Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 625: Tactical Retreat

Asher could see the guards evacuating people, not to their homes, but to what seemed to be an underground bunker. Even those who had locked themselves within their houses were told to come out; if they refused, the guards simply broke down their doors and took the residents to safety, sparing neither time nor hesitation as urgency pressed upon every passing moment.

Nobody had time to listen to residents who were trembling in fear and would certainly die if left behind. As for their doors and destroyed houses, people already knew the Duke himself would release funds to reconstruct everything; the man was simply that noble and kind. After all, his statues were created by the people throughout his territory for a reason, symbols not only of reverence but of trust that had been earned over years of kind leadership.

’The territory, through and through, is ridiculously large,’ Asher thought to himself. Although he had walked around the Wargrave territory before, that had only been once; the rest of the time, he had barely passed through the gates of the territory, aside from the time he attended the Royal Twin Birthday party and during his journey to the Canestane Barony so he could head to the Star Academy, never once truly grasping the sheer scale of what lay under the Wargrave name.

’Truly, either Father or the other Primarchs before him were wise,’ Asher thought as he looked at the underground bunker, wondering if other nobles would even bother spending funds on things like this, or if most would simply preserve wealth rather than ensure the survival of those beneath their rule, drawing a silent comparison that needed no spoken conclusion.

As Asher was lost in thought about Crownstar Life Rankers and the bunkers, a figure appeared beside him; it was Yveric yet again, his presence as calm and abrupt as ever, as though he had always been there and merely chose the moment to be noticed.

He stared at Asher as he spoke, ”Tenth Sun, it’s truly dangerous to be out here,” his tone calm and collected despite the preparation for war that the man was executing. Yveric stood no different from before; no new or magical armour adorned his body. The man stood unbothered, as though he knew that he alone was enough to defend the Wargrave Estate, his very stillness carrying a weight that words could not replicate.

He didn’t speak with confidence; his composure itself was confidence, a quiet, immovable certainty that needed no validation.

”Isn’t it nice weather?” Asher asked as he sipped his wine, his voice carrying a casualness that seemed almost misplaced amidst the tension. But Yveric didn’t reply; the man simply stood in silence, as though such remarks were beneath acknowledgment.

”Don’t you have better things to do other than stand around here, Commander Yveric?” Asher asked.

”Unless we are attacked, I’ve given out all the orders to be given,” he replied flatly; the ball was no longer in his court but in his enemies’, his responsibility fulfilled until the next movement revealed itself.

”Don’t worry, with all these soldiers and barriers, surely nothing would happen to me, so you don’t need to worry. Besides, I know you’ve already assumed that no battle would happen within the Wargrave Estate, but you are just being cautious, just in case,” Asher replied as he made no sign of moving from where he was, his stance relaxed yet deliberate.

”Besides, which Wargrave would run in the face of battle?” he added with a smile. ”After all, even Wuthenya didn’t run when she was attacked by a Crownstar Life Rank enemy,” his tone calm as usual.

Yveric sighed; he could already tell that Asher wasn’t going anywhere, but he couldn’t exactly force a Sun into an action a Sun didn’t want. If it came to it, he would protect the Tenth Sun with his life, a decision already settled long before this moment.

Yveric nodded, his eyes rising to meet the eyes of the Knights who were floating in the air near Asher. Although he didn’t speak, his eyes alone were command enough, and the order was clear: protect the Tenth Sun no matter what, an unspoken directive that needed no reinforcement.

Asher planned to participate in battle if one ended up happening. But at the same time, he wasn’t an idiot; that talk about Wuthenya not running in the face of a Crownstar were words meant to sound tough. Asher wouldn’t hesitate to teleport to the Separate Dimension the moment this battle stepped into a stage an overpowered ant like him couldn’t participate in, his survival instinct far outweighing any need to prove reckless and stupid bravery.

He shook his head with an amused smile, the contradiction of his own thoughts not lost on him. If he saw enemies no greater than the Radiant Firmstar Life Rank, he would engage them; anything higher, he would simply avoid, drawing a firm boundary between courage and folly.

Yes, he had fought Debro, who was a full Major Rank above the Firmstar Life Rank, and won, but the key detail was that he had fainted. That match had been a one-versus-one type of battle; for the incoming war, fainting was the greatest mistake one could ever make, hence Asher’s caution, a lesson carved deeply into his understanding.

As Yveric was about to turn and leave, Asher spoke, ”Also, I will be visiting you for a favour after all this is over, Commander Yveric,” his tone calm as usual, as though the matter held no urgency despite its timing.

The man simply nodded, but before he could finally leave, he paused in his movements, his head snapping to the side, his eyesight crossing hundreds of kilometres, as though he had sensed something far beyond the perception of ordinary men.

Seeing this, Asher and the Knights around him frowned; the fact that Yveric had reacted like this meant that the enemies were here, the long-anticipated moment arriving without ceremony.

’It’s truly happening?’ Asher thought to himself as he followed Yveric’s eyesight, but even with Star Energy enhancing his eyes, he couldn’t even see the wall that surrounded the Wargrave territory; he was simply too weak to see hundreds of kilometres in radius, the gap in power made painfully evident in that instant.

Yveric gave no orders; his face remained as flat as always, and with that stone-carved expression, he vanished from where he stood in a flash, leaving behind not even faintest disturbance of displaced air.

The wine glass and wine bottle in Asher’s hands vanished as he rose to his feet ever so slowly. Still standing on the roof, he put on his breastplate, his vambrace, his greaves, and his black hand gloves. A red cape appeared in his hand as he fitted it to his shoulder; as it flapped to the rhythm of the wind, three daggers appeared in his hands as he fitted them to his waist, his preparation complete.

A wide smile appeared on his lips; although he had just had a fun and fulfilling battle with Debro, it didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy one more before he ran away... no, tactically retreated to the Star Academy.

And with that, he stood silent and calm, battle intent rippling around him as the Wargrave in him took over, ready to embrace whatever was coming, whether it be triumph, survival, or something far more uncertain that lingered just beyond the horizon.

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AUTHOR’S NOTE: No bonus third Chapter today. Work was tiring and stressful because today was Easter Sunday, hence more work, which made me too tired to type. Typing these two Chapters was a miracle in itself... Sighs, also, I would be making an announcement tomorrow. Support this author with gifts to super gifts! I’ve only received one gift throughout this month... (inserts crying emoji).

Thanks for reading, love you all.