Chapter 128
Chapter 128
"That's utterly absurd!"
The moment the operation(?) was relayed, Heinkel vehemently objected.
"I expected there would be tests, but this is too much! Are you telling us to just go die on our own?"
"Not before joining, but now that we've already joined, you want us to split off and strike the enemy's rear? You must be joking, Logan."
Patrick also stared at his son with a dumbfounded expression, but Logan responded with a bitter smile and shook his head.
"Unfortunately, this is reality. The Duke is more narrow-minded than I anticipated."
"Haha. So, do you have an alternative?"
"There isn't one. We just have to pull it off."
The calm reply plunged the tent into silence.
But only briefly—opinions erupted from all sides simultaneously.
"What if we pretend to follow the operation and retreat immediately? Lure them toward our main forces—"
"Refusing orders would give the Second Prince faction an excuse to purge us!"
"Why not set out now and take a wide detour around the fortress?"
"If we're discovered, the First Prince faction will launch a full-scale attack!"
"Our only option is guerrilla tactics with the repeating crossbows. If we maintain distance and hit-and-run, we can inflict significant—"
"Guerrilla warfare with five thousand troops? Might as well send only the knights and crossbow cavalry—"
"Quiet! Quiet!"
Thud. Thud.
Logan silenced the clamor and, once everyone had settled, continued calmly.
"Even if the First Prince faction has gained the upper hand, the gap isn't that wide yet. They won't divert too many troops to deal with us—at most, one border lord's forces. A well-coordinated army, at that."
"Something akin to Vifros' elite troops from before, then."
At Patrick's words, the faces of the senior knights and Heinkel hardened.
Most of them had experienced the Battle of Tomodo.
The mere thought of facing an army comparable to Vifros' elite filled them with worry and dread—even though Vifros had been among the strongest of the border lords.
Observing the grim atmosphere, Logan continued matter-of-factly.
"Guerrilla tactics were mentioned—that might be the most realistic approach. Sir Heinkel, how feasible do you think that is?"
"...Even if we engage in hit-and-run tactics while maintaining distance, the crossbow cavalry alone can't fend off enemy knights. To stop their knights, we'd need ours to engage, and once knights clash, it becomes a full-scale battle. Unless we're willing to sacrifice our knights as expendable pawns."
The absurd assumption silenced the tent once more.
"Even if we win, the losses would be catastrophic. At that point, what's the meaning of joining this faction?"
"That's likely true. But what if we could win a full-scale battle without heavy losses?"
"...What?"
"Master Clayton. It's entirely possible, isn't it?"
As Logan's gaze shifted to the corner of the tent, everyone else's followed.
Under their collective scrutiny, the middle-aged mage with a rugged appearance nodded confidently.
"Of course."
"What...?"
"Master Mage?"
"What are you talking about?"
As the tent erupted into murmurs again, Patrick raised a hand to calm them and sighed softly at Logan.
"You want to use that from the very first battle?"
"We have no choice."
"...Am I the only one who doesn't understand what's being discussed?"
Heinkel looked around indignantly, but only Patrick, Logan, and Clayton were nodding knowingly.
"The Magic Tower and workshops have collaborated to develop a new weapon. I apologize for not mentioning it sooner, Sir Heinkel."
"A new... weapon?"
"It's powerful and dangerous—hence the need for secrecy. I hope you understand."
"Ah. Haha. Well, if that's the case, it's fine. A weapon that guarantees victory... right?"
"Absolutely."
"Then I'll trust you."
Heinkel's expression brightened instantly.
Despite being a key figure in the family, he showed not a hint of resentment at being kept in the dark about such an important secret.
The senior knights, following their captain's lead, also nodded with bright expressions.
The unshakable trust forged through years of explosive growth and battles was evident, and Logan couldn't help but smile approvingly.
"The MacLaine family has joined the Second Prince faction? Huh... Are they insane, or is Jordan?"
Juan Douglas muttered to himself, but an answer came from right behind him.
"Either way, it just means more lives to be lost."
"Haha. Aren't you being too cold, Kairan? Weren't they once your academy mates? I even heard there was an engagement between your children at one point."
"That's a bond long severed."
The middle-aged man with silver hair and black eyes replied impassively.
"How ruthless. Don't you regret it? They've even restored their ancestral lands. Had you maintained that connection, they'd have had no choice but to side with us."
Juan Douglas' platinum-blond hair and sapphire-blue eyes—proof of the royal blood flowing thick in his veins—drew a silent sneer from Kairan Ulvs.
This archmage, whose lineage leaned more toward his mother's side, harbored ambitions to break the limits of his status and claim a throne he had no right to.
Anyone standing in his way would be removed without hesitation.
The MacLaines, having strayed from his path, were already marked for elimination in his mind.
The answer was predetermined.
He merely bowed his head and gave the expected reply.
"Had I maintained that bond, I would've lost my connection with you, my lord. Having gained something far greater, why cling to the lesser?"
"Hoho. Still, I find it a bit regrettable. Our ties would've endured regardless, no?"
"...If you still hold that sentiment, I'll settle it in the next battle."
"Oh? Confident, are you? They're the ones who outmaneuvered Vifros."
"That was just a trick. And we've long since obtained intelligence on the secret weapon they're relying on."
"Secret weapon?"
"Our elite troops have just completed their training. You'll see it in action next battle."
"Hmm... Is that so? Well, I'll look forward to it."
A brief exchange in the First Prince faction's fortress.
For now, the MacLaines' faction shift had caused only this much of a stir.
For now.
An unseen war of assassins raged fiercely but fruitlessly, and after a lull, full-scale battles resumed.
