reincarnation npc, but tomorrow's ark

Fortunately, most of the Sarkaz reached a sham ceasefire with the Londinium, and they mostly withdrew in the form of mercenary squads.

Four years ago, Theresis established himself in Londinium and extended an invitation to the Sarkaz scattered across the land:

"My fellow Sarkaz wanderers, Lentinium continues to extend an invitation to you. After the war, the Sarkaz will have a home to return to."

As a result, countless Sarkaz mercenaries gathered in small squads from all over the land in Lentinium, under the unified command of the Kazdel Military Council.

Now, they have returned to their old squad mode and begun another escape.

But where can they escape to?

Four years have passed, and they still haven't found a place to belong on this land. The upheaval in Lentinium will likely lead more countries in the region to intensify their hostility and rejection of the Sarkaz.

They are ultimately "rootless people".

……

"..." The mercenary squad leader looked at the silent Mingjiao and shook his head. "Don't think too much about it. At least we're still alive."

"Ouch!" The mercenary Green, who had lit a cigarette but forgot to take a puff, burned his hand with the burning cigarette and only then did he come to his senses.

Yes, we are still alive.

They experienced so much that day, and although the future remained uncertain, they had hope for the future.

“We’re going back to Kazdel,” the captain said.

"Can we go back?" Mingjiao blinked.

Kazdel is located east of Victoria, bordered by Letania, Syracuse, and Lateran. To reach Kazdel, one must choose a country to cross.

It seems that none of the journeys were easy.

“But that’s the only place we can go,” the captain sighed. “We can’t go anywhere else.”

……

In fact, most mercenary squads made the same decision; they all chose to go to Kazdel, even though the road ahead was arduous, they had no choice but to embark on their journey home.

So, under the watchful eyes and expulsion of the Victorians, they left Londinium through other gaps, and then gathered in the wilderness to go to their chosen place of rest.

Now, almost all the exits are open. However, some royal army soldiers, as well as some mercenaries, still chose to head towards the only exit that was blocked.

Outside that exit, the Duke's allied high-speed warships blocked it, and when White Night entered the city, they were still locked in a standoff with the Carrion King's court. Of course, what was truly hindering their advance was the city's defensive cannons controlled by Manfred.

Manfred was betting on the dukes' courage, while the dukes were waiting for Sarkaz to give up first and rush into the city to fight the armed forces inside.

Every minute and every second was unbearable.

Just then, Manfred suddenly noticed the changes in the city. The effects of the natural disaster were weakening, communications were gradually being restored, and every channel and broadcast in Londinium was looping Clovisia's orders.

Meanwhile, on some intermittent Sarkaz communication channels, one could hear them screaming as they fled Lentinium.

Moreover, the port, which had been blocked by the Londinium citizens' self-defense army, has now been reopened. The defenses at the exit have been breached by the Londinium citizens themselves, and they have relinquished the exit location.

Gradually, some remnants of the Sarkaz army withdrew from the city and regrouped around the Carrion King's court. They did not choose to flee, but instead returned to the command of the general and the Carrion King.

Even Manfred was stunned. He stared in astonishment at the series of events and muttered to himself:

"What...what are these Victorians thinking? Aren't they afraid that the royal army will regroup and storm the city?"

……

"No, of course they're not afraid."

"Because I'm here."

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice rang out beside Manfred. When the Sarkaz general turned around abruptly, he discovered that someone had appeared beside him without him noticing.

Although he had never met him before, Manfred sensed the death of Regent Therese in him.

He immediately learned Bai Ye's identity—this was the "great enemy of the race" that Theresis had mentioned before he left, the one he had to stop. The final outcome, of course, needs no further explanation.

Even though the communication was intermittently restored just now, he still couldn't contact Theresis or the Pardoner.

"you--!"

Manfred wanted to draw his sword; he was confident that he could pierce the young man who had killed Therese in the blink of an eye.

However, he then discovered that, without him noticing, the other person's cane had been placed on the longsword at his waist.

"Don't rush to commit suicide; this is not a good time," Bai Ye said softly.

The light cane seemed to carry immense power, preventing Manfred from ever drawing his sword.

This calmed the general down.

"Are the current changes in the city and the actions of the Victorians related to you? Is this another trap set for us?" he asked.

Bai Ye shook his head:

"I advised them to let Sarkaz go, but the final outcome depends on your choice."

As Bai Ye spoke, he removed his cane from Manfred's sword, took a step back, and looked at the general before him.

Manfred paused for a moment, then slowly said:

"I choose to die."

Bai Ye looked at him.

Manfred continued:

"But... the Sarkaz need a way to survive."

“You and Theresis made the same decision.”

Chapter 83 Manfred

(Every time I exceed 2 million words (of filler), I start thinking about ending it. It's like Thanos is obsessed with collecting all six Infinity Stones, snapping his fingers, and retiring. I plan to finish this book before May and then start a new one in May.)

-------------------------------------

Manfred knew perfectly well that he had absolutely no chance of survival. In the eyes of the Londiniums, both Theresis and he himself were symbols of evil. Allowing the Sarkaz to escape was already the biggest concession they had made, and in return, the Sarkaz would have to pay the price.

At the very least, the culprits must receive the punishment they deserve.

The people of Lontinim need a just trial to release their pent-up emotions, anger, and hatred.

Manfred understood this, of course; he knew his fate the moment he entered this place.

