Chapter 44: The Warrior and the Coward
Standing beside the warrior, Brandon, who had been frowning as he gazed into the distant Black Forest, was taken aback. He turned around and exclaimed in shock, "You want to enter the Black Forest? Now?"
"Didn't I say so before?"
Joshua replied nonchalantly, adjusting his helmet. His voice came out somewhat muffled: "I need to enter the Black Forest to scout, preferably to find the location of the magical beast causing the blizzard... There's no need to search anymore. That beast must be using the power of the Space-Time Gate to trigger such a massive blizzard... It's right there."
Following the warrior's gaze, in the distance, the clouds torn apart by the pillar of mana light erupting from the Space-Time Gate's activation had still not closed. Golden sunlight pierced through this great hole like a sword stabbing straight into the earth.
This was the most obvious landmark. Heading in that direction was absolutely correct.
"You're insane! The Space-Time Gate only opened not long ago. There are bound to be countless Wild Gods and magical beasts there. Going there is just walking to your death!"
Brandon simply couldn't comprehend this line of thinking. He knew Joshua's warlike nature and knew that he himself also desperately wanted to eradicate Chaos, but that had to be when they could actually win! Facing a force of two hundred thousand frenzied beasts and Wild Gods and still thinking about taking the initiative to attack—this wasn't just being warlike; it was completely insane!
"Although I don't know what those things you're talking about are... Regardless, we should hold the fortress and wait for reinforcements from the Imperial Capital. I reported the abnormal beast tide to the Imperial Capital at the end of the last one. In a few days, an Ultimate-rank expert from the Imperial Capital will arrive."
Holding her forehead with one hand, Verdani was well aware that these two warriors were hiding things from her. They definitely knew many important details that she didn't, but she still couldn't help speaking up: "Even though this anomaly looks extremely terrifying, as long as the three of us join forces, we should be able to hold out for a few days."
"No, you're both wrong."
Having fully adjusted his armor and gear, Joshua pulled out the model of an ordinary greatsword from his waist. With the glow of mana, the large sword was firmly gripped in his hand. The warrior shook his helmet, producing a metallic scraping sound, and said in a muffled voice: "We must attack now, while we still can. You don't understand the Space-Time Gate. There's no time left."
The experiences of his past life and the memories inherited from his ancestors through the Azure Orb told Joshua just how dire the current situation was.
The newborn forms of Wild Gods were indeed weak, just like the few small monsters he had slain while charging to reinforce the fortress earlier. He had felt no resistance in cutting them down easily—but in reality, Wild Gods were parasitic creatures. From the very beginning, they parasitized individuals from civilized races in other worlds, mixed in with Void Warships to reach that world.
In his inherited memories, Joshua knew that Wild Gods could gain the abilities of magical beasts by parasitizing them. Even without gaining beast abilities, growth forms that accumulated power over time were troublesome enough, let alone these parasitic variants. If he didn't kill them all while they were weak, and the Space-Time Channel opened a few more times to send in thousands more, the trouble would be enormous.
Now, two hundred thousand magical beasts had been corrupted by Chaos, making them the perfect hosts for Wild Gods—the horde was in turmoil, evil creatures ran rampant, the Space-Time Gate was about to open, and the power of Chaos was stirring restlessly. If he didn't go now, there would never be another chance.
"Listen, Verdani, Brandon. I told you long ago that I came here with my own purpose."
Joshua looked up. The wind and snow battered against his armor, carrying a bone-chilling cold. He glanced around at the soldiers busy preparing defenses and the city walls covered in a layer of frost and snow, and said in a cold voice: "I came to help repel the beast tide in order to deal with the Wild Gods. No matter how much you say, it's useless. This is my purpose for being here—I brought fifty Silver Knights. They're more than enough to help defend the city. As for me, I'm going to kill those monsters and that dragon. If you're willing to come help, that's naturally good. If not, then defend the city well. I don't want the knights I brought to die here."
