Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Battle in the Quagmire
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For the Redskin mercenaries clad in high-quality steel armor, incoming arrows held no terror as long as they had courage and grit.
Especially not the crude, sluggish arrows fired by eastern militiamen, which couldn't pierce their makeshift small shields or armor.
'Huh?'
But contrary to expectations, what rained down from the sky was not arrows, but stone projectiles slightly larger than a fist.
Ones that could shatter a helmeted skull on impact with tremendous force.
Clang! Crunch!
Aaack—! Crunch! Clang!
It wasn't true penetration.
Even fully encased in armor, the impact transmitted straight through.
And there were so many projectiles flying that casualties were piling up everywhere.
Crazy bastards! Lowering his gaze, he saw over two units' worth of easterners relentlessly whirling elongated slings.
Kwaaaagh!
Damn it, charge! Charge!
Casualties erupted all around.
The Redskins, caught off guard by this turn, had no choice but to accelerate their advance.
Dududududu——!!
Uraaaa!!
We have the advantage of the downhill slope anyway.
Gradually picking up speed, they bellowed at the eastern troops just 30 meters ahead, baring their hideous fangs.
20 meters, 10 meters, right in front!
The vanguard mercenaries swung their elongated halberds down from above without mercy.
Splat, splat, twist!
"————!!"
But in that instant, the lead orc charging forward tripped and collapsed.
Incredibly, just as he was about to strike at the enemy, he slipped.
Kwaaaang—! Thud! Crunch!
The vanguard was impaled on a pike.
Due to the momentum, the next rank couldn't stop, triggering a chain collision.
Pikes and halberds stabbing at each other.
Shafts snapped, and splintered wood flew into the sky, faces, and ground everywhere amid screams.
Splash!
As a startled Redskin squad leader tried to order a halt, one of the fallen orcs muttered in horror from the ground.
"It's... mud."
Overnight rain had turned the base of the hill into a vast expanse of black mire.
Deep, sticky mud that steel-booted feet sank into deeply, like quicksand.
Dudududu! Boom!
But it was too late once they realized.
The entire man-at-arms unit, unable to halt their acceleration, plunged into the hellish battlefield.
Push of pike. Melee after the first clash with long-range weapons.
As they fell and toppled each other repeatedly, bodies became caked in blood and mud.
Kwaaaaagh!
Clang! Ch'ang! Slash!
Enemy breaths were felt up close.
Every fall coated them in cold mud and hot blood, vision obscured.
But before wiping their faces, they had to check if the approaching figure was foe.
Beyond ears ringing with pleas for mercy and death, screams filled the air.
Dieeee!
Clang! Crunch, stab!
With formations crumbling, the pikes and halberds held for stabbing became useless.
Both sides drew short secondary weapons, thrusting at helmet gaps or smashing heads with hilts like madmen.
Pummeling with fists, strangling necks, ripping off helmets to bite faces—primal instincts dominated like beasts.
Aaaagh!
Get lost, you vermin!!
The Redskins were going insane.
The steel armor that had protected them grew heavier with every roll in the mud, hindering movement.
In stark contrast, the eastern troops in lighter leather armor burned with increasing fervor, gnawing at the mercenaries.
Strike them down, they rise again; choke a throat, they stab through armor joints.
What had turned these mere farmers into brave warriors?
The Redskin mercenaries, who had assumed an easy victory, were thrown into panic before the easterners' desperate stand.
P-Please!
Aaaagh!
One orc mercenary fell to the ground.
Three easterners crawling through the mud swarmed him, stabbing viciously at armor and helmet gaps with edged daggers.
"Damn it all!"
Completely fed up, the Redskin squad leader rallied the scattered mercenaries to reform ranks.
Clop, clop, clop!
But then, from a nearby flank hill not far from the mire, familiar hoofbeats rang out.
The Redskin squad leader commanding the scene whipped his head toward the sound.
Dududududu——!!
The Redskin cavalry had successfully flanked.
And as per the prior plan, they aimed to strike the exposed eastern flank.
The Redskin squad leader's eyes widened in horror.
At the same time, the mercenaries spotting the cavalry charge fled rearward, screaming.
"N-No!"
"Fuck, stay baaaack!!!"
With allies and enemies tangled in mud in total melee.
A heavy cavalry charge here would be pouring oil on fire.
Sweep them all away!
Charge! Charge!
But both sides wore dark armor, indistinguishable from afar as melee or shield wall.
Bwoooo—!
Dududududu!
Assuming all was well, the Redskin cavalry prepared their charge.
Piercing horns blared as the heavy cavalry charge thundered down the flank hill.
And the outcome was predictable.
Neighhh!
It's mud!!!
