Chapter 127: Hell (4)
EVsZazLudwig was a rigid and extremely inflexible person, but he was also a man who understood honor.4IWb
L9tAs a believer in Aris.7lSjV
YAdey3As the shield of Aris.YuC2
AwpAs the master of the Holy Knights.FCr
oy3Everyone acknowledged the honor Ludwig possessed, and he himself took pride in it.5kG
Ep6IThat was why, when that honor was stained, and by such underhanded methods at that, it was inevitable that he would feel anger.sUq
e4CljWFBut perhaps the last chance to set things right had already passed.T2X
7k7vQdNo matter how much he resisted, his fate was still to enter the Four Seasons Forest.qBdkP0s
si4lNow he was nothing more than a man cornered at the edge of a cliff, desperately struggling.kSHZjX
eWWEven so, he decided to protect his honor until the very end.XS40
YltfoyNot only his own, but the lives of others as well.vLPsK
OpANt7‘They all managed to escape.’4VWw
4tJDNkLudwig looked around him.TuA
vhPs8T1Lace and the rest of the expedition had already scattered.SG1
kAcSomeday, they would become the “seeds” of a revolution.q8Ybw
wdefub0All of this had been possible thanks to a sword.PDLuC
mJpgThe sword he had received as a gift just before entering the Four Seasons Forest.jsg
G1Hh8MEven Ludwig admired the power of that sword that shone like a green galaxy.Uu4ga
pCGHe had fought in countless battles as the sword of Aris, but he had never seen such a terrifying weapon.yZg5tiF
7VS‘If it is used incorrectly, it could become a demonic sword.’6Oi
HWngPUnlike the Holy Sword, Revolution, this sword amplified the power of its wielder.d41x5R
vyNgemZHowever, even for the user himself, it was difficult to control.DrUXw7r
VeoUIf he was not careful, he could end up cutting himself.5S0GT
yFKHe had fought while restraining himself as much as possible.pljMGL
wRUq6LIf he had not done so, things could have ended very badly.UU0Mc
Hnz‘What kind of being could have created a sword like this?’o2kdRF
cQ5tbDIts power was terrifyingly extraordinary.duRXLYF
GWmLThe problem was that it was too extraordinary.ktsq
mMIJrnhSo much so that it was impossible for him to focus solely on the battle.jKoG
CutTGThe instant he made even the slightest mistake, his aura ran wild.LeHBqx
MB9Ludwig took a deep breath and looked ahead.E61wV
WaV5UTFThe surveillance group was still aiming at him.u1955
CuGwepaAlthough they all wore helmets and he could not see their faces, he understood clearly.f1qT
kDo9They were afraid.yXy
lYM“What is it that you fear?”WrfoAdG
4YKtn“……”1ne8tbC
otGi9s“Come. The enemy is here.”PU9Y
UjStDvJLudwig spoke in his usual dry voice.2Ahibi
fL6Y9If the Heroine was the sword of Aris, Ludwig was the shield of Aris.ZPk7z5C
j8I1OFor the surveillance group, breaking through him was practically impossible.PnZIm
xoyAnd on top of that, he was now wielding a terrifying sword.m6mn3
ctMvWith the rest of the expedition already escaped, the surveillance group did not have many options.rPKv8QR
j1yThey could charge at Ludwig and die.XBvuj
JkSkLOr they could return and be purged by the Pope.VcWCxGp
3M8gLudwig had no way out either.dI9p
hIiiyBehind him was the Four Seasons Forest.p6dX
Vl0fAnd he no longer had the strength to break through the enemy lines.IhKcSI
ObY3vdiHe had pushed himself too far in order to scatter the seeds.q9zxnC
XRrHe was only managing to remain standing thanks to that sword.QKNJ
Fw1Both sides were completely cornered.fUe
EbrQDkyThere was no visible way out.ttum
7fEP7l‘What do we do?’5FBwr
VtsbcLr‘What do we do?! Charge at him already!’Om3sM
XXrAU‘Didn’t you see what happened?! They were sent into the Four Seasons Forest!’cEc4iLN
nQp‘Damn it, I wish it had been a cliff instead.’jnGIc1
xUwkjvhThe members of the surveillance group whispered among themselves.oKwCp
FN8AAnd they did not fear only Ludwig.v1X
RwCBd5They also feared the Four Seasons Forest that stretched out behind him.VMe
hgFDYV0The moment they entered it, they would never be able to come back out.n3C7RBt
