Chapter 188 : Chapter 188

Chapter : 188

My ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍decision to head for the front instead of fleeing had been exactly right.

-Your ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Excellency! The margrave has arrived!

-WAAAAAAAH! ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Victory will be with us!

-For ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍glory! Protect the holy margrave! Do not scatter—!

The ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍line that had been collapsing under Count Steffen’s raid began to recover in an instant.

Soldiers ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍who had been throwing away their weapons and fleeing turned back, and the phalanx that had been barely holding firm hardened once more.

As though the chaos from moments ago had never existed, they found discipline again and responded to the ambush with organized precision.

“What is this?!”

Count Steffen could scarcely believe it.

After spending his life on battlefields, he knew well that a single exceptional knight could sometimes change the atmosphere.

He had seen it countless times.

Even so—this was not supposed to happen.

It was night.

And not merely night, but the aftermath of a night ambush—when everything had already begun to crumble.

It was so dark that men could not tell front from back, could not even identify the enemy, and yet merely hearing that the margrave had arrived made their morale surge?

-Drive them back!

-Do not scatter! Scatter and you die. Stay together and you live!

-Strike with your spears on the command! Ha—!

-Ho!

-Ha!

-Ho!

Count Steffen’s common sense was being ground into dust.

My soldiers, already rallied into formation, were forcing back his rampaging knights, pressing them with spear thrusts.

“W-what do we do, Your Excellency?!”

“Their resistance is stronger than expected. They have suddenly regained cohesion.”

“At this rate, we will be surrounded, Count Steffen, Your Excellency!”

The knights rushed in and shouted. They spoke indirectly, but what they meant was clear.

Withdraw.

To Count Steffen’s knights, the battle was already decided.

“Silence!”

Count Steffen bellowed, his temper flaring like fire.

“You dare speak of retreat? Now, when our target is right before us? There—there is the Margrave of Bellua!”

“Ugh….”

“We only need to seize that insolent whelp. Gather the scattered knights again. We will go and take his head ourselves! He is a rat trapped in a jar!”

“Y-yes, Your Excellency.”

Only then did the knights begin to move at full speed.

An order was an order.

A knight who understood honor did not even consider defying it.

And was it not, in its own way, reasonable? If one thought about it, the Margrave of Bellua had come to a place meant for death.

He had come to the crumbling front, and to a place where the main force had been drawn away elsewhere, had he not?

“His Excellency is right! Raise your blades!”

“Let us go seize the Margrave of Bellua. For honor!”

“For the Holy Empire’s emperor! For Count Steffen, Your Excellency!”

-WAAAAAAAH!

Count Steffen’s knights surged with morale.

They had been spread wide, but now they gathered again, forming up as they had at the start of the charge.

Their target was the Margrave of Bellua, urging soldiers onward at the front.

They would strike in one breath, without giving him time to respond, and make him pay the price of arrogance.

“Charge—!”

“Break through them like this—!”

Like an angry wave, Count Steffen’s knights came crashing in.

A dense, solid formation, shoulders aligned. Superb martial skill and deep experience in war.

If they ran straight through, those wretched soldiers of the margrave would break—and soon the margrave himself would be captured.

But there was one thing they had not considered.

Me.

-FWOOM!

The overwhelming strength of the Margrave of Bellua.

“??”

When I suddenly stepped forward, Count Steffen’s knights froze, surprise written plainly on their faces.

They looked as though they could not understand why I had come out like this.

I made them understand immediately.

-BAAANG—!

A shockwave cracked the air, as though it had exploded.

-KWAAANG!

-CRUNCH—!

-CRACK.

The front ranks of the charging formation were hurled backward with a brutal roar of impact.

“?!??!”

“N-no, what…?!”

Was this truly the strength of a man?

Faced with the carnage that had erupted before their eyes, Count Steffen’s knights stopped without realizing it.

That was their mistake.

As if I would stand still.

“Hngh!”

With a deep breath, I poured strength into my arms again.

