Book 6-7.4
All of the Greatest Warriors could not hide their shock. Even if it was pretty much at a stalemate, Runa’s strategies were allowing them to slowly pressure the Shuarei, and in the end, it would be Pareia’s victory.
In less than two to three years, they would completely defeat the Shuarei and finally unify the desert. They would be able to achieve their dream in just two to three years! But withdrawing the troops at this point? That was the same as saying Yulian was giving up on this Western Desert completely.
“Glow! What are you saying?”
Runa became anxious as he urgently asked.
“We do not have time. Monsters are pouring out of the Monster’s Desert, and I’m sure all of you have heard about how the Castle of Storm was invaded not too long ago.”
“But the Glow’s master is currently at the Castle of Storm. Didn’t you say there were no issues with safety while he was there?”
“The Castle of Storm will be safe. But what about the other oases?”
Order instantly came back to the group of Greatest Warriors who were whispering to each other inside the paoe. If there were monsters invading the Castle of Storm which was extremely far away from the Monster’s Desert, they did not even need to ask whether the monsters were invading the other oases.
“Do you think they can fend off all of the monsters with the warriors we left behind at each oasis? Even when there is at least ten times the normal amount of monsters pouring out of the Monster’s Desert?”
“......”
Everybody knew that it was not possible. But the reason they could not easily withdraw the troops was because of disappointment. Extremely large sense of disappointment.
Runa gathered up the courage to speak.
“But we can completely destroy the Shuarei in the next three years for sure. How long have we looked forward to this? You want to give all up that up once we made it this far?”
“I am not giving it up. Our focus is just changing for a bit. If the monsters are causing us more harm than other humans right now, isn’t it only normal for us to take care of the monsters instead of waging war against other humans?”
“But there is value in destroying the Shuarei and unifying the desert, even if we need to make some significant sacrifices along the way.”
“We may feel that way but the people who die because we choose not to withdraw will not think that way.”
“Even if it something we are doing for Pareia?”
“We cannot put Pareia first. We must put our citizens of Pareia first. That is the only way for our nation, our Pareia, to become even better. My decision has been made.”
Runa did not say anything after Yulian’s proclamation. If Yulian did not back away even after debating with him and confirmed his resolve like this, it was only right for him to back away as the subordinate.
“I must meet with Venersis. Send a messenger to the Shuarei camp.”
Yulian’s order continued to shock the warriors.
“Glow, you plan on personally meeting with Venersis?”
As Ruan cautiously asked, Yulian nodded his head.
“I must meet with him. I’m sure the Shuarei are having headaches because of the monsters as well, so he will not decline this meeting.”
“Why do you want to meet with him?”
Yulian did not answer Egane’s question. He was sure that they would oppose if he told them what was on his mind.
“Glow!”
Runa’s veins in his neck were popping out as he called out toward Yulian, but Yulian waved his had to say nothing else was needed to be said as he got up from his seat. There were many things to prepare before he met with Venersis.
“Sigh~!”
Runa let out a sigh before ending the meeting and looking toward the departing Yulian. He then let out another sigh.
But there was nothing he could do about it. Yulian was someone who did not change his mind once he made up his mind.
The two heroes gazed at each other as they started to walk toward each other. Behind them were their respective brigade of warriors, just standing there, eyeing each other as well. But they were ready to jump in the moment even the slightest danger came to their liege.
The two heroes both stopped about five meters away from each other and started to talk.
“It feels odd seeing you up close like this after always seeing you from far away.”
The first to speak was the War God of the Western Desert, Venersis.
“I am also curious why Pareia’s Glow asked to see me.”
Yulian’s lips were shaking. There was a lot of things he wanted to say, but he could not figure out what to say first.
Yulian took a deep breath. He then calmed his emotions as he slowly started to speak.
“I loathe the you who is responsible for killing my mother, but I am grateful to the you who saved my life and my brothers life on multiple occasions. Am I supposed to treat you as my mother’s killer or my savior?”
“......”
Venersis closed his mouth after slightly opening it. If there was something that would eternally be the source of shame for him, that was going against the past truce and ambushing Pareia. That was when he had ended up killing the Mother of Pareia.
Well, he did not personally kill the Mother of Pareia, but she had committed suicide because of his actions, so it was pretty much the same as him killing her.
For her son to come here and ask him like this, Venersis could only respond with confused emotions.
“You came all this way to ask that?”
“There are many reasons for this meeting, but that was the one that weighed on me the most. You are my sworn enemy yet my savior at the same time.”
“If it is weighing on you that much, it would be better to just follow your heart.”
Complicated emotions could be seen in Yulian’s eyes.
‘Let’s do as I planned. Just as I planned … forget about the past and put all of my strength for what we need to do now.’
Yulian made up his mind and started to speak.
“I want this war to be the last war with other humans. Venersis, the reason I came to speak to you today was to ask this. Are there no monsters invading the Shuarei?”
Venersis slowly nodded his head. The Shuarei had already been invaded as well. The monsters that were generated in large numbers from the center of the desert were putting a lot of pressure on the Shuarei’s northern border.
“So are you trying to say that you will withdraw your troops to the rear?”
“Yes. I do not want to watch the monsters kill my people.”
“So you want me to withdraw my troops as well?”
Yulian coldly answered back.
“You are trying to make me say the same thing twice even though you know exactly what I want.”
“I just wanted to verify it once more as this is a very big issue. But what would you do if I say that I will not withdraw my troops?”
Yulian glared at Venersis before finally answering.
“Pareia will still withdraw our troops.”
“Even though I cannot do anything about the quicksand river, do you think I will just sit back and not do anything about this Western Desert?”
“I guess I read you wrong. Do whatever you want. I already have plans to move all of the people from the Western Desert to the Eastern Desert. If you are fine with empty oases, take as many as you want.”
Listening to Yulian’s angry response, Venersis could tell that Yulian was not lying or trying to mock him.
‘Pff.’
He then bitterly smiled after looking at how he was conducting himself.
He could fight without thinking if he was just a Greatest Warrior, but he was now the Glow. The Glow was someone who had to work hard to provide a better environment for his people, even if that meant doing things that he personally did not want to do.
Venersis started to speak.
“I understand where you are coming from. Then are you saying we should withdraw our troops and put an end to the war? At least until the monsters disappear?”
Venersis continued to speak after seeing Yulian nod his head.
“Alright. I will accept your proposal. As you mentioned, it does not make sense to fight amongst each other when the monsters are ambushing our people…...fine. Let’s call a truce. The Shuarei will not attack Pareia until the monsters disappear.”
Yulian was actually surprised at how easily the answer came. The Red Storm warriors standing behind him were just as shocked.
‘Indeed.’
Yulian thought that as he took out both of his greatswords.
“And one more thing.”
“......?”
Venersis started to feel excited, watching Yulian standing there holding his greatswords. Other than that young Glow, there was nobody who could stop him when he went all out.
Venersis had longed for a rival worthy of him fighting at full strength, and with that rival standing there with his weapons in his hand, there was no way he could prevent himself from getting excited.
“Let’s put an end to the past relationships between the two of us. No matter who lives and who dies, everything between us ends now.”
“Exactly what I wanted.”
Venersis took out his shamshir as well.
“Oowooooooo!”
“Yiyaaaaaaaaap!”
The two men charged toward each other.
End of chapter.
Next up:
Monsters
They were gathering together like human nations and doing their best to cause harm to the humans.