Chapter 113
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: Battle of Soelden Plains (3)
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That statement made my mind go blank for a moment, swirling with complications.
And who could blame me? If we charged in right now...
"The White Hounds' morale has hit rock bottom, Hundred-Man Leader!"
As one of our Hundred-Man Squad members shouted, anyone could see the White Hounds were on the verge of collapse.
Even a senior mercenary decked out in chest armor was flailing around with his spear in a panic.
"Fuck, what do we do?"
Their Ten-Man Squad Leaders and Squad Leaders, in their desperation, were swinging weapons at the air to rally and threaten their men into position.
"If you desert, I'll cut your heads off myself! Snap out of it—no thoughts of running!"
"Grab your spear or sword and face the enemy!"
"If you keep your wits, you can survive!"
If we pushed just a little harder now, we could probably take the White Hounds Mercenary Captain's head.
Should I grab the merit right in front of me? Or pull back to save the Red Roses for our future reputation and fame?
It was giving me a headache; my teeth ground together on their own.
"Damn it, fuck!"
That's when Otto came rushing over in a frenzy.
"Hundred-Man Leader, are you hurt anywhere?"
"No, but why the hell are the Red Roses grabbing our ankles like this..."
"Then just pretend you didn't see their rescue flag and take the White Hounds Captain's head first."
That's exactly what I wanted to do.
That Red Rose Captain with a face like it had been ground against a millstone!
He'd looked down on our mercenary corps before and gotten under my skin, so part of me wanted to let him die...
'Fuck, but to raise our mercenary corps' and my own value, we have no choice...'
I gritted my teeth and channeled Aura into the ground, stomping down hard.
Circulating Aura through my body had left a hole in the dirt like it'd been dug with a shovel.
"Goddamn it! Relay to Captain Dalton! Martin Hundred-Man Squad confirms the ally Red Rose Mercenary Corps' rescue request! We judge it necessary to respond!"
"Yes, sir!"
Because if we went to support those Red Rose bastards, we'd have to smash these guys first to avoid getting hit from behind.
I leaped into the enemy lines, wrapped in Aura.
"Until different orders from Captain Dalton, slaughter the White Hounds mercilessly!"
My rage-filled shout made the others fight even fiercer.
"Die, you white dog bastards!"
"Martin Hundred-Man Leader's fighting with us!"
"Don't let a single one escape!"
The solidarity of those who read my intent and followed me into battle, mixed with the frustration of having to support a mercenary corps I didn't want to help.
To support the Red Roses, we first had to shatter these guys—so I hacked down the enemies in front of me like mad.
"Fuck, it's a monster!"
"Expert-level knight!"
"Reform the formation! Formation!!"
As I bulldozed forward like a maniac, the White Hounds began to crumble—not slowly, but rapidly.
"1st Squad! 1st Squad! Support us, please!"
Another White Hounds member replied.
"Our squad leader's head got lopped off—think that's possible?"
Hearing that exchange, I felt a twinge of pity deep down, but what could I do?
Keep fighting.
That's when a booming voice—like the White Hounds Mercenary Captain's—rang out from the rear of the enemy lines.
"White Hounds Mercenary Corps, retreat! Retreat! We'll be annihilated at this rate!"
Baker, nearby, asked me.
"Pursue, Martin Hundred-Man Leader?"
"No pursuit."
Right on cue, two Fireballs streaked upward in red trails.
"Damn it, that's the order to act as I suggested! Lucia, Karin! Mages and archers, give those fleeing bastards a hard shot!"
We couldn't pursue because the situation wouldn't allow it, but at least we could give them a final middle finger on their way out, right?
I didn't know who the White Hounds Captain was, but the bastard had filthy good luck.
The archers and mages unleashed a volley of magic and arrows at the fleeing foes.
Fireballs and the like exploded like small bombs, blasting nearby mercenaries away.
"Argh, fuck!"
"Don't look back—run!"
"They might chase us anytime!"
Those hit by arrows either died on the spot or fled with shafts embedded in their bodies.
"Ugh, fuck. Come on, you dog bastards."
As I watched the scene briefly, Dalton's command boomed out.
"White Beard Mercenary Corps, turn left!"
At that, our Hundred-Man Squad and the others pivoted our formation ninety degrees left, just like we'd drilled.
Without training, just changing direction would've taken ages...
But in about five minutes, we flanked the enemy mercenary corps fighting the Red Roses.
"......These mercenary bastards are decked out in shiny gear."
Not full steel plate, but every mercenary had chest armor and small helmets.
Was this a real first-class mercenary corps?
Just looking made my heart swell. Someday, if I went independent and formed my own corps, I'd love to have the wealth and power to equip everyone like that.
'Their combat prowess must be insane too...'
After all, even just chest armor reduced your death odds—exaggerating a bit—by about a third.
"Red Rose or red weed, kill 'em all!"
"Uproot 'em and lop off their heads!"
"You know what to do with those rich Medici pigs, right?"
The battle wasn't totally one-sided, but anyone with veteran experience from a few wars could see the Red Roses were at a disadvantage.
And the other mercenary corps were tied up with their own foes, unable to support...
'If we leave this be, our formation crumbles from here.'
Still, the enemies facing the Red Roses weren't watching their flanks, so it was time for us to be the knife in their side.
Dalton had clearly grasped the situation and issued orders.
"After the mages and archers' volley, charge! Everyone, prepare!"
This was the perfect tactic for us right now.
The mages thrust their staves forward and began chanting.
"Flames that burn all to ash, reduce my foes ahead to cinders. Fireball!"
Lucia perked up her tail rigidly, glaring sharply at the enemies.
Not a sword-wielding warrior, but with eyes like a predator eyeing prey.
"Spear of crimson flame, become the blaze that incinerates the wicked foes blocking my precious ones' path. Fire Spear!"
⟨ Fire Spear ⟩
In sync with the chants, the archers drew their bowstrings.
Once everything was ready, Dalton's command rang out.
"Kill them all!"
At the simple, clear order, the mages unleashed their spells first.
The Fireballs they'd chanted exploded like low-yield bombs, killing multiple enemies at once.
Lucia's mid-tier spell was far more powerful than before, turning every soldier in its area to ash piles.
By eye, a 2.5-meter radius was completely scorched, and the clustered foes inside burned to death in pillars of flame as tall as a man.
"......Not just Karin—can't make Lucia cry either."
The arrow barrage followed, and enemies clutched their wounds, collapsing dead or screaming in agony.
"Fuck, ambush!"
"Save me, fuck..."
"It hurts, it hurts so much..."
Seeing this eased the disappointment of letting the White Hounds Captain slip away.
Yeah, showing that the White Beard Mercenary Corps—first-class at times, pulling double duty—is a great ally by saving the Red Roses? Not bad.
'And ambushes like this always hit just right.'
The flankers on our target mercenary corps started panicking.
"Fuck, block the right flank or catch the fleeing front bastards first?"
"How the hell should I know? Enemies from the right flank!"
"Form up if you don't wanna die!"
Worthy of pushing back a first-class corps like the Red Roses, their situational judgment was better than expected.
So, smash them before they got their act together.
Before I could say anything to Dalton, he bellowed.
"Martin Hundred-Man Squad leads! No phalanx or bullshit—just charge!"
About thirty percent of our squad had lost or broken spears, so a phalanx was pointless now.
In times like this, best to charge like medieval knights on horseback—pretend we're mounted and crash in with swords.
"Martin Hundred-Man Squad, listen up! Today, we take that enemy corps captain's head! All charge!"