I Alone Regress in a Hero Party That Was Annihilated - Chapter 76

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#76. One-Man Siege (1)

 

The small fortress ‘Vibuak’, located far from the Main Castle.

 

Vibuak’s Castle Walls are high and steep, but the Military Rations stored inside are few.

 

A Castle built long ago to contain pirates crossing the Sea.

 

But after the Sea froze and became an endless Ice Plains, it lost almost all strategic value and was practically abandoned—that Castle is Vibuak.

 

And deep within this Vibuak Fortress, Thoroughbred was throwing a tantrum.

 

“Aaaaaaaahhhhh!”

 

He grabbed everything within reach and hurled it while screaming.

 

Crash!

 

A cheap Vodka Bottle hit the Fireplace and shattered.

 

Like flames raging drunk on liquor, Thoroughbred’s anger blazed.

 

“How! How did that Mörsolt bastard devour Tochika Castle! How!”

 

Thoroughbred still couldn’t accept reality.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

The Old Rangers standing behind him couldn’t say a word.

 

For them too, the fall of Tochika Fortress was shocking.

 

Throughout its long history, the Iron Fortress that had never once allowed foreign invasion had fallen into another’s hands.

 

And to merely thirty or so enemies at that.

 

Even during the retreat, a considerable number of Rangers had died or been crippled by stray Arrows.

 

Thoroughbred grabbed everything within reach and hurled it indiscriminately.

 

What he couldn’t throw, he kicked and smashed with his feet.

 

An old Ranger with his left eye covered by a black eyepatch stepped forward.

 

“Family Head. Please calm down. At times like this, you must respond with composure…”

 

“Shut up! Do I look like I can calm down right now!”

 

Thoroughbred pulled out a burning piece of firewood from the fireplace and hurled it.

 

Thwack!

 

The half-burned firewood struck the Old Knight’s forehead.

 

Flames and ash scattered through the air.

 

A trickle of blood flowed down from the Old Ranger’s forehead.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

The Purosange Rangers squeezed their eyes shut and turned their heads away.

 

Someone among them let out a very quiet, but unmistakable sigh.

 

Thoroughbred raised his bloodshot eyes.

 

“Who was it?”

 

“…”

 

“Who just sighed?”

 

“…”

 

No one stepped forward.

 

Then Thoroughbred drew the sword from his waist.

 

“How dare you look down on the Family Head’s actions? Which bastard was it? Come out! I said come out!”

 

Thoroughbred shouted, spitting saliva as he yelled.

 

But none of the Rangers moved.

 

“Oh ho, is that so? You’re covering for him? Fine, let’s see you hold out. I’ll root it out of you and rip that bastard’s tongue out…”

 

“Please stop, Family Head.”

 

The Old Ranger stepped forward.

 

He spoke without even wiping the blood flowing down from his forehead.

 

“In such a difficult situation, each skilled Ranger is a great asset. You shouldn’t waste them carelessly.”

 

“Are you trying to lecture me now?”

 

“Receiving teaching is not shameful. A wise person finds something to learn even from a three-year-old child.”

 

“Since I’ve been going easy on you, now you’re trying to climb right on top of my head. Say one more word. I’ll cut your throat first.”

 

“…”

 

At those words, the Old Ranger closed his eyes.

 

Thoroughbred let out a hollow laugh.

 

“Now you don’t even want to talk? You have no manners. This won’t do. I’ll make an example of you…”

 

Just then, there was a woman opening Thoroughbred’s door.

 

“Oh my? Did I come in at an inappropriate moment?”

 

Shedyoldis, the Mage with light purple hair.

 

At her appearance, Thoroughbred ground his teeth.

 

“You bitch! You said it was fine to go on the expedition, so I went out, and look what happened! My son is dead and even the castle was taken!”

 

“I’m sorry. I also didn’t know that Mörsolt’s Young Prince would be so reckless…”

 

Shedyoldis trailed off and immediately smiled with her eyes.

 

“But in the end, Mörsolt will destroy itself.”

 

“What? Why?”

 

“They’re moving all the Territory Residents from Tochika Fortress to Mörsolt.”

 

“!”

