**OATH OF THE BLACK ROSE**

The momentum behind the ‘Oath of the Black Rose’ was so intense it looked like they might actually shatter the enemy vanguard and trample right through them.

If this weren't a battle in another world—if we were back in my previous life—that charge might have actually worked. That’s how much spirit those three old guys and their amateur recruits were packing.

But this is a fantasy world. And unfortunately, fantasy worlds come with a healthy dose of complete and utter bullshit.

Namely: Spellswords.

"Hah-hah! Oh? Who the hell are you supposed to be?"

"Ora-ora-ora! Gwah?! You actually stopped my spear?!"

"Hmph, hmph, hmph! N-ngh! I'm being pushed back...?"

The Spellswords who stepped up to face the three old men ground their momentum to a halt. A normal human simply can’t beat a Spellsword. That’s just War 101 in this world; the only way to counter a Spellsword is to deploy one of your own.

But unfortunately, this Diversionary Unit didn't have any. Every single one of our Spellswords had been assigned to the Stealth Unit.

When the three guys at the front stopped, the rest of the line naturally followed suit. In an instant, the momentum of the Oath of the Black Rose vanished completely.

There’s only one ending for an amateur mob whose momentum has stalled.

"Surround them! Annihilate them all!"

The enemy commander’s voice echoed across the battlefield, signaling the start of the slaughter. Enemy soldiers fanned out to the left and right, encircling the Oath of the Black Rose now that they’d overextended.

To be honest, the situation was checkmate. We weren't just looking at a "losing flag"—this was a guaranteed-defeat scenario.

I’ve studied the basics of military theory. While I mostly focused on how to fight person-to-person or person-to-group, I did dabble in army-on-army tactics for a bit. Even with my surface-level knowledge, the writing was on the wall.

A tiny force surrounded by a massive one? Game over.

All that was left was to wait for the massacre. The fleeting lives of us mobs were about to be snuffed out. This is what war looks like from the perspective of a background extra.

"D-damn it... what a monster. So this is a Spellsword..."

"Guh... his speed is on another level..."

"I can’t do anything... if only... if only I had more power..."

This was the reality of the world—the kind of wall an individual just can’t climb. Even if a mob gave it their absolute best, they couldn't change the outcome.

So this is what it’s like to be a mob...

How unreasonable, I thought. And most mobs probably live their whole lives suffering through this kind of absurdity.

Wait a sec. If I were to dispel this absurdity from the shadows, wouldn't that make me the 'Eminence in Shadow' from the perspective of the mobs?

With that brilliant idea in mind, I decided to give it a shot immediately. This was a new challenge for me—a fresh take on the role.

I erased my presence, blending into the crowd of the Oath of the Black Rose, and fired a massive burst of refined Magic Power into the night sky.

Since they’re the 'Oath of the Black Rose,' I might as well make it a literal black rose.

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The impact of the Magic Power was so immense it made the atmosphere itself shudder. Everyone stopped fighting and craned their necks toward the heavens.

"...! What happened?"

"What the hell is that? In the sky..."

"That thing, blacker than the night... is it a rose?"

A giant black rose had bloomed in the night sky.

It pulsed with a faint, magical glow, asserting its presence even against the moonlight. It was devastatingly beautiful—and terrifyingly powerful.

"The Black Rose... just like the one from the fairy tales..."

"No way. Is that really the Black Rose?"

"Every citizen of the Oriana Kingdom knows it... the symbol of our country... the Legendary Black Rose..."

The giant petals slowly unfurled. Then, they suddenly shattered.

The shards danced through the air like beautiful, dark snow. The fragmented petals rained down upon the Oath of the Black Rose, brushing against their right hands. The petals were absorbed instantly, leaving behind small black marks.

The marks were shaped like rose petals.

"No way... was I chosen by the Black Rose? Me? A guy who couldn't keep a job and joined this fight out of sheer desperation...?"

"Why me? I only came here to get rich quick... I didn't care about the country..."

"I’m a piece of scum who pawned off my own wife... O Black Rose, are you really giving power to someone like me?"

As if answering their pathetic questions, the marks on their hands flared with light. A moment later, an absurd amount of power surged through them.

"Wh-at... is this the power of the Black Rose?! If even a loser like me is allowed to fight... then I’ll give this power to the country!"

"Amazing... such power. Mr. Black Rose, I guess there really is something even I can do for my home..."

"I get it now... this is the last chance for scum like me to start over. Thanks."

In unison, they all raised their spears with their right hands. It was a valiant, heroic sight—as if they were offering a sacred vow to the black rose.

"Th-that’s impossible! Could the Black Rose actually be...?"

The soldiers of Count Ragitta’s Army were white as sheets. The only thing on their faces was pure terror. After all, the Black Rose was the ultimate symbol of the Oriana Kingdom—it was justice itself.

"Hah-hah! We are the Oath of the Black Rose! In the name of the Black Rose, we shall deliver the iron hammer of justice to you rebels!"