I Became the Father of a Degenerate Emperor

Episode 17. Unlimited Target

Episode 17. Unlimited Target

The time when the distant dawn dawns dimly.

Dugdak! Dugdak! Dugdak!

The silence at the end of dawn was mercilessly trampled by the heavy sound of horses hooves.

As the two horses carrying the emperor and empress darted out from the front, the Duke of Bright and his troops hurriedly followed.

Knights and cavalry. It was a force of thousands.

Doo-doo-doo-doo!

Dust dust blooms loudly with the sound of horses hooves shaking the earth.

The power was so good that the ground was hollowed out wherever the horse’s hoof touched. Even the large stones nearby were shaking restlessly.

But even that explosive power was not infinite.

The necks and legs of the exhausted horses were bulging with tendons and veins, and the restless manes were also damp, as if everything had been squeezed out.

It was because he ran such a long distance without stopping.

That’s why even animals that are naturally specialized in running have finally reached their physical limits.

The knights and soldiers who rode on it were equally exhausted.

Then the lead horse burst into a cry and raised his front paws high.

What stopped was the horse carrying the emperor.

A horse that is rumored to be the bravest and fastest in the Kratus Empire, and is called the ‘Dragon Horse’.

Even the majestic horse, the emperor’s favorite horse, was panting and trembling.

The following horses also burst into tears in succession and start to stop one by one.

The long-distance sprint that lasted for hours had finally come to an end.

“Pu-hu- Fu-hu-“

Thousands of horses blowing hot breath from their nostrils, like overheated engines.

Some horses struggled to wag their tails, and even collapsed to the ground with their owners on board.

It was an unspoken protest that he would not be able to run anymore.

After running non-stop all night, my stamina was completely exhausted.

It was such a difficult journey.

It would have been absolutely impossible with normal words.

But the horses they were riding were warhorses of the Kratus Empire.

The Imperial Warhorse was an improved breed born from crossing with a beast.

So, it was much bigger than a normal horse, and had superior muscle mass and endurance.

For food, like carnivores, only meat was the staple food.

“Your Majesty, I think we should rest here for a while.”

A tired voice. It was Estill’s voice.

“It would be nice to do that.”

Actually, it wasn’t the blood that really bothered Estill.

In a situation where everyone has a premonition of death with one heart and one mind, there are many people who believe that the cause of the futile death is because of the emperor.

She found the fact unbearably painful.

As the two dismounted, Duke Bright walked along with his son, dead.

“Your Majesty, is it really okay to continue like this?”

“It will be fine.”

“When is the Imperial Knight Commander coming? I don’t understand why he marches so hastily when he can’t guarantee victory even if he goes together.”

“The knight commander said he would come as soon as possible after obtaining weapons and a few men, so don’t worry.”

Even though he said that, Duke Bright didn’t seem to be comforted at all.

And that, too, was his son.

Ansus Bright, Esteel’s younger brother and heir to the Duke of Bright.

In his eyes, anger was boiling like lava.

However, when the emperor’s eyes met, he just turned his head away in silence.

*

It’s not that I can’t understand the dissatisfied expression of Ensus.

Of course you hate me.

It’s not enough to commit all sorts of evil deeds, now it’s like forcing an unreasonable war.

Besides, since he limped and followed him to the battlefield, he must have thought he had come to watch.

Among the knights and soldiers, there were some who gave me stinging glances.

In fact, it’s safe to assume that most of them hold a grudge against me.

But if I do well, I might be able to crush that hatred today.

Anyway, it seems that riding a horse is much easier than I thought.

Now my left leg is not normal. It wasn’t that he couldn’t give strength at all, but it was a situation that was never easy to ride a horse.

Nevertheless, after running non-stop for hours already, he seemed barely tired.

Perhaps it’s because the emperor’s favorite horse is being treated with amazing care.

Perhaps they were sharing sympathy unconsciously, the words themselves even felt like a part of their body.

Maybe that’s why, even when I rode it as a test before going out, I was able to drive it leisurely like a person who has been horseback riding for a long time.

I thought that maybe all of that was thanks to the memories that were ingrained in my body.

Actually, whatever I said, the empress’ horseback riding skills were honestly unexpected.

I’ve heard that the horse she rides is the second fastest in the empire, but it’s not easy to convince her that she can ride better than skilled knights.

Soon, feeling my gaze, the empress spoke to me with a deep gaze.

“Are you feeling better?”

Now she was wearing a uniform that knights would wear.

And she wears her hooded cloak over it.

Although he was drenched in sweat, his eyes looking at me still seemed full of energy.

Actually, it was quite awkward until right after the campaign, but while running together, the awkwardness disappeared before I knew it.

“Thanks to the Empress-“

“Esteel.”