Surprisingly, it was the beleaguered Second Prince faction that drew their swords first.
"Advance!"
Bwooooooo!
Amid the resounding horn blasts, the eastern gates of Alun Fortress swung open, and knights with stern expressions began riding out.
The Walterheim Knights, still numbering close to a thousand despite months of battle, led the endless stream of troops pouring from the gates.
It took over two hours for nearly fifty thousand soldiers to fully deploy, during which the opposing side also mobilized its forces in response.
The most striking feature of the enemy ranks was the hundreds of mages in white-and-blue robes, but given the sheer scale, both armies appeared roughly equal in size and movement.
The only noticeable difference was the MacLaine forces, conspicuously positioned away from the fortress walls, flanking the Second Prince's army on the right.
Drawing the gaze of friend and foe alike, Patrick, standing at the forefront, muttered with a stiff expression.
"If even one thing goes wrong, we're all dead."
His eyes were fixed not on the enemy but on the Second Prince's forces, who maintained a deliberate distance from his own.
"It's enough to make me want to attack them right now."
"Well, that's to be expected. This battle was likely initiated precisely because they don't trust us."
Logan's tone was detached.
His mind was occupied by a single thought:
'Kill as many of them as quickly as possible and end this war.'
This was the first step toward that goal.
Strangely, Logan's gaze swept not only over the First Prince's forces but also scrutinized the elites of the Second Prince's army.
And at that moment, a thunderous roar erupted across the battlefield.
"Charge!"
Bwooooo!
The blaring horns and fluttering banners atop the fortress walls synchronized with the first, earth-shaking step of the advancing armies.
Perhaps overwhelmed by the sheer force of it, Patrick's order came a beat late.
"We move out!"
The banners waved vigorously, conveying the command to every corner of the five-thousand-strong force.
As the two colossal armies—totaling a hundred thousand—closed in, the MacLaine forces conspicuously broke away, maneuvering around the battlefield.
Both factions' leadership watched their movements intently.
"They suffered humiliation at their first meeting and were given an impossible mission, yet they're moving without protest... Are they fools?"
Second Prince Romain, his icy gaze colder than his sapphire eyes, observed the MacLaines' flanking maneuver.
"We'll see soon enough, Your Highness. Their true intentions will reveal themselves."
Duke Jordan, equally cold-eyed, wore a hint of suspicion.
'Are they really following the plan?'
He had anticipated a feigned surrender followed by a surprise attack—this was entirely unexpected.
Naturally, he couldn't help but keep a close watch.
And he wasn't the only one.
'They'll be crushed.'
Roger Vifros glared at the MacLaines with murderous eyes.
'Hmm. Will they?'
Luchen Talos watched with keen interest.
Scattered across the battlefield, the Second Prince faction's commanders, each leading their own troops, observed the MacLaines' retreating figures with complex emotions—not the enemy's, but their own allies'.
Of course, the MacLaines' maneuver provoked an even stronger reaction from the First Prince faction.
"Those lunatics have truly lost their minds. What are they thinking?"
Juan Douglas' incredulous voice echoed the sentiments of most of the First Prince's leadership.
"Did they think we'd just stand by and watch? Like this is some child's game?"
Bwahahaha!
Despite being on the brink of battle, laughter erupted at the aide's remark—a testament to the relaxed atmosphere born of their recent victories.
Confidence bred complacency, and Juan Douglas didn't bother to suppress the laughter.
It was further evidenced by the increasingly chaotic flag signals.
"Count Teran Zahid requests permission to intercept the flanking force."
"Count Grima Tahil makes the same request—"
"Count Austin Trumbell as well—"
"Ulvs also—"
Not long ago, the MacLaines had been a mere baronial family from the countryside, their name unknown to most.
Even if they'd schemed their way to a countship at the war's outset, common sense dictated they had clear limits.
So it was natural to assume their visible numbers were nothing more than a ragtag mob.
Juan Douglas chuckled and issued his orders.
"Leave it to Kairan Ulvs. He made a promise earlier—let him deliver tangible results."
"Yes, sir!"
With that simple decision, over five thousand troops broke off from the First Prince's forces.
"Truly, ill will begets ill will."
Kairan Ulvs narrowed his eyes slightly at the distant banner bearing the flame crest.
Thirty years ago, at the capital's academy, he'd met the son of a mere baron—a youth of astonishing talent who drew everyone's attention.
Kairan, too, had been captivated.
Despite the difference in status, he'd even proposed an engagement between their children, betting on the boy's future.
But that talent had seemingly peaked early—his "friend," who'd become a high knight before thirty, had stagnated for over two decades since.
Though a high knight was a formidable force in his own right, a man in his fifties at that level was nothing special—Ulvs alone had nearly ten such knights.
Such prowess was only fit for boasting in some backwater fief.
So the broken engagement had been inevitable, yet it irked him to see that very family rise relentlessly afterward.
Naturally, he'd gone to great lengths to obtain intelligence on the source of their newfound strength—their "secret weapon"—before anyone else.
"If only they'd faced another border lord, they might've stood a chance."
For a moment, he considered letting others take the first blow and then stepping in to claim greater glory, but weakening allied forces would only hurt their overall position.
Hence his decision to lead the charge.
"I'll destroy you with the very weapon that originated from you. My apologies, Patrick."
Kairan smirked, muttering words no one could hear.
With their overwhelming knightly forces and now the same secret weapon in hand—
'There's no way we can lose.'
Kairan Ulvs confidently blocked the MacLaines' path.
And then—
KWA-BOOOOOM!
He could only gape in stunned silence at the utterly unforeseen spectacle before him.