Chapter 49
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 49
"Cough!"
Blasker hacked, feeling his insides churn.
A few droplets of blood sprayed from his mouth, mingling with his saliva.
"M-Master!"
"Quiet! Stop making a scene!"
Blasker barked at his panicked disciples.
When a superior wavered, those beneath them fell into even greater chaos. In times like these, he had to maintain a composed front, even if it was forced.
"The damage... what is the extent of the damage? The soldiers? His Highness and the other commanders?"
"His Highness is safe, and most of the commanders managed to avoid harm. However, the soldiers..."
The disciple, who had been reporting rapidly, let his voice trail off.
With a sinking feeling, Blasker forced his eyes open and surveyed his surroundings. He gritted his teeth at the sight that met him.
Damn it. At this rate, there are hardly any soldiers left fit to fight.
Blasker’s reaction had certainly been swift. Before the enemy's magic could strike the camp, he had conjured a mana shield to deflect most of it, ensuring that only a few suffered direct hits.
The problem was that the majority of the soldiers had been near the stream, and their bodies were damp. Even though they had avoided a direct strike, a significant number had been electrocuted as the current surged through the moisture on their skin.
"Ugh! Lord Blasker, what is the meaning of this!?"
The first among the high-ranking nobles to regain his senses was Marquis Bernhardt. Though his vision was blurred and one of his ears was ringing from the light, roar, and impact, he forced himself to move.
Blasker hurriedly explained the situation.
"It was an enemy attack. They manipulated the weather with mana to call down lightning. Fortunately, we avoided a direct hit, but the current flowed through the moisture on the soldiers' bodies and seized their muscles—"
"Drop the academic jargon and explain it simply! I won't understand a word of that!"
"Few are dead, but the vast majority are incapacitated by the aftereffects! They won't be able to move for at least four or five hours without rest!"
"Dammit!"
Faced with the worst possible answer, the Marquis stood up, clutching one eye that was bloodshot from the shock.
Aside from the few who had been charred black, most didn't seem to have major external injuries. However, a large number of soldiers were unconscious, and even those who had come to were writhing on the ground, unable to move their limbs properly.
"Your Highness! First Prince!"
"Ugh... Aaah...!"
The commander-in-chief, First Prince Claude, was so shaken by the lightning that his legs had given out, and he couldn't even speak properly.
Marquis Bernhardt gnashed his teeth at the sight, approached Claude, and snatched the commander's baton from his hand.
"Your Highness! Given the dire circumstances, I shall take command in your stead!"
"Uuuugh...!"
Even with his baton taken, Claude did nothing but groan, unable to snap out of his stupor.
Some commanders, including Blasker, frowned at the Marquis's overstepping of authority, but none voiced an objection. With Claude in such a state, the situation would never be brought under control unless someone else took charge.
"First, let us properly assess the damage! How many soldiers are currently capable of movement—!"
—Waaaaah!
Before Marquis Bernhardt could finish his order, a war cry erupted from the distance.
He whipped his head around in horror to see troops that had been hidden in the forest charging toward the Allied Forces.
"Are they insane...!"
The distance was still far enough that a surprise attack should have been meaningless. But in their current state, any attack—surprise or not—was lethal.
The Marquis desperately shouted at the soldiers with all his might.
"Stand up! The enemy is coming! If you don't want to die lying down, get on your feet!"
"Uuugh!"
Hearing the Marquis's roar, the soldiers began to struggle to their feet. Seeing about half of the fallen men rise, the Marquis's face brightened for a moment, only to crumple again.
Half of those who stood were barely able to remain upright; only the other half were actually fit for combat.
"Lord Blasker, can't you do something with magic!?"
"It is impossible from here!"
The Marquis tried to rely on Blasker, the mage, but one of the disciples stepped forward to answer instead.
"There isn't enough time to cast, and since we are on open plains, the focus is too wide! If we were on a hill, perhaps, but at this distance, any spell would likely miss!"
