Chapter 461
Kallamore region .
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This region of the Central Continent, blessed with an emerging prosperity and a liveliness rivaling even other regions in the North, was ruled by Dain .
An Excellent governor!
Receiving an overwhelming support from the local residents, she boasted astonishing power of influence over the region . However, as it was under the reign of the Hermes guild, rebels continually emerged from within .
“As we are currently at war, we cannot tolerate the rebels any longer . ”
“I am confident that I can negotiate with them . Besides, they haven’t caused any serious damage yet . ”
“I know that the situation in Kallamore is better than in any other region . However, if we leave them as they are, we risk the possibility of the rebels spreading extensively . The Central Authority ordered us to suppress the rebels, and you as a governor are obliged to comply . ”
“I will retrieve your authority over military forces and battle engagement only . I will not intervene in the internal affairs . ”
Gigad of the Guild Administration took away part of Dain’s governance .
It was decided that many talented people of Kallamore, a renowned birthplace of valiant knights, would be absorbed into the Imperial Army .
“Ugh . ”
Dain sighed, but she could not make any protest other than that .
She was a so-called “parachuted employee ”!
While it was true that she did great service by ruling Kallamore well, she got her position through appointment by the top authority of the Hermes guild, which meant that she had a lot of internal enemies who were jealous of her .
Since Kallamore was a stable region, the Imperial Army was not deployed to the region and the private armies of the local lords carried out the task of suppression by themselves .
“Eliminate them all!”
“Crossing the Mepon River is now prohibited . Let’s show them that Kallamore is no weaker than other regions!”
The lords and users of the Hermes Guild, free from all the restrictions that had been put upon them, were wreaking havoc .
Eager to make public contributions, they executed groups of rebels, sometimes getting overexcited and waging battles beyond their strength .
“Is this really necessary?”
“I know, right? We have always been playing nice, even holding festivals and whatnot . ”
“This has been such a peaceful region, free from any fight… and now they ruined it . ”
Even in the Kallamore region, which used to be firm and stable like a stone bridge, deep hostility was spreading among the users, just like the other regions of the Haven Empire .
“If it’s going to be a big war, we have to accomplish something from it . ”
“I guess we have been too idle lately . We need to start taking the rust off of our swords . ”
“Ahem . We don’t fight to gain popularity . We also don’t fight to boast in front of women . We fight, to the very limit of our strength, because that’s the reason for our life!”
“You’re right, of course!”
“Well, then let’s show them what we’ve got . ”
Geomchi brought all of the masters to the Desert region; along with the Desert warriors, he intended to have a proper match against the Haven Empire .
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The disciples who reached the Southern Desert region earlier had established a firm ground . The users playing in this area responded sharply to the news that Geomchi and the masters arrived from the Arpen Kingdom .
“Do you think there will be a fight?”
“The current system is just perfect as it is… good for plundering, too . ”
“Yeah, pillaging the Great Plains went really well . Even now there are plenty of opportunities for plundering, seeing how the Central Continent is in disarray . ”
“The Imperial army might be strong, but we can always avoid fighting, using our camels’ mobility . ”
“I’m worried the current system might lose its balance . ”
The number of Desert users was still quite small, and they were feeling uneasy towards the arrival of Geomchi .
They were worried that the tradition and the system of the Desert among the disciples would be shaken, but their concerns turned out to be unnecessary .
“Masters, you came . ”
In the Desert, the disciples lining up on both sides greeted Geomchi and the masters .
What a scene: all those burly men wearing leather clothes, bending their backs and bowing deeply!
Silver, Ben and Elix, who were in an adventurer party, were speechless after witnessing this .
“More people like them have come . ”
“It looks as though they consist of 505 people, those who were selected among the whole humankind . ”
“Right, those who have muscles instead of brains…ahem . ”
Geomchi’s gaze fell upon the clothes made of leopards’ and tigers’ leather that Geomchi5 and other trainees were wearing .
“Those clothes look good . ”
“Hehehe . We caught the beasts ourselves . Nothing is better than leather clothes in the Desert . We also prepared one for you, master . ”
Leather clothes in a desert, not in a jungle!
Since something about them looked very impressive, Geomchi thought it was a pretty outstanding decision . There were quite a lot of things being resolved in this manner between them .
“You must have had a tough time . How do we play here?”
“Well, no big deal . Just hit and break things . Since you are here, we will entrust everything to you . ”
“I heard you’re working on a commission . ”
“It’s nothing huge . They say that we are founding a new Pallos Empire . ”
The Pallos Empire had been a strong country blessed with the glory of the desert, its territories spreading over a vast land . Despite the fact that some of the Empire past territories had been lost to the Central Continent, a wide area of desert remained . It was composed of tribes and cities, with a population that even included nomads and wanderers, so establishing an Empire was a big quest .
Geomchi folded his hands behind his back and smiled contently .
“Sounds like a pleasant job . ”
“Yes . As a kid I used to charge into the den of the local gang with an iron pipe in my hand and now… Ah, sorry, Master . ”
“It’s alright . We all used to be immature . 10 is a quite good age to hold an iron pipe . ”
“As always, you speak wisely, master . ”
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Geomchi2 was responsible for the organization of the Desert warriors .
As someone who was a top student of Geomchi and had worked as a master of a martial art academy for a long time, dealing with the Desert warriors wasn’t a difficult task for him .
As for the users, only a few words were enough .
“Give a good fight . ”
“Y-yes! I, I will fight till the very end . ”
“Even if the battle is disadvantageous, please don’t run away . ”
“If my legs and arms get broken, I will fight on with my teeth!”
Geomchi2 spoke gently for certain, but somehow it looked as though the users were carving his words deep into their very bones .
