Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: Subjugation Force Advance (4)
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The Edelfelt family’s stronghold, Gaiarant.
In the fortress built amid rugged terrain, Johan Edelfelt was listening to his eldest son’s report.
“The Holy Knight Order has already fallen into our trap.”
Johan’s firstborn son, Victor Edelfelt, moved markers on the map as he spoke.
“If the Holy Knight Order presses forward like this, they’ll be completely encircled. While their movements are restricted, Greta and the senior knights can launch a surprise attack and take Shesus’s head.”
“…….”
“The problem is Est. Unlike Shesus, who hasn’t seen real combat in a while, Est seems to still possess the strength from over a decade ago.”
The Crusade Knight Order had already suffered heavy losses from Est’s exploits.
In the first battle alone, a single sword technique from Est had wiped out numerous knights.
It was in stark contrast to Shesus, who had never once appeared on the battlefield.
“But Greta is adamant that she’ll be the one to bring down Est. I don’t think we need to worry.”
“…….”
“So…… Father.”
Victor bowed his head before his father.
“Please…… let Elias rest now.”
Elias.
Victor’s son and Johan’s grandson.
The eldest son of the Edelfelt family, destined to become the next family head.
He had undoubtedly lost his life to Sion.
“Victor.”
“Father…….”
“Look at that.”
In the dark spire, a glass case glowing blue.
Inside it was a man submerged in a translucent liquid.
“His heart is beating. He’s crying out to live and fight again.”
“Elias is already dead! Forcibly reviving him is no different from turning him into an undead!”
“Undead? Hardly.”
Johan scoffed.
“Elias will return as a perfectly healthy man. He already did…… three years ago, didn’t he?”
“That was…….”
“From that moment, this boy’s fate was sealed. A fate to fight endlessly for the Edelfelts.”
Inside the glass case was Elias Edelfelt’s body.
The liquid encasing Elias’s flesh was holy water imbued with immense divine power.
An advanced ritual was currently repairing Elias’s body.
“All these years, our Edelfelt family has researched human body modification. To topple the Aleyas family’s Holy Knight Order and become the true guardians of the world.”
“Father…….”
“Elias is the greatest success among them. The only one to reach 9th rank, and to acquire a body that transcends death like this.”
With those words, Johan turned his head.
“This is all thanks to you.”
Johan’s gaze fell on a man dressed in a white robe.
He was gaunt, with poor complexion.
“Thanks to you, our family now possesses numerous 7th- and 8th-rank knights. Elias reached 9th rank and even gained a body beyond death.”
“…….”
“It’s all because you helped us. Thank you.”
“There’s no need for thanks, Johan.”
The man in white pushed up his glasses with a finger as he spoke.
“Just keep your promise to me.”
“Of course.”
Johan nodded slowly.
“Once we drive out the Holy Knight Order and become the true blade of the Holy Spirit Church…… we’ll rally all the military might on this continent and annihilate the Dialogue Church.”
The annihilation of the Dialogue Church.
A goal even the Holy Knight Order had failed to achieve thus far.
“It’s a goal I desperately want to accomplish myself. So no need to worry.”
“Understood. But there’s one issue.”
“An issue?”
“It seems all of Elias’s circles have been completely destroyed.”
“His circles?”
“E-Elias’s circles are destroyed?”
Not only Johan but Victor was shocked as well.
“It’s quite peculiar. There wasn’t any particular damage around the heart area.”
“Th-Then what happens?”
“We can revive him like this, but he won’t be able to return to the battlefield as a 9th-rank knight. Without functioning circles, we can’t infuse mana.”
“So he can’t fight anymore?”
“Yes.”
Victor let out a sigh of relief.
But Johan revealed his displeasure.
“So Elias is useless now?”
“Not necessarily.”
“What do you mean?”
“Since Elias’s body is one I meticulously ‘crafted’ in various ways, it can be utilized differently.”
The man in white spoke in a cold voice.
“I’m thinking of trying a method that was experimented on and discarded by the Dialogue Church long ago. What do you say?”
* * *
A gale of blood wind swept through.
“What is this?! Who the hell is attacking us?!”
“It’s the Holy Knights! They’re wearing Holy Knight badges!”
“How did they get here…… Argh!”
The noisy commander fell silent.
My Demon Spirit Sword Xantia had lodged in his throat.
As I slaughtered the panicked subordinates with Demon Spirit Sword Ashurai, Lieselotte’s voice came from afar.
“Lord Sion! The enemy is escaping from the fortress!”
“Let them go. They need to report back to the Edelfelt main force for us to play our part.”
“Understood!”
Right now, we had exited the mountain path toward the Winter Mountains and were raiding the Edelfelt family’s fortress near Northburg.
As Shesus predicted, the defenses here were thin. They must have pulled everyone to face the Holy Knight Order.
“Wipe this place out, then move immediately to the next target. We need to keep them off-balance with hit-and-run tactics, so move fast.”
“Understood!”
Edwin, swinging his sword beside me, replied energetically.
In the end, we annihilated the fortress and escaped in under an hour.
“Even if Edelfelt sends reinforcements, they’ll just find an empty shell.”