"The enemy will get closer while you're chanting, so just use it then!"
"If they get too close, we risk caughting our own allies in the crossfire!"
Useless bastards.
The Marquis swallowed a curse, seeing no way out. Was there truly no other way?
Whiz... pop, pop, pop!
"Master?"
"Quiet, be still...!"
The Marquis turned his head at the sudden, noisy sound. Before he knew it, colorful sparks were blooming in the sky. It was the kind of firework display a mage of the Flame School might show during a festival.
Dumbfounded, the Marquis glared at Blasker for wasting magic.
"What do you think you're doing? Are you telling the enemy to enjoy the show before they leave?"
"Listen to me carefully. Lord Lucian is following behind us with a thousand elites from House Valdek."
"What!?"
"It was insurance I took out, just in case. What I just fired was a signal flare. Now, go and announce this to raise the soldiers' morale. Cough!"
Blasker stumbled and fell to one knee. Having forced himself to use magic again, he seemed unable to speak further.
The Marquis wanted to ask more, but the situation was urgent, so he immediately began to bellow.
"Hold the line! Reinforcements are here! The forces of House Valdek are coming to support us! The signal has been sent, and they will arrive shortly!"
"...!"
"Protect the First Prince! Once the reinforcements arrive, victory is ours!"
The Allied Forces, whose morale had hit rock bottom in the face of despair, suddenly looked up with wide eyes. If the Marquis's words were true, there was at least a glimmer of hope.
*
—Waaaaah!
—Die, Imperial dogs!
—You cowardly bastards!
The clashing of steel, curses, screams, and shouts rang in his ears.
Inhaling the metallic scent of blood, Count Dominic’s lips curled upward. This war was as good as won.
However, his smile quickly vanished when the Allied Forces showed no sign of collapsing, no matter how many were cut down.
"...Strange. Why are they resisting so desperately?"
An army doesn't only break when it's annihilated. If there is clearly no chance of winning, men will naturally crumble even if they still have the strength to fight. Unless they are a suicide squad that has already thrown away their lives, even elites are the same.
Yet, they were resisting with such ferocity when not even a quarter of their soldiers were fit to fight.
It’s as if they believe they still have a chance at victory.
Such morale would be impossible unless every soldier was convinced they could win. But what chance did they have? Unless they had reinforcements, but their entire force was supposed to be gathered here.
Is the Imperial mage preparing a spell? No, even a powerful spell can't be used when the two sides are locked in such close combat...
Booooom—
The heavy sound of a horn reached Dominic's ears, interrupting his thoughts. At that sound, both Dominic and the Allied Forces froze in place.
Turning his head, he saw a force approaching from the distance, led by a banner bearing a lion.
"...Valdek!?"
"It's Lord Lucian! The reinforcements from the Grand Ducal House of Valdek have arrived!"
"Waaaaaaaah!"
Simultaneous with Dominic’s shock, the Marquis’s ecstatic shout erupted.
The Allied Forces instantly regained their morale and pushed back harder than before, while the bewildered Krepelt forces were gradually driven back.
Dominic’s face contorted in rage at the unexpected turn of events.
"Dammit!"
He had wondered why the banner of the Grand Duke of Valdek was missing; they had been hanging back. Dominic’s head spun at the sudden reversal.
Even if they join the fray, we still have the advantage in numbers. But since we're in the middle of a battle, I can't reorganize the troops except for a small reserve...!
At this rate, they would be struck in the flank while pinned down. If he didn't want his formation to crumble and be swept away, he had to stop them before that happened.
There were two ways.
Capture the First Prince and end the battle itself, or take down the Valdek commander and halt their advance.
The former will be difficult.
The enemy knew the importance of the First Prince and was protecting him with desperate resolve—from Marquis Bernhardt and Blasker, the head of the Flame School, to the Royal Guard led by Jurgen. Even with all his strength, he wouldn't be able to break through before the reinforcements arrived. The only remaining option was to take out the Valdek commander first.
