◈ 452. [Side Story] In the name of the emperor,
a river flows in the middle of the continent.
The name of this river that separates the southwest and northeast of the continent is Iris.
The ecliptic New Terra is a great river that flows through the adjacent inland sea to the eastern open sea, and is the lifeline of civilization that made the central part of the continent rich and fertile.
For the Everblack Empire, which greedily devoured the center of the continent, this river
is the actual ruling area of New Terra, the ecliptic, and also an absolute line of defense that cannot allow outcry.
All over, all over… … .
To the south of this river, the troops of the Crossroads, led by me, rushed.
“Wow.”
I stopped my horse and looked at the other side of the river – the opposing army camped in the north.
Imperial Defense Army.
Fernandez’s troops waving flags featuring roses and shields.
The standing army directly under the imperial family, responsible for the outer defense and internal security of the imperial capital New Terra, was waiting for us.
And on the river Iris that lies between us and them… … .
“I have no legs.”
There were no facilities to cross.
Only the traces of the collapsed bridge remain unsightly.
Someone said to me looking at the river.
“During the battle, it collapsed. To be precise, the Imperial Guard destroyed it.”
Looking back, it was Metallic, an old knight who led the remnants of the 1st Legion.
Metallic explained with a bloody glint in one of his blinded eyes.
“The vanguard of our 1st Corps, which was lured to the bridge by Her Majesty Fernandez’s trick, was annihilated with the collapse of the bridge.”
“indeed.”
“So after that, we had to take a long detour to cross the river and head to the ecliptic, and the wires stretched. This was one of the reasons the war was slow.”
Metallic was Lark’s lieutenant and participated in the battle of the zodiac.
He explained all the battles that unfolded here and the course the First Corps subsequently took to reach the ecliptic. I listened intently and nodded.
After the explanation, Metallic asked me carefully.
“So, what are you going to do now, Your Highness? Would you like to take a detour?”
“no. We will not move the military right now.”
I looked around. The plains are spacious, so there is quite a bit of space.
“Wait for allies to gather here.”
At my words, Metallic flinched as if taken aback.
“Are you saying you want to camp here?”
“why? Is there anything wrong with that?”
“But right across the river is the Imperial Guard… .”
“Isn’t it the same as the other side that you can’t cross because you don’t have a bridge? It’s a situation where we can’t attack each other.”
“still… .”
“Aren’t you too close?”
I smiled and looked at the Ecliptic Defense Forces in the north.
Despite the river separating them, the distance between the two armies is close.
It’s just that ranged attacks barely reach each other, but if you have good eyesight, you can see each other’s faces.
“It should be at this level so that we can face each other and talk.”
“yes… ?”
“All right, set up your gin!”
I raised my voice.
“We wait for the alliance to join us here! Get ready to camp!”
***
The night of the camp.
All the soldiers seemed nervous about setting up camp right in front of the enemy, but I didn’t care.
Because we know that there is no way they will attack us now.
‘Because right now on this side… … .’
Because your people are hiding.
So, can I use that as well?
Deep in the night, I called Metallic to my barracks.
“Did you call me, Your Highness?”
“okay. come in metallic.”
I smiled at Metallic who came hesitantly.
“I have something to talk about with you. Come and sit down.”
“Then excuse me.”
Metallic entered the barracks and sat down on the chair in front of me in silence.
“What are you talking about… Ugh?!”
And as soon as Metallic sat down, my heroes, who were waiting in the barracks, jumped out and subdued him.
His limbs were bound in an instant, and he gnashed his teeth at me.
“What is this, Your Highness… !”
His whole body was full of scars and one eye was discolored. oh that’s brutal
However, as long as you know his true nature, it’s not scary at all to look ferocious.
“He looks like a seasoned longevity, but he does things like a rat. metallic.”
I brought my head closer to him and smiled.
“I knew from the beginning that you were a spy.”
“… ?!”
“The fact that you falsely came under my command. Seeing the timing and trying to hit me in the back. I mean, I knew everything.”
Embarrassed Metallic murmured dejectedly.
