Chapter 152

The newly written ‘nearest future.’

It was clearly different from what I had seen before.

…….

A year had passed since the end of the war with the monster army.

Thanks to everyone's dedicated efforts based on Peralta's strategy, the war seemed to have ended with truly minimal damage.

Probably.

Even before the aftermath of the war with the monster army was fully settled.

A message came from Walter, the lord of ‘Misty Port,’ a territory near the sea in the kingdom's southeast.

Communication crystal balls were not yet properly installed throughout the entire kingdom, so I couldn't hear his report in real-time, but communication was possible from about halfway between the royal capital and Misty Port.

Thanks to that, I could receive the message and send a reply twice as fast as before.

‘The Jerpan Archipelago has occupied Ingrid Island…’

That was the main content of Walter's message.

Ingrid Island.

That island was originally where Ronak, his pirates, and their families stayed.

But as Ronak and the pirates moved to the mainland, their families all came to the mainland as well, and now it was an uninhabited island.

‘So, it doesn’t really matter that Ingrid Island was occupied. It wasn't like we were getting taxes from there or anything. I can tolerate it.’

The Plank Kingdom was still dealing with the aftermath of the war with the monster army.

Starting a new war in the midst of that was certainly a burden.

—That might just be an excuse.

‘…I just don’t want to fight any more wars.’

Not only the kingdom, but I myself was suffering from the aftereffects of the war with the monster army.

We had clearly won, and Jereuth had even called it an 「“unbelievably great victory”」—we had ended the war with minimal casualties.

Nevertheless, I was plagued by nightmares every night.

The screams of the knights who acted as ‘bait’ with me and were caught by monsters and eaten alive, the tears of soldiers who couldn't muster courage in the face of death, the sight of a citizen of the kingdom pierced by spears and arrows, not truly living but just waiting to die.

A nightmare that was a combination of all those things.

What troubled me most were the screams of the knights who acted as ‘bait’ with me and were caught by the monsters.

Brave and loyal, they told me to just go, but they couldn't hold back their screams as they were eaten alive.

They could have ridden gryphons, but to perfectly fulfill their role as ‘bait,’ they rode horses to lure the monsters.

Even in the desperate moment right before being captured, they did not call their gryphons.

Because if they, the ‘bait,’ escaped too early on their gryphons, the operation would fail.

That's right. Everyone praised me, calling me ‘the king who fought in the most dangerous battlefield, risking death.’

But the real heroes were those who had died. Not a cowardly king like me, who had escaped early on a gryphon.

‘I… I never want to fight a war like that again. For the sake of peace, I can give up my pride. Ingrid Island was practically a non-existent territory to me anyway.’

So, I decided to compromise.

I wrote a letter myself and sent it to Walter. A message saying, 「The kingdom has no capacity to start a new war so soon after the end of the war with the monster army. Therefore, settle things peacefully by ceding Ingrid Island to the Jerpan Archipelago.」

Thus, I chose peace for the sake of the kingdom.

To protect a kingdom that had no capacity to start a new war…

‘…That’s not it. The Plank Kingdom has the capacity to fight one more war.’

I'm the one who doesn't. My courage is gone.

I just want to handle domestic affairs. I really do, now.

This was the end of the newly written nearest future in the Future Diary.

‘So… my future self chose a cowardly peace over war.’

Honestly, I didn't like it. To be attacked and then just suggest resolving it peacefully—the me of the past might have, but the me of now wasn't that kind of person.

‘When I was the Crown Prince. When I compromised, thinking I could live a relatively peaceful life if I just stayed on the good side of the nobles, I can understand making such a choice. But it’s different now.’

The me of now was the type to ‘return one blow with ten.’

It was the same when I sparred with the knights.

‘Did my personality change? Because of the trauma from the war with the monster army?’

It had been mentioned several times in the Future Diary. My future self was constantly bothered by the screams and images of those who died in the war, even having nightmares.

The biggest trauma among them… seemed to be the part where the knights who acted as ‘bait’ with me were captured by monsters.

Being captured and eaten alive, that part.

‘…I guess that makes sense. If you saw someone being eaten alive by a monster right in front of you, and you had to run away leaving them behind… that moment wouldn't just be forgotten.’

Moreover, according to the diary, the knights who were eaten alive by the monsters had a ‘chance to escape.’ On their gryphons.

However, to complete their mission, they did not call their gryphons until the very end, and ultimately met a gruesome end.

‘And my future self apparently fled on a gryphon, leaving them behind.’

