NOVEL NEXT chapter 18
18 – Episode 18. Zeeland Defense (5)
*
After successfully completing the agreement with Rin, I left the castle, looked around, saw that no one was around, and let out a short sigh.
‘I lived…….’
I felt cold sweat running down my back.
I was confident in my prediction.
As long as the result of the ‘armistice agreement’ was reached, I knew that an agreement would be concluded unconditionally.
Nevertheless, I was afraid the moment the knife was put to my throat.
There was a big difference between imagining that death was just around the corner and actually facing it.
Nevertheless, the momentum must not be lost.
If the momentum is lost, the initiative in the agreement will be lost.
Now that I had made a bet, desperately trying to maintain my composure with the spirit of ‘I can’t eat enough’ seemed to have worked out well.
‘The envoys were carrying out their work under greater pressure than expected.’
In the game, it was a simple mechanism called diplomacy button -＞ Execution button.
Aren’t each and every one of them a player from the home team who gets thrown alone by the away team?
The pressure must have been even greater for envoys from enemy countries at war. Just like now.
At that time.
A soldier approached me.
“Are you a Shinigami from the Lunarien Army?”
“That’s right.”
The soldier handed me the pouch he was holding in his hand.
When I heard it, it was quite heavy.
It was not difficult to find out that this was 3,000 gold.
“Normally, I would have transported it by carriage… But since you and I both need to deliver the news as quickly as possible, I would like to travel by horseback. Is that okay?”
“It’s okay. That’s what I’m hoping for.”
From my perspective, I have to return as quickly as possible.
“Then, come this way. We’re leaving right away.”
I followed the soldier.
‘Everyone, please wait a moment. ‘I’ll be there soon.’
Now was the time to end the war.
*
Zeland Castle.
In front of the East Gate, Tifa and Iren were engaged in a bloody fight.
Of course, at this point, the winner was clear.
“Huh… Huh…!”
Tifa was standing on his feet on the ground, leaning on an ax he had somehow stuck to the ground, his blood dripping from all over his body.
I have already fallen from my horse. I realized that I was lucky that I wasn’t seriously hurt, and it would have been okay if I had backed off – but I was stubborn and fought Iren until the end.
Of course, Iren does not look at Tifa like that.
The fight was fought on horseback with a one-sided advantage.
Iren had the upper hand both in terms of skill and environment.
Iren said, looking down at Tifa from the saddle of her horse.
“Hey. I’m saying this out of consideration for you, but if you don’t want to die, you’d better give up.”
“…Shut up…You b*tch…!”
It was Tifa who let out her swear words, but Iren didn’t seem to be that offended and she didn’t even move a muscle.
She just shook her head gently and uttered her one word.
“Audacity is not courage, my friend. It’s too bad. If you were on the same side as me, I would have told you more.”
Tifa let out her ragged breath, somehow managed to catch her breath quickly, and then-
After spat out her blood roughly to her side, she managed to regain her balance and aimed her ax at Irene, squeezing it out.
“What…Your tongue is so long…? Come on, you bastard…!”
Irene looked around her.
Arrows were still raining down from the enemy’s walls, and although one catapult was broken –
It seemed like the soldiers who came out to intercept with Tifa had almost succeeded in clearing things up.
‘The situation is in our favor.’
Even if time was lost in the duel here, it seemed unlikely that the Lunarien military would be able to turn the situation around.
In that case, it would be important to gain the supply and demand of commanders in addition to demoralizing the enemy.
Thoughts like that, Iren looked at Tifa and spoke in a serious tone.
“…I will do my best to deal with you until the end.”
“Come on…!”
The exact moment when Tifa was about to run away.
“……?!”
Sensing that he was popular, Iren quickly turned his horse’s head to block the incoming attack.
Chaeng!
‘…… Strong!’
We were able to figure it out quickly just by clashing swords with each other.
He is a strong person.
Iren, who realized that at least someone stronger than Tifa, who had been with her just moments before, was charging towards her, quickly checked the person who attacked her.
Before her eyes-
Short cream-colored hair and two bright red eyes.
The lord of Zeeland Castle and the ruler of the weak nation of Lunarien-
Luna was riding her horse and aiming her sword.
Iren easily realized that she was Luna.
I had heard it through rumors, but when I saw those two ruby-colored, sparkling red eyes in person, it felt real.
“Are you Lunarien Inian?”
“Lu…I…!”
“…Tifa. Run into the castle. I’m sorry I came late. I wanted to come sooner, but that wasn’t the situation.”
“That’s it.”
“This is an order! Quickly!”
“…!”
After Luna sent her Tifa away, she slowly turned her head and looked at Iren.
Iren said while looking at Luna.
“I am Irene Juliet. Lord Lunarien. As you are a leader, you know that, but sometimes there are moments when you have to lower the flag you have raised to prevent further damage. Let Zeeland Castle be trampled by the fire of war like this. “Don’t you want to leave your name in history as an incompetent monarch?”
“The Zeeland Castle will not fall. You cannot defeat us.”
“Oh, I admit that such groundless bravado is a leader’s virtue. But, how about seriously thinking about whether it’s time to acquire other virtues?”
Irene said that, and she spoke in a very serious tone.
“Surrender to us. If so, the damage to your territory will be minimized. If you are a leader, please make a decision.”
Recommendation to surrender.
This was Iren’s sincerity, without any mocking meaning.
Iren was not the type of general who would trample on an opponent who was already defeated.
