Battle Race in the Fantasy World

Battle Race in the Fantasy World – 82

EP.82 A Trip to the West

Among the Three Heroes of the Kingdoms Alliance, the first to be mentioned was Mathieu Philibert.

He was known as the most gentle of the three swords protecting the Alliance.

Despite this, he was the central figure among the Three Heroes because he had once fought against two of the Empire’s top ten.

During the times when relations between the Empire and the Kingdoms Alliance were still strained,

Both sides sought to avoid the burden of war by finding other ways to undermine each other.

They decided to have their top warriors compete in martial contests.

On the surface, it seemed like a friendly match to foster camaraderie.

But everyone knew it was a form of mutual deterrence and covert observation.

It was a situation where they couldn’t afford to lose, yet couldn’t reveal their full strength.

In those matches, Mathieu fought one opponent on the first day and another on the last day.

‘Just thinking about it still sends chills down my spine.’

Having passed his prime, he was now a middle-aged knight well over forty.

However, his fervor was still the same as in his youth. No, it was even greater.

When Mathieu heard that the Imperial legion, along with Duke Schrelitz and the Brotherhood of the Sword, was coming, he thought the greatest battle of his life was about to unfold.

‘If only this weren’t here, it would be perfect.’

Mathieu smiled bitterly as he fiddled with a vial in his possession.

The high command of the Alliance had already given him orders and even forced him to swear an oath.

If the Imperial forces were overwhelming, if they were stronger than him, he was to use it immediately.

They said that in that moment, the Imperial forces would be torn apart like paper.

For about 30 minutes, he would possess power surpassing even the Empire’s top ten.

It had taken an enormous amount of money, the efforts of mages, and the sacrifices of unknown individuals.

Those individuals had met a tragic end as their bodies collapsed, but they assured him the final product was safe.

‘Is this truly the right thing to do? As a knight, as a renowned warrior, isn’t this a disgrace?’

To fight, to win, and to protect.

Daily, painstaking effort and grueling training were the right ways to achieve this.

Using such methods might work in the short term, but eventually, it would be self-destructive.

“This is not the time to be debating, Sir Mathieu.”

“The Imperial forces are coming. Duke Schrelitz, the Brotherhood of the Sword, and even those barbarians from the north. If any of the top ten are among them, it will be the worst-case scenario.”

The other two members of the Three Heroes, Grusi Nicholas and Bernadotte Brun, had no reservations.

They sharply criticized that if the Alliance lost and their homeland was occupied by the Empire, the nobility and pride of knights would be nothing but a joke.

They declared that they would rather use any means necessary to repel the Empire.

They would use the item created through the sacrifices of unknown heroes of the Alliance.

The two heroes had said this and had unhesitatingly taken the vials into their possession.

Their words were not entirely wrong. In fact, they might be right.

All the concerns he had might just be like a sandcastle before the tide.

How could they resist the wave of the Empire coming towards the Alliance?

“Hoo.”

Mathieu shook his head, trying to clear his mind of unnecessary thoughts.

As he aged, he found himself thinking about too many things.

Right now, the Imperial legion, the Brotherhood of the Sword, and Duke Schrelitz were approaching.

It was crucial to focus on the imminent battle.

If they won, it would be fortunate. If they lost, they would lose everything.

Rustle—

“…Hmm?”

But what Mathieu saw was completely unexpected.

It wasn’t the dazzlingly impressive Imperial legion or the powerful knights.

Nor was it the vanguard of the Empire. There were far too few of them for that.

Rustle, rustle—

Even as they approached, the three figures ahead walked forward without hesitation.

They crossed the field, coming right up to where the Alliance’s large army had halted.

Finally, when they reached the very border between the Empire and the Alliance, they stopped.

“What on earth are they doing? Who are they?”

Another member of the Three Heroes, Grusi, approached with an irritated voice.

Everyone was on edge, anticipating a major battle.

Yet, instead of an army or a knightly order, only three individuals had appeared.

This kind of antic could deflate their morale and undo all the tension they had built up.

The Alliance’s command also seemed deeply displeased with the current situation.

This level of provocation went beyond mere taunting; it was a blatant disregard for the Alliance.

If that was the case, they had no reason to show any courtesy either.

Just as they were about to send out their knights to threaten the three,

Woom—

“…!”

An aura that ordinary people couldn’t sense, but that the strong could clearly feel, emanated.

It was unmistakably detected by the Three Heroes and the knights of the Alliance.

The more skilled they were, the more distinctly they could perceive this aura.

“Stop.”

Mathieu quickly halted the Alliance knights.

Regrettably, these were opponents they couldn’t hope to challenge.

If those three individuals, no, those three powerhouses, decided to act, they could wipe them out in an instant.

