XV – The City of Berse
The royal city of Berse in Dorsen was shrouded in tension.
The city was already in turmoil after the assassination of the former king and the ensuing coup, and now, the army of Faloon was approaching.
The soldiers stationed on the city walls of Berse were filled with mixed emotions. They hadn’t participated in the coup that took place inside the walls, so they hadn’t sworn allegiance to Alan, the self-proclaimed new king. However, they didn’t have the loyalty to oppose Alan for the sake of the former king either, and for their livelihood, they continued to do their jobs.
Leading the Faloon army was Carmilla, the sister of both Alan and the late king.
She claimed to have raised an army for the former king. If that were true, then perhaps the rightful cause lay with Carmilla.
As the soldiers grappled with these thoughts, they saw a group of horsemen approaching Berse from afar. It was likely the Faloon army. Despite the rumors, their numbers were few.
The captain of the guard, having confirmed the enemy’s approach, raised his voice.
“Sound the alarm and notify of the enemy’s approach! The rest, ready your bows—guh!”
Before he could finish, the captain fell. Blood pooled on the cobblestones.
In his place stood an unfamiliar man, dressed in commoner’s clothes, holding a blood-soaked sword.
“I am Jyuza, ranked 30th in the Hundred.”
“Jyuza? The Gale Jyuza?”
The soldiers immediately took up their weapons.
Since the peace agreement two years ago, travel between Dorsen and Faloon had increased.
Many Dorsen citizens had visited the Faloon arena and had become familiar with the tales of the Hundred. Among them, Jyuza, known for his wind-like movements, was famous as “The Gale.”
Unlike the noble and knight classes who derided the Hundred’s strength as “exaggerated entertainment,” the common people, who had seen and heard them firsthand, accurately assessed their power.
“I’m honored that my name is known even in Dorsen,”
Jyuza grinned.
“Carmilla sends a message: ‘Surrender and you will be spared.’ However, she also said, ‘Show no mercy to those who resist.’ So, what will you do?”
“He’s just one man! Attack!”
an older soldier shouted. Several soldiers drew their bows towards Jyuza.
Jyuza ran towards the soldiers, moving with the grace of a beast.
The soldiers hastily released their arrows, but Jyuza, staying low to the ground, dodged between the arrows’ paths and swiftly cut down the archers and the older soldier who had given the order.
“So, what’s your decision?”
Jyuza, having slain over five soldiers in an instant, flicked the blood from his sword and asked again.
“You can’t win, you know?”
At his words, the soldiers threw down their weapons. Their lack of loyalty to Alan and the strength of Juza they had just witnessed made them do so.
Jyuza wasn’t the only one who had climbed the walls.
Members of the Palace Knights, including Shirley and her assassins, had infiltrated Berse ahead of time. As the Faloon army approached, they seized the watchtowers and disabled the wall’s defenses.
However, the gates remained closed.
From the Faloon army, a single rider broke away, riding a massive, bull-like horse. The rider was a giant, bald man, both tall and broad.
It was Wanfu of the Hundred, holding his Bloody Rod.
Wanfu approached the gate, dismounted, and struck the gate with his Bloody Rod.
The sheer weight of the blow destroyed the bar on the other side, causing the gate to creak open.
The soldiers inside the gate, seeing Wanfu’s imposing figure, backed away.
“Stand aside. I won’t kill you if you stay out of the way,”
Wanfu warned in a low but resonant voice.
“That’s Blood Staff Wanfu!” a soldier exclaimed.
Wanfu, known among the Hundred, wielded his Bloody Rod to devastating effect, earning him the moniker Blood Staff Wanfu.
“You monster!”
one knight charged at Wanfu.
With a casual swing of his Bloody Rod, Wanfu smashed the knight, armor and all, into a lifeless heap.
The soldiers grimaced at the sight of such a gruesome death, thinking, “That’s a death I want to avoid.”
As the soldiers hesitated, the Faloon army passed through the gate. Leading them was Carmilla, riding sidesaddle in a white dress, looking more like she was on vacation than leading an army. She does not hold the reins, and it’s a mistery how she controls her horse, but she is riding in a straight line toward the castle.
Her long, flowing purple hair and the fan covering her mouth added to her air of elegance, but those following her were fully armed.
Glancing at the carnage at the gate, Carmilla smiled sardonically. “My homeland’s gate was so easily breached.”
After the Faloon army passed, Jyuza leapt down from the wall.
“Hey, old man, wanna come along?”
he asked Wanfu.
Wanfu glared at Jyuza.
“Lead the way. That’s why you came ahead, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s go,”
Jyuza started walking into Berse.
One soldier, seeing this, called out,
“Wait! Where are you going?”
Fearing they might harm the townsfolk, the soldier was concerned.
“Don’t worry. We won’t touch the civilians,”
Jyuza waved dismissively.
“Then what are you going to do?”
“Take down the Iris army,”
Wanfu replied without looking at the soldier, walking off.
About 500 Iris soldiers, brought by Count Godwin, were stationed in Berse.
They were Jyuza and Wanfu’s target
“Thank goodness… we didn’t have to fight them…”
Watching Jyuza and his men depart, the soldier felt a deep sense of relief.
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Chaos erupted within the castle.
The Faloon army, previously reported to be approaching, had already breached the gates and infiltrated the castle.
Without saying a word, Godwin left the throne room, intending to join forces with the Iris army stationed in the town.
“Hurry! We need to act while the Dorsen troops buy us time!”