 

At those words, Thoroughbred’s expression crumpled completely.

 

Shedyoldis continued speaking.

 

“When I used scrying through the crystal ball, I saw flames rising at Tochika Fortress right now. Those Mörsolt bastards are burning down the food storage.”

 

“Those madmen! Why the hell!?”

 

“They’re trying to make it impossible for us to hold out even if Purosange recaptures Tochika. By completely moving out all the people inside as well.”

 

“If they do that, public sentiment will plummet to hell, won’t it?”

 

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

 

Shedyoldis nodded and added.

 

“Featherback. That young prince is acting like he’ll only rule the Northern Region for about a week. He seems completely unaware that it takes decades just to recover once public sentiment turns bad.”

 

“Hmm… A guy who doesn’t care about public sentiment at all. What a tremendous dictator. That kind of person won’t last long.”

 

Thoroughbred nodded.

 

Though he understood their problems, that didn’t change the reality that his eldest son was dead and the main castle had been taken.

 

“Public sentiment turning against those Mörsolt bastards is a future problem… but isn’t the crisis facing our Purosange the immediate reality right now?”

 

“That’s why we need to act quickly.”

 

“Act?”

 

“Featherback captured Tochika single-handedly, but he doesn’t have the ability to maintain it. That’s why he’s burning all the provisions and preparing to withdraw. Now that there’s no food there, where do you think he’ll go next?”

 

“That’s right! Yes! He’ll take Tochika’s territory residents and move to Mörsolt!”

 

“You understand, right? We need to chase after him immediately and kill him.”

 

“You’re right! Why didn’t I think of that! I was momentarily distracted arguing with those good-for-nothing parasites!”

 

Thoroughbred turned his head to look at the old rangers.

 

“That’s an order! Deploy immediately and bring me that bastard Featherback’s head!”

 

“Family Head, all the soldiers are exhausted.”

 

“Shut up! So you’re saying we should just let that bastard Featherback escape while he’s running far away at this very moment!?”

 

“Family Head, right now…”

 

At the Old Knight’s words, Thoroughbred shouts while drawing his sword.

 

“Don’t argue with my words anymore! If you do, I’ll kill you with one strike!”

 

The Old Rangers ultimately had to issue mobilization orders to the soldiers again.

 

…However.

 

“This is terrible!”

 

A Young Ranger came running and reported.

 

“An, an attack! The Mörsolt Family has attacked!”

 

“What? They didn’t flee?”

 

Thoroughbred asked back as if bewildered.

 

Shedyoldis asked while maintaining her composure.

 

“At most, it would be just a small number trying to buy time for that Featherback bastard to escape. In other words, they’re sacrificial pawns. So, how many of those fools who don’t value their lives are there?”

 

“Th, th, that is…”

 

The Young Ranger answered as if perplexed.

 

“One person!”

 

“…What?”

 

Thoroughbred and Shedyoldis’s expressions turned blank.

 

The Young Ranger squeezed his eyes shut and finished his report.

 

“Featherback Mörsolt! That one person has crossed the castle walls and is wreaking havoc within the castle!”

 

* * *

 

Late at night.

 

Featherback was climbing the castle walls with a sword and shield strapped to his back.

 

He channeled mana into his fingertips and pressed firmly against the castle wall.

 

Crumble—

 

The stone blocks making up the castle wall sank in like soft clay.

 

‘Bare-handed wall climbing is a basic skill that any warrior in a Hero Party should possess.’

 

During the Demon Realm War, he had climbed countless castle walls with his bare hands.

 

‘Being alone is definitely more comfortable.’

 

Featherback had left the Ten Attendants who were following him waiting at the bottom of a hill far from the castle walls and moved alone.

 

The highest and steepest sections of the castle walls had fewer sentries.

 

Featherback had blackened his hair and face with ash from a campfire and hidden in the shadows.

 

When he approached right below the battlements, Featherback pulled out a matchbox from his chest.

 

Inside were long, thin hairs piled up thickly.

 

Whoosh—

 

When Featherback blew his breath, the hairs in the matchbox were carried away by the wind.

 

Soon, the sentries standing on the castle walls began to react.

