Chapter 250: Life of a Man (1)
291Group teleportation in the game was a quality of life magic spell that allowed the player to travel anywhere they wanted outside of battles.c3e8f
JcYww6When you were allied up with Josephine Clara, who was renowned for the said spell, you were able to not only teleport but also get other supportive spells like meteor strikes.JVkj
qSdDaQIHowever, this spell was not something that was unique to Lady Josephine.fgBaASr
S1zY6jDimensional magic was a sector of magic.oMWEH
0N5In fact, it used to be one of the major cults of the Tower of Mages, back when they suffered severe damage from Josephine’s dimensional spells during the Witch Revolution.ji23nH
63VpGdkThere was, however, one clear downside to dimensional magic.XLlL
E6SGiIt wasn’t cost-efficient.UC42x
956BThe amount of mana required to teleport one single person rivaled that of grand spells, and that increased even further depending on the distance they had to teleport.TdiHxu
uJj7okWith the rise of a monstrous figure in dimensional magic called Josephine, normal mages started to give up on even learning it unless they considered themselves to be a future material for a great mage.HpJXk
yoz6What was fortunate, at the very least, was that there were a lot of mages in this expedition.Sq4K
WwoyLADThe slave mages from the Tower had all joined the war, and because we were in charge of all the Guardian Associations, we were able to command most of the mages and knights under the Associations to participate in the war.YZACd0c
qxMHhFAs a result, there was a high ratio of mages in spite of the sheer number of soldiers we had.nAq
oDlEd8Right now, there were 98 mages in Miruam’s army.72Wln
2YtqYConsidering the distance between here and where Lady Josephine was, each and every mage acting as a mana battery for the group teleportation would only allow the teleportation of about 20~30 people.jvbe
r1gWIn other words, the maximum we could take was approximately 3,000.fr9aYyd
WLeThen what would happen to the remaining 3,000? They had to stay behind, and there was nothing bright about what would happen to them.WO0zx
nE6nx“I’m assuming you will prioritize the important figures like knights and mages, followed by elites without considering the injured and the conscripted.”u856aP
eUkNh“Yes. Because they are the core of this expedition.”W9OpdDq
gaNI could understand where they were coming from.Wm8
k4AThe moment they were injured, the injured soldiers couldn’t contribute much in the war. The same applied to the conscripted soldiers who had mediocre equipment – they didn’t have the gears necessary to fight against demonic spirits.U3Nt
m6T42mIStrategically, that might be the right choice to make.yjSZ
HdejI couldn’t deny that.sHI7gsH
kN6DI couldn’t but…8c3oPR4
OnL“The rest would all die though.”t5W
wXE“I know. But that’s the reality of it.”Mv0
gPJG2uNWithout looking away, Miru stared directly into my eyes. It seemed that she was willing to take the blame for herself.7e4hmuv
uQsst“You know what I’m going to say, right?”8D4K
2LAMc4T“I know. So…”ZgAuvU
sxnn2Miruam suddenly held onto my hands. Her tiny hands desperately clung onto mine, which were at least double her size.SEkMkEo
2bnaSl“Please. Just listen to me this one time.”jGAD
Y1Gb2As if she knew she wouldn’t be able to gain my approval, she appealed and begged.vJb
1OVPdGF“Hmm…”1InN
GBX11I felt a bit hesitant, because this reminded me of the time Miru was begging me in the last iteration.ZnN20
fN1M[Help me with my revenge. Just turn a blind eye to it, and I can give you everything I have.]B2nTy
WvcnA wife and a child, as opposed to demi-humans whose faces I didn’t even know of. It was obvious who anyone should logically go for, but back then, I had made the same decision I was about to make.tR5c2
LOX“Sorry. I can’t do that.”aBzLDw
IWPEv“…You really are one hell of a bastard.”cZIg3
G0n“Aigo. Seems that I made our little princess upset.”86PCs5V
pdibRieIt was at least a little bit different this time, because she was trying to persuade me out of concern for my well being.5TT
r9BAs a man, it was something to be happy for.Nxa6
Oew“I will stick to my life convictions.”Frg5
LMHpOL‘I will save the world.’RahI2
iUHThe moment I decided to shoulder that task was when I had vowed to put my life on the line as often as I needed to.4f8gS16
H8I‘Maybe I’m too much of a romanticist for a modern person.’UHto8
FUtXUySEven I had no idea why I couldn’t value efficiency and rationality a little more like others.secsj
KhKW“Seriously, why are you like this…” she muttered.SjlZi
J5QW“Who knows. Hmm… Well, if I had to think of a reason…”CfoS
Kx12j89I will stick to my life convictions.GJsu
EcfvEven if I were to die doing so.x0KDTHI
MDR5gW“I just don’t want to.”ckxR
