the guild master’s carriage. It was the point of highest enemy concentration, but he didn’t care.
— B-back!
— A paladin’s coming!
Under Aaron’s pressure, the guards flinched instinctively and retreated. Soon their formation began to collapse, turning into an unorganized crowd. Though some contractor of a petty little god tried to buy time...
“Of course.”
After exchanging a couple of blows, the man quickly turned and fled. How could those without faith or conviction stand to the end before a paladin? Tactics? Command? None of that mattered. The gulf between one whom a god gazes upon, and everyone else, was insurmountable. Only then did Aaron allow himself to smile.
“The end.”
Now all that remained was to drag Kalian Ladenbach out of the carriage. In case the man attempted suicide, Aaron had prepared an antidote. The sweet fruit of success was already within arm’s reach. With a triumphant look, Aaron—
Bang!
Kicked the carriage door open.
. . .
At the same time. Amid the chaos of the battle. Kalian, dressed as a mercenary, let out a relieved breath. Beside him stood a youth who, despite the stains of blood and soot, retained a noble air. His identity was still a mystery, but his strategic instinct and decisiveness were astonishing.
— Now the most important part begins.
A calm, yet firm tone. A voice that instinctively inspired trust.
— Hide, run, do whatever you have to so you won’t be found. Stall for as long as possible.
Kalian nodded decisively.
The resistance had been stronger than expected. Alarmed, the paladin went for a desperate breakthrough. Confusion over the guild master’s disappearance. Everything was going strictly according to plan.
“Now he’ll give the order.”
And sure enough, a booming shout rang out:
— The target changed clothes and escaped! Search the entire battlefield!
— Don’t kill indiscriminately! Check identity first!
The expected reaction. The paladin’s order was “take the Golden Fox alive”. The upper ranks needed information, not a corpse. That was why the mere fact that the guild master had changed clothes and vanished into the chaos was enough for the advantage to swing to our side.
[Three gods admire your resourcefulness]
If they butcher everyone and accidentally kill Kalian, that was mission failure. In the end, the low-ranking paladin had only one option—foam at the mouth checking each and every person before killing them. And all of that while our guerrilla tactics were in play, with allies scattering in different directions.
“Come on, fanatic. Sweat.”
The essence of this plan was to force the enemy into the most inefficient battle possible and wear them down. Of course, I had ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) no intention of sitting around doing nothing, either.
— Ryan.
— Huh?
— Time for us to move, too.
— With pleasure.
Ryan grinned, slinging his hammer over his shoulder. While the paladin was prowling for the guild master, we had two tasks. First: eliminate the mid-level commanders to sow confusion. And—
Whish!
My sword savagely pierced the neck of one of the squad leaders. Immediately after, the hammer crashed down onto the soldiers who had lost their commander with a thunderous impact. The crowd scattered. I caught up to one at once and drove my sword deep into his back.
— Second: diligently farm Karma.
— Kar... what? There he goes again.
Ryan laughed cheerfully.
.
.
.
About twenty minutes passed like that. This operation was a success from the standpoint of personal growth as well.
[Level Up! / Lv. 29]
[Strength: 24 → 25]
[Level Up! / Lv. 30]
[Agility: 21 → 22]
I gained two levels.
[In the heat of unceasing battles, your body finds optimal movements]
[Sword mastery increases]
Because I was killing strong enemies one after another, my sword skill was rising rapidly. I must have accumulated quite a bit of Karma as well.
— ......
Which meant it was time to see the finale of this life.
— ...We did everything we could. Agreed?
— Yeah. No objections.
Ryan and I stood in the middle of a battlefield where silence had settled. Blood-soaked ground, wagons burning down, bodies everywhere. Eddie was among them.
Our forces were completely wiped out. The guild master, as I had asked, hid as long as he could, then asked me to end his life. He didn’t want to spend the rest of his days in the Theocracy’s torture chambers. He said he had passed the seal to Yor. But I lost track of her in the middle of the battle, so I didn’t know her fate.
— We will definitely win.
People who believed I had a way out, who clung to a fragile hope to the very end. But in this life, I couldn’t save them. I only used their hope to lay the foundation for the next incarnation. Guilt gnawed at me from the inside, but there was no time for sentimentality.
Tap, tap...
Through the noticeably thinned ranks of the Holy Army, the paladin approached us. His face looked incomparably more haggard than last time. The target that had to be taken alive was dead, most of his subordinates were lost. Meeting his eyes—where despair flickered—I smirked.
— Welcome, fanatic.
— Ha...
In that moment, rage replaced emptiness. He raised his sword and pointed it straight at me. A hoarse voice rang out:
— So it was you.
— Yeah.
— ...How the hell did you know we were coming? Tell the truth.
Ryan and I answered at the same time:
— I came from the future.
— Your mom told me.
Ryan snorted and clapped me on the shoulder.
— Since when did you get so talkative?
— I’m telling the truth.
— Me too, bro!
...We were having fun, but for the target of our mockery, the spectacle probably wasn’t pleasant. Veins bulged on the paladin’s forehead.
Clang!
The instant his sword shot upward, we raised our weapons too. A horrifying thirst for blood.
“But this time, everything will be different.”
We were exhausted, but he was even more worn down. Most likely, he wouldn’t even be able to use divine power properly. This fight would be far more favorable than in all my previous lives. Victory was still impossible, but that wasn’t the point.
“A new route has opened.”
Now I could reach this point without unnecessary variables... the place where a profitable duel was possible. In other words, I had secured a shortcut to the second phase.
“Which means it’s time to take another step forward.”
Dying last time, I had thought. Up until now, I had tried to gain Karma simply by killing as many enemies as possible. But if you think about it, the status window never once said Karma was given only for kills. Karma is the weight of my “traces”. That is, it’s granted based on how significant my battles were. No matter how many small mobs you slaughter, the amount of Karma you get will be negligible.
“To get a lot of Karma...”
I needed achievements. Meaningful feats that were difficult to accomplish by ordinary means. And I think I figured out how to do it.
“What if I create chaos in a battle where my defeat is predetermined?”
I didn’t have to win. This world was certain I would be crushed without managing any resistance. I just had to deceive those expectations. Hold out to the end, counterattack, and create a result no one foresaw.
“For example, land one truly powerful hit on him.”
In that moment, Karma would definitely respond. Which meant the next target lay in the battle itself. Raise my stats, sharpen my skills, burn every one of his movements and habits into my memory. Squeeze everything out of my experience as a returner and accomplish an “achievement”—hit him.
“This will be a much faster route than accumulating Karma through ordinary deaths.”
Collect 500 points—and goodbye, this damn Act 1, Chapter 1. I took a deep breath. The bloody stench of the battlefield soaked into my lungs.
— Attack.
I hadn’t even finished speaking when the paladin, with the face of an enraged demon, was right in front of me. An unprecedentedly fierce exchange began—we clashed fifteen times.
Whish!
This time, my head flew off first. My vision began to spin at an angle. The last thing I saw was a crazed Ryan rushing into battle—and being chopped into pieces.
***
[You have died]
[Counting death records...]
[5/99]
[NEW! Summary of growth in this life]
— Level increased by “2”.
— Skill proficiency of “Knight’s Fencing” has surged and will soon reach Lv. “2”.
.
.
.
[#5 Life of a Butterfly]
[Gunther, can the flap of your wings cause a typhoon?]
[Karma of the fifth life: 48]
[Current Karma: 95]
[Accumulated Karma: 195]
