Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Skirmish
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"We'll advance as far as Haban Citadel for now."
The duke's decision was to push forward to Haban Citadel. Other northern fortresses had fallen, but he refused to divide the army. He seemed extremely wary of being picked off piecemeal, like what had happened to Count Sterling's forces.
"Keep scouting brief and constant. We need to track their movements at all costs."
Following his orders, cavalry units of five to seven riders patrolled the surroundings in rotation. Like swarms of ants, they continuously circled the main force and the outskirts, relaying information. The nobles frantically compiled these reports and passed them up to the duke.
Only after confirming the area was safe did the army resume its march. On the first day, they recovered the bodies of the scouting cavalry. On the second, they gathered the remains of Count Sterling's army. And after ten days, we arrived at our target: Haban Citadel. It had already become a fortress of death.
"Lord have mercy..."
"Oh... His Imperial Majesty..."
Whether they invoked God or the Emperor, the sight of Haban Citadel was utterly horrific. Hadn't the ancient Mongols killed everyone taller than a wagon wheel? These damned knife-ears had gone further, slaughtering anything with legs.
I'd suspected something from the foul stench before we even reached the gates, but up close, the reek of rotting corpses assaulted our noses. Elite soldiers and conscripts alike retched uncontrollably. Some who glimpsed the interior fainted on the spot.
"Urk!"
Even the duke's daughter forgot to don her helmet as she vomited, so lost in it that I had to shield her with my cloak. That alone tells you how gruesome the slaughter and stench were.
"Disgusting bastards..."
Lenia's voice, laced with fury, leaked from her helmet. The elves of this world were insane. Sure, the novel trope elves were eco-warriors who massacred intruders in their forests, but at least they didn't strike first against humans.
"Clear the bodies! Be careful—plague could spread!"
At the nobles' commands, soldiers swiftly began cleanup. Walls above, walls below, inside the fortress, outside—corpses everywhere, with no place spared. Starting from the outside was a chore in itself.
"Nngh!"
"Whoa!"
Soldiers stacked the putrid, crumbling corpses onto litters like mountains and hauled them out, eyes gleaming as they watched me. A noble doing such dirty work must have seemed novel. I just wanted to clear them fast and secure the fortress.
"Over here! Not there—that spot's full!"
Worried about contaminating the groundwater, the soldiers dug pits a short distance from the fortress and buried the bodies.
Plop! Plop!
Best to burn them, but fuel was scarce here—torching that many wasn't feasible. Only the sickening sounds of corpses tumbling into the pits echoed.
"Rest!"
The rest signal sounded, and the soldiers—now somewhat acclimated—chatted and laughed amid the stench. But beneath it, the fear they'd momentarily forgotten resurfaced in their eyes.
Elves who dealt death equally, regardless of gender, age, or rank. Could these troops, stripped of any confidence in victory, even fight properly? As I rested near them, pondering this...
"Elves!"
Dozens of elf riders entered my sight. No mistaking them—not for me, who'd fought them before. And they were charging straight at us.
"Pardon? My lord...?"
The soldiers around me stared in confusion at my sudden shout. I bellowed at them.
"Elves! Elf raid!"
Dong—dong—dong—
The bells atop the inner keep pealed across the fortress.
"All hands, battle stations! All hands, battle stations!"
"Elves attacking!"
"Kill the runners first! If you don't want to die hunted by elves, shut up and form up!"
Soldiers scattered everywhere rallied their men however they could. The sharp elites and knights half-threatened the conscripts to keep them from bolting, herding them together.
As the imperial army hastily formed ranks, the elves kept charging. They were well within bow range but held their fire. Instead, they carried a flag.
"We wish to speak with the imperial general! We are envoys from Decai Noyon, one of the Great Khan's generals!"
****
Step—step—
Dozens of elves strode into the partially cleared inner keep. Knights blocked their path.
"Only the envoy proceeds from here."
"Dlrep antms wltdlsi?"
