Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Battle of Nakmanr (2)
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There was no time to agonize over it. Whether the enemy was a necromancer or beastkin, fighting here at night was practically suicide.
In his first death, Cain had chosen a frontal breakthrough. Push through with sheer force before the sun fully set.
It was certainly a solid plan. No, if Cain had been alone, it would have succeeded without a doubt.
But the problem was the three hundred dwarves and the soldiers escorting them. They weren't as strong as Cain or as fast as warhorses.
"Gaaahhh!!"
"S-Spare..."
Darkness so thick you couldn't see an inch ahead. Soon, the only sounds were screams laced with agony and terror.
Cain hastily drew his greatsword. But the thick darkness seized his blade.
Nothing was visible. He couldn't tell friend from foe.
And... hesitation on the battlefield meant death. Even Cain was no exception.
Pff!
A hot, writhing, repulsive something pierced Cain's chest. Then came a disgusting voice.
"Heh, hehehe...!! It's the lord! The lord's here!! I got the lord!!"
"What?! Cain Blackguard was here?!"
"If it's true, that's a massive achievement! Secure the body no matter what!!"
A hand blade that crushed his ribs as it burst forth. Even in the pitch-black darkness, it had precisely targeted Cain's heart.
Rattle, rattle. The sound of bones clashing. It was the last thing Cain heard before collapsing in a pool of blood and drawing his final breath.
Cain gritted his teeth and muttered the name of the culprit who had brought things to this point.
Necromancer.
One who casually pries open graves. A being who disturbs the dead's rest out of pure malice and drives nails into the hearts of the bereaved.
The malice of the necromancer he faced for the first time today was more burdensome and vile than he could have imagined.
'Just as I thought, the necromancer's plan is to pit us against the beastkin.'
Cain clicked his tongue. The necromancer's trap was far more elaborate than he'd anticipated.
A frontal push with brute force was impossible. And using the darkness as cover for an ambush wasn't an option either.
In the end, Cain had no choice but to dig in and hold. Soon, the pitch-black darkness descended.
At least the crackling of the bonfire and its flickering light offered them a sliver of comfort.
However, not a few dwarves questioned Cain's bold decision.
"We lit the fires as you ordered, my lord... but is this really okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"Lighting fires at night is as good as announcing our position outright, isn't it?"
"You're not wrong. If the enemy weren't beastkin."
Grid shook his head at the young dwarf's words. The beastkin's strengths were their powerful physiques and keen senses.
Have you ever seen a predator stop hunting just because darkness fell? No, you haven't.
Beastkin were the same. Their sharp senses pierced even the darkness.
"That's why lighting fires is actually to our advantage. Darkness is a friend and shield to the enemy... but to us, it's just a veil over our eyes."
"R-Right. I didn't know it in such detail."
"It's fine. You learn by accumulating experience like this, bit by bit."
Grid patted the young dwarf's back encouragingly, but inwardly, he was admiring the young lord's response.
Before the darkness fully set in, the young lord had ordered the erection of stockades and torches. That had saved their lives.
If not for the young lord's command, they would have panicked and been wiped out.
Indeed, the one who had subjugated the Plague King and tamed a wyvern... Even in this utterly disadvantageous situation,
Grid believed that man had some clever trick up his sleeve.
'No matter how I think about it, there's no answer. Can we really hold out until dawn?'
Blackening Grid's faith, Cain himself had no particular solution either. The situation was overwhelmingly against them.
The enemy could use the darkness... but we couldn't.
He couldn't even gauge the enemy's exact numbers. Their hands and feet were bound, eyes blindfolded.
Yet even in such a plight, Cain refused to give up, still searching for an answer.
'At least thanks to the dwarves, we managed to set up stockades and dig a crude moat in that short time.'
With the Nakmanr River at their back and stockades raised like walls in front, it was a proper defensive formation.
But collapse was only a matter of time. He needed a plan before then.
Even waiting for reinforcements, the beastkin would arrive before the imperial army.
Which meant their only option was to strike at a weak point somehow...
[Heh, hehehe...!! It's the lord! The lord's here!! I got the lord!!]
[What?! Cain Blackguard was here?!]
"...Hold on a second."
As he kept replaying his past death, a fragment from memory suddenly surfaced...
In the answerless darkness, Cain finally glimpsed a faint light.
If his guess was right, they might just pull off a surprise strike.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The Snake Tribe occupied an ambiguous position. They were predators, sure, but overwhelming ones like the Bear Tribe? No.
But mingling with prey tribes? Their pride as predators wouldn't allow it.
That was the Snake Tribe's spot. Even among the Seven Beast Kings, they held the vague fourth rank.
Yet surprisingly, Mamba—the Snake Tribe chief bearing the title Earth King—was content with his position.
'Just right in the middle, no more, no less. Climbing higher just gets you smacked down by the Bear Tribe.'
The title Earth King was practically a derogatory nickname, implying slithering flat on the ground.
Of course, Mamba wore it proudly, insisting a king was a king regardless.
Anyway, a satisfying job had come Mamba's way after a long time...
'Dwarves, huh? Perfect size to fill our bellies and rack up merits.'
Just right for staying in the middle. The imperial army was honestly a bit scary to tangle with.
Especially Cain Blackguard. Word was he'd toyed with that Reverse King's Bear Tribe through strategy...
Us Snake Tribe facing Cain Blackguard? No thanks.
"Chief, I see the stockade up ahead."
"Where are the scouts?"
"They say only dwarves are patrolling the stockade—no other humans in sight."
"Perfect."
Mamba finally cracked a smile at the scout's long-awaited report. Now he could hunt with peace of mind.
Mamba had his meticulous side. He'd never trusted the necromancer's word once.
That's why he'd held back two hours and sent scouts. Now he could be certain.
Cain Blackguard wasn't here.
Made sense—in this chaotic war with the Beast Kings, no lord would venture in personally during a relatively peaceful phase.
"Alright! Time for a hunt! Tear down that stockade and gorge ourselves!!"
For once, Mamba's booming voice drew eager cheers from the Snake Tribe warriors. Nothing stood in their way now.
Meanwhile, a chilling, slithering sound like snakes crawling reached Grid's ears as he watched from atop the stockade.
Sure enough... just as the lord predicted, the Snake Tribe was gearing up for the hunt. They had to hold for at least two hours.
[The Snake Tribe warriors will attack the stockade soon. You'll need to hold for a minimum of two hours, with the chief personally commanding the dwarves.]
[I get the plan. It's not impossible... but whether we can pull it off is another story.]
The lord's proposed strategy wasn't reckless. It was a brilliant way to strike at their blind spot.
But too many uncertainties. Even setting aside if predictions went awry... holding out was the real issue.
For the young lord's plan to work, the dwarves alone had to endure two hours without the lord's aid.
They had survival experience in the demon realm, sure... but full-scale war with beastkin was a different beast.
[Then just do as I say.]
[What do you mean?]
[I'll roughly predict the beastkin's moves from now on. I'll say it once, so memorize it and respond accordingly.]
Predicting the enemy's actions without even seeing them... It sounded absurd.
But Grid listened quietly to the young lord. He had no better ideas anyway.
Soon, horrifying monsters with serpentine lower bodies and human torsos began emerging from the darkness, one by one.
Confirming their approach, Grid bellowed loudly for all to hear.
"Hold for just two hours! Then the lord will come!!"
The plan was already underway.