Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Chapter 33: Night Enforcer (2)
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“Ahem!”
Raymond cleared his throat as if something were caught in it. But Risefield's gaze fixed on him didn't waver in the slightest.
“Your Majesty the Emperor...”
“I have no idea what the Azure Tower Lord is talking about.”
“You knew full well when you came here.”
He tried to play innocent, but there was no fooling the Azure Tower Lord. In the end, Raymond let out a deep sigh and raised both hands in surrender.
“Whew! Fine, old man. Who's the snitch?”
“There is no snitch, Your Majesty. I was just probing because the atmosphere lately has been rather suspicious.”
“Man, I never thought I'd get caught by the Azure Tower Lord of all people.”
Unlike the quick-witted Berenus, Risefield had always seemed rather obtuse. There wasn't much mention of it in the settings, but based on observations so far, that's what Raymond thought. However, this sharp probing today made him reconsider.
“Your Majesty, this time I must know as well.”
“If the Azure Tower Lord pledges his support, I'll share my plans.”
“Of course I'll help!”
Not a moment's hesitation. The moment Raymond mentioned support, Risefield nodded without a second thought. The classic look of a man defeated by curiosity.
Whether it was the innate curiosity of a mage or not, his eyes sparkled. Raymond didn't hesitate to reveal the plan he'd been mulling over.
“I heard there was a city of the Golden Grass Clan here, but I never imagined I'd actually have to go there myself.”
He hadn't yet told him that to obtain the Record of the Spirit King, they needed to slay the Orc Overlord, so Risefield didn't react with his usual fussing and opposition. But he couldn't hide it forever—he'd have to tell him eventually, and then the Azure Tower Lord would revert to his typical self.
“That said... even if Your Majesty has received the Blessing of the Eternal Forest and won't be seen as an enemy by the elves, will they hand over the precious Record of the Spirit King they guard so carefully?”
And there it was. A perfectly valid question, impossible to dodge now. No choice but to answer honestly.
“Naturally, we'll have to pay a price.”
“I doubt gold will work on the elves, so what price do you have in mind...?”
“We're not offering them gold.”
Desia answered the Azure Tower Lord's question in place of Raymond, who wasn't quick to speak.
“Miss Desia, then what will you propose to the Golden Grass Clan?”
Instead of replying, Desia glanced cautiously at Raymond, as if asking permission.
Raymond met her eyes and slowly nodded. Silent approval.
“Are you aware that several orc tribes have united in the Southern Central Forest?”
“Of course. Most tribes, save a few, have gathered under the Overlord's banner.”
One reason they couldn't fully eradicate the monsters in the Southern Central Forest.
With monsters already plentiful, and orcs—who made up the largest share—now united under one lord, all the Philius Empire could do was block them from leaving the forest.
“Do you also know that the Overlord's orc tribes are in opposition to the Golden Grass Clan?”
Risefield nodded slowly at Desia's words. It was basic lore—orks and elves had never gotten along since ancient times.
“Miss Desia, do you think I wouldn't know that? Skip the preamble and get to the point.”
“We're going to subjugate the Orc Overlord.”
A heavily summarized version, but enough for Risefield to grasp Raymond's plan. He gaped in disbelief, eyes wide and mouth hanging open.
“Your Majesty! Subjugating the Overlord won't be easy!”
“Has anything I've done so far been easy? And haven't I mustered an army for this very subjugation?”
Five thousand elite troops had assembled in the Southern Central Forest. If needed, they could call in support from the nearby Southern Central Army.
“But Your Majesty! Even offering the Overlord's head, will the Golden Grass Clan simply hand over the Record of the Spirit King?”
Risefield voiced his cautious concern, but Raymond nodded with confident assurance.
“I can say with certainty—they'd give us even more if we asked after slaying the Overlord.”
He was sure of it. In the novel Empire of the Dead, it was the Golden Grass Clan who first asked protagonist Richard to subjugate the Orc Overlord.
To them, the Overlord and his orc horde were a blight stifling their city's prosperity—a must-eliminate threat. But they'd held back their blades, fearing the blood that would soak the land.
“But Your Majesty! Subjugating the Overlord is no simple task! Over the past decades, subjugation forces have been formed multiple times, yet not one succeeded!”
“Imperial authority is strengthening, and the Empire's military might is coalescing. This time will be different, Azure Tower Lord.”
“However...”
“Tell me—have any Sword Saints ever joined those past subjugation forces over the last few decades?”
A Sword Saint could single-handedly halt the advance of hundreds of knights or break through thousands of troops alone—a monstrous existence. And as far as Raymond knew, no Sword Saint had joined any subjugation force against the Southern Central Forest's orc army in decades.
Since the Philius Empire's dark age began centuries ago, no one had reached the Sword Saint realm, so naturally none had joined.
Risefield slowly shook his head, and Raymond continued.
“Then, has a Knight Corps ever taken the vanguard in those subjugations?”
The Knight Corps was the Empire's most renowned elite force, but they were notoriously immovable.
Unlike in the past, with the dark age in full swing and imperial authority in decline, the Knight Corps had become a core military power even the Emperor couldn't command freely.
Risefield shook his head again.
Questions Raymond had known the answers to from the start. He leaned back in his chair, face relaxed.
