The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 211



Only Krnovel

Episode 211. The Signs of War (7)

Under the precepts of the barren wilderness, struggle is definitely a path worth walking.

However, Atala, the god of struggle and wilderness, clearly added the words to be courageous but not reckless.

No matter how much stronger the peddler was than before, it was absurd to stand against the imperial paladins alone. Especially when I threw away all my weapons.

It is courageous to know your tactics and face a strong enemy after thorough preparation, but it is foolish to fight against a strong enemy without knowing your own strengths. Kadim again advised me not to talk nonsense and to take a weapon. Nevertheless, Duncan insisted on going to Delutana alone.

He said he was fine, persuaded me to use those weapons, vowed never to confront the Paladin head-on, then changed his stance and boasted about his accomplishments, which he said were nothing more than a fluke, and when none of his words worked, he ended up… … I confessed my innermost concerns.

“But, but, what if something big happens again in the meantime? If you delay in finding your comrade in the wilderness, and a tragedy like the one with the Archmage happens this time… … what should I do… … ?”

I know very well how rude this concern is, but the more I spoke, the more my voice crawled into a rat hole.

To someone whose colleague’s blood hasn’t even dried on his hands yet, you’re telling me that something like that might happen again… … . In the old days, it would not have been surprising to hear a threat to pull out intestines and make string, or to actually carry out such a plan.

Kadim’s expression hardened like a shadowy stone wall. But he did not scold or threaten Duncan. Given what he had been through, it was a reasonable concern.

“Cyril, unlike Melissa… … will probably be okay. He has more patience than the other four, including me, combined. It’s still uncertain whether he’s alive or dead.”

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty… … . I’m not saying that he would have done the same… … .”

“no. Just think about it. If even Cyril were to become twisted and endanger the very existence of the world, even if I went alone into the wilderness and stopped it… … .”

… … If all those I was trying to protect are dead, isn’t that just a waste of effort?

Kadim swallowed his words.

This was an admission that he had stepped down and was now in great vulnerability. It was also a selfishness that conflicted blatantly with the nobility of the Arch Paladin who had incited him to confront his own allies in order to prevent innocent casualties.

But it was also something that was infinitely close to sincerity.

Saving innocent lives as numerous as the stars in the night sky was truly a noble and excellent cause. However, strictly speaking, it was only a secondary reason that was fine if it could be done, and not if it couldn’t be done. These were the core reasons why Khadim suffered from severe madness and fought against all odds to save this strange world.

Protecting those you want to protect, and… … Finding a way to return to the world you originally lived in.

Now, the peddler and his family, along with the comrades of the first round, were placed on the line of those who were ‘to be protected’. However, the reason he decided to go to Delutana was not just because of them. There was another ‘important purpose’ there as well.

The information the dragon told me the other day, the ‘time’ when the power of Heavenly Punishment weakened.

‘When the kingdom that served the false Elga went to war with the kingdom of the god of darkness and chaos… … . In the end, they destroyed their enemies and won, but when they also suffered considerable damage… … . Yes, the power of Heavenly Punishment was definitely weaker during that period than at other times.’

If a war breaks out between the empire and the alliance, that ‘period’ will be similarly recreated… … We will be able to figure out if that is really the weakness of the fake Elga.

Duncan stared blankly at the suddenly silent savage. Kadim gathered his wits and changed the subject.

“… … Anyway, since you’re joining me on my path of struggle, there’s no reason I shouldn’t do the same. If something happens to your family, you won’t be able to help me properly in the future.”

“I, Your Majesty… … .”

“Take your weapons. From now on, never let these fall from your arms. “The only time a warrior can drop his weapon is when he picks up another weapon or when he dies.”

Duncan’s eyes turned red and he held up the ‘Hellfire Dagger’, the ‘World Tree Dagger’, and the ‘Razor’.

Indescribable emotion and strength filled my heart. This great warrior, putting aside his own struggles to personally protect his family… … Later, even if the Lord went to hell, he boasted that he would follow him to the threshold and help him, no matter how difficult it would be.

But that emotion subsided quickly like bubbles.

“Oh, but it’ll get better… … . The distance to Delutana is quite far, so I think it would be better to get a horse… … . The area around here is completely empty, so I don’t know where to find anything… … .”

“… … word? Why are words necessary? “There is already a vehicle that is faster than a horse.”

“Yes? What is that?”

It seemed as if a thick finger was pointing to the sky, but as it circled in the air, it slowly fell down, eventually pointing to things hanging underneath its body.

Legs filled with muscles several times stronger than those of a horse, and capable of easily covering hundreds of kilometers in a day.

