Chapter 21
Chapter 21
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Black Mountains (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I'd heard that the 5th Prince was coming north, but I figured he'd just hole up safely in the lord's castle under the Imperial Army's protection.
That was the image of the 5th Prince I'd gathered from all the rumors up until now.
"Did His Highness the 5th Prince send this?"
Wiping the blood from his eyes, Cron turned toward the sound of the horn, only to freeze in shock.
"Imperial Army! In the name of His Majesty the Emperor, annihilate the enemies of the empire!"
The 5th Prince, whom he'd assumed would be sitting safely in the rear, was personally commanding the battle.
And his position wasn't even the vanguard—it was close to the front lines.
Cron's mind went blank, unable to reconcile this bizarre situation with everything he'd heard and assumed about the 5th Prince.
"C-Captain...! Next to the Imperial Army's banner, there's His Highness the 5th Prince's banner!"
"His Highness the 5th Prince has joined the fight!"
The officers and knights buzzed with excitement.
Amid their bewilderment at the unexpected turn of events and joy at the reinforcements' arrival, a fierce sense of duty welled up: they had to protect a precious member of the Philius Empire's royal family.
They, too, had sworn loyalty to the Philius Empire and the Emperor.
Not to the fanatical degree of the Imperial or Central Armies, but the mission to safeguard the imperial family burned alive in their hearts.
"All forces, advance! Protect His Highness the 5th Prince and the Imperial Army!"
By now, the 5th Prince, Raymond, was already charging deep into enemy lines with the Imperial Army.
Even after losing their archers and mages to two high-tier spells, the mountain mercenaries' formation held firm.
Charging in like this would be suicide, so Cron bellowed at the top of his lungs, rallying the surviving troops.
"N-No..."
The Imperial Army clashed with the mountain mercenaries in close combat. They were well-trained elites with good equipment, but lacked real battle experience.
Cron thought they'd be pushed back by mercenaries who fought monsters daily, but instead, the Imperial Army was overwhelming them.
Leading the Imperial Army's vanguard was a one-armed knight in jet-black uniform.
His stance looked unstable without a left arm, but every swing of his sword sent heavily armored mountain mercenaries crumpling like ragdolls.
"Graaaah!"
"Arrrgh!"
A blade of blue mana cleaved through the mountain mercenaries. As the front ranks collapsed and their formation shattered, the Imperial Army followed, cutting down the foes.
They were fighting far better than Cron had imagined. A big factor was the presence of two high-tier mages: the Crimson Tower Lord and the Azure Tower Lord.
The mercenaries' mages were only mid-tier at best.
If Raymond hadn't snatched up all the protagonist's lucky breaks, it was no wonder the group overflowed with talent—but in truth, senior mages of upper tier or higher were so valuable that even small territories struggled to employ them.
They weren't common.
"His Highness the 5th Prince fights alongside us! Fear nothing! Do not retreat!"
The Imperial Army commander's roar echoed thunderously across the battlefield, amplified without even mana.
"Damn it all! Why the hell is the Imperial Army here?!"
The mountain mercenary captain spat curses in frustration. Victory had been so close—he'd thought.
Through ghost units, he'd received intel that Marquis Kreayer's eldest son was leading a single battalion into the Black Mountains, along with orders to kidnap or kill him for the "grand plan."
The forces led by Marquis Kreayer's son, Cron—also a single battalion of five hundred—matched in number, but the mountain mercenaries' elite quality was superior. He'd been confident of victory and, as insurance, coordinated a pincer attack with another mercenary captain on Cron and his infantry.
So far, so good. Cron's infantry seemed unable to overcome the power gap and was crumbling. Smiles crept across both mercenary captains' faces.
Then, out of nowhere, the Imperial Army appeared.
"Damn it! Why of all things the Imperial Army?!"
But his cursing was short-lived. Spotting the 5th Prince's banner, greed lit up his eyes.
'Fine. In that case, I'll take the 5th Prince's head.'
Killing royalty would cause a massive uproar. But as a mere mercenary captain, greed blinded him, turning him into a runaway train charging ahead blindly.
"Hit the Imperial Army first!"
The mountain mercenaries pivoted en masse, reforming to counterattack. But it wasn't easy.
With two high-tier mages and elite knights, it wasn't an even fight—Imperial Army's inexperience notwithstanding.
The tide was turning in favor of the Philius Empire.
"The enemy's forces are scattering."
Alex reported as he approached. He'd ditched his squire clothes for Imperial Guard uniform.
The 5th Prince, Raymond, halted his spell chant and scanned the enemies.
The mercenaries blocking their retreat were in full rout, and the mountain mercenaries looked battered.
'Good. Everything's going to plan.'
A smile tugged at Raymond's lips. The two tower lords and Gestain were rampaging. Desia had been a huge help too.
The five mid-tier mercenary mages died at the start, leaving allied mages free to unleash overwhelming firepower without interference.
"The enemy is fleeing."
A knight attached as escort for plausible deniability spoke calmly.
Raymond turned, surveying the field.
Just as the knight said, he saw the backs of scattering foes.
They were broken—utterly shattered. Fleeing in panic, these were the Free Isiria Kingdom's proud mountain mercenaries.
"Is it true that His Highness the 5th Prince entered the Black Mountains leading the Imperial Army?"
"Yes, confirmed by the border guards."