ta7b****S5XLy
rolThe army of 10,000 soldiers was practically no longer effective.FTC
KVjKhThe normal standard of a battalion being considered impossible to continue fighting was 20%, and it had far exceeded that threshold already. Plus, it was at a point where they had to even consider giving up on the injured.Ur0dEz
AZ1rEssentially, the only reason the soldiers weren’t running away was because they instinctively knew they had a higher chance of survival when sticking together in this pitch-black darkness.v2qShkB
uGBmDThat was when rumors started to spread.bCjqGg
kVGGC– I have a friend who’s in charge of communication. He said the executives are preparing to teleport away!xTvVFZz
fdsRb2– What? Are they just gonna run away with the knights and mages?aKEzOZM
wB923tC– Fuck! They’re just telling us to die then!T1YxO
lIQMyDuring the fight against the undeads, the higher-ups had to plan for the worst. They gathered the mages to a tent and had been talking extensively on the possibilities and risks of group teleportation.Z2I
8vAg5Naturally, they couldn’t stop everyone from spreading that information.C7p
VKdbkcF“Captain! Is this true!? Is it true that the higher-ups are trying to run away and leave us here to die!?”Kn4W4W
6436CVf“Go back! Don’t get swayed by false rumors! And stay where you’re supposed to be!”Wix
oucjjBThe uneasiness that the higher-ups might discard them turned into fear that they might be enveloped by that unending wave of undeads.PKnSi7
ISHIt was further amplified by the built-up fatigue and difficulty to think straight, due to them relying on torches for three whole days while fighting to stay alive.BTj8Xhv
Qr8“Fuck it! I don’t care anymore! Either way, I’m gonna die anyway!”9xstjrl
lIRikThe soldiers that threw away all hope pounced at their executives.TtURm
bP2YPPVIt was happening all around the encampment since they didn’t have to worry about external enemies thanks to the Sun above them.iPG
iXlc“Let us out! We want to live too! Don’t you dare think about leaving here alone!”xZUM36A
2yy78rOne of them even unsheathed his sword. Without even thinking through the potential punishment he could receive, the panicking soldier was about to swing his sword at his superior.2tS2B
8y2BdCR“Aht?”R1ae0A
0phThat was when someone grabbed onto his wrist. He glared at the one who was stopping him, but widened his eyes in surprise after seeing who it was.dMdqv
fMsk“S, Sir Korin…”W0cywy
y8mHblRealizing that the one holding his wrist was none other than Korin Lork, the soldier lowered his eyes in awe.vX3I
IPY2lJ8Despite the prevalence of doubt, Korin Lork was a special figure.agtU
0XDf4HTHe was a knight who had visited them along with the Sun to save them from the endless waves of undeads.fkx5WB
hU4mKorin Lork was the sole person they could trust.sroNC
W1FAfter all he, who had saved countless people across various battlefields, was the hero they had been waiting for.K5wm2
3wDI“Calm down for a second, and put your sword down.”qkv
hl7VD“U, uhh… S, sorry sir…”VUGbzy
Cb7mlG“Could you please?”8gAq
G6HxL“Y, yes sir…”gvN
HTJtgWithout rebuking the soldier, he soothingly held onto the hands of the soldier that was about to slice his superior and calmed him down.kb059
HCgX“Excuse me.”uy40r
AT2When he took a step forward, the group of soldiers immediately opened a path in front of him. It was baffling to see the chaotic and frightened soldiers separating into two groups in an orderly fashion.bYcqVX
3tyFKorin walked down the pathway, and following behind him was the princess.TFStHIZ
CQIEven the loftiest lady of this continent was walking behind Korin.x2Iya
FLBVWith each and every one of his steps, the knight grabbed the eyes of everyone nearby.o4O94M
BzgeuIt was fascinating.tGx
B38FgtHe was just one single man taking a few steps forward, and yet he was able to gain everyone’s attention and respect.c7lwq
L6fQ4Not a single one tried to stop him or blamed him. It wasn’t just because of his individual strength or scale of influence… Korin Lork had a charisma in him that could charm people.Ibbu
RL7JDgeWhether it be the Saintess who led the fusion of two religions, the wealthiest noble lady of the continent, a demi-human who used to be called a monster, or a venomous princess who used to be an enemy…ZTIU
vZEAtX4Korin Lork certainly had a talent.9Gd9
Md3yIt was the talent to charm people.AGynAsX
IbT3LYThe charisma to have people follow him and give him trust.peIJG
zzdnAnyone who knew him, regardless of their gender, felt urged to want to follow his path at least once, and that was his talent.isxTHi
Ee1hJVThe man stopped his feet in the middle of the crowd while unconsciously making use of his greatest gift.EA0n8py
VemnPJ“Ah~. Sir Kalatin and his beautiful daughters, if you could please amplify my voice.”kYHqe
