Chapter 47.1: The Siege of Ironheart (1)
「”I love you.”
The crimson sunset illuminated the two lovers.
“Lord Count, I am only a commoner…”
“I know.”
“Meeting me will only bring you hardship, Lord Count.”
“I do not care for hardship. But if it pains you, then I shall turn back.”
“……”
Garrick took Mia’s hand.
Their conversation continued until the sun dipped below the horizon, giving way to an all-encompassing night.
A confession of the present, bridging a past where love blossomed and a future where trials awaited.
Finally, his beloved nodded.
Garrick retrieved a small jewelry box from his pocket.
Its four pillars were crafted from pure gold, and intricate patterns were etched into the thin marble of its walls.
Mia knew Garrick wasn’t one for extravagant gifts. Her eyes widened as he presented her with such an ornate box.
Garrick took her hand and placed the box within it.
“This contains the last creation of the Crowl family founder.”
Click—
Garrick opened the box.
Inside lay a small bird sculpture.
It was clear that someone had recently attached a loop to it, allowing it to be worn as a necklace.
His hands trembled slightly as he fastened the necklace around Mia’s neck.
“I do not know why a man who only crafted weapons would create such a sculpture, but I am certain it suits you far better than it ever could me.”
An heirloom of the Crowl family.
With a single gift, Garrick conveyed what a thousand words could not.
Mia held the bird sculpture that now rested upon her chest.
Whooosh—
It had been black within the confines of the box, yet as soon as her fingers grazed its surface, it shifted to a soft pink.
Garrick smiled at the sight.
“It seems the rumors are true—it reflects the heart of its owner through its color.”
“You……”
Mia’s face flushed crimson, mirroring the hue of the sculpture as her heart was laid bare.
Garrick pulled her close, whispering softly.
“There is a legend surrounding this sculpture.”
“What legend?”
He touched the sculpture as well.
It shifted to match Mia’s color.
“Legend says that when these steel wings take flight, all fate changes.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Let us simply take it as a good omen. That when this world attempts to tear us apart, this bird will help us soar above it all.”」
🔹🔹🔹
It was pitch black.
In front of Ironheart’s walls, knights and soldiers of Count Crowl stood in formation, armed with spears and shields.
And one more.
Cain Ethelred began walking towards them.
Whooosh—
A wind carrying acrid smog from Ironheart’s factories blew. The wind was so black that the scattering flower petals instantly lost their color.
It suited Cain perfectly.
Crackle—!
Long, tied-back black hair and violet eyes that could make one’s knees tremble with just a look.
Pure white lightning erupted from his two clenched fists—!
“Stop him!”
Arian, with her golden hair, shouted from atop the wall.
No one moved.
They didn’t want to fight the Sword Master, who was no less than Crowl’s hero, the one who had deflected magical cannons three times with his sword.
“Kill him.”
Count Garick’s low voice.
They had been indifferent to Arian’s words, but at Garick’s command, they overcame their fear and raised their weapons.
Cain raised the corners of his lips.
‘Unlike Lamaring, this one is a proper Count.’
Cain looked back.
His party was staring at him with their weapons as if they would rush forward at any moment.
He glanced at Oleciren, who had done everything for him, even at the cost of losing everything, and then looked ahead again.
He raised his fist and shouted.
“I am Cain Ethelred!”
Rumble—
The flower garden shook, the petals scattering wildly as the massive city of Ironheart trembled.
[The seal of early winter shakes even more violently.]
In his past life, he had wielded ‘Winter’ countless times, but just now, even Cain felt a chill run down his spine at the sheer magnitude of power that had erupted.
It was only natural for his enemies to freeze.
[‘Winter’ is with you.]
Swoosh—
Even though he didn’t use ‘Winter of Night’, a pure white cloak gradually began to flutter from Cain’s shoulders.
“Hear me, Count Crowl—!”
If he had a sacred treasure that gave him strength when he needed it, what was there to hesitate about?
Cain decided not to think about what was behind him.
‘If the price is me, I will gladly bear it with a smile.’
He walked forward, making a vow that would make Oleciren and Abel panic if they knew.
Thud—
He got closer to Crowl’s soldiers.
“Today, Crowl falls by my hand.”
“……!”
Just one man had declared war against an entire county.
It was a story anyone would scoff at, but no one here could.
A chill that defied the wind.
A sharp, cold murderous aura, as if it would freeze their souls, pierced through Crowl’s forces, silencing even Arian.
Whoosh—!
At that moment, Cain kicked off the ground.
“Raise your spears!”
Seeing Cain charging at them like a ray of light, the knights instinctively commanded.
The soldiers raised the tips of their spears as they were trained.
Of course they would stop him.
They thought Cain would stop in front of the spear points, but he kept charging.
Killing a hero was heartbreaking, but orders came before conscience.
The soldiers gripped their spears tighter.
Arian watched with sweaty palms, hoping that it would end this easily, that the adversary Cain would die.
Of course, that wasn’t going to happen.
━It would be like tickling the monsters with your bare fists.
There was a warrior who had survived for a year on the Great Wall with only his two fists.
━No matter how much you hit them, they would recover, and even if you managed to catch one, it wouldn’t make a dent.
Johnny-Walker wasn’t the kind of teacher who gave answers. He only showed the way to find them.
━Fight. Fight, fight, and fight again. Then you’ll know. How to defeat a horde of monsters with your bare fists.
Then, and even now.
Cain always found the answer.
The spears didn’t point up or to the side.
He didn’t back down.
Kaboom—!
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