 

“Ugh… This is strange. Why is my body so itchy?”

 

“Achoo! Achoo! Ugh— Why do I keep sneezing… even my nose is running…”

 

“My eyes keep stinging. Someone give me some water. Ow, my whole face is burning now.”

 

When the black hairs touched their bodies, their skin turned red and became painful.

 

The thin skin around their eyes and inside their noses was becoming raw and swelling up.

 

Featherback nodded his head.

 

‘It was good that I shaved off J’ba FoFi’s fur.’

 

J’ba FoFi, the tyrant spider of the Nightmare-Devouring Forest.

 

That descendant of the giant spider Kunni Babun, who ruled the Mythical Age, left many gifts for Featherback even after its death.

 

Using the giant spider’s fur to divert the attention of the soldiers on the castle walls, Featherback climbed over the battlements and stood atop the walls.

 

What happened after that was predictable.

 

…Thunk!

 

Featherback’s dagger, coated with ash to prevent light reflection, ruthlessly pierced the guard’s back.

 

“Huk!?”

 

The soldier, his back and lungs pierced by Featherback’s dagger, couldn’t even scream and just gasped with his mouth before collapsing forward.

 

Featherback, having changed into the dead guard’s clothes, approached the guard standing on the opposite side.

 

He was too busy sneezing repeatedly because of J’ba FoFi’s fur to notice his comrade being killed by Featherback.

 

“Uh— what’s going on…?”

 

The moment the second guard raised his head, Featherback’s sword moved.

 

Slash—

 

The guard, with a long horizontal gash across his throat, sat down with a dazed expression.

 

Featherback impaled the dead guard’s body with a spear and fixed it to the castle wall.

 

Looking up from below, one could see the silhouettes of two soldiers standing guard duty without any problems.

 

Featherback, wearing the dead soldiers’ clothes, came down the stairs and headed beyond the castle walls.

 

Several soldiers carrying torches were patrolling inside the castle walls, checking the locations of military supplies.

 

Featherback raised his hand.

 

“You there, you guys. Are you standing guard properly?”

 

“Ah, yes! We are! No problems during our duty!”

 

The soldiers saluted in response to Featherback’s attitude of speaking to them so casually and authoritatively.

 

Featherback nodded his head.

 

“But why are only you guys here? Where are the other guards?”

 

“Ah, we split left and right up ahead. We three are in charge of the left side and the other three are in charge of the right side.”

 

“If forces are dispersed, you could be defeated one by one. Who arranged guard duty like that?”

 

“Huh? Hayal Ranger arranged it!”

 

“Ah, Hayal? Where is that guy now?”

 

“He should be at the guard post in front of the castle gate!”

 

“I see. By the way, who’s there right now? I was thinking of bringing a few bottles of vodka.”

 

“Only Hayal Ranger is there. Originally he was with us but was deployed to guard duty… Um, excuse me, but may I ask which unit you belong to…”

 

The soldiers examined Featherback’s outfit and tilted their heads.

 

For someone dressed as a soldier, his manner of speaking was too authoritative, which seemed to raise suspicion.

 

Featherback nodded his head.

 

“I belong to Mörsolt.”

 

“What? Hahaha—”

 

The moment the soldiers thought it was a joke and burst into hearty laughter.

 

Flash—

 

Sword light scattered.

 

The three soldiers collapsed without even being able to scream.

 

Featherback pushed the three corpses into a nearby snowdrift and covered them.

 

‘Today I should just dig a few dog holes lightly.’

 

To conduct guerrilla warfare by going in and out for the next few days, he needed to dig three or four holes leading outside the castle walls.

 

If he dug holes in secluded and remote places, poured muddy water to freeze them, and covered them with snow, they would never be discovered until spring came and the snow melted.

 

When he wants to infiltrate again, he just needs to bring oil and a torch to melt the ice blocking the Dog Hole.

 

‘It would be disappointing to just dig the Dog Hole and leave, so should I kill off the guys working at the Guard Post while I’m at it?’

 

Featherback drew his sword and headed toward the Castle Gate.

 

Crunch― Crunch― Crunch―

 

With each step carved into the Snow Field, fear and chaos were rising.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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