Chapter 160
Bad Destiny or Destiny (2)
Orcs had a short lifespan.
This was because, inherently, the time gifted to them was shorter than that of other races, and at the same time, because their lives were harsh, bestrewn by constant struggle and war.
But there was an exception among them, and this was the Overlord.
As far as I could remember, he was older than any orc and had reigned longer than any king. Even when numerous orcs had died in the Great war, the Overlord had maintained a firm grip on existence.
And if he had not been greedy, he would have remained the overlord for a long time. However, his pride became as great as the years that he had reigned, and it led him to his ruin.
He reached a state where he saw himself as a deity, and thus, he longed to become the God of the Orcs. How absurd was it not when I heard that a great army of 200,000 orcs led by ten Warlords was advancing toward Hwaryong’s nest. And not long after that, the news reached me that the orcs had been destroyed.
I had never seen his end in person, but I thought at the time the overlord must surely have met his death alongside his legions, for Hwaryong was never merciful toward those that invaded its territory.
But it seemed that the beast yet lived.
“Ur-Du, the Overlord of the Enraged Flame Legion. That’s the name of the enemy that you seek.”
He was alive, and now, so long after the Great War, he has returned to the world.
“How? How did he survive?”
Ophelia shook her head and said, “That is not what matters now.”
It was as she said, for what mattered now was not how the Overlord had survived the battle with Hwaryong.
All that was important was that the dark green flames that had swept over the world in the past were now dreaming of a resurrection. I had to stop it. Winter Castle was not the problem, for the Overlord’s greed was not so petty as to be contented by the mere destruction of a single castle, a single kingdom.
I turned my head and concentrated my entire mind on the snow-capped Blade’s Edge Mountains, with their mountain peaks stained red by the Overlord’s presence.
The presence of that feral and fierce fervor so peculiar to the orcs thrilled my heart, and as I continued to search mentally, I saw a strand of ominous energy wriggling within the mountains.
I felt a blind rage that could never be felt within ordinary orcs, a deep and bottomless wrath of a king that wanted to become a myth through his own might, yet eventually, lost everything.
I blamed myself for his energy was so clear. I held a poem of an ill-fated avenger who had died fighting trying to annihilate the Overlord, and the karma and qi contained in that poem were constantly whispering to me of the orc’s existence. To only realize it now- It seemed that the Overlord was too excited after returning after so many ages, or perhaps his vision has been narrowed in his searches for an urgent turnaround.
Organize your thoughts!
Whatever the reasons behind the beast’s action, what I had to do was clear: It was my duty to annihilate the invaders who have dared cross into my territory.
“Was this overlord above the Warlord?”
The expression ‘Mountain over the mountain’ would be used in this case. Having cleared my thoughts, I began descending the spire, trying to come up with a countermeasure.
“This is just the beginning,” Ophelia’s dry voice stopped me mid-stride.
“The world is always one step ahead of one’s thoughts, so all you can see is but a fragment of the impending truth.”
I looked back, and those gloomy eyes peculiar to the High Lich were looking straight at me.
“Keep that in mind.”
I merely replied that I knew I had to, and as I descended the spire, Agnes spoke to me in awe.
b It is strong}
“It’s natural for her to be strong. Even in my lifetime, she was one of the best high mages. And after becoming a lich, she must have spent hundreds of years exploring nothing but magic.”
b I’m not just talking about the High Lich, about the White Night Mage. I am talking about the entire castle}
I was amazed at Agnes’s tone as she said this.
b None of the people I’ve encountered here so far are afraid of death. And none of them bear the weight of death upon their shoulders} said Agnes. I knew this: There existed many brave people, but few that would stay strong even if feeling the overbearing presence of death. Courage borne from ignorance is not true courage.
b All of them are upright folk with sturdy hearts. Their swords are not blunt, so the term ‘those with dragon hearts’ well describes this place}
Her unexpected compliment made me feel better.
“And compared to your Bavarian Iron Blood Legion?” I asked.
b Their scale and strength are not enough, but their spirit and solidarity is} Agnes said, adding, b It’s a great army}
Considering her nature, she who was so stingy with her compliments, it could be said that the troops of Winter Castle have received high praise.
They were very pleasant words for me to hear, for Winter Castle was a very important place for me.
* * *
Vincent came to me, having been too scared to follow me up into the spire. It seems that a rough plan had been prepared while I was away. As I listened to his report, I shook my head.
“Scrap it and start from scratch again,” said I, and Vincent’s face crumpled.
I knew they did their best to come up with countermeasures and that they would feel bad if they heard my answer. I was a bit sorry about this, but I had no other option.
All of the strategies and tactics concocted by the commanders of Winter Castle were based on the assumption that the enemy was the same as the Warlord.
