Chapter 21

While Ryuba was getting thoroughly chewed out by the enraged Zeta in the Senate auditorium, Leon and Theo were arguing as they watched the scene before them.

“The Emperor's Royal Guard being good at archery must be a damn lie.”

“Why are you suddenly launching such a surprise accusation?”

“When we went to catch Nilion, they made a mistake and almost killed the guy, and this time, they let Isak get away. Are they really good archers?”

“Well, who would have known Duke Isak's men would be so loyal? Who would have thought they'd jump in to take an arrow for their master?”

“That's true. Hah, it was by a hair's breadth, and we couldn't catch him. Such a shame.”

“Let's not think so negatively and try to be positive, shall we? Talking badly about it will just drain our energy.”

“How can I, after seeing this mess?”

“……”

“Hah. I stepped up so confidently, but now that things have turned out like this, what excuse should I make to Zeta?”

“I know. We're screwed, this is……”

The two of them stopped arguing and looked ahead. A bright light illuminated their stupid faces.

Fwoosh.

Before their eyes, the thousand-year-old capital of the Empire, the Imperial Capital, was burning.

***

Ever since its discovery by some primitive man in prehistoric times, fire had become an indispensable part of humanity.

Humans used fire to drive away the darkness of night, learned how to grill meat deliciously, and laid the foundations of civilization.

There was even a study suggesting that the human brain developed because of cooked meat, so it was undeniable that fire had the most significant impact on the development of mankind.

However, fire didn't just have the advantage of being good for grilling meat.

It also had the disadvantage of being good at grilling anything and everything, not just meat.

In that sense, a city was like a giant combustible mass. This was because most buildings were made of wood, and oil was an essential part of dietary life.

In other words, it was easy for a fire to spread.

Duke Isak's men knew this fact as well. That was why they set fire to the Imperial Capital without hesitation.

It wasn't that they had a lingering desire to recreate the joy of the prehistoric man who discovered fire.

It was simply to block Belius's central army, which was in pursuit.

The fact that they no longer needed to capture the Imperial Capital safely, now that the rebellion was a lost cause, also played a part. If this were Nikaea, it might have been different, but this was someone else's land.

And so, the fire fed on the oil, timber, and bitumen scattered everywhere, growing massive and beginning to roast the city.

People fleeing the flames screamed from all directions. Those with their wits about them tried to extinguish the fire, but it was far beyond their control.

***

BOOM!

A grand fireworks display erupted somewhere in the streets. A massive flame, visible even from a distance, soared high into the sky.

The light was so blinding I had to turn my head away, and instead, Theo shielded his eyes with his hand and spoke.

“That way is, probably where the oil warehouse is. It seems the fire has spread that far.”

“It's burning well, burning real well. At this rate, forget the rebellion and its suppression; the Imperial Capital will become a charcoal briquette first.”

With things having come to this, I had no choice but to admit my mistake. It wasn't that I was happy to admit it.

It was just that the presence of the flames before my eyes was too immense to ignore reality.

“To retreat immediately after realizing his plan has failed, Isak's judgment is no ordinary thing. Just as expected of a final boss.”

“What on earth does ‘final boss’ mean?”

“You could call it a fated nemesis. Something like that.”

“Does Duke Isak think so too?”

“I don't know either. No, why should I care? More importantly, we should have definitely captured or finished off Isak in the Senate auditorium. We missed a good opportunity.”

It was a good opportunity to suppress Isak as soon as he started the rebellion. Since that flew away, the regret was bound to be great. Theo consoled me from the side.

“It couldn't be helped. There were too many traitors.”

He was right. The ones who helped Isak escape in that critical moment were the traitorous central army units.

I had definitely 'asked' Belius to 'advise' the figures with military authority near the Imperial Capital not to move rashly.

But it seems the meaning of that was not conveyed well. Or perhaps, Patriarch Daniel's influence was much stronger than Belius's.

As a result, more officers than expected went over to Isak, and consequently, their subordinate units ended up participating in the rebellion as well.