“Don't worry too much, Azure Tower Lord. This time, not only will a Sword Saint be with us, but the Knight Corps will lead the vanguard as well. We'll surely topple the Overlord's banner.”
“My apologies. I let my old man's worries lead me to question Your Majesty's capabilities.”
“As long as you understand now, Azure Tower Lord.”
“This time too, the Azure Tower's mages and Mage Tower knights will stand at the vanguard under Your Majesty's banner.”
Risefield said with a resolute expression. Raymond nodded slowly, satisfied.
The leisurely clop of hooves echoed through the forest. The Southern Central Forest was infamous even within the Philius Empire for its monster hordes, but with five thousand troops marching together, no monster packs dared attack.
That didn't mean they could let their guard down. Once the grand hunt truly began and nobles scattered with their escorts, monster attacks would likely erupt everywhere. That's why Raymond had advised the nobles to hunt in groups of at least a hundred.
On the third day, the main hunt commenced, and the hunting parties dispersed from the camp at the forest's edge. Most stayed near the entrance, with few venturing deeper—save for their attendants.
“Your Majesty. We'll soon enter the danger zone.”
Kashyas approached and spoke quietly. The thousand Imperial Army troops under his command guarded the Emperor, while the remaining two thousand—along with a thousand from the Knight Corps—handled camp security and escorted the attending nobles.
“Understood.”
Raymond nodded, his face somewhat tense. In the Southern Central Forest, the "danger zone" meant the Overlord's territory, fully controlled by his orc army. They had to pass through it to reach the Golden Grass Clan's city.
“Sir Kashyas. How about letting the troops rest before entering the danger zone?”
“A wise decision, Your Majesty.”
The procession halted. While Kashyas dispatched messengers to spread the rest order, Raymond picked up his bow. He hadn't come for hunting, but he wanted to relax when he could.
Once they entered the Overlord's territory, there'd be no relaxing.
“The Royal Guard will escort you.”
Marquis Blizzard approached with the Royal Guard. Gestain and Desia were ready too—they planned to hunt briefly while the Imperial Army rested.
“Urgent dispatch!”
Unlike before, urgent hoofbeats rang out. A mounted messenger galloped into the Imperial Army's formation, dismounting in a leap and dropping to one knee. He was from the forward scouts.
Kashyas, about to join other commanders, stepped forward.
“Report.”
“Two thousand orcs are heading this way!”
The commanders' eyes widened in shock at the report. No one expected to encounter the Orc Overlord's forces so soon. The Overlord's territory was close, but still six hours away on horseback.
“Imperial Army! Battle stations!”
Kashyas was the first to snap into action among the stunned commanders.
He sent the messenger to recall the resting troops and form a phalanx. Then he approached Raymond for the next orders.
Two thousand orcs. Retreat and regroup? Or stand and fight? The decision loomed.
“I have no intention of showing our backs to mere orcs.”
“The Imperial Army does not retreat!”
At Raymond's resolute voice, Kashyas drew his sword and bellowed. He moved through the formation, inspecting the knights' and soldiers' defenses.
“The Imperial Army does not retreat!”
The knights echoed. Shield-bearing heavy infantry advanced. Archers nocked arrows, mages gathered mana.
All preparations complete. Soon after the scouts returned, the orcs appeared in ragged formation.
Something was off about them.
Fear-filled faces uncharacteristic of orcs, tattered banners, wounded leaders—they looked like...
“Defeated remnants.”
Gestain muttered. Raymond nodded grimly. They were fleeing, pursued by something.
The Golden Grass Clan?
Only their elf rangers could rout the Overlord's orcs in the Southern Central Forest.
But Raymond shook his head.
Even they couldn't instill such deep terror in these ferocious orcs.
What the hell? What could it be...?
Raymond bit his lip. But no time for prolonged thought—the terror-stricken orcs were charging fast. Time to prepare for battle.
“Shields forward!”
“Ha!”
At some commander's shout, shieldbearers stepped up.
“Spearmen! Ready!”
Spearmen raised spears.
“Enemies approaching!”
“Archers! Hold! Not yet!”
As distance closed, Raymond signaled. The archer commander pointed his sword at the oncoming orcs.
“Archer unit! Fire!”
“Volley!”
Archers loosed in unison. Arrows pierced the sky in a shower. Mages followed: earth exploded, skies rained arrows and fire. Wind blades shredded orcs, blood swirling in vortices.
But the orcs didn't stop.
“Brace for impact!”
“Knights to the second rank!”
Kashyas bellowed orders. Imperial Army knights filled the second rank, swords raised with sharp auras.
True to the Empire's remaining elite, mana blades—hallmarks of advanced knights—flared everywhere.
Orcs closed in a flash.
“For His Majesty the Emperor!”
With the Imperial Army's fanatical cry, battle erupted. Orcs' massive bodies slammed into shields.
“Knight unit! Advance!”
“Slaughter them!”
Gaps in shields opened; knights surged forward. Their swords cleaved and thrust. As they fell back, spearmen covered with thrusts.
The orcs' assault was fierce, but the line held. Mages unleashed spells nonstop from safety. The orc rear crumbled swiftly.
Yet the orcs pressed on, as if something more terrifying pursued from behind.
“This feels wrong...”
Raymond narrowed his eyes, scanning the battlefield. An ominous unease rose.
“Gestain.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Something's off. Join the fray.”
“As you command.”
The Sword Saint stepped forward.