The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 243



Only Krnovel

Episode 243 Blind-eyed shaman (1)

Even though two Decagrams came out, the crusaders on the central front suffered a crushing defeat.

The loss was beyond words. Not only were the soldiers killed in droves, but most of the paladins and military priests were either killed or taken prisoner. Even the 9th Decagram ‘Star that Calls Peace’ died, and the 3rd Decagram ‘Star that Penetrates the Truth’ even switched to the allies.

It was even more bitter because it was a defeat that came just before they had destroyed the enemy and achieved victory. The remaining forces, having lost all of their key forces, chewed over the despair like a gallbladder.

There are heads on the other side of the coin, on the other side of crushing defeat there is great victory, and on the other side of sadness there is joy. Considering the principles of a world in which polar opposites are harmonious, the allies who won and benefited greatly should have been holding a party.

However, war is a natural disaster that cannot be calculated according to ordinary principles.

Despite the great victory, a heavy atmosphere hung over the Allied forces led by General Goltarann.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh – !!

A fire raged fiercely over the desolate field. The burning teeth chewed on the firewood and spewed acrid smoke into the air.

The flames’ prey are the Allied soldiers who died in this battle.

There were more people lying in that pile of fire than those who survived.

The shamans of the wilderness sat by the fire and prayed to the souls of the dead. The warriors of the army and the soldiers of the Chassa Army were all mixed up and surrounded in a circle. They survived the death together and became like one blood, overcoming barriers of origin and race.

Of course, their survival was entirely due to the sacrifices of those who returned to the ashes. Most of them were silently destroyed, but occasionally, corpses appeared, their muscles shriveled and convulsing. The soldiers knew that they could not possibly have survived, but they could not stop their shoulders from shaking repeatedly.

The person in charge of the funeral is Goltaran, the head of the army and commander-in-chief of the allied forces. He looked at the corpses with shadowy eyes, then approached them as the flames subsided.

“… … .”

The warriors who were courageous even in the face of the storm of war became ashes that fluttered even in the slight breeze. The name of the indomitable army was meaningless, but its end was fleeting.

From Agon to here, there were no lengthy eulogies retracing the years of struggle. Goltaran simply spoke briefly.

“I swear by Atala’s name that the time I fought alongside you was the golden age when my axe’s blade shone most brightly.”

Immediately after the heart pounded so hard it felt like the sternum was crushed, a farewell speech followed softly.

“… … “I hope that one day, we will meet again in heaven, where war and banquets never end.”

“I hope we can meet again in heaven, where war and banquets never end.”

“May we surely meet again in heaven, where war and feasting never cease… … .”

Atalain, allies and allies alike followed suit, beating their chests in unison.

Goltaran walked away with steady steps. The mixed warriors and soldiers left solemnly, and the shamans of the wilderness were the last to leave after collecting the remains.

Even after the funeral was over, the gloomy atmosphere within the camp did not go away for a while.

However, the soldiers and warriors eventually rose above despair. They looked forward to the hope that had blossomed from the sacrifices of those who had left first. What they had lost was heartbreaking, but what they had gained was also heart-pounding.

Valuable prisoners including priests and bishops, precious booty such as food and relics, the pride of having defended the most fiercely contested key front and the alliance, and above all, the support of the ‘Demon Slayers’ and the joining of the ‘Decagrams’.

The notoriety of the ‘Demon Slayer’, which made all the holy armies tremble, reached the point where he had to bring down the stars of Elgar and even recruit them as allies. Not only that, but even the ‘Border Butcher’ Goltarran, a star of the highest rank, had been subdued in one blow.

Although he lost Elga’s blessing and stigmata, his strong record and accumulated ‘status’ remained. The soldiers spoke in unison. The new allies are ‘Star Against the Light’ and ‘Demon Slayer’. If the two heroes join forces, counterattacking the empire and ending the war at once wouldn’t be such a vain hope.

But in reality, their leader was unable to clear his mind.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been wandering around with a face carrying all the worries of the world. While sighing and returning to the barracks, Goltaran encountered the most unfamiliar person.

“It’s been a while. Fake Grandmaster.”

“… … Your Majesty, Grand Master?”

“Wait a minute, let’s talk.”

Kadim casually summoned the champion of the arena who had once claimed to be a great warrior.

*

The reason I visited Goltaran was simple. I had some questions to ask.

How did they find the ‘ruins’ and use them as a hiding place, why were there people who died from the side effects of the divine power around the ‘ruins’, and what happened to the old priestess and the engraving needle after the ‘ruins’ were destroyed.