ZQaYHis friendly and cheeky demeanor earned an empty laugh from the mage Kalatin, who soon amplified his voice, and his daughters blushed while showing a bigger image of his appearance so that everyone could see.4s6
TG2x2“Currently,” he spoke. “The command center is preparing a group teleportation. We will teleport to a different battalion, and unfortunately, not everyone can go.”tFxR
WN9Pn2s– …!WhXDl
eMRLdW8– Fuck! The rumors were true!OY1ch6f
AefNa– They’re gonna take the knights and mages and run for their lives!kHfuDo
fMcVd– We’re gonna be left here to die!Sj0
Cu5QQPIt was a natural reaction for them.Z2QP
hX13The soldiers themselves were aware of their own value more than anyone else. The core figures of this battle were the knights and the mages, and mere soldiers and the injured could never be prioritized over them.7QU
6mn8vSiHowever, a rational understanding of that was different from an emotional acceptance.CgG
fBarAs humans, they easily gave into the fear of losing their own lives. They could become as selfish as humanly possible.cxDjm
B2nlOBecause if everyone else was selfish, why couldn’t they?z4ms
qlg“I am going to stay behind,” the knight declared.uqsazgv
CiV““???””rs6
d0ZoUzNaturally, everyone was baffled by his declaration.VDzm
h0YydnDKorin Lork was by far the most important figure here, and arguably the most important person in the entire expedition.ij5
hiTwcgHe could control the Sun, stop an army of tens of thousands of people by himself, and saved thousands of demi-humans through never-ending duels.gbCe
JfQALcAfter leaving for the northern border city, he persuaded a hundred thousand barbarians to join armies, and repelled a horde of giants and demons.j6Dd5
SVhUnique Grade Knight.zN3xQX
L4dgSxThe iconic figure of this generation.ciddTMk
YJ7cSThe strongest person of this era after Sword Emperor Garrand.QVcvkc
wHbwoPsNo matter whether they knew him well or not, everyone in the army was aware of the value and symbol he had.vffNJSd
qX2cGBesides, even aside from that, he was a noble and the future prince consort of the two princesses. He was one whom the current king, the duke and the Sword Emperor desperately wanted to have as their son-in-law.cbk3d
TyuPAfter this war, this man would most certainly sit on the noblest of thrones, and it was obvious for him to take priority over anyone else.VCGQXZt
RKfiHis one life was more valuable than that of hundreds and thousands of soldiers. He was so strong and influential that anyone would inadvertently agree to that.cOln9
27b30yAnd yet he was going to stay behind?78ML
rvBPX8aThat single sentence was enough to miraculously quieten down the crowd.njfNWG6
ctg“There is a limit to how many people we can take with group teleportation. Around 2~3,000 is apparently all we can manage.”ZOqCn
hdrFXeKorin was honest in sharing information. His words could be seen as quite cold, but he was trying to leave behind no regrets… and to give everyone a choice.lA4Yj7
2UGyjjo“Apparently all of us combined is about 6,300. The most we can take is half, so we will first prioritize the injured.”svxNr
TxylThere were approximately 1,120 injured soldiers. Which left around 2,000 spots available.tE1TXb
uHCOd1“I will give everyone a choice. All of you who want to live or run away; please line up in front of the mages. It doesn’t matter what your rank is – just do what you want.”KfpUUI
ekiPBoth the soldiers and the knights were lost, and couldn’t understand what he was thinking.elBo
CAnBvYCIf he was going to stay, shouldn’t he have the knights stay behind at the very least? Shouldn’t he try to preserve as many soldiers as possible?V0E
cpBHq“Is that really okay?” asked one of the knights.KS6M
B7om1syLooking at him, Korin replied with a nod.27Nx
GJ3“Yes. Not everyone might be able to go. If we have more than the number we can take, we can draw lots. If you don’t make it through that, I guess that means you’re not lucky enough so just accept that.”ePnS9O
Wq10TK“…If all the key figures leave, the ones remaining here will all die.”O8E
GUM3“I’m going to stay behind so we’ll find a way around it.”5v1Ky2f
lKVrAgain, despite letting everyone else run away, he was saying that he would stay behind. This young man, who had just turned into an adult, was strangely open to the idea of sacrificing himself.lzZ8tQD
7Pd5omIHis openness stirred the adults.7bahj0d
9ARz“Damn it. What is he thinking?”HM8
GG4“Does he really think he can somehow do this by himself?”tAAZ
EEL2rTheir pride was being hurt.dAFMkNJ
vcWV2cThey were trying to wreak havoc and trying to survive as much as they could, and yet that young bloke was staying behind and risking his life.H8HzX
wJjRfIF“But sir, why are you doing this?”wnOm