Fortunately, a few units remained in their garrisons as requested, but it was as clear as day that they would switch sides depending on the situation.

“Even though I asked in the name of the ‘great general Belius,’ so many people ignored it and sided with Isak. What do you think, Belius?”

Belius, who was commanding the troops over there, retorted.

“They probably didn't like me because I'm a commoner. It's fine. I never liked those bastards either.”

“There's a nobleman listening right here, you know.”

“Anyway, you noble bastards are so damn disobedient. You want a taste of it too? Huh? You don't know my temper? Stop provoking me.”

“Yes, yes. By the way, how is the current situation?”

Instead of being intimidated by Belius's threat, I focused on the problem at hand.

Currently, the Imperial Capital was literally a Hot place. Against the backdrop of the burning city, both armies were swarming.

However, just because they were soldiers didn't mean they had fire resistance, so the actual battles were taking place in the streets and alleys untouched by the flames.

Because of that, reports were often delayed or conflicting, making it very difficult to grasp the unfolding situation.

“Why? Worried we might lose?”

“The damage to the Imperial Capital is growing because of the fire. The citizens' inconvenience must be considerable as well. It would be best to end this quickly.”

Belius scoffed.

“You're worried about that? Tell me honestly.”

“Why do you think it's a lie?”

“Because the Emperor wasn't the type to worry about others. There's no way you, who share the same bloodline, would be any different.”

“……”

Has he gone senile already?

I don't know why he keeps seeing the Emperor in me.

Still, he wasn't entirely wrong.

I'm not in a position to be worried about anyone else right now.

“Then let me be frank. I don't want to see my home disappear after winning the battle.”

“If you're that worried, you take command.”

“I'll pass. Honestly, just watching from the side makes my head spin.”

I had completely entrusted the command to Belius.

I had my fill of commanding in games, but that was just in games; reality would be different.

It was better to leave it to someone competent than to have an inexperienced person try to command and screw things up.

This was also a token of my trust in Belius's (command ability).

So all instructions and orders were being relayed through Belius.

Belius licked his lips.

“It's not easy right now.”

“Is it difficult?”

“But in the end, we will win. Isak is also wandering around looking for an escape route, but soon he will realize there is nowhere left to run.”

“For a mid-boss, his performance is pretty pathetic.”

“What? What does that mean?”

“It's just a thing. Anyway, you're saying it's not easy, right?”

Belius said confidently.

“Don't worry too much. A few youngsters may have joined that side, but in the end, they're just youngsters. I will win.”

To Belius, who once stood at the pinnacle of the military, it seemed his opponents were still nothing more than youngsters...

The soldiers who sided with Isak probably weren't that incompetent.

You can tell just by the fact that we haven't clearly seized the upper hand.

This is partly due to our thin pool of talent, but it also means that the opposing side's command ability is not at a level that can be ignored.

Besides, the command ability of Isak, the final boss, is also considerable.

I sighed.

“Where are we most bogged down right now?”

“Why?”

“There's no time. Quickly.”

“Below the colonnade of the aqueduct. Isak's main force is there. But do you have a plan? If you're planning to rely on the Emperor's Royal Guard, it will be difficult now. They have to protect the Senate and the Imperial Palace.”

“Fortunately, I have accumulated much virtue, so I have a way. Please withdraw the troops you have deployed there so our forces don't clash.”

“It's funny hearing someone from the Akardi family talk about virtue, but I'll trust you.”

“……”

When this battle is over, I must investigate the dead Emperor.

Just what kind of vicious acts did he commit for even his closest aide to give such an evaluation?

***

The Duchy of Nikaea's army stationed below the aqueduct, being an elite unit personally commanded by Isak, had strong combat power and high morale.

This time too, they overwhelmed a detachment of Belius's central army in a skirmish. The central army unit fled, scrambling over each other without even putting up a proper fight.

“Haha! We won again this time!”

“Pathetic. To run away without even fighting properly.”

“That's the Empire's elite? Unbelievable!”

