novelraw Chapter 96 : Chapter 96
Chapter 96 : Chapter 96
Chapter 96. Evan Has Returned (2)
The barbarian remnants in the harbor city were still rampant.
Left behind to secure additional supplies, their numbers were roughly a hundred.
“Hahaha! There’s plenty of food here!”
“Hurry up and load it onto the ship! Unless you want to get scolded by the Chief!”
They were transferring looted goods from the harbor city to their ships.
Since Drenbalk’s orders had already led to the slaughter of the city’s citizens, they were carrying the loads themselves.
Even so, thanks to their overwhelming physical prowess, they easily lifted burdens that would require three or four strong men to move.
“We need to load everything by today!”
“Hold on, let’s eat a bit first.”
“…Shall we?”
The barbarians’ instincts hadn’t been tamed despite the passage of time.
They ate when hungry and fought when they wanted to fight.
“Woohoo! Roast the meat!”
In the middle of the ruined city square, they lit a fire.
Soon, large chunks of meat sizzled over the flames.
They gathered, laughing roughly, tearing into the meat with their hands.
At that moment, in the center of the square where the firelight danced,
a child quietly appeared.
In their small hands, a dagger was tightly gripped.
“You bad guys!”
Trembling with both hands, barely standing, the child was a boy who had lost his parents and friends to the warriors.
“Ugh…”
The small dagger the child held was the last proof of their courage.
But the barbarian warriors who saw this burst into mocking laughter.
“Hahaha!!!”
“Will that tiny thing even scratch us?”
One warrior strode forward.
“Who the hell left this kid alive? Sloppy work.”
He reached out to finish off the city’s last survivor.
But at that moment, the child, eyes tightly shut, swung the dagger with all their might.
“You bad guy!”
However, the warrior easily grabbed the child’s wrist before the dagger could reach him.
The child’s resistance was futile, and he roughly seized the back of their neck.
“Let go!”
Looking down at the struggling child dangling in the air, the warrior clicked his tongue.
“Tch, you could’ve lived if you’d just run.”
He threw the child away like garbage.
Whoosh!
Just before the child’s head hit the stone wall, I, Evan, who had appeared out of nowhere, caught the child in my arms.
The child, now in my embrace, had already fainted.
“You’re a truly brave kid. I’ll take the courage you showed.”
Though the child couldn’t hear me, I gazed at them for a moment before slowly standing.
“Why are you lot still here? If you’d left on the ships like the others, you might’ve lived.”
“Who are you? If you value your life, you’d stay hidden.”
The warrior who threw the child raised a massive club.
He charged at me in one stride, swinging the club with full force.
“Die!”
But before the club could land, I moved first.
At the same time, my sword was drawn like lightning.
Shing!
A strike as swift as the wind.
I quietly passed by his side.
The warrior’s body split in two and collapsed to the ground.
Seeing this, the other warriors froze but soon instinctively gripped their weapons.
“Kill him!”
“Rargh!”
All the warriors charged at me.
But I looked at them with a cold gaze and slowly sheathed my sword.
Then, I drew it again.
In an instant, a silver flash sliced through the air.
Thud!
The upper bodies of the charging warriors fell to the ground one by one.
Their lower halves took a few more steps before collapsing.
Only one warrior, who had reacted slowly due to standing late, narrowly avoided my strike.
“Argh!”
The surviving warrior instinctively tried to flee.
But as he ran, Gaiard appeared from the shadows, lightly flicking his fingers.
Blood gathered at his gesture, forming a shape, and a red spear shot up from the air, piercing the warrior’s back.
“These guys seem even weaker. Did they only leave the pathetic ones behind?”
Gaiard approached me, slowly absorbing the blood flowing from the corpses.
“I sense their presence nearby. They’re probably all gathered there.”
“Is that so…”
“What will you do? If you want, I can handle it alone.”
I looked at the unconscious child on the ground and fell silent for a moment.
Then, in a quiet but firm voice, I said, “I’m counting on you.”
“Counting on me?”
“Yes. I’m asking you not to leave a single one alive.”
Gaiard smirked, raising one corner of his mouth.
“If it’s that kind of request, I’ll gladly comply.”
With that, Gaiard lightly leaped into the air, soaring like the wind.
His target was the dock where the warriors were gathered.
Soon, a massive explosion and the warriors’ screams echoed across the square.
I carefully laid the unconscious child near the fire and checked their condition.
Fortunately, their life wasn’t in danger.
At that moment, Nell and the cadets, arriving late, witnessed the gruesome scene in the square and gasped.
“W-What is this…”
The iron-hard barbarian warriors lay scattered on the ground, sliced like paper.
“Instructor, please take care of this child.”
“Where are you going?”
“To take care of the rest.”
Until I left the Academy, fighting the barbarians had seemed dangerous.
But the Evan who returned was a warrior far beyond imagination.
He might be stronger than the head instructor. No, even the Dean…
There was no reason to stop me anymore.
“Then, I’m counting on you.”
