The Soldier Shouted Save

Chapter 23

Standing guard at the inn’s entrance, I assessed the situation.

“…Ugh. Don’t spill it—pour it properly!”

The palace warrior was healing the wound in his chest with a potion. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

‘He twisted his body in reaction to the thrust.’

Even though I had aimed for his heart from behind, he had instinctively dodged just enough to avoid an instant kill.

The difference in skill between us was beyond measure.

‘But the others…’

Several men rushed at me with raised swords.

“Kill him!”

I calmly analyzed the situation, adjusting my grip on my sword as I narrowed my focus.

‘I just need to finish off the palace warrior.’

The number of mercenaries disguised as guests didn’t matter.

“Hyaaaah!”

“Kill him!”

Their footing was sloppy.

Their swordsmanship lacked any follow-through.

Despite facing more than ten men, the ones charging at me posed no real threat.

―Whoosh!

With a slight flick of my wrist, I redirected their attacks.

Like a snake, my sword slithered along their blades, stabbing one of them in the throat.

―Thud.

The man collapsed, stiff as a wooden plank, his jaw pierced.

“…What the hell?”

In just a few seconds, I had taken one down, and the others hesitated, their steps faltering.

Even I was a bit surprised. I glanced at my hand, frowning.

‘…It’s not that they’re weak—I’ve gotten stronger.’

Now that I was aware, I could clearly feel it.

It was like moving in a dream, where my body responded exactly as I imagined.

When I fought against the goblins, the necromancer, and the attackers at the inn, I hadn’t realized how much stronger I had become.

“Don’t be scared! Attack him all at once!”

I was at ease.

My muscles swelled and responded to every move.

I could even see the objects reflected in the enemies’ eyes.

‘Let’s test this.’

How many lives had I repeated to survive?

I hadn’t counted.

I only knew I had to break free from this stagnant present, and to do that, I threw myself forward.

―Whoosh!

With minimal effort, without slowing down, I dodged their blades and stabbed through their guts like a machine.

I moved toward the only man in this space who could match me in battle.

“…The saintess’ brother is an Earthling? This is fucking absurd,” the palace warrior laughed, tossing the empty potion bottle aside.

―Clang.

The sound of glass shattering on the floor echoed.

And then, a golden light emanated from the warrior’s body, healing the gaping wound in his chest.

Assuming his signature stance, with both fists pressed against his cheeks, he muttered,

“…Fine, I’ll pay back the healing I’ve received.”

With that, the palace warrior lunged at me, throwing a punch.

At that moment, I realized everything was arrogance.

Even though he wasn’t fully healed, the gap in our abilities was undeniable.

―Whoosh!

His brass knuckles grazed my cheek, and I nearly blacked out from the force.

‘I can’t win in a straight fight, can I?’

His punch could have crushed my skull.

I barely blocked it with my sword acting as a shield.

“Ugh!”

The palace warrior abruptly halted his barrage of punches.

The wound in his chest, not fully healed, had burst open again.

‘Now!’

I wasn’t about to miss the opportunity. I reached out toward him.

But then, suddenly, all strength left my body as I felt a sharp, unpleasant sensation from behind.

―Thunk!

A cold blade pierced my back.

“Die!”

The man who had successfully stabbed me shouted triumphantly as the others charged.

‘Damn it…’

Not yet.

I couldn’t die before I had tested my limits.

‘Don’t act like a baby. You haven’t tried everything yet…’

I had to see if my resolve would work.

The pain from the knife in my back was less than that from stabbing my own throat. I yanked the blade out and swung my sword in a wide arc.

“W-Wait!”

One of the men stumbled and fell, and I skewered him with my blade.

“Hyaaah!”

Another man’s scream echoed as I deflected his sword and sliced through his neck.

The bodies piled up, the wooden floorboards turning red with their blood.

“Huff… huff…”

I wiped the blood off my face and caught my breath when I heard someone chuckle.

“As if it wasn’t enough that the saintess’ brother isn’t a Gerard native, there’s something even bigger here, huh?”

The palace warrior grinned as he stared at Croa’s dagger, which was radiating a golden light.

“You’re a necromancer, aren’t you?”

I felt the nausea intensify as the wound in my back stopped bleeding, but the corrupt energy within me swirled up.

