I Alone Regress in a Hero Party That Was Annihilated - Chapter 78

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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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#78. Fire Bull Formation (1)

“Ugh… ughhhhh…”

Baron Thoroughbred, Family Head of the Purosange Family.

Since taking refuge in this Vibuak Fortress, he hadn’t been able to sleep peacefully for even a single day.

Whenever he closed his eyes, he would see his eldest son Pinin.

His child appeared with his upper body nearly melted away after being devoured by the Frozen Horror.

‘Dad… it’s so cold here… please cover me with a blanket… no… it’s too hot… please pour water on me… no… it’s too cold… Dad…’

Thoroughbred shed tears of blood as he embraced his son.

But his son only spat out venomous words.

‘Dad… what kind of father outlives his son… why did you send me to Featherback… you should have gone yourself… what parent in this world lives longer than their child… I should never have been born as your son… I was only miserable because I was your child… you’re the one who killed me!’

Pinin transformed into a demonic form and bit into Thoroughbred’s throat.

“Aaaahhhhh!?”

Thoroughbred let out a scream and bolted upright.

He had been collapsed on the floor of his cramped office.

It seemed he had fallen asleep after causing a drunken rampage.

“Damn it… useless bastards. The Family Head is collapsed like this and they’re all off doing who knows what…”

Thoroughbred got to his feet.

The flames in the fireplace blazed fiercely.

Deep shadows were cast from the taxidermied goat head hanging on the wall.

Looking around, he noticed several swords and arrows embedded in the walls and ceiling.

These were traces of his drunken rampage when he had swung swords and arrows at his subordinates, but Thoroughbred couldn’t remember it.

“Is anyone out there!”

At Thoroughbred’s roar, a Soldier entered the Room.

He was paralyzed with fear.

Thoroughbred recognized that he was not part of the Elite Forces but a low-ranking Soldier who had originally been stationed at Vibuak.

“Looking at your Armor, you’re from Vibuak. Where did all the men I brought go?”

“Following the Family Head’s orders, they went out to Search inside the Castle. They’re pursuing Featherback, who must be hiding Within the Castle.”

“Is he really inside the Castle? Not going in and out from outside?”

“We’ve checked the Castle Walls multiple times, but there were no holes.”

“How did you check?”

“We carefully examined whether there were any holes drilled in the Castle Walls.”

“Did you also check the Walls buried underground?”

“Yes. We stabbed everything hard with Spear tips, but there were no holes at all.”

“Damn it. Then he’s inside…”

Thoroughbred cooled his boiling insides with cold Vodka.

But for some reason, the Fire in his chest seemed to rage even more fiercely.

“Go and tell them. I’m giving exactly one day. If they can’t bring me Featherback’s head within that time, those things will lose their heads too. I don’t need incompetent Subordinates, so I’ll execute them as an example.”

“F-Family Head. If you do that… even now the Rangers are working so hard…”

“Working hard isn’t what matters. Doing well is what matters. Or perhaps…”

Thoroughbred glared at the Soldier with bloodshot eyes.

“Should I cut off your head instead?”

“Hieek!?”

The Soldier collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed by the sinister glare Thoroughbred was emitting.

“Hoo—”

Seeing the soldier trembling on the floor, Thoroughbred suddenly wondered what he was doing and let out a deep sigh.

Here he was, the Family Head of Purosange, one of the Five Fingers of the North, intimidating some lowly soldier from a countryside fortress – his situation was utterly pathetic.

“Get lost.”

Thoroughbred waved his hand dismissively at the soldier.

The soldier scurried out of the room like a fish escaping from a net.

Thoroughbred slumped into the chair in front of the fireplace.

“Damn it…”

Nothing was going right.

He had lost his son, lost his castle, lost his subordinates, and now he had lost his reputation too.

He couldn’t understand how things had come to this.

“No. I know. At least I know this one thing.”

When he encountered Featherback at the edge of the forest.

Everything went wrong from that moment.

He should never have met that white demon.

He should never have looked directly into those blood-red eyes with his naked eyes.

From that moment, Thoroughbred had already been marked as the monster’s prey.

“…I shouldn’t have made him an enemy.”

But he had already come too far.

He had lost too much to surrender now, and what he had lost wasn’t something that could be recovered just by surrendering.

And whether the other party would accept his surrender and forgive him – that was an entirely different matter.

Thoroughbred recalled Featherback’s expressionless face.

Shiver—

It feels like frost is settling on his spine.

Such a monster would show mercy and forgive him? Not a chance in hell.

And in the first place, how could he live under the same sky as the one who killed his son?

“Now that it’s come to this, I’ll kill him by any means necessary. Really, by any means necessary… even if I have to sacrifice everything I have…”

The madness in Thoroughbred’s voice grows thicker and thicker.

Just then.

“Good attitude.”

The goat head hanging on the wall spoke.

As Thoroughbred turned his head in surprise, a thick shadow immediately cast down from the tip of the taxidermy’s horn.

The shadow seemed to stretch viscously before transforming into the form of a woman.

Shedyoldis.

She was looking at Thoroughbred with her violet pupils gleaming.

“Damn it, why do you appear in such a way? There’s a door, you know, a door.”

“I’m sorry. The distance was far, so I used teleportation magic.”