With that, Joshua held a greatsword forged from steel in one hand and grasped Ying in the other. Crimson Battle Qi blazed all over his body, and with a thunderous roar, the blizzard ceased, the gale reversed, and the ice and snow on the city walls were blown away by the surging Battle Qi in an instant, revealing the gray-white solid rock beneath.
The warrior clad in black iron armor rose into the air. At this moment, the redwood rune box bestowed by the Imperial Emperor was behind his armor, in a pocket on his chest.
Even in his past life, he hadn't used expensive items like Dragon-Slaying Stones to slay dragons very often.
Behind his helmet, the corners of Joshua's mouth curled up slightly, his eyes filled with a fiery battle intent.
Just a bunch of experience points. What was there to worry about?
Without giving Brandon and Verdani a chance to dissuade him, the warrior flew rapidly toward the distant Black Forest, toward the place where the sunlight fell.
...
Silence.
On the city wall, although Joshua's departure caused some minor commotion, it soon returned to its original busy state. Thanks to the latest supplies delivered by the dragon-drawn carriage caravan, soldiers continuously carried boxes of the newest alchemical products onto the gun platforms, ready to launch attacks at any moment.
"The Space-Time Gate has opened, and the beast tide has been strengthened by Chaos mana. It's definitely more ferocious than before."
Suddenly, the blonde swordsman, who had been silent until now, spoke up: "Dani, you're a war mage. Although you know all the minor techniques ordinary mages do, regardless, your personal magic and Glory Force are more suited for large-scale warfare and city defense. They're not good for charging in..."
Sensing something was off, the female count turned her head and looked at her partner with confusion: "Brandon, you..."
"Joshua is right. If we don't deal with the Space-Time Gate now, once it fully opens and the endless monsters from behind pour in, you and I might be fine, but the fortress certainly won't hold... In fact, if it weren't for Joshua last time, it would have already fallen."
Interrupting Verdani's words, Brandon's expression was calm: "I've hidden many things from you, but believe me, it's all for your own good. Since your ancestors chose to step away from this matter, I will never let you re-enter this dangerous world."
"What exactly are you trying to do, Brandon!"
Ignoring the purple-haired female mage's angry rebuke, the blonde swordsman tightly gripped the twin blades at his waist. The Order Twin Blades, the Sequence Blades—these two holy-rank weapons surged with endless Order Force. The blood of the Chaos Warden within his veins boiled, and in his originally blood-red eyes, slowly rotating cyan whirlpools appeared.
He turned his head, gazing at Verdani's face, which was flustered with worry—he had traveled all the way from the Imperial Capital to the Northern Lands just to protect this woman... Just as Joshua had come here to eradicate Chaos, protecting Verdani was Brandon's purpose.
Perhaps ensuring her safety was the most important thing. If anything happened to the female mage, the blonde swordsman had no idea what he would become. He simply couldn't imagine a life without her by his side...
But if he just stayed by Verdani's side, would that really be right?
Gazing into the distance, in his vision, the aura of Chaos rose like a massive pillar of smoke, reaching the clouds, then scattering with the blizzard onto every patch of land. This repulsive aura made the Order Twin Blades resonate repeatedly, even within their sheaths.
This was his duty.
Yes... I, Brandon, am also a warrior!
The knot in his heart was untied. The corners of the blonde swordsman's mouth curled up slightly, and he said with a calm smile: "Everyone has their own responsibilities. Just as Dani, you can't give up your duty as a lord and would rather die than abandon your territory, now it's time for me to fulfill my duty."
Respect belongs to warriors who fulfill their duty. Even if they die, they receive an honorable burial. But a warrior who abandons his duty is nothing but a coward, worthy of anyone's scorn.
Opening his arms, Brandon embraced Verdani. He gazed into the female count's worried and flustered eyes, then kissed her deeply. After a moment, he released his embrace. Her expression was dazed, no longer knowing how to dissuade him.
The blonde swordsman said softly to his beloved: "Don't worry. I will be the strongest swordsman in this world in the future. I will never die here."
"Your husband is no coward... So, I'm going to help Joshua."