Chapter 119 – Let Me Change
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We left the burned New York and headed for the border with Ratel Kingdom.
It was a journey that would take ten days even by carriage.
I didn’t use it often recently, but there was a space distortion tent, and I had enough money and food.
There is no problem with the route itself.
“It’s the third time in just two days, Princess.
If a strong person who cannot be manipulated by hypnotic voices comes to visit you, then you will not be able to avoid it.”
‘Dancing with wolves’ was right.
The third is the number of encounters with the pursuers chasing us.
Each time he used a hypnotic voice to manipulate the memories of his pursuers, but the encirclement did not think about loosening up at all.
How much manpower did you put into it?
As soon as the battle was over, we wouldn’t know where we were going after leaving New York, and we wouldn’t even have time to call for support.
Did he even drag all the military units stationed nearby?
You want to go to war with me?
“If things go bad, we’ll have to abandon the wagon.
It will be a tough road, but take the horses and ride the mountain.
With our members, wild beasts shouldn’t be a big problem.”
“Princess, you should know.
The problem is not only the process of reaching the border.
The government guys aren’t stupid, and there’s no way they’ll let us go to the Ratel Kingdom.”
“Well, that’s right. Of course I have no choice but to smuggle in.”
“What…?!”
“Dances with Wolves,” He stammered.
“You’re going to cross the border secretly…? Do you think that’s possible?
Even if it is possible, what next?
From the perspective of the Ratel Kingdom, we are just people of the enemy country.”
“Ah, that’s something I’ve been thinking about.
My doggie is acquainted with the King of Ratel Kingdom.
It’s also a franchise.
So once you cross the border, there won’t be any big problems.”
“What… What?”
‘Dances with Wolves’ made her red eyes widen.
As she jerked her head away, Jia nodded her head with her wry smile.
It was ‘dancing with the wolves’ for a moment as her forehead touched her forehead as if her head was pounding, but she soon looked in my direction and let out her sigh.
Why are you making gestures like you’re giving up on thinking?
What do you think of me
“Yes, it seems that you, as well as the princess, were being chased by the empire.”
“Compared to Master, he doesn’t seem to have much interest in me.”
“Then, even if the treatment in the kingdom is different.
How are you going to cross that border?
I’ve heard that the Imperial Army is assigned at least one detective mage per squad.
Even more so, it seems impossible to pass by without being caught by the heavy security like now.”
It is a natural question.
I nodded and answered confidently.
“Find a place that looks weak and pierce it with force!”
“Ha…”
Not only ‘Dancing with Wolves’, but also Jia and Eunseo are looking at me with an evil expression.
My heart hurts.
“No, stop sighing first. I mean it.”
“I, of course, have all my thoughts…
Oppa, during your hunting unit days, you always moved according to a thorough plan.”
Eunseo put on a puzzled expression.
“I’ll do it when I have to fight cunningly, but not this time.
If I dragged my time for no reason, troublesome guys would come.
Quickly breaks through the siege and escapes, I think this is the best.
That way the least amount of blood will flow.”
“What if the annoying bastards are already waiting?
One of those ten-fingered guys might have been nearby.”
“Let there be such people. After all, one or two puppets of the emperor are not my opponents.”
It’s a fact I realized after dealing with the Ventri Loquist.
They may certainly be mighty wizards, but they are not great warriors.
Interpersonal warfare is my specialty and my focus.
I’m not going to lose to an empty wizard with no free will and no proper purpose.
This is especially true for those who rely on the power given to them by others who cannot handle it properly.
“You seem to have said it very sincerely.
If that’s what you mean, I’ll just follow.
You are the savior who brought life back to the land of the dead. I believe that nothing is impossible for you.”
“I will fight with all my might.”
“I’ll do my best so that we all don’t get even a single hairline hurt, oppa.
I won’t let anyone die this time.”
Despite my words that might sound absurd, they nodded.
A smile came naturally.
…
After that, the journey continued, and of course we ran into the people chasing us several times.
We confidently penetrated between them with the power of hypnotic voices, and when things were not going well, we relied on Jia’s sharp senses to escape the encirclement like mudfish.
Even with all my might, I had no choice but to abandon the carriage because checkpoints were erected on every road from the middle.
Although they encountered wild beasts, they succeeded in hunting without any problems as they were members with excellent fighting skills.
