Chapter 102
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: Decapitation Operation (7)
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As Baron Aines declared he would capture the earl, the knights under Earl Belluga bellowed their orders at the top of their lungs.
"Fuck, we have to protect Earl Belluga no matter what it takes!"
"Even a Swordmaster can't stand against numbers!"
"If we cut off that bastard's horns, we can claim the bounty and live like kings!"
Even though facing a Swordmaster meant an incredibly dangerous battle, as soon as the order dropped, the nobles stepped up first.
"We must protect Earl Belluga! I, Baron Corde, command you—my soldiers will fight to the death right here!"
Led by some Baron Corde or whatever, the nobles were the types who could face all sorts of backlash if they got on the 'earl's' bad side.
And their knights, regular soldiers, and even serfs were in a position where they could be wiped out family and all on a whim of the baron—no exaggeration.
So the knights, regular troops, and even the lowliest peasant soldiers charged forward, cursing all the while.
"Fuck, I don't wanna die..."
"Who does? Better you die alone here than your whole family gets butchered."
"......Should've never come for the extra pay."
A bit later, but the majority of the mercenaries hired by Montmartre soon banded together as well.
"If our earl gets captured or we lose here, no payday! No pay means we're all fucked!"
They'd come to war for the money, and hearing they might not get paid...
The mercenaries rushed to cluster around their mercenary captains, shoring up defenses.
Sure enough, no matter how much they talked about risking their lives, money was king.
'Even forces them into unfavorable fights.'
Aines smirked at the sight.
"These rookies are dying to become food for Baron Aines. Martin, follow right behind me. Don't lose me."
"Yes, my lord."
"Good. Then that cocky bastard right in the center... dies first."
Aines erupted with Aura in all directions and charged toward the enemy at blinding speed.
But he wasn't going full KTX throttle, or we wouldn't keep up... It was a pace a regular soldier could match at full sprint.
"Anyone blocking my path is begging to die! If you want to live, get out of my way!"
His foul mouth showed it—before baron, he was a Swordmaster who loved war, through and through.
Gripping his Aura blade like a human drill, he carved mercilessly through the enemies in his path.
Even to my Expert-level eyes, his swing speed was barely visible. Each flick of the sword claimed one or two foes.
Earl Belluga's soldiers broke into cold sweats, eyes bulging before that power.
"Mercy, fuck! That's impossible!"
The nobles in the rear shoved spears and swords at the backs of the terrified, forcing them to fight, and slew any who tried to flee with their own hands.
"Die for Earl Belluga! Die with glory and leave an honorable name!"
"Fleeing cowards will be branded traitors!"
"Die for our baronial house!"
If you're gonna talk big, fight Baron Aines yourselves instead of yapping from the back.
Ugh, they'd float around with mouths above water even if drowned...
"Martin Company! Stick tight to Baron Aines! We decide this battle's outcome!"
I shouted and took point in the charge. A massive roar of approval followed from behind.
"Follow Captain Martin!"
"Time to change our luck!"
"What's so special about killing knights?"
Birds of a feather... With leaders like that, even these guys turned bloodthirsty...
Thinking of them, my lips twitched into a grin.
"Fucking love you bastards."
Then I plunged into the front lines like Aines.
Peasant soldiers wielded pitchforks and hoes, regulars and mercs long spears—trying a range game.
Not bad following the formula: outskill your foe? Mass up and use the longest weapons possible.
'Gonna kill me with that?'
Before, I'd have raged, "No cheap tricks!" and surrendered to hot-blooded fury like a raging river.
But today, I saw even in Aines' rampage, his blade tip and movements calm and deep as still water.
So I reined in my own excitement, mimicking him.
'Unshaken by enemy strikes, crush them with calm, heavy pressure.'
The soldiers surrounding me caught a glimpse of something new in that instant and bellowed in unison.
"Thrust!"
Pitchforks, hoes, spears rained down on me from all sides.
One slip, and even an Expert becomes a pincushion.
"I see all your gaps, assholes."
Calm mind let me track their forms, spear tips' paths—flaws glaring.
"No matter how many rabble you gather, they're still rabble—got it?!"
I swept my blade in a crescent toward the center of their clumsy frontal thrusts.
Their killing blows that could've slipped my armor gaps? All deflected. The rest bounced harmlessly off plate.
Before this insight, I'd have burned stamina spamming Aura swings.
Might've even taken wounds breaking this encirclement.
Now? Effortless deflection.
'Is this the realm beyond Expert that swordsmen chase?'
Game lore had war-time enlightenments often... Never thought I'd live it.
My foes couldn't hide their shock.
"This mad fucker!"
No berserk arrow-rush like before. I advanced slow, devouring them methodically.
Not too fast, not too slow—maximum efficiency as a human weapon.
'True athletes fight with cool heads.'
War ain't sports, but like those pros, like Aines' 'calm amid fury'...
I suppressed excess speed, power, wild swings, needless twists.
Not fluent yet...
"Fuck, our captain's insane. He was good before, now untouchable."
"Can't see a single opening from here..."
"Follow him, no way we eat dirt."
Even my frantically tailing crew admired it. Some enlightenment...
No—true enlightenment surges power, realm leaps, felt crystal clear.
'Just picked up Expert-plus swordplay.'
Then a mid-tier Aura knight appeared—upper Advanced, by looks.
"Don't know who you are, but Henri Trevieu, mid-tier knight of House Belluga, stops you here!"
"Mid-tier? Daddy's boy climbed that young and still yaps."
"Shut it! State your name!"
Like he wants an honorable duel—fine, manners for a young upper Aura talent.
"White Beard Mercenary Corps Company Captain Martin Meyer."
Henri, swept by emotion, unleashed his all-out strike.
Good—no complacency, kill-intent resolute. Respect.
But wasted motions galore.
Overcommitted to my neck; blade'd spin 360 in air on connect.
Even this upper Aura guy got tugged by a 2kg sword—slightly.
"Pathetic."
I gripped tight, smashed his blade down.
Realms close—no shattering, but his off-balance swing twisted him on block.
"Too honest with emotions, rookie."
One clash—his head rolled.
Before, similar realms meant dozens of passes...
"Expert swordplay, huh?"
Amazed by myself, I cleaved after Baron Aines...
"Earl Belluga's main camp!"
Somehow, we'd closed in on the earl's HQ.