The Greatest Warrior of All Time Returns
Chapter 257

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 257

* * *

The King of Coral clutched his head at the reports delivered early in the day.

“We lost again?!! And this time, completely annihilated?!!!”

He flew into a rage, forgetting all dignity as a monarch.

“Those damned useless fools!! How is that even possible!! There were nearly ten Masters! And clearly some powerful individuals among them…!”

“Your Majesty… please kill us!!”

“Damn it!! How could just two people wipe out the entire force!!!”

At this point, the outcome of the war no longer mattered.

The core forces Coral had relied on had been completely cut down by that monster-like figure who suddenly infiltrated from within Coral.

All that remained now were the regular soldiers and a handful of Experts — knights and mages who couldn’t be counted on for significant power.

Worse yet, even they would have to fight without adequate supplies.

And on the other side were not only the Bata forces but also the Elf Archers and the Holy Kingdom’s knight order.

Before the war restarted, Coral had been confident it couldn't possibly lose.

But now, in just a day, everything had turned to ruin.

“Damn it! Still no word from the general at the front lines?”

“Well… the siege is stalled due to reinforcements from the Holy Kingdom and the Great Forest…”

“Useless fools!!!”

He ripped the letter in his hands to shreds.

The letter had been delivered by the sole survivor from the Eastern Continent’s side — a warrior who returned, mortally wounded.

The message had been written by that monster who had annihilated not only the Eastern forces but even their hidden secret weapons.

— Unconditional surrender. Any other choice will mean the annihilation of the Coral royal family.

It was no longer about conquering enemy territory.

At this rate, the Bata army might cross the border and reach Coral itself.

And if that monster who devoured the Eastern army started heading straight for the royal capital, there would be no way to stop him.

If even the Eastern forces were crushed, then Coral’s military couldn’t possibly withstand it.

Though Coral was considered a powerful nation, its might was feeble compared to the Eastern army’s.

That’s why they had deliberately used only Coral’s troops as the vanguard — to preserve their true strength.

But now, everything was unraveling.

“Y-Your Majesty…”

“How… how could it come to this? We haven’t even gained a sliver of Bata’s territory, and yet this is our outcome…”

“Please, kill us…”

“All ministers, hear this.”

Clutching his head with one hand and trembling in fury, the King of Coral slowly opened his mouth.

“From this moment, inform all citizens of the kingdom. Their king, their god, their father is in peril — so they are to gather all weapons and armor they can find and stand against the enemy.”

“Y-Your Majesty?!”

“Enact a national general mobilization order.”

He was divine-blooded — the King of Coral, of godly lineage.

No one had the right to treat him so carelessly or to threaten him.

The ministers reacted in panic, raising their voices, but the king rose from his seat and left the audience chamber, heading for his private chambers.

“Do not inform anyone of this.”

“As you command, Your Majesty.”

As the chamberlain bowed his head, the king entered the room without hesitation and touched a bookshelf on the side.

With a grinding sound, the bookshelf moved, revealing a hidden passage.

“Let it all burn — Bata, the Eastern Continent, the Empire, the Holy Kingdom. If I can’t have it, I’ll turn it all to ash.”

His wrath found its ultimate target.

The House of Count Cascadia.

That place, he would erase — even if the world split in two.

From the darkness, he drew out a box with bizarre engravings.

It was known only in legend — its very existence uncertain — but it was worth a try, even if it didn’t work.

He unsheathed a dagger and cut his palm, letting drops of blood fall onto the box.

“O ancient being, golden beast Radon… I offer you this sacrifice, so grant my wish.”

Astonishingly, the box began to tremble faintly.

* * *

Though he had sent a letter calling for unconditional surrender, there was always a low chance the Coral king would actually accept it.

Indeed, when Melissa and the commander of Bata heard this, they both gave the same reaction.

According to the spies planted within Coral, the king had issued a general mobilization order to all citizens.

Such a move was something only seen during a continent-wide catastrophe.

Regardless of age or gender — if someone had limbs, they’d be given a weapon and armor and sent to fight.

A literal total war.

Not a single tyrant in all of Lazarus had ever gone this far.

But the Coral king seemed utterly convinced that his existence — claiming to be divine-blooded — held more value than anything else.

Well, he was raised from birth being worshipped as divine-blooded, so it was probably only natural.

No matter what his blood type actually was, it was probably just something ordinary.

But he and his kind believed their lineage to be more noble than anything else.

It looks like he’s filled with resolve to take me down even if it means destroying his own nation.

Most of Coral’s strategic cities had already been raided, and now I had arrived at the capital — the last stop.

From a distance, I could see the capital’s outer walls swarming with troops, guarding it with airtight vigilance.

He started this war, and now he gathers most of his forces just to protect his own neck.

Did he ever really intend to win?

“This might go down in history as the shortest war ever.”

Luna, standing beside me, offered a calm observation.

I shrugged in response.

“Would be annoying if resistance groups started popping up later. I mean, even if we win the war, I’m not sure Bata plans to govern Coral’s territory.”

“And the real reason?”

