Chapter 285: Chapter 55: Legend! Legend! (Part 3)

"Save them?" Murphy withdrew his gaze and looked at Elizabeth again. His tone betrayed no emotion. "The Ironspine Duke might thank me, I suppose. After all, a territory’s prosperity depends on its people. And if they want to live, they’ll ultimately have to walk back on their own two feet."

Elizabeth bit her lip. "Regardless, it’s because of you that they even have the chance to ’walk back.’ They won’t forget this kindness, and I... I won’t forget it either."

Murphy was noncommittal, merely giving a slight nod to accept her gratitude.

His gaze drifted back up the ridge, toward the ever-intensifying flashes of light and clamorous explosions from the core of Blackstone Fortress.

"It’s safe here now. Follow the soldiers and retreat to the Inner Castle as quickly as you can," Murphy said to Elizabeth, his tone flat but carrying an undeniable weight. "The outside is no place for you yet."

With that said, he lingered no longer and turned to leave.

"Governor!" Elizabeth cried out, a surge of anxiety rising as she saw him about to leave. She couldn’t help but call out to him again.

Murphy’s steps faltered slightly. He turned, showing half of his face.

Elizabeth looked at his sharp profile, mustered her courage, and asked the question that had been swirling in her mind, though she didn’t know why she had to ask it. "Are... are you going to the main battlefield? It’s... it’s incredibly dangerous there. Even Lord Quentin, the Ash Judge, is..."

Logic told her that Murphy going was the right thing to do. His power was what could truly turn the tide of battle, save everyone, and give meaning to his act of saving the civilians just now.

Yet for some reason, the words that came out were a question filled with contradiction and worry.

Murphy didn’t turn back. His voice, clear and calm, drifted back on the wind:

"It’s dangerous. That’s why I have to go."

The moment he finished speaking, his form blurred into a deep blue afterimage. After a few leaps, he vanished among the scree and dust higher up the ridge.

Elizabeth stared blankly in the direction he had disappeared, his calm yet powerful words seeming to echo in her ears.

"It’s dangerous. That’s why I have to go..."

Alison moved to her side and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, we should leave as well. Lord Melfield is right. It’s safe here for now, but the main battlefield could spill over at any moment."

Elizabeth slowly drew back her gaze, took a deep breath of the air still tinged with the scent of blood, and nodded.

Her eyes seemed clearer than before, and a little more resolute.

"Let’s go back," she said, turning to follow the soldiers’ directions toward the fortress’s Inner Castle.

Her steps were much lighter than they had been on the way here.

...

On the other side of the ridge, the sounds of battle cries, explosions, and monstrous roars blended into a chaotic cacophony. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

The stench of burning and blood in the air grew ever thicker, and the tremors underfoot almost never ceased.

Just as Murphy was passing through a patch of scorched, low-lying shrubs, about to cut onto a main road leading toward the main keep...

A Messenger Soldier from the Peric Clan burst from around a corner ahead, panting for breath. His armor was covered in soot and splattered blood, his helmet was askew, and his face was a mask of exhaustion and anxiety.

The Messenger Soldier snapped his head up, and his gaze met Murphy’s.

He froze for a second, then his eyes quickly swept over Murphy’s deep blue attire and the ancient Dark Gold Longsword in his hand. A light suddenly ignited in his eyes.

"Sir! Wait!" The Messenger Soldier practically lunged forward, his voice hoarse and urgent. He struck his chest with a clenched fist in a hasty but standard military salute. "Are you His Excellency, the Governor of Melfield?"

Murphy stopped and regarded him calmly. "I am."

"Thank heavens! We’ve finally found you!" The Messenger Soldier looked immensely relieved and reported at a rapid-fire pace, "By order of Lord Hakon Perik, the Ironspine Duke, and His Eminence, Saint Cyril Cardinal! The Lord Duke and the Cardinal witnessed your divine might from an observation window and have confirmed your ascension to the rank of Legend!"

He took a breath, his eyes fervent as he continued, "Right now, the main front—especially the Central Tower area—is under immense pressure. Lord Quentin Thorn, the Ash Judge, is fighting with all his might, but the monsters’ assault is like a tide. Our elite forces have suffered heavy losses, and the defensive line is on the verge of collapse! The Lord Duke and the Cardinal implore you, Sir, to proceed immediately to the Central Tower area to support Lord Quentin and stabilize the front! Your power as a Legend is the key to turning the tide!"

The Messenger Soldier finished in a single breath, looking at Murphy with desperate expectation, awaiting his response.

After listening, Murphy was silent for a moment. His gaze seemed to pass over the messenger before him, settling on the dim, smoke-filled sky in the distance as if he were contemplating something.

"The Ironspine Duke..." he began slowly, his voice calm and level. "Is that what he really said? That he *implores* me to go to the Central Tower to provide support?"

The Messenger Soldier nodded vigorously, his tone firm. "Yes, Sir! It’s the absolute truth! The Lord Duke said it himself and ordered me to find you at all costs to deliver this message! The Cardinal was at his side and concurred!"

’...No wonder the Ironspine Duke specifically had him send his regards...’ The Wizard’s words from the Deep Red Wilderness surfaced in Murphy’s mind once more.

’Send his regards?’

He had considered that it might have been the Wizard’s attempt to sow discord or test him.

’But now...’

’Ironspine Duke Hakon Perik, the East Border Guardian, supreme commander of Blackstone Fortress, someone who knew in advance that the portal would open, the one who sent greetings to Margaret.’

’Just how much did this Duke know? About what happened in the Deep Red Wilderness, about that Wizard’s actions, and possibly even about my own role in it all?’

’Was he imploring me, someone who just returned from the Otherworld, to head to the most dangerous, core battlefield simply because the situation was dire and he had no other choice?’

’Or... was this part of some arrangement as well?’

Murphy’s gaze fell back upon the Messenger Soldier’s face.

That calm stare made the messenger, who had been waiting anxiously, feel a sudden, inexplicable nervousness, as if those eyes could see right through him.

’Is this the aura of a Legend?’ he thought to himself. He held his breath, subconsciously quieting his ragged panting.

"I understand." Murphy’s voice was still flat, betraying no emotion. "Go back and report. I’m going to the Central Tower."

The Messenger Soldier was overjoyed. He saluted again. "Yes! Thank you, Sir! May Oriane protect you!"

After speaking, he didn’t dare delay, immediately turning and sprinting back the way he came. His figure quickly vanished into the smoke and dust.

Murphy stood his ground, watching the messenger depart, a profound light seeming to swirl deep within his eyes.

A moment later, he looked away and lingered no more.

He was in motion again, speeding toward the Central Tower the messenger had indicated.