Humans are said to have the ability to use reason, but when people met Geomdulchi and talked to him, an animal-like instinct that had been lying dormant within them was awakened .
‘He would kill me if I crossed him . He’d knock me down without effort, and once he starts swinging his arms…’
‘If he hits me, I’m dead . That’s the best outcome . That, or becoming a vegetable . I’ll be beaten until I feel like I would rather die . ’
‘This is the person who you must never turn into an enemy . ’
Geomchi2 even had a girlfriend, but people’s view of him hadn’t changed .
When he smiled, the users trembled in fear even more .
“Is there anything you find uncomfortable?”
“Un…uncomfortable? Not at all! I’m living in great comfort . ”
“If you need something, feel free to tell me anytime . ”
“I’m really, REALLY very happy, thanks!”
Geomchi3, Geomchi4 and Geomchi5 envied his leadership .
“He’s different from people like us who only get angry all the time . ”
“Right . There’s a lot to learn from him . ”
“Wasn’t he going around beating people a lot in the past, though? He’s the one who taught me how to hold an iron pipe correctly . ”
“What are you talking about, Fourth? I don’t remember that at all . ”
“But we learned together… Ah, right, you were hit in your head quite a bit that time . ”
“Aha . That’s why I don’t remember!”
A massive rally of the Desert Warriors!
Countless warriors flocked to the Southern border of the Haven Empire .
“Are we going for some more plundering again?”
“Of course, let’s go for another round . ”
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Most of the users active in the Desert area have also joined .
The desolated, unforgiving Desert region naturally was strikingly different from the fertile Central Continent or Northern Continent .
When you were active in the Desert under the scorching sun for long, you were bound to dream of plundering the Central Continent .
“Who’s the captain? Is it Mister Geomchi5 this time as well?”
“No . It’s Mister Geomchi . ”
“Very similar name, but I don’t really know him . ”
“He is not very well known around here, but he’s truly a powerful man . He is said to be Weed’s swordfighting teacher . ”
“Huh… Really?”
“Yes, I’m sure of it . ”
Geomchi, together with the masters and the trainees, assembled the main forces in the Southern Desert .
“I’ve heard that I’ll get a sword if I come to this place . ”
“You know how to wield it?”
“Yes, that’s all I have done in my life . That’s what every man had to do in order to protect our tribe . ”
In the Desert, warriors came to the reputable heroes, asking to serve under them .
Due to the harsh conditions of the Desert region, it produced a lot of great warriors, who gained experience through battles and wars .
If one accomplished a feat during a war, one could gather a lot of troops, so their military force was remarkable even though their population or economic power was small .
The warriors who gathered under the banner of Geomchi alone amounted to 500 000, a striking number .
“Khmmmm . ”
Geomchi and the masters felt quite a burden .
“So all these people’s lives depend on us . ”
“Yes, master . ”
“What would happen if we hurled all of them into the fray in one go?”
“I think everything here would be pretty much ruined . ”
The decisive battle that will determine the fate of the Desert region .
Through the plundering of the Great Plains and the trade with the Arpen Kingdom, the Desert region was gradually establishing an economic foundation . If all these Desert warriors lost their lives, the region would suffer from monster attacks and the new Pallos Empire would be a very distant dream indeed .
“Master, shall we turn back?”
“No . Once a man has drawn out his sword, he has to cut at least a radish . ”
The Desert warriors led by Geomchi and the other masters and disciples raided the territory of the Haven Empire .
About half of them were cavalries riding on camels .
A large-scaled assault by the Desert warriors, intending to bypass ramparts and fortresses, using their swift mobility to pillage granaries and villages .
– Congratulations! We welcome all of you from the Pallos Empire!
– Welcome . Grass Porridge, Grass Porridge, Grass Porridge .
– We are friends of the Desert!
– Hurray to Weed!
Huge signs and placards hung on the city and castle walls welcomed Geomchi and his Desert Warriors .
“What on earth are those…?”
“No enemy left for us to fight, Master!”
“Where did they go?”
“Probably fled . The remaining people are welcoming us . ”
The lords of the Great Plains and small principalities gathered .
Following the first wave of pillaging, they watched a massive Desert Army rallying for the second wave through the broadcast .
“Looks like they are ready for another strike, what shall we do?”
“Any news from the Hermes Guild?”
“They said that they are sending in the defensive forces… but the number will probably be quite small . ”
“Again?”
“Well, they have always looked down on us, so what did you expect? Besides, since everything was taken away during the last raid, it’s pretty obvious that they’re thinking we’re not worth protecting . ”
The Hermes Guild dispatched about 30% of their forces against the rebels and about 60% to fight against the Arpen Kingdom .
Even if the warriors struck the Southern Desert region, it wouldn’t result in a loss of territory .
Since the cities suffered no serious damage and the granaries had already been mostly depleted after the last attack, they decided that there wasn’t much more to lose .
On the other hand, in order to defend against charging Desert warriors, the defensive forces would have to be spread further apart throughout a wide area .
The Desert warriors weren’t interested in besieging and taking over castles, so they ran rampant over a large open space .
The Haven Empire would have to stop them mainly using their cavalry as well, but that would require extensive dispersion of their forces, which would become their weakness .
Lafaye and the heads of Hermes Guild decided to focus only on the Arpen Kingdom .
Since they didn’t want to deliver another legendary triumph to the hands of Weed, their conclusion was to strategically abandon the Southern land .
However, they still could have saved the castles or the cities from the Desert warriors, had the local lords chosen to fight with all their might .
“Now they’re just being cruel . It would be too much for us to prepare for the war all on our own … They pretty much mean that we’ll need to throw everything we’ve got if we want to survive . ”
“They have abandoned us, so why do we have to fight for the Empire?”
“Should we just flee?”
(to be continued……)