SWNOVELXO Chapter 350
Chapter 351. Who’s the Crazier One? (4)
The underground of the castle of Dayal, the Lord of the East.
Sizzle!
The sound of a red-hot iron searing leather echoed quietly through the silence.
Thud, crack.
The sound of splitting wood followed—
Rip, tear.
The sound of something being torn apart could also be heard.
A man stood in front of a door labeled “Confession Room,” leaning his arm against the window as he deeply inhaled a cigarette.
“Huuuuu……”
The man’s expression was complex. Fatigue was evident, but his eyes were filled with ambition. Though the hand holding the cigarette hung loosely, his posture showed no weakness.
Creak.
From the Confession Room, where strange sounds had been heard, a man wearing a crow mask emerged. His clothes were stained with blood, and it was clear the blood was fresh.
“I apologize, Your Highness. I failed.”
The man addressed as “Prince.” Rakan flicked his cigarette out the window and spoke.
“There’s nothing to apologize for. If even you, who made an elf submit through torture, failed, then no one else could have succeeded.”
“If you give me just two more days……”
“Will it work? He didn’t even let out a groan.”
“It seems he underwent a procedure to remove his senses. I plan to restore them within two days.”
“I’ll consider it. Step aside. I need to see for myself.”
The torturer, the crow-masked man, opened the door to the Confession Room. Rakan, who had put on his coat, stepped inside.
The Confession Room was simple. Rough, thick stone walls. Numerous torture tools. And in the center, a single chair.
The person tied to the chair was naked. And in a state where it was hard to believe he was still alive.
He had been tortured from head to toe. The only reason he was still alive was due to the resilient life force of a Transcendent Being and the effects of an Elixir.
“Heh heh heh.”
The man, with most of his teeth missing and his throat damaged, laughed with a wheezing sound. He was the Demon Realm Tamer captured by Prince Rakan.
As soon as Rakan saw him, his face twisted.
‘To lose Marquis Lanius just to capture this one bastard.’
Marquis Lanius was a 7-Star Prime whom Rakan trusted deeply.
When Crown Prince Rukan unleashed the Monster of the Demon Realm, the losses were heavy, but they managed to retreat. Even Crown Prince Rukan didn’t push his advantage.
But at that moment, Marquis Lanius urgently spoke to Prince Rakan.
“Your Highness. The Monster of the Demon Realm has no weaknesses. If we retreat now, the next battle will be even more brutal. We must uncover its secrets. I will capture the Demon Realm Tamer now.”
“All our forces are retreating. Are you planning to charge in alone? Let’s retreat first and then plan to abduct the Demon Realm Tamer……”
“By then, it will be too late.”
And so, Marquis Lanius disobeyed Rakan’s orders and charged into enemy lines alone.
Even though he was a Prime, Crown Prince Rukan also had Primes on his side, and above all, the Monster of the Demon Realm was not something even a Prime could take lightly.
Despite the odds, Marquis Lanius managed to return. With an unconscious Demon Realm Tamer in his grasp.
“Please… protect this country……”
Those were Marquis Lanius’s last words before he died in front of Prince Rakan.
“Huu.”
Rakan tried to soothe his bitter heart with a cigarette, but he couldn’t hold back.
Thud!
Rakan grabbed the Demon Realm Tamer’s hair and glared into his one remaining eye.
“I swear on my name, Rakan. On the honor and nobility of a prince. Tell me the secret to taming the Monster of the Demon Realm. If you do, I’ll grant you a clean death.”
Rakan offered a merciful death.
But the Demon Realm Tamer’s reaction was the same.
“Heh heh heh.”
No. The laughter was different. It was mixed with mockery.
Immediately, Rakan’s expression changed. From suppressing his anger to being utterly enraged.
“Let me tell you what I’m going to do next. First, I’ll restore your sense of touch. No, I’ll amplify it dozens of times beyond what it was. Then, I’ll torture you until you die of old age. Even if I die, even if this war ends, you’ll suffer eternally in the underground where no sunlight reaches.”
Thud!
Rakan kicked the Demon Realm Tamer’s chest and left the Confession Room. He then gestured for his subordinate, who was waiting outside, to come closer.
“I’ve heard there’s a dark magic that can steal memories. Find me a high-ranking Dark Mage capable of that. Use any means necessary.”
“…Yes.”
“I’ll give you a week. If you can’t do it, tell me now.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Go.”
The subordinate bowed deeply and retreated backward.
Rakan took a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth, but he didn’t light it as he heard footsteps descending the stairs.
The person coming down was a strategist from the Baen Kingdom.
“Your Highness. General Perez has requested your presence at the strategy meeting.”
General Perez. The commander of the forces the Baen Kingdom had provided to Prince Rakan, and a Prime.
He subtly looked down on Rakan. His choice of words made that clear.
‘Sending a mere strategist to order me around, and not even a request but a demand.’
Crush.
Rakan crushed the cigarette in his hand and spoke with a smile.
“I’ll go right now.”
