Chapter 89

It was a dangerous situation.

“Damn it…”

The Corrupted’s body was in shreds, more like a torn rag, and his life hung by a thread.

The biggest problem was the radiant energy from Armian, which clung to his wounds and devoured his magic.

“Aint Armian, I told you not to kill him!”

“S-sorry… I didn’t notice…”

The wounds continued to open wider.

No matter how resilient a Corrupted was, against a force that directly opposed their nature, he would die if left like that.

But there was no clear cure.

Corrupted were humans who had sold their souls to demons in exchange for power. They were little more than degraded demons, and no one had ever heard of a way to heal a demon.

‘There was no mention of this in the prophecy book either.’

The only positive point was that they weren’t completely helpless.

“Aint, withdraw your power.”

“Yes.”

The light that was devouring the Corrupted faded and returned to its owner. Fernan stood up abruptly.

“Keep watch on this man. Don’t kill him under any circumstance.”

And he headed toward the battlefield that was still roaring. The stench of monsters and the heat of combat filled the air.

Rumble!

Fernan raised his staff and the desert sand rose, enveloping dozens of monster corpses. The sand spheres closed around them and then flew toward the Corrupted.

“What’s he going to do?”

“Feed him.”

If radiant magic hurt him, and human potions didn’t work, then what about monster blood, which was filled with magic?
Considering the regenerative capacity of the Corrupted, it might work.

— What? Give monster blood to a Corrupted?

— It’s not a bad idea. Monster blood contains magic. If you replenish his spent magic, his regeneration will resume.

‘And since we already withdrew my power, it should be possible, right?’

It was a simple method, but no one had thought of it because no one had ever considered reviving a half-dead Corrupted.

Crack, crunch.

The sand began to compress the trapped bodies, crushing flesh and bone, squeezing out the dark blood.

That liquid seeped into the Corrupted’s wounds and mouth. More than “feeding” him, they were soaking him in it.

But it worked.

“Ugh…”

A faint groan escaped the unconscious man’s lips. His wounds began to close, slowly but steadily.

‘Thank goodness.’

Fernan scanned the surroundings.

Perhaps because their master was unconscious, the remaining monsters had started to scatter.

The Iron Knights protected the training students, while the Wild Blood Knights, Altrierc’s elite soldiers, and the newly arrived desert warriors were mopping up the fleeing ones.

‘…It’s over.’

It had gone easier than expected, but the plan had been fulfilled put Aint face-to-face with a Corrupted.

‘Although Ludger’s spell did restrict the Corrupted, it seems Aint’s power is even stronger than the prophecy said.’

Was it thanks to the heart of the Saintbird?

Even if he had handed it over disdainfully, the Saintbird was, alongside the phoenix, one of the most powerful mythical beasts. Its mere existence could rival a Royal Knight or an Archmage.

And Aint had devoured its heart, which was like running a horse race on a purebred from the start.

“Aint Armian, are you sensitive to magic?”

“Yes.”

“Then don’t take your eyes off this man until we return to Altrierc. If he shows signs of waking up, knock him out again. And if needed, cut off his arms or legs with your aura.”

“Arms or legs?”

“He’s a traitor to humanity, a wretch sold to demons. Have no mercy.”

“…Understood.”

Aint looked to Grad for approval, and the professor gave a slight nod. That was enough for him to accept.

Fernan allowed the Corrupted to recover just enough not to die and then threw the remains back into the desert. Shortly afterward, the battle ended completely.

***

You thought they’d return immediately to Altrierc, but the plan changed because of the desert clans.

“Oh! It’s the holy light!”

“The return of the legend!”

“Glory to the chosen one!”

With reddish skin and muscles like an orc, the desert nomads were almost human, though different.

Their physical strength was so overwhelming it was said their bodies were blessed.

The drawback was that they had no sensitivity to mana whatsoever, unable to use it.

And yet now, they knelt before Aint, bowing their heads. Not one or two, but thousands of them.

“Eh, wh-what’s going on…?”