She didn’t like to keep bullying the weak.
So, she was truly thinking that if possible, it would be nice for her to surrender here. If we continue to fight, the number of casualties will only increase, and the outcome of occupying Zeeland Castle and the destruction of the Lunarien nation will not change.
She was pushing for a rational decision in her own way.
But.
“Iren. Thank you for your words, but I can never give up.”
“Do you mind if I ask why?”
Luna answered with a very heavy expression.
“Because she…Doesn’t think she can entrust the world to Serpina von Eyngart.”
“Hoo.”
“And.”
Luna looked straight into her Iren’s eyes.
“I don’t think I can entrust the world to Lin Brans either.”
“…!”
Iren was momentarily startled.
Something like an overwhelming spirit can be read in this small body.
The aura of a monarch that cannot be noticed unless you are a strong person who has reached a certain level.
That which exists even in her own monarch, Lyn Branth-
Does this also exist for monarchs of weak countries?
“The same goes for everyone else. I can’t entrust this world… To any monarch. I will bring peace to the continent. And that… Is what I must do.”
It was strange.
The woman standing in front of her certainly had great strength compared to her size, but-
In the end, she is just the leader of a weak country making a last stand in a situation where defeat is in sight.
But why?
I didn’t sense any arrogance from this woman who posted those words.
It was as if she had been ‘determined’ from the beginning to conquer the continent and take over the world…… He was speaking in a very confident tone.
She was Iren, who was almost overcome by her energy for a moment, but-
She quickly shook herself off, drew her sword and aimed it at Luna, and said.
“…I will appreciate your spirit. However, the world belongs to our master, Lin Brans. I don’t think it’s a problem for you to worry about.”
“…….”
After a very short silence.
Irene ran towards her first, aiming her sword.
“……!!!”
Chaeng!
Our blades clashed once.
The moment when the final battle between the two was about to take place –
“Iren!!!!!!”
From afar, a soldier on horseback was running at high speed toward Iren.
“This place is dangerous! Get back!”
Despite Iren’s cries, the soldier does not retreat.
A general with a cruel personality could have been angry at this point and held a friendly soldier responsible.
Instead of doing so, she checked the situation around her to see if something had happened that forced her to defy her own command.
The number of enemy soldiers was noticeably reduced.
We were not without blows, but we were still in an overwhelmingly advantageous situation.
‘The battle is…… Our military is clearly ahead. Now, just a little more time will pass and Zeeland Castle will be ours.’
Then why?
In this situation…… Are you coming running to me, desperately calling me like that?
“What’s going on!”
As soon as the soldier arrived in front of Irene, her complexion turned pale and she shouted.
“It’s a retreat, general! The entire army must retreat!”
“…What?”
“!!”
After hearing the word ‘retreat’, both Iren and Luna looked at the soldier in surprise.
Although the gazes of the two women might have been burdensome, the soldier who had rushed all the way from Castle Annell to tell her important news had to inform her of her newly given orders as soon as possible.
“This is an order from the lord! The war with the Lunarien army is completely halted at this point! We must move our troops to Kelstein Castle in the north as soon as possible!”
“Kelstein Castle?”
Is Kelstein Castle in danger?
‘No way…… !’
Iren deduced the entire situation from just one word.
Because there was only one country with which Kelstein Castle bordered.
‘Serpina…… ‘It moved?!’
“General! Order a retreat quickly!”
‘…… ‘Damn it!’
Just a few more days.
No, at least one more day…… We could have taken over the castle!
However, she knew very well that if trouble arose in the North, she should not waste any more time here.
Iren said while looking at Luna.
“……Lord Luna, you’re lucky.”
“…!”
Irene did not listen to her answer and immediately turned her head.
Not long after – it felt like the Brans army’s great offensive, which seemed like it would never stop, was coming to a halt in an instant.
Luna got off her horse and slowly assessed the situation.
“Is this the end?”
“Brance guys, it looks like they’re running away?”
The Luna Army soldiers sensed changes here and there and were buzzing.
And only then did the sentence given by Brans’ soldier come into my mind.
‘Wait a minute. The fact that the war has stopped…… !’
At that time.
From the same place where the soldier ran – a man on horseback was approaching.
A white-haired man wearing shabby clothes.
He was the first to respond to a recruitment offer that no one had responded to.
Swen, the man who asked me to hold on because I would definitely stop this war…… He was coming to this place.
“Swen…!!”
Swen arrived in front of Luna, got off her horse and approached her.
Then, he spoke to Luna with a serious expression.
“Lord, there is no need to organize chase troops. Just send them all so that they can retreat. They will not touch us further on that side either.”
“S-Swen… That means…!”
“Yes.”
Swen nodded his head and-
He said with a confident smile.
“We succeeded in concluding an armistice agreement.”
“………!!”
“Didn’t I tell you? I will definitely prevent war, so please hold on just a little longer.”
When Luna heard those words, tears flowed from her eyes.
And then-
“…!”
She fell into Swen’s arms and hugged her body with all her might.
“…Thank you… Thank you, Swen… Thank you so much…”
“…….”
The position of leader may not be suited to her in the first place.
However, despite this, I want to bring peace to the continent. So, somehow, I will stand here and not turn my back on the task given to me –
Luna was thinking that way, but she still needed a place to lean on.
Did she understand her situation, or was it just simple sympathy?
Without saying a word, Swen looked down at her being held by him and then-
Soon she slowly placed her hand on her back.
“It’s our victory, Luna.”
* * *