44. Before The Aftermath

Nathanial walked with the other men and stared at the golden screen.

Its words floated in the air, delivering a mission Nathanial had no recognition of. He blankly stared at it and resisted the urge to tilt his head. Somehow, he had completed the mission to save the Sixth but never recalled seeing it.

[ Quest Completed: Save the Sixth Army. ]

What could the rewards for this even be?

Just as Nathanial finished his thoughts, another golden screen appeared.

[ Details: Save the remaining survivors of the Sixth Army from certain death. A percentage of the lives you save will be added to your Enduring Vow Threshold. ]

[ Calculating… ]

[ Enduring Burden Threshold + 25 ]

[ Enduring Burden Threshold: 42/100 ]

Nathanial quietly sighed, thinking about John and the lives he failed to save. Whether saving only some of them would ever be enough and if there was a limit he wasn’t aware of.

Even though he was glad to see progress being made for his vow, there was a piece of him that wished he could have done more, but as a mere soldier, that wouldn’t be possible. His eyes drifted to the floating domain, realizing the gap in his power and those in the higher realms.

He would need to climb to an officer rank or higher to hold at least some sort of influence.

I don’t need the system to tell me to do something that should already be expected.

[ You’d find it amusing how often those who are expected to do the bare minimum fail. ]

Nathanial read those words with a bitter smile. Then he paused and stared at the screen.

Wait… you can read my thoughts?

[ . . . ]

[ Congratulations! You have completed your quest! Rewards will be delivered momentarily. ]

[ Reward: Courage Radiance ]

[ Courageous Radiance: Area of effect morale boost surrounding user. Those by your side will have fear debuffs reduced and will be able to remain vigilant in battle so long as you do not fall or succumb to dread. ]

[ Effective range: five meters ]

No, wait, you can’t just ignore my question. I know you just responded to my thoughts just now.

[ Oh, but what are thoughts really…? ]

Interesting question, asshole. Don’t you have some shame in invading my privacy?

[ Privacy is subjective, and that’s besides the point. I, the almighty messenger, am here to assist in your growth. I must be steadfast and aware of my contractor’s mental state at all times. ]

I don’t think that’s the case at all, and realistically, we should have clear boundaries as to what you can and cannot do.

[ That should be the least of your concerns. ]

[ Enduring Burden Threshold + 20 ]

[ Enduring Burden Threshold: 62/100 ]

Nathanial glanced around at the injured men trailing behind him. Most of the men from the Sixth were boarding wagons; those who could still march were forced to walk with the rest of the Seventh. He saw other soldiers searching for their friends, asking those who could have seen them if they were still around.

While another was wailing in grief, learning that his brother had died.

By now, a vast majority of their forces and the Empire’s had pulled out from the battlefield beneath the pitch-black sphere above the war-torn field.

He stared up at the abyssal sphere where wyvern riders from both nations circled. From the faint murmurs of the survivors, Nathanial understood the general gist of the situation. The knights and various mages had followed the orders of Commander Valentin with the utmost precision.

Right after the Commander went off to face the General of the Empire, the mages of the Sixth manifested a smokescreen for the Kingdom’s knights to use to mask their presence. The clouds of smoke rolled forward from the encampment and obscured the knight’s figures.

The unsuspecting foes did what they could and braced for impact.

But against cavalry of men far stronger than them, there was nothing they could do.

The vicious charge that crashed into the Empire’s footmen devastated their initial ranks, and the Empire, assuming it was a full breakthrough attempt, sent a knight response of equal stature—only to find out that the Everheart men had retreated to the encampment and charged another side.

Nathanial could only assume that because the mages were exchanging spells back and forth, the eruptions masked the stampede. Chaos had to have overtaken the battlefield.

Once the knights had hammered into the Empire’s footmen enough times, they finally made their move and broke out of the encirclement in the confusion.

Nathanial didn’t know whether to be impressed or conflicted as the escaped men forced the majority of the enemy knights to chase after them.

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[ Enduring Burden Threshold + 13 ]

[ Enduring Burden Threshold: 75/100 ]

He glanced at the golden screen through the gaps in his iron visor.

If you examined the tactics of the Everheart Kingdom, what’s your honest take on it?

[ It would be brilliant given the circumstances. ]

Nathanial continued walking through the muddy path as the Seventh Army’s wagons came into sight.

What makes it brilliant?

[ The coordination and execution to perform the task. If a single mistake had been made, then the possibility of the Everheart Knights perishing would have greatly increased. ]

That’s funny, I thought you would say that it was beyond reckless.

[ Recklessness is not the same as courage. ]

Are you saying what the knights did was courageous?

[ I am. ]

Why?

Nathanial stared at the screen with sadness flickering in his eyes.

Why would you say that what the knights did was courageous when there is no guarantee that they would succeed? They could have doomed the entire footmen to damnation if the Empire’s knights chose to stay.

[ Because life has no guarantees. ]

[ The difference between recklessness and courage is that one acts impulsively without considering the dangers, while the other is taking a calculated risk for a noble cause. ]

It’s just that one distinction?

[ It’s a key distinction, one that makes a world of difference. One that you must remember for the fate that awaits you. ]

Then how do you know when you’re being courageous and not simply fooling yourself?

[ That comes with experience. With enough, you will be able to accurately judge whether what you’re doing is truly reckless or not. The results will show. ]

[ Enduring Burden Threshold + 12 ]

[ Enduring Burden Threshold: 87/100 ]

Nathanial stopped by the wagon and stared at the pure black world before him. Inside were at least two seven-star aura users battling for supremacy. The sheer weight of their strikes that tore through the black curtains crushed the land beneath, now that the intensity had increased.

The men surrounding the area prayed with all their hearts that Commander Cronia and Commander Valentin would emerge victorious from the onslaught.

Yet Nathanial couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Two seven-star aura users should have been enough to take out the Empire’s general, but as the battle continued high above the battlefield and ravaged the lands below.

Unease spread through the ranks below. Nervous soldiers silently waiting for the conclusion.

The air quaked beneath the pressure rolling outward in waves. Far over their heads, the vast domain blotted out the sky. Its shadow stretched across the land as the earth cracked beneath its weight.