7ZoArchbishop Odon and several members of the surveillance group had already been thrown into the forest.TfK57d
AJIAnd every one of them had disappeared without a trace.MF8
2YGrThey had seen it with their own eyes.OSTCI
qWOow3kIt was only natural that they would hesitate.hG9F3C
gVhy‘They’re wavering.’gRIAq
f6BKUThanks to all the experience he had accumulated over the years, Ludwig immediately understood the atmosphere among them.xRj0
mHZlThey were trapped as well.FmKcWru
0fVuCAs rigid and inflexible as he was.DSL
yTloK21‘Though that doesn’t mean my situation is any better.’Z9wTYw
TeJ1AhgLudwig’s future was not bright either.sZZ8z
hczE7QRather, it was dark.wWL8R2
le2FEven if he managed to break through and survive, his honor would be dragged through the mud.ALbQnqf
rY3lHHkAs long as the Pope maintained complete control over Eldorado, manipulating the press would be child’s play.AwE
LYu3IBesides, he had been the Heroine’s master.DnxSe6A
amv2Oe9He was the perfect scapegoat.YTcht
YVJ3They would say that the Heroine had fallen because of the dangerous ideas he had taught her.KXam
WQdo5It was so obvious that Ludwig could not help but show a faint smile.EjhrMf
qe7vPrecisely because he understood honor, he wanted to avoid seeing it destroyed at all costs.HNbMg
l7lHt‘I did the right thing by dealing with that pig first.’92a
IQipPCArchbishop Odon had disappeared.qp8n
rIvaAnd with him, so had the one giving the orders.012W
53Xbx1PThe veterans of the surveillance group had either died at Ludwig’s hands or been thrown into the Four Seasons Forest.z9W
7baw2No one knew whom to obey anymore.zprn
3ozE8nZChaos was inevitable.1mN
brli“It seems you understand the situation. If you return, the Pope will purge you. And if you come at me, you will die.”mL8tCVV
W4KNVDY“……”MBzWZ4
0b6K“Allow me to make you a proposal.”txkYaVa
bM9aWhen Ludwig spoke, the members of the surveillance group looked at one another.Z1qr
gEoOoIt was a silent question.rlR0uB
mC7Should they listen to him?aHakRr
JULBut since they had no better alternative, they decided to do so.tHlP8T
PM8XcS“Even if you return, you will die at the Pope’s hands. Even if you manage to kill me, the result will be the same.”ru4
qmZO7fB“What…? What do you mean by that…?”77Hk
baaQW“The person who most wishes to destroy my honor is the Pope. Do you know why he is trying to make me disappear?”E8Hoe
PSTVMLudwig was an upright man.kNLCe
5UUjBut he was not an idiot.miXY
lrMOqUHe had a personality very similar to that of the head moderator of a certain gallery, only with many more years of experience.nr809r
2pXZ“To prevent me from becoming a martyr.”SARtdQ
MJcu“……”HImK
UbNpKQJ“Even if you bring him my head, the Pope will make all of you disappear. He will invent any excuse he pleases. I will be listed as missing. You will be executed. And no one will remember what happened here.”sgSO3KN
i4RW7TCIt was not an absurd idea.Yuz
vP5NwkIn fact, it sounded quite believable.mHxZ
QoYGiThe Pope had built his prestige by purging so-called “subversive elements.”Rgb
JVZaAnd to preserve that prestige, he would not hesitate to sacrifice dozens or even hundreds of innocent people.xpm
YvPThe surveillance group was part of that as well.ChO6j8f
MMo9Q2In the end, they were all destined to die.bf2mq
h9K943n“H-how do you expect us to believe that?!”4Oez
Zhe“Because that is exactly what they did to the Immortal King.”NiJVll
ttfSam“……”thZLC
Nzo“If they were capable of destroying a single man to the point of bringing an entire kingdom to ruin, getting rid of all of you will be even easier. And many people will die in the process.”nC9
jqnThe moment Ludwig mentioned the Immortal King, the members of the surveillance group fell silent.t55c
ybqq3KEldorado had committed a massacre just to destroy the king of a small country.mL8Y4n
iMYDThere was no guarantee that the same cruelty would not eventually fall upon them.gxBuF
NcobBmqHis reasoning was too convincing.A5NvNl
q3aAnd their convictions began to waver.RSiBc
EEbBLudwig sensed that crack and seized the opportunity.7fKFTbX
WstKTJA“So… run.”KdPLF