Aint froze at the sudden scene.

— Don’t be surprised. The desert clans once…

“The Taklakan clans fought alongside the First Emperor a thousand years ago.”

Grad spoke with his arms crossed.

The Emperor, who had unified six kingdoms and one religion under a single banner, was still unsatisfied.

Then he noticed the desert clans.

They couldn’t use mana or aura, but they were monsters in raw strength. And since they worshipped the law of the strong, the Emperor subdued them with power.

“You mean that even a thousand years later, they still revere the Armians?”

“Strange. The Empire practically abandoned them…”

The First Emperor had been their Khan, their guide. The clans had rendered great service and the Emperor had promised them much.

But the nobles hadn’t taken kindly to this new force, especially since they were ignorant desert barbarians who only knew violence.

There wasn’t open persecution, but over the centuries, support slowly diminished. And that was enough.

The desert couldn’t remain prosperous without outside help. Divided, the clans scattered once again.

That was the current situation.

“Thanks to you, we survived. Don’t treat us like ungrateful beasts.”

“We must return to report to his lordship.”

“Then at least allow some of you to stay one more day.”

“…Alright.”

“To ensure your safety, the Wild Blood Knights will remain here as well.”

And so, the Iron Knights and four hundred soldiers departed, leaving the Wild Blood Knights, one hundred elites, and the nine Academy students with two professors.

The clan sacrificed livestock and roasted meat for a feast. It had been a long time since they celebrated like this; joy shone on their faces.

“Aint, how was the Corrupted?”

“Thanks to senior Ludger, easier than expected.”

“That would probably piss him off if he heard it.”

Fernan chuckled, raising a cup of strong desert liquor as he observed the nomads.

‘They’re poor… well, of course, there’s not much to do in the desert. And with less support from the Empire and monsters on the loose, even less.’

There was nothing to invest in.

The nomads had nothing but their bodies.

‘What if I organize them into a mercenary company and they grow into a major force? If I act as a broker and take commissions, it could be profitable…’

Already thinking of ways to profit, he saw someone approach.

“The hero who saved our clan is here.”

It was the clan chief, who sat next to him with a jovial smile.

“You exaggerate. I didn’t do it alone.”

“I don’t deny the efforts of the others, but you played the decisive role.”

The chief encouraged him to drink. After several rounds, he bid farewell.

“Senior, I’m going to the restroom for a moment…”

“Go.”

As soon as Aint left, Fernan’s cloudy gaze regained its sharpness.

‘So they’re up to something interesting.’

He hadn’t missed the secret signal exchanged between the chief and Aint.

***

“Why did you want to speak with me alone?”

Though he had said he was going to the restroom, Aint entered the clan chief’s yurt.

“Because I have something important to tell you. Ah, a drink?”

“Yes.”

The chief handed him a cup. As soon as Aint took it, he filled the empty cup with liquor.

“So, what do you prefer? Get straight to the point? Or chat a little first?”

“I’d rather hear the matter.”

“How impatient.”

“In a situation like this, anyone would be.”

“That’s true too.”

The chief paused in thought, then finally spoke.

“You know something? Even though we’re split into many branches now, among all the desert clans there’s a tradition that has been passed down for generations.”

“A tradition?”

Clack. The chief set the bottle on the table. What he said next didn’t sound like a direct answer, but rather a story.

“Long ago, the desert clans were divided. They came from a single origin, but after centuries of disputes, they became worse than enemies. Then someone brought them back together.”

To the Empire, he was the First Emperor. To the clans, he was the First Khan.

“That was our most glorious time. United under the Khan, the clans became a formidable force. No one dared to look down on us; on the contrary, they feared us.”

During the wars against demons and monsters, there was a warrior who represented the clans under the Khan. That was Oswell Valance, the Second Khan.

He was the strongest and wisest of all desert warriors.

— Oswell Valance… what a nostalgic name. A bit plain, but few were stronger.

— Even without aura, his body was a living weapon.

— The Emperor himself named him a Royal Knight.