“They’ll be thrown into disarray. They’ll have no choice but to watch their rear.”
We slipped away from the enemy’s eyes and headed deep into the forest.
“The enemy is focused only on Shesus’s main force up front. If we stir things up in the rear, they’ll have openings.”
“And the commander will exploit them.”
“Exactly. The Assault Knight Brigade lives up to its name with the world’s strongest breakthrough power.”
The Crusade Knight Order under Greta’s command was luring the Holy Knights into encirclement for annihilation.
But if gaps formed in the encirclement, the plan would fail.
Shesus would charge the Assault Knight Brigade through those gaps, tearing into the enemy lines and racing straight to the Edelfelt stronghold, Gaiarant.
‘Shesus and the Assault Knight Brigade have that much power.’
Even in the past, the Dialogue Church had suffered major blows from Shesus and the Assault Knight Brigade multiple times.
Their breakthrough power was that formidable.
‘I just hope Shesus shows his prime strength.’
With those thoughts, I led my men in rampaging through the Northburg area.
* * *
“The time has come.”
Shesus climbed to a high vantage and surveyed the front.
A gap had opened in the Crusade Knight Order tightening their encirclement.
Something must have happened in the rear, scattering their forces.
“There are two exploitable gaps. Sion’s doing his job properly.”
10 o’clock direction, and 1 o’clock direction.
Both looked appealing even to Shesus’s eyes.
“Brigade Leader Bernhard.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Bernhard, waiting at his side, responded.
“Lead the Independent Knight Brigade and advance toward 10 o’clock.”
“You mean…….”
“Be the bait. I’ll lead the Assault Knight Brigade in a charge at 1 o’clock and smash the enemy center.”
“……!”
It was a brutally harsh order.
The Independent Knight Brigade was far weaker than the Assault Knight Brigade.
Charging into the enemy at 10 o’clock was just as dangerous, and they risked total annihilation if encircled.
“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not sending you to die.”
“Then…….”
“Est goes with you.”
“……!”
Bernhard swallowed hard.
He hadn’t expected their top ace, Est, to be assigned to the bait role.
“But don’t get too complacent. If Est moves, Greta Edelfelt will definitely head that way too.”
“So…… you really intend to use us as bait, Commander.”
“Indeed.”
If even Est went to 10 o’clock, the enemy would assume that was the main thrust.
While Greta and the Edelfelt main force concentrated there, Shesus would advance the Assault Knight Brigade at 1 o’clock.
“While I rip through the enemy lines, fulfill your role as bait faithfully.”
Shesus’s voice was imperious.
* * *
“It’s starting.”
Three days after infiltrating the Northburg area.
New movements stirred in the utterly chaotic Edelfelt camp.
“Our main force has begun their full assault.”
“It’s finally begun!”
Right now, we were torching a supply depot.
But if Shesus had launched his offensive, we no longer needed to do this.
“Should we support by attacking their rear as well?”
“Hit-and-run like now is one thing, but charging openly at them with just twenty men is too risky. Wait for the main force to get close, then link up.”
“Understood.”
“By the way…… come here for a moment.”
I beckoned Edwin and Lieselotte.
While the other members torched the depot and rested, we slipped into the nearby woods.
“To avoid alarming the others, I’ll tell just you two ahead of time.”
“Lord Sion, what is it?”
“Are you planning something else?”
Before the puzzled Edwin and Lieselotte, I lowered my voice.
“Our mission to disrupt the enemy rear ends here. As I just said, now we hide and link up with the main force.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“But?”
“I have something else to do.”
Edwin and Lieselotte’s eyes widened.
“Something else…… what do you mean?”
“You’re not going off alone, are you?”
“That’s right. So you two lead the others and link up with the main force.”
Before the bewildered pair, I explained slowly.
“Shesus already told me to act at my own discretion on the scene. So there won’t be a problem.”
“No, Lord Sion. Even so…….”
“Lord Sion, tell us clearly.”
Lieselotte pressed me.
“What exactly are you thinking?”
“I’m going to scout Gaiarant.”
“Gaiarant……!”
Hearing I intended to head to the Edelfelt family stronghold, Gaiarant, both were aghast.
“A-Are you in your right mind, Lord Sion?”
“You’ve really gone too far this time.”
“These guys have no filter with their superiors.”
I couldn’t even smack them.
“There’s something bothering me, so I’m going alone to peek. Anyone else would just get in the way.”
“You’re really just going for a quick scout and coming back, right?”
“You’re not planning anything else?”
“What could I possibly do alone in Gaiarant? Johan Edelfelt is there too.”
Hearing my words, Edwin and Lieselotte pondered with furrowed brows.
“Hmm, it’d be right to stop you even if it risks our lives…….”
“But he won’t listen anyway…… no helping it.”
In the end, the two sighed deeply and gave up trying to dissuade me.
“You’re really just going for a bit and coming straight back. Promise.”
“No detours, come right back. Got it?”
“Are you two my mom?”
As I shot back at their worried nagging, I apologized inwardly.
Because I planned to infiltrate Gaiarant and get myself captured.