Inside the quiet barracks. Goltaran first expressed his gratitude for defeating the crusade. Then he began to answer questions quietly.

There were warriors who kept the sacred relics they had received in the past… … . They died while trying to stop the ‘Star that Calls Peace’… … . The relics were discovered by the ‘New Priestess of the Wilderness’… … . The old priestess had already disappeared when they arrived, and the priestess who found the relics would probably know the whereabouts of the main relic… … .

Kadim listened quietly and narrowed his eyes.

“… … ‘The New Priestess of the Wilderness’?”

“ah… sorry. I guess you haven’t heard about it yet. Perhaps due to the return of the Great Master, Atala’s magical powers returned and new people were created to receive divine blessings. “Compared to the shamans of her past, she is still very inferior, but she still has the ability to carve a simple tattoo like this.”

Goltaran secretly shows off the tattoos on his body.

“… … .”

Now that I think about it, I vaguely remember hearing about it from Counselor Enrico. It is said that among Atala’s women, there arose something like a priest of Atala. In fact, if magical powers had returned to the world, the birth of new shamans was not a big surprise.

However, it was worth noting that one of the shamans had found ‘ruins’. The fact that I found the ‘remains’ without any measly fetish means that I matched myself with the old shaman… … .

… … Perhaps, that priestess could be a clue to finding Cyril’s whereabouts.

“What is the name of the priestess who found those ruins?”

“… … Yevril. This is Yevril. She is the daughter of the wilderness who showed the highest quality among the new shamans. If you wish, I will have her come here right away.”

“No, let me go. Just tell me where it is.”

The answer came back that he would be in the tent at the eastern corner of the garrison. Kadim immediately turned around and prepared to leave.

However, just before leaving the barracks, I stopped.

“You bastard, why are you making such a fuss and making money?”

“… … yes?”

“He doesn’t look like a general. Is it because he feels bad for the subordinates he sent away first? Or is it because this victory was not achieved through your own efforts?”

“… … .”

A poignant question. Goltaran gritted his teeth in silence.

To be honest, both were correct. The fact that he lost his subordinates who had been with him for a long time, and the fact that he did not achieve victory on his own, both were ruthlessly destroying the inner self of the warrior who had earned the reputation of being the ‘Butcher of the Border’.

But what bothered him more than anything was that he was unable to properly carry out the ‘mission of relief’ given by Daejeon Temple.

‘Then, can we consider that ‘mission of relief’… as a mission personally entrusted to us by the agent of the sacrifice?’

‘… … Think what you like.’

After being forgiven for his crime of impersonating a great warrior in the arena, Goltarran received the ‘Mission of Salvation’. It was a word that Kadim had thrown out casually, regardless of whether it was true or not, but it was something he could never take lightly. It was a mission given by the great warrior, the agent of the god of war, and it was the only way to atone for his mistakes.

So I picked up the ax again. She made that mission her reason for living and began her second life. He became a general leading the allied forces and went to the front lines to save his allies.

But the result was… …so bad.

Are you saying that Moore is the head of the army, Moore is the commander-in-chief of the allied forces, and Moore is the ‘butcher of the border’? The subject barely survived thanks to the sacrifices of his men and the support of the Great Warrior… … .

No one could be saved, and the struggle was lost. Nothing has changed at all since the name ‘Agon’s Raging Horn’ was dropped. He said that he was still nothing but a coward, Goltaran.

After making such an honest confession, Goltaran remains bitterly silent.

“… … .”

“… … .”

Kadim laughed as if it was indeed not the same.

“What is it that no one could find? So what, what, all the things floating around the garrison now are like living corpses?”

“They… … The surviving soldiers all owe their lives to the Great Warrior and the ‘Star Who Turned His Back on the Light.’ If the two of you hadn’t come as reinforcements, we would have all been annihilated by the Holy War Army… … .”

“No, your assumption is wrong. If it weren’t for you, they wouldn’t have been alive in the first place. “The Atalans would have been killed in the arena, and the Chassa Army would have had their heads cut off by the Elga thugs who broke through the border.”

The bewildered eyes opened even wider. The indifferent public affairs continued.

“And even if it’s not exactly a ‘mission of relief’ or anything, you’re doing your part well enough.”

“… … ?”

“Looking at you earlier, I couldn’t tell which side was the barbarian. “Well, I heard you even made the disaster army guys look like your subordinates.”

Indeed, it was so.

The soldiers of the Sacred Army, who were tanned by the sun, tattooed with the tattoos of priestesses, and beat their chests to show respect, already looked not much different from the Atalains. Even Remillion was considered a person of the utmost respect, and there were even some who seriously believed in Atala.

