The southern wall, overlooking the situation in the central plains.
What was engraved in the eyes of the imperial soldiers who had reclaimed the wall was─three disasters.
Simultaneously spreading out, three crimson storms.
A disaster that swept the ground, devouring the forces of the barbarian nation Pineon.
It was indeed a disaster, but its essence was not that of a disaster.
It was a decisive strike.
That was the strike of a sword.
“Duke Yuma.”
The imperial second seat, Haigelt, with a long scar above his right eyebrow, opened his mouth wide enough to reveal his pristine teeth and laughed.
“You’re a real monster…!”
The entire mercenary group, Hollow, operated by the imperial second seat, trembled.
The members of the Dawn Revolutionary Army stared at their leader, Cassiela, with faces full of shock.
Having witnessed Yuma’s prowess, they began to understand why Cassiela always referred to Yuma as the hope of the empire.
“That’s Yuma…! My commander!”
The crimson-haired cat-folk swordsman’s eyes sparkled.
Next to him, the black-haired, golden-eyed magic girl quietly vowed once again.
‘I must not disappoint them…’
I have to make them feel that I’m useful.
Cloney clenched her hands tightly.
*
“The second seat of the Astes Empire, Yuma.”
Yuma scanned the barbarian warriors of Pineon who had set down their weapons.
The fighting spirit of the thirty thousand warriors had mostly vanished.
A small handful were still holding onto their weapons. No, it was accurate to say they hadn’t put them down out of the desire to survive. This was definitely a battlefield.
“I have no intention of furthering this slaughter.”
The voice of the one who had slain the emperor echoed in the ears of the Pineon warriors.
Yuma surveyed the battlefield he had created.
In the place where the crimson storm had passed, countless corpses lay.
Broken spears and swords were strewn about.
It was clearly a spectacle far removed from that of someone who intended to cease the slaughter.
But Yuma’s heart was sincere.
He had killed the one at the very top, Conqueror King Kament, to end this war.
Yuma moved on.
Step by step.
Clomp, clomp.
He approached a giant Pineon warrior who was kneeling.
Judging by the form of armor he wore and the cape draped over his shoulders, his visible rank seemed quite high.
“What’s your status in Pineon?”
The warrior shivered, still kneeling. He lifted his head. The warrior slowly opened his mouth.
Warrior. The warrior slowly opened his mouth.
“…I am the Fourth General, Great Warrior Martes.”
“Could we say that’s a rank equivalent to a count in the Empire?”
Martes’s meticulously groomed beard trembled vigorously.
“Yes, indeed.”
Duke Yuma slowly nodded.
The Barbarian Nation is a land of war maniacs. Just looking at the lifeless body of the Conqueror King Kament made that clear.
It was no wonder that the position of Great Warrior held such weight.
Yuma continued to gaze at the still-kneeling Martes.
“I genuinely have no intention of further bloodshed. I want to end this war right here. I think you can help with that.”
Martes’s gaze barely met Yuma’s eyes.
“Are you… appointing me as the negotiation representative?”
Yuma matched the terrified Martes’s eye level.
“That’s right, the victorious Astes Empire’s commander chose you personally as the negotiation representative, so the others from Pineon won’t be able to object.”
That was a valid point.
Martes swallowed hard. Yuma continued.
“Set up a place to negotiate war reparations.”
Yuma had no intention of sitting at a headache-inducing negotiation table for no good reason.
“Let’s let go of some land. We should sign a non-aggression treaty for several decades, but anything is better than more bloodshed.”
Martes felt the rising tension.
“There’s only one thing I personally want from the Barbarian Nation.”
Yuma took a moment to gather his thoughts and continued.
“I have a destination to reach via Pineon. What I want is to not be disturbed on my way there, that’s my desire.”
To be precise, he had some business with the White Night Clan on the other side of the Gelpiel Forest at the edge of Pineon, but there was no need to mention that at all.
“So, I need a vow that while I’m on your land, no one will touch me.”
Right after Yuma’s words finished, Martes’s gaze shifted to Kament’s corpse.
“I will, of course, provide a vow, but there’s an even more definitive token.”
“A definitive token?”
Martes slowly rose from his kneeling position.
Since he felt no hostility from Martes, Yuma simply watched his movements. Martes looked at Kament’s corpse, clasped his hands briefly in prayer, and then turned slightly, his back facing Kament.
