Chapter 141
Chapter 141
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 141
Chapter Title: A Familiar Foe
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People aren't dullahans; they can't just walk around perfectly fine without a head.
But what was that flag, standing brazenly in the enemy camp?
It was definitely the seal of Kroll Karim I'd seen at the last strategy meeting.
“A command flag being raised means the commander is there…”
The moment Sophia's murmur tickled my ear, I glanced back without thinking.
And there, I saw the questioning faces of the Third Prince's military command.
‘No, I can understand the others, but Adel, you can't be looking at me like that!’
Perhaps sensing the disappointment in my expression, Adel Richter's face flushed slightly.
It seemed she had doubted me, if only for a moment.
Then again, my report claimed that I had single-handedly annihilated the commanders of the Corinth Kingdom's army.
It was, by all common sense, hard to believe.
“Everyone, calm down. Nothing has been confirmed yet.”
Ellington, sensing the delicate atmosphere, spread his hands to mediate.
It seemed he wanted to prevent a division among the military leaders, if nothing else.
Moreover, he seemed to think there was something hidden in my lukewarm reaction.
‘As expected, he's a quick judge. He knows how to question the information presented to him and has a backbone.’
That's why I chose this guy over Frantz.
Of course, the fact that I joined this side because there were many beautiful women around the Third Prince was a secret I'd take to my grave.
Frixon knowing is one thing, but it would be a bit embarrassing if the story spread to the entire command.
I have to maintain my image in front of the lovely ladies.
‘Still, this is strange.’
I stared at the enemy army with fresh eyes.
Normally, an army that lost its commanders would collapse in an instant.
They weren't an elite army with a rigid command structure, just a patchwork of forces pulled from here and there.
Without a commander with strong charisma to control them, they would act on their own whims.
‘The barons and knight-wannabes would probably be bickering about who's right, leading to their own downfall.’
But despite losing Kroll Karim and all their other skilled leaders, the Corinth Kingdom's army was operating just fine.
It was a mystery how such an army could have made it this far.
But just then.
“They're—they're coming!”
An officer on the watchtower shouted toward Ellington.
Since I too was observing the enemy closely, I understood the situation immediately.
“Catapult attack! Everyone, get behind cover!”
Before my shout even finished, the commanders were already diving for safety.
As they were all accomplished individuals, their movements were swift and precise.
Thanks to that, despite the surprise catapult attack, there were no major casualties.
Only the castle wall shook violently with a deafening roar.
CRRAAASSH! RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!
‘Whoa!’
I held back an undignified gasp and rolled across the ground.
It was because a catapult stone had struck the exact spot on the wall where I was hiding.
If it weren't for my superhuman patience, I would have made a fool of myself.
And in front of the lovely ladies, no less.
“Hmph!”
I rose in a stylish pose and checked the enemy's position.
But I immediately had to duck behind a pile of rubble.
Because dozens of boulders were flying my way.
WHOOOOSH! KABOOM!
“Hey, why are you only aiming at me!”
Normally, a catapult attack could never be this accurate.
It was normal for their accuracy to be so poor that it would take dozens of tries to land a single hit.
But the Second Prince's army's catapults were hitting the wall without a single miss.
Many of them struck the lower part of the wall, but it was still an absurd level of accuracy.
Tap, tap, tap! Thump!
Leaping from the edge of the shaking wall, I did a somersault in mid-air and landed on the ground.
It was a move made of 100% style, but no one was watching.
The northern wall of the fortress was in complete chaos.
“What are you doing over there! Get to safety, now!”
Just as I was shrugging in disappointment, I heard Adel's voice.
It seemed she had figured out the direction of the attack and come down here, to the safest spot.
She's always so good with calculations.
I waved a hand as if to say I was fine and walked toward Adel.
But then, she let out a piercing scream.
“No, I said move! You idiot!”
I turned my head and saw a house-sized boulder was already right upon me.
SHWOOOOOSH!
Ah, right.
I was just thinking she was good at calculations.
‘Did she read the projectile's trajectory that quickly?’
I marveled once again at Adel's ability and calmly turned.
The boulder, having soared hundreds of meters into the air before falling, contained immense power.
Enough to turn a mere human into a squashed tomato in an instant.
But I was the man who had defeated Corinth's greatest warrior in a head-on duel.
“Do you think you can harm me with such an antiquated siege weapon?”
I concisely swung the Black Dragon Sword in an upward diagonal arc.
A grayish-white crescent slash cut through the air.
It was the ultimate heavy sword technique, the Heaven-Severing Demonic Moon.
SPWEEEN—! KRRRAAAACK!
When the aura and the projectile collided, an unexpected roar erupted.
To think such a sound would come from just hitting a simple boulder!
‘Ugh? Gyaaaah—!’
My eyes widened at the excruciating pain I felt in my grip.
I was screaming inwardly, but I couldn't let it show.
Because Adel was watching from nearby.
“Hyaaaaaah!”
