Regressing as the Reincarnated Bastard of the Sword Clan

Chapter 308

The once lush green areas.

The newly sprouted saplings from the fallen giant trees.

The refreshing valley was once again being dyed in the color of death.

It had only been a short time since the disastrous conflict that could be called a calamity had passed.

And yet again, the forest of the Naga tribe was being stained with a vicious, blood-red hue.

"Stop them! We cannot afford to lose any more ground!"

The new commander of the Naga Tribe's 1st Legion, Hoil, shouted loudly.

He knew he had to lift the morale of the soldiers.

But his voice only carried pain.

The 2nd and 3rd legions had collapsed and could no longer function.

Only the 1st Legion remained, and even its veteran soldiers had fallen.

Hoil had been urgently assigned to take command, but the frontlines were being pushed further back every day.

"Hold on! Show the strength of the 1st Legion!"

Hoil’s gaze flicked rapidly from one side to the other as he shouted encouragement.

But—

‘Please...’

Wherever his gaze fell, their comrades were torn apart by huge claws.

It was painful.

It made him want to gouge out his eyes.

It was easy to witness comrades falling in battle.

But—

His eyes didn’t only stay on his own soldiers.

"Don't look..."

A horrific horde made up of various creatures.

Its body was covered with Naga limbs.

On one side was the face of a Naga.

On the other side, scales covered its body.

As it moved, the limbs of hundreds of Naga shook with it.

The soulless eyes of the fallen warriors seemed to gaze up from the ground.

Hoil stared at this abomination, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

The previous commander, a seasoned veteran, might have launched a charge akin to suicide.

The current 1st Legion commander looked upon his predecessor.

- Your fate is my fate.

It was as if the severed face of that monstrous being was speaking these words.

And so, Hoil desperately endured.

If he died now, there would be no one to carry on the leadership of the Naga tribe.

Thus, he could not afford to die.

The holy land was now within reach.

Hoil slapped his cheek to steady himself.

‘How did the Naga tribe end up like this?’

The Naga tribe was known for their calm nature and were called the sages of the world.

Perhaps because of this, many nations had overlooked them.

• They are a race that cannot fight.

Thus, many nations coveted their knowledge and waged wars to annex the Naga forests into their territories.

And with just one war, the world came to realize the truth.

It was fortunate that the Naga were not a warlike race.

Their military power rivaled that of the Mage Tower, and some of their spells had already replicated the might of the magic of the gods.

These legions were now being mercilessly consumed.

Shattered bodies lay everywhere, and some warriors were even fleeing with their backs exposed.

"Is the magic bombardment ready yet!?"

"It’s... almost done!"

"Deploy it now!"

"Yes, yes!"

At Hoil's command, the magical forces quickly prepared their spells.

Whirrr—!

The magic circles that rose into the air spun rapidly and greedily absorbed mana.

Some of the magic circles now in the air were some of the most powerful spells of the godly age.

The shockwaves from them could obliterate everything around them.

The incantations echoed as magic missiles of various colors and elements erupted from the circles, striking the target with explosive force.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The magic hit the target directly, and the dust and debris of the forest were sent flying in all directions.

Hoil watched the thick mist swirl, his eyes widening as he stared.

Thud. Thud!

"Ugh!"

When the mist cleared, the target seemed unaffected, emitting an unmistakable aura.

-----!

A ferocious roar shook the heavens.

The faces of the Naga warriors, who were already terrified, turned pale with fear.

Ching! Ching!

Warriors, filled with despair, dropped their weapons, which they held dearer than their lives.

The fact that even the godly magic, which could incinerate the remnants of the bodies, had failed was enough to sever the last thread of their will to fight.

"Pull yourselves together! Warriors! If you die, who will protect your families!?"

Hoil slapped the faces of the despairing soldiers, trying to rouse them.

"F-Forgive me... I can’t hold on anymore... You said family, right? My wife is over there..."

His words triggered a burst of sorrow all around.

"No, you can’t... If you give up, the fate of the Naga tribe will be sealed!"

Despite the continued shouting, they could not rise.

Some even fainted.

Hoil bit his lips hard and carried those who had passed out.

"Retreat! Retreat to the holy land! Collect the bodies and make sure to carry the fallen too!"

Blood dripped from his clenched lips.

Fortunately, the magical bombardment seemed effective, and they were not being pursued, so many casualties could still be evacuated.

When they returned to the holy land, Terepun was sitting at the entrance, head bowed.

"Terepun..."

Hoil, exhausted and battered, kneeled before the Naga chief, Terepun.

After repeated defeats, Hoil trembled with guilt and shame.

However, his emotional turmoil was nothing compared to the grief Terepun was currently feeling.

"How is it that after so long, such a tragedy happens again...!"

Terepun shook with rage.

The always gentle expression on his face was now twisted with fury, and blood tears streamed from his eyes.

They had just regained hope and were about to begin the restoration of the forest.

Then, the chimeras appeared.

"The growth of the chimeras far exceeds our expectations..."

At first, they were just ordinary chimeras.

They were manageable, and there were no casualties among the warriors. They could be handled easily.

Therefore, they hadn't been considered a disaster.

