Surviving as the Fallen Northern Grand Duke

Chapter 35: The One Who Brings Calamity (2)

The knight Krill, who led the southern rebels, felt something strange.

As a knight who had reached the level of a mid-tier Expert, he had nearly annihilated the Crown Prince’s army…

‘Qi wave?’

An indescribable energy filled the battlefield.

Startled by this eerie presence, Krill quickly scanned his surroundings.

‘Where is it coming from? The Crown Prince is on the verge of collapse, and the Northern Grand Duke should be half-crippled. So who on earth is radiating this kind of energy?’

As a commander leading this faction of the rebels and as someone who was to take a key position in the new knight order that the Southern Grand Duke, Escal Demaris, would establish…

Krill had to identify this ‘unknown factor’ that had appeared on the battlefield.

So, he turned his head and looked beyond the forest…

‘A person?’

In the distance, he saw something—someone—rushing forward.

And then—

Saaah.

That figure vanished.

It was only for a brief moment.

Less than a second later, that strange figure reappeared.

Wielding a massive longsword.

Saaaaaak!

Krill saw the blade of the longsword descending before his eyes.

And the massive, beast-like man who was swinging it down fiercely.

‘A black fur cloak… And black military boots.’

It was only for a split second, but Krill burned that intense image into his mind.

He smirked.

Even though he was about to meet his death, at least he would know who was killing him.

That was why he couldn’t suppress the smile in that fleeting moment.

Swish!

Johan Kraubitz’s longsword split his skull open.

‘That… That was Kraubitz-style… Mugang Sword.’

Krill, at least, did not suffer the disgrace of dying to an unskilled blade.

Thud. Crackle!

The body of the knight who led the rebels collapsed.

Huff. Huff.

I exhaled heavily and once again charged into the heart of the enemy ranks.

‘There are no Aura users. I can rely on brute strength here.’

Against mere foot soldiers, Johan Kraubitz’s might would shine.

I began cutting down enemies one by one.

Saaaaaak!

I swung my sword down.

Kwaaaang!

The ones barely managing to block with their swords were crushed and torn apart.

“Aaaargh!”

“What the hell…?”

“There’s no way to stop him! Fall back!”

The rebels started panicking.

They must have been shocked to see their swords sliced through like tofu.

I cut down one knight after another, shifting the tide of the battle.

“Follow the Grand Duke of Axen!”

“Push back the rebels!”

The nobles’ allied forces weren’t fools who would just stand by and watch. Soon, they adjusted their formation and followed my lead.

“Protect His Highness!”

I heard that shout from behind.

It seemed Arthur Pontiac had rejoined the battle with his guards.

Tsk.

I cut down another enemy and smirked bitterly.

“That brat just won’t listen.”

He might be a prince, but he clearly couldn’t stand staying back while others fought.

That’s why he was out there, covered in blood, still fighting.

The enemy numbers were dwindling. Their remaining knights barely reached double digits.

Tremble.

Johan’s body trembled from the strain of exertion.

The effects of the earlier Mana Heart overload were still lingering.

Whiiish!

I quickly turned my head and looked toward the forest.

My mana defibrillator had moved too far away.

‘Damn it. Erina, get closer!’

I sent a sharp glare full of silent curses toward the forest.

Then—

Rustle.

My defibrillator, now wearing a scavenged chainmail vest, moved stealthily between the trees, drawing closer without anyone noticing.

Of course, worried for her safety, she kept at least ten meters away from me.

With my quick-witted and highly efficient defibrillator nearby, I began mopping up the remaining stragglers.

Most of the enemy forces were mere soldiers, and there were only a handful of knights left…

Flaaash!

As I unleashed the Kraubitz-style Mugang Sword across the battlefield once more,

Within mere minutes, every last rebel knight had lost their heads.

Of course—

Huff. Huff.

Johan’s blood-soaked body was on the verge of collapsing.

“We… we’ve won!”

A noble shouted.

Then—

“We are victorious! We have defeated hundreds of rebels!”

“Long live His Highness the Crown Prince! Long live the Grand Duke of Axen!”

