Surviving as the Fallen Northern Grand Duke

Chapter 36: The One Who Brings Calamity (3)

Fzzzt. Fzzzztzzzzzt!

With every step taken by Escal Demaris, the Grand Duke of Southern Province, a fierce crackling sound echoed.

Moreover,

Clank! Clatter!

The heavily armored soldiers following him exuded a menacing aura.

Gulp.

Someone behind me swallowed nervously.

It was no wonder—our number of guards protecting the Emperor right now wasn't even a third of theirs.

‘They must think we don’t stand a chance.’

Well, I could understand that sentiment.

Not only did those bastards have superior numbers, but their armament was also exceptional.

On top of that, they were completely disregarding the divine power of the priests we had painstakingly gathered.

From the perspective of the Imperial Knights, they must have looked quite threatening.

And as if that wasn’t enough, that so-called Southern Grand Duke was striding toward us, his body brimming with energy like an electric eel, making it impossible for my men to even take a step forward.

That electric eel of a man at the front called out again.

“Johan Kraubitz! Surely, you are not so foolish as to fail to grasp the situation? And yet, do you still insist on settling this with force?”

“Oh—yeah.”

“If you resist now, every knight here will be slaughtered. Are you truly willing to lay down your life for that false Emperor?”

At Escal Demaris’ final question, someone behind me let out a contemplative hum.

I ignored the sound and shouted back at Escal.

“False? This is the first time I’ve heard anyone call His Majesty a false Emperor. How could the descendant of the founding Emperor, who lawfully established and ruled this Empire, be considered false? If there is an imposter here…”

Yes, if there was anyone deserving of that title…

“It would be that so-called ‘Supreme God’ who fattened himself on the prayers and offerings of the people while raising a rebel dog like you.”

Most of the people here probably didn’t understand the full implications of my words.

They didn’t know that the Empire’s future was doomed to destruction, nor that one of the gods of this continent was the one leading it toward ruin.

However—

Flinch.

The bastard standing before me was different.

The way he flinched, it was as if he was silently asking, ‘How do you know that?’

To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure if the entity he served was one of the Supreme Gods or just some lesser deity from the fringes.

So, I had simply thrown out the term ‘Supreme God’ as a test.

Judging by his reaction, that accursed god was definitely one of them.

‘What a fool. Can’t even keep a poker face.’

I called out to that idiot once more.

“Come at me. You’re nothing more than a dog of that wretched fool, aren't you? That means I have no reason to sacrifice my life for His Majesty here. I’m not going to die in this place. So…”

Smirk.

“You and that fool of a god will both have your heads severed, one after the other.”

Hearing my words, the rebels’ faces twisted in horror.

And Escal Demaris, having just heard my ‘blasphemous’ remark, erupted in fury.

Meanwhile, behind me…

“Ah, you could’ve worded that a little softer… Now, if we lose, there won’t even be room for negotiations… I don’t want to die…”

The one who had let out that hum earlier, Erina, kept muttering under her breath.

‘Damn it, think inside your head, you damned transmigrator.’

I had brought her here with the intention of using her as a defibrillator in battle, but it seemed she had completely lost her nerve after seeing Escal in person.

She kept murmuring nervously, making everyone else anxious.

‘Once we get back to the territory, I might have to teach her swordsmanship myself.’

She had the courage to come all the way into the forest to rescue me, but since she had no way to fight on her own, she was quick to get scared.

In any case, Escal Demaris, now in a frenzy, surged with divine power as he tried to feign composure.

“Northern Grand Duke Johan Kraubitz. Now that I think about it, you really are tenacious. A cripple without a proper Mana Heart… yet you managed to fend off an invasion of your lands and even survive against Knight Devon…”

As I listened to his nonsense, something suddenly clicked.

The first event that marked the beginning of the main storyline in the novel Surviving as the Fallen Northern Grand Duke—‘The Mysterious Order’s Invasion of the Territory’—could it be…?

“Was that knight order that attacked my territory sent by you? Under the orders of that damned god?”

Yes, perhaps that event had been orchestrated by his machinations from the very start.

Heh.

Escal simply smirked at my question before slowly opening his mouth.

“You were already infamous as a fool. I thought sending a force of that size would be enough to bring me your severed head… but it was unexpected.”