Marquis Kreayer clutched his head at his subordinate's report, a pounding headache hitting him. Last night, he'd gotten word that the 5th Prince had left the central city with the Imperial Army and hurriedly sent a messenger—but apparently, the army had outpaced the rider.
"What in the world is going on...?"
Even with royalty along, the Imperial Army's morale was unnaturally high. With no idea what Raymond had done, the marquis's doubts only deepened.
"Shouldn't we inform the imperial family?"
A knight at his side suggested cautiously. The Black Mountains were a battlefield teeming with monsters and enemy troops—a hell where blood flowed daily. With the empire's precious youngest prince there, reporting to the palace was only right.
"Prepare magical communication."
"Yes, my lord."
With a heavy heart, Marquis Kreayer ordered the setup—a serious, urgent matter requiring top-tier mages and expensive communication orbs.
'The palace will be in an uproar.'
The 5th Prince had last stayed in this central city, so the marquis bore some responsibility.
"Magical communication is ready."
As he pondered the fallout and cleanup ahead, the servant he'd sent to the territory's top mage returned.
Marquis Kreayer gathered his thoughts, followed calmly, and reported every detail to the palace without a shred of falsehood.
"This... seems like something to report to His Majesty the Emperor."
The palace mage left those words and went to inform the Emperor.
Soon, word reached him that the 5th Prince had led the Imperial Army into the Black Mountains. Chaos erupted in the palace.
Not even the reckless 1st Prince would do such a thing.
Some nobles clamored to send Northern Central Army forces to rescue him, but the Emperor could only shake his head.
"Advancing the Northern Central Army further would make war inevitable. Strengthening border patrols and sending a few more small battalions to the Black Mountains is the most we can do."
It amounted to abandoning the 5th Prince. The Emperor spoke calmly, but his heart was tearing apart.
The Black Mountains: a silent battlefield. Bound by the demilitarized treaty where the Philius Empire and Three Kingdoms Alliance vowed no troops, yet it was still a warzone.
Officially no armies stationed, but both sides secretly deployed forces to the Black Mountains.
Large-scale garrisons were impossible due to the monster hordes—true masters of the range—but small battalions and even brigade-sized outposts began sprouting one by one.
"What an amusing situation. The treaty allows troops for monster subjugation, but who decides the limits...? No one knows."
Cron—eldest son of the Kreayer family and infantry commander in the border army—spoke with quiet fury.
His gaze lingered on soldiers retrieving bodies, revealing how deeply he cared for his men.
"How far to the temporary outpost?"
"Two more days, at least."
This was a battlefield. Raymond knew better than to dwell on sorrow and shifted topics.
Cron shook it off with a nod, engaging.
Two days. Marching two days in the Black Mountains was no light matter.
Even without Free Isiria mercenaries, monsters were the issue—ruling the land with iron grip.
"The Imperial Army and I will accompany you to the outpost."
"The Black Mountains are too dangerous for His Highness the 5th Prince."
"I've come by imperial decree. Are you defying His Majesty's command?"
"N-No, Your Highness..."
In the Philius Empire, none could defy "imperial decree."
True enough, at Raymond's words, Cron fell silent.
He wanted to escort him back to safer borders immediately, but with the decree, he had no choice but to comply.
'The 5th Prince is supposed to be a coward and wastrel...'
Recalling the prince commanding the field earlier, the capital rumor of him slaying a dark emperor might not be exaggeration or lies.
Still, from Cron's view, Raymond's joining was burdensome.
Not a normal battlefield—this was unpredictable Black Mountains. Escorts: one Imperial Army century, the prince's guard, and a battered infantry battalion.
Essentially one battalion as main force. Protecting the prince while commanding them? Cron stifled a sigh.
"His Highness the 5th Prince is with us!"
"He came to this dangerous place for our sake!"
At least knights' and soldiers' morale soared sky-high, thanks largely to the Imperial Army's agitation.
"Lord Cron."
"Yes, speak, Your Highness."
"I know your feelings well."
Raymond spoke softly.
"Your worst fears won't come to pass. I guarantee it."
His voice brimmed with certainty beyond confidence. In the Black Mountains where veteran knights tensed, the prince exuded calm assurance.
Cron's heart stirred slightly.
"I shall serve with all my utmost."
With the decree, defiance was impossible. If he couldn't send the prince back, he'd go together.
Cron steadied his wavering resolve, bowed, and replied firmly, voice resonating with determination.
"Cleanup seems done. Let's move the troops."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The imperial forces marched again. After minimal rest, they pressed on busily for a day.
Terrain tough for cavalry, so even 5th Prince Raymond dismounted, walking with the men.
Seeing this, Imperial knights and guards followed suit.
The Crimson Tower Lord dismounted too; the Azure Tower Lord sighed shortly and did the same. How long had they walked?
"Your Highness, we're circling the same spot."
Crimson Tower Lord Berenus Kyle reported.
Raymond nodded gravely, prompting Berenus to elaborate.
"It seems we've entered the 'Path of the Forgotten Ones.'"
The Crimson Tower Lord continued, but Raymond tuned it out.
Knowing the novel's lore, he needed no details—time to organize thoughts.
Path of the Forgotten Ones.
Ancient land of nameless knights who fought most bravely against monsters, now forgotten. And...
'Where the Soul Sword sleeps.'
It would've been hard to find deliberately, but luck was on his side.