Chapter 284 – What the wind swept in (4)

The Dwarf was the first to react to the Fire of Destruction's rumbling.
Dwarves were a race that dealt with steel.
As someone who could not live without dealing with fire, Kanelle gasped after seeing the fire on Cale's palm.

It was different than the fire he used to melt steel.
All he could feel was a wicked fire that seemed to want to gobble everything.

"Commander-nim-"

Chief Kanelle called out to Cale, however, Cale just glanced at him before starting to walk. Choi Han, who was dressed as a priest, lowered his hood and followed behind Cale.

"Is it okay to just leave him like that?"

Choi Han asked Cale with concern. It was obvious he was talking about the Flame Dwarf Chief who was blankly standing there.

"It's fine since Mary went."

Cale coldly commented that it was fine since Mary already went to gather the other Flame Dwarves.

"And that punk will move soon as well."

Cale sounded certain as he said that. Cale headed down from the castle wall and entered the staircase to head back into the castle.
He turned back around and looked out past the castle wall before descending down.

"He'd be stupid to just stand there after seeing that."

Choi Han also turned to look. He then followed Cale and headed for their destination.
Behind Cale and Choi Han's back was Toonka who was charging toward the Empire's knights with just a club in his hand.

Baaaaang!
The iron club and swords created loud noises as they clashed.

"Kehehehe."

The Vice Captain of the Mogoru Empire's Third Knights Brigade. He started to frown after hearing the laughter through his helmet.

'I didn't expect that he would suddenly dash out like this!'

He knew that Toonka held the title of the Whipper Kingdom's strongest individual. He was also the commander for this battle.
Normally in a battle like this, both sides would try to gain the psychological advantage or start with a small clash between the leaders.
There were usually some formalities and class to start things off.

However, this barbarian commander didn't care for any of that. He just immediately charged toward them.

'Go take him on.'

The glorious sword master Duke Huten, the captain of the First Knights Brigade as well as the Commanding Officer of the Empire's Royal Knights Brigade.
He had ordered the Third Knights Brigade to handle Toonka and the warriors who charged forward without any strategies.

'Teach that wild calf the strength of the Empire.'

The members of the Third Knights Brigade were wearing armor fortified with magic and riding on horses. The Vice Captain scoffed while seeing Toonka running toward them without a horse.

War was not child's play.
That was why they were looking down on this barbarian who was rushing toward them without any support. However, the Vice Captain's face had a frown that could not disappear.

'…How is he so stupidly strong?!'

He could feel a strong vibration from his sword that was fortified with magic once it clashed against the iron club.
The Vice Captain almost dropped his sword.

It was not just Toonka's strength that was scary.
Toonka's ability to jump up to his level when he was riding on a horse was shocking.

'Where is he?'

The Vice Captain tightly grasped the shaking sword and caused aura smoke to rise. ( Maybe high-grade experts can condense aura smoke but not aura in solid form? ) It was the moment aura smoke was spreading out from the sword of this high-grade expert.

Baaaaang!

"Ugh!"

The Vice Captain's eyes opened wide as his helmet started to shake. His neck was then jerked back.
Someone was holding onto his helmet.

"Hehehehe-"

The Vice Captain could see the barbarian leader smiling with his teeth showing.

Crackle, crackle.
Electricity started to come out of the helmet. The magic spell that was imbued in the helmet along with enhanced durability was causing these currents to protect its owner.

It did not matter.
The Vice Captain's pupils started to shake. He soon heard something that sounded like thunder by his ears.

Crackle.

This out-of-this-world strength ripped the helmet apart as if it was a piece of paper. The destroyed helmet slowly fell off of his head.

Shaaaaaaa-
Wind brushed by the Vice Captain's face.
The barbarian leader who was standing on the back of the Vice Captain's horse let go of the helmet.

Clang!
The destroyed helmet fell to the ground. The knight froze up after seeing Toonka's crazed face and glaring pupils.

"Hehehe-"

Toonka's hand grasped the Vice Captain's neck.
Magic sparks flew out of the armor as he did that. However, Toonka did not feel a thing.

"Y, you barbarian! Let go of our Vice Captain-nim!"

Another knight rushed toward Toonka. Even though he was just an average knight, electricity was flowing out of his sword because of magic enchantment. However, his sword could not reach Toonka.

Bang!

"Ugh!"

A large-bodied woman's spear parried the knight's sword.
It was Pelia, Toonka's left-hand woman and the tribe's greatest spear user. She was the one who parried the attack. The electricity did not affect her either as she also had magic resistance.

It was not just her.
The Whipper warriors had all charged toward the Third Knights Brigade.
Although they only had leather armor and simple weapons with some of them just fighting with their bare hands, they all had no hesitation as they charged into battle.