I was amazed by the performance of the ‘Border Butcher’, who always fought at the forefront and defeated countless knights.

Goltarran was worried that he might be accused of betraying the purity of his people. But what followed was the exact opposite of what he had expected.

“Keep doing that. Increase the number of sons of the wilderness, regardless of their origins or bloodline. It would be better if you recruited useful strongmen like I did.”

“… … yes?”

“That will probably be the way to save ‘my life’ and overthrow the false god the Empire serves.”

As the number of believers increases, the ‘divinity’ of Atala, who protects him, will also increase.

Kadim omitted the details. In any case, Goltaran did not have time to listen to further explanations. After hearing Kadim’s statement that he would save ‘my life’, he was completely entranced.

A ‘mission of relief’ to save the worthy, without being buried in the deaths of the worthless.

The ultimate goal is to… …save the noble and sublime Great Warrior of Atala who continues the ‘mission of struggle.’

The reason didn’t matter. This command had to be obeyed unconditionally, even at the cost of one’s life and soul. The sorrow and agony on my face disappeared as if washed away. Gol Taran shouted, pounding his chest with an overwhelmed face.

“I swear in the name of the majestic Atala!! I swear to the honor of the invincible master of all diseases, the vanguard of an indomitable army, and the master of eternal war!! No matter what happens, we will reform and make everyone on the entire continent serve Atala!! Glory to Atala!! Glory to the great and mighty Great Warrior who receives the mission of struggle with his sharpest axe!!”

“… … .”

The momentum was so grandiose and loud that for a moment, I almost regretted saying something pointless. Kadim waved his hand and finally left the tent.

For the time being, there seemed no need to worry about that crazy savage going downhill again.

*

In fact, the shaman was not in the tent that Goltaran had guided her to.

“Yes, Yevril… … “You?”

“Evril… … Ah, no, Lord Evril… … In the morning… … went out somewhere alone… … .”

“He strongly advised us not to follow him, so we don’t know where he went… .”

“… … .”

“S-sorry! Let’s go and find it right now! It won’t take long, demon slayer! Please, please save my life… … .”

All the women who assisted the shaman risked their lives to search, but in the end, it was in vain. As the women feared, Kadim did not hold them responsible and slaughter them all. Instead, he just sighed and turned away.

It wasn’t a coincidence. It was clear that he had left the room on purpose.

It was no surprise. The priestesses of the wilderness were like tangled threads in their speech, and their actions were like wild cats that were unpredictable. In the past, with the exception of one person… … Even as a great warrior of Atala, it was impossible to control their unpredictability.

Of course, if you were determined, it wouldn’t be hard to find them. But even if you did meet them, it was obvious that they would just say things like, “It’s not time to reap the fruits of our meeting yet,” and “You’re not ready yet,” and not give you the answers you want, but just spout nonsense.

I had no choice but to give up on meeting the shaman right away. Just then, another urgent business came up.

We walked a long way away from the Allied camp. We finally stopped at a quiet plain about ten kilometers away. Kadim lit a campfire and sat down on a tree stump.

Tick, titick, tidick… … .

The pupils took on a reddish shade. It wasn’t just because of the silk light. The heart was beating wildly, the urge was digging in dully, and the thirst for blood had reached its limit, having not had a drop since losing memory.

Kadim looked at the scattering sparks and shook his water bottle.

“… … .”

Just before the heavy impulse hit my chest once more, I drank up the devil’s blood.

A fishy feeling spreads across the throat. The hot stimulus scratched my esophagus, and the foul smell mixed with my exhaled breath made me pinch the tip of my nose. My blood pressure was so high that my consciousness was about to fall into a thick bloody fog.

A whisper is suddenly heard.

“… … “How does it taste?”

The red-tinted eyes opened awkwardly.

My mind, which had been lulled by madness, awoke again. Her forgotten distant past overlapped with the present. Three hundred years ago, when she first met the shaman of the wilderness who would save the world. The first question that came out from between the corpses of humans who had been cruelly mutilated and the corpses of demons.

‘That… what does it taste like?’

When I turned my head, I saw it. Just like back then, the sad complexion and tangled white hair.

and… … A cloth wrapped tightly around both eyes.

“… … .”

Tick, tidik –

Whoa… .

The bonfire added heat, and the cold wind dispersed the chill. Between confused excitement and coldness, Kadim asked as if he were spitting out a question.

“you… … Who is it.”

For a moment, we stared at each other with eyes that had lost their light. The woman bowed slightly and introduced herself.

“My name is Yevril.”

With a tinnitus that is by no means unfamiliar.

“My name is Yebril, the blind-eyed shaman.”