“Since things are urgent, I won’t run leisurely like before. Follow me diligently.”

“… … .”

Duncan recalled the nightmare of the past, of chasing after a savage who was galloping along the Golden Road, his tail puking and retching.

‘that is… … ‘You were just leisurely running?’

His bearded face immediately turned as pale as a corpse.

*

Bad news has reached the ‘Golden City’ Delutana.

The sad news flew straight into the office of a mansion. The magically created dove dispersed like the wind as soon as it touched the window, but the letter held in its claws was delivered across the crack in the window. An old gentleman, whose fine wrinkles and gray hair had recently increased, picked it up, ripped open the outer cover with a letter knife, and examined it.

And after reading the letter, he relayed its contents to his younger brother and Geohan, who were looking at him nervously.

“It is said that Archbishop Erensko took control of the imperial army and sent it out as a ‘crusade army.’”

“… … .”

“The size of the vanguard force is estimated to be between 15,000 and 17,000, and the rough composition is estimated to be 60% heavy infantry, 30% light infantry, and 10% cavalry. The pretext for the war is… … to seize the autonomy granted by the former emperor from the arrogant alliance, and to start a ‘holy war’ to wipe out the non-believers and heretics on this continent.”

“… … .”

“An edict has been issued ordering nobles not only near the capital but also on the outskirts to participate in the war, and an order for general mobilization has also been issued to the priests and paladins of the church. The worst news of all… … “Even the ‘Decagrams’ who were wandering abroad gathered together and participated in the war.”

The moment when the dim flames of war finally ignited.

Remtana’s counselor, Enrico, took a deep breath. The leader of the army, Goltaran, also frowned and frowned.

Only Pelico, the head of the Turis family, maintained a calm attitude. He shook his head as if he had made up his mind and tore the letter into pieces, obliterating its contents.

“I thought that archbishop was not an ordinary person, but I had no idea that he would start a war less than a month after taking power. He even took out all the troops who were working to subdue demons, so for the time being, demons will be running wild all over the continent.”

“… … .”

“Anyway, judging from the fact that you sent the ‘Wind Feather Mission’ that you instructed us to use only as a last resort, it seems like all the spies dispatched to the Holy Land have been discovered and disposed of. So from now on… … let’s try to come up with a plan based solely on the information we have.”

No answer. Everyone fell silent in despair.

Delutana’s current situation could be considered a total disaster.

Other large cities that could not help enough were only looking out for their own interests, and the Council of Councilors was still full of lawmakers who opposed hostilities with the empire. As rumors spread that a high-ranking family had taken refuge, public opinion among the citizens became negative, and it was no longer possible to find out the circumstances of the enemy. Even the means were cut off. In the meantime, the large army numbering well over 10,000 people was approaching a natural disaster that could not be dealt with.

However, the greater threat was of course the Empire’s highest-ranking Holy Knight, ‘Decagram’.

This is not the first time there has been a war with the empire. In the distant past, the empire had invaded and subjugated an alliance once. However, the wars of the past were not given sticky labels such as ‘holy war’ or ‘great war’.

Because a city was destroyed in one night by the ‘Decagrams’, and the alliance surrendered in less than three days.

A large army of over 10,000 men or even more reinforcements would have a slim chance of winning, but it was possible to engage in combat. However, these knights were not like that. No matter how many troops were mobilized, it was impossible to stop the monstrous gods who could destroy the walls with a single spear and sword and slaughter hundreds or thousands of people in the blink of an eye.

Therefore, if we fail to prepare for the ‘Decagram’, we know full well that a disaster like the one in the past will occur, and we have been preparing thoroughly.

The situation was not good at all. The magicians who were still available had been requested to return from the Magic Tower, the relic soldiers who had been requested to be dispatched to the northern warlords had not even heard of their arrival, and the ‘Demon Slayer’ who had been considered a trump card had disappeared… … The brothers Felico and Enrico were just pounding the armrests of Tododok and Tododok.

However, there is no way to die quietly, and fate left one hope.

“Commissioner. Do you remember the day before yesterday when I told you I had some good news?”

“… … Remember. On the way, Senator Ramulek and the dogs got in the way and prevented me from hearing.”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I was going to tell you then.”

Goltaran pointed at the tattoo on his forearm. Although the shape was crude, it was not an ordinary tattoo.

Ugh-!

When I clenched my fist, a yellowish glow flowed from the tattoo.

Enrico was the first to open his eyes, and then even Pellico opened his eyes wide.

“That’s… … what the heck… … .”

“Isn’t this… … a tattoo of the Atalains that is said to grant special powers… …? I think I saw something similar on Lord Khadim before… … .”