"…These crazy barbarians-!"

The knight who had tried to rescue the Vice Captain became anxious.

They were smiling.
Both Toonka and his left-hand woman Pelia were smiling with their teeth showing.

"Kahahahahaha!"

Toonka's laughter shook the battlefield.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
Behind Toonka and the warriors. The soldiers who had not entered the fray just yet were hitting the ground with their spears and causing the ground to rumble.
These soldiers seemed as if they were celebrating one of their festivals that had been deemed to be barbaric, as they were breathing heavily from the excitement.

'None of them are sane!'

They were different than the Whipper Kingdom's forces from last year's battle at Maple Castle. They seemed to be even crazier than that time.
This was especially the case for their leader.

"Ugh!"

The Vice Captain was suppressed before he was flung off of the horse. The barbarian leader took control of the horse before glaring toward the knight who had tried to save the Vice Captain.
The knight found it hard to breathe as Toonka stared at him.

However, Toonka was not looking at him.

"Commander Toonka."

The knight flinched and started to shiver after hearing the voice coming from behind him. He was relieved at the same time.

Duke Huten, the Sword of the Empire.
Duke Huten had slowly approached Toonka while riding his horse. His voice was calm, however, the arrogance in his voice that showed that he did not consider Toonka to be his opponent was clearly visible.

"It's been a while. I feel like it was just yesterday that I saw you in the Empire."
"Where is he?"

Toonka did not seem to care about Huten. Huten's eyebrows twitched but he calmly continued to speak. He could be this relaxed because of his strength.

"Who are you looking for?"

Hehe.
Toonka laughed at Duke Huten's question and wet his lips as if he had found a prey before answering the question.

"Adin, I'm talking about Adin."

This was followed by a moment of silence. Only Toonka continued to speak.

"Where is that damn coward Adin?!"

Adin. The Mogoru Empire's Imperial Prince and the future king.
Toonka was calling his name as if it was the name of a random thug.

The Empire's forces seemed to be in shock.
And one more person. Chief Kanelle from the Flame Dwarf tribe was standing on the castle walls with a blank stare.

"Hey coward, stop hiding and come out! I'll crush you with my fist! Kahahahahah!"

Toonka's shout.

'Coward, stop hiding.'

Tap. Tap.
The Flame Dwarf Chief slowly started to move. His body was starting to get farther away from the battlefield as he took some steps back. He could hear Cale's voice in his head.

'You'll be able to see it soon. You'll be able to see just what you need to do.'

The Flame Dwarf chief took a couple more steps and finally let out a breath.

"Huuuuuu."

Duke Huten also let out a deep sigh. However, there was anger in his eyes.

"Commander Toonka, I am following proper etiquette right now."

No matter how strong Toonka may be, Duke Huten could still see how strong Toonka was. That meant that he was stronger than Toonka.
He had been maintaining respect and following proper etiquette as the stronger person, however, he started to get angry after seeing Toonka show no respect at all.

"Etiquette? Hehehe."

Toonka just shrugged his shoulders and started to laugh.
He recalled the conversation he had with Cale at the tower before Choi Han and Rosalyn arrived.

'I'm sorry I just seem to be receiving without giving anything this time. Is there anything you want?'

Toonka could see Cale being shocked at his question. However, he soon returned to his usual calm expression and answered back.

'It's not enough with Duke Huten. How disappointing.'

Toonka could not help but think Cale really was a strong person pretending to be weak.
Who else could say such a thing while looking at the Empire's forces?

'The Imperial Prince. Drag him into this muddy- into this pit of fire. We can't be the only ones to take a hit this time.'

Toonka liked that answer very much.
That was why he sneered at the Empire who feigned following etiquette and being respectful in front of the public while threatening the Whipper Kingdom and being greedy for their land in the back.

"You should have brought that Imperial Prince bastard if you are aiming for the Whipper Kingdom!"

Toonka, who had been standing on the horse, suddenly shot forward.

Baaaaang!

A loud noise could be heard.
Knights were blocking Toonka's path.
There was a wall created by the knights' swords. Toonka looked toward Duke Huten behind them and continued to shout.

"I'll let you roll in this mud, no, in this pit of fire! You bastards will have to stand on even ground with us!"

It didn't matter if someone was a noble, king, emperor or anything else.
None of it mattered if you beat them up.

"Our Whipper Kingdom is not weak!"

Toonka's shout filled the battlefield. It reached everyone's ears.
Cale laughed saying Toonka has got a loud voice while Dwarf Kanelle who had been stepping backward clenched his fists and turned around before starting to run.
He was heading away from the battlefield and heading into the castle.

