The Plum Blossom Swordsman Reincarnated into a Count's Family
"Aaaaaaaaaah!"
The slave soldiers screamed in terror. One by one they abandoned the charge and tried to flee the battlefield. Of course I had no intention of allowing desertion. Any who ran were hunted down by our own troops.
The slave soldiers had only two choices: charge forward, or die at the hands of their allies.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
By the time more than ten thousand slave soldiers had died, the magic mines that had been exploding without pause finally quieted down. Despite the mines' devastating work, the enemy still watched the endless waves of charging slaves with expressions of pure disgust—the look one gives a madman.
"My lord. Please grant permission for a magical bombardment."
"Already?"
"Even so, being on the receiving end of a one-sided beating is not to my taste. We took one hit; now they should take one as well, don't you think?"
"Fair point. Begin the magical bombardment. Just keep it away from the rear. Marquess Daycurd must not be harmed."
"Understood. We will strike the enemy vanguard. Friendly fire is highly likely, but that is a minor concern."
Starlight issued orders to her officers. They moved with crisp efficiency. Our mage corps began preparing spells in unison; the surging mana reached even me from this distance.
We have Sharnell, an Archmage, on our side.
Mana stirred in the enemy ranks as well—they were bracing for the bombardment. Watching them, I felt the corner of my mouth curl upward.
"Looks like we won't do much damage after all."
"Pardon?"
"There's an Archmage among them. On Sharnell's level."
"…Count Halgaris, then. The Archmage of the Solfmed Kingdom. He was a neutral noble, yet it seems he has already placed himself under Marquess Daycurd."
I could sense Count Halgaris's presence among the enemy mages—an old man with a striking white beard, staff raised, weaving a large-scale defensive spell. His appearance alone invited comparison with Sharnell. In this case, the fact that Sharnell had become an Archmage so young was the truly absurd achievement. She was probably the youngest on the continent.
Our magical bombardment began. Countless offensive spells streaked across the sky toward the enemy, a spectacle like hundreds of missiles in flight. The enemy did not simply stand still. Spells were intercepted mid-air or canceled out by defensive magic.
No Hellfire. Where is Sharnell's magic?
The moment the question formed, dark clouds gathered overhead and the world plunged into sudden gloom.
The clouds are concentrated only above the enemy… Sharnell's work.
From those clouds, crimson fire fell toward the earth. Not a rain of flames—a rain of lava. Heavier than mere fire, and though the temperature would drop rapidly on the way down so that it might not instantly melt steel plate, it still carried real mass. Not every enemy soldier wore full plate; those in leather or wooden armor faced a nightmare.
"Magnificent. I never expected Lady Sharnell could cast magic of this scale."
"Weren't you the one who ordered her to use it?"
"Lady Sharnell does not obey my commands. She only cooperates when I tell her the order comes from you. She probably cast it simply to end the war a little sooner."
"How will they respond?"
I watched the enemy with keen interest. A single grand spell would not decide a war of this size—not when they had an Archmage of their own.
A tremendous crack split the air, the sound of the atmosphere itself freezing. I winced and covered my ears, then stared at the enemy lines with widened eyes. A colossal ice shield had formed in the sky, catching the rain of lava. The moment the molten drops struck the ice they solidified into rock and rolled harmlessly down to empty ground.
"Oh. So this Halgaris fellow is an ice-affinity mage."
"He blocked it more easily than expected. Enemy casualties… roughly seven thousand. We will have to take meaning simply from the fact that a large-scale spell was used at all."
Even an Archmage could not fling grand magic around endlessly. For a while we would not need to worry about another such spell.
Starlight summoned her officers and began issuing rapid commands beside me. Honestly I understood less than half of it—too many technical terms, and she mixed in code words, conscious of listening ears. Thorough woman.
"My lord, please move with the Golden Rose Knights."
"That was already the plan. Where to?"
Starlight pointed.
"Right flank. Do you see it?"
"I see it. Swarming."
"I will force a path open. Charge in wedge formation and capture Marquess Daycurd in the rear. If that proves impossible, simply throwing the enemy into chaos will be enough."
"…You don't think this will be decided in one stroke."
"The scale of the war is far too large for that."
I nodded and mounted. I summoned Stormbreaker and shaped it into armor. Fully armed, I prepared to lead the Golden Rose Knights into a mad charge.
I looked them over. Every one of these female knights had shared my bed. They had sworn loyalty with their lips pressed to my asshole.
"Floy. Everything ready?"
"Yes. Spatial transfer scrolls have been issued to all. Unless they die instantly, they will use the scrolls to leave the battlefield."
"You're wearing dwarf-forged armor, so instant death is unlikely. If things look hopeless, tear the scrolls. Your lives matter more to me than hundreds of thousands of ordinary soldiers. Never forget that."
"My lord. We will not die."