I let out a battle cry that seemed to boil up from within.
With that, the brief stalemate came to a quick end.
The cutting power of the Heaven-Severing Demonic Moon had momentarily amplified.
SSSSSHHHHK! THUD!
The cleanly sliced projectile split in two and slammed into the ground on either side.
Swish, swish.
I spun the Black Dragon Sword leisurely before sheathing it with a click.
Then I turned to look at Adel, who had been watching me.
As expected, her face was filled with astonishment.
I suppose she never expected to witness someone split a catapult stone in one blow from right in front of her.
‘Heh heh! Fallen for me yet?’
As I put on a confident expression, Adel Richter's face turned peculiar.
She pointed a trembling hand at my face and opened her mouth.
“You have a nosebleed.”
Drip.
Only then did I feel the warm liquid wetting my lips.
It seemed a blood vessel had burst when I exerted more force than expected during the clash with the boulder.
‘Ah, dammit. So much for my style.’
* * *
The relentless attack went quiet for a while.
There were plenty of rocks suitable for catapult ammunition near Ermac Fortress in the Allente region.
But that didn't mean they could fire them indefinitely.
‘After all, people still had to move those boulders.’
In any case, there would be no more catapult attacks for the time being.
In the meantime, we had to repair the damaged wall and prepare for what came next.
There was no telling what kind of strategy the enemy would use.
Of course, the construction would be handled by Mac Ties, our living brick factory.
I just had to pretend to plan strategy while flirting with Adel.
“I think there's something about those catapult stones.”
“Right. There's no way they could be that accurate otherwise. Plus, it felt like they were blatantly targeting me.”
“It seems impossible by common sense, but I feel the same way. I sensed that strange aura too.”
“Right? But how could they make their catapults so accurate?”
“Could the mages from the Gray Tower be involved?”
“...That's what I was thinking too.”
I nodded to save Adel's face, but my thoughts were a little different.
If they had that much mana to spare, they would just attack the wall directly.
‘Those Gray Tower guys aren't idiots... huh? Wait, could it be that with their leaders annihilated, only the fools are left?’
I mulled it over, but that didn't seem right.
I had wrecked the Gray Tower on a special mission from the Head, but I only killed the Tower Master.
Most of the other skilled members were still around.
They probably selected a new leader right away.
They don't have the divine artifact, the Granmagia, but that's just a symbolic object.
As if sensing my deliberation, Adel offered her own speculation.
“Maybe they're deliberately acting passively? For political reasons, perhaps.”
“Or maybe they're anticipating a long war and trying to conserve their strength.”
“Ah! That could be it.”
“In any case, it seems they don't want to step out into the open. I can't see them at all.”
I enhanced my vision and scanned the enemy camp, but I couldn't see anyone who looked like a Gray Tower mage.
They must be hiding somewhere, using their talents.
‘Still, that flag is really bothering me.’
I stared at Kroll Karim's banner, which had caught my eye.
That man definitely died by my hand.
If I'd known this would happen, I would've just taken his head and run.
I was too busy killing everyone else who looked like they had commander potential to have the time.
So what in the world is that?
It wasn't unheard of to use a flag as a decoy on the battlefield.
Of course, doing so would drag the commander's honor and prestige through the mud.
But commanders who only pursued practical gains did exist.
“But that's the problem. Their cohesion.”
An army that can carry out operations perfectly fine even after losing its leaders.
Come to think of it, that sounds incredibly strong.
Wouldn't that allow a commander to draw out their leadership capabilities to the absolute limit?
‘An army that moves as one, like limbs of a body... I'm sure I've heard about something like that somewhere.’
I'm pretty well-connected and skilled in various arts, you see.
I know a fair bit of gossip and old tales.
It was a story that bordered on legend, but such an army did exist over a thousand years ago.
Alkheim would probably know the details.
He was actually active back then, after all.
—Hey. Alk.
I immediately used mental transmission to call the Dark Spirit King.
I couldn't speak aloud because Adel was right beside me.
Alk's indignant voice immediately struck my mind.
—I told you not to call me by that name, didn't I?
—Let's just keep it casual. You don't use my full name either.
—You never told me what it was, you damn bastard.
—Oh, is that so? Anyway, let me ask you something. About an army that moves in perfect sync with your will.
—‘In perfect sync’? What a pathetic explanation.
—Ah, just get the gist of it. Anyway, it was something like that. Wasn't there something similar a thousand years ago? I heard they nearly swept the continent.
—Ah... that?
The moment I mentioned the era, he knew exactly what I was talking about.
See? It's different talking to someone who actually lived through it.
But just as Alkheim was about to say something.
Someone emerged from the enemy camp and shouted in a booming voice.
“Ray Carter! Come out! You damn bastard!”
Hey, who is that bastard, using the same curse I just heard?
I frowned and looked down the path leading up to the fortress, and there stood a man with a rather familiar silhouette.
Holding a massive sword.
“Wow! That guy... he's alive?”