Before she could finish her sentence, she cut her off.

“When there are only two of us, please call me that.”

Long eyelashes hanging from the lowered gaze. For some reason, I felt that I was pitiful.

“I will do that from now on. Anyway, thanks to you, my body is much better now. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

“I am very fortunate.”

For some reason, I suddenly turned my head away as I could only see her lips clearly.

The horses, fed and rested enough, started running vigorously toward Florante again.

It wasn’t long before the faint light on the horizon rose to the ends of the sky.

And soon, golden light seemed to cover the whole world, and finally the sky turned blue.

Thousands of horses ran and ran nonstop in the cool morning air.

Or not, the scorching sun was slowly flying higher and higher.

Then, near noon, the Duke came close to him before he knew it.

“Now it’s Pharos Hill. If you cross over there, you will find Florente.”

It was an expression that seemed like death was coming soon.

From the hill of Pharos, everyone but me rode horses and walked up.

It wasn’t that steep of a hill, but it was because I needed to be careful from now on even in the dirt.

When we reached the highest point of the hill, there was an endless golden wave in front of our eyes.

Vast plains densely planted with various crops.

A green energy full of life flowed gently across the vast land.

This was Florante, the largest granary of the Kratus Empire.

Occasionally a strong wind blows, creating a dynamic sway over the green grass stems.

Then my gaze suddenly reached the horizon.

At the end of the golden wave, a small-looking fortress stood alone.

That fortress is the fortress city of Protezion.

It was subjugated by Kratus I, but it was once inhabited by the reigning king of this region.

Of course, it was currently occupied by barbarians.

Although it looks very small from here, it will never be small when you get close.

Then, when I looked at the Duke casually, his face was pale.

I was worried that he would give me an order to charge at any moment.

“Wait here.”

The word wait must have made him so happy, the complexion returned to the Duke’s face before he knew it.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

I got off my horse and took out a thick book tied to the side of the saddle.

It’s called the ‘Book of Greed’.

It was a book that could keep some kind of thing.

There is a legend that it was created by the incarnation of greed, but in reality it was one of the treasures created by an unknown wizard who lived in ancient times.

It was a rare book with only three books on the continent, so there were even rumors that one book could buy several kingdoms.

One item can be put on one page, and it is about 400 pages, so it was like putting 400 items on a single book.

Of course, due to the size limit, it was impossible to store things like wagons.

When I went to get a bow for Eric’s gift, I had swept quite a few useful looking things into this book.

Chararak-

The one I’m looking for right now should be around page 47.

Continuing to turn the pages, on page 48 I found a picture that looked like a rolled up piece of paper. It was like a black and white photograph.

I placed my hand on it and muttered briefly.

“Liberation.”

At that moment, what was in the book was created in the air, and at the same time, 48 pages returned to blank paper.

After tying the Book of Greed back to the saddle, Estill picks up a wad of paper and hands it to me.

Her eyes were full of curiosity.

Unfolding the paper, you can see curly letters written tightly.

In fact, these were direct records of the savage’s physical characteristics.

Referring to the various books stored in the Imperial Library, a vast amount of characteristics were written in great detail and detail.

In a way, it was nothing more than an insignificant thing, but under the current circumstances, I could guarantee that it would be more valuable than any other treasure.

I began to picture the savages in my head, reading quickly through what was written on the paper.

Huge and muscular body, stern expression and ferocious eyes.

Just with that one sentence, countless savages were pictured in my head.

The number of savages that can be conceived begins to increase exponentially when the ferocious weapons they use and the crude skin they wear called clothes are added.

In addition to that, various details were not missed, including various types of face painting that only drew the blood of humans and monsters, various scars on the body, and wild hairstyles.

I kept drawing images, and eventually a big category of savages formed in my head.

Category.

That was exactly what I was aiming for.

If a human hears the word flower, how many flowers can he imagine in his head?

Rose, forsythia, tulip, chrysanthemum, and so on.

You could imagine countless flowers, and their appearance would be different every moment.

It was not impossible to even associate a flower that does not exist in the world.

It was possible to imagine an infinite number of flowers if you put your mind to it.

In other words, it meant that a single category called ‘flower’ could represent an innumerable number of flowers.

So, what if I could envision a category of savage?

What if it was possible to have murderous intentions in such a state?

Just by harboring murderous intent against a single category, it would be possible to see countless beings belonging to it with the enemy’s eyes.

You can see multiple enemies from a considerable distance regardless of darkness or obstacles.

In the novel, all the former emperors of the Kratus Empire were able to use the ability of the red eye through the category.

In that way, he made a huge profit in the great battle with the different races.

So I also thought of maximizing the power of enemy eyes by creating a category of savages and having a murderous intent against them.