JYr8One of the soldiers who felt a prick to his pride asked. Korin looked at him and blinked, tilted his head as if he didn’t understand the point of the question before replying as if it was the most natural thing in the world.NN8gN
zuJst“Because it must be done.”Qdwfw
dBzP1It must be done.b2dzU
0CQXfYHe spoke of a very simple logic.Mg9z8UU
EiZUkmEven though he was putting his life on the line, he was nonchalantly scratching his cheek.FNo5zP0
PVjuZ“Hmm…” He continued embarrassedly. “Well, someone has to do it. We have to either break the damn pond or drink it up, or we won’t be able to stop this massive tree from getting bigger.”HGi
WZDHe shared the goal that everyone was already aware of—b7sSg
rpDbwV“The world is at risk. Some bastard stole light from the world and is trying to destroy it. So someone has to try to stop that.”0BJ
qd7Calmly, he explained himself without forcing it upon anyone else.SMiWtmx
c6hU2“When a big event tries to sweep us away, I think we have a duty to act whether we want to or not. Because someone else is going to get hurt if I don’t do it. If that’s the case, I would rather just do it and feel better. So—”E0Cq3
J9Zq8ahThere was only one thing he was stirring up inside them.0bsS
cPOyE“If you don’t have the balls to fight, pull your tail down and run away. I’m here to fight and cowards are going to be nothing but a nuisance.”JEWs8ZI
f7D2A young man – a boy who had just turned into an adult, was stirring them up. Just because he was strong, he was denouncing the adults into cowards.s3FtpcK
9trAre you really going to run away? I’m here to fight though?oeq
SNjHe was asking them and urging them to think.NR6
dMcAL“When a man puts his life on the line, it’s going to work out one way or another.”29Q2
eZtJ2Honor, face and pride.riH1jmX
uHxWZPUAttacking at those primal feelings, the young man scoffed at the cowards. He sent off the men who were going to become cowards.AD5A
53L4mZIn an atmosphere like this, men tended to divide into two groups.ZfnO
V2D32“Ah, dang it. A young man like him is trying to fight. I can’t run away as an adult…”XFZCU
Q3bL“Tch, showing off just because he’s a bit strong. I have 30 years of experience under my belt right here.”uwsvAOH
yKn“Fuck it! I’m sure this will work out somehow!”akpr
KOjAhh, this was a man.8mEu
D5IWTalk some beating, set an example and target their emotions, and they’ll easily become like this.tp23S
9n64fTHThere was a reason why commanders always loved to have a long speech right before a war.rOHl4
i0hCF9ZA dangerous journey; low income.Yr7w
jNQhEndless danger, and small hope for a safe return home.NyW
8MxgHowever, what they would get from a successful venture was endless honor and glory.lgo
22KG“People that care about efficiency would treasure their life like a coward.”L4ir
T7IjsX4From time immemorial, men had an incurable disease.XKMK
dKc“Real men don’t care.”00C8RAy
LyHWAnd it was sure to stay that way forever.U6fYUM4
OJDAS****jRA7
sV3pThe Sun dimmed down.Aq4Q
P7mhNight arrived, and night was the time for the dead.vVdinR
cHtOThe undeads were afraid. They were afraid of the one behind them – the evil dragon that was eating and shredding them down to pieces.NTzmb3
WRuUThis was their land, upon which they had arrived after losing their last breath. Unable to find their rest, however, they were trampled upon by an evil dragon, burned and devoured, and that endless cycle was making them crazy.aCXMw
3za– GRRRRRRRR—Th2fN
vvemkRBehind them was the dragon breathing out. Its eyes were gleaming with madness as the dead ran away in fright.ALy
0IafRun.lWxs
EaORun away.zTe5G
S0dWXpnThe living are here.mhaUx
t1e78WLet’s eat them. Kill them and take over their bodies.hqFOhd
IDQvqRhThat way, we can finally leave this well.rnKK
SEIBfwThat was the reason these undeads were so desperate to attack the invaders.NxqfY
mXuMGNow that the Sun was off, they immediately pounced at the living.wefeIGG
GnqtAA wave of undeads, so innumerable that it rendered every strategy and military tactic meaningless, was coming towards them like a flood.Vuux
ji3GO8yConfronting that—URd5Fu
bkB“Knights.”tMTj
4F6A knight holding a spear led the way. His eyes weren’t even on the horde of undeads. He simply relied on his senses to feel the approaching wave.z1FuR
BeLZQYWhat he was looking into was what was beyond the pouring flood of undeads – the eyes of the evil dragon that were camouflaging in the darkness.WIxmRza
d5bE4XCBut before going against the dragon, with the 4,353 warriors behind him—8gtEp0j
agDTR“Take your swords and spears and stay in your formations.”i5k3P
BuRLThe knight raised the Silver Spear in his hand as it burst out with the heat of the Sun and announced.U3MG
7Dzt“Advance.”tUQ
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