Unable to suppress the sickening feeling, I threw Croa’s dagger onto the floor and asked,

“Why are you after Croa?”

“When the gods order it, you obey. Does it matter why?”

“…The gods?”

“You know, the lucky bastards who got all the good perks and are now clinging to power like rotten parasites. …Ah, I guess you wouldn’t know if you haven’t been to the Imperial Palace.”

The palace warrior’s casual tone shifted as he glanced down at his reopened wound and scowled.

His hands were covered in blood.

“How about we call it quits? I don’t know what kind of roleplay you’re doing, but I’ll back off from the saintess.”

Feigning a relaxed smile, he jerked his chin toward the window.

“When the priests arrive, neither of us will get off easy. Right?”

He was right. The palace warrior, who had tried to kill Eris, and I, a necromancer, both had enough reasons to be executed on the spot by the church.

But I had no intention of accepting his offer.

“Why should I let go of my prey when I’ve already killed everyone else?”

By now, my siblings and Eris should have reached the church.

“Hah, you’re fucking ridiculous. I’m not making this offer because I can’t kill you.”

The palace warrior let out a bitter laugh before suddenly kicking off the ground.

―Whoosh!

It was the same move he had used before, the one that had burst my guts in an instant.

As I guarded the inn door, I assessed the situation.

“…Ugh. Pour it properly, don’t spill it!”

The palace warrior was healing the hole in his chest with a potion. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

‘He twisted his body just in time to avoid the worst.’

I had aimed for his heart, but at the last moment, he instinctively twisted, avoiding instant death.

The gap in skill between us was insurmountable.

Even though I had left him with a deep wound through the chest, I knew he wasn’t someone I could defeat easily.

I smiled, filled with a twisted sense of joy, as I pulled out the parchment.

“Situs.”

As soon as I spoke the activation word that Hyerin had taught me, I ripped the parchment in half.

―Rip!

At that moment, blue particles rose around me, and then a figure with brown hair appeared in the room.

It was the warrior, Lee Hyerin.

“Send him away!” I shouted.

Hyerin immediately extended her hand toward the palace warrior and chanted,

“Migratio!”

Blue particles wrapped around both Hyerin and the palace warrior.

“W-What the hell is this?!”

I smiled as I stepped out of the teleportation’s range.

“Goodbye, heretic.”

With those words, Hyerin and the palace warrior disappeared from my sight.

* * *

At Freya’s Church in Tallin.

Arriving at the church with Allen’s siblings, Eris shouted to the crowd gathered in front of the church.

“H-Hurry! Someone’s still fighting the heretics! We need reinforcements at the Moonlight Inn, now!”

The crowd of believers turned to look at the elder, waiting for his response.

“And this child?” the elder asked, looking at Croa.

“She shows promise, so I’ve accepted her as an apprentice priestess.”

‘…Please, let this work.’

Eris was sweating nervously under the elder’s scrutinizing gaze when a sudden blue light engulfed the church.

“Ugh… What is this?”

Eris looked confused as she scanned the area, noticing the two people who had just appeared: Jang Jin-woo, the palace warrior who had attacked her at the inn, and the girl with brown hair.

Seeing them disoriented, shaking their heads, Eris’ eyes widened. She pointed at the palace warrior.

“H-Heretic! This is the man who tried to kill me and this child!”

It was Jang Jin-woo, the palace warrior who had worked with the dark mages who summoned Grimgal, just as Allen had said. Eris’ voice trembled with urgency as she pointed out the heretics.

“Prepare for immediate judgment,” the elder ordered with a dry voice.

The paladins’ appearance shifted.

Their flowing priestly robes turned into shining golden armor, and in their scarred hands appeared gleaming white swords.

Jang Jin-woo let out a bitter laugh.

“…Hah. You’re fucking crazy.”

―Thud!

A paladin kicked the back of Jang Jin-woo’s knees, forcing him to kneel.

“Ugh!”

As he was forced to his knees, the palace warrior looked up at the countless blades pointed at his head, still wearing a fake smile.

“There’s… There’s been a misunderstanding, elder. I never conspired with heretics.”

A blatant lie.

Jang Jin-woo had attacked the Moonlight Inn the moment he heard dark mages were targeting Allen’s siblings.

