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chapter 43
One day in the Age of Myths.
Once again, the city was burning.
Crackle!
“Kyaaaah!”
“Die, human!”
This war, which showed no signs of ending, was escalating with every passing moment, and the enemy’s tactics were growing increasingly cruel.
The orcs did not hesitate to employ underhanded methods, sneaking into the city to attack civilians, not just engaging in frontal assaults.
Even with their overwhelmingly superior military power, they could not easily conquer through direct warfare, so they resorted to such despicable measures.
It was no exaggeration to say that their entire race was the worst kind of trash.
“Ah, no! Honey!”
Slash!
An orc brutally killed a middle-aged man with an axe right in front of me.
I immediately ran toward the scene.
“No… not the children!”
The middle-aged woman threw herself forward to protect her kids.
The invading orc raised its axe to strike her.
Thunk!
But just before the axe could fall, my sword slashed diagonally across its torso.
“Are you alright?”
“Ugh… honey…”
Thankfully, I was able to save the woman’s life.
However, she was clearly in shock after witnessing her husband’s death and seemed incapable of making rational decisions.
Her eyes were unfocused, and her body trembled violently.
Even in that state, she instinctively shielded her children.
“Ma’am! Get inside first!”
I led them into a nearby empty house to protect them, then closed the windows and blocked all possible entrances.
Fortunately, the woman seemed to gradually recover from the shock.
“Th-thank you…”
“You’re welcome. It’s unfortunate about your husband… but at least the children are safe.”
Bang! Crash!
Outside, the invading orcs continued to rampage.
I spoke calmly to the woman, but in truth, I couldn’t stop worrying.
‘Damn it… Yardgar…’
Thoughts of my son consumed me.
Given how bad the situation in this district had become, orcs had probably invaded near my home too.
I needed to return quickly to ensure my son’s safety.
“Ma’am, once you’ve blocked all doors and windows, do not go outside. Stay inside this house.”
“Yes…”
She had regained her wits but still looked weak.
At that moment, the eldest of the three children stepped forward.
“Mom! I’ll protect you!”
The boy, slightly older than Yardgar, declared bravely, prompting his younger siblings to echo, “Me too!”
I saw my own son in that boy.
“What’s your name?”
“Pavand!”
Though they were young enough not to fully understand death, Pavand was old enough to grasp the gravity of the situation.
Despite witnessing his father’s death, he chose to protect his frightened mother, struggling to overcome his own fear and grief.
“I see, Pavand. Protect your mom and siblings.”
I patted him on the shoulder as if he were my own son.
“Yes!”
Yardgar… he’s still alive, right?
“I’ll be going now.”
“Thank you for helping us, sir!”
I said goodbye and left the house, confirming the door was closed behind me.
‘Yardgar… please be alive.’
Anxiety gnawed at me as I hurried along.
Then.
“Kyaaaah!”
Before I had even taken ten steps, a scream came from behind—the house I had just left.
Thunk! Thunk!
“Mom…!”
Followed by the children’s screams and a terrible impact.
I immediately rushed back.
“Damn it!”
All doors and windows were closed. There was no way in from outside.
‘Then how…?’
Bang!
“Kuhahaha!”
I kicked the door open and saw an orc, grinning wildly, ransacking the corpses inside.
‘Crap.’
In my worry for my son, I hadn’t even considered that an orc might be hiding inside.
“These… bastards…”
There was no strategic value here—only pure malice. They had hidden inside to kill more civilians rather than fight openly.
Why? Why were orcs capable of such cruelty?
What had we humans, fragile and unblessed, done to deserve this?
“Ughhh!”
Thud!
My uncontrollable strikes spread in all directions.
The narrow house amplified the chaos, shredding the invading orc mercilessly.
‘Yardgar… Yardgar…’
Exhausted and battered, I barely made it back to my home, praying nothing had happened.
Crackle.
But my prayers were in vain—the house was already engulfed in flames.
“No! Yardgar!”
Denying reality, I prayed he was still alive and rushed inside.
“Ugh!”
“That… that woman!”
I heard voices inside—someone was fighting.
“Gah!”
An orc fell in two, landing at my feet.
“Haah!”
A woman’s battle cry followed.
Thud.
Another orc fell, bisected.
