Chapter 99

Though his full-throttle sprint had been brief, so he wasn’t billowing white smoke like before, the thick dust enveloping the area made the shimmering heat haze emanating from his body, like threads of silk, even more vividly etched into the knights’ eyes.

That wasn’t all. The moment their gaze met his cold, sunken eyes, the knights felt an inexplicable shiver and involuntarily trembled. A strong man. Having dedicated their lives to the sword, they could glimpse his immense strength just from Jun-sang’s presence. Among them, one person in particular, Princess Errolomine, was more shocked than anyone else. Her mind went blank for a moment, unable to form a single thought.

However, Jun-sang’s expression, the cause of all these reactions, slowly began to frown.

“I asked if this was the central army.”

Only then did Errol startle awake and reply hastily, “Y-yes, it is.” But Jun-sang’s frown did not ease.

“Are you in charge of this unit?”

Errol shook her head. “That’s… not me.”

Upon hearing her words, Jun-sang said with a cold expression, “Then be silent.”

“…” Errol bit her lip at Jun-sang’s merciless words. Seeing her face flush with shame, Tamarel was enraged and shouted loudly at Jun-sang, “You scoundrel! How dare you speak to…” But he couldn’t finish his sentence. A chilling red gleam began to pour from Jun-sang’s eyes.

Activating his Gaze of Fear, Jun-sang stared directly at Tamarel and asked, “Who are you?”

Tamarel gritted his teeth and began to resist the Gaze of Fear emanating from Jun-sang.

“Ugh…” Veins bulged on his face and neck, and his eyes turned red from burst capillaries. Tamarel, struggling against the unknown power that bound him, cried out loudly, “I am… I am… Tamarel!”

Seeing Tamarel’s struggle, Jun-sang nodded. At least among the humans he had met so far, he was the only one who had managed to shake off the Gaze of Fear. Considering that not many bosses had been able to resist its power, this middle-aged man was likely one of the strongest-willed individuals Jun-sang had ever encountered.

“Impressive.” Jun-sang withdrew his Gaze of Fear and quietly said to Tamarel, “I wish to see the commander of this unit or Prince Dunstel. Bring them.”

As the red gleam from Jun-sang’s eyes disappeared and Prince Dunstel’s name was spoken again, Tamarel gasped for breath and gave him a suspicious look. “Why do you seek the Prince…?” Tamarel dared not lower his tone. Jun-sang looked down at Tamarel, who was staring at him suspiciously, and said, “I have something important to discuss. Regarding the forces of darkness.”

Then Errol, who had been listening quietly nearby, quickly asked, “The forces of darkness?” But Jun-sang did not tolerate her interruption.

“I told you to be silent.”

Errol felt her breath catch as a chilling red gleam poured from Jun-sang’s eyes towards her. For a moment, she couldn’t do anything, absolutely nothing. Far from screaming, she couldn’t even blink or twitch a finger. All she could do was tremble with fear, her face pale, unable to breathe properly, like a poor butterfly tightly bound in an invisible web.

Only then did Tamarel, realizing what was happening to Errol, quickly threw himself between her and Jun-sang, shouting, “Stop! Stop it!” As Jun-sang’s form disappeared from her sight due to Tamarel blocking the view, Errol finally gasped for breath and shivered uncontrollably. She had thought he would be strong, but not this strong! That she couldn’t even withstand his gaze! Where had such a person come from!

But as her terror-stricken mind began to flow with thoughts like a bursting floodgate, Errol soon found it easy to deduce his identity. “C-could it be… the foreigner who was guarding the bridge?”

Hearing Errol’s murmur from behind him, Tamarel finally realized Jun-sang’s identity. That’s right. That would explain how he knew Prince Dunstel’s name! Tamarel realized this and immediately shouted, “I will bring the Prince at once! Please wait a moment!”

Jun-sang then nodded, withdrew his cold gaze, and looked around. Tamarel quickly ordered his adjutant to send word to Prince Dunstel, who was at the rear with the supply train. Only then did he look at Errol, who was still pale and gasping for breath.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m… fine.” Though she said she was fine, her complexion said otherwise. Tamarel sighed lightly and quietly said, so Jun-sang wouldn’t hear, “His personality is not ordinary. It might be dangerous, so it’s best to leave for now…”

But Errol bit her lip and replied, “I can’t do that.”

“Your Highness.”

“I am not standing here as a princess now. I am here as a knight.”

Then Tamarel’s gaze turned cold. “Very well. I will do as Your Highness wishes.”

“Thank you…”

“Knight Errolomine Breeze Bahim Eshtalen.”

Errol was flustered because his tone was no longer warm.

“Commander?”

She looked at him with a bewildered expression, but Tamarel said with a stern face, “Repeat the order?” Only then did Errol’s mind clear.

