Chapter 148
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 148
Having finished his conversation, Patrick looked at the screen of the full-body mirror.
Although both sides had spent the last few hours merely preparing, something had clearly changed in the short time Patrick had been explaining.
First, the phantom beasts had distanced themselves significantly from the human camp. They were on high alert.
"Lady Bathory, could you zoom in on that?"
A single figure was floating in the sky above the Imperial camp.
As soon as the scene zoomed in, Melju recoiled in shock.
"The Hero...!"
Sian Tsukikrup, the wandering hero who had single-handedly held off an alliance of five Demon Kings. He was floating in midair, looking down at the orcs on the ground.
"See? I told you the humans are going all out."
Sian's appearance signaled the start of the battle, and the Imperial army slowly advanced.
Perhaps they had judged that attempting a clumsy siege from behind low walls against such a massive orc army was pointless. Even the forces that had been behind the walls were now marching forward. It seemed they felt there was no longer any need for a stalemate.
"They must be quite desperate, seeing how that cowardly prince has actually stepped onto the battlefield."
This time, Patrick spoke with a sneer.
Clad in ornate gold and silver armor, the man who appeared to be the commander of the Imperial army shouted something at the top of his lungs.
Though his voice couldn't be heard, it was clear from the armor that he belonged to the imperial family.
The royal, the 2nd Imperial Prince, finally drew his sword.
"Ah, the battle has finally begun."
The Imperial army marched toward the orc army.
*
The Annun Plains, the front lines of the Imperial army's main force.
Sturman von Hattendorf.
Ar's loss of consciousness didn't mean the battle would be delayed.
The massive orc army had already finished gathering on the Annun Plains. A fierce battle was imminent. Restructuring the chain of command was impossible on such short notice.
The Empire immediately needed someone to take Ar's place as commander. However, finding a replacement for Ar was a near-impossible task, even if one searched the entire continent.
It was a sudden, daunting obstacle.
"I will do it."
Yet, at that very moment, there was one person whom no one would dare object to.
"Father, please grant me the opportunity to stand on the front lines to defend the Empire."
The 2nd Imperial Prince had personally gone to the Emperor and knelt before him.
Among the royals, he was the closest to the throne, and he was a highly ambitious man.
Having been raised and educated to be an emperor, his practical experience was lacking, but his grasp of military strategy was flawless.
"I am aware that this unfortunate incident will dampen the army's morale. But surely, the mere presence of someone carrying the noble blood of the imperial family on the battlefield will greatly boost their spirits."
He had a valid reason.
"Since this is a war to defend the Empire, I believe someone from the imperial family must draw their sword to represent the Empire's will."
He also had the justification of a royal.
"And as far as I know, there is currently no other capable figure who can command the Imperial army."
And the circumstances aligned perfectly.
Above all, this was an unparalleled opportunity for him. If he achieved great deeds in this war, he would be able to completely overshadow Ar, even if Ar eventually regained consciousness.
"Show your worth through results."
Having been entrusted with military authority, the 2nd Imperial Prince immediately headed to the Annun Plains. Sturman had expected him to be a coward, but the prince remained perfectly calm, showing no signs of trembling even before the massive army.
As soon as he arrived, he headed straight for the front lines. The Imperial army welcomed him with fervent enthusiasm. The imperial family were the masters of the Empire; for one of them to personally step onto the battlefield was a sign that they would not abandon their soldiers.
His mere presence brought a glimmer of hope to everyone's faces.
"..."
Sturman quietly held his breath. After receiving the soldiers' cheers, the prince silently approached him.
The wind blowing across the plains felt damp against his cheeks.
"Do you find me unreliable, Sir Sturman?" the 2nd Imperial Prince asked in a nonchalant voice. "Well, strictly speaking, I suppose I am your enemy."
He had no intention of beating around the bush. Sturman didn't deny it, either. Since the 2nd Imperial Prince believed the position of Commander of the Dungeon Subjugation Union Headquarters rightfully belonged to him, he was tacitly regarded as the leader of the anti-Ar faction.