Arriving close, the cavalry discovered the melee and mire.
But downhill momentum couldn't be stopped by just pulling reins.
They collided.
Crunch! Thud!
Thud! Whinny! Kwaaaang—!
Before the heavy cavalry charge, infantry became paste regardless of friend or foe.
And the cavalry entering the field tripped on mud and corpses, tumbling down.
Neighhh!
Whinny, whinny!
Front ranks fell, rear pushed on.
Horses staggered in mud, crashing into allies and unseating riders.
No exceptions. The lucky ones snapped necks instantly; most had limbs broken or landed amid infantry.
The Redskins couldn't comprehend.
Every tactical disadvantage had turned against them.
But war doesn't stop.
Even if both sides wished to halt, begged for life, it dragged all into the abyss.
S-Save... me............
Gurgle, cough!
Foes died, allies died.
Now more corpses rolled in the mire than living fighters.
Who won? Who lost?
Even merciless crows come for carrion dared not descend.
Pweee!
Black Arrow, watching tremblingly, let out a long whistle.
Then the slingers with warhammers, who had retreated before the clash, began regrouping one by one.
"————."
Bloodshot eyes stared ahead.
Before the horrific scene, noble duty vanished; only hatred and rage remained.
We'll kill them all and bury them under this land.
Past subjugation, humiliation of bowing—settled in warhammer-gripping hands.
Shing!
Black Arrow drew his single-edged sword.
And charged toward the battlefield where allies awaited, slingers in tow.
* * *
As a child, he idolized heroes.
Wanted to save the world like them, shine brilliantly under praise.
But the cruel world granted no talent or body to change it.
Richard was no era-fitting gold, just ordinary scrap that melted easily.
How could a man born of mere scrap reopen a golden age?
The evils to fight were too dark, his spark too small.
Thus the era waned,
leaving only days to submit to fate.
'There is no destined fate, Your Highness.'
The northern journey was impulsive rebellion.
Without plan or method, just begging to change fate.
Yet the radiant Knight King and Sword Saint welcomed him as knight, comrade, blood brother.
'I've heard eastern iron is tough. It endures scorching heat and relentless hammering.'
Ah! I wasn't soft scrap after all.
Burn fiercely, hammer, overcome trials—then forged fate appeared.
Steel born in fire!
Richard, eyes opening amid black ash, fiercely pushed back encroaching death.
"Kwaaaaa——!!"
Thud.
A dead horse pinned his body.
Miraculously shoving it off, Richard pumped his nearly stopped heart.
Blocked airways cleared; breath returned.
Clouded mind cleared somewhat; forgotten pain surged.
Ribs broken, left arm snapped.
Bleeding spun the world; limbs crumbled like sandcastles.
Yet Richard straightened proudly.
Blessed by sacred blood, crowned in flesh—he was the proud Eastern King.
And in that Eastern King's sight, amid countless corpses, a group retreated.
The Redskin leader ogre, who ruined all with rash cavalry charge.
"Uwaaaaa! You worm bastards!"
Badly injured from falling, he brutally massacred clinging eastern troops.
Venting rage of crushing defeat and shame of flight.
Left alone, he'd be killed anyway.
But blood-soaked King Richard wouldn't allow death by others' hands.
Crack.
He gripped a nearby sword.
Spitting throat-rising blood once, he strode to the battlefield center.
It hurt, agony.
Each step choked breath; broken ribs stabbed lungs repeatedly.
But heedless of pain, Richard hurled off his helmet.
The feebly flying helmet plopped before the red-eyed Redskin leader ogre.
"Ogre————!!!!!!!!!!!"
Plop.
The beast's face twisted hideously.
Turning, foam-flecked spittle dripped toward lone-standing Richard.
A tiny human barely waist-high.
What courage to bellow at this great warrior ogre?
"Grrr..."
Offended, the ogre gripped his massive axe, fresh from slaughtering easterners.
And charged fiercely at staggering Richard.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Massive muscles writhed.
Each step shook earth; huge frame eclipsed the sun.
Giant vs. dwarf.
Obvious outcome; ogre raised both arms, axe crashing down.
Kuuuung!
Clang!
Such power shook air, splashing mire.
Triumphant smile; heavy feedback meant the strike landed true.
Having vented on the fearless human, ogre slowly retrieved axe. Or tried to raise arm.
Tssst, zzzt!
"Aura...?"
The massive axe blade was gone.
And through the gap, a freshly birthed small aura blazed openly.
Awakening upon death's door.
The prince who couldn't become gold swung the turned-to-steel sword freely.
Slash!
"Kwaaaagh!"
Ogre's wrist severed.
Clutching his right hand, he screamed,
and David charged at Goliath.