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

“The longer a war drags on, the more innocent lives are lost. Not all Coral citizens are bad. It was the royal family that started this war. And it’s the people who suffer — that’s what pisses me off.”

Right now, the place I stood was peaceful, but on the frontlines, countless people were probably dying by the hour.

Sending Baril there was my way of minimizing that loss.

“Daddy. Are we playing again today?”

Just then, I heard Grivy’s voice.

Turning my head, I saw her seated on a large rhinoceros, patting its neck as she asked.

Why there was a rhinoceros here, I decided not to question.

Apparently, Grivy had gone for a stroll beyond the forest and brought it back with her.

The rhinoceros was trembling, clearly terrified of Grivy, and didn’t dare resist.

Grivy looked quite different now from when I had first made the contract with her — her hair neatly styled.

Though the length hadn’t changed much, the unruly look was almost entirely gone.

You could tell Luna had put serious effort into it.

Of course, Grivy was a spirit, so reverting to her original form wouldn’t be difficult — but it seemed she liked her current hairstyle and chose not to change it.

Grivy was a spirit, but she was different from ordinary spirits.

Perhaps that’s why, even without my summoning her, she could appear of her own will like this.

“This time it’s hide-and-seek.”

“Grivy wants to play too.”

“I’ll play with you next time. Let’s stay quiet for today.”

“…Okay.”

Grivy pouted, unable to hide her disappointment.

After that, I quietly turned my gaze toward the capital’s firmly shut gates.

The towering gates, tens of meters high, were once a proud symbol of the Bata Kingdom’s unyielding fortress.

The Coral Kingdom had been founded by those who rebelled against Bata.

Naturally, the capital's fortress was originally part of Bata's territory.

It was the most developed city as a capital, and also the most heavily defended.

That place was the capital of Coral.

In general, when the forces were evenly matched, capturing Coral’s capital was no easy feat.

However, even its sturdy walls and solid gates,

Even the brave soldiers who defended them, were not flawless.

Guerrilla warfare—a long-honored strategy—was notorious for giving even the strongest armies a headache.

And I didn’t even need to directly strike the capital.

Thanks to Baril’s appearance, the already-stagnant frontlines had been completely swept away.

The remaining Coral forces were scattered, and all the commanding officers were either killed or taken prisoner.

In other words, if Bata decided to push forward, Coral had no way to stop it.

In fact, it was said Bata’s forces had already crossed the border and were pouring in as if down a high-speed expressway.

Resistance?

By the time the main force had been annihilated, many of the nobles guarding castles and strongholds had fled, so a significant number of cities were reportedly taken without a fight.

They must have been exploiting their people quite harshly.

After waiting for a few days, having stopped everything I’d been doing, I saw a large army approaching in the distance.

It wasn’t flying Coral’s flag.

It bore the royal banner of the Bata Kingdom—their army.

At the head was a familiar figure I’d met before.

“Duke Berli. It’s been a while.”

“Hoho. I feel like we made a war hero wait too long.”

“A war hero? I don’t deserve such a title.”

At my calm response, he let out a hearty laugh.

“You saved thousands—tens of thousands of lives by yourself. How could we not call you a hero? But first, let’s make a place for the soldiers to rest, then we’ll talk again.”

He swiftly organized the troops, setting up defenses and tents across the area.

Then he made sure the tired soldiers were well-fed and had a place to rest.

Right now, Coral had no forces left to launch a counterattack.

At best, the defenders holed up in the capital were all that remained.

Originally, Bata might not have intended to push Coral this far.

But since the situation had turned out so easily in their favor, they had likely decided to finish things while they had the chance.

Bata’s intentions had been clear from the beginning.

When I entered the command tent, Duke Berli and several other generals were already in the middle of a war council.

“At present, Coral has no means of resistance. Their troops are numerous, but they’ve lost their cohesion. Without a central command, they’re bound to scatter.”

“In fact, due to low morale, a large number of their soldiers have already deserted. I doubt we’ll face any attacks from the rear.”

Just like Coral, Bata also needed supplies to push this far in.

However, Bata wasn’t exactly rich in resources either, so they too were pressed for time.

“Lord Leon, you’re here.”

As I quietly bowed my head, I heard murmurs ripple through the room.

It seemed those who were meeting me for the first time were curious about the man who had shaken all of Coral.

“To be honest, I never thought such an absurd strategy could work. Once this war is over, many nations will surely turn their eyes to you. If you wish, this achievement could be just the beginning of your rise to power—”

“I’m only interested in Cascadia. Nothing else.”

“…Right. Tsk, tsk. That’s just the kind of person you are.”

At my indifferent answer, he laughed heartily again.

Then he took a short breath.

“You’ve done well. Thanks to you, Bata’s young men were able to reach this place without dying.”

“If I helped reduce unnecessary sacrifices, then I’m glad.”

“But there are times when retreat isn’t an option. What do you think of that fortress?”

“Beyond the sturdiness of its walls, even the terrain makes it close to an impregnable stronghold.”

“Indeed. That fortress used to be one of Bata’s key defensive positions.”

He took in a short breath.

[Translator - Night]

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