"We are both risking our lives on this battlefield, so I will be blunt. I can overlook any perceived rudeness, so I hope you will also give me a straightforward answer."
"I am humbled, Your Highness."
"I intend to achieve great deeds here."
He didn't even bother with hypocritical platitudes about coming here out of love for the Empire's citizens.
"That is why I came. I am an ambitious man, you see. To surpass your highly capable commander, I must utilize every single card at my disposal."
"..."
"Your order, the Edelbreas Black Wolf Knights, serves as Deputy Ar's personal guard."
"I do not know what to say, Your Highness."
"I am speaking freely, so you should do the same. The point is this: since you belong to the Deputy's faction, my original plan was to tie you down with trivial duties and take all the credit for myself. However..."
The prince's gaze shifted forward, toward the enemy army. Sturman naturally followed his gaze.
"If I did that in our current situation, the Empire itself would fall. I may not like the Deputy, but I respect the strength of the forces he leads. You are a vital asset to the Empire."
"...I understand."
"Thank you," the prince said with a smile. Only when his smile faded did he continue.
"We have been rivals until now, and we will likely be rivals again when this is over. But for this battle, and this battle alone, I want to trust you with my back. Fight with me. Not as a prince and a commander, but simply as fellow citizens of the Empire."
"You are saying that politics have no place on the battlefield."
"It is a great pity that someone as wise as you is not on my side. So, what is your answer?"
"There is no question."
Sturman bowed his head.
He only needed a brief moment to think. What would Ar have done? Did Sturman himself have any intention of sitting this war out?
There was no reason to refuse. In fact, he was grateful that the prince had made such an offer.
A few more words were exchanged. The prince, driven by pure ambition, was surprisingly transparent and did not let his pride get in the way.
"I have studied military strategy. However, regular soldiers and subjugation squad members are different. Subjugation squad members are highly individualistic, and I know that a leader cannot achieve good results if he is ignorant of his own men."
This was Ar's domain, anyway. To command the subjugation squad members, it was far better for someone they deeply respected to issue the orders.
"On my honor as a member of the imperial family, I delegate the overall command of the Riaze Subjugation Squad to you."
An explanation of the battle plan followed. According to scouts who had spied on the rear of the orc army, they were in the process of reorganizing a small, elite unit.
In short, while the prince's main force clashed with the main orc army, Sturman was to intercept any surprise attacks aimed at their flanks.
Just as they were about to discuss further, an adjutant urgently approached the prince, reporting that the enemy's movements were unusual.
The prince cut his conversation with Sturman short and turned his warhorse around.
"Let us begin."
The sunlight filtering faintly through the clouds gleamed off the prince's gold-plated armor. The brilliant light complemented his golden hair perfectly.
The commander's banner, bearing the emblem of the Empire, soared high into the sky.
"Soldiers of the great Empire!"
The roar of the crowd seemed to reach the very heavens.
"Do not be afraid of the enemy's numbers! I am not so foolish a commander as to lead you into a battle with no hope of victory. If this were a losing battle, I wouldn't have stepped onto it in the first place!"
Laughter rippled through the ranks.
"Your sacrifices are noble! Well, I say that, but if possible, survive! Let us bask in the joy of victory together, and regardless of your rank, you shall become my drinking companions. That cup will become an heirloom of your family, the greatest medal of honor. Though, of course, you won't get much for it if you try to resell it."
The laughter grew louder. The prince knew exactly how to leverage his royal status.
Grinning, the prince raised his hand.
"Archers, ready!"
As the mages swept their staffs across the ground, small flames ignited on the earth.
Touching their arrowheads to the fire, the archers drew their bows taut, aiming toward the enemy lines.
"Mages, prepare your spells!"
Similarly, the mages at the front began pre-casting their spells to unleash intermediate-level magic the moment the enemy charged.