But our enemy was not – he might be as fierce and strong as a Warlord, but he was far more insidious. And I myself was different than when I had faced the Warlord, for, at that time, I was just a young warrior who fought and got trampled on. I was just a young warrior who was excited about the reconstruction of my kingdom.
However, the overlord was a big-brained being who had fought countless wars in the Great War. Unlike the Warlord, who was killed without even leaving a name, Overlord Ur-Du was a monster that had become notorious all over the world.
And such an entity was now aiming for Winter Castle.
It would not be enough for us to strengthen the walls and bar the gates, as against the Warlord.
“Oh my gosh. Well, if there is such an orc,” said Vincent then frowned, sighed, and spoke on, “Well, I’ve never lost money betting on your Highness’s words. I understand things, for now.”
Vincent continued to complain, saying that we would now have to have a countermeasure council all day long.
“Okay. Good job,” said I, trying to turn around, and then stopped at a sudden thought.
“Vincent.”
“Why are you calling me?” he near-groaned as he looked at me.
As time passed, the face of a man who almost had his father’s face began overlapping with the face of that old knight who had passed away in the unknown wilderness.
I could no longer judge the truth – was Vincent truly the reincarnation of the avenger, or did they merely share names?
If the avenger was truly reincarnated, was it a coincidence that the Overlord who destroyed his former life now faced him once more as the leader of the enemy?
Had it been destined to be like this from the beginning?
I was unsure.
“Be careful.”
I just hoped that Vincent would not fade away as sadly as he had in his previous life.
“This is not a day or two of the old war, but a new one.”
“Why is your face so serious? People are starting to feel weird,” said Vincent in a casual tone as he struck me on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. I have been working for so long due to a certain someone that I let go of my sword. I won’t be able to fight, even if I do go out and meet the foe,” Vincent continued, his face getting closer to mine. “So don’t have such an anxious face. Unlike my father, I have no intention of dying before I see your Highness ascend the throne.”
Having said that, Vincent giggled and began to stride away from me.
“Only your appearance has changed. Inside you’re still the same: A kid,” came Vincent’s disrespectful words from afar, yet they were filled with undeniable affection.
“Please come to terms with the desires that you couldn’t fulfill last time,” I wished for Vincent.
The avenger who died while fighting orcs in his previous life – the lord of the castle who blocks off the orcish army in his present life.
Hopefully, the karma and spirit of the man from his previous life will be completed in this one.
* * *
That evening was calm.
The monsters which had retreated to the mountain range did not appear again.
However, the energy of the Overlord that was felt coming from beyond the red mountain peaks was still directed towards Winter Castle. The day passed in tension as if it was the eve before the storm.
And the reinforcements sent from the capital reached Winter Castle.
“Huh?”
“How come they came to the north?”
The rangers and Winter Knights gossiped as they saw the troops, and I understood why they did so.
The bright golden armor of the knights belonged to the palace knights of the royal family, knights who never left the royal palace.
“And how about those soldiers following the palace knights?”
The banner they held was that of the Second Central Army, the most elite soldiers of the kingdom, tasked with defending the capital. And at their fore, there marched an old, white-haired knight. He was the commander of the palace knights, the king’s personal escort, Count Schmilde Stuttgart, Nogisa.
“You have suffered much in coming so far, elder,” came Vincent’s greeting as he ran out to greet the old man.
“A homage to the blood and sweat of the Balahards that has drenched this land,” came the Nogisa’s words as he raised his sword, with Vincent and him expressing their respect to each other.
“When my father was alive, he sang your praises, Count Stuttgart.”
“He was the best knight in the kingdom, as far as I know. Because I am on a mission, I have not gotten the chance to bless his memory in a funerary right by piercing the ground with my sword.”
“It would be unjust to demand such a thing. I am merely grateful that you have come to our aid in such a difficult time, elder.”
Their attitudes have become so polite that it was almost a battle of politeness, and I found it all to be a bit much. Looking at such an embarrassing display, it felt as if I was dying on the inside. Then, the old man came to me, and when he came to stand before me, he said with a sigh, “Your Highness, please be considerate, so that my forces can fulfill your commands.”
Some of the veteran rangers stood tall and laughed, saying that now that all the folk of the capital had come to join us, we could charge out at once. But their laughter didn’t last long.
‘Chnck~’ the old man suddenly knelt before me.
‘Schnk!’ and one hundred knights knelt with Nogisa.
“I am Schmilde Stuttgart, commander of the Knights of the Palace. I have just arrived with the First Squadron Palace Knights, one-hundred total!”
All the palace knights were kneeling before me.
“Uh? Huh.”
I looked around, frowning at the sudden and excessive display of respect.
Vincent’s mouth was wide open, and the rangers had stiffened where they stood. The other knights all wore stupid faces.
I only then did I realize it: Nogisa was the king’s first escort knight, and the first among the palace knights serve only the king. The only being these knights would bow to in obeisance was the king – or the one who is set to become king in the future.
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