I’m Hunting My Enemy - Chapter 107
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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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107. Sanctuary (2)
“Fire!”
With a loud command, an ice pillar flew toward the city wall.
With a tremendous crash and explosion, vibrations shook the ground briefly, and the massive ice shattered into countless fragments that rained down on the soldiers’ heads.
Even though they had raised their shields overhead in advance, the soldiers’ teeth chattered involuntarily from the ice shards piercing down.
“Don’t panic!”
The Duke of Greatone commanded calmly.
“The mages Ryuie has with her cannot launch such an attack twice!”
Thanks to Marquis Kelsus returning to the capital, the Duke could accurately estimate how many forces Ryuie had.
And just how insane his daughter’s actions were.
‘If we only counted the ones she took from the ducal house, we could have easily gained the upper hand.’
Unfortunately, the nobles who had been drawn in by Ryuie’s provocation brought their own knights and mages to protect themselves, only making Ryuie’s forces stronger.
The Duke of Greatone felt no remorse about unleashing attacks on his own daughter. And he knew full well that his daughter felt the same way.
‘You know me as well as I know you, don’t you?’
His prediction that she would start with the largest and most conspicuous attack, given her love for flashy things, had been spot on.
Since there wasn’t enough oil, it was well within his expectations that the magic aimed at the city wall would be ice rather than fire.
The Duke encouraged his men again.
“Don’t let your guard down! Our objective is not to break through! I’ll say it again and again—we absolutely must not let any intruders inside!”
Normally, setting up position on the city walls and simply repelling the army’s invasion would have been a successful defense.
After all, having a fortress gave an overwhelming advantage to the defenders.
But this current battle was a war where Ryuie had personally declared she would kill a god.
As was known, no one knew how to kill a god.
Therefore, even a single intruder might cause an irreversible catastrophe.
‘That’s why I deliberately posted sentries outside the city walls too. With those mages around, who knows when they might tunnel their way inside.’
While the Duke had a much greater advantage in terms of army numbers, the sheer massive scale of the capital meant he lacked sufficient soldiers.
If this had been a battle where they could clash head-on refreshingly, the Duke wouldn’t have had such headaches.
Since both sides had no choice but to proceed with guerrilla warfare, accurate prediction and response were the only ways to survive.
Like a game.
‘You really haven’t changed one bit from when you were little.’
The Duke recalled memories of playing chess with Ryuie.
Even at a young age, Ryuie understood and memorized the chess rules immediately upon hearing them. The Duke thought this would allow him to hold Ryuie’s interest for some time.
However, not even three days passed before Ryuie threw away the chess board and preferred sticking the queen and king pieces up the Duke’s nostrils instead.
He found his daughter utterly bizarre—she clearly knew all the rules, yet kept returning to primitive play.
Wasn’t intellect always supposed to be above instinct?
‘Perhaps that was a prophecy of all these events.’
The Duke, who was about to fall into contemplation, snapped to attention at an unfamiliar voice.
“Duke of Greatone.”
“…!”
At the unfamiliar voice, the Duke drew his sword. But before he could even see the shadow reflected on the blade, his soul seemed to slip right out of his body.
A devastatingly handsome man who looked exactly like the Emperor was gazing at him.
The Duke of Greatone’s voice rose with disbelief.
“C-Crown Prince?”
“You need to pull the army back.”
“Pardon?”
Even while looking at the Crown Prince who had appeared after ten years, the Duke could hardly grasp the reality of the situation.
‘Where did he appear from? He certainly couldn’t have just walked up here.’
This was the commander’s position.
Instead of showing off Ryuie’s magical device here, Yosua focused on the matter at hand.
“You need to withdraw the army.”
“The battle has only just begun. We cannot retreat now!”
“Ryuie’s army can’t get in if we just close the gates. They didn’t bring a single siege weapon. The problem is Ryuie herself.”
Yosua spoke quickly with a stern expression.
“Ryuie has already entered the castle. You need to send the army to the temple.”
“What did you say?!”
“It’s all a decoy.”
Yosua recalled Ryuie’s journey when she deliberately made a loud spectacle of bringing many people down to the swamp.
She had simply taken the same approach on her return.
Aggressively and noisily drawing everyone’s attention while accomplishing only her own objective.
She was truly genius at laying bait that the target would fall for even while knowing it was a trap.
‘If you had been a hunter, every beast in the forest would have gone extinct.’
In reality, the number of beasts you can catch by shooting is not that many.
Yosua grew anxious, thinking that even the gun Ryuie favored using might be part of the show-off strategy she was orchestrating.
When she deliberately flew over the city walls in Benito’s arms, Ryuie had been wearing that ostentatious smile again.
Yosua had no choice but to take the obvious bait.
‘She went alone.’
Even though he had said he would be by her side, she went to that bastard again.
How dare you leave me.
‘I should have locked her away after all.’
Every night, Yosua looked down at Ryuie and imagined himself confining her.
So she couldn’t go to anyone.
So this situation could be stopped forever.
If only he had a place where he could avoid the gods, he would have done so.
Suddenly filled with hatred to his very bones, Yosua shouted.
“Ryuie has already entered the monastery using Agathos’s power! Open the gates immediately and retreat!”
At that moment. As soon as Yosua spoke the god’s name, the scattered magic rebounded.
It was Agathos’s doing.
“Be careful!”
The Duke of Greatone hastily moved his horse to protect Yosua.
However, Yosua seized the Duke’s sword that had been extended toward him and moved instead.
“…!”
Even in the urgent situation, the Duke was captivated by Yosua’s movements.
The reflexes he had learned as Glem combined with his naturally skilled body to display remarkably fluid speed and accuracy.
His innate elegance made it look as if he was dancing rather than wielding a sword.
‘Magnificent.’
The Duke marveled. He wasn’t the only one impressed. Water droplets condensed each time ice shattered against Yosua’s sword.
[Impressive.]
Seeing the letters left by the ice mist, Yosua sneered darkly.
“It seems you can hear your name but can no longer interfere with my body.”
It was different from the god’s messages he had vomited when he was Glem.
This time too, Agathos couldn’t directly interfere with Yosua’s body and instead formed letters with the shadow of the extended sword.
[When Rkultu dies, you will no longer be bound by the vow. What Ryuie is trying to give you as a gift is exactly the same as what you were trying to give her.]
“It’s not the same.”
Yosua returned the sword to the Duke. Agathos persistently tried to speak with Yosua, but he simply ignored it.
“Dismount from your horse.”
Yosua gestured to the Duke.
He had to chase after Ryuie again.
The Duke looked bewildered but acted immediately.
“How do you plan to find Ryuie?”
“I know the destination.”
As he mounted the Duke’s saddle, Yosua swallowed his next words.
Their betrothal vow was stronger than ever before.
Having once been in Glem’s body, Yosua had been able to experience firsthand how the god interfered with his body.
Thanks to that, he could know Ryuie’s direction without using other magic.
As if the god’s will was finally ringing the bell that it was time for the two to marry.
Fate pressed in on the world.
‘Whether Agathos or Rkultu, nothing truly loves Ryuie.’
Yosua lowered his body flat and set the horse in motion.
It was amusing that the gods who supposedly opposed each other only wished for the same thing. The fact that they only thought about the two’s marriage was truly tedious and sickening.
Nevertheless.
‘I will end this with my own will.’
Yosua rode to use his final freedom.
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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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