The old man had even wanted to break into Hadjar’s tent, but hadn’t been able to do so. Nero, who’d been guarding his friend’s dwelling for the whole month, had stopped him. He often didn’t allow even the bodyguards and healers to enter. He was afraid that they might be the surviving spies of the sect and would want revenge.
Of course, there were some sectarians that had survived. Many of them had been imprisoned. It wasn’t their concern. However, some of the spies had originally infiltrated the army’s ranks. They hadn't revealed their existence yet or had decided it was stupid to be loyal to a destroyed sect. Anyway, Nero never left his post.
“Why are you so sure he's coming today?”
“Or she,” Hadjar said.
“Or she,” Nero agreed. “Why would a messenger from the Generals visit you today?”
Hadjar didn’t answer. It was easy to estimate, even without his neuronet. It would take two weeks for the news of the Moon army’s victory to reach the capital. It would then take a week for the Generals to coordinate their actions, either directly with the King or with the Empire. The latter was more probable. It was unlikely that Primus held much sway anymore. That power probably belonged to the officials that had been bribed by Darnassus.
“My General!” The bodyguard came in and saluted. “You have a messenger from the General staff here to see you.”
Nero almost choked with surprise and turned to his friend.
“Let them in,” the General nodded.
The bodyguard saluted again and walked out, holding the canopy open for a young man of eighteen to enter. Out of breath and covered in road dust as he was, he didn’t look like the careless and well-groomed offspring of some official. Apparently, he’d really worked to earn his position and wasn’t just messing around thanks to his mother’s or father’s patronage.
“General Hadjar Traves,” the boy said in greeting. Hadjar saw a hint of deep respect in his eyes. It was quite a strange thing for a direct subordinate of the Generals to feel, taking into account their attitude toward Hadjar. “I’ve got a letter for you!”
He put the envelope sealed with wax on the table and waited for his orders.
“Take our guest to the baths and feed him,” Hadjar ordered.
The bodyguard nodded and led the young man away.
Hadjar, after waiting until they were alone, grabbed the envelope and opened it abruptly. He quickly read the letter, threw it back on the table, and sank into his chair. It was worse than he’d thought.
“By the demon’s offspring,” Nero growled, reading the letter. “They want to give you a title? The pathetic title of Baron, no less, after all you did?”
“It’s just an excuse.”
“Believe me, I know!” Nero crumpled up the letter and threw it on the bed, where Azrea hissed at it. “They want to retire you!”
“They’ve already done so,” Hadjar corrected him. “They’re asking me to come to the capital within the month in order to participate in the celebration in honor of Princess Elaine’s birthday. I’ll need to appoint an acting General. They’ll try to get even with me during that month. According to the law, if a General doesn’t fulfill their duties for three weeks, the General staff are within their rights to appoint another person to their post.”
Nero wanted to curse up a storm but didn’t utter a sound. He’d expected to see every kind of reaction except for the Mad General sighing with relief and even smiling.
“Do you want me to leave you the medallion?” Hadjar asked suddenly.
Nero snorted and ran his fingers through his hair.
“I don’t want to miss the opportunity to visit the Royal Palace and see the Princess. They say she's the most beautiful woman in all the kingdoms! So, find another fool to do the job.”
“A female fool it is, then,” Hadjar wanted to quip, as he already knew who he was going to leave the medallion to, but he didn't say anything.
He looked to the side and smiled. Azrea was biting the letter.
It was time to leave.
Chapter 184
The messenger, whose name was Ralpie, refused to leave the army camp. Everyone was happy with that. The boy was a good person, a skillful swordsman, and quickly made friends with the officers. He’d heard many songs about the Moon army over the past few years and had dreamed about sitting around a fire with his idols.
The army broke camp on the second day after his arrival. Their parting with the villagers was touching and emotional. Some Baliumians and even some of the soldiers from Lidus stayed behind, having found a new home for themselves. Hadjar ordered that they be given a year's salary and be allowed to keep their banners, weapons, and armor.