Rakan was willing to compromise. For the greater cause, he could endure this level of rudeness.
He had his own plans.
If he could win the war against Rukan and rule this country, he would surely repay this humiliation.
—
General Perez of the Baen Kingdom.
General Stephan of the Belferio Kingdom’s Six Great Generals.
Dayal, the Lord of the East from the Lilian Kingdom.
The presence of these three in one room made the air itself feel different. Sticky, heavy, and rough.
An ordinary person wouldn’t be able to stand in the same space, and even a 5-Star Master would turn pale in this meeting room. Yet, Prince Rakan appeared.
Rakan slowly walked to the empty seat at the head of the table and sat down, tapping the table with his fingers.
“Now that I’m here, let’s begin the meeting.”
“Your Highness. Has the Demon Realm Tamer talked?”
General Perez asked Prince Rakan.
Rakan didn’t even look at him as he answered.
“Don’t worry about the Demon Realm Tamer. If there’s any progress, I’ll let you know.”
“Our Baen Kingdom has something called an interrogation machine. If you’d like, we could lend it to you.”
“General Perez. You called this a strategy meeting, but is this what a strategy meeting is about? If it’s a strategy meeting, let’s talk about how to reclaim the lost cities and how to deal with the Monster of the Demon Realm.”
Rakan spoke calmly but firmly.
General Perez frowned but had no rebuttal.
“…The Monsters of the Demon Realm that Crown Prince Rukan controls clearly have limitations. If they didn’t, we wouldn’t be sitting here having this meeting.”
“Even the maids cleaning my room would know that. Don’t act like you’re the only one who knows this. What’s your strategy? That’s what I’m curious about.”
General Perez ran his finger over his lips. Then, he pointed to the map on the table.
“Crown Prince Rukan holds the north and west. Our original plan was to use overwhelming force for a direct confrontation, minimizing civilian and infrastructure damage. But with the appearance of the Monster of the Demon Realm, that’s no longer possible. So, we need to expand the front to the north and attack the west using airships and large fast ships.”
Rakan held the east, the largest region in the Lilian Kingdom. If Rakan could successfully conquer the west, he could isolate Rukan in the north.
The Baen Kingdom, known as the land of engineering, had highly advanced mechanical engineering. Their technological prowess surpassed even that of the Empire.
Meanwhile, the west was bordered by the sea. And the center of the west was traversed by a grand canal, allowing warships to pass.
General Perez’s plan to attack the west first using the Baen Kingdom’s signature airships and large fast ships was clearly a strategy that Crown Prince Rukan would find most troublesome.
“Kukuku.”
Laughter echoed through the meeting room. General Perez’s brow furrowed.
“What’s so funny? General Stephan.”
General Stephan of the Belferio Kingdom, the land of gourmet cuisine, stroked his smooth mustache.
“I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of expanding the front lines.”
“What’s your basis for calling it absurd? Prince Rakan has an army of 300,000 and enough supplies to maintain fronts in both the north and west.”
“Has the south disappeared or something?”
“…….”
At the mention of the south, everyone glanced at Rakan. It was only natural, as Rakan had spent an enormous amount of time and effort trying to conquer the south, only to fail repeatedly.
In the end, he even lost the south to Sephira.
Rakan wanted to remain calm, but whenever the south was mentioned, his chest burned with frustration. He spoke up himself.
“Failing to conquer Sephira is regrettable, but it’s not a concern. They’ll be too busy managing the south to attack us.”
“Then, Your Highness, do you agree with General Perez’s strategy of expanding the front and attacking from the west?”
“General Stephan. It’s always easier to destroy than to create. Instead of criticizing others’ tactics, present your own strategy. If yours is better than General Perez’s, I’ll adopt it.”
“I have a strategy that could be called a surefire win. But……”
Stephan stroked his mustache, deliberately pausing.
“Your Highness would have to make sacrifices.”
“What war doesn’t involve sacrifices? Speak.”
“Crown Prince Rukan, who has gained much from the Monster of the Demon Realm, is likely complacent. He probably expects us to be too busy defending to plan a counterattack. Right now, while we’re focused on defense, we should launch an all-out attack on Rukan.”
“…You’re suggesting a full-scale assault with no fallback? Is that your surefire strategy?”
“Kukuku.”
General Perez openly laughed.
Stephan calmly continued.
“It’s not without a fallback. If Your Highness decides to march from the east to the north, our Belferio Kingdom’s forces will also attack the north.”
“That sounds off. Are you saying Belferio will act independently while we draw their attention?”
“No. My forces and I will follow Your Highness. The army I’m referring to is additional reinforcements, Your Highness.”
“Additional reinforcements from Belferio?”
“Yes. An additional 50,000 troops, including one Prime, can be sent to the north. This isn’t my decision alone; it has the approval of His Majesty of Belferio.”
Belferio had already sent three Primes and 20,000 elite troops. And now they were offering more?
This couldn’t be out of goodwill or for free.
Sure enough, Stephan pointed to a mountain in the north with his finger.