The chief took a sip before continuing.

“The tradition I mentioned is the words he left behind.”

— I can already guess what this is about.

“What did he say?”

“‘The wrath of Hell has not yet ended, and the world will fall into affliction once more. But the holy light will be reborn, and from the red sands, new sprouts shall rise to lead us toward the promised glory.’”

“…Excuse me?”

— What the Emperor meant was much simpler—that demons would return one day and they needed to be ready. The desert folks just dramatized it.

— These nomads always had a flair for the dramatic.

Gardner clicked his tongue.

“I admit I always thought it was just an empty tale. But today, I realized it’s not.”

“Ah…”

“The demons have started to move again, and the holy light has descended upon you. How could it be false?”

“Are you saying…?”

“Yes. We will recognize you as our Khan. Lead us toward glory.”

The chief bowed his head abruptly. Aint was left speechless.

“You’ll recognize me as Khan… just because of that tradition?”

“Does it seem strange to you?”

“Doesn’t it seem strange to you?”

The chief burst out laughing.

“Ahahaha! I’m just joking. I won’t go that far so suddenly.”

He downed the large cup in his hand in one gulp.

“We desert folks present our stories like grand legends. There’s always exaggeration, and one must know how to separate truth from myth.”

“…”

“I know you are the holy light, Aint. But I don’t believe that, just because tradition says so, you’ll lead us to glory.”

“Then, about recognizing me as Khan…?”

“No, that part is serious.”

The chief shook his head.

“But not because of tradition. Because it benefits us.”

His gaze turned firm.

“I’ll be blunt, since I don’t know how to lie. The Empire used us against the demons, but never gave us our rights. Instead, it slowly took them away.”

When the Empire’s nobles began to look down on them as barbarians, aid gradually diminished until it almost disappeared. Without support, the desert clans lost their glory and fell back into division.

— When you think about it, didn’t they live a thousand years on imperial charity?

Aint ignored Gardner.

“The Empire and the continent advanced, while we moved backwards.”

And so, the desert had no future.

“That’s why, for us, this moment is a blessing.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Second Khan united the clans alongside the First. We lost many lives fighting demons, but we achieved our greatest glory. Now war returns.”

For them, it was the last opportunity.

“We want to fight under your banner, Aint Armian. We want to be your warriors and tear apart demons. In return, promise us rights, wealth, and land to live on.”

“Then we will recognize you as Khan.”

Not because of tradition.

Not out of nostalgia.

“We’ll do it because it benefits us.”

It was purely a practical matter.

“So, use us too.”

Just to survive.

***

Aint stayed silent for a long time. He hesitated, reflected, then finally spoke.

“To be honest, I might fail. I’m not certain I can defeat the demons or become emperor.”

“I know.”

“Then why me? Just because I’m a descendant of the First Emperor?”

“Because you’re the only one who truly needs us.”

And it was true. The Armians lacked power. Due to mistakes by the First Emperor, almost all their lands went to the crown, and most of the rest was absorbed by Schwaben.

His family had been reduced to an empty shell.

If Aint wanted the throne, he needed a powerful force. And the desert clans were perfect to fill that void.

“…Alright.”

“An excellent choice!”

The chief burst into laughter and offered him a full cup.

“When we seal a pact of loyalty, we drink together. One shot.”

“This…”

But the cup was already in his hand.

Clink. The cups clinked. Seeing the chief drink in one gulp, Aint had no choice but to imitate him.

“Ahhh! In good times, the liquor tastes even sweeter.”

“…Yeah, sweet.”

Aint barely managed to hold back from gagging.

“From now on, we will serve you as lord. I’ll convene the clan council to formally recognize you as Khan. It’ll take some time due to protocol.”

“I understand. But if possible, keep this from spreading…”

“We’ll do our best to keep it quiet.”

After the talk, they returned to the celebration.

Unbeknownst to them, someone else had overheard everything.

— Kkyuung?

A small golem, hidden behind one of the tent’s poles, had witnessed it all.