"Infantry, brace for impact!"
The soldiers at the front raised their large shields high. As the mages in the rear completed their joint casting, a thick, translucent barrier materialized before them.
Sensing the shift, the orcs also began to slowly advance toward the Imperial army.
Even as they approached, they maintained their formation and made their own preparations to charge. Judging by the wind swirling beneath the feet of the front-line orcs, they seemed to have cast haste or charge magic on themselves.
Sturman gripped his hammer tightly and looked at the prince, who had stepped to the front.
This time, the prince raised his left hand. A banner, different from the commander's standard, rose high. The flags representing each knightly house and those bearing the emblems of the subjugation squads fluttered violently in the wind.
Sturman thought he knew what the prince was thinking.
"And before we charge..."
The prince looked up at the sky. His eyes locked onto the 'Hero' Sian Tsukikrup, who was floating in the air. Sian drifted closer to the orc camp.
'Sian...'
Ar had recruited him, but Sian wasn't truly on the side of the Edelbreas Black Wolf Knights. To borrow the prince's phrasing, he wasn't part of the 'pro-Ar faction.' He wasn't pro-Empire or even pro-humanity. He was neutral.
Sian's only goal was to prevent the destruction of the Empire.
Even after Ar lost consciousness, Sian had joined the battlefield of his own free will. In other words, he was the easiest card for the prince to play.
"Deliver a massive blow."
At the prince's command, Sian drew a staff from beneath his robe.
His staff was unlike any other. At the very least, its appearance did not suit the title of 'Hero.'
It was grotesquely shaped, as if it were cursed and had trapped thousands of vengeful spirits. Even the embedded mana stone was an unsettling, ink-black color.
Because Sian was floating in midair, he commanded the attention of every ally and enemy within sight.
"...shall... be fulfilled."
Sian's loud chanting reached Sturman on the ground, though the words themselves were unintelligible.
As the casting progressed, a magic circle materialized in front of Sian.
The orc camp began to stir at the sight of the magic circle floating in the air. Since he was casting it openly, it was undoubtedly an offensive spell.
A few orc shamans, realizing the nature of the magic, hastily cast counter-spells. However, no attack could disrupt Sian's casting.
They lacked the confidence—and the ability—to stop it.
It was a spell that not just the orc shamans, but no mage on the entire battlefield could ever hope to block.
——The number of magic circles appearing simultaneously before Sian exceeded ten.
`<Magic Maximization>`
`<Magic Expansion>`
The magic circles expanded in an instant.
`<Holy Fire>`
`<Thousand Piles>`
`<Invisible Ram>`
`<Flame from Burning Roots>`
`<Gravitational Field>`
`<Screams of the Blind>`
`<Footprint in Swamp>`
`<Ground Collapse>`
`<Lunatic Wind Blade>`
`<Breath of the Ice Witch>`
`<Death Fog>`
The sheer explosive roar of the spells being unleashed was deafening.
Squinting against the blinding light, Sturman watched the spectacle unfold. Before his vision could even recover, a series of explosions detonated. The distinct crackle of roaring flames echoed as the ground trembled.
The heavy thud of blades falling from the sky and piercing leather armor resounded.
Massive objects crashed to the ground with heavy thuds. Before anyone could gather their senses, several bolts of lightning struck the earth from the sky. One of the enemy's banners caught fire after being struck.
As the ground turned into a muddy swamp, the orcs found it difficult to advance. Thick fog rolled in, throwing even the surviving orcs into utter chaos.
"Is that..."
Sian Tsukikrup.
A 'Hero,' just like Uin.
Sturman swallowed hard.
He had heard rumors that Sian was a mage capable of multi-casting. However, Sturman had assumed it would be four or five at most.
He had never heard of anyone doing more than that.
Even Garot, a certified Sage-class mage, was limited to three. But more than ten… it was a number he had never imagined, never even considered possible. It defied common sense.