342nd Chapter
Alexander sensitively detected the change in the battle situation.
Not long after the strike force had split up, a massive surge of power echoed from beyond.
The identity of the entity emitting that colossal power was not hard to guess.
It was Preches, the final target of the expeditionary force and the fallen Dragon.
Preches, originally a hybrid, expelled the corrupted power it had once contained in its attempt to ascend, thrashing about in its final moments.
As time passed, the tumultuous waves of power emanating from beyond finally subsided.
Simultaneously, the demons and dark creatures that had been pressing against Alexander and his strike force like an incoming tide began to retreat.
“…Are they withdrawing?”
Even with Preches eliminated, this place was still the Demonic Realm.
For the forces of the Demonic Realm, it had always been advantageous in the long term to fiercely attack any elite forces from the continent who dared to set foot here, inflicting heavy casualties.
However, the demonic factions within the Demonic Realm were not unified under a single banner.
With the expansion of the Demonic Realm having failed, there was no longer any need for any faction to step forward unnecessarily, risking their own strength by making grand strategic decisions.
If the expeditionary force did not further disturb the Demonic Realm after defeating Preches, it was highly likely that there would be no more large-scale offensives.
“…”
Alexander turned his head toward the direction where the great surge of power had disappeared.
Preches’s resistance proved far greater than what Alexander and the strike force had anticipated.
It was difficult to be certain if those sent to confront Preches had managed to survive until the dragon’s self-destruction.
Still, one thing was clear…
“The war that will be recorded as legend… has ended.”
“…”
The members of the strike force who had been fighting alongside Alexander finally realized they had won the war. They tightened their jaws in determination.
Though they didn’t collapse onto the battlefield or scream out in error, many still couldn’t help but feel the sting of emotion in their eyes.
Few had expected victory in this war. Many had spent more time pondering how best to minimize their losses rather than achieve success.
But the heroes who had pushed for this expedition ultimately proved themselves right and everyone else wrong.
“Casualty report.”
Alexander first checked on the casualties incurred during the process of repelling the enemy’s assault.
Afterwards, while briefly reorganizing their equipment, he tried to decide on their next move—but there was no real need for deliberation.
The portion of the strike force that had split off to eliminate Preches was now returning into Alexander’s line of sight.
Though disheveled, they appeared to have survived, albeit barely.
Not long after the reunited strike force regrouped, the supporting troops of the expeditionary force also joined them.
With a hint of fatigue but a smile on his face, Alexander said to the commander leading the support troops,
“Since we’ve accomplished our goal, let’s return.”
At Alexander’s brief declaration, cheers erupted among the soldiers.
Alexander appropriately restrained the thunderous cheers echoing through the air.
This wasn’t yet a time to let down their guard.
They were still in the Demonic Realm, and although the main strike force of the expeditionary army had suffered relatively few deaths, their overall combat capability was significantly diminished.
Apart from Alexander, Anthonyus, and Luna, most were at their limits and incapable of further effective combat.
Understanding the situation, the group quieted their cheers in accordance with Alexander’s wishes.
Nevertheless, joy illuminated their faces.
Led by Alexander, the strike force and the supporting troops began their swift withdrawal from the Demonic Realm.
During this process, they gradually merged with the defense units guarding temporary bases.
While retreating, the expeditionary force had to overcome sporadic enemy resistance and traps, but they managed to continue without suffering major losses.
As the scattered parts of the expeditionary force united, the previously subdued cheers grew louder once again.
The victorious expeditionary force shouted their cheers while recalling Ray’s speech.
We’ve declared an end to the history of humiliation and proven that the Demonic Realm is not merely a vague source of fear but can be conquered.
Realizing that together we have created a new myth that will endure with humanity’s history, all joined in raising their voices in unison.
Listening to the cheers of the expeditionary force, Ray steadied his breathing while entrusting his body to the wind spirit.
Seeing Ray slightly out of breath, Alexander asked him suddenly,
“What was the last enemy like?”
“The last enemy…”
Recalling the final moments of Preches, Ray calmly replied,
“It was unfortunate.”
“…”
After contemplating Ray’s response for a moment, Alexander shook his head once.
“I understand your sentiment, but it might be better to express yourself differently in front of others.”
“Noted.”
Ray accepted Alexander’s advice with a wry smile.
In the distance, the boundary between the Demonic Realm and the continent came into view.
*
“Victory.”
Adoia repeated the contents of the written report verbally.
Though the number of casualties in the expeditionary force was terrifying, they had succeeded in eliminating Preches, securing victory.
Even more positively, almost all the top-tier forces of the expeditionary army had survived.
The fact that they had lost very few talents of Lord-level or above, who could support the continent, was excellent news.
Given the profound significance of this victory, it was inevitable that some political friction would arise later between those involved in the war. However, there was no need to prioritize worrying about such issues at the moment.
The Empire’s Swordmaster, Ernst, listened silently to Adoia’s report and then asked briefly,
“How are the Empire’s Guardians?”
“…They have returned.”
The information that Ray had returned was included in the documents delivered to Ernst and had also been reported orally by Adoia just moments ago.
Despite this, Ernst asked again about Ray, and Adoia repeated her previous report.
