The Narrow Defile and the Commander in the Mask
Jeanne had reached the Beorhen Ravine, the place she had marked on her map.
Despite spending considerable time helping the villagers, they had arrived here quickly thanks to them.
The villagers thanked her and showed her the shortcut through the mountain pass.
The path was rough, winding through the dense forest, but it greatly shortened their time.
A narrow passage barely wide enough for two riders to pass side by side lay between the sheer cliffs.
Because of this, a large army would inevitably form a long line here if they tried to pass through.
There were no hoofprints on the ground, suggesting no army had passed this way before.
Jeanne’s group had stopped at the village, helped them settle matters, and arrived on time without delay.
“Heir is passing through this place.”
“The ravine is far narrower than I expected. It seems they aren’t even considering an ambush from our side.”
Dibain accepted Jeanne’s information as naturally as breathing.
Ensuring the reliability of information was the source’s responsibility, but as a scholar, he could not doubt his superior, Jeanne.
Since she had already decided to follow her, he would believe in her thoroughly and devise the maximum countermeasures possible as his duty.
“This area has already been cleared by Aaron’s forces as they pushed up. They probably assumed there were no enemies to ambush.
Going around the ravine would take quite some time.”
To take another path, they would have to circle the mountain, which would multiply the journey by several times.
Time was precious in war.
Even if Jeanne’s information was not accurate, the probability that Heir would pass through this route was very high.
“The problem is that attacking the enemy alone with just us is unrealistic…”
Only seven knights. Even including Dibain and Heini as combat power, that made nine.
Even if the entire Second Knight Order had come, facing the enemy reinforcements would be suicide.
“But Her Highness also pointed out this ravine so she could use the power of the terrain, didn’t she?”
There were two main ways to confront enemies in the ravine.
One was to use the cliffs as walls and attack with ranged weapons from above. Adding siege engines would make it even more effective.
The other was to wait at the narrow entrance and attack the enemies as they emerged.
“You don’t have to think so seriously. We are not trying to fight the entire army. Our goal is the enemy commander’s head and nothing else.”
Dibain suggested a plan to Jeanne.
***
“Hah!”
Dane swung his bastard sword with a roar.
His black aura, the largest after Diego in the Second Knight Order, carried the momentum to cut down anything it struck.
KRRR!
A giant tree that had stood for decades crashed down instantly.
“You’re really something. Using aura even here?”
Nael, watching from the side, remarked.
Dane simply smiled.
While Dane worked in silence, Nael’s face was full of complaints.
“Sigh. Why am I doing this?”
Instead of the two swords he was proud of, an axe rested in Nael’s hand.
Even if he imbued aura, his sword was slightly shorter than Dane’s thick, large one, making it inefficient to cut trees.
Just use the axe.
Villagers helped by cutting trees and moving boulders.
The knights who had volunteered to assist were residents from nearby villages who had heard the knights would pass through the same place they had visited before.
Of course, since most were not strong fighters, they provided axes or offered to guide the way rather than carrying things themselves.
“I didn’t ask for help, and yet you come out and suffer. Stop that.”
Jeanne, protesting even though the injured villagers had come to help, sank into deep thought.
“What are you thinking about?”
Ethan, who had just lifted a large boulder and was taking a breather, asked Jeanne.
“I thought I had to do it all alone. I have to protect those weak people.”
Jeanne had moved so far because of her regression, driven by the resolve to save her people.
That resolve was her strength, but it also weighed heavily on her.
“Yet everyone was the same. Even with their limited strength, they were helping neighbors and family.”
Looking at them, Jeanne realized that people’s hearts were all the same.
They had simply been weak and suffered, but if given the chance, they would lend their strength to protect what was dear to them.
That delicate heart was so precious.
“That’s why I want to win even more.”
It wasn’t just the people close to her.
She wanted everyone in this kingdom, this Bluisol, to be happy.
For that, the war had to end, but more was needed.
***
A massive army, seemingly thousands strong, had arrived before the Beorhen Ravine.