Dominic bit his lip and shouted.
"Reserve units, follow me!"
*
"Good, they're holding out well."
Lucian observed the state of the Allied Forces as he galloped. Though they were being pushed back, they didn't look like they would collapse anytime soon. If anything, the enemy seemed to be hesitating at the sight of the Valdek banner.
"Third Young Master, please give the order to attack!"
"We'll take the flank just like this... Wait, what's that in front of us?"
Lucian blinked at the group of soldiers suddenly rushing toward them. No matter how he looked at it, their numbers were woefully insufficient to stop the Valdek elites. If they kept charging, the enemy would surely be trampled without a trace.
While everyone was wondering what they were thinking, a single knight galloped out in front.
"My name is Dominic Ryler! Count of Krepelt and commander of this host! Commander of Valdek, if you do not fear me, come forth and cross blades!"
"Crazy bastard."
Gerard, the aide, let out a hollow laugh. To think they would request a duel after being the ones to break the Grand Accord. Their sheer brazenness was staggering.
"Third Young Master, there is no need to accept. Let's just crush them."
"No, I'll accept."
"Pardon? What do you mean...!"
"But don't stop. Just slow down the pace a bit. It'll be over quickly anyway."
"Third Young Master!?"
Before Gerard could say another word, Lucian accelerated and dashed forward.
Seeing Lucian charging out alone, Dominic momentarily felt relieved, thinking his plan had worked. However, he soon realized that while the advance had slowed, it hadn't stopped. He shouted in horror.
"What is the meaning of this!? If you have accepted the duel, you must halt your advance! Do you not even know the etiquette of a duel!?"
"That's rich coming from the people who broke the Grand Accord. Besides, what etiquette is there for dealing with a piece of trash?"
"What!?"
"Anyway, I heard your name. You don't need to know mine; I'm just going to clear you out of the way."
"You...!"
Dominic’s face turned beet red. The person was wearing armor, but based on the build and voice, he was clearly just reaching adulthood. To be treated like garbage by a green youth, rather than a veteran commander... No matter how hard he tried to remain calm, his blood boiled.
"Fine! Pay the price for your reckless arrogance!"
Enraged, Dominic spurred his horse toward Lucian.
Though things had deviated slightly from his expectations, the fact remained that the enemy commander had stepped forward. If he could take his head, the Valdek soldiers would fall into immediate chaos. Even if they died together, if he could stall them here, it would be Dominic’s victory.
Based on his posture, is he planning to end it in a single exchange? That must be the famous Lion Heart Sword.
Dominic quickly discerned Lucian's intent from his stance. The Lion Heart Sword was famous for its overwhelming power. It was certainly advantageous in mounted combat, where complex techniques were difficult to execute.
However, that choice only made Dominic smile.
A greenhorn after all. No matter how powerful the strike, there are ways to counter it as long as the path is limited.
Since complex techniques were hard to use, one couldn't easily weave in and cut. But one could time their movement to clash against the enemy's. Conveniently, the swordsmanship Dominic used also emphasized raw power. If they collided, the impact would knock them both off their horses.
And while the brat is panicking from the fall, I'll quickly recover my stance and strike first.
Dominic had experienced falling from his horse in battle several times, but what about this boy? It always took time for anyone to regain their senses in an unfamiliar situation. No matter how great his swordsmanship was, he surely wouldn't be able to respond properly.
Now!
Clang!
The moment the two were within reach, Dominic swung his sword. As expected, a powerful shock rocked his body.
And simultaneously, Dominic’s head flew into the air.
A beat late, Dominic realized that his sword had shattered, while Lucian’s sword had remained intact and swept through his neck.
Catching Dominic’s head as it fell, Lucian muttered with a look that asked 'why?'.
"My apologies. My sword is a bit high-end."