“……”

“Only a fraction of the troops I sent returned, and the entire knight order went missing…”

He tilted his head as he spoke, and the sight of it disgusted me.

I had spent my entire childhood anxiously preparing for that event.

While I had always suspected that Escal had incited Knight Devon, I had never imagined that he was also behind the earlier invasion.

The bastard took another step forward and spoke.

“Before the Spring Festival began, do you remember what I said? That you might have a chance to end your short-lived existence?”

“Yeah, why don’t you explain that before you die?”

“The method is nothing special. ‘He’ has taken an interest in making you his new servant. If you accept, he’s willing to grant you a new power in place of that broken Mana Heart.”

“Declined.”

There was no point in continuing this conversation.

Negotiations had effectively broken down.

Aside from one person grumbling behind me, everyone else had steeled themselves, prepared to fight to the death.

And then—

Ssshhhhhh.

Escal Demaris, now fully prepared for battle, began radiating an overwhelming surge of divine power.

An absolute force that bound every being born into this world.

The very power that gave rise to churches and temples across the land and cemented divine authority as an unshakable force.

As the divine power personally bestowed by the Evil God began to flow out…

“Arghhhhhh!”

“Everyone, gather your mana and resist!”

“Priests, protect the Imperial family!”

Chaos erupted on our side.

That was an overwhelming force we simply couldn’t endure.

And then, Escal Demaris finally raised his sword.

His sword stance didn’t seem particularly impressive, but the moment he slashed downward, the divine power imbued in his body would sweep through this place.

In fact, just by unleashing his divine power, he had already disrupted the formation of the knights behind me.

However—

Step.

I calmly stepped forward, feeling the wind brush past my face.

As I moved slowly, memories of the past flashed through my mind like a revolving lantern.

When I was a child, a priest who visited my territory once said—

“T-This is impossible! Your Grace, you possess no divine power whatsoever!”

“That’s… not a good thing, is it?”

“Of course not! If this were to be revealed, the Inquisitors would come running to take your head…”

“Wouldn’t the secret stay safe if you simply disappeared?”

“……Your Grace, in fact, your divine power is perfectly normal.”

I found it truly fascinating.

Everyone born and raised in this land had at least a speck of divine power within them.

But apparently, I had none at all.

At one point, I even wondered, ‘Could I be the hidden mastermind or something?’

After all, only demons were completely devoid of divine power.

Even Erina, who was also a transmigrator, had an abundance of divine power, so it was strange that I had ended up with this kind of body.

But now—

“Now I finally understand.”

Heh.

“……At the very least, I have an ‘immunity’ to divine power itself.”

Yes, the absence of divine power within me.

It wasn’t just a deficiency—it meant that I wasn’t affected by the force that governed this world.

Of course, I muttered the last part under my breath. It wasn’t something I wanted anyone to hear.

Shing!

I raised my sword, just as Escal did.

His sword was already drenched in divine power.

If he was channeling that much energy, then no matter how much he borrowed from the Evil God, his body wouldn’t hold up for long.

That meant…

‘I’ll block it.’

At the very front, to protect the Emperor and the knights bound by this world’s laws, I had to stop him.

‘Not multiple times. Just a few. I just need to neutralize his attacks.’

Then, inevitably, he would collapse on his own.

Ssssshhhh!

Boom!

At last, Escal Demaris’ sword carved a graceful arc through the air, sending out an eerie shockwave that spread in all directions.

And in that moment—

Clang. BOOM!

As the force hurtled toward the Emperor’s throne, I knelt on one knee and drove my massive longsword into the ground, bracing myself.

Like a gatekeeper protecting this grand hall, I simply withstood the fierce assault.

And then—

BOOOOM!

Fwoooosh!

The divine power, gathered to its peak, surged toward us.

The rebel soldiers, afraid of being swept up in the blast, still hesitated to step past Escal.

Crackkkkkkk!

The longsword I gripped and Johan Kraubitz’s peculiar body absorbed the full impact of the attack.

And soon—

Flash!

The scattered divine energy dispersed behind me.

“Kh…!”

The knights behind me barely managed to endure, forcing their own energy to resist the aftershock.

Even the remnants of the neutralized divine power seemed overwhelming to them.

And once again, Escal launched another attack.

