NOVEL NEXT Chapter 52
“Long live! Long live! Let’s call for the festival! Long live! Long live! The flag of freedom! This song that reaches from Atlanta to the sea! When we march across Georgia!”
Walter, who was quietly listening to the song sung by the soldiers, casually remarked to Bernard standing beside him.
“That song was brought by Jeongjae, right? Probably from his side of the world.”
“That must be it. There’s no way those names we’ve never heard of could mix into the lyrics without him.”
“It’s a cheerful song. But for some reason, it makes my stomach turn.”
Walter Hellhound looked up at the flag that was prominently displayed at the newly constructed No Member Fortress, which was called ‘Eye of Wisdom.’
“The flag of freedom, huh…”
“That flag is worthy of such praise. There’s nothing we can’t liberate with it, right?”
“But it must be taken back quickly. I hope No Member doesn’t have to go through such a thing.”
“Hero, please avoid speaking of ominous things if you can. Your intuition seems so precise that you have a knack for making the listeners uneasy.”
Bernard spoke sincerely with worry. Walter burst into laughter and patted Bernard’s back.
“Then can’t I worry on my own terms? Just take a look, Bernard. Being here makes me worry more, for no reason.”
“And that worry only causes more worry for others!”
While the two conversed, the imperial soldiers were busy moving materials to construct the fortress, all the while singing a song that seemed to amuse them. The inside of the No Member Castle, which was surrounded by the castle walls, had been completely demolished by Jeongjae’s magic, but since the outer walls were intact, the process of remodeling them into a military garrison would not take long.
Securing No Member would certainly assist in the Northern Campaign. To relieve the fatigue from the prolonged defensive war, Walter had to initiate a large-scale offensive within the year.
Walter, listening to the lyrics of the song, spoke again to Bernard.
“I could learn something from a general named William Sherman.”
“Who is that? An ancient unknown master?”
“Not a general from our world. I heard he used a strategy to thoroughly destroy the enemy’s infrastructure while fighting. Workshops and such, you know? It’s about stomping on the enemy so they can’t rise again.”
“What are we to learn from that? The demon tribe beasts hardly produce anything to live on. They probably just make weapons at the smelting furnace. What do they even eat? Maybe they nibble on corpses or something.”
“What I mean is, the Demon King will surely employ such strategies against us, so we need to be prepared. Unlike the demon tribe, humans can’t eat without farmland and can’t create without a blacksmith.”
Bernard looked at the construction of No Member. The continent’s best hunter nodded as if he found it appetizing.
“In the end, destroying just this fortress would be a huge loss for us.”
“We will reclaim everything we’ve lost someday. Someday, without fail. Even the northernmost thing like the Eba, we will definitely return it to humanity. No matter the cost, we must…”
“Don’t speak so recklessly, Walter.”
The person who suddenly appeared behind Walter Hellhound was none other than the Iron-Wall Princess, Rose Caprice. Walter, seeing Rose, blushed and scratched his head.
“Huh? What did I say wrong this time?”
“That kind of talk about sacrificing for anything is reckless. There are some things that cannot be given up for any great endeavor. You know? That’s why you drove that guy away from us, right?”
“Maybe what he tried to do wasn’t great enough?”
“Walter?”
“Oh, don’t look at me like that. I’m just joking.”
The Hero lightly adjusted his glasses and spoke. Rose grimaced while grabbing both of Walter’s cheeks and yanking them toward her. Walter’s eyes widened in surprise, his cheeks squished.
“Why the sudden move, Rose? I like you too, but this is a bit awkward in front of so many people.”
“What can you not give up? What is it that you can’t let go of no matter what happens?”
“The future of the world. Everything I love on this land.”
“What are those things you love?”
“You. What else would it be?”
“Not me! What about you? What do you think about yourself?”
“Of course I love myself! Where’s there anyone in the world as worthy of love as I am?”
Walter laughed, detaching Rose’s hands from his face. But Rose still glared at him with a serious expression.
“Then what exactly are you unhappy with about your destiny? What do you see that fills you with anger and despair every day?”
“What anger and despair me is not the destiny shown by this damned glasses.”
Walter said, closing his eyes. With a slightly irritated gesture, Walter Hellhound pushed his glasses aside, sighed, and tucked them into his pocket.
“I’ve led fewer than 100,000 troops given by the Imperial Assembly against an army of three million, holding the border for seven years. Since I became an adult, I’ve been stuck on this godforsaken border, Rose.”
“You were the only one who could do it, Walter.”
“If everything is something I alone can accomplish, if it’s something I must continue to do,”
Walter’s lips trembled.
“How far has the world decreed my fate to reach? How far does the path I must take go? I…”
The Hero reached for the hilt of the Holy Sword strapped to his waist. Bernard and Rose exchanged glances, sensing his agitation.
“How long must this fight go on? Really, how long?”
Lately, Walter had shown signs of weakness more often. He had not been born a hero from the beginning. No, he hadn’t even realized his own fate until the day before he became a hero.