After instructing his subordinates, Godwin planned to escape from an area far from where the Faloon army had invaded.
(If we can regroup with the others, we can escape through the back gate and join the reinforcements.)
Upon hearing news of the Faloon army’s invasion, Godwin had immediately requested reinforcements from the homeland, which were expected to arrive soon.
However, when Godwin and his men escaped the castle and reached the Iris army’s camp, they found a scene of utter carnage, with soldiers lying dead everywhere.
“You’re late.”
A man with long black hair tied back spoke to Godwin. His unimpressive appearance was belied by the bloodstained sword in his hand, clearly indicating his role in the massacre.
Behind the black-haired man stood about twenty others, armed in various ways. Among them were Jyuza and Wanfu, who had fought valiantly at the castle gates.
“You must be Count Godwin, one of the three counts of Iris, correct?”
“And if I am? Who are you?”
Five of Godwin’s aides drew their swords.
“I am Yamato, the fourth rank of the Hundred. May I have the pleasure of fighting you? Your soldiers were a bit too easy.”
Yamato spoke casually.
“Too easy? After killing 500 of my men?”
An enraged Godwin drew his sword as well.
“Quality over quantity, as they say. I was expecting more from the famed soldiers of the three counts, but they were a bit lacking. How about a duel? I won’t let anyone else interfere.”
It was clear to Godwin that fighting this enigmatic black-haired man was his only chance of survival.
“Fine, I’ll make you regret underestimating the three counts!”
As he spoke, a pale blue flame-like aura enveloped Godwin’s body.
This was the physical enhancement technique passed down in the Godwin family, a skill that dramatically boosted one’s strength by channeling magic through the body. The effect extended to his sword as well.
“Impressive! Though it’s not swordsmanship, that technique is remarkable!”
Yamato’s face lit up with excitement.
“Prepare to die with that smug grin on your face!”
Godwin charged at Yamato with blinding speed, swinging his sword.
Instead of blocking, Yamato deflected the attack with his sword.
“Wow! Not only speed but also a significant increase in power! Truly the technique of one of the three counts!”
Despite praising his opponent’s skill, Yamato deftly parried Godwin’s powerful strikes.
While Godwin attacked with fierce determination, Yamato countered with the grace and flexibility of a willow.
“Curse you! Stop dodging!”
Godwin was growing desperate. The enhancement technique couldn’t last long. He knew he could win if he landed a single blow, but Yamato’s swordsmanship was too skilled, transitioning smoothly from defense to counterattack.
Time passed without a decisive blow.
“It seems you’re reaching your limit.”
Yamato had gauged the limits of Godwin’s enhancement technique.
“However, this is sufficient.”
(Sufficient? What does he mean?)
Godwin couldn’t understand Yamato’s words.
Exhausted, Godwin momentarily stepped back. He was near his limit, both physically and magically, breathing heavily.
Watching this, Yamato slowly took a new stance.
“Is this enough?”
Yamato’s body began to emit a pale blue light, similar to Godwin’s, though not as bright. It was unmistakably the same enhancement technique.
“Impossible!”
The enhancement technique of the Godwin family was supposed to be a closely guarded secret, not something easily mastered.
“It is indeed difficult. This technique requires the body to harmonize with the magic, leading to significant physical strain. Mimicking it can only achieve so much.”
It had taken Godwin three years to master the enhancement technique, which required both physical training and magical aptitude.
“Who are you? With such talent, why are you with a small country like Faloon?”
“I used to run a small swordsmanship dojo in the countryside, but now I serve as a sword instructor in Faloon.”
“An instructor? Come to Iris. I’ll give you wealth and status, even a title if you wish.”
As one of the three counts, Godwin had considerable authority. He could petition the king to grant Yamato a suitable position in Iris.
“A title, you say?”
Yamato smirked. The other members of the Hundred behind him also smirked.
“Unfortunately, I’m not interested in wealth or status.”
Yamato’s stance lowered, gathering strength for a decisive blow.
“Power is everything. That is the absolute rule of the Hundred. Everything else is insignificant. We have pledged everything to our emperor in exchange for power.”
Responding to Yamato’s words, the members of the Hundred shouted in unison.
“Our hundred lives for the emperor!”
The synchronized shout from the disparate group sent a chill down the spines of Godwin and his aides.
“I don’t understand. We are not beasts. Power isn’t everything.”
Godwin mustered his remaining strength, enhancing his entire body with magic once more.
The two opponents locked eyes and then crossed swords.
After a brief pause, Godwin slowly collapsed, blood spreading across the ground.
“Beast or man, power is everything.”
Noticing a wound on his shoulder, Yamato added,
“Impressive, as expected from one of the three counts.”
Godwin’s aides attempted to avenge their fallen lord but were swiftly cut down by the remaining members of the Hundred.
TLNOTE: While waiting for the next chapter , I implore you dear readers to read other masterpiece novels that also written by the same author :
- Who killed the Hero?
- The Suspects of Necromancy
- The Wicked Princess and 12 Eyes – The Strongest Squires and the Legendary Evil Woman, the Second Time in Her Life
- The Exiled Merchant Saves the World with the Power of Gold (translated by my friend meerkat)
Btw, volume 2 English translation is finished
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this novel is amazing
mars was so stupid but he is legendary
not mention all his subject have absolute trust and loyalty
nearly everyday i refresh novelupdates page waiting it to update, thank you for translating this
most translations posted in this site are updated around once a week. also please check out other novel by the same author, all of them are really good