Even though Ray had returned in a state where his body was so damaged that he could no longer properly hold a sword, he had indeed made it back alive.
Adoia noticed that Ernst’s expression had hardened into a cold rigidity upon receiving the report of Ray’s survival.
Still, she harbored no doubts.
After finishing her role, she bowed respectfully and stepped back.
Even then, Ernst continued to gaze silently at the wall.
*
The expeditionary force successfully withdrew from the Demonic Realm with minimal losses.
Immediately afterward, news of the expeditionary force’s victory began spreading across the continent.
The first triumphal parade of the victorious expeditionary force took place near the Pope’s office in the southern part of the Empire.
Amidst a dense crowd of celebratory spectators,
Ray handed over the lead of the army to Alexander and attempted to retreat to the rear.
“Do you intend to step back just before the triumphal parade?”
Before Ray could retreat, Alexander asked, prompting Ray to simply shrug.
He lacked the energy to engage in a contest of pride over who should take the lead in this first triumphal parade.
Moreover, throughout the entire expedition, Alexander had made numerous concessions.
Especially during the final battle with Preches, Alexander volunteered to fend off the incoming lesser foes.
While this was the most rational decision for a commander, it was essentially equivalent to giving up the greatest glory.
Although the resistance from Preches was fiercer than imagined, nearly wiping out the strike force heading towards the dragon,
‘Well, regardless of Alexander’s true intentions…’
Throughout the expedition into the Demonic Realm, Alexander had been nothing short of heroic from start to finish.
Thus, allowing Alexander to fully take center stage at the triumphal parade was not even worth mentioning.
As Ray tried to distance himself, Alexander asked again,
“Are you not trying to check my ambition?”
“That may be true, but I don’t want to antagonize you. Respect must be given accordingly.”
Ray responded half-jokingly and then, showing signs of exhaustion, disappeared into the ranks of the army.
Anthonyus also refrained from stepping forward, leaving Alexander at the forefront of the military formation.
Cheers erupted, loud enough to shake the ground, directed towards the victorious expeditionary force.
As the commander of the army, Alexander received the applause of the welcoming crowd with a smirk.
“Hmm, this isn’t bad either.”
The original ambition that Alexander had aimed for became even harder to achieve compared to the past.
However, Alexander had protected his homeland and, while he might not have become the protagonist, he had become one of the central pillars of the newly born greatest myth.
Furthermore, he had gained the opportunity to reflect on the true enemies of the forgotten myths of the continent.
Satisfied yet tinged with bitterness, Alexander smiled as he paraded amidst the cheers.
*
After the expeditionary force triumphantly returned to the southern part of the Empire,
the treatment of the wounded and the compilation of the list of the fallen began immediately.
Though victorious, the expeditionary force had paid a heavy price.
Given the nature of the battlefield, most of the bodies of the fallen could not be properly recovered.
Immersed in the joy of victory, the expeditionary force momentarily fell into gloom as they remembered those who hadn’t returned from the Demonic Realm.
The names of those who perished in the Demonic Realm would be engraved on the largest monument and placed beside the Pope’s office, standing tall.
That was the greatest honor they could offer to the dead.
After gathering in the Imperial Capital for the march into the Demonic Realm, the expeditionary force planned to return there after compiling the list of the fallen for a second triumphal parade.
Although the clerics of the south were technically citizens of the Empire and thus should have accompanied the procession to the capital, Alexander didn’t seem particularly inclined to do so.
Regardless of Alexander’s choice,
Ray had something to finish before returning to the capital.
“Aunt isn’t here, is she…”
When Ray left for the expedition, Saria was still at the Pope’s office.
However, during the expedition, the Alstein Dukedom, which had been attacked by devil worshippers, requested support, and Saria responded by heading there.
The Pope’s office had provided Saria with a relic to counteract curses, but now that curse-carrier Arundel was dead, the relic was no longer necessary.
Before heading to the meeting place he had promised Ulte, Ray wrote a letter inquiring about Saria’s well-being and adjusted his bracelet.
At the agreed-upon location, Resina, a former companion of Harshia from six hundred years ago and a fallen hero, waited with Ulte.
Before the expedition, Ulte had asked Ray to ensure Resina could stay in the south if the expedition to the Demonic Realm succeeded.
This was so they could quickly assess Resina’s condition and take necessary actions as soon as possible.
When Ray arrived at the meeting place, Ramenta and Aquitas, the guardians of the World Tree, were also waiting with Ulte.
“…”
Ray observed Resina, who sat there blankly sucking her thumb, leaning against Ulte.
The curse from the World Tree that had plagued Resina was gone. The unfulfilled wish of her ancestors that Ulte had ultimately achieved.
However, what had already been lost could not be regained.
Resina had been brought back to life on the brink of death, but she had already lost her sense of self, leaving only an empty shell behind.
Lifting the curse alone could not undo the tragedy that Resina had faced.
“…”
And there was a contingency plan left by Resina for an unlikely miracle, which Ray now held.
Ray approached Resina and gently took her hand.
After a brief moment of eye contact, Ray transferred his bracelet to Resina’s wrist.
The Oath of the First (2)