‘It’s not over yet.’

Eris kept her cool, calming her racing heart.

She was a priestess of Freya’s Church. If she waited, the opportunity to speak the truth would come.

“Do you, Eris, a servant of the great Lady Freya, swear upon Freya’s name that you speak no lies?”

Only those blessed by Freya could take such an oath.

Eris raised her voice and swore,

“I, Eris, testify under the name of Freya that when I arrived at the Moonlight Inn, after hearing the report of dark mages hiding there, I was attacked by the palace warrior Jang Jin-woo and several other men. I swear this is no lie.”

The elder reached out and placed his hand over Eris’ head.

A white light, symbolizing truth, enveloped her body.

At that moment, the lie of the palace warrior was revealed, and the truth of Eris’ words shone brightly.

“…Fuck.”

Jang Jin-woo ran his hands over his face in frustration. Did he truly think his sins wouldn’t be exposed this easily?

The elder extended his palm toward the palace warrior.

“Even if you are Warrior Jang Jin-woo, you will not escape punishment for conspiring with heretics and attacking a priestess.”

How would the filthy palace warrior weasel out of this one?

Letting out a deep sigh, Jang Jin-woo finally spoke.

“The Imperial Palace. I was acting under the orders of the palace to protect the saintess.”

“The saintess? Who are you referring to?”

“…That kid, hiding back there.”

Jang Jin-woo gestured toward Croa, who was hiding behind Allen’s sibling.

Everyone in the church turned to stare at her.

“…”

Croa, hiding behind Allen, trembling.

“It’s alright… Just stay calm.”

I tried to soothe Croa, making sure her holy power wouldn’t surge out due to her anxiety.

The elder’s cold voice echoed through the room.

“The Imperial Palace’s intelligence must be slipping. Mistaking an apprentice priestess for the saintess.”

“…What? We confirmed it through the guild status screen… There’s no way… Did you check properly?”

“There’s no need to check further. The true saintess radiates holiness merely through her presence.”

The elder shifted his gaze from Croa back to Jang Jin-woo, now looking down on him.

“Is that all you have to say? That the Imperial Palace is incompetent?”

Conspiring with heretics, attacking the church, and even insulting the saintess—Jang Jin-woo seemed to finally grasp the weight of his sins as he swallowed nervously.

“I-I didn’t know! It… It was a misunderstanding by the palace! I was chasing the saintess under the orders of the palace! There’s… There’s a decree that proves it…”

He mumbled as he fumbled through his coat, searching for the proof.

“Send the document, hurry.”

Everyone heard him mutter to himself, but neither the elder nor Eris could stop the palace’s treacherous plot.

‘Cowardly bastard.’

What broke the palace’s overreach wasn’t the church, but an outsider unaffiliated with anyone.

“Ignis.”

A small flame appeared in the hand of the girl with the brown hair, Lee Hyerin.

Slowly, like a stone tossed through the air, the flame drifted toward the document.

But no one, not the paladins, not the elder, not even Eris, moved to stop it.

“N-No…!”

The flame engulfed the decree the moment it left Jang Jin-woo’s coat, and in seconds, the royal document was reduced to ashes.

Jang Jin-woo frantically tried to put out the fire with his hands, but by the time he succeeded, it was too late. The document was nothing but blackened ash.

“The Elder of Freya’s Church, Selendel, swears by the name of Freya: In accordance with the pact with the Imperial Palace, we have given Warrior Jang Jin-woo ample opportunity to explain himself. Yet, the warrior has failed to dispel the suspicion of heresy.”

The elder declared while staring directly at Jang Jin-woo.

“I now entrust your immediate judgment to Lady Freya. Prepare your prayers, everyone.”

All those present in the church knelt, folding their hands in prayer.

Golden chains of light wrapped around the warrior, binding his arms and legs.

“N-No! It’s not true!”

The elder reassured Jang Jin-woo as he struggled.

“Don’t worry. If you’re innocent, you’ll survive.”

The elder’s smile and the truth had been revealed.

―Boom!

A pillar of Freya’s light descended upon Jang Jin-woo’s head, and in an instant, his body melted away.

TL Note: Rate us on NOVEL UPDATES