Chapter 22 - Volume 3 (2/2)
“H lady back from the slavelady’s name remain in history”
I had certainly spoken those words
I had put out a hand of temptation towards Farnese as trapped within an iron cell and depending on the ht to read her history book
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— You’ll shi+ne brighter when holding the baton in a battlefield than you would reading books I’ll make it so that history will remember your name……
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At the tiaze She was a child who did not kno to sirl had become a conqueror
“Indeed, your lordshi+p was correct On this day, we have captured the Black Fortress, which had once withstood the revolting army for half a rinned eerily
“It see lady has already left her name in history”
Her smile was colder than the winter
“……”
“Ack, Ahah—!?”
I violently rubbed the crown of Farnese’s head Although Farnese was a girl who put her emotions at the very bottom of her unconsciousness, only her croas squishy Farnese squir divine help
“Trying to brag after having captured le wall”
“L-Looord I told you I hate it there……Hoah……”
“There is a ranking even areat individuals who leave their names in history Since you were born as a heroine, you should be aie in history, so why are you pettily being satisfied by a single raive an oration from Lapis, and then I will provide you an appropriate position”
“Ah, understood I understand, lord……”
Farnese dwindled down
Traditionally, people must learn to be modest
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Before we advanced to the White Fortress, I took a look around our military with Lapis
Peddlers and panders had spread out a htest bit of the winter wind, people stuck as close to the wall as possible They appeared like the clams which attached themselves to the boulders in the ocean depths, and it felt like the fishy s froo I wish to see how the people live their lives”
“Why would your highness go to the corner where the lowly people dwell……?”
Lapis bowed her head
“I want to see it, that is why”
“This one is afraid your highness’ grace will be sullied”
“Stop your nagging and guide me”
I patrolled the simple marketplace The demons watched me from afar When I looked at thes and had oblin children were throwing stones at the hua earlier When I drew near, their parents appeared out of nowhere and hastily carried their children away Their oorld was already established there
“It seems they had set up a world of their own in a corner away frole day Those people……”
“Should we track down the ones who have run away and interrogate them?”
“It’s fine Would they not run ate them? If they run, would you not be unable to see the end? Leave them as they are”
Their vitality to establish a world of their oas siling from ropes on the wall Below the raainst each other The blackened flesh burnt by flames and the thin dried skin from the people should at least be narrowly divided by as dead and alive, and yet, it felt like life and death were not separated in that world of theirs But by all eable in the fact that that indistinguishability hat life and death were
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My father died in prison It was a heart attack
He had tried to write a couple of lines for his will, but he had fallen before being able to write a single line
That was my father’s will
I had crumpled the note and stuffed it into s rushed to me and asked if my father had left a will I flatly told them, ‘There was no will’ Instead, he left an inheritance The dozens of trillions of as in their possession Before the death the funeral, they were jumaster, s called edthem as well Since it was fa Master’ and ‘Elder Brother’, there was nothing wrong if I were to brush away that family I chuckled Try to live as pleasantly as you can I’ll watch to see hoell you all do……
Like so, I had tried to hide fro on its own Noas unable to tell whether if the world was insane, I was insane, or the both of us were insane Further to be destroyed if left alone, and it was a world where everything, including the de onto to the wall like cla to disappear A certain oing to die was given to myself who had throay the world
Was this God’s intention? I asked Was this the goal of the Heavens……? Thewas a part of my father’s ill-tempered joke in order to ruin my life once more Since there was no God, Heaven’s Will, or even my father in this world, this all depended on how I looked at it
Very well then I reak havoc I shall save the world of these people, and after I have salvaged this world, that is when I will contemplate on whether if I will decide to take care of the people, rule over the people, or beco not have the ent priority? Even if hundreds of thousands of people were to die by as that not better than the entire world being annihilated?
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“Your highness The weather is frigid Please go inside and get some rest”
I turned irl who had become one of the reasons why I had to save this world
“Are you cold?”
“This one is alright This one had slept in the open during colder days before”
“I ao to war toer”
“When your highness says those kinds of words, does your highness’ tongue not go frantic because of how disgusting it feels?”
Lapis looked at
“This one is sohness’ behavior Please be discerning”
“And hoould I live without you?”
“For sohness sure worries……”
“Are you not afraid of the fact that I will be able to continue living on even if you were coone?”
“……”
“If possible, do not die Be careful and be careful again Cherish your own life overpiece of h
“This one has always been a part of the group of individuals who only care for thehness It is hard to handle and it is disconcerting to hear Please keep inour ht, isn’t it?”
