The Strongest in the World Doesn’t Want To Do Anything

56 – Evil, Episode 56

Handro patrolled the military that had finished preparations for the expedition, observing the front lines.

Everyone seemed to feel the burden and fatigue from the consecutive wars, and morale was quite low.

“Is everyone ready?”

“Yes!”

Handro silently felt proud seeing the soldiers answer with enthusiasm while concealing their inner thoughts.

“So far, the enemies we’ve fought were courageous in their own way! They had their reasons, and values to protect. However, we were just a bit more courageous! But now, the enemies we must face are a completely different kind of existence. They murder humans without honor, without values to fight for, without any philosophy, plunging the entire country into darkness.”

The soldiers began to focus even more on Handro’s powerful voice.

“Yesterday, there was talk that the Taylor Kingdom, which is now, might become Gerba next! Let’s protect the homeland where our loved ones and friends live happily with our strength!”

“Hurraaah!”

Handro, wearing a satisfied smile towards the morale-boosted soldiers, left the front lines and approached Rosalia, who stood silently, gazing at the Taylor Kingdom’s land with rising black smoke.

“We’re about to arrive. Everyone is tired, but it won’t affect morale. We’re following an excellent leader.”

In response to Handro’s flattering, Rosalia replied with a smile that seemed not displeased.

“As the days go by, it seems you’re only getting better at flattering, Handro.”

“I’m getting older too, aren’t I? It’s an essential virtue if you want to last long.”

“Hahaha.”

The laughter of Rosalia and Handro overlapped.

They were accustomed to relieving tension in this way before facing war, and this time, the opponents were beings of a completely unknown type, not even human.

There was even more tension than in previous battles.

Moreover, Rosalia had the ability to go back to a specific point in time even if she died. Despite that, the tension did not easily dissipate.

The strange dream she had last night also had an impact.

It was a peculiar dream that could be seen as a divine revelation, informing her about her regressive ability. Six more chances were left, and the words of an unknown being urged her to do her best in her role.

‘What exactly is the role given to me?’

The prosperity of Gerba? Peace in the world?

Perhaps, at this point where new enemies appeared, it was not a coincidence that such a divine being appeared in her dream.

As she continued to think, Rosalia felt even more fearful of the enemies she would soon face.

‘Is it my role to eliminate these guys from this land? How dangerous are they, really…’

Watching Rosalia deeply immersed in thought, Handro spoke quietly.

“Your Highness, I will organize the battle formation and advance immediately.”

“Please do so, Handro.”

After a light salute, Handro moved back to command the soldiers.

The trumpet sound announcing the advance echoed everywhere.

Countless cavalry rushed past Rosalia toward the Taylor Kingdom’s walls. Where they passed, dust lingered heavily in the air.

***

“Handro!”

It happened in an instant. The massive dark sword of a shadow-like monster pierced through Handro’s chest.

“These… filthy monsters!”

Electricity flowed through Rosalia’s hands. She quickly spread her hands, releasing a surge of electricity towards the pile of monsters in front of her.

Monsters in the form of wolves were zapped by the electricity, emitting a foul smell. The gruesome screams of the monsters, their ears torn apart, spread disgustingly.

“Handro-nim!”

“Protect the queen!”

“For the queen!”

“Die, you bastards!”

Soldiers, awakened by Handro’s death and the queen’s struggle, bravely rushed forward, overcoming the monsters. A monster still had Handro impaled on its sword, glancing around as it twitched, attempting to find its next victim.

…?

For some reason, the sword showed no signs of moving.

“You… think you can die so helplessly… by the hands of… such filth?”

“Handro!! Don’t move!”

Handro pulled out a flask from his pocket and began pouring its contents from his mouth, which was already spewing blood.

Sensing something strange, the monster exerted more force and tried to withdraw the sword, but Handro grabbed the sword that pierced his own body with his hand.

“Krrr!”