The nobles who had participated in the spring hunt were overcome with emotion and began chanting.

However—

Thud.

I had no intention of listening to such noise and instead mounted the horse that Erina had brought.

Of course, my defibrillator was also clinging onto my back.

Arthur Pontiac shouted at me.

“Johan, where are you going? We just won the battle…”

I didn’t have time to argue with him, so I simply shouted back and spurred my horse forward.

“Get yourself together and follow. Right now…”

Yes, right now, without a doubt—

“The Imperial Capital is under invasion.”

This was no time to revel in the joy of victory.

Dududududu.

I urged my horse to run faster than ever before.

My body was already at its limit, feeling like it could collapse at any moment, but I couldn’t afford to lose consciousness now.

The only rest I could allow myself was the brief moment atop the galloping horse.

‘Damn it.’

This can’t happen. The Empire must not fall today.

If it does, I won’t be able to prepare for the ending.

To be ready for the ‘conclusion’ that lunatic is plotting, I must save the Empire today.

* * *

Swoosh.

Freud Pontiac, Emperor of the Prohatska Empire, washed his hands with an air of sophistication.

It was almost mealtime, and an emperor’s hands should not be dirty when picking up a venison leg.

That’s why he even used fragrant soap to cleanse them.

Yet—

“……”

His gaze carried an inexplicable displeasure.

Noisy.

From beyond the Imperial Palace, a ceaseless and bothersome racket could be heard.

Silently, the Emperor continued washing his hands, shutting his ears to the disturbance.

“…Such a ruckus. How long do they intend to keep barking?”

Yes, the world was far too noisy, a cruel fate for a shepherd who simply wished to tend to his flock in peace.

Sigh.

Emperor Freud Pontiac let out a small sigh and stepped away from the washbasin.

It seemed that the Imperial Guard knight, Bichen, would not be able to come here.

Sssk. Step.

So, the Emperor slowly crossed his bedroom and prepared to step outside.

The howling of wolves was simply too loud.

And at that moment—

Flaaaash!

An immense surge of qi waves came rushing from the distant corridor.

‘Who is it? Did Escal have a knight of that caliber?’

The trembling air clearly conveyed the intensity.

It was as if a torrential wave, powerful enough to shatter the laws of the world, was crashing down.

Ssss.

The Emperor slowly rolled up his sleeves. He needed to see who it was.

And just a moment later, as he awaited the arrival of the rebel knight—

A familiar voice rang out from the distance.

“Advance! Proud knights of the Empire! The Emperor is in danger!”

Heh.

The Emperor let out a soft chuckle as soon as he heard that cry.

The vigorous shout continued.

“Save the Empire! Prove that the honor of knighthood still remains on this land!”

That was undoubtedly that child’s voice.

‘Lately, it seems nothing ever passes without incident.’

Was it thanks to the late Northern Grand Duke raising his son well?

Once again, that young Grand Duke of the North was charging forward.

Surely, at this moment, nobles across the Empire were panicking and floundering.

Yet, that boy alone had assessed the situation with composure, gathered the knights, and immediately made his way to the Imperial Palace.

The clatter of armor and galloping hooves followed behind his voice.

‘A prodigy.’

That level of judgment and leadership was far beyond what one would expect from a seventeen-year-old.

Ssshh.

So, the Emperor lowered his sleeves.

It seemed he needed to watch what that boy would do.

Thud.

Johan Kraubitz, ruler of the Grand Duchy of Axen in the North, knelt before the Emperor.

“Your Majesty! As you may know, King Escal Demaris of the Southern Province Grand Duchy has staged a rebellion. The nobles who participated in the spring hunt united and defeated one of their divisions. Following that, we immediately gathered the knights and came to the Imperial Capital.”

After his brief report, the Emperor asked—

“So, how many rebels have infiltrated the capital?”

“They brought cavalry forces, including knights. The total number appears to be around a thousand.”

“Most of the Imperial Guard is deployed for the Spring Festival’s security. Can you hold them off?”

Johan lifted his head, looked straight at the Emperor, and made his request.

