“You…! Great!”
I pulled out the Fascination scroll this time.
The type of the spell didn’t even matter. Anyway, any spell that could affect their horses would do. There was no other reason why I was taking on this risky gamble.
Just as I was casting spells on their horses, they might cast some on our horse.
However, Dyrus said clearly that the Coalition used up almost all their scrolls in this war.
And none of them were magicians.
I thought that even if they had a scroll book, they wouldn’t have any more spells in them and it turned out to be the truth. The war was over and they couldn’t get replacements for the scrolls they used and they obviously didn’t have any more in stock.
Most of them probably had attack spells in their scroll books that would have an intuitive immediate effect and they probably used up all of them. I started this gamble believing that.
– Neeeeeeigh!
-Bang!
My guess was right.
The horses toppled over after being affected by the low-level magic, causing the knights riding on them to come rolling down to the ground. Those that didn’t manage to land properly were highly likely to die by breaking their necks.
Some may have died.
I didn’t actively think about the fact that I might have killed them, as they were trying to kill me.
Guilt, remorse or justifications for my actions didn’t even occur to me at that point.
I had to do everything I could. I had no other thoughts but that. The situation was so urgent that all my judgement seemed to have focused on only this single point.
All concerns regarding ethics and values were put off until later. Not consciously, but unconsciously.
“Shit!”
However, I didn’t have any more mental magic I could use to knock them all down
There were two pursuers still chasing after us with rage filling their eyes.
The horse we rode was already far over its limits. It was now slower than it was before I placed Haste on it.
“They’ll catch up to us.”
Dyrus shouted in a desperate voice. The horse was exhausted and there were two knights, who witnessed their comrades fall down, still chasing after us from afar with killing intent so sharp pointed at us that it really felt like I was getting cut.
The horse now started to just trudge, while the knights’ horses followed us at a frightening speed. Dyrus clenched his teeth and pulled out his sword, however it didn’t seem like he thought he could win.
Was this the end?
And then, I saw a long line of wagons and soldiers watching this chase.
And.
There was also the procession of those demon prisoners that seemed to go on forever.
And I saw the eyes of those demons looking at me.
“…….”
From Goblins to Trolls and unarmed Ogres, Orcs and countless other unknown types of demons.
All these demons were watching this commotion.
They were looking at me.
Not even a single word was exchanged between us.
I didn’t say anything to them.
They just looked at me without saying a word.
They were demons of the Demon Realm who surrendered after losing their fighting spirit, knowing that their king died.
As demons and monsters, they had to pay the price of defeat with their lives. Since no one would pay their ransom, the only thing they could pay with was their lives.
They were looking at me.
Because the Demon King was dead.
And I was sure to be the last one.
Seeing how I was betraying them.
I didn’t know how they were able to recognize me, but I felt like they knew who I was or were they able to read my feelings just by looking at me in this desperate situation?
Or did the power sleeping inside of me ‘Demon domination’ activate because of this situation?
The process and outcome were unknown to me.
However, after giving up everything, they looked at me with eyes that seemed to have found their last hope.
-Crank!
An ogre broke his shackles that bound him and began charging at the knights rushing towards me.
-Kuooooooooooooh!
With a roar that seemed to shake the heavens and earth, the demons, who were tied up and quietly let themselves get dragged away before, immediately began to resist.
“Cr, cra, crazy!”
In the end, the two knights who were following us were attacked by the ogre rushing at them.
Once again everything got chaotic as the prisoners of war began to riot.
This was the last resistance of the remaining demons in order to save their last king.
* * *
They didn’t use ropes to tie the demons. It was impossible for others to break them except if they were large monsters like an ogre. Most of the demons were just struggling to make a commotion.
Therefore, the prisoners began to be subdued and that suppression ultimately just turned out to be bloody slaughter. The only thing that changed was that they got killed here by the troops and not on the execution grounds.
Because of the disturbance caused by the demons and the suppression of the last pursuers no one was chasing after us anymore.
Dyrus seemed to find this absurd situation hard to accept.
“What the hell is this….”
The gargoyle activated to kill some knights just at the right time and just when we were in a desperate situation the demons decided to riot and attack the knights.
Dyrus knew that this was abnormal. He just couldn’t figure out what was going on exactly. However their main goal of escaping with Charlotte was yet unfulfilled.
Dyrus seemed to hold back his doubts. He remained silent until we drew near to the garrison.