Several hundred soldiers stayed behind at the foot of the mountains after saying a tearful goodbye to their General. They looked at the departing army and saluted the Mad General who they would remember forever. As the army approached the border with Lidus, more people left. Peasants, farmers, scientists, artisans, and ordinary soldiers returned to their homes. They hurried to embrace their mothers and fathers, to kiss their spouses, to hold their children in their hands, to talk to the families of their lost companions.
They received the standards, armor, weapons, and a year’s worth of their salary as well.
There had been a lot of money in the treasury of the sect. Hadjar, being a modest man, had just taken a bit of the money and was planning to leave everything else for the army.
In a week, the million strong army was reduced to less than six hundred thousand people.
There were 130,000 Lidusian and 430,000 Baliumian survivors.
They were standing in the gorge where, in what seemed like another life, Dragon’s Tooth and Moon Leen had fought. They’d met there. They’d used to be enemies once, and now they were comrades. They’d endured terrible battles and suffering together. They’d fought side by side and helped each other survive.
One officer from each army came forward.
One of them was Lergon, who had acquired a few new terrible scars during this time. But what was more important, at least to him, was that he had found a new friend as well...
“My General,” the old officer saluted, so excited that he could barely speak.
Hadjar shook his head and extended his hand.
“My friend,” he corrected him.
Lergon sniffed, nodded, and shook hands with Hadjar.
“May your life be free, General Hadjar,” he said.
The bright midday sun was shining. It was the same as when the roar of battle had shaken the very mountains around them; this event had become a song at first, and a legend after that.
The shadow cast by the clouds somehow resembled a crossed sword and spear. Hadjar had left them in this gorge. He’d stuck them in the ground, and Serra had made sure to seal them with spells. No one would ever, unless they were a true cultivator, be able to pull them out.
“The gorge of the Moon Dragon. That’s what this place will be called from now on.”
“May your death be a worthy one, General Lergon,” Hadjar nodded.
They stood there silently for a few moments and then departed.
When Hadjar, still leaning on his wooden staff, had almost reached his soldiers, he heard something like an explosion behind him. He turned around and realized that he’d done the right thing.
His heart skipped a beat when half a million people raised their fists to the sky and chanted wordlessly. It was the battle cry of their army.
Hadjar responded to them, and then not one, but two armies parted ways.
***
Hadjar stood near the wagon in which he’d reached the Blue Wind ridge once. Hadjar, Nero, and Serra had taken nothing but this wagon. They’d left the tents that had served as their dwellings behind. They’d left the library they had created, the armor, the maps, and some minor artifacts.
They’d only taken what was rightfully theirs. Nobody wanted to be indebted to the Generals.
Hadjar was wearing his shabby, rep
eatedly patched, old clothes. He had wicker sandals wrapped in gray rags on his feet instead of steel shoes. He had a red rope with a bottle attached to it instead of a silk belt. His hair had been tied with a silk ribbon.
Azrea slept peacefully, and the ring of the Patriarch was swaying on his chest. He hadn't figured out how to open it yet. According to Serra, Hadjar had managed to acquire a spatial artifact. But they didn't know how to use it.
Nero and Ralpie, who had volunteered to go to the capital with the General, loaded the last bale into the cart. As that was going on, Serra was being tightly embraced by Tuur, Lian, and the Chief Healer of the Bear squad. Hadjar realized that he’d never asked the name of the Healer who had treated him so many times.
“My General,” Lian saluted.
Hadjar didn’t answer her and simply shook his head, like he’d done with Lergon. Ignoring Lian’s confused look, he took his medallion off.
“This is yours now.”
“But, my General, you’ll return from the capital and…”
“I won't be coming back,” Hadjar interrupted her. He could’ve told her the real reason he wasn't coming back, but he didn't.
“The Generals won't let me do it, Lian. I like to think I'm not too self-centered, but it’s clear that neither the officials nor the King will feel safe while I’m a General and the army supports me so completely.”
“Well, what do we do now?”
“Now? Lead the Moon Army to new victories. And I‘ll try to help you from the capital.”
Nero helped Serra climb into the wagon. Ralpie jumped in on his own.
