I Tried To Be Her Loyal Sword

---

250th Chapter

“The numbers… are not insignificant.”

Eunice murmured quietly, her expression shifting to a serious one in an instant.

The overwhelming numerical advantage was supposed to be the strength of our alliance, yet the North seemed to have prepared remarkably well for this battle, their numbers not to be underestimated.

‘I can’t see any monsters.’

As countless Northern soldiers marched to the plains in front of the lake, the monsters were nowhere to be found. They couldn’t possibly abandon their ultimate weapon, so they were probably hidden deep in the forest.

‘If I knew what monsters were coming, I could train the soldiers to prepare.’

They wisely chose not to reveal their cards.

I squinted, focusing all my sensors on the forest, but the dense trees obscured my view, making it impossible to confirm.

“Damn it. I should have sent scouts across the river as soon as we arrived.”

Given the considerable distance from the last confirmed location of Northern movements, I had never imagined they’d arrive so quickly.

We hadn’t even been here half a day since our grueling march, so I thought it prudent to give the soldiers some time to rest.

Maybe it was my complacent judgment, but Eunice confidently smiled.

“I sent scouts over there yesterday. We’ll receive contact as soon as we confirm the Northern troops.”

I turned to Eunice in surprise. It hadn’t been long since we met, and I was skeptical about his capabilities, but he didn’t seem like someone who would wear a hat for show.

I let out a long sigh of relief.

“Please check if there are any monsters in the forest and let me know what kind. If you don’t know their names, just describe their characteristics.”

“Understood.”

Knowing the types of monsters could shift the tide of this battle by more than half. With that positive thought, I relaxed my expression and looked up at the sky.

“Let’s deploy more soldiers to monitor the river and have a meeting quickly.”

The gloomy gray sky looked as if it would unleash snowflakes at any moment.

After a quick meal, we moved to the barracks prepared by the central expeditionary force.

Eunice was waiting there.

“Have you contacted the scouts?”

“The communication is very unstable. It seems the Northern army is spreading interference waves to disrupt our magical communications.”

His expression was dark as he struggled with the communication crystal ball. After fiddling with it a few more times and even giving it a few taps, Eunice finally looked up with a sigh.

“I apologize. We should have had a plan for situations like this…”

“Don’t blame yourself. It’s a situation that’s hard to predict.”

I brushed my bangs aside as I sat down.

I had thought things were going well, but nothing was straightforward.

When all the major figures of the reinforcements were seated, Eunice opened his mouth.

“First, I’ll keep attempting to communicate. If we don’t establish contact today, we will immediately issue a retreat order. It will take at least a day or two to arrive here, so while it will be late relaying the information, we should still receive a direct report.”

“Considering the Northern army has already established their position, do you think they can make it back safely?”

With the communication waves interfering, using teleportation artifacts would also be difficult. At my worry, Eunice smiled confidently.

“I guarantee the skills of those going. They will come back safely, no matter what happens.”

There was pride in his voice.

‘I have a bad feeling about this.’

I wished I could be reassured by that pride. The feeling like something was crawling through my insides like a spider made me unable to smile.

Suddenly—

“Lord! Your Excellency!”

At that moment, a piercing noise blared from the communication device, cutting in and out with a poor-quality voice.

“We’re connected!”

Eunice jumped up, gripping the communicator with both hands.

I clung to the table as if it would shatter. The communication quality was so bad that I couldn’t help but feel anxious.

“Felix, report! What’s the troop strength? What’s the situation there…!”

“Wait! First, ask what monsters are there!”

Eunice, seemingly getting nervous, was interrupted as I urged him. If there weren’t many opportunities, it made sense to verify what their trump cards were first.

Nodding with a serious expression, Eunice took a deep breath and opened his mouth calmly.

“Have you encountered any monsters in the forest? Please report on what kinds are present.”

-Right now running— arrows— Onis is down, dead— I’m in trouble!

The erratic voice made my ears hurt, but nobody pointed that out. While it wasn’t delivering clearly, the context was enough to understand that the situation there was serious.

“Damn it, good work. Come back! It’s chaotic, but just report what kind of monsters they have!”

Eunice’s expression twisted in anguish as he washed his face dry. Losing his subordinates must have been weighing heavily on him, yet he didn’t lose his composure.

Crack! Whoosh!

Whether they were running away or not, rough footsteps reverberated through the communicator, followed by the sharp sound of arrows flying.

A suffocating silence enveloped the barracks.

– poison- can’t breathe- huge tree…

Thunk!

The disconnected voice cut off with a chilling sound as if flesh had been pierced.

The air chilled to a standstill. Despair painted Eunice’s face.

Everyone could guess what had happened.

In the barracks, no one could speak, while the noise continued from beyond the communicator.

There were rustling sounds, loud footsteps, and the murmuring voices of people, until at some moment, the worst quality cleared up.

-Ah, can you hear me? I’ve turned off the jamming device for a moment.

A low female voice rang out clearly.

Crack.

I had failed to control my strength for a moment and smashed the table I was gripping tightly.

“Hilda Vesto…”

The venomous gray eyes I had seen that day flashed before my eyes.

-I didn’t expect them to send two rat-like scouts. The last one gave me quite a struggle.

In contrast to the tension I had felt moments ago, the seamless communication made me almost furious. Grinding my teeth stubbornly, I glared at the communicator as the voice continued.