While they still had not regained their senses, now was the moment. You had to seize control decisively from the start.

I swung the war hammer with full force.

-CLANG! CLANG!

-CRUNCH.

-THUD! THUD!

A helmet reinforced with steel, chain mail worn in layers over a thick gambeson—it meant nothing.

Every time the war hammer swung, Count Steffen’s knights fell like flies, unable to resist even once.

“S-shields!”

“Raise your shields and block him!”

Watching their comrades fall, the knights shouted desperately to one another. If they fought while lazily trusting their armor’s protection, there was no answer.

The problem was—

-CRUNCH!

“???”

Even those sturdy shields were utterly useless.

---

“Guh…!”

“M-mad… a monster!”

“This cannot be real! This is a dream!”

They were melting.

The tight battle line of the knights, once so dense, dissolved before my eyes. Their lofty morale from moments ago was nowhere to be found; the imperial knights, famed across the land, yelped like dogs caught in the rain.

“Heh… heh heh….”

Count Steffen let out a hollow laugh, like a man who had lost his mind.

Did it make sense?

How could a man accomplish such a thing with human strength?

A miraculous knight.

A knight blessed by God.

People did not say such things for no reason. Though to Count Steffen, it looked less like God’s blessing and more like power stolen from a devil.

‘I must deal with him here.’

-GRIT

Clenching his teeth, Count Steffen thought so.

The margrave radiated a divinity more terrifying, more absurd, than even the emperor in his youth.

The south of the Elang Kingdom, the northern Apennine Peninsula, the Kingdom of Aragon, and even the County of Campania.

He had pursued an expansionist policy so aggressively it was frightening.

If left alone, he would one day become the greatest threat to the Holy Empire’s emperor.

“Press harder! We cannot fall back here!”

“Y-yes? Y-Your Excellency, but perhaps we should consider withdrawal—”

“Silence. Withdrawal?”

-THUD!

Count Steffen struck the subordinate across the face for daring to speak back, then continued.

“It must be now. We must eliminate that whelp in this battle. For honor, charge without fear of death! I will bear witness to the end!”

“Understood, Your Excellency!”

At the merciless command, the knights charged again. They knew death awaited, and yet they went willingly for honor.

That was a Holy Empire knight.

Watching their backs as they ran, Count Steffen seized a spear lying on the ground.

-GRIP

There would not be many chances.

Only one brief instant.

Only once.

So Count Steffen focused, pouring his entire mind into it.

-KREEEAK!

To catch the moment—

when the Margrave of Bellua, drunk on the heat of battle, would show an opening.

And a moment later—

‘Now!!’

He saw it.

-BZZZZT!

-GUHGK!

A magician who had appeared from nowhere struck down a knight, and as the margrave spoke to her, their guard loosened for a heartbeat.

Count Steffen did not hesitate.

The moment you hesitated, the chance would vanish.

“It is the end! You whelp!”

With a roar, the spear left Count Steffen’s hand.

-FWOOM!

-WHIIIIIISTLE!

The instant it left his fingertips, Count Steffen knew it.

It would hit.

He did not know whether it would kill, but if it struck, it would deal a grievous wound.

And then, for a time, that terrifying expansion—always forward, always hungrier—would finally slow.

‘What?!’

But the moment the spear met the margrave’s body, Count Steffen sensed something was wrong.

-FLASH!

A brilliant light burst from the margrave and knocked the spear away.

“What is this!!!”

No matter how one looked at it, it was a magical mystery.

Since when had such protective magic been placed upon him? It was a blessing even the Holy Empire’s emperor could not receive easily.

But something even harder to believe followed.

“?”

Within that protective mystery, Count Steffen recognized something far too familiar.

The seal of the emperor’s court magician—said to have gone missing.

“??????????”

---

“Die! Die!”

I had become a raging beast. To shatter the morale of the Holy Empire’s knights who charged me, I held no mercy in my hands.

Halfhearted pity only brought greater damage.

Somewhere along the way, I had adapted to the brutal reality of the world of [Pangea Universalise].

