321 - The Fall of the Empire 1

321 - The Fall of the Empire 1

TL/Editor: raei

Schedule: 5/week

Illustrations: Posted in discord

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The city of harpies, which we had returned to in just one day, was now in such a state that it was embarrassing to call it a city.

"Ugh, sh*t! Don't touch the gas!"

"Those flying bitches are even throwing things, damn it!"

"You f*cking b*tch, is that an ore or a patterned rock? Can't you see straight?"

Hundreds of mercenaries were rampaging like madmen on the debris of collapsed buildings.

Not just a hundred, but in the hundreds.

"Shiiit! You said you'd block it!"

"Shut up and move your feet, the real ones are blocking it―!"

The Rebecca Mercenaries, one of the best in the kingdom in terms of both size and strength. An elite unit that reached the upper ranks, with mid-tier mercenaries blinded by the sight of gold coins numbering in the hundreds.

Even if they weren't part of the same group, wasn't it a mercenary's specialty to increase their numbers through contracts?

Among the flying spears of the harpies, hundreds of low-tier mercenaries screamed they were dying but still diligently pocketed the jewels. Mid-tier mercenaries, somehow dodging a couple of flying spears, were dismantling anything that looked expensive, numbering in the hundreds.

Unlucky ones were dropping dead from the flying spears, but no one cared.

They were throwing their lives away to earn money, it was their free will.

"Wow, it's more chaotic than last time."

"Maybe it's because there are no stone dwarves to repair the city."

"Well, you can't rebuild those sturdy metal walls with harpy wings."

"Ugh, even if harpies wear clothes, it's good that they still maintain their R-rated appearance."

-Humans don't turn into mana stones, so it quickly becomes a gore fest

-Seeing it like this, it's really brutal... Maybe because I'm immersed in the low-tier mercenary life

-The low-tier ones die without a sound, and the mid-tier ones roll on the ground to avoid it. The high-tier mobs are really strong.

-Why are they taking rocks? Looks like they're grabbing anything they can in this chaos, lol

They were holding large warhammers suitable for demolition rather than combat. Since they couldn't handle aura, they couldn't have created this ruin, so most of the collapsed buildings were the result of the disaster caused by me and some nameless adventurer raiders last time.

There were no stone dwarves to rebuild the collapsed buildings, and the city's commander was an incompetent fool who only knew how to adorn himself.

In such a situation, within a day, hundreds of humans swarmed out from the underground, how horrifying must it be? To the empire's harpies, who consider ground walkers inferior, wouldn't humans look like some kind of monstrous flesh-eating ants?

As Han Se-ah murmured, the beautiful building, which served as both a temple and a gathering place, stood tall amidst the ruins.

High-ranking mercenaries, dragging out battles and buying time, enraged command-level harpies who recklessly hurled their spears. Mid-tier mercenaries smashed anything valuable in the city, low-tier mercenaries grabbed anything profitable and fled, with soldier harpies in pursuit.

Unarmed harpy citizens screamed in sharp voices, and unlucky mercenaries left their last words in the dusty air as they died.

Amidst this chaos, the large religious building maintained its beauty, untouched. It was like a scene from a movie or a line from a folklore passed down by word of mouth.

"There doesn’t seem to be any guards, let's go in."

We opened the door and found the interior unscathed. It felt like a roofless cathedral, or a massive exhibition hall where a mosaic made of stained glass should have been.

Our steps naturally slowed as we took in the vast, grand, and solemn place. Especially Irene, who seemed deeply moved, started looking around with her small mouth agape.

Even though it was built to worship the harpy empress, the stone dwarves had built it. Despite being enslaved, their craftsmanship prioritized artistry, creating a place that felt both unadorned and striking, exuding a contradictory antique elegance.

Having lived on Earth and in the kingdom, I felt it was more beautiful than any museum, cathedral, or noble mansion I'd ever visited. How much more would Irene, a saint candidate, feel?

"If the temple's layout is similar, this would be the hall for visitors. So, probably this way...."

"Did you hear that? Let’s follow Irene’s suggestion."

-Expert knowledge from someone in the same field, lol

-Feels weird to see Irene lead instead

-What game puts the healer in the front line

-The architecture is so beautiful; I want to use this for my project

-The professor watches the stream and fails you right away, lol

The camera panned over the harpy temple like a documentary stream. The viewers, perhaps moved by the lens’s capture, made comments one after another.

Following Irene's lead, we passed through the wide hall and headed to a space filled with columns. These columns didn’t seem to support the ceiling but rather served as seats for high-ranking harpies.

This must be an important space used for worshiping the harpy empress.

"It’s supposed to be around here...."

"It does resemble the temple my father took me to."

However, it wasn’t exactly the same, and Irene's steps gradually slowed and stopped. Since it was a temple for harpies, there were many tall columns, making it inconvenient to explore from the ground.

I felt like smashing these vision-obstructing columns, but doing so might destroy clues or attract nearby harpy soldiers.

The tall stone columns didn’t attract mercenaries for plundering, which pushed them out of the harpy soldiers' interest. But if loud crashing sounds came from inside, someone would definitely come to check.

While thinking this, Grace suddenly wiped her palms on her thighs and leapt up. She discarded her robe and began climbing the columns. I couldn’t help but look up and watch.

"Got it! Can everyone climb up?"

I was momentarily captivated by her slim legs that weren’t fully covered by her leather armor. Beyond the open ceiling, I saw the cloudy sky and tall walls. Grace, smiling brightly from atop a column, waved us to join her.

Did they stash all their religious symbols at the very top of the temple?