chapter 18
18 – The fire of revolution burns
The third day after the Empire declared subjugation.
News came that an armed woman wearing leather armor over a cloth suit was bound and imprisoned in the dungeon of the Seongguk.
“I definitely want to meet you, the warrior. If you’re not going to let me meet you, I’ll just kill you right here.”
“It’s a big deal.”
“Yeah, no big deal. Let’s talk about it.”
Following Prim’s words, Chae-jin heads to the dungeon.
Sitting down with her head down, the woman with blonde long hair saw Chaejin approaching and grabbed her gear and her iron bars and asked.
“Are you a warrior?”
“For now.”
“I am a member of the Resistance in the Empire. It’s an honor to be able to meet the hero like this!”
“…… Resistance?”
Even if that happened, there was nothing strange about it.
I don’t know if it makes sense…….
“In order to bring down the filthy emperor and the flatterers, the hero’s strength is absolutely necessary! If you would head to the Empire with me—”
“No, that won’t work.”
“…… Yes?”
Chaejin explained in a low tone.
“I know what you mean. You mean to gather forces against the emperor around me?”
“Yes, yes.”
“From my point of view, it is much better to be with Seongguk. By any chance, this might be a trap to lure me in and kill me.”
“A trap, like that.”
“Thinking calmly, there is no way for me to know your identity right now, right? You don’t have to take that risk.”
“… ….”
When I conveyed her thoughts, the mood of her woman changed in an instant.
“You have changed a lot, hero. I haven’t felt like this since I’ve been watching.”
Chaejin’s pupils widened slightly.
She’s definitely someone I’ve never seen before, but seeing her act like she’s known her well from before, I was curious about her identity.
“Who are you?”
“I have nothing to say right now. No matter what you say about your condition, you won’t believe it and it will only add to the confusion. I’m just on your side, and I want you to think of me as an enemy of the goddess who summoned you.”
Her own side and the enemy of her goddess.
It was close to impossible to figure out the woman’s identity with just that.
At most, being a divine being different from the goddess?
One thing I can think of is…….
Does that mean the goddess is not on her side?
“The reason I approached this time was to tell you the truth in advance, but since your intentions are firm, I can’t. Just ask for one thing. Once you win Win, claim the Empire, and enter the deepest, darkest depths hidden within the dungeons of the Imperial Palace. The rest of the story will be told there.”
Fluff.
As soon as she had finished speaking, she fell down and did not move.
I wondered what the hell she was doing. When I checked her pulse, she was dead.
She had an empty expression, as if she had been dead from the start.
‘I can’t even feel the reaction that was alive. She breathed life, albeit briefly, into an already dead body. For this to be possible…….’
A divine being.
There was really no explanation other than that.
‘The deepest and darkest place hidden in the dungeon of the Imperial Palace…… Because what the hell is there?’
The truth.
I don’t know what is hidden in that word.
But it seemed clear that something was strangely intertwined.
‘Although the attitude of the goddess seems a little irresponsible and suspicious…… It’s just a heart attack. I really can’t believe that’s the case.’
Chaejin made up her mind.
Don’t be shaken in the face of big things.
For now, let’s focus on what needs to be done.
After destroying the empire, if you listen to what the being that just inhabited that body said, you would get some information to make a judgment about.
Doong- Doong- Doong-
It was 15 days later that the Empire gathered troops and advanced.
Armies raise their flags to the sound of loud drums and advance towards a decisive battle.
Chaejin, who watched his soldiers march from the solid fortress inside the castle, felt deep despair and fear emanating from them.
‘Is there anyone here wanting to be with one of them?’
War is always like that, but in this case there was no justification or justice.
Their lives were being trampled on like fallen leaves due to a fight between the meaningless emperor and the vested class.
“Hero, are you ready? Both armies are assembled.”
“Yes. Let’s move slowly.”
I was trying to move to a good spot to break into the army with Prim, but Iril grabbed his hand.
“Hero.”
“Why?”
“…… You can’t die.”
Iril looked at Chaejin with eyes dripping with concern and affection.
A strategy in which the warrior directly enters the middle of the battleground.
It is said that the probability is low, but it is not without risk.
There must be some talented people like Bright who can’t back down.
Chae-jin, now without protection, could have been killed instantly if he fired magic and jointly attacked without a chance to speak.
Of course, it wasn’t that Chaejin had the skills to die easily.
“It’s okay. Because I have this armor that deflects magic and a sword that absorbs mana. I’m not weak enough to die with something like this.”
Chaejin decided to use the dwarven warrior’s weapon for a while.
At this level, he could have been a substitute for divine protection against humans.
