Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Chapter 24: His Majesty the Emperor Joins the Fray (3)
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"Your Majesty! You mustn't!"
"Entrust a thousand Imperial Army soldiers to us instead. We will surely repel the enemy's detached force and claim victory!"
The staff officers of the Imperial Army command naturally rebelled against the idea.
"The decision has already been made. I will lead a thousand Imperial Army soldiers to strike the enemy's detached force. You are to take two thousand and hurry to reinforce the final defensive line."
Raymond remained as resolute as ever. The Imperial Army staff officers instinctively sensed that they could not sway this young emperor's stubborn will.
"The Royal Guard will accompany me, so there's no need for excessive worry."
"Please take care of yourself."
They felt that further opposition to the emperor's will would be disloyal, so the staff officers swallowed their rising tears and led their two thousand troops toward the final defensive line. They too understood the gravity of the situation.
Leaving a thousand-man detached force unchecked would turn the territory into chaos, and reinforcing the final defensive line was urgent, leaving them no choice but to split the Imperial Army.
"Guide us to the location of the enemy detached force."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The messenger spurred his horse ahead. He led Raymond and the Imperial Army into the forest. An Imperial Army knight order took the vanguard. They advanced slowly, tense and suppressing their presence as much as possible.
"We're approaching the point where the scouts are waiting."
The Imperial Army knight commander nodded gravely at the messenger's words. Soon, they arrived at the scout waiting point, and the messenger rode ahead, saying he would check the situation.
About five minutes passed. The messenger returned with a face drained of color.
"All the scouts are dead!"
Reading the ominous atmosphere, the knights drew their swords in unison. The mages raised their staves or extended their hands, gathering mana.
"Your Majesty, you must retreat."
It was Marquis Blizzard. Raymond understood the man's concern for his lord's safety, but he shook his head firmly.
"I didn't come to the battlefield to run away."
He extended his hand, and white energy gathered. No sooner had the Soul Sword formed than the blare of a horn echoed through the air.
"That's not our army's horn!"
"It's the enemy!"
The knights by his side reported.
"A messenger is coming!"
Someone shouted. A mounted messenger was galloping from the north at full speed.
"Enemies have appeared to the north!"
"Enemy banners sighted to the west!"
"Multiple mana signatures detected from the east and south. High probability of enemy forces."
Enemies were closing in from all directions: front, rear, left, and right.
"Your Majesty, this is dire. Unlike the reports from the capital, they number over two thousand."
One of the Imperial Army staff officers compiled the reconnaissance reports and delivered the news.
'The scout messenger definitely said one thousand. Two thousand?'
Moreover, the fact that they knew the Imperial Army's exact route and had prepared an ambush was highly suspicious.
Raymond's gaze turned to the original messenger. He smirked, curling the corner of his mouth.
With the expression of one who had abandoned life or achieved enlightenment, the messenger hurled himself toward Raymond.
"Your Excellency Duke Belfiang! Long live!"
Mana condensed in his body, and Desia hurriedly stepped in front of Raymond, erecting a shield. At that instant, the messenger's body exploded.
A fierce blast roared, and chunks of flesh splattered against Desia's shield. It wasn't an explosion spell aimed at mass slaughter from the start, so those outside the shield's effective range took no damage.
"The explosion magic isn't high-level. It seems more like a warning."
Desia explained as she dispelled the shield. Raymond nodded with a stern face. It wasn't a pleasant situation, with at least two thousand troops tightening the encirclement.
"Raise the emperor's banner. We'll break through in one go."
Fighting while encircled would mean attacks from all sides, and even a defensive formation would waver badly. Breaking the encirclement was the top priority.
"Break through to the north!"
The Imperial Army knight order turned their horses northward.
"Magic!"
"Protect His Majesty!"
The surroundings grew chaotic. Mana fluctuations stirred in the sky. As a magic swordsman, Raymond could sense the sinister flow of mana.
He looked up, and through the towering trees, he saw the sky blackened.
"At least advanced magic?"
It would have been reassuring if the Azure Tower Lord or Crimson Tower Lord were here, but the highest-level mage present was Marquis Blizzard, who wasn't skilled in defensive magic.
Desia's proficiency in defensive magic was top-tier, but it was uncertain if she could perfectly block an advanced mage's spell.
Was it that unease spreading? Desia met Raymond's eyes calmly and flashed a gentle smile.
"Don't worry. As long as I'm here, the enemies won't threaten Your Majesty."
With soft words, Desia raised her staff. In the instant dozens of lightning bolts poured from the blackened sky, the mana gathered at her staff exploded into a shield.
"Absolute Shield!"
Her mana-infused cry completed the supreme defensive magic. The thunderbolts collided with Desia's Absolute Shield, unleashing a deafening roar. Cracks formed as it couldn't fully withstand the aggressive mana of the advanced spell, but Desia's top-tier magic ultimately held against it.
"Desia..."
"I told you not to worry. I've gotten much stronger too."
She staggered weakly with a smile. Desia wore a faint smile, as if seeking praise.
Raymond silently extended his hand and stroked her head. Watching her grin like a happy puppy filled him with a sweet, melting warmth—but it didn't last long.
This was a battlefield, after all.
"Where's the mage?"
"To the north. They don't seem skilled at concealing their mana presence, so probably an advanced mage who recently reached that level."
Marquis Blizzard reported. Raymond nodded slowly. Not all advanced mages were equal.
Some, like the Crimson Tower Lord or Azure Tower Lord, were charging toward grand master status, while others stagnated without further progress.
"Good. We'll break through in one push."