“Wait! Wait! Calm down!”

It seemed my appearance looked like madness to others.

“Oh? Magician Agpiel? What brings you here?”

“What do you mean, what brings me? I came to help you. Hrk!”

-BZZZZT!

-Guh.

The moment he arrived, Magician Agpiel struck down a knight, then spoke to me with worried eyes.

“I understand being swept up in the mood of the battlefield, but calm yourself. Regain your reason! If you lose control, it becomes dangerous.”

“Hmm…. I am perfectly sane, though?”

“Yes, perfectly sane…. Hm? What did you say?”

“I said I am not excited. I am very calm, Magician Agpiel.”

-THUD!

-KKAAK!

As I dropped another charging knight, I spoke evenly.

Excited?

If anything, I was maintaining a colder, sharper reason than ever.

“Ah…. Is that so? A-ahem.”

Only then, as though he realized he had worried for nothing, Magician Agpiel cleared his throat awkwardly.

Honestly.

Had he been that worried about me?

Still, it did not feel bad. I had not expected anyone here to worry about me like that.

Then I noticed there was one more person behind him.

“Hm? Azulela?”

“H-hoho…. It does not look like you are injured anywhere, Your Excellency.”

Azulela peeked out from behind Magician Agpiel and laughed awkwardly.

‘Has this woman truly lost her mind?’

She came to help me while we were fighting the Holy Empire’s army?

When Count Steffen was here—Count Steffen, who was highly likely to have met her at the emperor’s court?

‘Seriously…. Has she not thought about handling the aftermath?’

My mouth fell open.

How did she plan to endure the emperor’s wrath if she was exposed like this? Somehow, I had the feeling I would have to take care of her in more ways than one.

‘She is troublesome in every sense.’

A clumsy, worthless little magician, truly. Thinking that, I spoke to Magician Agpiel.

“Please remain here for a moment. I will finish the battle quickly and return.”

“Mm, understood. I will support you from behind, but fight carefully.”

“M-my lord, I am, um…. You know, right? Ah, surely you do not not know? Or do you? A-anyway, my heart also wishes that you are not hurt and that you fight care—”

“…Even if it is only words, thank you.”

Was she only getting anxious now?

I had nothing to say.

I clicked my tongue inwardly and turned around.

-Catch him! We must seize the Margrave of Bellua.

-Break through, you trash. Move aside!

The Holy Empire’s knights were forcing their way through the formation, desperate to reach me.

I had to discipline them again.

And when I gripped the war hammer and sword once more—

-WHIIIIIISTLE!

A vicious tearing sound split the air.

“It is the end! You whelp!”

It was the spear Count Steffen had thrown from the rear.

“?!”

I had wondered why he was not at the front—so this was what he had prepared.

“It is dangerous!”

“KYAAAH! A spear!”

‘Damn it!’

I had been too late to recognize it, too late to respond.

There was no time to dodge.

If it hit, it would be a mortal wound.

I focused desperately, forcing strength into the sword hilt. I did not know whether it would work, but I intended to strike the spear aside—

And then—

-FWAAAAAAAH!

Just as the spear was about to pierce me, light burst forth, and a magical mystery writhed and erupted.

-BANG!

-CLANG!

A protective mystery.

“Oh?”

The protective mystery that had been placed on me during the battle with the peasant revolt commander—who had been covered in magical armaments—had activated only now.

“No, you—!”

Along with such an astonished cry—

“Azulela! You damned witch! To betray His Majesty the Emperor!! I trusted you more than anyone!”

A scream of furious malice exploded.

“C-Count! That is not—!”

Azulela shouted in panic. Why would a mystery cast long ago activate at this exact moment?

She had to clear up this misunderstanding somehow.

But there was no chance that excuse would work on Count Steffen, whose eyes were already red with rage.

Retreating under the escort of his knights, Count Steffen raged and screamed.

“Silence! You witch with no honor! I will kill you with my own hands!”

“Damn it!”

The curse spilled out of Azulela’s mouth on its own.