My Ruin to You - Chapter 240

Giorno, who had spotted the approaching enemies from a distance, shouted loudly. The knights outside the tent all drew their swords in unison, and the elite soldiers waiting in the adjacent tent also placed their hands on their hilts, awaiting the signal.

“Damn it. Come here.”

Valen, his hair disheveled, grabbed Roseline’s hand. He then led her to the corner inside the tent. It was a changing area, partitioned by wooden screens that sufficiently blocked the view. He pushed Roseline inside and whispered low.

“Protective barrier.”

“Yes.”

“Stay here and just breathe. Don’t do anything.”

His words, unusually rapid, and his anxious expression showed not a grain of composure. Logically, instead of hiding, Roseline should act as the knights’ Tara and support the battle. But what Valen wanted wasn’t efficiency; it was her safety. Perhaps that safety was, for him, the most paramount efficiency.

“No matter what happens, you must stay here. Understood?”

“Yes, I’ll wait here. Be careful.”

Roseline nodded repeatedly. The commotion from beyond the tent beat against the canvas. It was the sound of the prisoners rushing forward.

“I won’t be long.”

Valen cupped the back of Roseline’s head, pulling her forward, and pressed his lips to her forehead. There’s no way I can leave her side. But, steadying his breath shortly, he forced himself to pull his hand away. Grabbing his sword, he took one last look back at the partition before leaving the tent.

“It’s d’Haudemer!”

An enemy commander, spotting Valen, raised his fist high. Unbroken chains flailed around his thick wrists.

“Sever d’Haudemer’s head!”

A roar filled with resentment echoed loudly, and the prisoners swung their weapons, picking up speed.

Valen drew his sword without a trace of agitation. Vwoom— Unlike any ordinary sword, a resonant sound, as if vibrating the air itself, spread out in subtle waves. The sword’s cry was the signal. The elite soldiers waiting in the adjacent tent surged out in a rush and formed ranks.

The other knights, except for Merrick and Edan, clearly showed signs of panic, having heard nothing about today’s events. But the seasoned knights deftly stepped back, yielding their positions.

“Prioritize capture, but kill them if necessary. Leave their heads attached.”
“As you command!”

The elite soldiers drew their swords in unison. As a chilling aura of killing intent spread, the momentum of the charging prisoners faltered.

The scene unfolding before their eyes was completely different from the news they had heard. The tall man standing imposingly behind the twenty or so knights was like a god of war dominating the battlefield. Remembering the tales of his prowess that had turned plains into ashes, the prisoners began to grow agitated.

“Didn’t they all gather at the training grounds?”
“It… it seems like a trap, General.”
“Dammit…….”

The general leading the operation clenched his fist tightly. His gaze, flashing with anger, landed on Valen.

“The enemy is just twenty men! Do not retreat! Whoever severs d’Haudemer’s head shall become a hero of the kingdom!”

The general bared his teeth and shouted until his throat bled. The hesitant prisoners rallied their will to fight once more.

“Charge!”

With a thunderous war cry, the prisoners rushed forward, but their weapons were pitiful. They only had old spears smuggled from the armory, blunt swords, and cracked maces. Yet, their eyes alone flashed with a fierce killing intent. To return alive, they absolutely had to behead the black-haired man.

The elite soldiers stood their ground without a hint of wavering, their magical energy spreading from their sword tips and scattering the enemy. The stench of blood, screams, and the clang of metal intertwined, and the area in front of the tent instantly transformed into a battlefield.

Valen also readied his sword. A few tried to target Valen amidst the chaos, but they lost their arms before they could even properly thrust their swords once. Unidentifiable chunks of flesh and scattered corpses rolled on the dirt ground.

It didn’t take long for the shoddy, pathetic riot to be quelled. Some of the prisoners threw down their weapons and prostrated themselves, begging for their lives. The enemy general, whose spirit had broken early on, had collapsed, still clutching his mace. He was only three or four steps away from Valen.

“Clean this up.”

Valen briefly scanned the blood-stained bodies and handed his sword to Merrick. Thinking of Roseline, restless and alone amidst the screams and the smell of blood, made him impatient.

“Roseline.”

He lifted the tent flap at the entrance. It would take time to fully secure the area, but he needed to first inform her of the outside situation to reassure her. As a pink tuft of hair peeked out from behind the partition, the line of his mouth softened gently.

“d’Haudemer, you bastard……!”

At that moment, the general, who had been waiting for Valen to let his guard down, sprang up and swung his mace. The knights who had just begun to catch their breath, Merrick who was giving cleanup orders after a great burden was lifted, Roseline who was watching him standing at the tent entrance, and Valen himself—no one had anticipated this attack.

Thud.

A heavy impact sound echoed as Valen’s body swayed violently. Everyone froze at the unbelievable sight, gasping in shock. In that instant, Valen, regaining his balance, drew a dagger and plunged it deep into the general’s throat. It all happened in a flash.

“Your Highness!”

Everyone rushed forward. Someone attacked the general with magic, while others hurriedly approached Valen. Valen, drenched in the blood gushing from the general’s neck, wiped the blood from his face and staggered. Merrick quickly moved to support him.

“Protect Roseline well.”

With that barely uttered instruction, Valen collapsed.