The Bastard Swordsman Of The Imperial Guard [EN]: Chapter 96

< Nagore >

Raelle dashed through the dark alleys.

While everyone else was weighed down by the immense pressure of the imperial decree, he had slipped away.

He clutched the Hahoe mask [a traditional Korean mask] in his pocket.

With the Hahoe mask imbued with dragon magic, he could remain undetected.

Dugun- Dugun-

His heart pounded.

A sense that something was wrong filled Raelle’s mind.

‘…The more I think about it, the stranger it seems.’

Raelle recalled Simon and Gideon discussing the imperial decree.

In that moment, he hadn’t fully processed the weight of the imperial decree voiced by Prince Simon, or Gideon Garcia’s presence, but Raelle now felt a sense of unease.

‘Why was the Carmen Knights Brigade waiting there?’

Even if their words were true, there was no reason for the entire Carmen Knights Brigade, fully prepared for departure, to be waiting there.

The appearance of the Second Prince Simon and the Knights Brigade Commander suggested they anticipated facing the forces of the Second Princess, Uriel.

‘What are you hiding, Gideon Garcia…?’

Raelle bit his lip.

The Carmen Knights Brigade had changed from the original story.

Traitors emerged from the knights brigade, who should have been loyal to the empire, targeting the princess, and those who should have been defending the empire continually left their posts.

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, but he couldn’t blindly believe it anymore.

‘I need to check on the people at the orphanage.’

Raelle’s goal was to protect the orphanage.

He had trustworthy people on standby, but one never knew what could happen.

Whether it was Nagore, black magicians, or demons.

If anyone dared to harm Raelle’s people, he wouldn’t let them off easily.

Tadat- Tadat-

Raelle moved his feet even faster.

Some called him the hero of District 4, but he didn’t see himself that way.

The reason he cleaned up District 4 was solely for the safety of the orphanage, and the reason he ignored the imperial decree was the same.

‘I should have said something before leaving.’

By now, Yuri and Eric would have noticed Raelle’s disappearance.

However, Raelle felt more at ease this way.

The Second Princess, Uriel, and Grand Duke Eric Grace.

When Raelle saw their reactions to the news that District 4 was under attack, he felt a sense of relief.

Yuri and the Grand Duke were genuinely furious at Raelle’s words.

The fact that the people he had chosen were different from other nobles gave him strength.

‘So… it’s better for me to handle it.’

If he asked Yuri or the Rein Knights Brigade for help, things would certainly become easier.

However, he couldn’t let Yuri or the Grand Duke suffer any harm because of this.

Clearly, other idle bastards would benefit.

‘There’s nothing more infuriating than those who do nothing taking unfair advantage of those who do the right thing.’

The thought of them being subjected to nonsense from fake nobles made him furious.

“Since when have I ever relied on anyone else? Shit. This is more comfortable for me.”

In this fucked-up world, the distinction between good and evil was meaningless.

From the moment he practiced swordsmanship alone in the orphanage, to when he waited for a cushy life in the guard, to when he wore the Hahoe mask and cleaned up District 4.

Raelle’s goal was always the same.

To protect his people and achieve the predetermined happy ending.

‘But what’s the point if I’m miserable in a world where a happy ending is guaranteed?’

Even Raelle, who had completed higher education, sometimes wanted to think in a medieval fantasy way.

The sword at his waist still felt heavy.

‘If someone slaps you on one cheek, then you slap both of their cheeks.’

That was all he had learned on the streets of medieval fantasy, so he had to act accordingly.

Raelle stopped thinking and ran through the quiet night streets.

As he entered District 4, his pace quickened, and as he approached the orphanage, magic surged through his legs.

‘…I smell blood.’

Raelle nervously crossed the orphanage’s main gate.

Beyond the traces of battle around the main gate, he sensed people.

He quickly scanned the orphanage’s courtyard.

The remnants of battle, such as motionless corpses and pools of blood, remained intact.

“Carlson! Lucas!”

Raelle discovered people collapsed in front of the orphanage building and immediately approached them.

He knelt down and carefully checked their pulses.

“Hey, hey. Carlson! Are you okay?!”

Raelle sensed faint divine power and checked his surroundings.

Carlson, Lucas, and four knights from the Rein Knights Brigade.

All were seriously injured, but they had been treated with divine power.

Fortunately, their lives didn’t seem to be in danger.

“Keuh. B, Brother Raelle.”

“Carlson! You son of a bitch… I’m sorry. I should have come sooner.”

Raelle laid Carlson down gently as he slowly opened his eyes.

He gasped for breath and gave a faint smile.