“Hurry up,” Nero commanded. He’d already said goodbye to his squad. “I don't want to be late and give the officials a reason to throw stones at us.”
They’d chosen a low hill a good distance away from the camp to say their goodbyes. The stars almost weren’t shining in the sky, and the moon was hidden behind the clouds. No one wanted to listen to pompous speeches, they all wanted to leave quietly and quickly.
“Goodbye, Lian.”
“Goodbye, my General,” Moon Lian nodded.
Hadjar savored the nickname and realized that this must’ve been the way it was originally meant to be. Hadjar climbed into the wagon. Nero guided the horses, turning the carriage toward the main road of the country. The Monks’ road, South Wind had called it. It was strange, Hadjar had never met monks there in all his years.
After the wheels started creaking and the carriage had almost disappeared into the darkness, a new sun blossomed behind them.
Nero braked, and Hadjar peered over the roof of the wagon and looked in the direction of the camp.
Every single soldier was standing in formation. The gunners had rolled out their cannons, the archers had nocked their arrows. The drummers had taken out their drums, the infantry were banging their weapons against their shields. Standards fluttered in the wind, and the largest standard, the one with the image of a bear on it, stood in the center.
“General Hadjar!” The soldiers shouted.
“General Hadjar!”
Hadjar raised his fist after a while.
“General Hadjar!” Thousands of voices answered him.
The wagon disappeared down the road, but for several hours, the soldiers stood, looking into the darkness and seeing their General off.
“General Hadjar!”
“General Hadjar!”
Afterword
"Dragon Heart" is one of the top-rated Wuxia LitRPG novels in Russia.
The author has been writing the story for only two years, however, it already has over 1400 chapters spanning 14 books. The whole story is planned out and will have over 2000 chapters and 20 books.
Today is written 14 books of 20. One book consists of 2 volumes, over 80 000 words each one.
Two books are translated and released. The editing of the 3rd book is in the process. The translation of the 4th book isproceeded now.
Don’t forget to GIVE FEEDBACK! All your activity really helps to pay for translations!!!
Consider leaving a review, please. Let it be short, never mind, every your feedback is the best reward for my team and me. I read all your reviews with the great pleasure. Thanks ahead!
You can read the third book of the series IN THE PROCESS OF IT’S TRANSLATING a chapter by chapter on RoyalRoad.com.
Publishing of the first chapters will start in September.
Here is the link for the THIRD BOOK:
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/22034/dragon-heart-stone-will-litrpg-wuxia-series
If there is no opportunity to review on Amazon, here are my publish pages:
Review on Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43980256-dragon-heart
Write on my Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/kir.droi
Always glad to discuss Hadjar’s adventures!
Let me introduce you one more of my series in urban realrpg and fantasy genre. It’s in the process of translating now.
The release of Dark Wizard Case is planned to September.
Here you can make a Pre-order and be the first who will read it!
Alexander Dumsky, or Alex Doom, was a dark wizard. At the age of seventeen, he was convicted of a litany of crimes so long that even the seasoned investigators, judges, and prosecutors involved in the case could only shudder.
Not a single attorney could be found to defend him in court.
But four years later, Alex was released from prison to become the Professor of Dark Magic. They'd thrown him into the deepest hole they could find, one built for the sole purpose of holding wizards, and then they let him back out again...
Why him? Why then?
Oh, you're not surprised to hear talk of wizardry? Well, then you probably know that the Magic Lens, which was invented in 2032, let humans see and use magic again.
Or do you know?
Also I would like to recommend you these new books of the Russian authors
Sergey Belsky: Monster [The Beetle]
MC is a beetle in the underground world
Rick Scar: Player reached the Top
The world of 100 stages waits for you
Ivan Shaman: Cannibal. Demon of the Mind
Horror litRPG: the war of people and machines
Facebook LitRPG groups:
LitRPG Forum
LitRPG Reads
LitRPG Podcast
Litrpg. Fantasy. Sci-fi
GameLit Society
Dragon Heart: Iron Will. LitRPG Wuxia Series: Book 2 Page 55
