Chapter 106 : Chapter 106

Chapter 106: The Road Ahead Will Be Long (6)

“……!”

Joel’s pupils shook violently.

His breath caught in his throat.

The hand gripping his sword stiffened.

Step, step.

Callence approached without a word.

With each heavy step, a cold metallic glint flashed from his dark gray armor.

Gulp.

Joel instinctively stepped back.

The overwhelming aura pressing down on him forced his body to retreat.

The man’s appearance was hardly that of a noble scion.

His imposing stature and beast-like face exuded a terrifying murderous intent. Combined with the cold, metallic air of the battlefield, it was not mere intimidation—it was fear itself.

Tremble.

Even after knowing him for so long, this was the effect.

How much worse must it be for others?

The Tyrant Callence.

The rumors spread by the sewer rats were no exaggeration.

“Joel, it’s been a while.”

Joel’s eyes widened.

In an instant, Callence was right in front of him.

“G-Great Archduke….”

“Why are you just standing there?”

Suddenly, a pressure bore down on him.

When Joel came to his senses, his wrist was already seized.

Callence nonchalantly took the sword from Joel’s hand and slid it back into its sheath.

The series of actions was so natural, yet, perhaps due to the contrast with his rugged frame, his touch felt strangely delicate.

“Hm.”

Callence’s gaze fell upon it.

The golden hilt of the Blood Lion.

A faint smile tugged at Callence’s lips as he tapped the hilt with his index finger.

“Eugene was a fine man.”

“…….”

“Joel, it’s still too much for you.”

Callence placed his hand on Joel’s head.

His rough, massive hand slowly ruffled Joel’s hair.

To Joel, it felt like a warning that his skull could be crushed at any moment.

“If you’re lucky, you might at least tread in Eugene’s shadow. By then, you’ll be worthy of wielding the Blood Lion. Keep at it, Joel.”

Callence patted Joel’s shoulder and walked past.

The elite guards trailing him openly scrutinized Joel with disdainful glances.

“Go suck on your mama’s teat some more.”

“Pfft, kiddo.”

“Phew, smells like piss.”

As Joel’s eyes followed their retreating figures, the surroundings darkened.

A massive shadow loomed from behind.

When he turned his head, he nearly collapsed.

“H-Huh…!”

A giant stood there.

Joel’s eye level barely reached the man’s navel, and his sheer bulk dwarfed even Bolero.

“…….”

Under the crushing gaze from above, Joel’s body shrank instinctively.

Shadows cloaked the man’s eyes, making his pupils barely visible.

Joel wondered to himself: Is this even human? The wildness of a beast and the coldness of metal coexisted within him.As the man slightly lowered his head, the shadows lifted, revealing his features faintly. Strange black patterns covered his face, extending down to his neck.

Then it hit him.

Long ago, before Joel was even born, he’d heard of a human monster who wandered the Northern Demonic Lands and appeared in Conwell.

A being counted among the kingdom’s most catastrophic figures, feared by the masses.

Joel’s master had personally captured him and locked him in Conwell’s underground prison.

They hadn’t killed him because the Previous Lord insisted on his experimental value, rumored to be a hybrid of beast and man.

…Balrok!

The moment Joel recalled the name—

“You.”

A chill ran down his spine.

It wasn’t a human voice.

It was as if a beast or monster was mimicking human speech.

“Familiar.”

The mere breath felt like a wet tongue licking his skin, stirring visceral disgust.

BOOM!

Joel’s body flew sideways, crashing into the wall before slumping powerlessly.

“Urgh!”

Joel coughed up blood.

The pain was secondary.

His memory blanked for a moment.

The last thing he saw was Balrok casually raising his hand.

“Not him.”

Balrok tilted his head, then calmly followed the group ahead.

Through Joel’s blood-bruised vision, he saw the violent procession from Callence to Balrok.

Stepping over smoldering embers, acrid smoke, and scattered corpses, they entered the Solari Order.

“Joel! Joel! A-Are you okay?!”

Joel didn’t respond.

He couldn’t.

His eyelids grew heavy.

Exhaustion flooded from his crown to his toes.

“Arghhh!”

With a roar, Joel forced himself to stand.

Callence and his entourage halted.

All eyes turned to Joel.

“Joel, Joel! Where are you going?!”

Ignoring Bill’s cries, Joel staggered toward them.

His steps were perilously unsteady.

“Don’t you dare speak Eugene’s name with that filthy mouth.”

It was as if the path had opened for him to face Callence directly.

The guards parted, their mocking laughter echoing.

“…Show some respect.”

Joel stood firm, unyielding.

Amid their jeers, he straightened his posture.

“Show respect, Callence.”

He angled himself, sword extended forward.

—This is your final lesson, Joel.

Joel recalled the most perfect sword he’d ever seen.

—Until the very end.

A heart determined to protect everything within reach.

Eugene’s sword.

It was still too much for him.

But he understood that the will of that sword began with safeguarding one’s pride.

So.

—I hope you engrave it in your eyes.

To be without a shred of shame.

“For my honor.”

He gripped the hilt tightly, ensuring the blade didn’t waver.

He couldn’t let their mockery shake him.

Not when he was watching.

“Haha, good.”

Callence tilted his chin slightly, muttering to the now-darkened sky.

“Eugene, I’ll honor you by not sending your impudent disciple to your side.”