Spend a few days like that
We arrived at the border earlier than initially expected.
All in all, it was a successful journey.
“Now I just need to cross the border…”
The Imperial Army is a large army that easily exceeds one million in terms of headcount.
However, a minimum garrison is absolutely necessary to ensure the security and safety of each city from threats such as beasts.
The number of troops that could actually move would be much smaller, and it would be impossible to defend the vast borders without water leaks in the first place.
However, I never thought that the border would be this flimsy.
Except for the occasional patrol of nervous soldiers, there is no special guard.
There are sparse vigilantes, but literally sparse.
Although this is a rugged mountain, it is also a suitable place to hide for a small number of people like us.
“…What? You really didn’t think we were going to cross the border?”
“You can’t be that stupid.”
It is as dismissed by ‘Dances with Wolves’.
You’ve been following me skillfully until now.
The siege was also extremely dense.
If it’s this blatant, I think it’s rather a trap.
While I was in trouble, Ji-ah and Eun-seo, who had sent reconnaissance, returned.
“Master, it’s a big deal!”
“It’s a big deal, what is it?”
“I overheard the soldiers talking, and it’s war!
They say the war with Ratel Kingdom has resumed.”
“…War?”
Isn’t that strange?
Even during the truce, the relationship with Ratel Kingdom was always rough, and they sent Frachs like Jia from there too.
The bomb, which is not strange no matter when it explodes, has only exploded now.
It is clear that this is why so many soldiers are missing.
This is a mountain range that is too steep for an army to cross.
It seems to be waiting in a place where you will encounter the kingdom army.
“Your majesty…”
Jia seems to be worried about the King of Fair Wheels.
However, in terms of troops, the Ratel Kingdom was no match for the original Empire.
Nevertheless, the reason why the Ratel Kingdom has been able to fight the Empire for a long time is because they are a fighting race that even the seasoned Imperial Army sticks out its tongue.
It’s a country where the strongest warrior becomes the king, so I’ve said it.
In any case, this is a stroke of luck.
That woman of the emperor must be disintegrating by now.
Don’t secretly cross the border during this gap.
“Sister, sister! I have to say that too.
It’s not the only big deal.”
“Huh? What more?”
“That is…”
“Okay. I’ll tell you myself.”
I was startled.
It was because a familiar woman came out from behind Jia’s back.
Slender body with a small stature.
A fairy-like beauty with bright pink hair.
A woman with a dignity that cannot be hidden even with her youthful appearance.
It was Earl Eleanor Greypoint, commander of the hunting force and general of the Imperial Army.
“It’s Elroy! How the hell did you come here?”
“I was looking for you.
Keep going, keep going…”
Although she was taken aback by the sudden reunion, her joy was much greater.
As I took a step closer, Elroy trembled and stepped back behind her.
“Don’t come closer.
I won’t allow you to open your mouth until I give permission.”
That’s a pretty sharp reaction.
It’s like seeing her before their relationship deepened.
Aha… What have you done to the emperor?
Seeing that the emperor uses similar powers and miasma to me, I became suspicious as well.
It’s just speculation though.
“I found you a few days ago.
As I pursued you, there was never a moment when I didn’t think of you when I was asleep or awake.
Then I could feel something connected between me and you.
Something like thread, clearly visible even in the dark…
I just followed it.”
I just shrugged and didn’t answer.
I didn’t have any intention of hypnotizing him as soon as we met, but if that’s how Elroy can feel at ease.
Did you feel a connection with me anyway?
Could it be that you traced back to the passageway created when you received magical power from me?
She’s like Elroy with her immense talent as a strategy mage.
I could no longer hide from Elroy anywhere in the world.
It was proof that Elroy was looking for me that desperately, so she wasn’t in a bad mood.
“Before I set out to find you, I had a last conversation while looking for the nobles of the zodiacal circle.
It seems that all of them have heard of ‘The Ten Fingers of the Emperor’.
He even sympathized with their ideology and coveted their position.
I was too naive to not know such an open fact.
Your Majesty… I feel like I’ve seen the true face of the Emperor and the Empire.”
Looking at it now, Elroy’s expression was quite dark.
Her eyes were haggard, as she must have suffered a lot in the meantime.
She wasn’t like the girl who always showed off her perfect figure.