The soldiers of the Duchy of Nikaea jeered at the retreating central army unit. Weren't their opponents too pathetic to be called fellow soldiers?

Meanwhile, Isak, instead of getting carried away with joy like his soldiers, maintained his composure.

“Everyone, calm down! The battle is not over yet! Hold your positions!”

As Isak walked around and shouted, the heat of excitement among the soldiers cooled down a bit.

However, the enemy seemed to have no intention of leaving the Duchy of Nikaea's army alone.

“Report! The enemy forces that retreated are re-engaging!”

From the direction the central army had just retreated, enemy forces began to approach again. The flames burning the city clearly revealed the figures of the enemy forces. For a moment, the Duchy of Nikaea's army was bewildered.

“What are those? Beggars?”

“No, they're Snow Elves!”

“If they're Snow Elves in the Imperial Capital, wouldn't they be from the Emperor's Royal Guard? Shouldn't guards be wearing armor?”

It was natural for them to be bewildered.

The enemy forces that appeared this time lacked uniform attire or equipment, and they didn't even have a banner to represent their unit.

The only identifiable element was their race: Snow Elf. They even stopped at a distance that seemed out of arrow range.

Naturally, the Duchy of Nikaea's army could only misunderstand that the Snow Elves had no will to fight.

“What is it, are they refugees who've come asking for help?”

“What should we do? Should we drive them away since they're in the way?”

Unlike his bewildered subordinates, the astute Isak quickly recalled that retired Snow Elves resided in the Imperial Capital.

Of course, Isak did not know that the retired Snow Elves were Zeta's minions.

However, just finding a connection was enough to send a cold sweat down his spine.

The moment the Snow Elves drew their small bows from a distance, Isak's conviction grew stronger.

‘Solenarion!’

It was a high-level Imperial technique that used an overdraw device to shoot arrows farther than a normal bow.

The bow is inherently a difficult weapon to master. Solenarion, which added a special technique to it, was much more difficult to learn.

However, for Snow Elves, who live longer than humans, especially for the Emperor's Royal Guard, the elite of the elite, learning Solenarion would not have been difficult.

‘So they were hiding that fact!’

Panicked, Isak shouted reflexively.

“Shields!”

“Sir? But the arrows won't reach here.”

“Stop spouting nonsense and raise your shields! It's an enemy attack!”

Isak bellowed, but his subordinates hesitated. Instead, they were flustered and didn't know what to do.

Isak realized why.

As Solenarion was a difficult technique to learn, naturally, few people knew of it.

To the extent that not a single person in the Duchy of Nikaea used it.

“Just give me a shield!”

“Oh.”

When communication failed, Isak snatched a subordinate's shield and covered his head.

While they argued, it was already too late.

Thud-thud-thud.

Isak felt like he was being rained on. He couldn't see anything, but the irregular sound of something striking his shield was like the sound of rain.

Isak closed his eyes and waited for the unseen attack to end.

A moment later, when the sound stopped, Isak lowered the shield.

And soon, he realized he was standing in the middle of a pile of corpses.

All around, the instantly killed or groaning wounded lay fallen.

He had lost dozens of elite soldiers.

Isak's rage turned towards the Snow Elves. There was no longer any need to save face.

“These bastards who deserve to be torn to shreds...!”

Isak was about to give the order to attack. He still had many subordinates left.

But once again, he was a step too late.

“What?”

The retired Snow Elf soldiers were, by name, former members of the Emperor's Royal Guard. Their skills might have gotten a little rusty since retirement, but their judgment was as sharp as ever.

So, as soon as they judged they had inflicted sufficient damage, they chose to leave the battlefield without any further attacks.

By the time Isak was about to give the order, they were already too far away to pursue.

Grind.

A terrifying sound echoed from Isak's clenched molars as he stared blankly at their retreating figures.

It's natural for people to get pissed off when someone hits and runs.

Let alone now, when he had taken a blow.

“Leon, so that's how you're going to play? If so, I have a plan of my own.”

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