The knights halted the envoy's guards, who snarled and reached for their swords—but at the envoy's word, they spat on the ground and relented. More shocking: the envoy spoke Imperial fluently. Impeccably so.
"Apologies. My escorts are on edge after recent unpleasantness."
"Hmph! Savages!"
"Who started that unpleasantness? Dare to massacre imperial citizens!"
The nobles shouted as if ready to tear him apart. The envoy laughed heartily—whether from familiarity with such treatment or sheer patience.
"Haha! We're a force seeking to build our own empire too—surely you don't see us purely as villains. Besides, wasn't the incident here partly the Empire's fault? I'll explain everything to the commander, so no worries."
Casual tone, but "building an empire" wasn't a light claim. It meant they were at least ready to form a kingdom.
Good lord. A nomadic nation. Yuan, Jin, Liao, Qing—just the close ones were bad enough.
Every time they appeared, the big neighbor got looted, and even Korea suffered. Border raids were routine; they'd rampage to the capital, forcing kings across dynasties to bow to these terrifying overlords.
Sure, the Central Plains sometimes overwhelmed them with numbers, but that's an exception—let's skip it.
[Let them in.]
The knights blocking the elves grimaced bitterly at the duke's voice from within but stepped aside.
"Greetings. You are the southern imperial commander..."
"Duke Northmond."
"Your Grace, Duke Northmond."
Imperial nobles glared with murderous intent, but the envoy just smiled. Despite his age, his elven features made him strikingly handsome.
He even knew the proper address for the duke. Meaning he knew the Empire well. He spoke first.
"First, allow a brief defense regarding the unpleasantness, Your Grace."
The duke eyed him indifferently. War was inevitable—emperor's orders.
"Speak."
"Yes, Your Grace. The tragedy at Haban Citadel was entirely Count Haban's fault."
"Ha! Nonsense! What drivel is this?"
"You one-sidedly attacked and massacred, then blame Count Haban!"
"Enough! Let him speak."
As the nobles quieted, the envoy bowed gratefully to the duke and continued.
"We dispatched envoys for peaceful trade, but the count severed their noses and ears. The Khan flew into a rage."
"Peaceful trade?"
"Simply normal diplomatic ties—grain and livestock at fair prices."
Not hard. But I could guess why the count mutilated them. He'd been gouging "savages" for profit; he'd hardly accept fair trade now.
"If that's the case..."
Arrogantly, the envoy cut him off.
"But the count refused. The Khan now demands more."
The duke's brow furrowed.
"More?"
"Cession of the North. The Emperor's apology."
The words hit like bombshells. Cede the North? Emperor apologize? Were they mad? What did they expect?
"You...! Damn savage scum!! Fine! Let's see how great your Khan or whatever is! You take a few northern fortresses and beat a count's army, and you get cocky?!"
The duke's roar erupted. Chills-inducing killing intent. Such was his wrath—even nobles and the elven envoy trembled.
The envoy's provocation backfired. The duke, cautious after the elves' unexpected strength, now turned aggressive. Problem was, it wasn't entirely good.
Screee—
A hawk circled overhead, screeching.
"Elves! Elves incoming!"
From the direction the envoy left, elves swarmed. Hundreds? Thousands? Tens of thousands? All I knew: a lot. The duke estimated ten thousand. Seemed more to me.
"Proud sons of the Empire! Loyal subjects of our great Emperor! Savages stand before us! Merciless, cruel wretches! Remember the fate of our northern brethren at their hands!"
"We remember!"
Wooo! Soldiers jeered in unison—at the elves, not the duke. Sword in hand, he rode and shouted.
"If we fall, every soul in the Empire—your families—will share our brothers' miserable end! Will you stand and watch?!"
"No!"
"Death to the savages!"
As soldiers raised weapons and roared, the duke bellowed his finale.
"Then take up arms! Stand firm even as death approaches! Ensure their hooves never trample the Empire!"