Wanting to comfort her, I raised my right hand and held out her index finger.
Because Elroy really likes sucking on this.
“…Sigh!”
Elroy trembled at the sight of her outstretched fingers, then covered her mouth and sighed at her.
She has been away from me for weeks.
Instinctively, you will want to taste the taste that you miss by sticking to me in your mouth.
Even suppressing it is a great mental strength.
“I am here to help you.
I can guess what you did to me.
I know very well that what I am about to do is against the wishes of the Empire and the Emperor.
Ha, but…”
She said in her weeping voice.
“Still, I want to help you.
I don’t even know why I’m doing this…”
Hearing her unexpected words, I opened my eyes wide, and Elroy turned her head.
Elroy pointed to her border as if trying to divert her gaze, she said.
“You can’t go beyond that.
The boundaries may seem flimsy, but a strong player who cannot be compared to ‘ten fingers’ awaits.
He is the blood of her emperor and the one who has been endowed with the most power by her.”
Emperor’s blood!
It is highly likely that he is the enemy who annihilated Jia’s family.
I said that the boundary was loose, but there was a corner to believe?
At that time, ‘Dances with Wolves’ came out.
“…You know needlessly detailed information. Isn’t that top-secret information?”
“That’s right. Even aristocrats probably know very few.
I know this information because I am also a member of the Ten Fingers.”
Elroy answered without hesitation, and she moved her hand without saying ‘dance with wolves’.
It seems to have relaxed at ease, but it is a posture that allows you to draw a pistol at any time.
But her I stepped in front of her and stopped her with a beckoning gesture.
“Even if you have to go back for a few days, find another place. If you can avoid him, you can easily cross the border.
And live the rest of your life in peace and quiet, in the kingdom of Ratel, or where no one can find you.”
“…Commander, won’t you leave with us?
If you’re disillusioned with the Empire, with the Emperor, come with us.”
Jia threw an unexpected proposal.
She said Elroy was a respectable man.
As if Elroy was equally surprised, she looked blankly at Jia and she smiled weakly for the first time.
“Thank you, but I can’t.
I have 10,000 men at the front awaiting my orders.
There are countless residents whose quality of life will depend on my choices.
No matter what the Empire may look like, there are many people living within it.
If so, then I cannot fail my duty.”
Hearing Elroy’s words, she realized the strange feeling she had been feeling earlier.
It feels like the intense light I always felt from Elroy has faded.
Come to think of it, she never said the words she always proudly said.
Since you’re the main commander, His Majesty’s manseal blah blah blah.
Could it be that his high self-esteem as an aristocrat was fatally wounded by the shock of facing the ugly side of the empire and the emperor?
She had few opportunities to see the reality of her empire, due to factors such as her rise to the top at a young age and her upright and upright personality.
I don’t know what the emperor did to her or what she saw, but it was clear that she was shocked as if a blade touched her soft bare skin.
But even so, her essential nobility was unscathed.
When her thoughts reached this point, she naturally took steps.
“Elroy.”
“Don’t come near me. I definitely told you not to even open her mouth…”
“Elroy, the cities you rule will surely be good cities to live in.”
Depending on how the ruling nobility rules, a city can become a slave city or a paradise-like place to live.
And the three cities where Elroy has her dominion will surely be the latter.
Elroy clenched her teeth tightly, as if her heart trembled at my words.
She clenched her trembling fists.
“Shut up… I don’t want to hear nice words or excuses.
You me…”
“Yeah, I couldn’t help it because you were so hot.
I manipulated you and ate you, remember?”
“…”
After proudly admitting it, Elroy lost her words.
Acting shamelessly without changing a single expression is my specialty.
I kept saying
“So I’m angry at the emperor for not letting you be your most beautiful and sultry state.
So I’ll change it, Elroy.”
“What… What now…”
“I will bring down the emperor and change the empire.
To a country you can be proud of.”
Elroy, full of mixed emotions and shedding tears, is really hot.
Even the tips of her hair blowing in the wind are lovely.
But nothing compares to her confident, bright glow in her hunting unit.
I said with firm determination.
“And when that time comes, I’ll control you again and eat you.
I’ll make you feel the best.
So I’m looking forward to it. Elroy.”
My lips, which I assure you, were forming a wild smile like a beast.