The atmosphere at the garrison was definitely exhilarating.
-Is Her Royal Highness really still alive?
-Yeah, she just came out and shook hands with the soldiers telling them that she was alright.
-She just went back to the barracks to get some rest….
– What a relief, what a relief.
– That dog-like Demon King died and the princess was still alive. How blessed can we be?
-Hey man, the Empress died though, so to call it a blessing is……
-That’s true, I hope that Her Highness will soon get back on her feet….
As Charlotte expected, the news that the princess was still alive had already spread throughout the garrison. It seemed like they hadn’t gotten the report about the rioting prisoners of war yet.
There were more eyes and ears here.
But it was too early to feel reassured. The Knights of Duke Salerian tried to kill Dyrus and me, despite the presence of all those wagons and convoys. It was just the princess who was difficult to touch.
Even if news arrived that Dyrus and I killed their knights, there would be nothing about them trying to kill us, so no one would care.
They would have so many reasons ready why they had to immediately execute us.
Soon, news of what happened close to the Demon King’s Castle would reach this place. Before that happened, we had to get out of here.
Fortunately, the soldiers’ eyes were fixed on the HQ barracks where the princess was said to rest.
They seemed to wonder if they’d ever be able to see the princess’ face, who was said to be still alive. However, because of that, the barracks were completely encircled. We had no way to sneak in.
There was no way around it.
Dyrus and I strode straight towards the barracks.
The guard looked at me and shook his head before I could even say anything.
“Her Highness is resting. Go back.”
“I’ve brought the goods Her Royal Highness asked for.”
It seemed like nothing would make this guardsman budge.
“There was an order from the Commander-in-chief that she needed absolute rest. Come back later.”
The moment we’ll try to go back, you’d just try to kill us secretly.
Even if that didn’t happen, it would be over as soon as the news from the Demon King’s Castle arrived here.
We had to get in there somehow.
“It’s urgent.”
At those words, the guard’s expression hardened.
“Even if you were rescued together with the Imperial Princess, we can’t let someone with an unclear identity like you be by her side. Don’t tell me you’re having some ideas?”
You guys are more dangerous to her, though?
That guard would certainly rather die than let me in. He was staring at me and pointing the end of his spear at me as if telling me that he’d be forced to use violence if we tried to force our way in.
I had no idea what Charlotte’s condition was inside, but it seemed like she wasn’t able to come out to me, even if she knew that we arrived.
They wouldn’t know what I was trying to do.
However, knowing that I had received some instructions from the princess, they tried to prevent me from meeting her subtly.
The problem was that I neither had the strength nor justification to break through their vague actions.
“Boy.”
At that moment, Dyrus called out to me.
“Lieutenant.”
He took a deep breath, sighing as if he had no other choice.
“It’s plan B.”
-Sigh!
“Kuek!”
As if it was a sign, he drew his sword and stuck it right in the neck of the guard, before his opponent could do anything.
“You crazy!”
The other guards just spat out swear words, completely in shock that their comrade was suddenly stabbed like this.
“Go!”
While Dyrus cut one attacking guard after the other, I just stopped thinking and ran into the barracks.
As I broke through several layers of tents, I could see Charlotte, who quietly sat in her seat inside and countless other people standing around her, not touching her, but they seemed to monitor her.
“!”
Charlotte looked at me, opening her eyes so wide her eyelids seemed to be about to rip apart.
An old man wearing a white priest’s robe shouted in a brusque tone.
“I believe I made it clear that you were not to let anyone in…… !”
There was no time for conversations.
[Flash]
“Kuerk!”
“What’s going on?!”
“He’s using magic!”
– Flash!
In an instant a flash of light exploded inside the tent. While everyone was blinded by the light, I unblocked my eyes and grabbed Charlotte’s hand, who was also affected by the sudden flash.
Charlotte was equally perplexed as the others. Charlotte told me to get Sir Francis and not to break in here and shoot out a flare.
[Mass teleport]
[Please specify destination.]
I cast mass teleportation.
“To Gardium!”
Our destination was the Imperial Capital.
We’re going to Imperial Capital Gardium!
[You have passed the Prologue sequence.]
[Special Achievement – Inflection Point of History]
[A key figure (Charlotte de Gardias) who should not have appeared in the original story line has survived.]
[The future has changed dramatically.]
[Acquired 1000 Achievement Points.]
I was finally done with that hellish prologue.