“uh… how… ?”
The answer was not from me, but from Dusk Bringer who walked beside me.
“Among the 1st Corps of the Imperial Army, the 1st Heavy Knights Division is the bodyguard that is the same as Lark’s hands and feet, isn’t it?”
“Arduke Bringer… !”
“If Lark was captured and killed, you guys would choose to die together. But there is no way you can escape alive and well like this, right?”
Dusk Bringer chuckled.
“The crab that Fernandez released. Did you know that the wine won’t know?”
The Principality of Bringer waged war with Lark and the 1st Corps under his command.
He knows better than anyone what the 1st Corps is like and how it works. Because they are the ones who trampled on the Principality of Bringer.
Dusk Bringer had doubts about Metallic’s survival from the beginning, and as a result of digging into the question, it turned out to be true.
“… flaw.”
Metallic slowly lowered his head.
“It goes like this.”
I was going to subdue him with the [Mystic Eye of Command] if he resisted strongly, but unexpectedly, he immediately gave up his resistance. A tired voice came out of the old knight’s mouth.
“Kill him.”
“Anyway, the words to kill knights stick to their lips. Hey, let’s talk some more metallics.”
I squatted down in front of him and gave out a coy voice.
“Why did you, who was Brother Lark’s faithful servant, become attached to Fernandez? I want to know that first.”
“… .”
Metallic, who had been silent, opened his mouth slowly.
“His Highness Lark… … He is alive.”
Everyone in the seat widened their eyes.
I listened silently and Metallic continued.
“Fernandez threatened us right after His Highness Larc was captured. If you don’t surrender immediately, I will kill you.”
“… .”
“While we had no choice but to surrender falsely and monitor our movements, he came to our 1st corps and threatened again. If you don’t go to the southern front and act as a spy… … I will kill His Highness Lark right away.”
To prolong Lark’s life.
Did the remnants of the 1st Corps move as Fernandez told them to because they were put on a leash by Fernandez?
“We acted out of loyalty, but it is also true that we surrendered to Highness Fernandez and tried to hit His Highness Ash.”
Metallic closed his eyes.
“Kill it. Please finish cleanly.”
“… One thing I would suggest is not Sir Metallic.”
I quietly whispered to him as he quietly bowed his head and waited for my disposition.
“It’s a way to save Lark’s older brother and fuck that Fernandez too.”
“… ?”
Metallic’s bowed head lifted.
A hazy vitality returned to the old knight’s dead one eye. I smirked and raised the corner of my mouth.
“how is it. Would you like to hear my offer?”
***
A few days have passed.
The army of the fallen kings gathered from all over the world under the banner of the World Defense Front set up on the south side of the Iris River.
The 4 different races and the kings and rulers of the periphery.
Putting this together, the number was significant. Before I knew it, I looked at the military camps lined up left and right, and finished checking the paper list in my hand.
“The Confederation of Southern City-States and the Western Mirage Tribe join… This brings them all together.”
All the prepared cards were also in hand.
No need to wait any longer. I slowly got up from my chair.
“Now then, let’s go to New Terra soon… .”
It was then.
Dung-dung-dung… … !
There was a low drum beat from across the river.
Woo-woo-!
There was also a long, loud trumpet sound.
It was the Ecliptic Defense Force that didn’t budge while we gathered here for the past few days. Suddenly, the wind band started playing music.
It wasn’t just the music. The Ecliptic Defense Forces began to split into left and right sides in an orderly manner.
Watching this, I narrowed my brows.
“… You come out faster than I thought, my brother.”
The king and soldiers of the alliance were taken aback by the sudden movement of the Imperial Guard and looked that way.
Then, a soldier ran out in front of the Ecliptic Defense Forces, which were split left and right, and shouted at us.
“The supreme, noble, and lofty supreme of this country who was chosen by the goddess and built a paradise on this earth!”
what.
This is a comment I heard once.
“Long live His Majesty, the only emperor of the great Everblack Empire!”
hurray-!
The imperial defense forces sang in unison.