This young man, slightly optimistic, slightly clever, and showing an unusually good compatibility with his family’s legacy, had been almost kidnapped by the Holy Sword amid humanity’s urgent crisis and received the position of commander of the Imperial Army.
Walter, who seemed to pierce through everything, once had days when he couldn’t even imagine this situation. No, there were days when he couldn’t even foresee the thought of having to fight with a weapon in the army.
Even Walter’s closest friends often missed that fact. Just like the old Sage of the Magic Tower seemed to be born with a beard, Walter felt as if he had put on golden-framed glasses since birth and had been walking around setting up logical strategies.
Yet, even Walter was deteriorating. He was growing weaker.
Realizing that Rose and Bernard were looking at him with pity, Walter desperately tried to hide his embarrassment at having shown a weak side and forced a confident smile onto his face.
“Well, as long as I’m alive, I must struggle as much as possible. In such times, who wouldn’t? At least I’m capable enough not to die of an adventure gone wrong.”
“Hero. Don’t take it too heavily. No one can blame you if the war drags on. Honestly, I don’t mind if this war goes on for a while, as the bounty it offers is quite substantial. Anyway, just don’t overdo it.”
“Yeah, Bernard. Thank you. Thank you, everyone. Really.”
After saying this, Walter got up from his seat and trudged toward No Member Fortress. In the blink of an eye, he blended in with the soldiers and disappeared from view.
Bernard, plopping down in his seat, looked up at Rose and asked.
“Your Highness, do you think that’s the true nature of that man?”
“Yes, that’s Walter’s true nature. No, everything about him is his true nature. His weaknesses, strengths, the way he tries hard to be strong—it’s all part of Walter Hellhound. None of it is fake or a facade.”
“If that’s the case, this war really isn’t something humans should take on. That reckless man who could withstand my attacks with bare hands to the point of grinning has cursed his own destiny, so commanding a war against the demon tribe isn’t something mere humans can handle.”
Bernard’s dark expression blended with his dark skin, making it appear even grimmer. Rose patted Bernard’s back and smiled slyly.
“Walter will pull through. You know that man.”
“I believe so. At least it will look like he is. But you know, I still can’t figure out whether I’m his friend or just a hired protector.”
“Just because you can’t understand everything doesn’t mean you’re not his friend. Walter relies on you for a lot. He even asked you to write his biography, didn’t he?”
“That’s insane. I might not be illiterate, but I’m no writer. What the heck, a biography?”
Bernard stood up abruptly. Just then, a girl driving a carriage in the distance waved and greeted Bernard.
“Oh? Silver Point! Fancy meeting you here! Thank you so much back then!”
She had black bobbed hair and simple clothing. As Bernard gazed at the carriage for a moment, he realized she was the bartender of the tavern he had earlier smashed.
“Do you know her?” Rose asked. Bernard frowned and nodded.
“The bartender lady? What’s she doing pulling a carriage here?”
The carriage she was driving was filled with materials that seemed necessary for construction. Approaching Bernard, she said,
“Thanks to the useful information you provided back when, I managed to tidy up my shop early and earn some gold. I thought, once the drinking prohibition drops, what businesses I could run. In times like these, I imagined a lot of repairing ruined castles or buildings, so I prepped a carriage and jumped into the supply transport business. It’s just a coincidence that such a big project came up!”
“How did you get that drinking prohibition info? To a tavern owner, no less.”
Rose shrugged. The bartender, realizing Rose’s presence, hurriedly bowed her head in greeting.
“Oh, Your Highness! Um, that, so it wasn’t that I obtained the information through unscrupulous means… nor did Silver Point do anything wrong…”
“It was probably casual chat that fell into your ears. Well, nothing serious, right?”
Bernard finished what the stuttering girl couldn’t say. Rose nodded.
“Well, apart from being able to sell the booze for a bit more, it doesn’t seem like you lost anything much. Though it’s misusing internal information, I can overlook it.”
“I—I am deeply sorry!”
The bartender, now a transporter, bowed her head again. Rose trembled slightly, looking uncomfortable.
“What’s your name again?”
“I’m Violet. I don’t have a family name!”
“Alright, then go back. Work hard and earn plenty. You’re one of the rare people who’ve got help from Bernard.”
“More people than you think are supporting each other, I assure you.”
Bernard said in a tone laced with complaints. Violet, after saluting Rose with a formal posture, dashed back toward her carriage.
As Rose watched Violet’s retreating figure, she spoke with a curious expression.
“She seems like a clever girl. Definitely decisive.”
“If there are people suffering from the war, there will also be those who take advantage of it. Well, it’s not all that uncommon.”
“It’s good to take advantage, but I hope it’s in a way that also helps us, like that Violet transport merchant.”
Rose spoke. After all, if there are many who actively engage in industries benefiting the military’s movements, it wouldn’t become a nuisance to the Empire, which is always short on manpower.