Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: Chapter 39: First Full-Scale Battle (4)
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Richard Palaer, the true protagonist of the novel Empire of the Dead—or so he had been. Now, he stood in the distant east, in the capital of the Jaist Mage Kingdom, deep within the territory of the Tripartite Alliance.
In a shadowy corner of a dark plaza, he kept glancing around, as if waiting for someone. Before long, a figure emerged from a dim alleyway—cloaked in black robes, hood pulled low—and approached slowly.
"From Lord Beris."
The words came from the man as he drew near, naming a high-ranking officer of the Doomsday Association. He even flashed their emblem from within his robes.
Richard gave a small nod and spoke.
"Lead the way."
"Yes, sir."
The Doomsday Association informant in black robes took the lead. Surprisingly, he guided Richard straight into the royal palace of the Jaist Mage Kingdom.
"The royal palace... So it's already been taken?"
They had entered through a back door, but there was no mistaking it. Richard muttered to himself as he followed the informant.
"We're almost there."
The informant whispered softly. Soon, he led Richard to a reception room.
The royal palace should have been the most heavily guarded place in the kingdom, yet Richard hadn't spotted a single guard on the way in. It was clear that a high-ranking Doomsday infiltrator had pulled some strings.
"They're waiting inside."
The informant bowed to Richard and stepped back from the entrance. As Richard opened the door, he saw another man in black robes and a deep hood seated in the center chair of the room.
"Welcome, Herald of the Apocalypse."
"Lord Beris, the Puppeteer of Nihility? First time laying eyes on you in person."
Richard pulled up a chair and sat naturally. Beris grinned at him and spoke.
"The palace takeover is complete. Key nobles of the Jaist Mage Kingdom have been assassinated, and my puppets now fill their seats. You could say the kingdom is little more than my marionette now."
Confidence dripped from Beris's voice.
"Did I arrive too late?"
"No, I was just too quick."
"Even the pinnacle of magic clings to past glories... Well, with the royal palace secured, the end draws a step closer."
Beris nodded slowly at Richard's words.
"With the palace taken, what of the other directive?"
The Doomsday Association had given Beris two orders. Seizing the palace was just one.
"If you mean 'them,' they marched toward the Black Mountains a short while ago."
"Thus, the directives are fulfilled."
"All as the will of the end..."
Beris finished with a smirk. Richard nodded slowly in response. Though his masked face hid it, a deep smile surely played on his lips.
"For His Imperial Majesty!"
The Imperial Army drew their swords. Raymond led from the vanguard, and the troops' morale soared sky-high.
"His Imperial Majesty fights with us!"
With the Emperor among them, fear had no place. They charged without hesitation at the renowned elite heavy assault unit of the Tripartite Alliance. Naturally, Raymond spearheaded the assault.
"It's the Emperor of the Philius Empire!"
"The Emperor's over there!"
The Emperor's flag, gleaming with radiant gold, was impossible to miss on the battlefield. The heavy assault troops spotted it and advanced with spears and swords at the ready. Nearby knights surged forward with fierce momentum.
"Imperial Army! Rally!"
"Guard His Imperial Majesty with your lives!"
The scattered Imperial troops regrouped to protect the Emperor. But before the heavy assault unit could close in, the Emperor's elite guards weren't about to stand idle.
"Ice Storm!"
Desia gathered mana and unleashed it, sweeping the heavy assault troops in a blizzard of ice. Ice Storm was a step below Blizzard in the supreme-tier spells, but without proper mage support, it devastated the advancing unit effortlessly.
"Graaaah!"
"Arrrgh!"
The heavy assault troops crumpled under the powerful magic. A handful of mages accompanied them, but Desia was a mage of lofty mastery. Her spells overwhelmed their feeble defenses.
"The enemy's formation is breaking! Imperial Army, press the attack!"
Cassius channeled mana into his sword and charged. The Imperial Army followed. Under their fierce onslaught, the heavy assault unit began to crumble.
Free Isirian Kingdom forces moved to support them but couldn't break through the Philius Empire's cavalry and light infantry.
"Captain! There are over ten thousand of them!"
"We need to retreat now!"
The heavy assault commanders spoke with grim faces, but the ranking officer showed no intent to withdraw. He cleaved through oncoming foes with his sword and bellowed.
"The Empire's at our backs too! Where do you suggest we run? We don't retreat a single step from this spot!"
His resolute cry echoed across the field.
"Looks like they have no plans to retreat."
Cassius observed. The 10th and 11th Heavy Assault Units were surrounded by the Imperial Army and Philius Empire forces, yet they held firm, maintaining their formation with grim determination.
"No point offering surrender?"
"Of course not, Your Majesty. These are the Free Isirian Kingdom's heavy assault elites. Surrender isn't in their blood."
Cassius replied to Raymond's question with firm conviction.
"Then we have no choice but to kill them all."
He extended his left hand, tracing a magic circle. Once complete, a thunderbolt crashed into the center of the heavy assault formation.
Boom!
