Berserk: The Prophet

Chapter 148 Heading to Juda

Once everyone had left the tent and the guards were far enough away, Trunks helped Thranduil to sit on the straw mat, and he half-squatted down, clearly intending to say something.

"I've heard about what happened to you. Was it because of a loyal subordinate?"

Green's playful smile vanished, replaced by a serious and solemn nod.

"...As someone who's been through it all, I know that it's best to remain calm on the battlefield. If you let your emotions get the better of you, have you ever thought about the possibility of losing more of your cherished comrades?" Trunks' words were precise and powerful, clearly demonstrating his composure and extensive leadership experience as a seasoned general.

“…” Green glanced at Seranti, a pang of sadness rising in his heart, then looked back at the ground in silence.

Yes, of course he knows...

But how could one remain unmoved when such a thing happened right before their eyes?

"...If the enemy is caught off guard, that's fine, but what if they take this opportunity to lure you into a trap?"

"I don't need to elaborate on how dangerous this solo mission was, do I? Don't you feel like you almost lost something even more important?" Trunks' words were concise and to the point. Yes, he almost lost Thranduil, his comrade-in-arms of many years and one of the few partners he could open his heart to and have a pleasant conversation with.

For Green, Trunks' words were like heavy hammer blows, each strike deeply pounding against his heart. The atmosphere inside the tent grew heavy, broken only by the occasional whistling of the wind and the chirping of insects in the distance.

However, Green still couldn't hide his sorrow and took a deep breath, his eyes welling up with tears. He knew, of course, that Trunks was right. On the battlefield, emotional fluctuations often lead to fatal mistakes. At that moment, he was dominated by anger and the impulse for revenge, almost leading his other comrades to their doom.

“I know, Trunks,” Green’s voice was low, tinged with regret. “I…I let my emotions cloud my judgment, I…I almost lost Seranty.”

That was his adoptive father in Barkley, an unusual relationship, the only person he could call family, and someone he had spent many years with in this land.

Seranti gently patted Green's shoulder. Seeing that Green, at such a young age, could listen, he sighed softly. There was no blame in his eyes, only understanding and comfort. The bond between them had long transcended life and death on the battlefield.

“We all lose control sometimes, Green.” Trunks stood up, his figure appearing exceptionally tall in the shadow of the tent. “But the important thing is that we learn from our mistakes and become stronger.”

“...I will, Trunks.” Green’s voice was full of determination.

Is it just because he's not strong enough? If he were strong enough... wouldn't he be able to bear all of this alone? Green thought to himself.

"I called you here today to tell you that the Serpent Cult won't give up so easily; they will definitely launch another attack," Trunks said with a grave expression.

The atmosphere inside the tent gradually eased, and the three began to discuss their general plans for the future.

............

【Sword Wind】

dawn.

Kadi had far fewer people with him than before, traveling light and without even a horse. Summer dawns often start at three or four in the morning, and before the first light of day had completely dispelled the lingering shadows of night, Green and Baziso had already followed Kadi to Juda. They wondered what kind of trouble the old man was planning to cause in Juda this time.

I have a feeling... if things continue like this, I'll die sooner or later, and my future is bleak!

We can only hope that Kadi dies earlier than him. Until there is a way to lift the restriction, it's wiser to stay put.

The journey was always long and arduous, with the shadow of war looming over the land. Refugees and thugs were a common sight along the way, roaming about in search of a chance to survive.

These have undoubtedly been long and difficult times for farmers along the Midland border.

Along the way, I also heard the news that Marquis Shet of Midland had died on the battlefield. With this, the Ormandy family had completely fallen. All the able-bodied men of the family's direct line had died tragically for Midland. The Erda Fortress was filled with flowers and white mourning cloths. Midland was in mourning.

The Erda Fortress was reportedly reclaimed by the royal family and renamed Shet in memory of the Ormandy family's sacrifice; the royal flag now flies over the fortress. [See official guidebook for details]

After traveling for half a month, they encountered a bandit attack, killing more than forty people and seizing half of the horses. At night, they attacked the bandits' headquarters and captured more than fifty horses.

Finally, their legs were no longer suffering, but their backsides were. The bandits' horses were a mixed bag of traveling horses and mules, with very few steppe horses, but it was good enough that they had some. Everyone could ride and travel, and the speed was much faster.

Since the mercenaries were concentrated along the border, and the current short-term truce between the two countries meant there was almost no money to be made, it would take some time even for them to scatter among the local gangsters and bandits. So they didn't encounter any powerful highway robbers along the way.

A month had passed by the time they arrived in the capital of Juda. For some reason, Kadi only stopped in two towns along the way. Green and Baziso were both so shaken on horseback that they developed hemorrhoids and lost a lot of weight. The summer heat was still there occasionally, but the weather cooled down after the rain, and it was the end of summer.

Green felt like he was sunburnt from traveling day and night, like a dried goji berry that had been sun-dried for a long time, while Baziso was like a round grape that had been sun-dried until it was wrinkled and had shrunk by half.

Finally, the group could rest at the hotel. Heaven knows why Kadi had so many travel permits from different countries.

All Green wanted to do at that moment was get a good night's sleep.

............

Meanwhile, in the Midlands, in Shit, Bacca arrived too late. He saw white mourning cloths fluttering over the former Erda Fortress, and the soldiers' dejected faces made it easy for him to ask what had happened.

"...Damn it."

The fall of the White Dragon Knights was something he never expected. He never imagined that the damned spy, Juda, was so powerful and influential that he could pull off such a feat!

However, there was truly no way to find them now; they must have already returned to Juda. Having the letter with the tip was useless now, as the people had long since escaped. Even so, Baka decided to present the letter to King Yulivi of Midland first.

The former governor's residence was now adorned with the royal flag. The king and noble generals were holding a meeting. It wasn't until the meeting ended that Yuliwei rubbed his aching head and opened the letter bearing the Galanz emblem.

...Is he another spy for Judas?