When Gi Ga realized that his spear could not reach the heart of the enemy, he immediately made his decision. He killed the few soldiers he passed by to vent off his anger, but he had already decided to retreat.
When Blanche saw the goblins running away after just one clash, she laughed.
“It seems they’re an expert at running too.” The feeble aide said.
“Our casualties number less than 50.”
“Hmm… A satisfying result.” Blanche nodded in satisfaction.
She was already looking down at the corpses. She looked at the 400 corpses like trash and smiled.
Though the Holy Shushunu Kingdom might be known as the strongest on the plains, they still could not catch up with the monster beasts of the goblins. That was how powerful Aransain was. But even then…
“Shushunu reigns supreme on the plains. So long as we are here, the enemy cannot hope to stand victorious!”
As her soldiers cried out in victory, she ordered the corpses to be beheaded and hanged on the borders.
Lady Impaler.
That name rang loudly for both friend and enemy alike as Blanche turned heel.
“I look forward to a more enjoyable battle.”
As the sonorous laughter of the War Princess resounded, the mana guards followed from behind with reverence and without so much as a single cough.
On the way back, she happened upon Gulland.
“Oh, my dear Gulland. It’s good to see that you’re safe.”
“…Blanche Ririnoie, huh.”
Blanche looked into Gulland’s eyes as she called out to him, but he replied without changing his expression.
“Are you fighting?”
“Yes, against the goblins.”
He averted his face once and turned to the eastern town whose citizens have been thinned.
“…I don’t know what you’re thinking, but because of you, I lost a friend.”
“Please don’t misunderstand. The reason Sivara-dono died was not because of me but because of the goblins. To be more precise, it’s your fault for being weak, as well as King Ashtal who foolishly abandoned his duties.”
‘Of course, it’s partly my fault too’, Blanche added with a chuckle, but even then Gulland’s expression didn’t change. It was as if he had lost all of his emotions as he glared at her, who sat on her steed.
“I’m going.”
“Hmm. That’s unfortunate. I had taken a liking to you too.”
She left Gulland who was heading further east from the eastern region of Germion Kingdom and returned to the Holy Shushunu Kingdom for the time being. Within those reddish-brown eyes of hers that she inherited from her grandmother, the empty city on which the shadow of the setting sun was cast appeared as the grave marker for the blood-paved road that led to victory.
◆◇◆
After the Goblin King took over the northern region of Germion Kingdom, he left its management to the holy knight, Lili. Moreover, because of the great achievement of defeating the north, the Goblin King decided to give Gi Go Amatsuki the Sword King a territory.
Since it was a reward, Gi Go had to accept or it would be an act of disrespect to the king. Unfortunately, without any soldiers to cultivate, even if he were to gain a good land, he would not be able to use it. As such, he generously shared the land with the Snow Demon Tribe (Yugushiva Tribe). A night of feast for him was already enough for him to be satisfied.
The snow demons (Yugushiva) of Yustia danced wildly.
To the snow demons, who have been driven to the corners of the mountains of the Snow God (Yugrasil), where the cold winds blew fiercely, since Germion Kingdom’s rise to power, the warm lands were something that their ancestors have always yearned for. For such a thing to be shared with them, it is only natural that they would be grateful.
If they were to add that land to the land that they received from the king as Gi Go had requested, they now had enough land for them to be able to cultivate their small tribe.
Already, to them, Gi Go’s name was that of a hero that stood brighter than the king himself. They have always been a people that possessed a strong sense of duty, so they did not hesitate to declare that fighting for Gi Go was the greatest honor.
But Gi Go knew none of that. As a result, this poor goblin swordsman was left confused regarding why all these humans were looking at him so warmly. During peaceful times he would teach their children the way of the sword and pass the days.
Meanwhile, the Goblin King was talking to the holy knight, Lili, about the saint, Reshia Fel Zeal.
“The Ivory Tower…”
“It’s located in the northern part of the minor nation, Orphen. The home of the sages.”
Lili spoke as she pointed at the map. The Goblin King nodded. At first, Lili was greatly shocked at the changes in the appearance of the Goblin King, but she figured it was too late to be shocked now and just talked about Reshia.
“Can we get to it without having to go through Shushunu?”
The Goblin King narrowed his eyes as he glared at the map. Lili quietly answered positively.
“One plan would be to recover her with a small unit, but it’s not realistic.”
The king’s blood-crimson eyes glanced at Lili, but he became thoughtful again. He could try sending Lili or Zaurosh to recover Reshia, but it was likely that the Ivory Tower wouldn’t so easily give her up.
