Chapter 238 – Technique (1)

In conclusion, Alon’s group was able to break through that overwhelming number of followers and arrive at the alliance.

“W-We survived and came back?”

“R-Really?”

The soldiers, after confirming that the followers were no longer chasing them, muttered with dazed expressions.

The path they had run like crazy.

What was visible there was just thousands of footprints.

Not the followers who were chasing while emitting madness.

Nor the monsters that were drooling.

Nothing was visible.

Silence settled on the land.

The soldiers, who were dazed while staring at the path they had run, unconsciously threw down their weapons…

“I survived!”

“To think I’d survive and come out of that crazy place…!”

…And celebrated their survival by hugging each other.

The joy of surviving.

The relief of having escaped.

Swept by hopeful emotions, they were highly elated and shouted so loudly that the entire forest rang.

“Huff…huff…”

Beside them, Penia was panting like a dog with her tongue out.

Alon also let out a rough sigh and leaned his back against a tree.

‘Somehow, we managed to escape.’

Alon, who caught his breath, turned his eyes around to look at the soldiers.

There were many survivors.

However, naturally, the number had significantly decreased compared to when they first set out for the front.

It was natural.

Even if Alon had killed dozens of enemies and one Apostle to instill fear and despair in the enemies and hope and courage in the allies.

The overwhelming difference in military force inevitably created sacrifices.

“…”

An unavoidable bitterness washed over him.

In Alon’s sight as he scanned the survivors, familiar faces came in.

Liang’a and Ar, who were hugging each other as if they were happy despite panting for breath.

Nangwon and his sister, who were also shedding hot tears.

Beside them, even Langban, who was breathing deeply with his sword plunged into the ground while his eyes shone with the relief of being alive.

Around the time he was staring blankly at that scene.

“…Thank you.”

A slender voice was heard.

“…?”

When Alon turned his gaze, a girl was bowing her head there.

She certainly looked familiar…

“…The one who fell earlier.”

“Yes, if it weren’t for you, God, I would have died.”

Alon soon realized.

That she was one of the girls whose life he had just saved.

“I’m glad.”

“Truly, thank you very much.”

The girl bowed her head even deeper.

The moment he saw her fall while running and facing a crisis was brief.

However, Alon remembered the girl accurately.

Because her race was ‘human.’

It was a strange thing that there were humans among the forces currently following Alon.

“Thank you, God!”

“If it weren’t for God, I would have…”

Following that.

Those who had been saved by Alon began to greet him one by one with respect and awe.

Alon, who was receiving the greetings of gratitude, hurried his steps again after a while.

Although they had broken through the front line and escaped the pursuit of the followers, they had not yet joined the alliance.

While Alon was leading the group and advancing again, Langban approached him.

“You’re saying something is strange?”

“Yes.”

Langban’s brow was slightly distorted, unlike earlier.

“If we have walked this much, there should be a front line of the alliance, but it’s strange that it’s still not visible.”

“Is there no chance we took the wrong path?”

“No, this is the right place.”

“Is there a possibility that some problem occurred on the alliance’s side… is that it?”

Langban remained silent for a moment and then spoke.

“…It’s not that there’s no chance a problem occurred, but it still shouldn’t be a major problem. If it were the worst-case scenario we assumed, there’s no way the followers wouldn’t have sent a pursuit party.”

“Then the problem is…”

“It’s just that the point where I feel strange is that if the front line has retreated this far, it would be natural for them to send a pursuit party, but they didn’t.”

“…Didn’t you say the soldiers rescued at the last altar were the ones most recently rescued?”

“I heard it was about three weeks, but they are also feeling something strange.”

At those words, he pondered briefly for a moment.

“Still, let’s continue advancing for now. There’s no other way anyway.”

“Understood.”

Alon chose to continue advancing.

Langban nodded his head immediately.

The procession moved forward without stopping to reach the front line of the alliance.

####

About three days passed from then.

In a march that was long if long and short if short, there was only one fact Alon found out.

That the front line of the alliance, which clearly should have been there, was missing.

Of course, he hadn’t heard any special information or seen anything.

However, circumstantially, it was strange.

Alon and the soldiers had broken through the front line of Baarma’s followers, crossed over to the alliance side, and had been walking east until now.

The front line was not visible at all.

Even so, Baarma’s followers did not send a pursuit party to them as if the front line with the alliance was solid immediately after they broke through and escaped.

The soldiers could not help but gradually feel that something was strange.

“Did you say we’ll arrive at the alliance if we walk for about another week?”

“Looking at the current speed, it seems we’ll arrive in about that much time.”

In the unsettled atmosphere, night settled over the gray sky.

At Langban’s report, Alon nodded slowly.

“I hope we can find out something when we arrive.”

“…I feel the same way.”

Langban let out a sigh so small it was barely audible.

“Still, it’s certain that we’ll be able to find out something if we go to the alliance.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. While crossing over to the east, I checked here and there, and traces of the army’s withdrawal are visible in various places. I don’t know for what reason the followers are maintaining that front line instead of pushing in, but…”

Langban finished his words by saying they would find out when they arrived.

Subsequently, a girl approached Alon.

“God…here.”

“Thank you.”

Shake, shake…

The girl brought a sweet potato to Alon as if she had been waiting.

The beastfolk girl with large ears like Seollang’s stared blankly at Alon while fiddling with her tail, which looked very fluffy.