Floy and the other knights answered with absolute confidence. This was war. Even with spatial scrolls and dwarf magic, one hundred percent survival could never be guaranteed. Still, I could not hold them back. They had chosen the path of the knight. Stopping them because it was dangerous would be no different from trampling their dignity.
"Hiiiiiing!"
I fed the horses magic potions and tore open magic scrolls. The potions enhanced their physical abilities; the scrolls erased their fear.
Static crackled in the radio at my right ear—Starlight's voice.
"My lord. Sortie now."
I closed my visor with a metallic click and glanced around. The Golden Rose Knights had all donned their helms as well. One hand held the reins; the other gripped a lance.
"Let's go. I take the lead."
I spurred toward the enemy. The splendid crimson cloak on my shoulders billowed behind me. Just flashy enough—perfect for making sure they could follow me easily.
"Gyaaaaaah!"
Crunch.
My horse had trampled one of our own. Not an ordinary mount, either—a warhorse doped with potions and magic. A normal human died instantly under those hooves. Roughly a hundred of our soldiers were crushed to death. I did not care. Ordinary soldiers were only slightly more useful than slave soldiers. In the end they were still consumables.
"My lord. You are drifting slightly right."
I corrected course at once on Starlight's radio call.
The enemy came into view, already locked in melee with our forces. The stench of blood hung thick; the clash of steel rang out like a dirge. The screams of soldiers had become so commonplace they sounded no louder than the chirping of insects.
"We punch through."
I lowered my stance, lance leveled, and poured aura through my body. A blue Aura Blade wrapped not only the lance but my entire form and the horse beneath me.
KRAAAAAANG!
We slammed into the enemy line. Bodies shattered like dropped glass bottles and flew in every direction. Blood sprayed across my armor.
That collision was the signal. The Golden Rose Knights and I began our rampage across a plain packed with humanity. There were so many enemies that keeping direction was difficult.
"My lord. Right."
Whenever I started to lose the path, Starlight's precise orders arrived just in time.
Marquess Leona Daycurd, commanding the enemy, entered the edge of my vision. We were closing in.
"…My lord. Could you divert left?"
"Left?"
"I apologize, but our Fifteenth Unit is collapsing at alarming speed."
"Do I have to go?"
"It is necessary for a perfect victory."
I glanced back. The blood-soaked Golden Rose Knights still followed close behind. Focusing my hearing, I could catch their ragged breathing.
After a brief moment of thought I decided to follow Starlight's judgment. I hauled on the reins and changed direction. The knights wheeled with me without a single word of complaint.
"Stop them!!!"
"Throw the anti-knight nets!"
"Even a knight order isn't invincible!"
The enemy shouted and thrashed. We charged straight through their desperation, laughing.
They were right—knights were not invincible. Even superhuman warriors would fall if hundreds or thousands of soldiers swarmed them at once. But the presence of an Aura Master changed everything.
The nets they threw were shredded by the aura I radiated. A single sweep of my lance killed at least five. As long as I did not tire, the enemy could not stop me.
"The Valmut Knights are pursuing you. Their response is far smoother than expected. Leona Daycurd appears to be an even finer commander than her reputation suggested."
I lifted my gaze for a quick look behind. Knights in black helms were galloping after us—Marquess Daycurd's elite personal order.
"The captain of the Valmut Knights is an Aura Master. You and the Golden Rose Knights are already fatigued. I recommend withdrawal."
"No. We're not tired enough to retreat. And we have two Aura Masters. Floy—any problem?"
"None."
"Good. Wide right turn. We hit the Valmut Knights head-on."
Our warhorses thundered forward. Ordinary soldiers and slaves scattered in panic at the mere appearance of knights, leaving the area relatively clear. We had breathing room, yet I gave the horses no rest. Once the flow broke, it would be hard to recover.
Clatter!
We discarded our lances and drew swords. Against other knights, a familiar blade was far better than a lance.
Knight order met knight order.
KRAAAAAAANG!
A massive impact flipped the world. I could not stay in the saddle; I was thrown. The horse I had been riding burst apart and died. I focused and checked the surroundings. Fully eighty percent of both sides had been unhorsed.
The enemy had taken the worse of it. Our dwarf-forged armor and potion-enhanced mounts had kept our losses lighter.
KRAAANG!
The sound of impact reached me before my body even hit the ground. Floy was already trading blows with the enemy captain.
…The enemy captain is over there? Then who the hell just collided with me?
The instant my boots touched earth I searched for the foe. The one who had crashed into me was already charging, greatsword raised. A crimson Aura Blade blazed along its edge.
Another Aura Master…?!
I hastily raised my sword and caught the blow.
KIIIIIIIIING!
Aura Blade met Aura Blade in a scream of metal that hammered my ears.
"It's been a long time, Eugene Frucus! Do you have any idea how long I've waited for this day?!"
The helmet hid his face, but that voice I had heard before.
"Dulibard…!!"