Even if the dark magicians had been eradicated, there was still enough power to create such creatures.

Terepun had also thought that the Naga forest, still healing from the wounds of the Great War, was an ideal place for the dark sorcerers to test the chimeras' capabilities.

Unlike the carefree early days, the chimeras had only grown stronger over time.

As if they were learning.

Their kin were devoured, and their bodies were desecrated before being absorbed into the chimeras.

Now, they could no longer ignore the dark sorcerers.

"Is there still no progress in finding the dark sorcerers?"

Terepun had focused all his efforts on hunting down the dark sorcerers.

He couldn’t allow the spirits of the fallen warriors and their bodies to be desecrated further.

"I’m sorry... We’ve found no trace of dark magic."

"Ugh!"

The pain in his chest was unbearable.

Twice, their forces had been ravaged, and at least during the Sukhwon incident, they had allies and ways to stop the undead.

But now, the land was trampled by such dishonorable creatures as chimeras, and their race was humiliated. It was unbearably disgraceful.

It also deeply pained him that the Naga tribe could not solve this problem alone.

"…Son, go request reinforcements."

Yet, a seed of hope had begun to grow in his heart.

He was certain that they would come to aid them.

"To Ragnar?"

Terepun’s son, Mailrun, asked, recalling Theo.

However, Mailrun didn’t want to go as a messenger.

He couldn’t leave his father alone here.

But this was also a task for the son of the chief.

The barrier that hung over the entire forest.

Someone had to break through it.

It was a heavy and dangerous mission, one that could only be taken by a Naga sub-chief like him.

"Yes, go now. There’s no time to waste."

Terepun, too, was not at ease.

He was essentially pushing his son into danger.

"…Please, be careful. I will definitely bring reinforcements from Ragnar."

They both cried as they looked at each other.

Then Mailrun, accompanied by three warriors, secretly left the holy land.

***

After the grand funeral, the Narsio estate was entrusted to the White Dragon for stabilization.

As the head of the guards, the White Dragon had been reluctant, but once it was promised that other personnel would be dispatched later, he finally agreed.

“Then, I will see you later.”

Theo patted the White Dragon’s shoulder, and then, together with the Black Dragon and Julius, they left the patriarch’s office.

“Are you leaving?”

Ralph stood at the entrance, greeting them with a warm smile.

“There’s still much to be done. I would like to leave this place in your hands.”

“Leave it to me. Lord Felix has already returned to the imperial capital.”

At this, Theo smiled faintly.

It was as though he was saying that further actions were unnecessary.

It was a gesture that suited him well—clean and to the point.

“I see. Then, take care. I’ll see you later.”

“Yes, travel safely.”

After a brief exchange with Ralph, Theo headed towards the Ragnar estate.

After being welcomed by the residents of the estate at the gate, he entered the office and immediately stretched his stiff body.

“Here are the reports that came in while you were away.”

“…”

Despite just returning, the Black Dragon handed Theo a thick stack of documents, as usual.

Theo almost sighed, but the small number of papers compared to usual was a slight consolation.

“By the way, I didn’t expect them to send the best knight order from the imperial palace. Seems like they still have their eyes on the North.”

The Black Dragon chuckled, almost in disbelief.

“They couldn’t say a word while my father was here, but as soon as he’s gone, they start pushing hard.”

And they even sent a flying ship for the mission.

“That’s the kind of people they are. Still, the Gold Lion Knight Commander seems like an upright person.”

Theo nodded in agreement.

Had they fallen into the imperial family’s grasp, much blood would have been spilled right there.

“It seems we should start preparing strategies for the imperial family soon.”

He said this, stamping the last document, and stood up from his seat.

“Let’s prepare it step by step. You’ve worked hard.”

The Black Dragon patted Theo’s shoulder and left the office, while Theo followed him and headed to his bedroom.

It felt like it had been a long time, and the feeling was a bit strange.

“Or has it actually been a long time?”

He thought to himself as he changed into his nightwear, ready to relax for the first time in a while.

Then—

“Urgent report!”

A frantic shout echoed from outside.

Theo briefly glanced at his attire, smiled bitterly, then quickly changed into regular clothes.

There was no need to go to the office, so he headed straight to the entrance.

But then—

‘The smell of blood?’

A pungent, metallic scent filled the air.

And at the entrance of the patriarch’s office, a member of the Naga tribe was collapsed, struggling, and a messenger was rushing up the stairs.

“L-Lord!”

The messenger, upon seeing Theo, was startled, knelt, and immediately saluted.

“Bring the physicians quickly for treatment.”

“Yes!”

The messenger hurriedly dashed out, and Theo approached the fallen Naga warrior, gently lifting him and heading toward the reception room.

He could manage simple first aid, so he began tending to the warrior's injuries.

“Ugh… Ugh...”

The Naga groaned and weakly opened his eyes.

“Are you awake?”

“W-Where… am I?”

“You’re in Ragnar. No need for formalities. Please, briefly explain what happened.”

Theo spoke, immediately getting to the point.

Something had clearly happened in the Naga forest, and it seemed urgent, like a situation demanding immediate attention.

“P-Please save our tribe… Cough, cough!”