His gaze locked onto Joel’s.

No interest, no pity—nothing.

“Is that enough?”

“…….”

THWACK!

A sudden blow from the side cut Joel’s consciousness.

* * *

The Solari Order was damnably vast.

“I saw them go up the stairs!”

“Over there! Those stairs!”

Leaning against the wall, I peeked out cautiously.

The shadows should keep me hidden.

Two squads of about ten soldiers each rushed across the corridor.

“Phew.”

I sighed.

It wasn’t fear of facing them.

I was conserving my strength.

Glancing down, my hands—stained with blood and dirt—trembled faintly.

Clench.

I balled my fists.

No time for idleness.

Warily scanning the area, I moved cautiously.

Why was I skulking like a thief?

Because this entire order was crawling with enemies.

‘No one was there.’

To put it another way, since entering the Solari Order, I hadn’t seen a single person who wasn’t a Callence soldier.

‘Did Roland use a Spatial Transfer Gate to move everyone?’

That seemed the most logical explanation…

‘No.’

I was almost certain.

Among the corpses I’d seen, some faces were familiar—mercenaries from the Talrug Canyon campaign.

Plus, Jayden and Bolero’s group were outside, cut off from retreat.

Would Adeline abandon them?

‘No way.’

If my guess was wrong, I’d feel a bit betrayed.

But part of me wished it were true—it’d mean one less thing to worry about.

I didn’t know anymore.

I’d probably cursed under my breath half a dozen times by now.

‘Movement.’

I sharpened my senses.

Multiple presences nearby, none with the aura of a warrior.

Step, step.

I followed the sounds.

The eerie silence made them stand out even more in this enemy stronghold.

‘Here?’

I stopped at a double door in the middle of a corridor.

Glancing around, nothing stood out.

This order was filled with rooms like this, each seemingly with its own purpose.

‘Bolero called this a small, precious branch. How much bigger is their main base?’

Pushing aside stray thoughts, I cracked the door open and peered inside.

‘…….’

I pulled back, checking the corridor again.

No one.

The soldiers hadn’t reached this area yet.

I slipped inside and closed the door.

“Ah!”

“Shh.”

Several people gasped.

A mix of wariness and surprise rippled through the room.

It was an empty space, devoid of furnishings.

The only light came from faint moonlight filtering through a small window in the wall.

Beneath that dim glow, figures huddled together, holding their breath.

I calmed them as I stepped toward the light, revealing myself to ease their alarm.

“My lord!”

That voice sparked a wave of murmurs, followed by stifled cries bursting forth.

The Empire’s exiles.

They were all here.

“Is everyone safe?”

I substituted that for a greeting. I’m not one for showing emotions.

For the record, my mood was the best it’d been since reuniting with Grandma after my regression.

“My lord, oh… Are you unharmed?”

“I’m fine.”

Mateo Munter.

He was a completely different man—in a good way.

No, it was more accurate to say he finally looked human.

His once-tangled hair and beard were neatly groomed, and his sunken cheeks had filled out healthily.

It almost brought tears to my eyes.

“Haa.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, I scanned the other Imperials.

Familiar faces nodded in greeting, and I returned the gesture.

I hadn’t done anything wrong, yet the indignation of reuniting in this grim, hidden space hit me late.

But it was fine.

They were alive and here.

That was enough.

In my excitement, I’d forgotten something crucial.

“Mateo, what happened? Why are you all gathered here?”

Mateo quickly explained.

Turns out, he was quite articulate, making it easy to follow.

“Roland hid the Imperials and Kingdom folk in two separate annexes? And he’s with the Kingdom folk. Why?”

Mateo hesitated, a stark contrast to his earlier fluency.

He spoke with difficulty.

“Henry said the Archduke would target us next, after Lady Adeline. As hostages to capture you, my lord.”

“…….”

“There’s a rumor you’re cooperating with Lady Adeline because of us.”

…Well, it wasn’t entirely wrong.

At first.

“Where’s the lady? Do you know?”

“We don’t know that either. We’ve been here since the magic formation collapsed.”

No need to dwell on prior events, and they had no useful updates.

‘Lucky.’

From Mateo’s explanation of their escape, I’d learned a bit about the Solari Order’s layout.

A main hall and two annexes—an immense complex.

Stumbling upon them while wandering this vast place was nothing short of fortunate.

“Got it. I checked on my way here—the enemy presence is thin around here. No need to worry too much for now.”

Reassuring them, I stood. Mateo rose too, eyes wide.

“M-My lord? Where are you going…?”

The question sounded awkward. Where? Obviously…

‘Oh…’

I slowly looked at Mateo and the Imperials behind him.

Their eyes mirrored his, filled with unspoken words: Isn’t your place here with us? Yes, they were right. My recent fights had been to protect them. That was my purpose from the start.

But now, well, now…

They weren’t everything.

‘My people.’

I didn’t voice the thoughts that surfaced.

Instead, I firmly gripped Mateo’s shoulder.

The eastern annex.

This long battle between Adeline and Callence would end there.

“I’ll finish this.”

“My lord, it’s dangerous. Even for you…”

“Dangerous or not, I have to go.”

Turning, I added one more thing.

“In this harsh world, isn’t it fine to have at least one fool like me?”

For the first time since my regression, I felt detached from the Dragon in the Fog of my past life.

Not bad at all.

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