Rotmiller is dead.
They said he jumped off the cart while trying to bring to the Capital, because the enemy pursuit got too intense?
Astarotta was kind enough to add that the Noark bastards even took Rotmiller’s head with them as a trophy.
But...
‘I guess they don’t know yet.’
From the looks of it, not just Ainard, but also Alia and Auyen seed completely unaware of that story.
Well, the only one who did seem to know was that bastard Eltora.
“......”
The mont Rotmiller was ntioned, he froze up and just silently looked around, gauging the mood.
‘What should I do?’
I hesitated for a mont, unsure whether to talk about Rotmiller or not.
Because the one I’d be telling was Ainard.
There was more than a 0% chance she might snap and do sothing reckless out of shock...
‘But isn’t that the case whether she’s shocked or not?’
That thought suddenly crossed my mind and ended the brief hesitation.
Yeah, I’ll just say it.
“Rotmiller is dead.”
I said it like a true barbarian—cutting straight to the point.
No talk about him jumping off the cart, or how his head was taken as a trophy by greedy bastards.
None of that changes anything anyway.
Rotmiller is dead.
He left with a short, urgent final ssage.
The only thing I need to rember is that one fact.
“......Huh?”
Ainard flinched.
She must’ve assud that Rotmiller had crossed into the Capital safely with and was living happily.
Unfortunately, that story didn’t end in a happy ending.
But contrary to what I feared...
“I see... so he’s dead...”
Ainard reacted with surprising calm.
Though, thinking about it, maybe “surprising” isn’t the right word.
Sure, they lived together in the Sanctuary and were on good terms...
‘But that’s pretty much it.’
Ainard quickly befriends other barbarians and other people without hesitation, and she has dozens of closer friends than Rotmiller.
And because of that...
“May his soul be guided to the place he believed in.”
Ainard offered a short mont of mourning, and that was that.
For her, “death” isn’t so special event.
Barbarians are a people who, upon reaching adulthood, are imdiately thrown into the brutal world of survival.
‘...Though you don’t even have to be a barbarian for that.’
This damned city, filled with every kind of injustice, at least has one form of equality.
In this city, no matter who you are, it’s all the sa.
Death is always by your side.
“...He was a good man, rare to find in this day and age. It’s a sha.”
That was the end of Ainard’s mourning.
Auyen, who wasn’t close to Rotmiller, didn’t react much.
The one who showed a stronger response was Alia.
“Brown Rotmiller is dead...? He died trying to save you?”
She muttered in disbelief.
Her pupils, which rarely showed emotion, dilated wide, and for so reason, her shoulders seed to tremble slightly.
The reason was simple.
“You... are you okay...?”
Alia looked at as if I were soone about to make an extre decision, and I shrugged casually.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
Alia gave a suspicious look, as if to say, ‘There’s no way,’ but she didn’t press further.
And it’s not like I was lying.
I really am fine.
At least for now.
There are too many things I have to deal with imdiately, and solving them one by one cos first.
Looking backward and tripping forward—Rotmiller wouldn’t want that either.
Yeah, so...
꽈악—
Facing Rotmiller’s death will co after all this is over.
After informing the people who loved him.
After holding his funeral, and finishing my thoughts on how I should accept the heavy final ssage he left —only then will I fully realize what I’ve lost.
And then there’ll be a few sleepless nights.
So damn annoying.
As always.
“...Don’t overdo it, Yandel.”
Alia’s concerned words went in one ear and out the other. I appreciated the sentint, but now was the ti to look forward.
“Hmph...”
I looked Eltora up and down like I was evaluating a piece of rchandise.
How should I use this card—the son of the Marquis—to squeeze out every last drop?
As I was mulling it over, Eltora stepped forward with his own PR.
“Currently, the Noark forces are divided into three main factions: Noark proper, Orkulis, and our Marquis's house. However, since my father collapsed, command ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) of the Marquis’s forces has temporarily passed to .”
“So?”
“Just say the word. Until my father regains consciousness, I have the power to make anything you want happen.”
Eltora spoke like a cursed sword whispering into the ear of a protagonist in crisis, and I, like soone entranced, stated my wish.
“Then can I have a private audience with the Marquis? While holding a hamr?”
“Ah, that’s a bit...”
“...Tch.”
Tch. I figured.
He talked so big, I thought maybe it was actually possible.
But of course I can’t just snatch the Marquis like that.
As I glared slightly at Eltora, who’d gotten my hopes up for a mont, he quickly flinched and added,
“St–still, it’s not like there’s no way!”
Either there is or there isn’t.
“What the hell does ‘not no way’ even an?”
I tossed the words at him, and Eltora, having just thought of a thod, cautiously explained it with plenty of hedging, saying he wasn’t sure it would work.
I listened without much hope.
But by the ti I’d fully grasped the plan—
“...It might actually work.”
The mont I reached that conclusion, I made my decision.
So...
Kuuung—!Kuuung—!
With dignified steps, I climbed the stairs leading to the lobby, heading for the front entrance.
The shattered front gate.
As I stepped through it, warm sunlight stread down, and the street ahead was filled with Noark soldiers.
‘Kinda reminds of the old days.’
