NOVEL NEXT Chapter 30: (2)
Well, if the person had mental issues, it might be possible, but from what he had seen, Tarien wasn’t that foolish.
“Sigh, I’m afraid to see Tarien’s face. He promised to give me a big reward yesterday, but I hope he won’t change his mind now.”
“Hehe, nobles value honor so much. Do you think they would break their promise?”
Uncle Max’s words were meant to comfort Kaiyan as he ruffled his hair, but it wasn’t as simple as he made it out to be.
“But it feels strange that the story suddenly rose so high… It’s the command center, after all.”
He had planned to squeeze Tarien dry to make up for yesterday’s losses, but since things turned out this way, he decided to change his plans and only take a little from him. He didn’t want to get too greedy and risk-provoking Tarien.
The soldiers who recognized Kaiyan continued to offer encouragement and praise until he reached the 7th Special Unit. Naturally, the most enthusiastic response came from…
“The war hero! Kaiyan!”
“The hero of the 7th Special unit has arrived!”
“Hail to the Hero! Hail to the 7th Special unit!”
Kaiyan belonged to the 7th Special Unit.
Rather than showing any signs of jealousy towards a fellow soldier accomplishing such a feat, they welcomed him with loud voices.
Moreover, their welcome ceremony did not end there.
“This is… unreal.”
Soldiers parted to both sides, creating a path in the middle, where soldiers were waiting for him.
“Hero, please pass. We apologize for only being able to do this for you!”
“Ha… Really…”
“Haha, please go through.”
Unable to resist the soldiers’ cheers, Kaiyan reluctantly walked through the center path, and as he walked, the soldiers tapped his shoulder and praised him.
“Thanks to you, I can see my daughter’s face at home again! I’m truly grateful!”
“You know that I trust only the hero, right? But don’t push yourself too hard! Isn’t our goal to live together?”
“Haha! Kaiyan, you’re truly a war hero!”
Feeling embarrassed and wanting to disappear, on one hand, Kaiyan felt proud and emotional that he was being recognized for his achievement.
“Everyone, quiet down! Tarien-nim is here!”
“Formation!”
The knights who had been silently observing from a distance announced Tarien’s arrival and quickly lined up, while the soldiers roughly arranged their formation, and Tarien climbed onto a small podium.
“Ahem. Is everyone here?”
“Yes! We’re all here.”
Tarien, standing on the podium, had a face that, well… looked good and not so good at the same time. It was an ambiguous expression.
‘Probably due to the rumors that spread through the Allied forces.’
“Kaiyan.”
Tarien called him with a sharp voice as if he was slightly displeased, while Kaiyan stood at the front.
“Yes.”
“…You did well yesterday. It seems the rumors have already spread through the Allied forces. You’re aware of that, right?”
‘He seems quite discontent.’
Well, he must have been excited at the thought of monopolizing all the achievements, but since the truth spread through the command, he must have been upset.
“…It’s all thanks to Tarien-nim. Because of your excellent command, we were able to kill the Orc Lord, even though I made an unreasonable request.”
A flattery that didn’t have an ounce of sincerity.
If Tarien takes offense to this incident, Kaiyan will be the one to suffer. Besides, the war isn’t over yet.
‘There’s no need to make things difficult with unnecessary pride.’
“Ahem! Never mind. It’s good that everyone knows it wasn’t me who killed the Orc Lord. Many people should know that.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Kaiyan almost burst out laughing at the sight of Tarien self-promoting, but he bit his lip and managed to hold it in.
‘But… well, I guess I can acknowledge it a little.’
Certainly, Tarien deserves some credit for the fact that the Orc Lord was killed.
‘He’s fortunate to have such a foolish commander.’
Even if he had learned only a fraction of the tactics, the strategy Kaiyan presented would have been thrown in the trash, and in the end, the Orc Lord would not have been captured. And ultimately, the Central Army would have been pushed back by the Orc Legion.
In that regard, the soldiers of the Allied forces should be somewhat grateful for his lackluster command skills.
“Ahem! The start of the war is near, so everyone, move to the front lines.”
“Yes, Tarien-nim!”
Thanks to Kaiyan’s flattery, Tarien’s expression, which had looked unpleasant, improved significantly.
Indeed, there’s nothing better than praise for young kids.
“Attack!”
Bang! Bang!
Upon the commander’s order, hundreds of ballistas launched stones into the sky. It’s a sight that always gives chills.
It’s only possible because the forces of various kingdoms and empires are gathered here.
Boom!
The stones that had soared high into the sky began to fall to the ground under the influence of gravity, at a very fast speed.
Kwoooong!
As the sky darkened, the monsters that had been rushing stopped in confusion and looked up at the sky, oblivious to the falling rocks.
Kwaang! Kwaang!
‘Die, all of you.’
The ballistas and the mages’ attacks caused the monsters to die in piles. It’s truly a sight beyond comparison. Can there be anything more magnificent on the battlefield? And that…
“Die, you monster scum!”
“Wowowowow! Die, all of you!”
“Get lost to your own land! Don’t come here!”
It’s not just Kaiyan who thinks that way. Every time the rocks and magic obliterate the monsters, the soldiers of the Allied forces shout loudly until their throats are hoarse.
Watching that scene, Kaiyan suddenly remembered what Uncle Jeff said during the early days of the war.
“Kaiyan, war has an effect of making ordinary people fierce and cruel.”
“Why is that?”
“Because if you don’t kill, your comrades or I will die. It’s impossible to have mercy on the enemy on the battlefield.”
That’s what war is. If you want to survive, you have to kill them. Even if your hands get covered in blood.
‘Even if it’s to make up for yesterday’s losses, he has to kill even more today.’
Thinking that he couldn’t even buy a toy with the 30G he spent and couldn’t even train in swordsmanship because he was sleeping, it’s unfair to the point where his hands are trembling.
To make up for the losses, he needs to kill more monsters than usual.
‘First, let’s see how much G he has.’
He summoned the inventory without much expectation, just to check his current amount of G.
[Current G: 1016G]
“…Huh? Why?”
What’s wrong with his eyes?
He hurriedly rubbed his eyes with both hands.
[Current G: 1016G]
“It’s still the same. Ha… Hahaha.”
He burst into laughter at this absurd situation.
What on earth is going on?
He opened it to check the amount of G he had without any hope, but he has a whopping 1016G.