Those Above.
As he walked behind the gnolls, he surveyed how the battlefield currently unfolded.
'The remnants of the expeditionary force are still resisting.'
Though the soldiers were fleeing like startled sheep, a few commanders had somehow managed to rally them and mount a counterattack. A commendable effort in its own way. But the outlook did not seem promising.
The rhinoceroses were charging in different directions, slicing through the expeditionary force like a cake being cut into pieces. A divided army cannot win a war.
…It was an outcome that had been foreseen.
'Why did they choose a full-scale war in the first place?'
No matter how he reconsidered it, it made no sense.
Ancient humanity had built walls, secured safe territories, and lived peacefully within that greenhouse for centuries. It was because they feared the Demon Realm.
Bizarre plants, demonic beasts, and the beings humanity called the Old Ones from ancient legends…
In such a harsh and perilous environment, the gnolls had flourished enough to form a major power. That alone proved their military strength was not to be underestimated.
He had warned them of that obvious fact in advance, yet the leadership had insisted on ordering a preemptive strike. When those above are chosen poorly, it is always the subordinates who suffer.
In that sense…
Who commanded the gnolls?
The Great Warrior who controlled them. Woojin hoped he would be the sort one could reason with.
Following his guides, he soon saw a war rhinoceros and several gnoll warriors ahead. At their center stood a particularly massive gnoll.
'Great Warrior Braknark.'
A gigantic hyena with black fur. His physique rivaled that of the giant knight Beomont clad in full plate armor. In his hand was a two-handed hammer fashioned from a rhinoceros skull.
Braknark fixed his gaze on them.
"…Who are they?"
The Great Warrior growled. The gnolls serving as guides fidgeted and briefly reported what had just happened. At once, Braknark bared his fangs in anger.
"These immature fools have already caused trouble… How should this be handled?"
"You should discuss that matter with me."
Standing beside them, Woojin spoke in the gnolls' tongue. Braknark's expression turned intrigued.
"Just as Rogar said. A human who can speak our language. Why have you come to see me?"
Woojin did not hesitate.
"I turned a blind eye to my kin's deaths in order to honor a sacred deal. Yet your subordinates were about to break that promise without hesitation. I demand compensation."
"You didn't actually break the deal."
"If I had not intervened, your warriors would have attacked my people. That alone makes this situation wrong."
An act that tarnished the sanctity of a bargain.
When Woojin framed it that way, Braknark nodded, seemingly persuaded.
"Fair enough. What do you want in return?"
"The war is already as good as over. I wish to proceed with ceasefire negotiations. To save as many of my people as possible."
The expeditionary force would acknowledge defeat, withdraw its troops, and return home.
At those words, Braknark crossed his arms, pondering how to respond. But when he finally spoke, his tone was negative.
"…Your army is too dangerous. We've already lost two war rhinoceroses. Those strange powers your kind wields inflicted considerable damage."
A cornered rat bites the cat.
As the gnolls pressed the expeditionary force to the brink, knights and priests had burned their strength with death in mind. The gnoll army had suffered no small amount of losses as a result.
"Our strategy has been exposed. Next time, victory will not come so easily."
The gnoll vanguard had clung beneath the bulls to infiltrate and secure an easy victory. But once revealed, such tactics lose their effectiveness.
The expeditionary force now understood the gnolls' methods. If they resupplied, reformed their ranks, and fought again… the gnolls would also have to brace for heavy casualties.
"We cannot leave future troubles behind."
The ceasefire request would not be accepted. All who invaded this land would die.
At that, Woojin countered.
"That is not a wise decision. Your choice will only bring greater calamity."
"…What do you mean?"
"The force you faced was merely an advance detachment."
The second expeditionary force consisted of Duke Edwin's private army, troops under Archbishop Conrad, and reinforcements from the Kingdom Alliance.
Their number was eight thousand.
Yet even that was insignificant compared to the full strength of the Church Alliance.
"If you slaughter the entire second expeditionary force, the Pope himself will issue a decree of extermination. A messenger has already been sent beyond the gate."
The second expeditionary force included reinforcements from each order. Their deaths would provoke the Church Alliance, and elite troops personally selected by the seven orders would descend upon this land.
If that happened, there would be no turning back.
The Church Alliance's wrath would fall here. The gnolls would face annihilation, and in the process, the Alliance itself would suffer heavy losses. Only the dark clerics would benefit from such chaos.
"The Church Alliance will remember the mercy you show. So conclude a ceasefire and send those people back to their homes."
"…."
Braknark's expression grew grave. He had thought eliminating this army would settle everything, only now realizing it would merely be the beginning.
He deliberated longer than before. Woojin hoped for a favorable answer.
But reality proved the opposite.
"…What we need now is not mercy, but a warning. A warning that those who trespass upon our land will meet a horrific end. I will make an example of that army."
The Great Warrior ultimately rejected the ceasefire.
Woojin let out a deep sigh. This one and that one alike… whenever he tried to reason with someone, no one ever truly listened.
He was beginning to grow weary of this situation.
"Hey, Braknark."
"Why do you call me so suddenly?"
"Has anyone ever told you that you're slow to catch on? I imagine you've heard it often."
