Knight: Becoming King of the World

Henry was filled with doubt. According to his stereotypes, purple was indeed associated with Slaanesh, but Slaanesh’s influence should never reach Khorne’s wastes.

This intersection of powers didn’t conform to any rule he knew, though he couldn’t rule out that he, an amateur player, simply didn’t know enough.

Hiss... ’But is this right? Is this even reasonable?’ His recent experience had been so real that he began to doubt his own senses.

’Did my soul really just leave my body?’ Henry wondered, his hand unconsciously stroking the cold surface of his warhammer. The sensation confirmed that he was not dreaming.

If the power of the Four Gods could already influence the physical world at will, enough to reach Caladia, then things were getting a little terrifying.

Henry was afraid that one day a Greater Daemon would pop out of his bedroom while he was sleeping. Haha, wouldn’t that be interesting.

But considering he was back now, that probably wasn’t the case. This time, however, it hadn’t happened while he was sleeping, but while he was wide awake. It just suddenly... Henry’s mind raced, trying to find a rational explanation.

’Perhaps I’ve unwittingly mastered the ability to traverse between the two realms?’ The thought had just flashed through Henry’s mind before he quickly dismissed it.

The Subspace, theoretically, was a domain of spirit and consciousness, not the material world. A soul leaving the body to travel to the Subspace was, in theory, possible.

’Wait a second. My panel was showing garbled text before, and now the campaign stages are taking longer and longer. This can’t be the work of the Four Gods, can it?’

’Damn them all, I’ll cut them all down sooner or later! The eight divine thrones of the Subspace should belong to me and me alone!’

Henry’s train of thought was interrupted by the concerned gazes of Bain and the others. They exchanged glances, clearly frightened by Henry’s earlier state.

In their minds, Henry was their leader, the guarantor of their survival. If something happened to Henry, their own fates would become precarious.

"My lord, are you all right?" Bain asked cautiously.

Henry took a deep breath. This was no time to be lost in his own doubts.

"I’m fine, Bain. We might be facing more than just Inferior Horned Beasts. This spatial rift may be connected to a world beyond our comprehension."

"Another world? Is it like the Imperial continent?"

Henry thought for a moment and nodded. After all, no one seemed to have measured how vast the wastes were; it was probably as big as a continent.

Bain nodded, only half-understanding. A flicker of fear crossed Leon’s eyes. This was all a bit too scary.

An enemy as powerful as the Empire, and worst of all, an enemy that appeared at random and had almost no logistical pressure.

It was too terrifying. Fighting an enemy like that was basically a slow suicide.

"My lord, you..."

Henry patted Leon’s shoulder, calming his emotions.

No matter what difficulties they faced, as long as Henry was here, they had hope.

If Henry fell, they could all just go their separate ways.

’You can go back to wandering the west coast, I’ll go back to being the king of beggars in Lukaron—your old man’s in a gang now! And Claude can go back to Henry’s parents. I’m sure Henry’s "dear older brother" would never let a talent like Claude slip through his fingers.’

’Oh, what bright futures we all have!’

Led by Henry, the group passed through the dense forest and returned to where the convoy was assembled.

Following Henry’s latest orders, the army’s new destination was the border encampment, and everyone subconsciously quickened their pace.

The soldiers were loyal, and they wouldn’t falter in battle, but that didn’t mean they didn’t get tired. They wanted to rest, too.

After giving his orders, Henry didn’t linger. He walked directly to his carriage, the scene from the wastes still replaying in his mind.

’He also wondered if he could have beaten that demon from before.’

Inside the carriage, Henry quickly laid out several thick blankets and then covered himself with a heavy quilt.

Although he hadn’t engaged in any strenuous activity, his body was unusually exhausted, as if all his energy had been drained away.

Seeing this, Ailia silently lowered the carriage curtain, then tiptoed into the carriage and sat down beside Henry.

The presence of another person made the small space feel warmer and offered Henry a little more comfort.

Not long after lying down, Henry felt his eyelids grow heavy. The fatigue was like a warning from his body after staying up for too long. He needed sleep, to let both his mind and body rest.

In the last moment before falling asleep, Henry subconsciously hugged his warhammer tightly.

He wasn’t sure if he would suddenly enter that terrifying Subspace again, but as a Warrior, he had to be ready for anything that might happen.

If he really did enter the Subspace again, at least he would have a handy weapon.

Ailia watched Henry’s action, a hint of worry in her eyes, but she said nothing, merely keeping a quiet vigil by his side.

Ailia quietly watched Henry’s sleeping face. In that moment, all her thoughts seemed to fade away with the sound of his breathing.

’She couldn’t help but wonder, if she wasn’t the head maid, if she had been born into a higher social class, as a Countess, would her relationship with Henry be different?’