Chapter 92

Before his men could follow, Alexis launched a preemptive strike. Every time his long sword sliced, without them even seeing him properly, the soldiers fell like leaves.

In the blink of an eye, the necks of the men around them who were protecting Count Hopewell were cut down one by one. Not long after, Alexis stood in front of Count Hopewell and pointed a sword at his neck.

Count Hopewell, who lost his sword and broke his wrist because he was pushed out during the struggle, could not even defend himself properly. He stepped backwards, his face evidently turning pale-white.

“Grand, Grand Duke. Listen to me for a moment. If we cooperate rather than fight each other……!”

He raised his hands and quickly spoke as if he was about to surrender, however, Alexis’ sword was already embedded in his chest. Count Hopewell spewed dark red blood from his lips.

“Koheuk…….”

His body slowly fell to the ground. At the sight of Count Hopewell falling, the crowd was startled and began to stir.

“Don’t panic! Defend!”

General Ulrich, who belatedly realized the situation, hurriedly took a sword from one of his men and tried to organize the ranks, but it was too late to control the soldiers who had already been swept up in chaos.

“Th-That’s Grand Duke Walten!”

“Count Hopewell is dead!”

When one of the soldiers fighting against the Imperial Army from afar shouted, everyone’s eyes turned to the podium. Fear seemed to envelope them at the fact that the Commander of the Imperial Army coming from a distant place had already penetrated the center of the alliance and killed one of their commanders.

“I will not let go of anyone who runs away! Are you going to give up the glory of the South?”

At General Ulrich’s roar, the soldiers gradually came to their senses and began to fix their spears and swords. At the same time, Alexis pulled out the sword that was stabbing Count Hopewell in the heart. And before the imperial army could even approach, he rushed into the middle of the enemy camp again.

‘Do you think you have ten lives?’

Count Schenberg followed Alexis Walten’s back with a bewildered expression even as he was pushed around, tied up. However, it wasn’t long before he realized that his judgment was mistaken.

He had no armor on, as if he knew very well that no one could stand against him. He swung his sword mercilessly, with an expressionless face, as if he were cutting straw or wood, not paying attention to the splatter of blood. Every time the blade flashed, the soldiers fell in a pile.

‘……It was true that he’s the reaper of the battlefield.’

He was disappointed to see the soldiers he had nurtured for a long time, following the footsteps of his father, fall so easily. Alexis, who ran recklessly, broke the ranks and created a rift from the center, and the Southern Alliance soldiers began to collapse even faster. There were many who were frightened and ran away just from the name Grand Duke Walten. Even before the battle was over, victory and defeat seemed obvious.

The Imperial Army was just around the corner. Clad in black, they encircled the podium.

“Keuk…….”

General Ulrich, who had failed so easily even before he could march to Meyer, shuddered. He pushed Count Schenberg, picked up the bow that had fallen on the floor and aimed it somewhere. Count Schenberg shifted his gaze in the direction the arrow was pointing. At the end was Alexis Walten.

The arrow that left the bow pierced the chest of the commander who was walking in the middle of the enemy camp without armor.

“Your Highness, Grand Duke!”

Armed knights rushed out. Alexis stumbled and dropped the sword in his hand and his knees were already collapsing.

“Hah…hah… After all, even the reaper of the battlefield is no match for poison.”

Seeing the Grand Duke Walten fall, General Ulrich burst into laughter. Several knights jumped up the podium and took his life.

However, when the Imperial Army began to roar as they learned that their commander had fallen, the last few dozen soldiers of the Southern Alliance remaining over the ridge began to rush toward the podium. Alexis below and Count Schenberg standing above were surrounded by them in an instant.

“When is the rear unit coming? The Imperial Army!”

As soon as one of the Walten knights released the gag, Count Schenberg hurriedly grabbed him and asked what was going to go down for defense, but he shook his head.

“The only ones who participated are the soldiers of the Walten family.”

“That’s absurd!”

“For the sake of a quick battle, the Grand Duke wanted this to happen. His Majesty the Emperor may have organized a separate rear unit, though.”

The knight went down the podium to face the rushing soldiers. Count Schenberg picked up a sword that had fallen on the floor and followed him.

“Your Highness, Grand Duke!”

Looking closer, Alexis Walten’s face was pale. It seemed that the poison had already spread.

“Don’t sleep. His Majesty must have sent reinforcements so stay alert until then.”

Unless he was inexperienced in the battlefield or had a death wish, he didn’t understand why he didn’t wear armor. Count Schenberg looked at his condition and tried to stabilize the arrow in his chest so that it wouldn’t move. However, Alexis reached out his hand and pulled the arrow out.

“Grand Duke!”

“Your Highness! No!”

Count Schenberg and the Knight Commander shouted in surprise, but Alexis was calm. He thought as his consciousness faltered.

‘…… It’s time to go to Kathleen.’

His eyelids began to blink more and more slowly.