The army stopped, and several soldiers searched around the ravine.
Confirming there were no hidden troops, the unit entered the ravine.
Jeanne raised her hand high.
Dibain, who saw the signal from above, raised the flag.
The signal rose, and huge rocks and logs began falling from above.
“Heh heh hee!”
The startled horses reared, neighing in fear.
“Fall back!”
“Spread out!”
Amid the screams of the soldiers, the commander’s voice mixed into the chaos.
Thick dust rose, obscuring the vision.
The falling rocks and logs had concentrated in one spot.
A few unfortunate soldiers had been crushed under them and died, but the narrow passage had limited the actual damage to the army.
From the beginning, she had not thought of dealing a blow to the entire force that had entered the ravine.
Hundreds or thousands of soldiers lined up above, and simultaneous attacks would be possible only if they struck at the exact moment the enemy entered.
With this number of troops, it was realistically impossible.
The purpose of what had been done now was to sever a part of the long line.
The boulders and logs rolled down by the Second Knight Order and the people had become barriers, separating the front and rear of the formation.
Thanks to the ravine being extremely narrow, this was a feasible plan.
If only the isolated front-line troops were left, the enemy could be dealt with by the knight orders alone.
From above, Dibain and Heini directed the villagers.
Thanks to the levers, even with little strength they could topple heavy objects.
The knights were waiting at the opposite exit from the entrance where the Rotinzel army had entered, so they had not been spotted during the search.
Small numbers had their advantages in such situations.
Taking advantage of the confusion, Jeanne and the knights appeared before the enemy.
“Tsk. What a shame. If the fallen rocks had crushed the enemy commander, it would have been easy.”
Dibain looked at the enemy knight facing Jeanne and sighed.
But if the enemy had been killed by the falling trees and rocks, he wouldn’t have become a knight.
Fabian, Jeanne, Ethan, Chastan, Nael, Ines, Dane.
The seven knights charged into the enemy knight group.
Each taking on two or three opponents while fully displaying their skills.
The Second Knight Order, strong in chaotic battles, was even more formidable in such disorderly places.
Tuk. Thud.
Chastan’s sword was the first to take one enemy knight’s head.
Unfazed, the boy wiped the blood from his face and grinned.
The Rotinzel knights felt a chill.
“Don’t panic! If you just hold on, the soldiers behind will join up!”
Heir shouted calmly.
As he had said, the only thing they had done was block the path with logs and boulders, dividing the army.
Once those were removed, it would be resolved.
Jeanne leaped forward, thrusting her sword at him.
Despite the sudden ambush, Heir quickly blocked the attack.
He saw the beautiful woman with her face half-covered by a mask and widened his eyes.
“Why does a woman as beautiful as you stand on such a fierce battlefield?”
Jeanne frowned at Heir’s out-of-place remark.
He ignored her stern expression and continued speaking.
“If you remove that veil concealing your beauty, your value will shine even more.”
Did he know the situation?
Jeanne swung her sword fiercely, pressing Heir.
From afar, Heini supported her with arrows.
At that moment, a Rotinzel knight saw his commander in danger and joined.
“Tsk.”
Jeanne gripped her sword tighter.
The newly joined knight, ignoring his own life, attacked ferociously to protect his commander, Heir.
Jeanne had to pay attention to him as well.
Meanwhile, Heir retreated and began to assess the situation.
“It’s almost over!”
The isolated Rotinzel soldiers were clearing away the trees and rocks.
If they joined, this side would be in danger.
It was unfortunate she hadn’t killed Heir, but continuing the battle with only the knights’ lives at stake was reckless.
At this point, Jeanne decided to retreat and raised her sword.
“Retreat.”
At her words, the knight order facing the enemy quickly withdrew.
The last to leave was Jeanne, who looked back.
She saw Heir’s back disappearing among the Rotinzel forces.
The sharpest sword of Rotinzel, the future knight.
Jeanne whispered his name softly.