“Give the order. If Your Majesty commands it, we will lay down our lives to stop the rebels. The Imperial Guard will arrive as reinforcements soon, and together, we will be able to crush the rebellion with ease.”

Nod.

The Emperor gave a small nod, then issued his command in a low, dignified voice.

“Johan Kraubitz, ruler of the Grand Duchy of Axen, shall serve as the interim commander of the Imperial Capital’s defense from this moment forward. Repel the invaders within the Imperial Palace and hunt down the remnants hiding within the capital of Prohatska.”

“I accept Your Majesty’s command!”

Johan, having received the Emperor’s command, immediately rose and escorted the Emperor and the Imperial family.

“The throne hall has been set up with temporary defenses. We have stationed our knights there, making it the most advantageous place for defense. Since the rebels have already begun searching the palace, dividing our knights into small groups in confined spaces would lead to them being picked off one by one. Therefore, we will relocate there and hold our ground.”

With that, he escorted the Emperor out of the bedroom.

Swoosh.

As the Emperor stepped out of his chamber under Johan’s escort…

He glanced at a newly formed stain on the carpet near the bed.

And then,

‘I was a little careless. I couldn’t clean up properly in my haste.’

He quietly observed the traces left behind by the fourteen rebel knights he had just killed with his own hands.

Then, he turned his gaze away.

With his sleeves covering his hands, the Emperor walked slowly, once again assuming the demeanor of the ‘lofty ruler’ known to the world.

* * *

The Emperor’s family was gathered around the throne, and multiple layers of makeshift barricades had been set up in front of them.

A few priests, hastily summoned, stood in the rear, while Johan and the Imperial Knights stood at the forefront, swords drawn.

The grand hall, where generations of rulers had governed the Empire,

Had now been transformed into a fortress to protect it.

Sigh.

Standing at the very front, Johan let out a deep breath as he waited for the enemy.

‘I had a vague feeling…’

Sure enough, that damned bastard had interfered.

Yes, this was undoubtedly that guy’s doing.

Otherwise, there’s no way I’d be feeling this exact same ‘sensation’ again.

Johan knew the ending of the novel Enchanted by the Beastly Northern Grand Duke.

He knew about ‘him’—the being that would bring about the apocalypse and destruction of this world.

That’s why he had taken Krisha into his family early on,

To sever the connection between her and that guy, his ultimate weapon.

Back then, he had distinctly sensed it—the stench of ‘corrupted divinity’ radiating from that guy.

‘Even now, it feels disgusting.’

That guy wasn’t a demon.

He was, without a doubt, one of the ‘gods’ worshipped by this Empire.

Meaning, he wasn’t radiating demonic energy but divine power.

Saaah…

A powerful aura emanated from behind the great hall’s doors.

It wasn’t regular divine power, nor was it demonic energy—just that tainted, corrupted presence.

It seemed that either he had come in person, or at the very least, had sent one of his servants.

Moments later, Johan fully understood the nature of that divine power.

Boom!

With a deafening crash, the doors of the grand hall shattered.

Step.

From beyond the wreckage, radiating overwhelming divine power,

Escal Demaris, the Southern Grand Duke, strode forth.

And behind him—hundreds of soldiers followed.

Saaaaah…

The priests attempted to raise a barrier against the enemy using divine power.

However—

“W-why isn’t it working…?”

The barrier failed to form properly.

Of course, it was obvious.

Those bastards were also cloaked in ‘divine power,’ having borrowed strength from a ‘god.’

‘This is fucking ridiculous.’

In a world where everyone worships the gods,

The one seeking to bring about its destruction turns out to be a god himself.

Johan took a step forward, preparing to face the traitor once more.

And then—

Boom!

Escal Demaris, his entire body radiating divine energy, sneered.

“Surrender. If you don’t, I will slaughter every last one of you. But if you surrender, I will at least spare your lives.”

“…What?”

“I am currently under ‘His’ protection. In other words, I am standing here with the power of a transcendent being. So…”

Heh.

With a cruel smirk, Escal continued.

“No one born in this land can possibly overcome my divine power.”

That was exactly why I could step forward without hesitation.

Because I wasn’t born in this land.