FQ0“……”6jt4e
Xr2“Run from the Holy Kingdom. Or wait until I recover. Choose.”I5uD
uzN“…And when you recover, will you kill us?”URgg
YwYOne of the guards asked in a heavy voice.9TxWI
qYeOfEYHis tone was full of tension.gxq
uoM4brLudwig looked at him and replied with something unexpected.18Yidp
H407“No.”ziWu3Dy
j0tjt“Then…”PsAPwR
72SFU1“I will enter the Four Seasons Forest.”JJDlJC
Dck“What?”z7M
8dmxVThe entire surveillance group was bewildered.ipO6J
M1N2XIt was only natural.qv3dRz
QII0VThey had thought that until this very moment he had been desperately fighting to avoid entering the forest.Ifm77UN
Kiqlj7But that was not the case.oC0n
vqcLudwig had made that decision long ago.yjlRV5
XmWRV8Then he explained his reasons.Pblv
krphX“If I sacrifice my honor, I can protect the honor of others. Just as they will say that a traitor was born because I filled her with the wrong ideas.”zTzvt
RX2kY“……”6GAlA
WMWsTwThe Pope had used other people as human shields to protect his reputation.b3pByCF
ftaBut Ludwig was offering himself up as a shield.VqOx
6OjBVA decision worthy of the Shield of Aris.HgIDOJ
3rtpsqPerhaps his words had moved them.ShDtOp
QisZdSdLittle by little, the members of the surveillance group began lowering their weapons.CEEOd50
hQhThe instinct to survive.4ScuOJ
BNk2NAnd the sincerity they sensed in Ludwig’s words.66D5Z
U7hEverything came together perfectly and finally destroyed their will to fight.YJK2oI1
XxJ9“You have made a wise decision.”OkQpI
lJ8L3“……When will you enter?”jcFWhf8
jAO6lh“In one hour.”IvChtna
bypAs soon as he said that, Ludwig sat down cross-legged.L3Ezf
uhCuDIUIt was the posture required to practice his mana circulation technique.Pd34C
SJyJThe guards could not help but feel confused.U80
DtdSThe man who had been threatening their lives just moments ago was calmly cultivating right in front of them.Rvf
BBVaIt was behavior that was impossible to understand.dHBHb
4PlG7Whispers began to spread.6P79E
O2Duu‘Should we attack him?’d7L
1Wakj5j‘Are you insane? What if it’s a trap?’p6dLwO
FOtt9z‘If he recovers all his strength, he might come after us.’1k5TxW8
xzm‘Sir Ludwig would never do something like that. Trust him.’XhKu
n0NIn the end, the guards decided to trust Ludwig.4xXkaD
RN5They knew better than anyone how upright he was.QvkpL44
8RhDKEven without that conversation, they knew his character.V3MXl
Z3AL02He had never been a corrupt person.qfR
SfJOn the contrary, he was as noble as the Heroine herself.WDhNC
zxezWhile Ludwig circulated his mana, the guards slowly backed away.P9g
0vQNezrFinally, they left only a few behind to watch him, and most of them began to withdraw.OT2Q
mSMD“……”Y0jd2EG
eYQrohOne hour later, Ludwig finished his meditation.zRgP
af1He slowly opened his eyes and looked ahead.V6za
ETdEN8Only two guards remained.RIGIl3R
dCE1e‘It seems most of them have left.’jrkzqbH
MjDPEven as he sensed his surroundings, he detected no one else.XXLkL
QdKfHe slowly stood up.eQGsQ
KPVn0hEThe moment he did, the two guards flinched.oNh3CtL
cXCThey seemed frightened.dm1
Af4ILudwig silently observed them before speaking in his usual tone.42Qv8
uJD“You two.”svZAr
8Nw“Y-yes?”32F
svEjHis voice sounded calmer than before.DcE
6P33z1oWithout realizing it, the guards answered him respectfully.AVAqeuu
N360“Are you the youngest?”22PF1
goc“Y-yes?”k5bq
heKf“I asked if you are the youngest.”OZjlhpP
mCeaFFaced with such an unexpected question, the two looked at each other.jxApzg
p1PP0RPThen they answered in timid voices.0EgI1
yI7z2“Y-yes! I only recently stopped being an apprentice!”YdklQ2w
8vFEQ“I joined one year before him!”Z6FxA
CIktAn answer befitting well-disciplined soldiers.sNcLZ
agIxMPELudwig showed a faint smile.EXv
7GBXAnd at the same time, he felt sadness.XV5pe
f4StpREven recruits that young had ended up being dragged into that dirty work.N2k
gxT6‘What will become of the future of the Holy Kingdom?’e8IeaGt
O2rnM0He had fulfilled his duty as the Shield of Aris.860pTY
VuvNjBut he had failed to protect the kingdom from within.JrN