“Got it. Be careful.”
I headed to the dock.
A blood-soaked battlefield was already unfolding there.
Gaiard, empowered by the absorbed blood, grew stronger, and with each gesture, barbarians fell helplessly.
Seeing this, some survivors instinctively tried to flee.
But in the direction they ran, I was already standing.
One fleeing warrior shouted upon seeing me, “Who are you?”
There was no need to answer.
My sword sliced through the air.
With that brief motion, the shouting warrior and others had their carotid arteries cleanly severed.
The strength I possessed wasn’t merely measured by physical prowess or the magnitude of Qi.
It was a realm of near-perfect technique.
Unlike my previous life, I now had power too.
And that power was aimed at the enemies of the palace and the Kandahr Tribe trampling this land.
“Did we kill them all?”
Gaiard, returning to my side, asked.
“Yeah.”
I considered leaving one for interrogation but decided against it.
It was already done, and there was no reason to spare those who committed massacres.
“I checked earlier, and the fishermen’s boats are all sunk. Only one ship remains, loaded with food.”
“Probably a supply ship. Filled with looted goods.”
“What’s your plan now?”
“What else? We take that ship to the capital.”
After dealing with the barbarians, I returned to the square.
There, I calmly explained the plan moving forward.
But upon hearing it, Nell immediately objected strongly.
“No! That’s too dangerous!”
He knew how strong I was.
Even he could no longer match me.
But war wasn’t decided by individual strength alone.
“War is different. Even if we go, there’s nothing we can do.”
Nell’s words were undeniably true.
And above all, it was a fact I knew best.
“That’s why I’m going.”
Nell looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“Because it’s a fight that can’t be solved by individual strength, I have to go.”
“What do you mean?”
“In times like these, we need to combine our strength. If there are tens of thousands of these barbarians, this isn’t just an invasion—it’s a fight for the Kingdom’s survival.”
My words weren’t wrong.
The Kingdom’s soldiers had trained in relatively peaceful conditions for a long time.
But the barbarian warriors were hardened by real combat.
If their numbers rivaled the Kingdom’s forces…
The outcome was obvious without seeing it.
“So I’ll go help. As far as my strength can reach.”
“Evan…”
With a resolute gaze, I looked at Nell and the cadets and spoke.
“If any of you want to stay here, that’s fine. Even if someone finds out later, I won’t call this choice cowardly.”
My words were sincere.
I might be an exception, but most people feel fear in the face of death.
Especially the cadets, who had already experienced the barbarians’ cruelty once.
If they chose not to go to the battlefield, I was ready to understand and accept it.
“…”
But I had overlooked one fact.
These weren’t mere minors.
They were gathered here to become knights.
And one of the most important virtues the Kingdom demanded of knights was never retreating in battle.
Though that meaning had faded over time, the belief hadn’t completely vanished.
And now, at this very moment, that spirit was burning in their hearts again.
“I might be a burden, but let me go.”
The first to step forward was a cadet from my year, Gamel Rabat.
I didn’t remember every cadet’s name, but Gamel’s was clear in my mind.
Despite being from a noble family, he mingled freely with everyone, and he was the lover of Elliott, whom I had personally trained.
“Me too. Even if I die, I’ll take one down.”
“My friend was taken. I’ll at least save them.”
After Gamel stepped forward, the cadets each took a step forward, resolute.
Some were faces I knew, others I didn’t.
This small courage gathered into a single resolve.
I looked at them quietly, then smiled and said, “Alright. Let’s go.”
At that moment, Nell let out a deep sigh and spoke with complex emotions.
“My duty is to protect you all.”
“Instructor…”
“So how could I stay behind? I’m going too.”
Thus, the ship carrying me, Nell, Gaiard, and dozens of cadets left the harbor with a solemn air.
Only five cadets remained to protect the child and care for any potential survivors.
“I’ll return safely, so protect this island.”
“Got it, Evan.”
As the ship carrying me and my friends grew distant, the remaining cadets watched silently, each offering fervent prayers in their own way.
“Please protect them…”
***
The Kingdom’s capital.
On a vast plain dozens of kilometers away, the silhouette of the capital faintly visible beyond the dense forest.
One more day’s march, and they could reach the heart of the Kingdom.
In a corner of the plain, the Kandahr Tribe’s encampment filled the space.
Their camp had no wooden palisades for defense.
No walls, no trenches, not even watchtowers with sentries.
As if daring anyone to come, they spread out massive tents, leaving thousands of horses roaming freely.
Their campsite was brazenly defenseless, mocking the enemy.
Far away, two thousand Kingdom cavalry quietly maneuvered toward the Kandahr camp.
Driving their horses through deep darkness, they sought the optimal position for a surprise attack.
At that moment, a scout returned hurriedly to report.
“Marquis, something’s off. They’re staying completely exposed without any guards.”
The cavalry leader, Marquis Jean-Pierre, fell into thought.
The aide added cautiously, “It might be a trap.”