Braknark tilted his head slightly.
"I have never heard such a thing. Why would you say that?"
"Because it seems you don't even know who I am."
With those words, he raised his right hand.
Crack—
Gray scales sprouted across Woojin's palm. Braknark's eyes widened at the sight.
"..."
The Great Warrior of the gnolls stood frozen. Soon, however, Braknark regained his composure.
There was something he had to do—now. Just as he was about to act on that thought, Woojin sensed it and quickly gestured for him to stop.
"Not here. Too many eyes."
This was not a conversation to be held in the open.
"Let's talk alone. Follow me."
Woojin pointed toward the forest. Braknark immediately issued an order to the gnoll beside him.
"Send the signal to withdraw."
"Great Warrior, why so suddenly?"
"There's no time to explain. I'll return shortly. Secure the prisoners and spoils."
Having given the command, Braknark hurried after Woojin, who was already walking ahead. The choir and the surrounding gnolls could only stare in confusion at the unfolding scene.
The moment they stepped into the forest, beyond the reach of prying eyes, Braknark dropped flat to the ground.
"…I greet the Guardian of our tribe."
Only now did the Great Warrior offer proper respect. Woojin looked down at him and gave a faint chuckle.
"Brak. You've risen far in my absence. I didn't expect you'd become Great Warrior so soon."
"I was merely fortunate."
Braknark continued carefully.
"You feel… different than before. My apologies for failing to recognize you sooner."
"There's no need to apologize."
It was only natural he hadn't recognized him. Woojin no longer looked as he once had.
Gray scales.
In truth, this was no trick. After living so long in the Demon Realm, such changes had become as natural as part of his body. Woojin had deliberately suppressed portions of his senses and physical traits.
The reason was simple. At some point, he began to feel that his body was becoming closer to that of a demonic beast than a human—and that his temperament was slowly changing along with it.
'If I'm not careful, I might cause an incident in the human world.'
From the moment that thought took root, his insomnia worsened. After deliberately dulling his body's changes, he began walking aimlessly toward places where the shadows were thinner.
The gnoll tribe had been one of the clans he was close to before their full migration south.
"Will you be returning to our tribe now?"
Braknark's voice carried unmistakable hope. Woojin scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
'…This is exactly why I tried to keep it hidden.'
It felt like being asked to return to a former workplace.
He hadn't minded living among the gnolls, but he had no intention of leaving human cities. Woojin wanted to live as a person—not as a beast.
His attempt to settle in the walled city of Yurgis had been part of that resolve. A step toward severing his life in the Demon Realm entirely. But in the end, he couldn't endure the monotony and chose the life of a demonic beast hunter instead.
A life suspended between human and beast. He was satisfied with it.
"…I'm sorry, but I've found my own kind. I can no longer walk alongside you."
"Then… have you come with your people's army to trample our lands?!"
Braknark's tone carried reproach. It was a reasonable misunderstanding. From the outside, it certainly looked as though Woojin had come to invade alongside a human army.
From Woojin's perspective, it was deeply unfair.
"I should be the one asking. Why have you come this far south? Gnoll territory was much farther north."
This was not originally their land.
While Woojin had been away, the gnolls' territory had shifted southward. Encountering them during the second expedition had been outside his calculations.
At that, Braknark seemed to finally grasp the full context of the situation and answered with some embarrassment.
"The Old Ones have grown too active… We had no choice but to migrate south."
"So your tribe is in dire straits."
"…Regrettably, yes. After you left, the Old Ones that had long remained quiet began invading our territory."
Braknark's refusal to grant mercy to the expeditionary force stemmed from that reality. They could not afford it.
A ceasefire agreement could be overturned like the flip of a palm. If a seasoned army regrouped and marched north again, the tribe would face ruin. The Great Warrior did not wish to gamble with that risk.
After hearing the explanation, Woojin let out a sigh.
"Your position is difficult. But what I said earlier was the truth. If you slaughter them all, a far greater army will come. A ceasefire is your best option."
"I trust your words, Guardian."
Braknark nodded without hesitation. Woojin had aided the tribe time and again.
Yet one question lingered.
"Why did you not stand with your own kind? If you had chosen to, you could have led this war to victory."
Braknark wanted to know why Woojin had refrained from joining the battle.
Woojin paused briefly before answering.
"…I simply believed this was the best path."
The road that saves the most lives.
From Woojin's perspective, gnolls were not so different from humans. They possessed emotions. They could communicate. He did not wish to raise his blade against them lightly.
Thus, he had proposed a peaceful solution—a deal. But the expeditionary leadership had rejected it and chosen total war. Edwin had been blinded by his ambition to rebuild the kingdom.
'Even if I joined the fight and won… both humans and gnolls would suffer tremendous losses.'
From the moment he reached that conclusion, Woojin had acted like a bystander. He believed it would save the greatest number of lives.
"I'll do everything in my power to ensure the ceasefire holds. If things go well, the Church Alliance won't invade your lands."
"Understood."
"We've spoken enough. Rise. It's time to return."
Woojin turned and began walking back. Braknark rose to his feet, staring silently at the back of the one who walked ahead.
"…Guardian."
Titles are born from the footprints one leaves behind.
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