By Zephyria 
I couldn’t stay put, so I moved to the ramparts. I killed those who deserved to die and spared those who deserved to live, but I kept questioning my judgment.
Was it right for me to distinguish between who should live and who should die? It bothered me that I was arbitrarily deciding people’s fates like some kind of god, instead of killing everyone or saving everyone.
But I soon cleared my mind. This is what war is like. You have to kill even if you don’t want to, and you might die if you’re unlucky. It doesn’t matter if you’ve lived a good life or a bad one. Everyone disappears irrationally, like leaves falling into a bonfire, regardless of age or gender.
That’s why war is a tragedy for both the victor and the vanquished. It should never happen for any reason, whether it’s for personal greed or sacrifice for a greater cause.
They shouldn’t have started a war just because they wanted the green land.
“…”
I don’t know which Emperor first desired the green of Gaulaprum. It wasn’t the previous one, but something that happened long before.
“…”
There’s no hope for this bloodline. Let’s just kill them all.
The aimless rage piled up inside me, as it always had.
The closer I got to the bridge, the louder the noise became. It was more of a roar than noise. I moved faster without delay. I didn’t get lost because I had heard the exact location from the four men before moving.
Even as I ran, I scanned my surroundings busily. The buildings were so dilapidated that it was a wonder they hadn’t collapsed, and there were quite a few signs of destruction.
The clothes and weapons of the dead soldiers were in tatters, and they were so emaciated that it was obvious they hadn’t been eating properly. Inside the shabby building that seemed to be a ward, patients waiting to die were piled up like heaps of dirt.
Most of the wells were dry, and there was nothing to eat in the pots except for a thick porridge made from ground grain.
I expected the environment to be poor, but not this bad. No wonder the soldiers lost their will to fight so easily, even if I only messed with them a little. This was why. I had no choice but to kill those who charged at me like sick chickens.
I had planned to move while setting fires if there were too many soldiers, but there was no need to do that. Besides, there were civilians here and there, so I had ruled out that option from the start.
I reached the ramparts more easily than I had expected, and I was finally able to see the scene beyond.
A deep and wide cliff, like a scar on the world, came into view. The awe-inspiring sight made me forget where I was for a moment.
“Wah! Wah! Wah!”
But I couldn’t help but come to my senses at the thunderous sound. The two camps were facing each other across the cliff. The Gaulaprum warriors were kicking the ground with their feet as if in a ritual, all chanting the same sound. Every time their feet hit the ground, the earth shook as if there was an earthquake.
On the other side, I could see the Actan soldiers. At the very front, a man on a white horse sat upright, staring straight ahead, and behind him, a large army stood motionless like statues. I couldn’t see his face because he was wearing a helmet, but I knew who the man at the front was at once.
“…”
I thought of the two men I had killed while climbing the stairs from the underground prison. They seemed to have been ordered to bring the Crown Prince. Apparently, the commander was planning to boast about me here like a jewel from a bygone era and lead the negotiations.
The Crown Prince was waiting because he had no choice.
Wasn’t he starting to realize that something was wrong? Since the person who went to get the prisoner hadn’t returned, he might have sent someone else. If someone had gone, the area around there would have been covered in blood and guts, so he would have sensed that I had disappeared without having to go all the way down to the underground.
The commander might already know this. He might just be letting time pass by aimlessly because he doesn’t know what to do.
When would the Crown Prince notice?
“Hmm.”
Should I shout that I’m here? Even if I screamed my head off, my voice wouldn’t reach. Then should I get some fireworks or something? Or should I bring some corpses and burn them…
As I was seriously considering the methods, the Crown Prince, who was wearing a helmet, suddenly turned his head directly towards me.
“…”
“…”
A thrill ran through my body.
The distance was so far and I couldn’t see his eyes, so I wasn’t sure if he was really looking at me, but I instinctively knew that our eyes had met.
Before I could react, he drew his sword. At the signal to advance, the great army moved all at once. Amidst the huge roar and the countless crowds, the Crown Prince on horseback took off his helmet.
