Chapter 224

Chapter 224: Blood and Flesh

The Imperial Army decided to advance to attempt dialogue with the Allied Forces.
The representative of the Imperial Army was the Second Prince, Ureas, who stood at the front, with the Legion Commanders following him.
As Ferda took his position, he found himself advancing alongside Count Rooster.
— We meet again, Regent Ferda-nim.
The one who offered greetings first was Count Rooster.
— First time since the Golden Congress, Lord Rooster.
— Indeed. Archduke Golt-nim is truly upset.
— I cannot blame him. Marquis Devlen had to go and make a move like that. Was he a demon follower?
Count Rooster’s expression hardened.
— It was revealed that he was a demon worshipper, a Doppler.
— How did they discover that? We still do not know how to detect Dopplers.
— There is no way Marquis Devlen, whom they called the Miraculous Alchemist, could have had such a filthy private life, right?
— I suppose so.
“Count Rooster, this bastard has thicker skin than I thought.”
— Archduke Golt-nim’s offer still stands.
— I already told you, I am not a mage who can manipulate human hearts.
— Archduke Golt-nim knows that quite well.
“Persistent bastard.”
“What is that woman to Archduke Golt for him to be so obsessed, and why is this bastard helping him so much?”
I thought about retorting if he said anything more, but he did not insist.
It seemed he was not going to say more than necessary.
Before long, the temporary tent where the talks between the Allied Forces and the Imperial Army of Arken would take place came into view.
At the same time, six white horses surrounding the tent caught attention.
They were all famous steeds possessing both a coat and a pedigree that only a king could use.
— Thank you for coming from so far away. Aside from the five representatives, each may bring one companion, and please leave all weapons outside before entering.
Following the words of the knight guarding the entrance, a total of twelve people disarmed and entered.
Inside the tent, six middle-aged men sat in a row at a long table.
Ferda recognized a familiar face among them.
Eugene Hudret.
He stood up first as the representative and offered greetings.
— It is an honor to meet you, Prince Ureas. I never thought I would live to see the day I would meet such noble people with gold flowing through their veins before I died.
— Likewise. I thought that when the time came to face you, it would not be from a position like this.
An unusual tension flared from the start.
King Hudret chuckled and gestured for Ureas to sit.
— Let us sit for now. Since we wanted to meet like this, we should at least talk, shouldn’t we?
The representatives took their seats, and Ferda did the same.
Ureas cleared his throat and opened his mouth.
— The stance of our Arken Empire is as follows.
Instead of hesitating with clumsy opening remarks, he threw the main point out first and drove the conversation quickly.
It was Olivia’s idea.
— Our Imperial Army has also judged that we need to eradicate the demons, so we will join the Allied Forces.
— My, that is a surprise. Leading the strongest army and saying you will ally with us.
It was clearly sarcastic.
It grated on Ureas’s nerves, but he did not erupt easily.
— Because this matter is so serious, I thought that only an alliance would resolve things smoothly. So, wouldn’t it be better to resolve it together?
— Agreed. Chase petty gains and you will burn the whole house down.
King Hudret took out a prepared document and spread it before Ureas.
— We will distribute according to merit within the Allied Forces, and we are thinking of giving the Empire a 27% base. If you agree, will you sign?
27%.
For something that claimed to be fair, it was a low number.
A figure that made you want to push for more even while assuming a loss.
A number where the reaction would be divided depending on what Ureas had in mind.
— Are you kidding me?
True to his macho nature, he could not accept it easily.
He had come prepared to take a loss, but 27% was far too little.
— Our army’s numbers are similar to those you have gathered, so why does it come out to 27%?
— I thought it was quite reasonable, but I would like to know how much you expected, hm?
— Even if it is not half, it has to be 45%.
— Your greed is excessive.
King Hudret laughed, “Juju.”
— Numbers may matter for an army, but that is not a phrase you should use with the Imperial Army, right?
— What do you mean?
— The incident where a Colossal Monster appeared in the Empire is already known. The army was wiped out there, was it not?
At that, Ureas’s face turned bright red.
— Do you dare compare us to my cowardly hyung-nim’s army? We are warriors who throw ourselves into death traps, unlike those bastards who use an epidemic as an excuse to plan their escape!