“Knight Errolomine Breeze Bahim Eshtalen, I receive the order.”

“I command you to immediately reposition to the rear.”

Errol bit her lip and repeated the command.

“I am ordered to reposition to the rear.”

“Execute.”

“Execute!”

Errol pulled on the reins and rode her horse to the rear. Tamarel sighed deeply only after seeing Errol’s slumped shoulders as she slowly moved to the rear.

“Phew…” He shook his head and turned his horse’s head, simultaneously seeing several people dismounting from a stopped steel carriage and, beyond them, Prince Dunstel galloping frantically on his horse.

He waited patiently, and Prince Dunstel arrived first on horseback.

“A foreigner is looking for me?”

At Dunstel’s words, Tamarel pointed to Jun-sang, who was standing a short distance away with his back turned, quietly gazing into the distance. “Yes, that person there…”

Dunstel immediately recognized Jun-sang and looked surprised. “No! What about the bridge? How did you get here?”

Jun-sang then turned around and quickly spoke to Dunstel, who was dismounting from his horse and approaching him.

“I have something important to say.”

“What…?”

“The pursuit force was a decoy from the start. The enemy’s main force is breaking through the Silent Wetlands by bypassing the canyon.”

At his words, Dunstel and Tamarel were startled.

“T-that’s impossible!”

At Dunstel’s exclamation, Jun-sang quietly asked, “Why do you think it’s impossible?”

Tamarel, who had dismounted alongside Dunstel, quickly replied, “The Silent Wetlands is a place humans cannot easily traverse. Even with experienced guides from the vicinity, the poisonous energy and swamps can easily lead to annihilation. How much more so for a large army to move through it…”

It was a seemingly valid point, but Jun-sang calmly replied, “That’s true. However, you are overlooking one fact.”

Dunstel asked again, “What is it?”

Jun-sang quietly dropped a bomb.

“They are not a human army.”

“…” That single statement from Jun-sang left Dunstel and Tamarel speechless. That’s right. The forces of darkness were not an army made of humans. Judging them by human standards was a grave error.

“Th-this…” Jun-sang spoke again to Dunstel, whose face had turned pale. “This was obtained from the enemy’s pursuit force.” With that, he took out the operational plan, enclosed in a Ziploc bag, and handed it to Dunstel. Dunstel examined the contents of the ancient script in the operational order and nodded. “Indeed… as you say.”

Jun-sang’s eyes flickered slightly at the sight of Dunstel effortlessly reading the plan’s contents, which had taken even Heness a considerable amount of time to decipher. However, he pretended not to know and asked Tamarel again, “Do you have a map marking the vicinity of the wetlands?”

Tamarel asked with a troubled expression, “Why the map…?”

“I was observing their approximate location. I’ll mark it on the map for your reference.”

“…”

As soon as Tamarel heard that, he quickly turned around and ordered his adjutant, “Bring the operational map! Quickly!” When the adjutant hastily brought and unfolded the map, Jun-sang, referring to the terrain shown on his minimap, pointed with his finger to the location where the enemy’s main force was.

“Here, this is the spot. And their direction of advance was this way.”

“Th-that can’t be!” Dunstel and Tamarel turned pale again. They were surprised that the enemy had penetrated much deeper than expected.

As Jun-sang pointed out the enemy’s position on the map, the quest information in the corner of his vision updated again.

(Hidden) Obtain the enemy’s operational plan from Garland and deliver it to the central army. (Solo) -> The deciphered operational plan from Garland revealed that the pursuit force targeting the Heavenly Bridge was merely a decoy to attract the central army’s attention from the start. Track the enemy’s main force, which is secretly moving through the Silent Wetlands by bypassing the Anjermang Grand Canyon, and confirm their location.

-> As per the plan, the enemy’s main force is currently traversing the Silent Wetlands. If they continue to move at this speed, they will surely cross the wetlands soon. You must immediately return to the bridge and inform the marching central army of this fact.

-> Completed!

“…” Jun-sang, who had been expecting something bothersome to happen again, simply nodded as the hidden quest completed without further incident and bade farewell to Dunstel without lingering. He might have been able to get a new quest by summoning Heness, but seeing the pompous Chinese soldiers approaching, he decided against it, feeling it would only complicate matters unnecessarily. Dunstel’s easygoing attitude, completely unlike the typical image of an authority-laden royal, was somewhat to his liking, but he didn’t feel close enough to constantly follow and look after him. The main quest Jun-sang received this time was, after all, to protect the Heavenly Bridge.

“With this, everything I can do is done. The rest is up to you to handle well.” Jun-sang said that and turned without looking back.