He had already lost all sense of self, blindly unleashing a relentless barrage without even assessing the situation.

‘Impressive. Even I, who am immune to divine power…’

The sheer energy waves radiating outward were enough to be overwhelming.

Now, Escal Demaris was unleashing his fourth strike.

He was managing to unleash four consecutive devastating blows at such a level.

The knights behind me began to waver.

“C-Can we even block this? His Grace must have his limits too…”

“And just blocking it won’t win us this fight, will it?”

Faced with such an overwhelming foe, uncertainty and doubt were beginning to fester in their hearts.

And so—

‘It’s time to show them.’

Watching Escal’s attacks weaken, I realized it was time to end this battle.

Clang. Clang.

Johan Kraubitz, clad in heavy armor, stood firm against the attacks and slowly began to rise.

And then—

Clank. Clank.

I stepped forward, steadily advancing.

Like a fish swimming against a raging current.

At this moment, I was defying the absolute laws that governed this world.

And soon, everyone would see it clearly.

That in this place—

There was no such thing as ‘absolute.’

Even gods themselves.

BOOOOOOM.

Through the storm of attacks, I kept walking.

Sssssshhh.

I focused my mind on my longsword.

My blade had to pierce through the blinding radiance and reach my enemy.

So, beyond the light that threatened to blind me—

Swwwwiiiiiish!

Thuuuuud!

I drove my sword forward.

History would one day record this moment as the first struggle of a mere human who dared to challenge the power of the gods.

"Chase them down! Leave no one alive!"

"Protect His Majesty! Do not lower your guard!"

The grand hall was filled with the furious cries of the knights.

The moment Escal Demaris fell to Johan's blade, the Imperial Knights were finally freed from the divine power that had bound them, allowing them to fight back against the rebels.

And then—

Step.

Johan looked down at Escal, who lay at his feet, before attempting to turn away. But then…

"Heh… Cough."

Despite his mortal wound, Escal let out an eerie laugh.

Johan looked down at the soon-to-be corpse with cold eyes.

Escal’s lips moved weakly, as if trying to say something.

His voice, drained of strength, was barely audible.

However—

Swish.

At the very least, Johan could recognize the shape of his lips forming words.

<…bringing…disas…ter…>

Whoosh.

Johan stood in silence for a moment before finally turning away from him.

And just as he was about to rejoin the battle—

"Waaaaaaaah!"

"Protect His Majesty!"

The main force of the Capital Guard had finally arrived, noisily storming into the grand hall.

And then—

FLASH!

Through the chaos, Johan saw ‘something’ escape from Escal Demaris’ body.

‘That bastard’s power.’

Yes, the aura coming from it was undoubtedly that of the Evil God.

He couldn’t let it get away.

Fwoosh!

Tap-tap-tap-tap!

Johan sprinted after the vile divine energy and leaped out of the palace window.

If he could catch it, he would surely find a clue to the true identity of the Evil God.

However—

Ssssshhhhhh.

By the time he reached the forest outside the palace, the strange presence had already vanished.

As if mocking him, it had disappeared at a speed he simply couldn’t match.

Johan stood at the forest’s edge, staring blankly up at the sky.

Ssssshhhhhh.

Standing amidst the windblown grass, Johan muttered softly.

"I lost it."

And just as he sighed in frustration—

Rustle!

As if in response to his words, something stirred in the grass.

Sensing an unusual presence, Johan instinctively pulled out a dagger from his waist and threw it toward the source of the movement.

Then—

Thuuuud!

The dagger struck its target, and at that exact moment—

Fwoooosh!

A golden light soared into the sky, revealing what it was.

"What the…?"

It was a deer.

A golden deer.

The final target of the Spring Hunt, an artificial magical beast created by the Mage Tower and released into the hunting grounds.

For some reason, it had made its way here.

With the soldiers guarding the outskirts of the hunting grounds having been deployed for battle, it must have slipped through the gaps and wandered near the palace.

And then—

Ssssshhhhhh.

For centuries, the golden light had always appeared at the moment when the winner of the Spring Hunt captured the Golden Deer.

That sacred light now ascended to the sky, engraving itself upon the heavens.

A divine and overwhelming radiance.

That unbelievable celestial spectacle—

Declared that the ‘winner’ had been crowned here today.