Mathieu dismounted and slowly walked towards the people from the Empire.

With each step he took, his conviction grew stronger.

‘This aura, there’s no doubt. They are definitely among the Empire’s top ten.’

The sensation prickling his skin, the pressure they exerted on him—it could only be them.

Though it had been a long time, he had clashed with them twice before and could be certain.

The reason the Empire had only mobilized one legion was probably because of this.

One knight who could do the work of a hundred soldiers, and even among such knights, these were the few who surpassed them all.

These were the Empire’s top ten, the ones even other strong individuals bowed to.

These were beings who had transcended the limits of humanity, and three of them were standing right in front of him.

“Hoo.”

Suppressing his pounding heart, Mathieu walked forward with confidence.

Though the Empire’s top ten were strong, he was also a formidable warrior, one of the Alliance’s Three Heroes.

He acknowledged their strength, but that didn’t mean he lacked confidence in himself.

There was no reason to shrink back. He must be more confident than ever.

Finally, when he got close enough to see their faces clearly,

‘…Wait a moment.’

Mathieu was genuinely surprised by two things.

First, the individuals standing before him were incredibly young.

Second, none of them were faces he recognized from the Empire’s top ten.

‘What is going on…?’

It didn’t take long for Mathieu to deduce the identities of these young men and women.

The Imperial legion, the Brotherhood of the Sword, Duke Schrelitz, and there was one more.

“Are you perhaps from the Jonathan Barony?”

The young man on the far right slowly nodded.

Then he turned to the other two and asked, ‘Shall I speak?’

After the other two nodded, the young man stepped forward.

“Nice to meet you. I am Kyle Jonathan. These two are my elder brother, Leo Jonathan, and my elder sister, Lea Jonathan.”

“…Mathieu Philibert.”

Even though relations between the Empire and the Alliance were strained, there were still courtesies to be observed.

Moreover, if the other party greeted first, one had to respond unless swords were already drawn.

So, after briefly introducing himself, the young man who called himself Kyle smiled.

“You’re strong.”

Just one sentence. But that single sentence made Mathieu feel as if his body had frozen.

It didn’t seem like he was merely reading his aura and roughly estimating his strength.

It felt as if he had been perfectly assessed, without a single error.

When Mathieu met Kyle’s eyes, he couldn’t help but feel a shiver run down his spine for that very reason.

“Are you perhaps one of the Three Heroes, the pride of the Alliance?”

“…Yes, though it’s a bit embarrassing to be called that.”

“That’s a relief. This will make things quicker.”

Make things quicker? What did he mean by that?

Mathieu involuntarily swallowed hard, waiting for the next words.

“If you’re one of the Three Heroes, it means you’re one of the three strongest in the Alliance. And you’re also one of the most influential voices within.”

“Being strong is true, but as for having a voice….”

Mathieu had never really been involved in politics.

Unlike Grusi or Bernadotte, Mathieu just wanted to live and die as a knight.

So, he was about to say that Kyle’s assumption was incorrect.

“If you don’t want to have a voice, I understand. In fact, that stance is quite admirable. It’s something all strong individuals should emulate. Those with power should indeed act that way.”

“Oh… Thank you for saying so….”

“But unfortunately, sometimes power is the most important thing. Like right now. So, Sir Mathieu, you’ll be able to carry out the proposal I’m about to make.”

A proposal before a war? What was he plotting?

Even with Duke Schrelitz participating, could a mere baron’s representative speak for the Empire?

“Send all those responsible for using the mana overdrive to the Empire, and have the Alliance’s high command swear they will never commit such heinous acts again.”

“…Excuse me?”

“If the oath is broken, include a clause stating that the Alliance will have to withstand a full-scale attack from the Empire.”

For a moment, Mathieu’s face twisted slightly.

The way Kyle spoke made it seem as if the defeat of the Alliance was already a foregone conclusion.

He could tolerate many things, but he couldn’t stand the notion of the Alliance, and himself, being disrespected.

Even if they were to lose, even if he were to die, he wanted to maintain his pride as a warrior.

“…What if we cannot accept your proposal? What will you do then?”

At Mathieu’s question, Kyle made a contemplative sound, “Hmm.”

Then he stepped back slightly and said, “Brother. He says no. What do you think?”

“…Yes, brother. So, you’ll…? Oh, you’re letting me go first. Thank you. Understood.”

After finishing his conversation, Kyle stood before Mathieu again.

“It seems we won’t resolve this through dialogue. Let’s move on to the next step.”

Just as Mathieu was about to ask what he meant,

The youngest of Jonathan rolled his shoulders and smiled broadly.

“Let’s have a match and then discuss our future with clear minds.”