The warrior was unfamiliar to me—tall, with large eyes, dark skin, braided hair, and a strong physique.
She held my son Yardgar in one arm, swinging her sword with the other against the orcs.
“Yardgar…”
“Dad!”
Thankfully, my son was alive, smiling brightly from her embrace.
“Captain Ahriman!”
Judging by her uniform, she was a regular army soldier.
“Wait! I’ll save you!”
I still couldn’t relax.
Gripping my sword tightly, I moved to eliminate the remaining orcs.
“Taah!”
“Haah!”
Their battle cries intertwined.
Shick. Shhhick.
The swords clashed, and four orcs were simultaneously sliced to pieces.
‘That…?’
Her blade flashed blue—a manifestation of sword energy.
A miracle of humans capable of defeating beings empowered by gods.
She wielded it skillfully, even while holding my son.
“Dad! Huuu…”
Once the enemies were down, Yardgar ran into my arms.
“Son! Are you okay? Any injuries?”
“Yeah… I’m fine. That lady protected me.”
I finally breathed a sigh of relief.
From the moment of the attack until now, I had been consumed by anxiety.
Seeing Yardgar alive, all the tension drained at once.
“Hey, you.”
“Yes!”
I called the female soldier who had protected my son.
“Thank you. Truly, thank you.”
“Oh, it’s nothing! I just saw a child alone at home…”
I wanted to express my gratitude, regardless of rank.
“What’s your name?”
“I’m Mona!”
“Mona. Got it. I’ll remember it.”
“It’s an honor!”
I resolved to remember her name—not just for saving my son, but for another reason.
‘She wielded sword energy at almost my level.’
I had witnessed her natural talent firsthand.
She was no ordinary soldier. Remembering her name was essential.
“Absolutely not!”
Priests rioted in the barracks.
This was a military command meeting, yet they had barged in, causing chaos.
The reason? Mona.
I had recommended promoting her—not just a promotion, but commissioning her as a superior warrior.
Her skill alone was enough justification.
Wielding sword energy meant carrying a steel blade alone while others used stone axes.
“A woman of higher rank than a man? This angers God!”
“Do you intend to defy scripture?”
The priests objected, claiming women should not outrank men.
Even the queen was, nominally, below common men.
Faith was the people’s drug in this era, and the temple’s will equaled public sentiment and royal authority.
The army couldn’t openly defy them, though practicality mattered more than scripture. Soldiers died daily to orc attacks—what good was divine decree then?
“It still cannot be allowed!”
“If you defy scripture to promote a woman to superior warrior, we’ll report it to the minister and the king!”
Sighs echoed in the room.
The priests’ boldness came from royal favor.
Yet, there’s always one insane person in every group. That was me.
“…Useless bastards.”
“Huh? What did you say?”
The priests looked for the speaker.
I stared at them and spoke louder.
“You know what really pisses me off?”
“Captain Ahriman!”
The priests instinctively lowered their gaze upon meeting mine.
I continued, unflinching.
“You mean God exists for the enemy but not for us, right? Know what I mean?”
“C-cough!”
“What do you do? Why can’t you bless like them, you trash worse than orcs?”
“Hey!”
“Captain! That’s going too far!”
No one restrained me; even military officers barely suppressed laughter.
“Try following even half the orc priests. How can you be priests without using a single blessing? Pray? Or just drink and loaf outside all day?”
“Grrk!”
“W-we pray hard…!”
“Really? Praying hard?”
I rose and approached them.
“Wait, wait!”
They trembled in fear.
Some even called me Angra Mainyu, the absolute evil of doctrine.
“Let’s prove it. If God exists, an impious man like me can’t kill the faithful, right?”
I drew my sword, pointing at them.
“Eek!”
“It’s Angra Mainyu! The demon will kill us!”
Panic ensued.
“Captain Ahriman! That’s enough!”
The commander intervened.
Other captains motioned to calm me.
A compromise was proposed:
“Mona will be commissioned as a new rank, ‘Assassin,’ not as a superior warrior. The Assassin holds a separate hierarchy but below a captain. She will serve directly under Captain Ahriman.”
A new rank, bypassing objections.
Not only for Mona but for future capable female soldiers.
The priests reluctantly accepted, intimidated by my presence.
“The meeting is adjourned.”
The priests left feeling cheated, unable to retract their words.