– Kashmir Crisis. Are you there?

All eyes in the barracks turned towards me.

Only Jonathan had been part of the second expeditionary force that faced an assault from Hilda’s Northern army, so everyone was taken aback by the fact that Hilda knew me.

I quietly stared at the crystal ball.

“Yes.”

– This time, I won’t run away.

The voice was heavily imbued with malice.

– Letting you live was a mistake. I’ll make you regret it. Just wait for me.

Each word sank heavily in my chest. The suffocating dilemma that resulted from sparing a life tightened its grip on my throat.

Yet, I would not avert my gaze.

“My choice was perfect. You have no right to judge it. Do you think you can be a significant threat to me, Hilda Vesto? Our victory that day was no mere stroke of luck.”

‘Have confidence in every choice. Though you may continuously reflect and ponder, show not a hint of doubt to others. If you begin to doubt yourself, those following you will also come to doubt you.’

Caesar’s low voice echoed in my mind.

This relentless dilemma was a burden that should rest solely on my shoulders. I must not show any weakness to those around me.

– Ha! So arrogant…

A scornful laugh drifted through the communicator from the other side. I glared at it as if looking directly at Hilda Vesto.

“You’re the one who should be waiting. Just as that gorge divided us that day, you will be divided in half as well. Your forces and the disgusting monsters you brought with you.”

I twisted my lips, forcing a smile.

“This time, don’t run away. A cowardly loach that flees twice will be refused even by that wretched Yornha.”

For the Northerners, failing to reach Yornha, the paradise of warriors, was the most dishonorable outcome.

– You brat! How dare you…!

“Surely, you’re in contact with your commander? Tell that bastard Zigmund Hyde too.”

Ignoring her fury, I continued speaking.

He was the one who instigated this war and brought me countless dilemmas.

Whether in a positive or negative light, he was the one who provoked the strongest and deepest emotions within me.

“I’ll show you exactly how I killed my master when we meet again.”

I still loved Karasho. However, her beliefs no longer aligned with mine, and her heart was not mine to claim either.

“I’ll personally bury you beside him.”

At last, I was beginning to stand firm as myself.

– You insane thunderer! Do you know who Zigmund is?

Crash!

I snatched the communicator Eunice held and threw it hard against the barrack wall. The crystal shattered, and the wall dented in.

“I worried that such unnecessary words would only lower the soldiers’ morale. Please forgive any impulsive actions.”

“O-Okay…”

Ugh, I exhaled deeply, my eyes half-open. Eunice, awkwardly frozen with the broken communicator, stared at me blankly.

Suddenly.

I stood up without hesitation.

“Understanding what kind of monsters they’ve brought is strategically crucial. Depending on that, our preparations will vary greatly.”

‘Poison, huge, tree.’

What I barely managed to catch through that poor communication was limited to these three things.

‘This alone makes predicting the type of monster difficult. There are many monsters related to poison, being huge, or connected to trees.”

Just from the ones that came to mind, there were already more than half a dozen kinds. I firmly fastened my sword sheath hung on my belt.

“There shouldn’t be any soldiers willing to go to such a risky scenario where casualties have already occurred, and the success of ordinary soldiers is uncertain…”

My eyes sparkled like lightning as they reflected the transparent shards of the broken communicator.

“I’ll go. Into the enemy’s position.”

I intended to bear the responsibility for allowing Hilda to escape with my entire body.

“Damn it, the Kashmir Crisis!”

Crash!

An enraged Hilda Vesto hurled the communicator she was holding to the ground and crushed it beneath her blunt heel. The device fell apart helplessly.

In the snow-covered forest across the river, Hilda, next to a corpse, ruffled her hair in frustration.

-Whether here or there, the communicator just suffers. Calm down.

A low, dry voice echoed through the forest. A hazy figure reflected in another communicator.

Zigmund Hyde. He was watching all the situations from there.

“Is His Excellency Zigmund not angry? That little brat is insulting you.”

Hilda, now receiving the communicator connected to Zigmund, snapped at the comment. A low chuckle escaped.

– No. On the contrary… it’s rather amusing. I hadn’t expected him to become so furious. He was already somewhat like that.

Hilda contorted her face at the incomprehensible remark.

She had always respected her leader and held absolute loyalty, but this behavior was something she couldn’t quite adapt to.

In any situation, her cold and stoic commander displayed a subtly different demeanor only when ‘Kashmir Crisis’ was involved.

– When you win, make sure to capture Kashmir Crisis. Injuries are irrelevant.

Zigmund repeated the phrase he had insisted on multiple times. It was something I accepted but still didn’t understand.

With a frown, Hilda cautiously asked.

“Do you intend to keep her… close?”

– No.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Zigmund replied.

– I will kill her with my own hands.

The voice held an unmistakable sincerity. There was no room for doubt about this truth.

“…What does she mean to you?”

Hilda couldn’t help but voice her question, which slipped between her lips.

Despite her efforts to figure it out, she couldn’t discern whether Zigmund’s feelings toward the Kashmir Crisis were positive or negative.

All that was perceived was depth and intensity.

Whether it was hatred, intrigue, malice, goodwill, or perhaps a mixture of all, his emotions were profoundly thick.

In the Northern base, far from Pavlov, Zigmund laughed.

A piece of shit greater than any in city life.

This time, I could never determine the truth.