“What could be far in this cramped castle interior?”

“I went outside the castle. To find a secret plan.”

“A secret plan?”

Thoroughbred’s eyebrow twitched.

Shedyoldis came close and pressed herself against Thoroughbred’s side.

“A secret plan to capture and kill Featherback.”

“What? Th-there’s such a thing? In this current situation?”

“It’s possible precisely because of this current situation.”

She gave a seductive smile and cupped both of Thoroughbred’s cheeks.

“Baron. Can you stake everything to kill Featherback, to destroy the Mörsolt Family?”

“Of course!”

“The Baron of old would never have agreed. But the current Baron is different. Your resolve is firm.”

An even deeper violet light emanated from Shedyoldis’s eyes.

“To kill Featherback, a sacrifice is needed.”

“A sacrifice? What should I offer?”

“Meat. A very large amount of meat.”

“Perfect. This castle overflows with meat. Vibuak was originally built for livestock.”

Thoroughbred nodded.

This Vibuak Fortress where they had taken refuge was situated in the middle of a sunken basin terrain, making it relatively warm for the Northern Region.

When the fierce cold winds passed over the basin, relatively warm air would descend below, then rise again to create circulation.

Several cold-resistant grasses grew even in winter, and cattle bred to withstand harsh cold would graze on them.

Purosange was originally a family founded by an attendant of a warrior who followed the Hero, and since that attendant was originally a shepherd boy, they had deep connections to livestock.

Thoroughbred continued speaking.

“Vibuak Fortress has over a thousand cattle. All breeds improved to withstand the Northern Region’s bitter cold. They have thick, tough hides that are unaffected by cold winds, and their two horns are sharp enough to tear through a Frost Wolf’s belly hide. And they’re gentle-natured, so they follow humans well…”

“Baron. Enough about the cattle.”

Shedyoldis extended her index finger and placed it against Thoroughbred’s lips.

She whispered in Thoroughbred’s ear with a voice sweet and sticky like honey.

“The meat I’m talking about isn’t beef.”

“Then?”

“Human flesh.”

“!”

Thoroughbred’s eyes widened in shock.

Shedyoldis finally brought up the main point.

“And it must be the flesh of someone who has trained their body and mind well. For instance… like the Purosange Rangers?”

“Wh-what do you intend to do with them?”

“Offer them as sacrifices, I told you. To kill Featherback. And furthermore, to destroy Mörsolt and make Purosange the First Family of the North.”

“…”

Thoroughbred fell silent.

Shedyoldis sat quietly with a smiling face, waiting for his decision.

Finally, Thoroughbred spoke.

“I’ll offer them.”

“You’ve made a wise decision.”

“But how? What’s going to happen next? What should I do…”

“Shh. Family Head, you don’t need to worry about anything. Just get a good night’s sleep. When you wake up, everything will be finished.”

“Are you leaving me?”

“Just for a little while. I need to change locations to prepare the ritual. I’ll be back soon.”

“Don’t leave. If even you’re gone, I…”

Thoroughbred reaches out with both hands.

Shedyoldis gently embraced Thoroughbred.

“You’re such a good boy, our Family Head.”

“I… I…”

“Just wait a little while. Like such a good child, don’t do anything, just wait for me. I’ll finish the preparations quickly and come back.”

After finishing her words, Shedyoldis’s body began to melt away into black.

She transformed into shadow just as when she first appeared and was sucked into the goat taxidermy.

“Wait until I return and do nothing. Nothing at all.”

Shedyoldis’s final message echoed in Thoroughbred’s ears.

* * *

Featherback gathered the final ten men, including Hounded.

Hounded spoke.

“There are strangely many feed storage buildings in Vibuak Castle. So I investigated inside and was able to discover numerous stables.”

“That’s right. It wasn’t for feeding war horses, but cattle feed. Probably cut during summer.”

“The cattle are also specially bred varieties. So they can be raised even in cold places.”

The other knights chimed in agreement.

Despite not having eaten or slept properly for ten days already, they were still energetic.

Seeing how they had each killed dozens of enemy soldiers alone and gathered information in such circumstances, they were truly worthy of being carefully selected elites.

Featherback nodded.

“From now on, each of you will take charge of one stable.”

“The stables?”

Hounded and the other knights tilted their heads in confusion.

Featherback continued.

“Go to the stables and sharpen the tips of the cattle’s horns. If there’s no time, just carve them with your sword to make them pointed.”

“It’s not difficult work. However, since there are nearly a thousand cattle, it will take some time.”

“There’s more to do. Sprinkle ash on the cattle’s bodies to make them black and tie oil-soaked straw bundles to their tails.”

“…?”

The knights tilted their heads in confusion.

Featherback had always given orders thoroughly, but at this moment, he exceptionally shared the strategy.

“This is the moment of decisive battle. When I give the signal, set fire to the cattle tails and break down the stable doors.”

“!”

Only then did the Knights realize Featherback’s intention.

Featherback’s expression was as expressionless as always and his voice was also calm, but this was giving absolute trust and confidence to the people around him.

“We’ll use the Fire Bull Formation. Purosange will be destroyed today.”

At the same time, he intended to test the true power of the Mage named Shedyoldis.

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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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