More precisely, the adventures I had back when all I had were corpse golems and vampire essence.
Kuuung—!
As I stepped fully outside, all eyes turned to .
No need for talk. I was a seasoned veteran.
With the mindset of Moses parting the Red Sea, I hoisted Eltora up.
And then—
“...Lord Tertherion has been taken hostage!”
Without another word, I clearly conveyed my intent to everyone.
***
Kuuung—!Kuuung—!
I walk through the streets, still maintaining [Giant Form].
Alia and Auyen are riding on my shoulders...
“Ooh!”
While Ainard is trotting behind like a giant dog.
I could’ve lifted Ainard too if I wanted...
But she said she’d rather not.
“No need! I’m more comfortable walking on my own two feet!”
Yeah, that’s our barbarian.
Anyway.
Kuuung—!Kuuung—!
As I stride forward, Ainard follows.
And behind her, over a hundred Noark soldiers trail us with anxious expressions, like dogs that really need to pee.
“...Shouldn’t we do sothing?”
“If the only son dies, will you take responsibility?”
“So we’re just going to keep following?”
“Command has been inford. Let’s just wait for orders.”
Now and then soone suggested taking action, but the mainstream opinion was to just wait for instructions from above.
“I see a few Orkulis mbers too. I’ll list their appearances and known essences—morize them.”
According to Alia, the forces here weren’t just the Marquis’s troops.
But even they didn’t act rashly.
After all, their situation wasn’t any different.
If they acted now and the Marquis’s heir died?
It would explode into massive political consequences.
And so...
Kuuung—!Kuuung—!
This strange procession continued.
From a distance, it might’ve looked like the Olympic torch relay.
Except the “torch” wasn’t fire, but Eltora’s neck clutched in my hand, held high, with hundreds trailing behind.
And since the Olympic fla symbolizes peace, the similarities between Eltora and the torch only grew.
“Ghhh... P–please... be gentler...”
Well, the torch himself seed to be suffering every ti a step sent shock through his spine.
But peace always cos at soone’s expense.
Kuuung—!Kuuung—!
With that thought, I was practically running now.
If I walked, it’d take hours to reach the destination.
“...T–that’s where the Marquis is!”
“Baron Yandel is heading toward the Marquis with Lord Tertherion as a hostage!”
They were finally catching on to where I was going and why—but no one moved to stop yet.
I had expected this, but it still felt surreal.
So this is actually working.
The one who suggested this idea was the symbol of peace himself, Eltora.
The structural flaw in Noark’s coalition command: three command groups like a coalition army, without strong bonds between them.
Add to that basic human self-preservation, especially heightened in Noark’s culture...
When you put it all together, the chance that no one would stop if I just charged in was actually pretty high—and that prediction turned out right.
[Baron Yandel is targeting the Marquis!]
[That bastard! How dare he! We must receive orders imdiately—!]
[The Marquis is unconscious and cannot issue orders!]
[There must be an acting authority!]
[That hostage is the acting authority.]
[......!!]
[Well, if you want to act unilaterally, no one’s stopping you. But you’ll be held responsible.]
[......]
That’s roughly how the conversation must’ve gone, and that’s how we ended up with this ridiculous situation.
Oh, and the chaos caused by the Royal Army’s “massive assault” helped too—
“...Hm?”
I was charging through the city streets at high speed when my destination finally ca into view.
“......”
Soone blocked the road ahead.
And normally, no matter who it was, I would’ve just smashed through them with the montum I’d built...
But unfortunately, this ti I couldn’t.
The group was just too impressive.
Roland Banossant, the Evil Eye, had arrived in person.
The deputy commander of Orkulis.
And not alone—he’d brought dozens of mbers who looked like the real deal.
“......”
Without a word, the Evil Eye blocked my path.
And I, without a word, ca to a stop.
Then...
Seuuk.
I raised the symbol of peace higher for better visibility.
Because this symbol also had a “dialogue” function.
“W–what are you doing?! Everyone, move aside...!”
The human symbol cried out for peace as promised, but unfortunately, the ones blocking our way didn’t care at all.
“Why should we?”
The one who spoke in place of the commander and deputy looked like a man whose hobbies were reading and whose specialty was rhetoric.
“W–we’re going to fight each other? I hold full authority over the Marquis’s forces! One word from , and you’ll be fighting everyone behind !”
“Well, I wonder about that...”
“...What?”
“The Noark coalition has determined that although Eltora Tertherion does clearly possess acting authority, that authority was forfeited when he was captured by the enemy and beca a hostage. According to the agreed protocol...”
Gulp—
“As of now, Eltora Tertherion is stripped of his acting authority, and until the Marquis regains consciousness, command is fully delegated to the coalition.”
The spectacled man continued in a businesslike tone, then glanced at Eltora and asked:
“By the way, this is just personal curiosity... Are you really a hostage? Or did you just switch sides?”
“......”
“Oh, never mind. Doesn’t matter either way.”
The symbol of peace looked utterly shocked by his words.
But I wasn’t surprised at all.
I simply tossed aside the now-useless symbol and pulled out a new one.
Ssssshhk.
In the end, peace belongs to whoever has the bigger stick.
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