“In return, we ask for all the territory of the Browning Duke House. That is our condition.”
“……!”
The Browning Duke House, the most powerful family in the Lilian Kingdom, controlled half of the north. Asking for their territory was equivalent to asking for half of the north.
But this wasn’t an unreasonable request. After all, they were offering a Prime and 50,000 troops. Knowing that Rukan had the Monster of the Demon Realm, their support was invaluable.
To put it simply, it was like selling water to someone living by a river versus selling water to someone in a desert.
“Hmm.”
General Perez, who had initially laughed, now wore an uncomfortable expression but didn’t object.
If they had known about the Monster of the Demon Realm, they wouldn’t have sent reinforcements. But now, with oaths and treaties in place, they had to fight to the end. Otherwise, they would have stayed out of it.
But Belferio was promising generous reinforcements. The price was steep, but even Perez thought it was fair. After all, they were taking on significant risk.
The strategists in the room were all deep in thought, calculating whether Stephan’s strategy was reasonable or not.
“The sacrifice of the people. And half of the north……”
Rakan muttered to himself, lost in thought.
Normally, if you had an army of 100,000, you wouldn’t use all 100,000 in battle. You’d keep 40,000 as a rear guard to protect cities and supply lines.
But Stephan boldly proposed eliminating the rear guard and going for a quick, decisive battle. This would lead to massive casualties.
With a fight to the death, there would be no retreat, and the death toll would be high. Moreover, the rear would be in chaos. Even if Rukan sent just 10,000 troops to the rear, Rakan’s cities would be devastated.
Even if they couldn’t occupy the cities, they could destroy and plunder them. And even if they somehow gained the upper hand and won, they’d still have to give up half of the north.
Rakan had already paid a price for the support from Baen and Belferio.
To the Baen Kingdom, he promised a political marriage with a princess and land development rights. To Belferio, he promised one-sided trade concessions and priority.
And now, on top of that, he had to give up half of the north?
‘Even if we defeat Crown Prince Rukan, the war won’t end. Lerkin and Sephira are still out there.’
Of course, those two weren’t as strong or as insane as Rukan. If Rakan could subdue Rukan, it was predicted that a ceasefire agreement with the other two factions would be possible.
To Lerkin, they’d offer two cities between the north and east. To Sephira, they’d offer half of the south.
That was the endgame scenario Rakan’s strategists had devised.
‘I don’t have much time to think. If we’re going for a quick, decisive battle, it has to be now.’
The value of time now surpassed gold. If he could stop time for just 10 minutes, he’d be willing to pay 100,000 gold.
But no matter how much he thought about it, this wasn’t an easy decision.
‘Stephan’s strategy assumes we’ll definitely win. How can I be sure of that? The basis is insufficient. Even if it ends in a draw, our losses would be greater. This… this is a trap.’
Rakan realized. The smug smile on Stephan’s face was terrifyingly thick.
‘Stephan, this bastard. He wants Rukan and me to destroy each other.’
A Prime and 50,000 troops as reinforcements through the north? Even if they really sent them, it was obvious they’d retreat as soon as the situation turned unfavorable.
If Rukan and Rakan’s forces inflicted heavy losses on each other, what would happen? External interference would become inevitable.
‘Hiding such a dirty scheme behind the noble word of sacrifice.’
War inevitably involves sacrifice. Stephan had spun his story as if it were natural, mesmerizing Rakan.
Rakan bit his lower lip.
‘I forgot. These bastards aren’t fighting for me.’
They were allies, but not eternal allies. The moment I let my guard down, they’d surely bite me.
Crack.
Rakan clenched his fist under the table.
But his face remained thoughtful. If his expression changed now, his true feelings would be revealed.
“Any other opinions?”
Rakan delayed his answer. Then, he looked at his strategists. Since foreign generals had presented their strategies, it was time for his own strategists to offer something.
As the strategists exchanged glances—
Thud!
Dayal, Stephan, and General Perez all stood up almost simultaneously, looking at the ceiling, and then immediately at the meeting room’s door.
“This is……!”
Soon, others also sensed something was wrong.
It was an overwhelming pressure coming from beyond the ceiling, from the sky.
Creak.
The meeting room door slowly opened.
A silence more unnerving than the pressure from the sky filled the room.
“Hello, everyone.”
A clear voice echoed through the quiet meeting room.
“Oh, I was sure this was the place, but I didn’t expect to find everyone gathered here.”
Keter, who shouldn’t have been here, walked in with steady steps.
The corridor connected to the meeting room was filled with fallen guards. Not a single drop of blood was spilled.
“Keter……!”
Rakan was the first to react. He spoke Keter’s name with the look of someone seeing an enemy.
“Keter?”
“That’s the Divine Archer from the south……!”
“How did he get here?”
Those who had only heard rumors of Keter were both shocked and amazed.
“You’ve come to the right place to die.”
Rakan immediately signaled Dayal to deal with him.
But Keter raised his palm and spoke.
“Let’s form an alliance.”
With that one out-of-context statement, the meeting room was thrown into chaos.