— Fine words. It would have been even better if someone other than the Second Prince had spoken them.
His eyes briefly turned toward Count Rooster.
Count Rooster looked at King Hudret with serious eyes and warned.
— Whether I say it or the Prince says it, the Imperial Army is the Imperial Army. I cannot tolerate you belittling us.
Blood is thicker than water, as they say.
Even if Count Rooster does not like Ureas, he is still one of the people of the Empire.
— That is why 27% is unacceptable. Do you even know how much preparation our Imperial Army has made before coming?
— Our preparations are not that bad either.
One of the kings on the Allied Forces’ side chimed in.
— The Allied Forces are putting great effort into investigating internal intelligence.
— Internal intelligence, you say?
A man wearing a crown boasted with a self-satisfied expression.
— Our Heian Kingdom has managed to infiltrate people with exceptional espionage skills. If we extract information from there, we can achieve far greater merit than the Imperial Army just pushing with numbers! Did you know that before opening your mouth?
At that, King Hudret looked at King Heian with an “is this new to me” expression and asked.
— You didn’t mention you had infiltrated them, did you?
— I was going to tell you later.
— Do you keep your mouth shut when things go wrong or when there is very good news?
— No, if you put it like that, what am I supposed to be? There is no need to give bad news first, right?
— That is not what I meant—.
While King Hudret was trying to say something, the entrance grew noisy.
— State affairs are being conducted here. You cannot enter here recklessly!
— Let go of me! I must report to everyone right now!
King Heian seemed to recognize the voice.
— Our infiltrator seems to have returned. I have nothing to hide, so how about we all listen together?
— …….
King Hudret’s expression remained foul.
He waved his hand as if reluctantly allowing it, and when the intention was conveyed, a man burst into the tent.
The infiltrator from the Heian Kingdom entered and knelt.
— Unworthy Yuan pays his respects to Your Majesty! Forgive my discourtesy for barging into a place like this!
The man paid hurried respects while breathing heavily.
King Heian stood up from his seat and placed a hand on his shoulder.
— Not at all! Welcome, Yuan!
Then he cast a sidelong glance around him.
Welcoming him with an arrogant expression as if boasting.
— You came with such urgency because there is news you must deliver to us, right?
— That is right!
— Speak then. So that everyone here can know your achievement.
— Well, that is…!
The man named Yuan grabbed King Heian’s arm.
— W-what are you doing?!
It was already disconcerting enough for a mere soldier to grab a king’s arm, but the grip was so tight that the tendons in his hand strained sharply.
When he raised his face, a madness never seen before was etched upon it.
— Once I entered there, I realized how useless this world is, hahaha!!
At that moment, those who could use magic were able to feel it clearly.
A magic circle inscribed on the man’s body activated, and something bubbled up from deep within him.
Ferda could not stop that man.
He was turning into a bomb, and the explosion was already occurring.
— What are you saying?! What kind of nonsense is this?! Let go of me and speak!
— Yuan! Can’t you let go?!
The bewildered King Heian and the knight tried to break free from his grip, but in vain.
An ominous light rose from his chest, soon becoming bright enough for everyone to see with the naked eye.
— That bastard is trying to self-destruct!!
— Protect His Majesty!
The knights covered his body to protect the king.
While everyone looked out for their own safety first, King Hudret kicked his seat and stood up.
He approached King Heian and kicked him in the back.
The human bomb and the king’s body fully overlapped as they were hurled against the tent wall.
And the light reached its peak.
KWANG!!
Flesh and blood scattered.
The short and intense explosion instantly dyed the inside of the tent red.
— Keuh-keuh!
— Damn it! Shit! Priest! My eyes! I can’t see!
— Blood! Blood, blood!
The kings fell into a panic before the grotesque scene they had never witnessed before.
— Silence!
King Hudret’s roar silenced the screams.
— Calm down. Thanks to King Heian becoming a splendid shield, you were only splattered with blood and flesh, and at worst, they are just scratches.
King Hudret spat blood.
It was not Hudret’s blood. It was Heian’s.
Or perhaps the scout’s.
King Hudret wiped his face with a handkerchief and asked his deputy commander.
— How old was the son of the Heian Kingdom again?
— Fourteen, I believe.