But the Marquis shook his head lightly and said, “You still don’t know the Kandahr. That’s their nature. Confident in themselves, they set no guards, sleeping with everything open like apex predators in a hunting ground.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I’ve faced them alongside Duke Theron.”
Recalling past battles, the Marquis carefully devised a strategy.
“Two thousand troops facing them head-on is suicide. But a night raid could deal a critical blow.”
His voice carried resolve.
This operation was akin to a suicide charge by a death squad.
“We fight for the glorious honor of the Kingdom. Let’s drive out these ignorant barbarians and reclaim our land.”
“Yes!”
They prepared for battle, ready to cut down ten enemies each.
Before the raid began, a final briefing took place.
“Aide, remember. Form a 400-man vanguard to confuse the enemy from all directions.”
Their sole objective was one thing:
to throw the Kandahr camp into maximum chaos.
Release the tethered horses to turn the camp into pandemonium, burn the tents to neutralize the enemy’s response.
Only in this chaos would the elite strike force, led by the Marquis himself, move.
“I’ll personally infiltrate the commander’s tent and eliminate the chiefs and Bakan.”
“Yes! Understood!”
“Then, everyone, ready your fire arrows.”
The cavalry quietly checked their quivers, steeling their resolve.
And finally, in the deep dawn, the surprise attack to awaken the sleeping Kandahr camp began.
Gallop, gallop!
The sound of hooves thundered across the plain.
At the same time, countless fire arrows replaced the starlight, raining down on the Kandahr camp.
Whoosh!
Tents were instantly engulfed in flames.
Horses stampeded in panic, and the camp became a hellscape.
The vanguard charged in unison, aiming to kill and sow confusion.
But, “Aide! Something’s wrong!”
A cavalryman rushed to the aide, shouting.
His face was filled with confusion and dismay.
“What is it?”
“There’s no one in the tents!”
“What?”
All the tents on the outskirts were empty.
Realizing this, the aide’s face hardened.
Something’s gone wrong.
A chilling sensation crept down his spine.
“Damn it! The Marquis is in danger! Hurry…”
At that moment, an arrow from the darkness pierced the aide’s head.
Red blood sprayed into the air, and his body collapsed limply.
And simultaneously, Rumble!
From the rear of the elite strike force preparing the next attack, the sound of hooves roared fiercely.
Tearing through the darkness, Kandahr cavalry appeared in unison.
“Kill all the Kingdom bastards!!!”
The barbarians blew their horn pipes and charged ferociously.
With a massive war cry, sharp spears and axes gleamed.
The horses of the Marquis' cavalry panicked in the sudden chaos, as if facing a beast.
Thus, the Kingdom cavalry, launching the surprise attack, fell into the Kandahr’s trap and was being routed.
The barbarian cavalry charging from the rear completely cut off their retreat, and the Marquis realized they had been thoroughly outmaneuvered.
But he had no intention of retreating.
“If it’s come to this, we’ll take Bakan now!”
Even if the outskirts were a trap, the camp’s center surely held the enemy’s main base.
The plan to strike in the chaos had failed, but the Marquis resolved to sacrifice his life to at least eliminate Bakan.
At that moment, a group charging roughly through the dust appeared ahead.
They, too, were Kandahr cavalry on horseback.
The massive man leading them mocked the Marquis, shouting, “Did we look like fools sleeping without defenses?”
He swung a blood-stained spear, flashing a chilling smile at the Marquis.
“This was a trap to catch you. And you fell for it nicely.”
“Are you Bakan?”
The barbarian warrior’s face twisted in displeasure, snorting.
“Why would Bakan himself come out to squash bugs?”
“Where is Bakan?”
“He’s sleeping.”
The man pointed behind him with his spear.
“What?”
Despite the chaos, the leader commanding this war was still in deep sleep.
This fueled the Marquis' rage.
His men were fighting for their lives, while the enemy’s leader slept calmly.
“Bring Bakan!”
The Marquis charged forward in fury.
But before he could finish, a sharp aura shot from the massive man ahead.
Whoosh!
The Marquis tried to block, but it slithered like a living snake, piercing his torso through his armor.
“Guh!”
Looking down at the spear through his chest, the Marquis realized his defeat.
“Who… are you…”
“I am Morcal, chief of the great Shadowsnake Tribe.”
“Morcal!”
The massive man, Morcal, was the chief of the Shadowsnake Tribe and Bakan’s strategist.
With cold eyes, he slowly rode forward.
Raising his spear, he hoisted the Marquis' body like a hunted beast.
“To catch us…”
The Marquis' heavy armor swayed, his body dangling from the spear’s tip.
Blood dripped down the shaft.
Moments later, Morcal swung the spear roughly, flinging the Marquis' corpse to the ground.
“You’d need the Red Count or someone greater.”
Morcal aimed his bloodied spear at the remaining Kingdom cavalry.
His cavalry behind him charged at the leaderless prey.
Before dawn broke, they were mercilessly trampled under the enemy’s blades and hooves.