Usually, the Future Diary showed the tangible results of how the kingdom changed according to the choices I made.

However, this time the content was a little different.

The main content of the newly written ‘nearest future’ this time was about the war trauma I would experience.

Not about the tangible changes that happened in the kingdom.

‘The trauma I get from the war with the monster army. Is the change in my state of mind from that so important? Important enough to affect my future and the future of the kingdom?’

“Then… does that mean I shouldn't act as the ‘bait’?”

The words escaped my mouth unconsciously.

If I didn't act as bait, I wouldn't have to experience such trauma. Of course, I would participate in other battlefields and might gain other painful memories, but it might not be a trauma significant enough to appear in the Future Diary.

‘Then I’d have to entrust the bait role to Jereuth again. But what if Jereuth dies then? Wouldn’t that be an even bigger problem?’

Of course, Jereuth might not die. Since he was training to ride a gryphon in ‘Sliwoo Forest,’ he too could escape on a gryphon like my future self—.

“…No.”

‘Jereuth would never flee, leaving his knights behind. He would fight alongside them to save them, and die with them.’

Jereuth was that kind of man. He was different from a selfish guy like me.

It wasn't for nothing that he was called a hero.

‘Then… is there ultimately only one choice.’

When acting as ‘bait’ on the battlefield.

To prevent the other knights acting as bait from being captured by monsters.

I have to be the one to save them.

That was the only choice left for me.

That was the way for me to avoid getting war trauma.

‘Of course, the best thing would be for all the bait knights, including me, not to be caught by monsters… but since the Future Diary clearly states that some of the knights were caught, it must be difficult to play the bait role so perfectly that no one gets captured.’

Hoo—.

My head was a mess, so I let out a sigh to organize my thoughts.

‘Whatever happens while I play the bait role, I will remain on the battlefield until the end. And I will not let anyone die in my place.’

I will stand at the very forefront as the ‘bait’ to lure the main force of the monster army.

And after luring them, I will be the last to leave the battlefield as the ‘King.’

That was my conclusion.

It seemed I had to force myself to become a man like Jereuth… a hero like him.

***

The Monster Mountains.

Chwaak—!

In the great basin at its center, Krokas, the leader of the Black Orcs, flicked the flesh and blood from his weapon.

That flesh and blood belonged not to a human, but to his own kind, a ‘monster.’

“…Are there any more who refuse to follow me?”

This place, which humans called the ‘Great Basin of the Monster Mountains,’ and monsters called the ‘Basin of Glory.’

Until all the monsters of the Monster Mountains had gathered in anticipation of the Minotaur's revival, the atmosphere in this basin had been relatively peaceful.

Of course, the leaders of each tribe had asserted their strength, but at least it hadn't reached the point of killing each other like this.

Kung—!

Krokas planted his weapon into the ground, glaring around as he spoke.

“The Minotaur-nim has been sealed again. Is there anyone else who would betray their kin and return to their own village because of that, I ask!!”

—….

“If there is, come out right now. I can delay here no longer!! I cannot forgive the humans, elves, and giants who sealed the Minotaur-nim with their cowardice and killed our great monster warriors with their vile and cowardly schemes!!”

—….

“After the Minotaur-nim was sealed and the strong warriors of each tribe were killed! You should not have lost your morale, you should have been enraged! Isn't that what we monsters are?!”

It was as Krokas said.

After Leonardo sealed the Minotaur and virtually annihilated the pursuit squad composed of the elite of each tribe, the morale of the monster army had plummeted.

It was understandable. The reason the monster army had gathered here in the first place was in anticipation of the Minotaur's revival—and on the other hand, because they could not refuse his call.

Furthermore, with the great warriors of each tribe virtually wiped out, how could their morale be high?

Krokas understood that at first. So, though it went against his nature, he appeased and persuaded the other tribes.

He knew it was hard, but since they had gathered like this, let's achieve the great cause.

‘But… it was no use. These insects, who are monsters only in skin, had no courage or desire for revenge. Even though courage and revenge are the sources of a monster's strength.’

So now, four years after the Minotaur was sealed.

Krokas finally took up his glaive and hammer again.

Just as he had made a show of force to seize real power over the monster army at the very beginning, he was now forcibly boosting the monster army's morale with fear.

Kwang—!

Krokas threw his axe in front of the Cyclops elder. He had thrown it with such force that more than half of the heavy axe head was embedded in the ground.

“Cyclops!! Will you follow me or not!! If you won't, then pick up that axe and fight me!”