He turned it around.
Thud—
Martes pulled something from Kament’s back.
It was none other than a cloak. A bloody red cloak, the color of blood.
Martes held the luxurious Conqueror King’s cloak with both hands. Then, he knelt again and humbly extended the cloak toward Yuma.
“Please accept this cloak. If you wear this king’s cloak, no one living in the land of barbarians would dare to touch the God of War.”
A cloak made from lion’s skin.
The one who defeated Conqueror King Kament on the battlefield.
Since Kament’s departure from the world, this red cloak had gained such significance.
“Please, accept this cloak. Take the token of the Overlord.”
He bowed deeply.
His hands were raised in utmost reverence.
Martes’s trembling hands conferred the flow of the cloak.
Yuma watched Martes closely, feeling he wasn’t lying in this situation.
“Don’t call me God of War. Just call me Yuma.”
With those words, Yuma accepted the cloak.
He carelessly draped it over his shoulders. The red cloak fluttered atop Yuma’s shoulders.
The warriors of Pineon, who had only been kneeling, bowed their heads at the sight of Yuma wearing the mantle of the Barbarian Nation’s king. They placed their palms on the ground in a gesture of worship.
“To the great… warrior, respect!”
One of the warriors shouted with all his might.
That word spread like wildfire.
“Respect to the great warrior!!”
“Respect to the great God of War!!”
Extreme fear.
And even greater reverence than that fear.
The barbarian warriors had no choice but to acknowledge the man who had killed their greatest Conqueror King Kament in one blow.
They had no choice but to show respect for the power he displayed.
Clomp, clomp.
Yuma gracefully headed back toward the Imperial Army.
“Marquis Tornel.”
He approached Tornel, who was still sitting down. Before Tornel could think of getting up, Yuma bent down to match his eye level.
Then, he said the same thing he had just told Martes.
All he wanted was to pass through the Barbarian Nation without any hindrance.
“If you can make an oath regarding this, I have no intention of involving myself in the rest of the negotiations. The cleanup of the battlefield will be left to you, the original person responsible from the Southern Front.”
“If I can just get a proper oath on this, I have no intention of interfering in the rest of the negotiations. The cleanup of the battlefield is up to you, the original commander of the Southern Front.”
A moment ago, Tornel had taken down the Conqueror King single-handedly.
The man’s face, who had decimated the elite forces of the Barbarian Nation with power like a disaster, was eerily calm.
As if the recent battle was nothing to worry about.
“…Understood.”
“Then I will take a little rest.”
Thousands of knights and soldiers stood stiffly and saluted Duke Yuma.
Yuma walked through them with a bored expression.
‘I’m dead tired.’
Every part of Yuma’s body was screaming.
Of course, to others, he looked like he was nobly striding forward.
“I’ll assist you.”
The captain of the knights appeared beside Marquis Tornel.
“That’s fine.”
Clack!
Shaking his head, Tornel slowly rose. It wasn’t that he hadn’t recovered from the blow he took from Kament; he was too shocked by Yuma’s recent display of strength to even think about standing up.
Armored up, Tornel approached the great warrior Martes of the Barbarian Nation.
The captain of the knights quickly took up a protective stance.
The captain’s dry lips parted.
“So it wasn’t a mere rumor that you killed the Black Dragon… everything you’ve accomplished until now is real.”
Tornel stood in silence before Martes.
He had no intention for any other negotiations, but he was determined to cement just one agreement on the spot.
That Yuma would face no obstacles while traversing the Barbarian Nation, Pineon.
He planned to quietly and swiftly sign that clause right there, before others could intervene and spread rumors.
God of War Yuma.
‘He cannot be opposed.’
Absolutely not.
‘They still don’t understand what a blessing it is that he is moving for the Empire… the upper echelons busy with the Imperial Throne War are completely unaware.’
Tornel stood before Martes.
“I am Marquis Tornel.”
Two well-groomed generals with impressive mustaches began their conversation.
“I am the fourth commander, great warrior Martes.”
“First, let’s properly establish one treaty. After that, we will get down to concrete promises. At dawn tomorrow.”
Martes nodded slowly.
“Understood.”
Without even realizing it, Marquis Tornel was becoming a loyal subordinate of General Yuma.
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