Lapis and I followed along the raht about it, we have never had the separate opportunity to enjoy a date
If that was the case, then this was our first date, and yet out of all the locations in the world, our date course was a ith a bunch of burnt corpses hanging off of it What kind of elegant date was this? Be it ro here at all
The vastly stretched ing the corpses—and even the will that my father was unable to coh, it felt as if it was rattling on gloo that everyone will end up like this as well Since this felt like a date course that rather befitted the two us, I chuckled to ave one past, the young goblins gathered oncethe wall
After listening carefully, their total score was 3
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▯The Northern Guardian, Margrave of Rosenberg, Georg von Rosenberg
Empire Calendar: Year 1506, Month 2, Day 25
The Black Mountains, White Fortress
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I went up to the upper story of the fortress gate and looked down onto the field
The ene up ca aving in theto represent his own troops since he did not have his own e had arrived at the Black Mountains and captured the Black Fortress…… For a coincidence, it was a rather humorous one
The captains measured the enemy army with their eyes,
“It appears like they have a bit under 3,000”
“It doesn’t seee difference in numbers compared to our troops We shall protect this spot with ease”
“Mm”
I nodded es Last autuht a considerable number of witches this time as well There was a need to oppose that
I had spent the money, which could have been used to buy infantries, to hire es It was an iainst Dantalian
“General, look over there”
In the location where the captain was pointing, the ene It was a self-assee us with that garbage, the captains laughed in ridicule
“Hah Would they even be able to toss a rock this far?”
“They used their heads a little, though Dragging a large catapult into this path would be impractical, so an easy to assemble one is…… Well, it’s still useless even if they do that, but their efforts are praiseworthy”
Mo with the catapults Sohter than stone, either collided against the rampart or landed on top of the wall A captain went to pick one of the objects up and brought it back The captain hesitantly presented it to me
“General, this is……”
A head
The half burnt head of a corpse
“……”
The corpse’s face isted fiendishly
It was the face of a person who had suffered until the moment of their demise
The enemy had burned the prisoners alive
My hands treht about the penitence that the prisoners must have experienced
“Those, shameless devils……”
I knew
I was already aware that Dantalian was this kind of person
But there was no need to go out of his way to burn the that they would suffer the least amount before they died Despite that, he had purposely utilized the most painful executionover 30 heads, the enemy catapults stopped Then, six cavalries approached froate They were holding a white flag which represented ‘negotiation’
“……Open the gate I will go out personally”
“Would it not be dangerous, general?”
“If so happens to me, then immediately fire the arrows and kill them Order the crossbowatekeeper opened the gate
Once I passed the iron gate, the ene the a blacktirave No, should I call this our first encounter? I aard the negotiation and came out to meet with us in person”
“A man who does not know his manners……”
So thisspineless fellow as a e at hi hi myself to pull out my sword at a moment’s notice, I spoke
“Oh, Demon Lord You must have sincerely come here prepared to die What is your ulteriorflung the corpses of the prisoners at us? Tell ht this instant”
“You are being rather aggressive That was ift since we are not individuals who keep a distance between one another, after all……”
Dantalian laughed
“You have destroyed my Demon Lord Castle, and I have now arrived at your walls I would be ashamed to come here empty handed Did you like my present?”
“……”
“Aha It seehtly glanced up at the wall The crossboere ai their weapons at Dantalian there If I ordered them to, then they will immediately fire their bolts and penetrate Dantalian’s throat He should not be unaware of this fact, and yet, Dantalian was still sifts just in case you were to estured towards his ca wooden pillars
Soon after, over a hundred columns were erected My eyes ide the moment I saas tied to those wooden pillars A prisoner was bound to each column The dwarves approached the pillars with a torch in hand It appeared as if they were planning to immediately set the humans on fire The prisoners wailed
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— Save us! General……
— Please don’t throw us away……
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My hands trembled Was that the deed of a man? Did the de hu me that they can commit that sort of deed without any hesitation?
“You bastard……”
“Please order your crossbowmen to lower their weapons I am a petty man with a lot of cowardice Whenever someone threatensit difficult to breathe”
“Is that so? Bask in your last breath in this life asfor that breath once you are in hell”
“Ooh Terrifying How very terrifying By the looks of it, it see others”
Dantalian raised his right hand
“—Unfortunately, that is a talent that I have never obtained”
At that moment, one of the pillars was set on fire The coluun to rise instantly While looking down at the fire that appeared like thethem, the prisoner screamed
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— Aaack! Aack, Aaaaaaaah……
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At once, the flaled desperately as they burned Save me, please save me, once these cries ceased, only smoke rose up from that spot Towards myself as unable to open his rave, let us be honest”
“……”
“As you have witnessed, I ae, if you insist It is in my nature to treat the lives of hurave? Are you not a governor who follows justice? Do you not cherish the lives of your subordinates as if they were your own children? I arave is that kind of person It is quite unfavorable for you to face a scum such as e of ers
“……What do you want to say?”
“Let us call a ceasefire”
A ceasefire? How could he ask for a ceasefire? Unsure of what the other party’s true intentions were, I glared sharply at Dantalian Dantalian spoke while digging his ear
“Due to your splendid hospitality, I was able to acquire a bloodless victory However, passing over the Black Fortress, I do not have the confidence in capturing the White Fortress as well It is not as if I have a considerable ath…… Even if I were to overdo e, it is obvious that only my forces will suffer”
“You know your place well, rookie”
“You should also understand your place as an elderly rave Does the back of your neck on your old bones not feel cold? You are in a situation where a youngher sword at you, after all”
“……What?”