“That’s why I hate listening to your requests, Brother. Haha, if it weren’t for the divine power infused sword energy, I would have really died.”

“What happened? What bastards came that everyone is…”

Carlson and Lucas were accomplished graduate-level swordsmen.

The four Rein Knights Brigade members with them were weaker than those two, but they were still strong knights who used sword energy.

They weren’t a force that could be easily defeated.

Raelle knew that, which is why he felt relieved and went to meet Yuri and the Grand Duke.

“Sir Raelle… I’m sorry. Black magicians and demons…”

Lucas also opened his eyes belatedly.

He squinted, trying to dispel the demonic energy filling his body.

“Lucas. Don’t force yourself to speak. You were attacked by black magicians and demons?”

“Yes… They attacked us, but then retreated, saying that the resistance here was too fierce.”

“Were there any desert warriors?”

“No, no. There weren’t, Sir Raelle.”

“Thank you. You’ve worked hard, Lucas.”

Raelle looked around.

The corpses of black magicians and demons were scattered throughout the orphanage.

It was the aftermath of a fierce battle.

Sreung-

Raelle drew his sword.

Then, he plunged it into the neck of a nearby demon.

“Keo, Keoeok. Kyaaaak…”

At the same time, a lower demon who had been pretending to be dead began to struggle.

It had survived despite having its neck cut.

Raelle stared at the demon with a blank expression and moved his hand.

“Demons start regenerating slowly unless their necks are completely severed. If the neck is even slightly connected to the body, they start regenerating.”

“T, they will move directly… You will never survive…”

Seogeok-

Raelle unhesitatingly severed the demon’s neck.

He flicked the blood off his sword, sheathed it, and entered the orphanage.

“R, Raelle…?”

Inside the orphanage, he saw children trembling, and Teacher Sarah and Sister Liesel hugging them.

“Yes, Sister. You can rest assured now.”

Raelle nodded lightly to Sister Liesel and scanned the children’s faces.

Then, he bit his lip and looked at Teacher Sarah.

“Teacher Sarah.”

“R, Raelle. Are you okay?”

“Where are Nia and Harry?”

Nia and Harry.

The oldest sister and brother in the orphanage, just turned 10 years old.

Raelle had always told them to take care of their younger siblings.

“Those children… They said they were okay and evacuated the other children first…”

Raelle could tell what she was going to say just by looking at Teacher Sarah’s eyes.

Raelle immediately turned around.

“I understand. I’ll bring them back soon, so please wait a moment.”

“Raelle! It’s dangerous!”

Raelle came out to the orphanage yard without answering.

A presence stuck to his back.

“Clara.”

“…Yes.”

Raelle turned his head.

Seeing the wounds all over her body, it seemed she had also participated in the fight.

“The base. You found it?”

“I found it.”

“Are they still alive?”

Clara swallowed hard, feeling the force emanating from Raelle.

“…Yes. The children will be sacrifices for the ritual. They’re still alive.”

“Guide me. Ah, before that.”

Raelle turned his head and looked at the orphanage fence.

After arriving at the orphanage, he checked that Lucas and Carlson were injured, and confirmed that Nia and Harry were missing.

Right now, Raelle’s mind was cold, and his senses were sharper than ever.

He was confident that he wouldn’t miss anyone.

“You two hiding behind the fence. Come out.”

“Eut…”

“As expected, Raelle. Your intuition is good.”

Two long-lived species walked out from behind the fence.

A crazy elf and a strange giant.

“Raelle…?”

Reina felt a slight fear as she looked at Raelle’s face.

She had never seen him so angry before.

What does this orphanage mean to him?

“What are you doing? I barely slipped away alone, why are you following me?”

“Don’t worry, Raelle. There aren’t many people who know we’re on Yuri’s side.”

“No. Still, you can’t. I can hide my appearance, but you two can’t.”

Raelle had the Hahoe mask, but Reina and Gent couldn’t reveal their faces.

Those two had to be active as close aides to the Second Princess, Uriel, later on.

“Raelle! We can handle that ourselves.”

“Reina. This isn’t a simple problem.”

The word imperial decree was never light.

Didn’t the Grand Duke, Rein, and Yuri give up heading to District 4 as soon as they heard the word imperial decree?

“Raelle. You’re greedy. You forced Reina to help you even though she didn’t want help, and now you won’t accept our help.”

Then, Gent smiled as he looked at Raelle.

Raelle couldn’t ignore those words.

“…Gent. Reina doesn’t matter, but you’re okay, right?”

“Raelle. You’re my comrade. And it’s natural for a giant to help a comrade.”

Just as Raelle helped Reina as he pleased, Gent was the same.

He wanted to help because he liked Raelle, who was a good person.