It was to the extent that the whole area resonated at the resonant shout of hurrah. I was dumbfounded and laughed.
“… As far as I know, only one person in the world could have been allowed this intro.”
Whether I mumbled or not, the soldier on the other side of the river continued.
“His Majesty the Emperor Fernandez ‘AmberKeeper’ Everblack is here!”
and.
appeared.
all over again… … .
Riding a white horse, dressed in a black and gold uniform, with a dark red cloak hanging down behind him, and wearing a brilliant golden crown on his head.
Equipped with a splendid emperor’s attire, my second brother, Fernandez, slowly appeared in the center of the ecliptic defense force.
Fernandez, who came closer to the riverbank, grinned. I looked at him and smiled, showing my teeth.
“Finally you’ve tasted it, dear brother. To proclaim yourself emperor?”
Fernandez calmly corrected the crown.
“The throne of the Empire is the seat that governs the world. It is a place that represents humanity. Now that the world is in an unprecedented crisis, can’t we leave it empty forever?”
“If Obama is missing, isn’t it your real son to start thinking about finding it?”
“If you are the son of a father-in-law, you must be like that. But we are the royal family and guardians. We should consider the fate of the country and the future of the world before our father’s life.”
“Anyway, you made sure to get one tongue grease… .”
I stuck out my tongue.
Fernandez had a softer voice that was less dignified.
“It’s been a while. ash. how have you been?”
“Thank you for being kind to me, bro. After becoming emperors, he still takes care of his younger siblings, so I don’t know what to do.”
“I won’t talk too long. surrender now Then I will ‘save’ both you and your people.”
Fernandez held out his hand towards me.
“You were on my list of people to save from the start. I know the battles you’ve been through all these years.”
I frowned.
Fernandez is… … I know that this world has been repeated.
After all, there are many stories to ask about this hyung.
“If there is no salvation in the end after fighting until the soul is broken for such a long and harsh time… that’s too much so come to me ash.”
“… .”
“Let’s leave together. to the new world. To a new paradise.”
Fernandez spoke kindly, but
I silently raised my fist and slowly raised my middle finger.
“This is my answer.”
“… ?”
Fernandez was puzzled. It doesn’t seem like an insulting gesture in this world, but what about it.
Fuck you.
“My salvation lies neither in surrender nor in flight. My salvation is only what I fight and win with my own hands.”
I growled.
“I’m not going to crawl under your legs.”
“… Then it will eventually break. ash.”
“It doesn’t matter if it breaks.”
I tightly gripped the flag in my opposite hand – the empty black flag symbolizing the world defense front.
“Because it’s already shattered.”
Because I decided to live in pieces.
“I don’t understand.”
Fernandez shook his head and looked at my military camp.
“Then I have no choice but to take it by force.”
“what?”
“In the name of the Emperor, I command—”
Fernandez shouted in a sonorous voice.
“Catch the weightlifting!”
Then
Chuck! chuck! chuck!
As promised in advance, various forces in my camp suddenly drew their weapons and pointed them at me.
Many of the fallen kings who joined from various places, led by the remnants of the 1st Legion, betrayed me and prepared to attack.
“What?!”
“What is this… .”
Embarrassed, the fallen kings and forces hurriedly surrounded me and raised their weapons against me.
Standing on my side were the 4 different races and the forces that supported me during the Goblin War.
Except for a few other fallen kings… … More than half of them were pointing their weapons at me, as Fernandez ordered.
either from the beginning or later. They were captured by Fernandez.
It must have been a political decision that the 2nd prince who occupied the center rather than the 3rd prince at the southern end would seize the hegemony of the world.
A monster’s invasion or the end of the world is a distant story, but power is close.
In an instant, the world defense front was split in two. I clicked my tongue as I watched this.
“everyone.”
And he sighed softly.
“Are you sure you lined up correctly?”
Since ancient times, there have been many cases where the team has been disgraced after riding the wrong line.
And you’re all in the wrong line
It’s called a rotten rope.
I slowly put my hand into the inside pocket of my coat.
In my hand- I caught the branch of Everblack.