“Do you not fear the Irave?”
Myabout? What did I hear just now? What exactly did this rasp in order to throw that sort of question? Dantalian snickered
“The E Empire has already lost his authority The Crown Prince is nothingloyalist, she is an individual that only the rave, such as yourself, would fear Would the Ie you when the opportunity presents itself?”
“……”
“I arave, it would be foolish for you to leave your stronghold and attacka pitched battle while leaving aside your safe walls In conclusion, both you and I can do absolutely nothing and simply stand here face to face This is quite the fateful relationshi+p we have Our destiny”
Dantalian’s voice felt like it was being whispered directly into my ear, and pulled me in I now understood what itthe Black Fortress, I have piled up enough contributions to not be ashamed in the eyes of the other Demon Lords You as ere able to prevent the White Fortress fro able to save face Since one hand washes over the other, a good thing is a good thing, so this is more than sufficient for you and rave I am a very liberal person”
Dantalian smiled smoothly
That smoothness made my blood freeze The very fact that a wickedlike that felt like an insult to the Gods and the disgrace of the world Thatwhichree to the ceasefire with us, then I will le person each day Respectfully Not the burnt heads of corpses, but humans who are in perfect conditions from their head to toe, I shall send them as so”
I clenched my teeth
I understood This man before me was the Devil
On that day, the day htered on a hill, the apparition I had seen was not a simple illusion The form of the Devil that appeared on the hill represented Dantalian I muttered
“……By some chance, rookie”
“Mht here”
I gripped the hilt of azed at me
“At that time, what sort of expression will you have on your face?”
“……”
As if surprised by my words, Dantalian opened his eyes wide He then raised his head up and burst into laughter The sound of the Dehout the dry winter sky
“That’s right, isn’t it? Aah Of course, I am not omniscient and oed a person wrong There is a chance that you, the ht of your subordinates being burned to death and take my neck Yes, that is more than possible……”
Dantalian stuck out his head Since his neck was long like a snake, he pushed his head right in front of o ahead and kill ether, Margrave”
He was serious
Thisthat sincerely
“People often say that hell is a place that is forever burning in flames However, that is incorrect If hell does indeed exist, then it is a winter landscape where everything is frozen I have no doubts about it A plain where the winter continues on and on until you forget that it is winter, forget that you are frozen, and finally, you forget yourself entirely Absolute nothingness will engulf us Would it not be lonely to fall into such a place by oneself? Let us go together, Margrave Let us disappear eternally……”
I was barely able to preventa step back
This person’s eyes were not norht that it was simply black, but inside those black eyes, a blood criaze
Demon Lord
Was this what a Demon Lord was?
Somewhere, in some other place, I had seen eyes similar to these, but it did not cross rasp where I had previously witnessed these eyes
“Hm……”
Dantalian narrowed his eyes In an instant, the sanguinary in his gaze had vanished The only thing that remained on his face, where lunacy had dissipated from, was a pleasant srave”
“……”
“In order to respect your personality, I shall release 2 prisoners each day Since I auess that means the ceasefire shall continue for 46 days They say that people beco the other’s sleeve, but the tie connecting you and‘Hiyah’, Dantalian turned the head of his horse Before departing, Dantalian turned to look at ht Since 1 has already died, it’s not 98 captives but 97 now I apologize I have always been ith arithmetic It is my weakness In truth, it is athered his group and left The centaur cavalry followed behind the De pink hair squeezed in a them That woman was ’s Concubine’
……Shoot them Shoot theive this order to the crossbowh my mouth was open, words did not come out My subordinates, ere tied to the wooden pillars, were stuck inrang loudly in my ears
And then I realized
Which individual had the same eyes as that Demon Lord
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— You cannot buy my respect with fidelity If you wish for me to respect you, then over all else, you must obtain victory
— If by some small chance, you were to commit a mistake…… Well, I’ll most likely be very disappointed
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Aah
The Imperial Princess It was the Imperial Princess Elizabeth
A person with the same eyes as her ithin the Demon Lord army
For what reason were people with the soul of the Devil surroundingto test le seg ment In the center of that, I was unable to choose life or loyalty
If I were to raise my troops to tear down the Demon Lord forces and cross over the Black Mountains in order to invade the demon territory, then that would be the path of loyalty that displays the dignity of Her Majesty the Imperial Princess But I was uncertain about whether that would be possible
This was difficult As it was easy to throay one’s life for fidelity, it was boundlessly easier to discard fidelity for one’s life, and yet, as it so difficult to go down a path while holding onto both one’s own life and fidelity……
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TL Note: If anyone is curious about my translation schedule, I have none I just translate at least 2k words a day In what places I cut chapters into parts depends on how certain POVs end If a POV ends in a decent place that doesn’t seeer, then I usually try to end it there This chapter is being split into 3 parts because it’s the longest chapter in volume 3, but in normal cases, I will try to stick with either a 2 part split or no split at all
Also, side note, Dantalian doesn’t have a literal snake-like neck So don’t expect hiy