Alon, who felt a silent pressure as if telling him to eat it right now.

Naturally, he ate the sweet potato while recalling her name.

‘Was it Lia?’

She was one of the people Alon had rescued along with the human girl as he broke through the front line three days ago.

Since then, as if to repay him, she had been consistently bringing a sweet potato to Alon every meal.

The girl brought one.

However, the sweet potatoes Alon ate every meal were almost four.

No, beyond the level of four.

Lately, Alon was eating very abundantly despite the situation of food shortage.

There were two reasons for that, and one was…

“Ah…! I’ve been beaten!”

“It was my turn!”

“How dare you…!”

“Eh…”

Because of the children who were competing to bring sweet potatoes.

Liang’a and Nangwon clenched their fists as if they were frustrated.

The girl Alon rescued last time and Ar let out a low exclamation.

Looking at those faces, Alon accepted all the food the children brought today as well, without fail.

…Actually, it would have been fine if it were only this far.

“…This is food brought from over there…”

“It’s fine.”

“No! God must be healthy!”

“Please do not make us impudent fellows who do not even know gratitude…!”

The problem was that he had to eat other food as well.

“Then I will eat well, with gratitude.”

“No…!”

The soldiers moved away while bowing their bodies.

In the place they swept through, in addition to the four sweet potatoes, a very large amount of fruit was piled up like a mountain.

The reason why he could not help but overeat beyond being abundant.

“…I see it all the time, but it’s really a lot, Marquis.”

“I agree, Godfather…”

Penia and Rine, who were sitting next to him, also shook their heads as if they were tired of it.

Alon also let out a sigh secretly.

The worship of the soldiers that began after breaking through the front line three days ago.

It didn’t feel bad for him, but it was true that it was a bit burdensome.

It was the case right now.

It seemed that the soldiers who distributed the food had backed away and disappeared.

But in fact, they were secretly stealing glances from afar to see when Alon would eat the food they offered.

Therefore.

‘I hope we arrive soon…’

Alon forced the sweet potatoes and fruits into his mouth.

…The sweet potatoes were still delicious, though.

####

Around the time another day or so had passed since then.

Alon arrived at ‘Dalma,’ the place before reaching the headquarters of the alliance and where Liang’a had asked to be taken when she first met him.

Dalma looked almost exactly as Alon had expected.

The village was miserable.

Whether the houses were destroyed by arson, they were marked by black ash and half-burned pieces of wood.

The fields were covered in gray soil.

Other than that, bloodstains visible here and there, and various farming tools and walls broken and scattered about.

It was almost exactly the image of a village that had been attacked as Alon imagined.

However, if there was one thing that missed his expectation.

…That was the corpses gathered in the village square.

Alon frowned, distorting even his characteristic expressionless face.

It was such a gruesome sight.

To the point where even Alon, who had seen numerous corpses, let out a retch.

“Ugh…”

“Crazy…”

Voices of the soldiers were heard between his ears.

And.

“…Eh?”

Liang’a’s voice, which had been energetic, was heard.

A voice as precarious as a glass bead, as if it would break at any moment.

####

Yutia Bloodia.

She was staring blankly up at the night sky.

The Milky Way was beautiful.

To the point where anyone who was asked would say it was truly beautiful.

“…”

However, there was no particular emotion in Yutia’s expression as she looked at the Milky Way.

The corners of her mouth just maintained a straight line.

The emotion seen on her entire face was nothing other than apathy.

Nonetheless, Yutia stared blankly at the Milky Way.

As if she were going to engrave the appearance of the Milky Way into her red eyes.

At that moment.

Thud…

A very small sound was heard.

A thud, a very shallow sound.

Yutia turned her body while still looking at the Milky Way and looked toward where the sound came from.

Seollang was there.

Seollang’s face was directed downward, so it was not visible.

However, even without seeing that face, Yutia could easily grasp Seollang’s emotions.

Because the emotion Seollang was showing now was something she also knew well.

However, Yutia spoke calmly.

“Seollang, I’m sure I told you? Don’t leave your spot as much as possible.”

A monotonous voice.

And a voice that Seollang was afraid of.

However, even though she clearly said so.

“You heard it, didn’t you?”

Seollang instead questioned Yutia back.

Without any fear at all.

Rather.

“…Huh? Tell me, Yutia. You must have heard it. Why did you order us to stay still?”

Dripping with thick anger.

“Why are you so peaceful? You heard the report, didn’t you? Eunsa… is dead… I told you Eunsa is dead! We have to take revenge on them! On those hungry ghosts… right?”

Even at the sight of Seollang, who was full of bloodlust, Yutia.

“Seollang, stay cool.”

…Just spoke calmly.

At that, Seollang, who remained silent for a while.

“…I feel sorry for Eunsa.”

She spat out.

“…What?”

“Eunsa cared for Yutia… whether you were there or not. But Yutia doesn’t.”

Seollang lifted her head before she knew it.

Both eyes were swollen as if she had shed many tears.

In those eyes, a clear sense of betrayal and enmity were deeply embedded.

“So, I feel sorry for Eunsa.”

A sentence spat out as if chewing it.

In the quiet silence.

Yutia, who had been expressionless until just a moment ago…

“Ha.”

…Then burst into laughter.

A small chuckle.

And.

“…It seems you need some education, Seollang.”

Yutia raised her index finger.

With a face full of anger, which she had never shown at any time.