Baaaaang!

The wall that was made of five swords broke at the same time.
Toonka ignored the blades hitting his body as he moved forward.

If there were people above him, if there were people stronger than him, then he just needed to pull them down to his level. They were all the same when they were standing on the ground.

Magic? Aura? The only thing given to a human at birth was their body. Toonka was someone who had fought against nature and developed his body.

He had no fear because he trusted this body of his. And now, he didn't have to watch his back either.

Clang!
Duke Huten took out his sword.
His aura shot out as well. Although Toonka had magic resistance, he did not have aura resistance. Defeat was the only possible ending for him.

Ooooooooong-

The First Knights Brigade that consisted of the strongest experts started to let out their aura smokes. They were all at minimum high-grade experts. They raised their swords toward the warriors behind Toonka.
Then the Captain of the Magic Brigade shouted from behind them.

"Prepare for the first wave of attacks!"

The mana around the Empire's Mage Brigade started to rumble.
Duke Huten looked toward Toonka who was running in a straight line toward him and started to laugh.

"Commander Toonka, your warriors will die at our knights' hands while your soldiers will die at our mages' hands."

The warriors with magic resistance would be dealt with by the knights while the soldiers without magic resistance would be killed by the mages.
The horse Duke Huten was on started to rush forward as well.

Bang!

Duke Huten's sword and Toonka's iron club clashed against each other.

Slash.
The iron club was cut by Duke Huten's aura.
This was the law of nature. The strong suppress the weak.
Duke Huten lightly swung his sword around as he asked Toonka a question.

"Can you feel the direction of the wind?"

The wind was blowing from the Empire toward the Whipper Kingdom.

"The spring wind travels from the Empire to the Whipper Kingdom."

The Western continent's spring winds always traveled from the west to the east. Toonka picked his sliced club back up and rushed toward Duke Huten.

Baaaaang!

The moment the sword clashed against the sliced club, Duke Huten smirked toward the barbarian whose hair seemed worse than a lion's mane and whispered to him.

"You should have just thrown away 80 years."

100,000 slaves for 80 years.
Huten removed one layer of his pretense.
It was at that moment.

"What bullshit spring winds.
Kehehehehe."

He could hear Toonka's laughter.

He could feel the wind at the same time.
There was a different wind than the spring winds that were blowing from the west to the east from the Empire to the Whipper Kingdom.

Duke Huten's gaze headed toward behind Toonka.

The wind was blowing.

The wind was blowing from Maple Castle.
The wind was blowing from inside Maple Castle to the outside.

Screech- screech-

He could hear some weird noises as well.
It sounded as if some old machines that had not been used in a while were starting to move again. It was almost like the sound of a gear that had been off returning to its spot.
That sound could be heard along with the wind.

"Kahahahaha! It's here! I knew it!"

Toonka laughed and then glared at Duke Huten as if he wanted to rip the Duke into pieces.

"My back is strong now! Kahahahahah!"

Shaaaaaaa-
A rough wind ate up the naturally flowing spring wind and changed the flow of the wind.
It was now going from the east to the west.
The wind that was blowing from the Empire to the Whipper Kingdom had instantly changed directions.
However, the Empire's forces could not even feel the wind that was blowing toward them now.

Something was floating up.

Something was floating up from the center of Maple Castle.
White birds started to rise up from Maple Castle.

These white birds were completely made out of bones.
They were flapping their bone wings and causing the wind.

They looked toward the largest of the birds.
The white skeleton bird that had highest-grade magic stones at multiple spots around its body opened up its half-folded wings.

Someone was holding onto the reins on that bird.
One of the Lions on top of the black tower subconsciously shouted out.

"Chief Kanelle...! Why is that Dwarf bastard over there?!"

Kanelle, the chief of the Flame Dwarf tribe, was the one holding onto the reins.
He had headed from the castle wall to where the other tribe members were making the wings. He had heard what Toonka had said.

'Hey coward, stop hiding and come out!
Our Whipper Kingdom is not weak!'

What Cale said also repeated itself in his mind.

'You'll be able to see it soon. You'll be able to see just what you need to do.'

Chief Kanelle grabbed the reins to control the white skeleton bird with one hand while clenching onto a video communication device with his other hand.
The Flame Dwarves that were controlling the other four white skeleton birds looked toward the small chief's back.
The Dwarves were tiny compared to the size of these white skeleton birds. The person on the other side of the call talked to their chief who was on the largest bird.

– Do not worry about your back.

The Chief looked behind him.
He looked toward the highest spot on Maple Castle.
Their commander was looking at them from that spot.

The direction of the wind had changed.

– The wind will bring the fire with it.

The commander's voice disappeared along with the wind.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]