The Imperial Army knight order charged forward vigorously. Raymond didn't stay idle either; he followed behind them. Arrows soon rained down on them.
Hiiing!
Raymond's horse was struck by an arrow.
"Are you alright?"
"Protect His Majesty!"
The horse merely collapsed without unseating him, yet the Royal Guard made a fuss.
"You idiots! Charge!"
But the loyal Royal Guard and Imperial Army knights frustratingly chose to guard the emperor instead of charging the enemy.
"Argh!"
"Gahk!"
A cavalry losing speed became perfect prey for archers. As the arrow storm poured down, several Imperial Army knights fell lifelessly, pierced by shafts.
The enemy mages didn't sit idle either. Flames rained from the sky, and blades of wind flew from ahead.
"These fools!"
Unable to endure the frustration, Raymond kicked off the ground and dashed forward.
"F-Follow His Majesty!"
The Imperial Guard and Royal Guard pursued. Gestain was first, slicing through nearby enemies with lightning-fast movements.
"The emperor is there!"
Someone shouted. At the voice thick with enmity, Gestain and the Royal Guard kept their tension high.
"They're coming."
Raymond said calmly. The Imperial Army mage unit blocked successive enemy spells, and soon the Belfiang territory army's knight order appeared.
The intimidating presence of the heavily armored knights was no light matter. Nor was their number.
"At least a hundred."
Gestain opened his tightly shut mouth and spoke evenly. Raymond nodded in agreement.
"Over three hundred heavy infantry behind them."
Gestain's face hardened at Raymond's words. The heavy infantry soon emerged. Seeing them over the shoulders of countless knights, the Imperial Army knights paled.
"Imperial Army, fear not!"
He raised the Soul Sword infused with white energy and shouted. The Royal Guard didn't stay silent.
"His Majesty the Emperor is with us!"
"Cast aside your fear, Imperial Army!"
"As long as His Majesty the Emperor fights alongside us, defeat is impossible!"
The Royal Guard shouted in unison. Just the fact that the emperor was with them restored the Imperial Army's morale.
"Fear not!"
The enemies approached. Raymond shouted once more. His mana-laden voice rang out, and the foes charged.
Belfiang territory knights and Imperial Army knights clashed in chaotic melee, exchanging blows. Raymond didn't just watch.
He swung the Soul Sword radiating white brilliance and plunged into the enemy without hesitation.
"I-It’s the emperor!"
The Belfiang knights panicked. Though they had seen the emperor's banner, they never dreamed he would join the fray personally.
"K-Kill him!"
"Take out the emperor first!"
The knights' gazes locked onto Raymond. Their eyes gleamed with madness.
Killing the emperor would end the civil war and make them heroes. That greedy ambition drove the knights to throw themselves at him, forgetting even the Royal Guard.
"How insolent!"
"This is before the throne!"
The Belfiang knights couldn't breach the Royal Guard's defensive line. But they were no pushovers either.
As two elite knight orders joined forces with a few mages in a fierce assault, the Imperial Army and Royal Guard defenses began to waver slightly. It wouldn't have if Raymond stayed back, but since he was swinging his sword at the forefront, protection wasn't perfect.
"Induce a melee like this."
"Your Majesty!"
Marquis Blizzard called from behind, but Raymond ignored him and hurled himself at the Belfiang knights. Gestain and Desia followed silently.
"The emperor is there!"
"Kill him!"
The knight order's assault weakened. Instead, Belfiang soldiers advanced. Raymond gritted his teeth and unleashed a barrage of fire-attribute magic orbs at them.
The reason for leading with infantry was obvious.
'Aiming for attrition warfare?'
They planned to wear down the Royal Guard and Imperial Army knights' stamina sufficiently, then deploy their knights for the finishing blow.
"Arrrgh!"
Screams filled the air. Red blood sprayed. Fatally wounded soldiers collapsed limply. The Belfiang soldiers were renowned elites, but not a match for the Imperial Army knights and Royal Guard.
Still, their numbers weren't enough for sustained swarm tactics. Soon, the knight order reengaged, and Raymond rampaged like a mad dog again.
The emperor relentlessly hunting enemies without rest had the Royal Guard struggling to keep up. Gestain and Desia, with their shared battlefield experience, fared slightly better.
"Guhk!"
An ice shard Raymond flung pierced the throat of a knight order commander who had breached the Royal Guard's defense. Dozens of soldiers followed behind the tumbling body.
Marquis Blizzard, arriving late, clicked his tongue at the sight.
"Before the throne! Show proper respect to His Majesty!"
Cold exploded outward. Dozens of soldiers froze solid. A blast of north wind blanched the faces of those trailing behind. Raymond silently bestowed blue lightning upon them.
"Enemy command banner."
Gestain, who had been quietly cutting down foes at his side, spoke calmly. Sure enough, not far off, a banner symbolizing the command fluttered.
"Charge and wipe out the command in one go. Any objections?"
"None."
The Royal Guard no longer objected to Raymond's absurd plans. They soon began their assault on the command.
"The mad emperor is heading this way!"
The detached force command was in chaos.
"B-Block him! Send the knights forward!"
"We have no knight forces left! They were all taken out by the mad emperor and Royal Guard!"
It was a hopeless situation. Before they could prepare, the emperor and Royal Guard closed the distance in a flash. The few knights and soldiers guarding the command couldn't hold for ten minutes.
His entire body dyed red, wielding a white mana sword at the vanguard—he truly was a mad emperor.
Raymond's eyes gleamed sharply as he pierced the command formation in one leap and detonated his mana.
"Arrrgh!"
A sharp scream marked the command's end.