“What? No, wait…” Dunstel was startled and tried to grab Jun-sang, but before he could even reach out, Jun-sang was already sprinting towards the Heavenly Bridge at an incredible speed. Dunstel watched his rapidly disappearing back, utterly dumbfounded.

“Th-that can’t be…” He already knew Jun-sang was strong, but the fact that a human could run away so quickly with just two legs was something Dunstel found hard to accept. As he stood there staring blankly, the Chinese military officers finally approached, puffing themselves up.

“What’s going on?”

“Ah…” Tamarel looked at the map with a bewildered expression, then heard their voices and quickly raised his head. “Hmm… Well, new intelligence has come in.”

“Intelligence?” Tamarel explained to the Chinese military officers the enemy’s location and direction of advance that Jun-sang had told him. The Chinese military officers, upon hearing the explanation, said with displeased expressions, “It certainly makes sense. But wouldn’t it be difficult to simply trust it unconditionally?”

“Hmm…” Tamarel felt the same way. First, it was impossible to change the unit’s direction of advance now, trusting the words of someone they didn’t even know. If the Heavenly Bridge were to be destroyed because of it, he couldn’t even guess how much more damage they would have to suffer to gain a bridgehead to the northern region. Also, the operational plan obtained from the pursuit force could not be completely ruled out as an enemy deception.

But just then, Dunstel, who had been listening to Tamarel and the officers, spoke. “How about this?” Everyone’s attention turned to him, and Dunstel slowly continued, “The Heavenly Bridge doesn’t require many troops for defense, considering the terrain. So, let’s send a portion of the knights and the supply train to establish a base and focus on defense, while the main force of the knights and you utilize your mobility to scout the enemy’s anticipated emergence point.”

The dispersion of forces was not ideal, but armored vehicles themselves were better suited for mobile warfare than static defense, and the same applied to the knights. Furthermore, if the situation became unfavorable, they could even employ a tactic of breaking through the swamp using the armored vehicles’ amphibious capabilities. If that happened, even if this was an enemy deception, they could counter-attack the enemy’s rear.

The Chinese military officers recalled these points and agreed with Dunstel’s suggestion.

“We agree with that opinion.”

Tamarel also had no objections.

“I also think that method would be good.”

As everyone agreed, the Chinese military officers returned to their unit to announce the revised operational plan. Tamarel watched their backs and said, “Your Highness.”

“Yes.”

“How do you plan to select the detachment to be sent to the bridge?”

Dunstel chuckled and replied, “I suppose I’ll have to go myself.”

“You, personally?”

“Yes. We’re somewhat acquainted, and considering his status, only someone of my rank or Errol’s would be fitting, but sending just her alone feels a bit unsettling, so I have no choice but to go. So, please take good care of him.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

Dunstel then realized Errol was missing and asked, “But… where is Errol?”

At his words, Tamarel gave a wry smile. “I sent her to the rear for a moment.”

“Hmm, was something wrong?”

“There was a slight issue with that person earlier.”

Tamarel replied, then suddenly remembered something and asked Dunstel, “By the way… do you happen to know that man’s name?”

Dunstel, hearing the question, then realized he had never heard Jun-sang’s name.

“W-well, now that you mention it, I haven’t heard his name either. However, I do know one thing…”

“What is it?”

Dunstel looked around and then secretly whispered into Tamarel’s ear, “This is a secret… well, actually, that man is apparently a royal from the Silla Dynasty, a thousand-year kingdom existing in another world.”

“Ah…” Only then did Tamarel understand where Jun-sang’s majestic demeanor came from.

Thus, the seed Heness had sown was spreading to more and more people.

At any rate. According to Dunstel’s proposal, a portion of the knights and the supply train separated from the vanguard unit and headed directly towards the bridge, while the Chinese army and the main force of the knights departed towards the enemy’s anticipated emergence point.

Lee Min-seo, who had been nodding off in the royal carriage following the supply train, was startled awake when she suddenly saw the Chinese army and the knights splitting from the unit and heading elsewhere.

“Dong-jun! Wake up!”

“Hmm! Wh-what’s going on?”

“Look over there, over there!”

Dong-jun looked in the direction Min-seo pointed and frowned, seeing the Chinese armored vehicles and the knights departing.

“Where are they going?”

“I don’t know. I just saw it now.”

“…”

Dong-jun tilted his head and said, “Well… if it’s important, someone will come and tell us. We just need to get to the bridge, right?”

“That’s true, but…”

“If it were important, they would have told us. Just ignore it and get some more rest.”

“Hmm…” Min-seo looked somewhat displeased, but she nodded at Dong-jun’s words, crossed her arms again, curled up, and closed her eyes. However, contrary to Dong-jun’s thoughts, the reason they hadn’t been informed had nothing to do with the importance of the matter. It was simply that no one had thought of their existence.