"The Royal Army must not retreat now, otherwise the dukes will disperse their troops to surround and hunt down the fleeing Sarkaz. We must hold our ground here, draw their attention, and provide cover for our people's withdrawal."

Manfred clenched his fists as he watched the Sarkaz who hadn't chosen to flee but instead gathered around the Carrion King. Clearly, he was deeply troubled.

These loyal Sarkaz warriors were the true elite, but they may very well lie here forever. They were the casualties of the Regent's ideals and ambitions, and also the sacrifices that the remaining Sarkaz had to make to survive.

……

As Manfred pondered, he suddenly heard White Night speak from the side:

"Perhaps I can persuade the dukes to reach some kind of peace agreement with you."

"Like your agreement with those Londiniums?" Manfred's face showed no joy.

Bai Ye nodded.

Manfred shook his head:

“We will inevitably pay a price; this is yet another form of enslavement of the Sarkaz. I cannot accept such an outcome.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Ye sneered:

"Of course there will be a price to pay. The tragedy of Lentinium was caused by you. Tens of thousands of citizens became your slaves. Shouldn't they receive the compensation they deserve? If your plan is successfully implemented, then you will indeed be able to enjoy the fruits of victory, because only the strong have the right to speak."

"But you have lost now, you have nothing left, you are the losers, it is already a mercy to let you live. If it weren't for the future, if it weren't for the fact that I have many Sarkaz friends, if it weren't for the fact that I see the terrible crisis that this land will face in the future, I would not care about your life or death."

Manfred was speechless. There was no doubt that they had indeed been defeated, and that they had lost everything, even before the war plan had even begun, simply because of the appearance of this man.

Bai Ye continued:

"Before his death, Theresis entrusted the future of your race to me. He hoped that you could live on. The Sarkaz race needs to continue, not to end in despair."

“I did agree to his request, because we need the power of the ancient Sarkaz when facing future crises. And I also want to end that vicious cycle of revenge and more revenge. But I will not protect you. Wrongdoing must be punished. At the very least, this is the compensation that the innocent citizens of Londinium deserve, who died because of your ambition.”

As he spoke, Bai Ye sighed:

"Although I know it's wishful thinking, I hope that after this, your race can move on from the hatred of the past, and at the same time, eliminate the hostility of other races towards you, ending this endless cycle."

"Perhaps you believe that you have always been oppressed, that this land is unjust, but you were once powerful. You once forced the Eagles and Ursus to flee to the northern snowfields, and forced ten tribes with no cultural identity to form a defensive alliance called Letania."

"Is this also an injustice to other races? In fact, this is the original rule of this land: whoever is strong holds the power. However, we must break free from this hegemony, because the fate of all nations is intertwined. When future disasters strike, we need the strength of everyone united to meet the test of fate. Please give the future a chance, a future worth our efforts and struggles for."

……

Manfred slowly lowered the "Root of Tikkaz" and handed it to White Night. This was a spellcasting unit bestowed upon him by Regent Theresis of Kazdel. He had given it up.

At this moment, he had no other choice.

Moreover, if this was also Therese's final order, then he had to obey it.

So Manfred bowed to the white night:

“If a peace agreement can be reached, and the terms are not excessively harsh, Sarkaz is willing to abide by it.”

"As you wish." Bai Ye took the "Root of Tikkaz" from his hand.

-------------------------------------

Within the Duke's allied forces, some began to feel uneasy. They had received news that the Londiniums within the city had abandoned their sweet revenge, allowing the Sarkaz to scatter and flee. The war that was supposed to inevitably occur had ended before it even began.

Meanwhile, spies within the city brought news that the Steam Knights had been murdered, and the dukes' conspiracy with the council was exposed in public. At the same time, the Victorian national sword "Breath of Kings," which had disappeared for decades, reappeared in Londinium.

"A hero from a foreign land drew out the breath of kings and cleaved the calamity from the heavens for Londinium."

Now, this incredible legend has become a well-known story in the city of Londinium.

Because of the rumors and the fact that the dukes were inhuman, the citizens of Lentinimne have united, and may even have developed hostility towards the dukes.

This is not a good sign, nor is it something the dukes would like to see.

"We can't wait any longer. Even if we have city defense cannons, we must advance," a duke suggested.

"So, who will bear the loss of the high-speed warships?"

"..."

The crowd fell silent and turned their attention to the Duke of Wellington.

He currently possesses the largest number of warships. If he were willing to make some kind of sacrifice, this might be a good opportunity to weaken his power.

……

Just as everyone was discussing this, a figure suddenly emerged from the city of Londinium...

Chapter 84 Uninvited Guest

A tiny black dot emerged from the Londinium level, almost indistinguishable at first glance.

"what is that?"

"That's a feathered beast? That's an armored vehicle? That's—!"

"That's... a person?"

"Isn't it Sarkaz? Just one person? He dared to come out all by himself?"

On the Duke's allied forces' high-speed warships, the crowd was abuzz with discussion.

However, without a doubt, in their minds, this person was already dead.

"The Duke has given the order that if anyone leaves the city and enters the shelling range, the cannons should be opened immediately!"

Even if it's just one person?

Even if it's just one person.

"Is it really necessary to use artillery fire?" the soldier at the control panel couldn't help but ask.

"That's not something we need to worry about. We just need to carry out the Duke's orders. As for his life or death, what does it have to do with us?"

So, when the lone figure slowly walked into the shelling range, without any hesitation, they chose to fire.

It's just one human life, nothing serious. The real problem would be if we were punished for not firing the cannon.