“Let’s go, we might clash soon.”
“Yes.”
Chaejin put Prim on her back and ran towards the marked spot.
In the forest next to the gateway to the Holy Land, on top of a tall tree.
There, Chaejin checked the situation of the army.
ㅡ Turn around!
With the sound of a majestic horn, the empire gave the order to attack first.
ㅡ Respond!
Accordingly, even the army of the Holy Kingdom risked their lives.
“Hero, now.”
“Okay, bless me.”
Prim bestowed a blessing that increased his physical abilities explosively in a short period of time.
Chaejin, who landed quickly, drew in his strength as he breathed in.
Then, raise your leg strength as much as you can-
Two Kwang-!
Kicked the ground as if to deliver a fatal blow.
A leap of incredible height, as if flying in the sky.
It was possible because of the combination of Chaejin’s ability, the weapon that amplified mana, and the blessing of Prim, who had become a high-ranking priest by diligently polishing his divine power.
“Whoop.”
In the middle of an army about to clash.
Finding the landing point, Chaejin drew strength from her entire body.
Shockwave.
His sword, imbued with a great vibration, swung downward-
Quaaa!
A shockwave like a typhoon struck between the two camps.
“Whoaaagh!”
“Aww!”
Most of the people who were caught in the shockwave could not even resist and were pushed away, unable to control their bodies and falling to the ground.
The only ones who survived were the knights who had trained in mana.
Chae-jin, armed with full body armor and only taking off his helmet, stood there, as if a hurricane had swept through it.
He raised all his strength again and shouted loudly.
[ Stop fighting!!! ]
A voice of such volume that it is unbelievable that it was produced by a human being.
His voice went through the entire army like thunder.
Chaejin continued his cry as he felt countless eyes pierce him.
[ You’ll know when you see the face! I am a warrior! ]
[ I risked my life to defeat the calamity that befell this world, but the emperor and his leaders, who did not want to keep their promise to give me half the empire, betrayed me and exiled me, so the calamity was resurrected! ]
[ The Goddess was furious with this, and ordered me to subdue the Empire! ]
[ But I couldn’t. I hate the actions of the emperor and other imperial leaders, but I am a warrior nonetheless! The warrior will still fight and defend the innocent weak! ]
[ But that’s impossible until the Empire’s leadership collapses! As long as they exist, the wrath of the goddess will not fade, and humanity, the continent, will never unite! ]
I couldn’t even hear the sound of the wind.
Everyone gathered at the table kept their mouths shut and only listened to Chaejin’s cry.
[ Trust me! Please follow me! Let’s save the world once again together! Take down an empire and change the world with your own hands! ]
[ Yes! It’s a revolution! All the remaining Imperials will feel the same way! A fair judgment on those who betrayed the goddess and the world only for their wrongful desire to enrich themselves! ]
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Judgment!
As soon as she finished her words, she shouted loudly in line with her voice in the camp of the Holy Kingdom.
Everything went according to plan.
[[[[[ A fair judgment on those who betrayed the world!!! ]]]]]
[[[[[ JUDGE!!! ]]]]]
Her cry was contagious in an instant.
“Poetry, Judgment!!”
Starting with a soldier of the Empire, who was intoxicated with the atmosphere, shouting along in a half-panic-
“Judgment!”
“Judgment!”
[[[[[ Judgment!! ]]]]]
All of the soldiers gathered there forgot that they had come to war and cried out for judgment.
“What, what are you guys doing! Didn’t I tell you to attack! Under command! I mean follow orders!”
A particularly urgent looking noble knight was absentmindedly alerted to the serious atmosphere and shouted.
But the soldiers don’t care.
[ You can’t hear me! ]
Chow ah!
Finally, a knight who cut down a soldier with a mana-filled cry.
[ You must have seen it! If you don’t follow my orders, I will kill you.
The knight shouted out loud, but he couldn’t finish his words.
Soldiers around him, even junior officers, were glaring at him with eyes full of resentment, hatred, and anger.
Their eyes were like those of demons full of poison.
“… ….”
As if human nature’s soggy emotions were embodied in something like a curse, the knight’s feet were tied.
There was nothing really restraining him, but he felt somehow immobilized and lost.
‘What does this mean? Calm…… Did you mean that everyone went crazy?’
And then.
[ Stop everything! ]
Another loud cry cut through the air.
The 1st Knight Commander of the Imperial Family, Bright was called the King of Knights.
“Get out of the way.”
At that word, the soldiers blocking his way split apart like the miracle of Moses.
Along the way, Bright stood in front of Chaejin.
He looked at Chaejin and quietly opened his mouth.