7
Chapter 7
The march toward the Karvan Estate.
Erik, drafted as an infantryman, wiped his sweaty palms on his pants.
A long rod slung over his shoulder.
Was it called the An-16?
The pressure on his collarbone with every step was far more agonizing than the heavy gear on his back.
'I really just want to throw this thing in the dirt.'
He couldn't help but grumble to himself.
It was nothing more than a hunk of iron and some wooden planks bolted together.
As the march dragged on, the weight digging into his shoulder became unbearable.
He had carried it around like a lover throughout training, yet he still couldn't grow fond of it.
'Can this thing really kill a knight?'
Of course, he had seen its power with his own eyes during training...
But his opponents wouldn't be wooden targets; they were the regular army of the Empire.
Real knights, clad in thick armor and charging on horseback.
A knight radiating Aura was a powerhouse that an ordinary soldier could never hope to defeat.
'But His Highness said we would win.'
Erik was a devoted follower of Ian.
The items Ian created were incredibly convenient, but they were usually too expensive for a commoner to afford.
However, Ian had made them available at a very reasonable price for the people of the kingdom, allowing even a commoner like him to buy one.
'The 3rd Prince is different from those rotten nobles who treat commoners like disposable tools or insects. He is a man who truly looks after the lives of his people.'
There were even some who had volunteered for the army, despite not being subject to the draft, claiming they wanted to repay His Highness's kindness.
Would such a wise man really drive them toward a meaningless death without a plan?
Just as he was steeling his resolve and stepping forward.
"All units, halt!"
A booming command from the front echoed along the marching route.
Stopping instantly at the order, Erik looked up.
The forested path that had blocked his view finally ended, revealing a vast, open plain.
'So this is Karvan.'
@@@
Exactly seven days after the letter reached the Imperial Army's headquarters.
We arrived at the Karvan Estate, located about 160km from the capital.
'Today is the final day I mentioned in the letter.'
After dismounting, I climbed onto the command platform and surveyed the plains.
As expected, the enemy commander wasn't hiding in a tent or fortress; he had deployed his army across the plain.
"All units, form a three-rank line!"
Following orders, the soldiers spread across the plain and began forming a firing line.
'Looks pretty decent.'
Despite the short training period, the soldiers moved with precision.
Though crudely executed, the firing line finally gave them the appearance of a real army.
Seeing that the formation was complete, I stepped down from the platform and mounted my horse.
'Time for negotiations.'
This was the negotiation phase, where commanders from both sides met in the center of the battlefield before the main engagement.
It was a formality, but I'd be called honorless if I skipped it.
"Let's go."
"Yes, Master."
With Elisha acting as my escort, I led my horse slowly toward the center of the plain.
As if noticing my departure, a man in ornate silver armor emerged from the Imperial Army's ranks, accompanied by a group of knights.
'Is that the Commander-in-Chief?'
I stopped my horse when the distance between us had closed to about ten meters.
'His face is incredibly red. Did he drink?'
He wore a menacing expression, looking as if he might draw the sword at his waist at any second.
Meanwhile, the knights lined up behind him radiated Aura, eyeing me with blatant contempt.
The commander spoke in a voice that sounded like he was suppressing a surge of rage.
"Are you Rowen?"
"No. I'm Ian."
The commander's brow furrowed deeply at the blunt response.
'Ah, right. I sent the letter under my brother's name.'
"...What? Then where is this Rowen who sent the letter, and why has a brat like you shown up instead!"
"I'm the one who sent the letter."
The commander's eyes widened.
Once he grasped the situation, his face twisted, turning an even more explosive shade of red.
'Looking at him now, he kind of looks like Guan Yu.'
"You... you arrogant little brat! How dare you make a fool of me!? Did you think you could send such an insulting letter to a Count of the Empire and get away with it!"
"You're impossible. The Empire was the first to break the agreement. What else is there to say to people squatting in someone else's estate without permission?"
"You little...!"
"This is your last chance. You have two hours. Hand over the food you've plundered from Karvan over the last three years, pay reparations for the damages caused to the residents, and disarm. If you do, I'll let you live and send you back to the Empire."
The commander stared at me in disbelief at my unilateral demand.
"Ha! I suppose staying holed up in the kingdom has made you lose your mind."
The commander laughed loudly before continuing.
"Do you speak so boldly because you trust that rabble behind you? Not a single knight among them. You expect to face my order of knights with conscripts holding metal sticks?"
He glanced over the troops behind me and scoffed.