“Raelle. I, I’m okay, right? I’ll help.”

“Tsk… Do as you please.”

Raelle shook his head, seeing Gent and Reina’s expressions.

It was strange to refuse their help after they had followed him all the way here to help.

Besides, he didn’t have time to persuade them anymore.

“Let’s go, Clara.”

He would never leave those who had disturbed the only place that gave him peace of mind in this fucked-up world.

Raelle turned his body.

*

‘Just as Gideon said.’

Namaha, the Knights Brigade Commander of the Desert Kingdom, Nagore.

He stared at the children and corpses trapped in the magic circle with fascination.

The reason why they could do this in the Thousand-Year Empire, Carmen, was because of the cooperation of the Carmen Knights Brigade Commander.

‘Foolish nobles who don’t care even if commoners are kidnapped….’

Namaha smiled.

He didn’t know why Gideon, the Carmen Knights Brigade Commander who loved the empire, was cooperating with them.

However, he didn’t care what that monstrous bastard’s intentions were.

‘If he buys us just one day… that’s enough.’

Sandstorms swirled around Namaha.

The fury of the arid desert filled his body.

‘I’ll give them a proper blow.’

It had been a long time.

The days when those who occupied the fertile lands ignored and oppressed the Desert Kingdom were over.

It was a chance to clearly show the continent that Nagore’s spirit was still alive.

Ttokgak. Ttokgak.

Then, a man exuding an ominous aura walked next to him.

He was the leader of the black magicians.

Behind him stood the black magicians who had greatly helped in completing this ritual.

“The ritual is complete, Commander Namaha.”

“Is that so? Good work.”

“Haha, no. Things became easier thanks to you, Commander Namaha… Thanks to you hiding the alliance with the demons, Nagore’s warriors cooperated easily.”

Even in the Desert Kingdom, there was still a sense of aversion to demons.

However, things became easier thanks to Namaha hiding the story about the demons.

“Don’t mention it. More importantly, you made the ritual as I said, right? So that we can activate it too, in a way that it can be activated simply with magic power.”

“Yes. This is a ritual that is activated by using the life force of the sacrifices as a medium. Now, all you have to do is inject magic power. As promised, we will take half, and the remaining half will be given to Nagore.”

“I see.”

Namaha nodded.

Chwaak-

Then, he raised his hand and blew off the head of the unpleasant black magician.

“Ah?”

Teolseok-

The leader of the black magicians fell to the floor, leaving behind a short death cry.

The black magicians who saw this were startled and shouted.

“Namaha! W, what are you doing!”

“Betrayal, now?!”

“Do you need a reason to kill trash that has no value?”

Namaha smirked and drew his sword.

Mendous magic power erupted from his body.

“Keo, Keuheup…”

The black magicians knelt and collapsed under the magic power of the Sword Master.

Namaha looked down at the trash and shook his head.

“What do you think the pride of the desert is? I never intended to join hands with you from the beginning.”

Jeobeok. Jeobeok.

Desert warriors who had been hiding their bodies walked out from all directions.

“Eliminate them all.”

“Yes!”

At Namaha’s command, the desert warriors rushed towards the black magicians.

Amidst his comrades dying from all directions, the black magician shouted at Namaha.

“Y, you fool. Namaha! Do you think you can attack the empire without our help?!”

“Attack the empire, that’s a strange thing to say. Why would we attack those who helped us? Could it be that you really think the reason why the Carmen Knights Brigade is standing still is because of your outstanding abilities?”

Namaha smirked.

That’s why it was easy to deal with cultists.

Because they were fools who thought they were really great if you praised them a little.

“S, surely… from the beginning…!”

Pudeudeuk-!

Namaha struck down on the black magician’s head.

‘What a fool.’

From the moment they joined hands with the empire.

The black magicians were destined to end up like this.

Gideon Garcia.

That man was thorough.

As soon as the black magicians created the ritual, he ordered them to be eliminated in Nagore.

While Nagore caused some confusion in the empire and eliminated the black magicians and demons.

The Carmen Knights Brigade would watch their backs and harm the Vanessa Kingdom and the Jeongcheon Alliance with the completed magic circle.

Finally, they would hand over the useless Princess Scaria and blame everything on her.

It was a plan that both the empire and Nagore could be satisfied with.

‘Gideon Garcia. Up to here, it must have been your plan.’

However, Namaha had no intention of stopping here.

In order to show the continent the fury of the desert, the empire could not be left out.

Gideon smiled as he looked at the magic circle.

“Carmen Empire, I will bury you in the sand first.”

The fury of the desert grows stronger over time.

The black magicians who were buried in the sand first were perhaps lucky.