“…”

“Revenge for the Minotaur-nim! And revenge for the warriors of your tribe! If you don't have the courage to do that, then I'll kill you right now, that's what I'm saying!!”

The Cyclops were currently one of the strongest tribes in the monster army.

That was why Krokas had deliberately singled them out. If he made them follow, the other tribes would have no choice but to follow him as well.

The Cyclops elder reluctantly bowed his head.

“…We will follow. The Black Orcs.”

“Good! Next, Ogres!!”

As Krokas's gaze fell on him, the Ogre elder swallowed hard and immediately nodded his head.

He felt that if he got on the wrong side of the currently enraged Krokas even slightly, he would not die a peaceful death.

“W-We will follow too.”

“Next, Tro—!”

“W-We too!”

Cyclops, Ogres, and Trolls.

As the elders of the three tribes, who were effectively the main force of the monster army, were intimidated by Krokas's spirit—.

—We will follow too!

—Let's kill all the despicable human bastards!!

—Annihilate the giants and elves too!!

—Kill them!! Let's fight!!

The other monsters also automatically, albeit forcibly, raised their voices. Of course, their opinions were a voice of agreement with—no, of fear of Krokas.

Looking at those monsters, Krokas gritted his teeth.

‘I don't like it. That these bastards are finally saying they'll follow me, not out of revenge and courage against the humans, but out of fear of me.’

Still.

‘It's not the worst. If we gather our strength even like this, we should be able to sweep away the humans.’

Thinking so, Krokas nodded his head in satisfaction for the time being.

But then, a weak tribe—a goblin—awkwardly raised its hand and spoke.

“E-Excuse me… Krokas?”

“What is it! Is the Goblin tribe not going to follow?!”

“N-No! That's not it! Our tribe pledges its loyalty to the Black Orcs… no, to Krokas-nim!!”

Teolseok!

The Goblin elder prostrated himself without being told and spoke.

“W-What I was trying to say! The w-wicked and despicable human bastards have set up fortresses and obstacles on the paths of the Monster Mountains, and I wanted to ask what you plan to do about it!”

“…”

“A reckless attack… i-is also an excellent strategy, but with our current numbers, that seems a bit difficult… t-that is my humble opinion… yes, t-that's it!”

Fortresses and traps.

At those words, Krokas frowned heavily.

‘Right, that is indeed a problem. According to the original plan, we should have marched as soon as the Minotaur-nim was resurrected, but the timing was too late. In the meantime, the human bastards, with the help of the elves and giants, have built new fortresses and blocked the paths.’

Krokas was an enraged, brave, cruel, and strong monster.

But that didn't mean he was a stupid monster.

On the contrary, his anger was so intense that his mind was sharp.

‘To crush the human kingdom surely and swiftly, we must advance on the north, south, and center of the Monster Mountains all at once. But with our current forces, it's impossible to break through the fortresses and obstacles the human bastards have made in the north and south.’

Then what should be done?

There was only one answer.

The number of the monster army had to increase.

“I command all the females of every monster tribe.”

Krokas said, staring down at any nearby females as if to overwhelm them.

“From now on, you wenches will produce one offspring per week. For the next six months.”

—…?!

“And for another six months, you will raise those offspring into warriors. That way, we can create a grand army that can smash anything, whether it's the human bastards' fortresses or obstacles.”

To birth one offspring a week, not one a month?

That was madness. It might be possible for Orcs, but for other tribes, it was a truly difficult task.

Not only the females, but also the males and the elders of each tribe knew that well.

However, their fear of Krokas was so heavy that no one could voice their opposition.

“What are you doing?! Start quickly!! Create offspring! An army!! If you can't meet the production quota, I will make you produce myself!!!”

As Krokas's order was given.

—C-Come here!

—Quickly!

—At least let's do it in the forest! Come on!!

—Do you want to die?! Come quickly!!

—Kyaaaaak!

The males of each tribe began to take any nearby female to make love—no, to ‘produce.’

Even for monsters who respected strength and revered the strong, it was a difficult command to follow, even if it came from the strong.

But Krokas didn't care.

His purpose was only one.

Something more terrifying than revenge: slaughter.

‘I will erase the humans from this Plank Peninsula. And from the entire continent. Then, in a thousand years, the Minotaur-nim will be resurrected… and the continent will truly belong to the monsters. Even after I am dead!’

And all of this was being watched by the Anakros elder, Risilbak.

Sssss—.

‘…I must tell my covenant partner. That the monster army is suddenly increasing its numbers. And that bastard Krokas has evolved into a being that even I fear.’