After a moment, white light sprayed from Handro’s eyes and nose, and his body swelled up like a balloon.

“Handro!!”

The queen, realizing Handro’s intention, hastily ordered the soldiers, “Everyone, get down!”

With a tremendous flash and explosion, Handro’s body exploded. Everyone on the battlefield fell as if their skulls would shatter in the deafening blast and ground-shaking vibrations.

Rosalia, who barely avoided the explosion, slowly rose from the ground.

The battlefield, just moments ago filled with screams, shouts, and the clashing sounds of weapons, fell silent like a graveyard.

Handro’s explosion seemed to have claimed numerous casualties on both allies and enemies.

Surveying the now ruins around her, she quickly ran to the spot where Handro had exploded.

Once again, his traces were nowhere to be found.

How many times had she faced Handro’s death? No matter how many times it repeated, it was not easily accepted.

“Crrrk… Crrr…”

Before sinking completely into grief, a sound, akin to boiling phlegm, echoed from the surroundings.

Following the sound, she found the sword monster that had led Handro to such an extreme choice, lying on the ground, leaving only a portion of its upper body, shattered.

The queen slowly approached the monster, pressing her jet-black head so grotesquely with her foot that it seemed almost repulsive.

“Thank you for not dying so easily.”

With subdued anger in her voice, the queen increased the pressure on the head she was stepping on.

“Hehe… Stupid woman.”

At the moment when she was about to completely crush the head, the creature opened its mouth.

“What? Can you speak?”

Rosalia removed her foot from the head she had placed there and grabbed the creature’s head with one hand. Part of the monster’s upper body fell away.

“I have a few questions. What exactly do you want? Why can’t you kill people and be content?”

“Hehehe…”

“What’s so funny?”

“Hehahaha… Stupid woman.”

“…Are you trying my patience?”

As soon as Rosalia finished speaking, she tossed the monster she had been holding in her hand to the ground. With a dull thud, a part of the monster’s body fell off.

Yet the creature laughed even louder, mocking Rosalia.

“Hehahaha! Why do we kill humans? Would anything change if you knew the reason? Is it that important to you?”

“…I was mistaken. I thought we could have a conversation. I overestimated you guys. As you said, it’s not important. I could just kill you like this.”

“Hehahaha!”

– Squelch!

The monster’s face was crushed under Rosalia’s foot, flattened.

Thus, the army of Terosa won the first full-scale battle against the monsters.

In the end, it was a victory, but in terms of details, it was no different from defeat.

And it was a very bitter defeat.

Handro, the supreme commander of the Terosa army, died. It was precisely because of his self-destruction that they could achieve victory in the battle.

During the process of regrouping after the battle, Rosalia could sense that the morale of the soldiers was hitting rock bottom.

Even in the gloomy and desolate atmosphere, Rosalia had to maintain her composure and plan for the next steps.

With Handro’s death, his deputy and other military officers who had become commanders in his absence gathered around Rosalia to spread out the map and start a meeting.

Although they, too, showed signs of mourning for Handro’s unexpected death, death during war was inevitable, and they knew it, so each silently concealed their grief and discussed their opinions on the battle plans.

“Instead of clearing out the remaining ones in the Taylor Territory, we should move directly to Gerba…”

“Your Majesty!”

As Rosalia was about to conclude the meeting, a messenger rushed in, dripping with cold sweat, interrupting her.

“Dare! The Queen’s words…”

“It’s okay. What’s the matter?”

The messenger belatedly realized that he had not shown proper etiquette and continued speaking, bowing his head to the ground.

From Noble mtl dot com

“I-I apologize! It’s urgent news, so I couldn’t observe the formalities.”

“It’s alright, just tell me. What news do you bring?”

The messenger, struggling to steady his trembling body, took a deep breath and began reciting the contents of the letter that had arrived from Tessa.

“Monsters of unknown origin have emerged through the floor of Tessa’s square. The stationed guards are trying to hold them back, but it’s not enough…”