"Hmph. I'll cut off your head and toss it into the capital of the kingdom. Then the Karvan Estate will be mine forever. If you kiss my boots and beg for mercy now, I'll settle for killing only those fools behind you."
"So you have no intention of leaving quietly. I suppose that's expected. When you lack talent, stealing from others is the only way, isn't it?"
"You little...!"
At the blatant provocation, he gripped the sword at his waist with a menacing expression.
Shring.
The moment the blade halfway emerged from its scabbard, releasing a wave of pressure.
Click.
"Put the sword back."
Elisha, waiting by his side, raised her musket and aimed it directly at the commander's forehead.
"Ha! You brought a girl as an escort, and she's a mage? You think you can threaten me with that bizarre staff..."
The commander's voice trailed off as he locked eyes with the expressionless Elisha.
As Elisha released her killing intent and placed her finger on the trigger, the commander froze.
Feeling her murderous aura, he reflexively slid the blade back into the scabbard.
The knights standing behind him also tensed, their hands moving toward their weapons.
"...A high-ranking mage? ...No. That's not it..."
After sensing Elisha's mana, he momentarily mistook her for a high-ranking mage.
However, since he couldn't see any circles, he quickly realized she wasn't a mage.
'She's not a mage, but she is a Grand Witch in training.'
Mages and witches are similar, but there are a few key differences.
First, witches do not require circles or magic arrays to cast spells.
On the other hand, a mage's ability to imbue meaning and mana is limited by their circle.
For example, the [Transformation] magic I often use is a spell containing meaning and mana on a 1st-circle level.
If I increase the amount of wording, such as [Transformation, become] or [Transformation, become and twist], the meaning remains similar, but the absolute capacity for meaning and mana increases, leading to vastly different required circles and results.
In other words, the higher the circle, the longer and more complex the meaning and the more mana can be woven into the spell.
The basic power also increases.
However, witches are free from such circular restrictions; as long as they have enough mana, they can activate any meaning, no matter how long or complex, through innate instinct.
'That's why Black Mages admire witches. It was the same in the original story.'
Because Black Mages obsessed with power admired witches, the Elisha of the original story was a Grand Witch and the leader of the Black Mages.
'Of course, there's no way the commander would realize she's a witch. Witches went extinct decades ago.'
Therefore, in his eyes, Elisha would simply look like an escort with plenty of mana but no circles.
The commander cleared his throat, attempting to regain his composure.
"Ahem. Your confidence is impressive. But a single escort without a circle cannot stop my regular army!"
Seeing this, I pulled the reins and turned my horse around without hesitation.
There was no need for further conversation.
"It seems you have no intention of surrendering, so negotiations are over. You have about two hours left; I'll overlook it if you leave before then."
"You'll regret this! Do you really think those pathetic soldiers can stop my cavalry charge? Arrogant brat!"
'He's intimidated by Elisha.'
I heard the commander shouting, trying to save face by raising his voice.
"I'll be looking forward to it."
I answered without looking back and returned to our camp.
As I returned to the main force, I noticed the nervous faces of the soldiers.
They must all be anxious, since it's their first real battle.
After dismounting and climbing the platform, Elisha, who was accompanying me, asked.
"Master, do you really intend to wait for two hours?"
"No. Given his personality, I doubt he'll wait patiently."
Having been humiliated, he probably wants to kill us this instant.
Just as I was about to speak.
Blare. Blare.
The long sound of a trumpet signaling an advance echoed from the opposite side of the plain.
"See? Told you."
From the Imperial Army's camp in the distance, clouds of dust rose as dozens of heavily armored cavalry began to charge.
'Time to get ready.'
"All units, prepare to fire!"
Following my shout, the commands of the unit leaders rang out in succession.
Click.
One thousand five hundred soldiers raised their muskets in unison and aimed forward.
Rumble!
As the distance closed, the vibration from the cavalry's galloping hooves became palpable.
Just as the soldiers in formation began to freeze under the crushing pressure of the cavalry.
I raised my voice to the limit and screamed.
"Hold your ground! Do not fire until they are in range! Stay in position until my command!"
Hearing the shout, the commanders immediately repeated the orders to each rank and kept the soldiers under control.
The moment we reached a distance where knights with Aura-clad swords were clearly visible, weapons raised and screaming.
"Hold your aim!"
Swallowing hard, the soldiers kept their muzzles firmly fixed on the chests of the approaching cavalry.
300 paces.
200 paces.
100 paces.
Finally, when the lead of the enemy cavalry entered the effective range of the muskets.
"First rank, fire!"
Bang!! Bang!! Bang!!