— The prime of his life. He is going to have a rough time. Heian Knight. Call people to clean up the flesh.
Hudret ordered lightly, like someone telling someone to take out the trash.
The Heian knight who had witnessed everything shouted.
— Hudret!! You killed the King and how can you be so calm?!
King Hudret looked at him with an annoyed expression.
— What is this nonsense about me killing the King?
— Nonsense?! You shoved His Majesty Heian with your foot, that is why he died!
— You reap what you sow. That is the only fitting end. Hurry up and call people to clean.
— If this gets out, war will break out with other kingdoms, are you not afraid?!
King Hudret snapped his fingers at the protesting knight.
That gesture was not directed at the Heian knight.
Precisely, it was an order for the other knight standing behind him.
And that knight obeyed.
Swoosh!
The Heian knight’s head fell to the ground and rolled.
With a single strike, even the plate armor was cleanly severed.
— Heuk…!
— H-Hudret!!
Before fear could settle in, another person died.
This time, a true murder committed in front of all the kings.
King Hudret looked at the dead man’s neck and spoke.
— He attempted to cause useless chaos within the alliance, so I eliminated him under military law. I would appreciate it if there were no objections.
King Hudret did not feel a shred of guilt or regret.
He spoke to the kings calmly.
— Didn’t I say it clearly? Once allied, do not play useless tricks without my permission. Why do you think that is? Do you think I want to be the King of Kings? It is because situations like this are created where everyone can end up dead.
…….
— Due to King Heian’s reckless action, the kings here almost became pieces of meat. Yet, that bastard knight only cared about his own king and threatened me with war! If that kind of knight returns to his kingdom, what happens? A soft-minded prince will live harboring useless hatred. So, with benevolence, I eliminated the talent that would threaten the kingdom. What do you think of that?
King Hudret asked another Heian knight who had been watching the scene.
The knight nodded in silence.
— It seems the conversation is going well. Let us cover up the stories that could become mutual weaknesses. Your king died heroically protecting everyone, and the knight likewise. Hurry up and clean the flesh. And know that the Heian Kingdom withdraws from this battle.
— Understood….
— Good.
King Hudret sat down again.
The kings were bewildered by his actions.
They should be leaving this filthy tent, yet he sat back down.
— Hudret. How about we change seats and talk?
The kings of the Allied Forces asked Hudret.
— Right. Moving to a cleaner place would be better, don’t you think?
This place was uncomfortable not just for them.
Even the brutal Ureas found this unpleasant place far from easy to endure.
— Is that so?
King Hudret placed his hand on the blood-soaked table.
— I think it’s fine right now, but it seems it is too much for the Prince.
It is quite overwhelming.
An unexpected explosion and the death of a king.
Furthermore, the blood added to this situation.
Ureas’s head spun with adrenaline, practically paralyzed.
Every time he tried to speak, profanities wanted to come out first, so he could not maintain a normal conversation.
— Since the Heian Kingdom withdrew….
Instead, the one who spoke was a man calm even in this situation.
Ferda Valdrova.
— Your forces decreased, so can we not increase our share?
What continued amidst the blood and flesh was negotiation.
At his bold words, King Hudret’s expression hardened as he spoke.
— We will go up to 30%.
— 40%.
— You are no better than a bandit. The Heian Kingdom’s forces are around 2,000. 30% is already generous.
— The Allied Forces proved that they cannot even unite properly, so would 2,000 be a problem? Who knows how many more bombs you have strapped around.
An irrefutable reality.
— 35%.
— 40%. The Far East Army is comprised of soldiers trained to fight monsters.
— You refer to those magitech weapons. Are you saying you will take the vanguard with them?
— The vanguard is impossible, but if there is something blocking the path, we will be the ones to breach it.
King Hudret burst into laughter at Ferda’s proposal.
— You are a truly amusing human. When I saw you before, I thought I had you figured out, but I underestimated you too much.
— Thank you for the compliment.
— Fine. I shall observe how great that proud Far East Army truly is. If you step back even a single step, I will reduce the Empire’s share to 20%. What do you think?
— Let’s do it.
Ferda did not hesitate for a moment.
Whether he was reckless, or that confident.
Either way, it only pleased King Hudret.