Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Northern Conquest (9)
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However, perhaps because he had risen to the rank of Khan, he didn't collapse or stagger from the blow I'd landed.
Instead, he looked at me with a triumphant voice and spoke leisurely.
"You milky-smelling pup! Must be from sleeping warm and eating well inside the walls. Your punches are weak! I thought a fly had landed on me, ptui."
Seeing that bastard spit out shards of his teeth and blood as he said it, it looked like he'd taken a massive hit.
Finishing his words, he spat the pooled blood in his mouth onto the ground, flashed a nasty grin, then spun his sword in one hand as he approached me.
After twirling it about three times in the air, he slammed it down, putting his full weight and centrifugal force behind it.
Instead of dodging or blocking with my armor, I met it with the sword in my hand.
A shock ran through both my arms, numbing them to the elbows beyond the clash of blades. He added his other hand to the one he'd swung with, gripping it two-handed with that nasty smile.
Leaning into it with his weight, he began slowly pressing down on my sword. His blade inched closer to my helmet.
"It's a sight to see a pup who still wants mommy's milk thrashing about! This old man will reward you by killing you in one go! And if I survive, I'll stuff your corpse in a sack for my horse to trample!"
"Shut your dog mouth! The one whose head will hang from a Reich Empire spear soon enough sure barks loud!"
"You'll shed bloody tears regretting rejecting this generous offer from me after losing the war!"
Like that, we locked blades for about ten—no, twenty seconds. Realizing this standoff wouldn't end, Ludwig pulled his sword free and put distance between us.
He and I caught our breath for a moment, scrutinizing each other for openings.
Eyes, throat, chest, waist, groin, inner thighs.
From vital spots that would kill in one stab or slash to places hard to block while holding a sword.
Like admiring a work of art or a beautiful woman—nay, with even hotter gaze and focus—we eyed our foe.
Solely to kill the dog bastard before me.
"You Khan filth worse than the trash plaguing the Empire! I'll crush you and your tribe's future right here! Every warrior following you will lose their head. The widows, virgins, and children left behind will be worse off than Imperial serfs, plowing fields and toiling in hard labor to atone for your sins!"
"Cute bastard. My only regret is not laying a kitten like you on my bed and toying with you!"
Damn barbarian tribe chief spawn. Is that bastard really a homosexual?
No, he's the scum of the earth who rapes indiscriminately, man or woman, on his bed without discrimination.
He had a thousand reasons to die from the start, and now one more.
My face was hidden by my helmet, but sensing my expression souring, Ludwig laughed like a madman and charged at me.
"I'll definitely kill you here! Die!!"
With those words, he swung his sword in a diagonal arc from above his left shoulder to the right. I tilted my blade slightly to parry.
His sword slid down my angled blade. I readjusted my stance and struck for his throat, but
he blocked with the other sword in his left hand.
"Tch, pup. You're fighting better than I thought!"
"Shut your dog mouth."
"If we'd clashed in ten years, I might've lost!"
Like that, we exchanged blades several times, then locked in another prolonged standoff.
Glaring at each other, Ludwig and I panted heavily as we caught our breath.
"You handle a sword decently, little one."
"Shut up. I'll kill you here."
I said that, but honestly, my stamina was at its limit.
Ludwig had led his cavalry charge and fought Imperial soldiers, burning through energy, but
I'd been at the vanguard misleading his infantry with knights and foot soldiers on a weight class bluff,
and at the front again leading 300 knights in massacring his horsemen, slaying barbarians,
plus facing the mighty warrior Ludwig had left me utterly drained.
So by my estimate, I didn't have much time left to fight at full strength.
In other words, failure here meant death for me too.
With that, I released my left hand from the sword hilt, reached for the dagger at my waist to confirm its position,
then aimed my sword at his throat and charged like a madman.
"Pup, your moves are too obvious!"
Ludwig saw my telegraphed action, assumed the barbarian stance of dropping both hands low, and met me.
Thanking Deus inwardly for playing into my hands, I shifted from a thrusting pose to an overhead chop from my right shoulder,
riding the momentum into a diagonal swing.
At that, Ludwig sounded disappointed, his voice laced with irritation.
"When death's near, even obvious attacks are all you can think of?!"
He crossed the cavalry sabers in both hands along my sword's arc to block.
His thoughts were plain as day.
'Deflect my sword with both sabers, ruin my stance completely, then thrust for the throat to kill.'
But Khan, now you've finally stepped into my palm?
Thinking that, I swiftly pulled my left hand free and drew the dagger.
As he tried to flick my sword away with both hands,
I lunged into his guard with my right foot.
And kneed his balls hard.
His armor prevented castration, but even a Khan couldn't endure that pain.
As I'd planned, he crumpled without resistance, unable to respond as expected.
Some might taunt "you're dead" here, but I gripped the dagger two-handed and plunged it into his throat.
Gushing blood soaked my hands and armor.
Realizing death, Ludwig glared at me with even fiercer venom.
"Filthy Imperial pig spawn, you barbaric cur from the Töner tribe who slew this Khan and their mortal enemy! Even in death, I curse you!"
With that, he thrashed desperately to kill me, but
pinned and dying under armored Peter Jaeger, it was futile flailing.
When his resistance ceased, I slit his throat with the dagger like a knife and shouted.
"Reich Empire 24th Regiment Commander Peter Jaeger has beheaded Ludwig, chieftain of the barbarian horde calling themselves Khan!"
I grabbed his severed head with my left hand and raised it high.
Imperial soldiers cheered at the news.
"The damn Khan bastard is dead!"
"Their leader's dead! We've won!"
"Spread the word to the whole army! Enemy leader Ludwig slain by the 24th Regiment!"
The barbarians, already cornered and now leaderless, despaired with no hope left, letting out anguished sighs.
"It's over, fuck. We're dead men now."
"Khan, how could you drag us to hell? If you're doomed, die alone!"
With the tide turning decisively for the Empire, the barbarians tried surrendering or fleeing under other chieftains' commands, but
the soldiers and officers tormented by the savage hordes sought to slaughter every last one.
"Mages, crossbowmen, archers—shoot the fleeing bastards!"
"Worse than cockroaches, these barbarians! Kill them all! Kill!!"
"Don't let a single one escape!"
They loosed arrows and chanted spells with every ounce of strength, like nursing infants squeezing milk.
"Filthy Imperial pigs. By the sky god Tangri!"
"Curse you all."
"I can't die here! Fuck!"
In the end, only a lucky few escaped. The rest couldn't.
Honorless barbarian infantry and some cavalry tossed weapons and groveled for mercy.
"Spare us!"
"We surrender! Just our lives. Save our lives!"
"I don't wanna die like this yet."
Some soldiers tried killing even the surrendering ones, but officers restrained them as best they could.
"Don't kill those surrendering—bind them."
"His Imperial Majesty the Emperor will judge them."
"We won't kill those who surrender! Drop your weapons!"
The rank-and-file infantry couldn't hide their disappointment or confusion, but right now, keeping them alive mattered more than killing.
Because sparing the vile barbarians meant making them reveal their village locations to guide us,
and after fully occupying their lands, we'd offer them to His Imperial Majesty.
Then His Majesty would graciously accept our loyalty and execute every participating barbarian—infantry or cavalry—in the Imperial plaza.
With that, I cleared my thoughts and ordered the knights to pursue the enemy at their discretion.
Supported by Laura and Werner, I returned to the 24th Regiment.
That day, the Imperial army slew 35,000 of Ludwig's 60,000 and captured 10,000.
A great victory etched into history.