I Somehow Got Tasked With Managing A Realm – Chapter 35

I Somehow Got Tasked With Managing A Realm – Chapter 35

The hour passed quickly without any speaking nor any signs of resistance from the remaining lizards.

Once the countdown on my monitor had reached its end, the basalt temple was officially considered to be captured; a box was marked on another monitor signifying that the criteria to receive a Tier I victory had been met. As for what this capture looked like on the screen, I had no idea. Uunga had fallen asleep in exhaustion after the long and bloody fight, leaving the screen completely blacked out.

I still can't believe that he single-handedly killed over 1% of Levon's entire population within a few hours.

It was a feat that was unheard of, though there was nothing really to compare it to at this point.

As impressive and absurd as it was, Uunga did not come out of it unharmed. In fact, his condition was unpromising to put it lightly. His injuries were nothing to scoff at; his left arm was completely mangled, every inch of his back had been roughly sliced, large sections of the clothing he wore for protection had been torn to shreds, and numerous cuts, bruises, and burns were plastered over other parts of his body.

That was without even mentioning the physical exhaustion caused by traveling for 4 months straight- half through an icy wasteland and half through a sweltering desert- and then immediately charging into a half-a-day brutal battle against an entire city and an Oracle all by himself.

... I'm not even sure if he'll be able to make that journey again in his condition.

Although his breathing had stabilized during his rest, barring any miracle, it seemed clear to me that Uunga's fate had been set.

His injuries were simply far too great for any medical advancements of this primitive world to cover. I could try to convince the Oracle to amputate his left arm and burn it afterward to stop the bleeding, but that would likely be overstepping the rules on what I could say. That's not even mentioning how risky doing such a procedure would be.

It might not even be enough to save him, anyway.

My grip tightened on the arms of my chair as I was forced to face the reality of the situation.

Was this the right decision?

It was a question that I found myself asking repeatedly.

Uunga had not only managed to defeat Levon's Oracle and completely eliminate any threat to my realm for this battle period, but he had also somehow found a way to capture the temple as well.

Thanks to Uunga's efforts, my humans would be safe for at least another one thousand years, but he may have thrown his life away in the process of achieving that.

If I had forced him to wait for them in the arctic, would things have turned out better?

It would have been a much riskier decision- Levon's Oracle would have had years to steadily build another massive army, and with the aid of torch tree branches, they could have actually made it through the snow. Even with the advantages brought by the cold, Uunga would have needed to deal with a force far greater than the one he just faced. Given his condition despite half of the lizards fleeing after their Oracle was slain, it was certain such a fight would not have gone well.

That's not even mentioning that there would have been no chance of Uunga conquering their temple.

As I was thinking those thoughts, the screen gradually began to brighten and focus, revealing the inside of the dark and deserted basalt temple past the view of blood-covered legs peaking through torn clothing.

After giving the Oracle some time to come to his senses, I finally spoke for the first time since the battle.

I wanted to congratulate him for what he had achieved. He killed an Oracle, took on an army, and conquered their temple all on his own. He had been entrusted with what should have been an impossible task, yet he had managed to come out on top and trample everything that came in his way. I wanted to convey all of this to him and shower him with praise. I wanted to tell him how proud I was, but when I opened my mouth, only two words came out.

"... I'm sorry."

The view on the screen stayed still- only the Oracle's shallow breaths seemed to cause the screen to sway.

Such a static sight did not last forever, however, and the Oracle soon rose to his unsteady feet with his broken club in hand. Step by step, I watched as Uunga exited the basalt temple and trudged into the now mostly abandoned ancient city still smoldering from the remnants of battle.

The lone human treaded over the corpse-covered ground- his eyes soon locking onto one scarred figure sprawled among them, its right eye socket was void of its sight. With one last glance at the slain beast, the Oracle continued his journey out of the city in the direction of where he came from.

"You did so much, but there's nothing I can do in return," I paused as a stinging pain shot through my chest, "I can't save you, Uunga."

"..."

I found Uunga when he was still a kid and made him my Oracle when he was around 22 years old. Ever since that moment, every step he took was for the sake of my realm.

My emotions began to show in my eyes, and despite my best efforts to hide them, I felt a feathered stare from the icy balcony behind me. I could not hold them back any longer.

"You spent your entire life living for my sake and got nothing in return. Sure, I gave you strength, but you only used it to fight on my behalf-"

"That is not true," Uunga's voice brought an end to my speech, "I wanted to fight. I slayed the strongest beast of this world. You gave me the chance to beat the strongest in another."

Despite the nature of the situation, I could not help but smile at his words.

"That's not a fair trade and you know it."

The view of the screen narrowed slightly, indicating that the Oracle was smiling.

"I did not only want to fight. I wanted to protect this world, too," he continued.

The screen rapidly regained its clarity, as if the blurriness that dominated my view had only been from my imagination. The Oracle's voice seemed to likewise grow stronger.

"I have traveled this whole world. I have seen the beasts, the people, and the trees. I have seen the land, the rivers that run through it, and the endless seas to which they lead. I have walked and met so many, I have fathered ones who crawl. I have seen the storms, the rainbows, and the snow; I have seen the beauty in it all."

The silence of the past 9 months bore its fruits. Every line seemed to cause my heart to tighten.

"E-even my storms, huh?" I managed to croak out.

The screen began to blur again.

"I am happy to save this beautiful world," the Oracle declared resolutely.

"... But what was this whole trip for then? You could have rested months ago... why push yourself so hard?"

The blue sky began to lose its color.

"... I wanted to see them one more time," Uunga softly stated.

I understood his plight completely.

"They will have good lives and grow up strong. I know it- they're your children, after all."

The screen narrowed again at my words. The edges began to fade black.

"...Watch them for me."

"I will, Uunga. Please rest well," I watched as the darkness on the screen steadily moved in from the edges, "I am so proud of you. Thank you for everything."

With one final breath, the last of the light vanished from the screen leaving the domain in heavy silence.