Side Story Chapter 80
Ranger was sitting on his horse alongside Cain’s, situated on the high ground where he had full view of the enemy camp.
“Please tell me now. Who is that guy?” Ranger asked with a frown, gesturing to the man standing on the ledge without a horse of his own.
“Do you want to know?”
“I’m dying to know, so tell me, come on.”
Cain shook his head. “I can’t tell you right now.”
“Are you kidding me right now?”
“My answer remains the same.”
Ranger’s frown deepened. “…I’m sensing a story behind this, so I’ll find out for myself.”
“You?”
“Don’t tell me you’re going to stop me from doing this, too. Sir Cain, I’ve left him alone because he seems to be your guest, but the battle is about to begin so I can’t do that anymore.”
“Don’t tell me you think he’s a spy?” Cain raised an eyebrow. “I can vouch for him, you know.”
“No commander likes uncertainty or unpredictable variables.”
Cain gave Ranger a long, meaningful look, but Ranger didn’t back down.
“Do you think I’m the only one who thinks that way?” Ranger sighed.
“What?”
Ranger gestured. “Look around.”
Cain looked and found out that Ranger was right. All of the knights and soldiers were watching the mysterious guest with hostility, something Cain hadn’t expected at all.
“They’re this hostile to an outsider…?” Cain murmured.
“Do you really not know why we’re on such high alert around outsiders?”
“Nothing comes to mind right now.”
“The buddies who they drank with yesterday point their swords at our necks today. Their colleagues who became the Imperial Knights in the same year turned into their archenemies. These people have no choice but to kill their friends and comrades,” Ranger said.
“Why are you suddenly mentioning that?”
“That is today’s Avalon.”
Cain finally understood. The rebels had once been their comrades, but these people had to take up arms against them nonetheless. What would happen if a mysterious outsider became their commanding officer?
“…I see.” Cain nodded.
“You know that now, so don’t stop me.” Ranger urged his horse forward.
“I didn’t really intend to hide it… Well, he’ll take care of it.”
Ranger heard what Cain said and tilted his head in confusion for a moment, but approached the robed man undeterred.
“Hey,” Ranger said.
The man turned.
“It’s a bit late, but let me introduce myself. I’m Ranger, the commander of the western forces of the national army of the great Avalon Empire and the vice commander of the Imperial Knights.”
Ranger didn’t get off his horse. It was quite rude, but, as commander, he was actually compromising by introducing himself first.
“I see.”
Ranger’s jaw dropped at the man’s audacious reply.
“…’I see’?”
“I see.”
“…I see?” A vein bulged on Ranger’s forehead. “I see? I seeee?”
“You’re noisy. I’m thinking, so be quiet.”
“Huh? B-Be quiet? Are you crazy?” Ranger leaped off of his horse.
The man was still arrogantly looking down at the enemy’s camp as if he ruled it.
Ranger reached out and grabbed the man’s shoulder. Old habits die hard—Ranger’s coarse behavior from his time as a mercenary was leaking out..
“Are you nuts?” Ranger demanded. “No, not even lunatics act like this. Did you get stabbed in the head or something?”
“Look over there first.”
“…What?”
“There’s movement in the enemy camp.”
Ranger's eyes widened. “What?!”
He quickly stepped beside the man and realized that he was right. For some reason, the once quiet camp was a hive of activity; all of the rebel soldiers and knights were in motion.
“No way… Is Marquess Turtler really dead?” Ranger mumbled.
“I told you.”
Ranger’s head whipped around. The man’s face was cloaked in a thick shadow, as if the man used some kind of magic to conceal it, such that Ranger couldn’t get a proper look at his face even from right next to him. Nevertheless, it was impossible to hide the man’s sharp nose. For some reason, it reminded Ranger of someone…
“…Someone?” Ranger froze. No, his entire brain ground to a screeching halt as if he had been struck with a lightning bolt. He trembled, goosebumps rising all over his body as he realized what was happening.
“N-No way…”
Why hadn’t Ranger thought of him? He thought he’d heard the man’s voice before—why wasn’t that enough? Although they hadn’t met for over a decade, it shouldn’t have been a problem considering how much Ranger had been waiting for the man.
“Captain… N-No, is that really you, Your Majesty? Please answer me. Is that really you, Your Majesty?”