“Your Highness! Stay with us!”

Just as the Knights Commander cried out desperately, to make matters worse, the soldiers of the Southern Alliance began to encircle them. The war had already tilted towards the Imperial Army, but the situation could change since their Commander, Alexis, was surrounded.

“Let’s hang in there until our allies come.”

Count Schenberg stood up with his sword. Before realizing what he meant, the allies he was referring to were the Meyer soldiers, not the South.

“Good.”

The Knights Commander nodded his head and laid his back against him. There was a point in time when he had cut down those he believed would be the basis for rebuilding of Schenberg with his own hands. A horn trumpet resounded in the distance, and white-robed soldiers rushed behind the Southern Alliance soldiers.

“Reinforcements!”

Someone shouted. Count Schenberg’s eyes widened as he noticed that some of those who broke through the siege were silver-haired.

The force of those who helped the Imperial Army and defeated the Southern Alliance soldiers again in an instant was unstoppable.

And finally, after all the soldiers of the Southern Alliance were cut down, the man who commanded the reinforcements at the forefront approached with a bloody sword.

He looked over to Alexis and asked.

“Is he dead?”

“No. But he was hit with a poisoned arrow.”

As Count Schenberg answered, his blue eyes fluttered intricately. The Knights Commander took a deep breath and asked.

“But who are you?”

“Cassiel Usmund.”

After the brief response, he added, as he drew closer to Alexis.

“Carry the Duke. If we don’t take him to Meyer, he’ll die soon.”

***

“The wound itself is not deep but the poison on the arrowhead is the problem.”

Edith, who had started the examination following Dr. Cavel, stepped back and said.

“No matter how hard I look at it, it’s the first time I’ve encountered such poison so it could be difficult to manufacture an antidote right away.”

“I’ll take a look.”

Joseph walked over to Alexis who was lying on the bed. As the divine power imbued with healing power erupted from his hand, the wounds struck by the arrows instantly sprouted new skin and healed completely. The injuries to his exposed upper body were also gone.

But Alexis’ eyes did not open. After several attempts, Joseph shook his head and backed away. Edith walked over again, looked at a few things, and said with a darkened expression on his face.

“I think the southern scorpion venom became more active as the two types of venom mixed. Even with the healing power of the priest, there is no improvement, so it would be better to take the time and observe.”

Kathleen, who was far away, bit her lip. It didn’t feel real at all. The man who always stood proudly and looked down at everyone was lying there with his eyes closed as if he had died.

-“It was as if he was determined to die. He jumped into the enemy camp alone before his soldiers could follow him.”

The testimony of Count Schenberg, who escorted Alexis who had already lost consciousness, with her uncle, matched what Kathleen had expected. He was really going to die. With Peter suspected of being a woman, he went down south alone, knowing that he could not move the Imperial Army to support the rear.

Seeing that Kathleen’s gaze, who also had a pale face, was fixed on Alexis, Peter opened her mouth

“That’s enough for today. In particular, Joseph, you must have had a hard time going to and from Carmine, so go and rest.”

Peter sent Dr. Cavel, Edith, and Joseph outside. And as she herself was about to step out of the bedroom door, she turned around and approached Kathleen.

“Kathleen.”

She called her with a pitying expression.

“You don’t look well. You haven’t been able to sleep properly for several days, right? Kathleen, go and rest too.”

“I’m fine. I’ll wait a little longer…….”

“Don’t worry, my brother will wake up.”

Peter, who held her two hands, tried to comfort her, but her words were also just a way for her to find comfort herself. For several days, the imperial court physicians and several medical staff had stuck around and had been treating him, but he still hadn’t been able to open his eyes.

“But Kathleen. If, if. I’m ashamed to say this, but if he opens his eyes…….”

Peter mumbled but was speechless for a moment.

“If you don’t mind, just once…… I beg you, please say goodbye.”

“That, what do you mean?”

“…… It might be the last time.”

Peter’s golden eyes were wet with a sad smile.

“The imperial physicians said that it would be difficult to make a full recovery. As Edith said, the new poison combined with the old made his condition worse. It seems that the southern scorpion’s venom, which has been treated and neutralized so far, is getting stronger in his veins again. So, when he opens his eyes…… That might be his last. That moment, I hope that he can spend it comfortably.”

The moment she understood Peter’s words, her breath caught in her throat.

“Please.”

When she didn’t say anything, Peter said earnestly and left her bedroom.

Last.

Alexis Walten’s last…….

After pondering over Peter’s words over and over again, Kathleen turned and approached Alexis, who was lying on the bed.

‘Why are you dying?’

Kathleen blankly thought as she looked at him.

‘If I misunderstood, you should have refuted. You have to live with my resentment or hatred…… Why would you think of dying so easily?’

You knew that Luci is your son, so why?

Kathleen’s eyes reddened as she repeatedly asked questions that could not be answered.