Even from a distance, I could see that he was staring straight at me.
‘You’ll die if you get caught.’
I didn’t need to hear it to know what he wanted to say to me, just from the fiery look in his eyes. I was about to wave, but instead, I created a fireball with magic and sent it towards the bridge as a response.
The firepower was insufficient, so there was no real damage, but a bright light blazed that everyone could see.
Although the damage was minimal, the fact that the bridge had been attacked caused considerable confusion. I deliberately ran around on the ramparts like a crazy monkey, constantly chipping away at the bridge.
I didn’t have enough magic to keep casting spells, so I threw spears and daggers instead. It was such a trivial attack that it didn’t even leave a scratch, but just the fact that I was near the bridge would be a great burden.
Belatedly, some soldiers ran to catch me, but they were all just weaklings anyway. All the proper warriors were in the mess below the ramparts.
I killed the charging guys without leaving any behind and moved without rest.
I expected that would happen, but the commander was guarding the pulley, so I thought I might really die now. Even if I was in good condition, I wondered if I would have a chance, but how could I fight that giant with this tattered body?
I ran away again like a monkey with fire on its feet, throwing stones and making a fuss. It was difficult to inflict effective damage, but the longer I dragged it out, the more disadvantageous it was for the Gaulaprum side, not me.
Then, I lost my footing because I accidentally stepped on a puddle of blood on the floor. As I fell, I twisted my waist and looked back. The commander, like an angry bear, was already close enough to reach out to me.
It was obvious that I would be torn apart alive the moment I was caught by that hand.
How many seconds did I have left before I said goodbye to the world? But I had done this much, so I had no regrets. It would be a lie to say I had no regrets, but…
As I was reminiscing about my life in detail, I suddenly felt a surge of anger.
No, damn it. I can’t die like this. Even if I die, I have to wipe out the royal family!
Fueled by anger, my body, which had already reached its limit, moved on its own. The moment my palm touched the floor, which was covered in blood, the blood splattered upwards.
As if a drop of water had fallen into a lake, ripples formed, and a cool energy was felt from my fingertips. In the blink of an eye, the cold air spread like fog without a sound, and the blood soared upwards like a thorn bush.
“…”
“…”
Drip, drip…
A hand bigger than my face stopped right in front of me. If I had been a little late, my head might have exploded after being caught by that huge hand. I quickly rolled my eyes to assess the situation.
All the blood that had been pooling on the floor had frozen and grown like blades. The commander was unable to move, his entire body pierced by sharp red ice.
It worked? It was magic that I had never succeeded in practicing, but it somehow worked because I was about to die.
While I was standing there blankly with a bewildered expression, the commander spat out blood. Even in that state, he was glaring at me as if he wanted to kill me. His eyes were so fierce that I was afraid he would appear in my dreams.
I got up from my seat as if nothing had happened, dusted off my pants, and bluffed.
“Just as planned.”
“Keureuk…”
He seemed to have something to say, but all I could hear was the sound of blood bubbling.
“Why did you rush in so recklessly? That’s why you couldn’t avoid it.”
I thought I was going to die from exhaustion from running away.
I swallowed the rest of my words and clicked my tongue, then moved urgently. I had never used this much magic before, so I didn’t know what kind of variables would arise. It was common to be exhausted after using all your magic, but I had a feeling that I was beyond that level.
Even if I die, I have to lower the bridge before I die.
My vision was spinning and starting to narrow. I couldn’t feel anything below my waist, and I didn’t even know how I was moving.
But anyway, I successfully smashed the rotating shaft of the pulley. As soon as I heard the sound of the bridge going down, as if it had been waiting for me, a fountain of blood erupted from my mouth.
Judging by the amount alone, my blood was more than what the commander had spat out. I won the battle and I won in the amount of blood I spat out. How auspicious.
“Ah, my stomach hurts. Ah… Ah, damn it… Ugh… Ah!”
It hurt so much that I started to get annoyed. I cursed like a madman and then lost consciousness.