f9CoDOIf Eldorado wished to regain its true form, the rotten part had to be cut away.Hax
pW4And that was not a task for a shield.mjFEm
hY6VOnly a sword could do it.DqL
yZV3“……”m6mz1wX
uDFMLudwig turned around and gazed at the entrance to the Four Seasons Forest.l2ak
EapVThe aurora shimmered before him.4DNYAzb
uCAyTLBeyond it, all kinds of landscapes could be seen.WDPqAc
fyYTngAlthough Ludwig feared nothing, he was still human.BrWuqO
qSy4iqTAnd, like any human being, he felt fear in the face of the unknown.JN8e
WLbis1‘What kind of place lies beyond…?’WCnaN
OcSPj2VFear.ULeETN
0v5And curiosity.HQLyU
ASR5YAfter hesitating for a few moments, he slowly stretched out his hand.E1x5j
IuOBQQbHis hand passed through the aurora.A1TP4
yH7CHe felt absolutely nothing.RdGIarH
X7mHe had already taken the first step.a8JK0K
uLzwFNow it was time to cross completely.HrmnR
I9z2He slowly closed his eyes and murmured,4fg8at
Ly9hzSs‘Lady Aris… Please protect me.’76T
zobStep.AKdZIOt
MXdpaStep.TB6Z
rBNLudwig walked into the Four Seasons Forest.KIUQm
IGMuA strange sensation enveloped his body.lNTP7
j7TSlowly, he opened his eyes.CSRE
Nhzd“……”4bM72
ZGvoThe first thing he saw was an enormous grassland.6Xjd
I5JleA vast green sea that had nothing to do with a forest.8gxzWpx
nVyC6G5He stared at it for a few seconds and then looked behind him.pbEGlbc
XpTBNormally, he should still have been able to see the place he had come from.s2Mf
nnykCBut there was only another endless green grassland.czowE
fnUxDFh‘Could this be where WildGrills lives?’EmWIu
wPxbfLudwig immediately tried to connect to the gallery.PpoHNG
jcRGHe was still not used to it, but accessing it was not difficult.VJD7v
wWKEEFy[It is not possible to access the gallery from this area.]8aD4CWr
lsgm“……”x154
UmHHConnecting was simple.kLz8T
oClUsing it was impossible.ZrY8AVl
8P7eyqLudwig looked at the message before him and closed the window without saying a word.RVoG
So1He could not access the gallery.fii
QFluREwThat meant only one thing.DU8ihSx
hv7yal‘I am definitely inside the Four Seasons Forest.’427H1Zc
o1HDVInside the forest, it was still impossible to use the gallery.ToVJTf
7KF2dYNothing had changed.BcPaLBj
EloZ0Then how was it possible that WildGrills could use it?ISCwL
umhwFor a moment, he grew curious.sm8S
Jee3‘I suppose I’ll ask him when I find him.’m29NtJ
7MD0IBTLudwig began walking slowly.Sjpl
jigG1AThe grassland was immense, but sooner or later, they would meet.B0QsMp
5c3q9jlHe did not know when that would happen.LGrRYc
EGwBut standing still would be far worse.xK5kmx
fTcAh, right.jLmKgp
a1c“Nom. Nom. Nom.”Or8L
MNDDU“……”fE1u
FjinX3Finding him and the welcoming ceremony were two different matters.BljVih
ihZLudwig raised his head and looked at a certain animal.wnWKx4W
BLLhIts body was yellowish and covered with brown spots.i9u
BH8slmYIts long legs were far taller than Ludwig and packed with muscle.ynvP
oJAMbBut there was something even more striking.cds
jKlOfQSomething that went beyond being merely strange.G2mN6
vkwpAOb‘That neck…’oEWx0
VSk4YIt was absurdly long.We2vzW8
Q6eKF6mSo long that it could eat the leaves of the tallest trees without any effort.gXCDj
fCDRVThe head, neck, and body looked as though they belonged to completely different creatures.6sfkoB
wTbJAEven for someone with as much experience as Ludwig, it was an animal he had never seen before.ASNHaXn
0BDlUYm’…What in the world is that thing?’kHvrepQ
i1bG0HPIf Grills had seen it, he would have called it a giraffe.ie6Cchp
7gSLudwig watched the creature devour leaves for quite some time before slowly shaking his head.96XMB
ciZkr6‘Yes… this place truly is hell.’mYf
Ko9IwBBecause otherwise, such an absurd creature should not exist.PjJGxq
TlsrveWith that thought, he continued walking and left the giraffe behind.buTX0
CMqgAhS“Nom. Nom. Nom.”tL30
elzThe giraffe, of course, did not care in the slightest.TkSJsHo
SwnIt simply went on eating leaves in complete peace.BTgyyF
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