Ranger wanted to stay calm and show the man that he was fine. Despite the man’s absence, Ranger had done a fine job in leading the army, but he couldn’t tell the man any of it. Ranger was embarrassed as hell, but his eyes were already welling up with tears.
“I told you to keep your voice down. I was thinking of ways to handle them without taking any casualties, but you ruined it.” The man lifted his hood a little, revealing the exact face that Ranger had been expected to see. White skin, dark blue hair, obsidian-like eyes, a sharp nose… the man’s look was divinely perfect.
“Your Majesty!” Ranger choked up. He was a robust man, easily two meters tall, but he threw himself at Joshua like a little boy.
“You’re a grandpa now. What are you doing?”
“…Hic. Hnnnngh. I really, really missed you,” Ranger sniffled.
Joshua patted Ranger’s back, chuckling quietly. Despite his appearance, Ranger was one of the most tenderhearted people Joshua knew, so he let Ranger hug him for a long time.
“…He’s like a child,” Cain remarked with a small smile.
However, the other knights weren’t as enthused. The Imperial Knights were particularly appalled.
“Wh-What is wrong with him?”
“Has he gone m-mad?”
“I’m sure that that guest is a man. Did he open up to a brand new world…?”
“Don’t say such horrible things. Then the whole order is his buffet!”
“Damon, I think you’re the last person who should worry about that…”
“What’s that supposed to mean? I’m starting to get annoyed.”
The sight of a relatively small and slender man hugging a bear-like man was enough to cause a commotion.
“Why don’t we stop now? A lot of people are watching us,” Joshua said.
“Snifff. O-Okay.”
“I should throw away this robe. It’s covered in snot now.”
When Ranger stepped away from Joshua, a white line of snot stretched between them.
“I’m sorry.” Ranger fidgeted with his fingers.
“Only an apology?”
“Pardon…?”
“Ranger, you acquired the White Tiger authority after Marquess Dargo’s death, didn’t you?” Joshua asked.
“Th-That’s right.”
Joshua nodded knowingly, but such a thing was supposed to be impossible. Gods had left traces in this realm in the form of authorities so they would not be annihilated and forgotten. However, an authority couldn’t be freely handed over to another person. An authority’s owner was its medium, so the owner’s death was equivalent to the god’s annihilation. Therefore, the White Tiger authority should have disappeared after Dargo’s death. For this phenomenon to take place…
‘The gods’ influence over the Human Realm is getting stronger,’ Joshua thought.
That wasn’t good for humans. Supposing it was true, the gods, who were only authorities right now, might try to take over humans’ bodies.
“Your Majesty, is something on your mind…?” Ranger asked cautiously.
“…No.” Joshua stopped his train of thought; he had to deal with the situation at hand. “By the way, are you just going to keep watching them? The enemies are in confusion after losing their leader, and they’re right in front of you. From a commander’s perspective, isn’t this the perfect opportunity?”
Ranger’s racing heart quickly calmed down. “…I’ll officially pay my respects later, so you must tell me your story then.”
“Of course. Since you made a decision, let’s maximize the potential of that new White Tiger authority of yours.” Joshua smiled.
“Maximize…?”
“Did you forget about my ability?”
Ranger’s eyes slowly widened. “Aura Application!”
Joshua nodded, his smile growing. That wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the White Tiger authority was made for war. Its wielder could boost the listeners’ adrenaline and increase their morale, just like an aura application ability.
“A hero’s epic…!”
“Ahem, ahem. It’s been a long time since I’ve done this, so I’m not sure how well it’ll work.”
A soundwave laced with aura spread through the air. The knights responded immediately, and the soldiers could feel their hearts pounding.
Ranger activated the White Tiger authority without hesitation, amplifying the troops’ morale and spirit.
What followed next triggered a storm of shock.
“W-W-Wait, is he…?”
The knights’ jaws dropped to the ground. They had only heard of this, so it was their first time witnessing it themselves. However, there were some senior knights who had experienced it over a decade ago, so they sank to the ground on their knees.
“I set the stage, so wipe them out.”
Only one person in this world could use this ability.
“All hail His Majestyyy!”
It was Joshua Sanders, the great emperor of the Avalon Empire.
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