The explosion roared. Dirt and bodies flew skyward. Desia followed with another supreme-tier spell.
"Their formation's broken! Imperial Army, annihilate the enemy!"
Cassius swung his sword and shouted. The heavy assault phalanx shattered completely. True to their elite training, they tried to reform ranks, but the Imperial Army was faster.
Thousands stormed in, cutting them down. Each was an elite, but overwhelming numbers proved too much.
"Graaaah!"
"Arrrgh!"
Finally, the 10th and 11th Heavy Assault Units collapsed. The last resisting soldier fell to an Imperial knight's blade, and both vanguard banners fell into Imperial hands.
"Your Majesty! A messenger!"
As the Imperial Army regrouped after mopping up, Marquis Blizzard's voice drew Raymond's gaze. A messenger with the command banner fixed to his saddle galloped up.
"From command to His Imperial Majesty!"
The messenger dismounted and knelt on one knee.
"Report."
"Grand Marshal orders full army advance! The main force leads, with rear units pushing forward as well!"
"Relay to the Grand Marshal: the Imperial Army will regroup and join command."
The heavy assault unit had been a tough foe, and the Free Isirian 5th Marshal showed no signs of retreat. The Imperial Army needed rest to keep fighting.
"At once."
The messenger rode off first. Raymond moved the Imperial Army to link up with command.
"In the end, no need to use it...?"
With the rendezvous imminent, Raymond muttered vaguely. He was relieved he hadn't needed the item he'd commissioned from Rackle Bronze, commander of the Ironhammer Unit.
It was meant only for the worst-case scenario. Lost in such thoughts, they reached the command post.
Count Erwin Denisowitz, the tactical expert, awaited Raymond. Yet despite victory in sight, his face was etched with worry.
"Your Majesty."
"What is it?"
In the tense atmosphere, Count Denisowitz spoke up. He clearly had something urgent, and Raymond urged him on.
"It seems the very thing Your Majesty feared has come to pass."
Raymond frowned at the count's words. His worst fears realized? That meant the Philius Empire faced catastrophe.
"No way..."
"Central Intelligence agents monitoring the skies near the Black Mountains report an airship fleet approaching this location."
Only the Jaist Mage Kingdom possessed airships on the continent. Count Potas had warned of anomalies, so Raymond had half-expected this...
"To think the Jaist Mage Kingdom would side with the Tripartite Alliance..."
He bit his lip hard.
The kingdom had upheld neutrality for a millennium since the Mage King's oath. Breaking it now? It defied logic, but here they were—ready to fight.
"Anything else?"
With Jaist confirmed as belligerents, intel was crucial. The count rolled his eyes thoughtfully before replying quietly.
"Appears to carry Lisbon Maritime Kingdom marines. Agents confirmed their banners."
"Numbers?"
"Central Intelligence can't pinpoint exactly, but based on airship count, estimated over ten thousand marines aboard."
The count reported. Ten thousand reinforcements plus airship barrages could snatch victory from their grasp.
"Summon Lord Rackle Bronze of the Ironhammer Unit immediately!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
A waiting messenger dashed off. Soon, Rackle hurried over on his short legs. Stationed in the rear, not the main battle line, he arrived quickly.
"Your Majesty! I came as summoned!"
"Prepare to deploy 'it' at once."
"Airship fleet sighted?"
Rackle asked gravely. He'd learned the rough plan and purpose while crafting Raymond's secret weapon, including the airship threat.
"Deploy repeating ballistae to key positions now!"
The weapon Raymond prepared: repeating ballistae. Unlike standard ones, they fired continuously—complex mechanisms beyond current Philius engineers, but child's play for dwarves versed in ancient tech.
"Deploying immediately."
"Your Majesty, I'll order our advancing forces to fall back."
Count Denisowitz suggested cautiously. Raymond nodded in agreement. Chasing the Free Isirians recklessly now was folly.
"Fall back!"
The command riders raised retreat banners. Horns blared across the Philius lines. As the main force halted its advance, twelve airships crested the skies over the Black Mountains.
Jaist's prized airship fleet. As reported, Lisbon marine banners flew alongside theirs.
"Down them before they land troops."
"Thirty-one repeating ballistae, all deployed!"
A messenger reported. Now, they waited for the fleet to enter range.
Oblivious to the trap, the airships descended slowly toward the Philius army. The routed Free Isirians reformed ranks in response.
"Free Isirian lines raising 'advance' banners!"
A young mid-rank officer observing the enemy reported. Count Denisowitz gnawed his nails anxiously, but Raymond stayed calm. He knew the devastating power of the repeating ballistae Richard devised in Empire of the Dead better than anyone.
Though time constraints limited them to thirty-one units, it should suffice against a dozen ships.
"Enemy airships descending!"
"Repeating ballistae, ready!"
Rackle bellowed. His Ironhammer Unit manned the weapons.
As the airships lowered to deploy Lisbon marines, all thirty-one repeating ballistae locked on and prepared to fire.