“It’s something like that. Well, it is a power that cannot be compared to that of the Great Warrior, but if you use several of them at the same time, it will be useful in its own way. And there is also the advantage of being able to continue mass producing them as long as ‘they’ are alive.”

Goltaran sent a signal to those waiting outside the door. The warriors of the ‘Unbreakable Army’ entered the office, guarding someone tightly. An unidentified group wearing veils to hide their identities.

As the cotton cloth was removed, their faces were revealed all at once. They were Atalan women in their twenties, with healthy beauty. Their tense gestures and expressions were filled with inexperience, but deep in their eyes was an insight that foresaw the will of the vast wilderness.

Goltaran solemnly introduced them.

“These are the priestesses who serve the Father of the Wilderness, the ‘Wilderness Priests.’ They had already disappeared from the continent hundreds of years ago… … But recently, there have been new people who have felt ‘supernatural powers’ and have been possessed by a god.”

““… … !””

After that, he bit the warriors who had been escorting him and continued his explanation quietly.

“I guess it’s because the Great Master has returned to the world. He is the mediator between the gods and humans. In any case, if we receive their assistance… … the ‘Unstoppable Forces’ and the Disaster Forces’ power will become much stronger than they are now.”

A color gradually appeared on the faces of the Turis brothers. It felt like I had finally found a hole in a closed mineshaft that allowed me to breathe.

However, these were literally just pores and not a perfect escape route.

“But even so, it would definitely be impossible to stand up to ‘Decagram’.”

“… … .”

“The new Wilderness priestesses have only just regained their supernatural powers, and are ignorant of powerful spells or visions. For now, they can only get tattoos that enhance their powers. If they want to fully realize their potential, they will need to find someone who can teach them about ancient spells or provide them with information.”

The rising color slowly began to subside. Enrico asked, sounding at a loss.

“Lord Goltaran, the shamans of the old wilderness disappeared hundreds of years ago… … Isn’t the ‘wilderness’, your hometown, even beyond the imperial territory? “Where in the world can you find such information or someone to teach you?”

“There is a way. There are ruins where the priestesses of the old wilderness are sealed all over the Alliance Territory. When I was staying in Agon’s Arena, I also received close help from a priestess.”

“Is that true? “So where is he now?”

“… … dead. The shaman defied her Great Warrior and was duly judged under his axe. “It would be better not to linger over the dead and find new ruins quickly.”

In the end, the color that appeared on the brothers’ faces changed to contemplation.

It’s a situation where you never know when the imperial army will attack, so when and where will such ruins be found and how long will it take to raise these fledgling shamans… … . Pellico and Enrico were lost in thought and started tapping the Todo Dog and the Todo Dog armrests again.

Goltarann ​​looked out the window for a moment at the distant sky.

Suddenly, in her bitter eyes, the image of an old and foolish priestess who had called herself the great warrior until the end appeared.

*

My heart was pounding, my heart was beating wildly. Glancing, my eyes scanned the surroundings. Slowly, I walked out with numb steps.

On the northern outskirts of Delutana, Ramulek hurriedly left the cave. Thanks to the mysterious long-distance communication, no trace of the whistleblower remained. Only the sweet message that had finally been promised after a long devotion lingered in his ears.

‘… … After the ‘Holy War’ is over, Delutana’s governing body will change from the council to the governor’s office. Until then, if you continue to obey Elgar’s will and spread the ‘gospel’ to all your compatriots, the position of governor will surely be yours.’

Escaping from Delutana, reporting information, negotiating with the Arch Paladin were all successful, but… … the lingering sense of unease in my heart did not go away. Perhaps it was because I was alone without the fierce dogs that had always been by my side. I was trying to hurry back to the Delutana mansion where the dogs would be.

Suddenly the world turned upside down.

“Ugh!!”

Boom!

The dust flowed into my cold, broken nose. After I let out a cough, I realized that someone had surprised me and thrown me to the bare floor.

“Cluck cluck! “Who, who are you, you bastard!”

“… … .”

“I am Ramulek Bolgarruis, Councilor of Delutana! I don’t know who it is, but you’re making a big mistake… … .”

Ramulek stopped talking. The cold metal seeped into the back of his neck. After twisting his neck stiffly to confirm the identity of the assailant, he could not even breathe properly.

The day before yesterday, the mad savage who bit off my dog’s snout with his teeth… …one of the savage warriors he leads.

“… … The author, who is supposedly a member of the National Assembly, is actually a spy for the Empire behind the scenes.”

The Atalain warrior who had been chasing after Julia at her command grimaced as he struck down hard with his throwing axe.