“To say it more precisely, saying that there wasn’t a battle that looked like a battle would be a more correct expression, your majesty.”
Viscount Higgs Porter exhaled a long sigh.
“The Lancephil Fief Regiment’s left wing bastards tightly hid within the camps they raised on the hills, slopes, and riversides and did not come out. Counteracting by firing arrows or throwing bamboo spears and such from time to time was all.”
“They hid in their camps and didn’t come out?” Kallum Rinse creased his brows.
‘Only the left wing is staying put with their butt down while the Lancephil Fief Regiment’s center army and the right wing are desperately fighting?’
It was something difficult to comprehend.
It was clear that there was some sort of scheme or other circumstances.
Higgs inferred Kallum’s thoughts and quickly continued on.
“In truth, an envoy came from their camps before the battle, your majesty.”
“An envoy?”
It was a continuation of simply incomprehensible events.
Higgs nodded his head.
“Yes, your majesty. Here is the letter their envoy had brought.”
From his chest pocket, he took out a yellow paper and handed it to Kallum.
“Hm?”
Kallum read the words in the paper and then soon creased his face.
Higgs, as if he had been waiting, spoke in a quiet voice.
“The Lancephil Left Wing bastards sent a message that they did not wish to fight with Baroness Elva Dionell.”
It was the truth.
There definitely were such words in the letter.
Higg’s words continued on.
“We as well as Baroness Dionell shouted in exasperation and sent him back, but……”
“Those bastards actually didn’t answer for battle?”
Kallum took his finishing words and asked back.
Higgs nodded his head.
“Yes, your majesty. We couldn’t do a battle against the bastards that stuck inside their camps and didn’t come out, and even though we had particularly tried to capture their camps, their camps’ locations were too effective and their defenses also strong that we couldn’t achieve our desire.”
“Hmm.”
Kallum and Lukan leaked quiet groans.
Higg’s face stiffly solidified.
“With this situation, we will merely end up passing time while unable to do any particular battle, sirs.”
The words he passed were simple, but the meaning held within were more complicated than seemed.
Kallum’s face also solidly stiffened.
‘There is nothing largely problematic if it was an ordinary battle.’
For even if the right wing couldn’t do any battle like battle, they could ultimately win the battle if they moved the center army and the left wing in the meanwhile and defeat the enemy army.
But.
‘We are an allied army. If the Diez Kingdom Army raise large achievements in such a battle while our legion merely suck on our thumbs unable to do anything……’
There was a worry that they would lose the upper hand in the later merit awards and compensation issue.
Already, a situation where they were to give the Rinse Kingdom’s southern region including the Potter Viscounty.
If not careful, they might have to give an even bigger land.
‘We can’t let that happen.’
Kallum tightly clenched his teeth and looked at Viscount Greg Sinaiz.
‘Me giving out the order first isn’t good.’
If not careful, his dark thoughts might be caught by Lukan.
His eyes flashed and shone with light.
Greg who was quietly watching the scene quickly came to himself.
He had seen through Kallum’s thoughts in an instant.
Only, his head wasn’t so good.
“Your majesty, if those bastards are hiding in their camps and are not planning to come out because of Baroness Dionell, would it not be better to leave Baroness Dionell on that side and turn the rest of the right wing’s soldiers to the center army?”
From a quick listen, it was a rather fine suggestion.
A motion to hold down the enemy army’s feet with a small number of soldiers and then to instead thicken the center army and break the enemy’s main camp.
But.
“We cannot, your majesty.”
Higgs shook his head with a stiffly hardened expression.
He looked straight into Kallum’s eyes.
“It is unpleasant to speak these words, but there is a need to think of the worst case, your majesty.”
At those words, Kallum asked back in a quiet voice.
“Do you mean that Baroness Elva Dionell may truly be conspiring with Roan Lancephil?”
“I do not mean that it is certainly so, your majesty.”
Higgs quickly shook his head. However, he did not simply back down even so.
“But there is such thing as maybe. If Baroness Elva Dionell is truly conspiring with Roan Lancephil, our entire right wing camps will be handed over to the enemy army’s hands the moment we turn our right wing troops to the center army.”
“Hmm.”
Kallum leaked a quiet groan.
He chewed his lips and sank into thought.
Unfortunately, Kallum did not trust his subordinates as much as Roan.
‘The victory and defeat of large battles like this always starts from the tiniest of things.’
There was no need to unnecessarily make a leery circumstance.
Kallum looked at Higgs and nodded his head.
“Those words hold enough truth.”
He ultimately couldn’t trust Elva.
“Then what method should we use?”
At the lightly asked question, Higgs acted as if contemplating a little, then spewed out the plans within his head.
“How about moving Baroness Elva Dionell and her troops to the center army’s main camp and forming them as reserve force instead, your majesty? Although the circumstances are awkward and flowing in a not so good way, we should be able to use her as an ace hand in the final battle since Baroness Dionell’s might being outstanding is a definite truth.”
An ace only because worded nicely, it in short meant to exclude her from the battle.
Kallum slowly nodded his head.
It was exactly the proposal he wanted.
“Alright. It seems that method would be the best for both our Allied Army and Baroness Dionell anyhow.”
Soon the corresponding orders were given.
The tips of Higgs’s mouth who was deeply lowering his head slightly went up.
On the other hand, the soldiers of the center army and the right wing were overflowing with confused looks.
Because they couldn’t believe Elva, who was counted even amongst the many commanders as strongest, was reassigned to reserve force.
“Huu.”
Elva didn’t show any particular reaction at Kallum’s order and led her troop and moved to the center army’s camp while exhaling a long sigh.
Kallum made a refreshed smile as if an aching tooth had fallen out.
The situation wasn’t bad.
‘Though we couldn’t grasp an edge, it is a fact that we are advantageous in the center armies’ battle.’
Furthermore, the left wing’s Diez Kingdom Army had already gained an edge.
If only the right wing’s Kallum Army could pull up their strength, they could end the battle faster than they had thought.
His heart rapidly raced.
It felt as if the victory was before his nose. The next day, the battles began the instant the day brightened.
The left wing’s Diez Kingdom Army pulled up their pressure a little more and pushed the Lancephil right wing.
They captured three more big and small camps and raised such large feats as pushing the Lancephil right wing’s camps backwards.
At this, the center army, as if to compete, also reorganized, newly charged, and fiercely drove back Roan and the Lancephil Fief Regiment’s main camp.
Though they still maintained a tied state, they minutely managed to hold edge and captured three, four strategically advantageous hills.
“What happened at the right wing?”
Kallum stood at a watchtower and cautiously asked as he observed the many battlefields.
Greg faintly smiled and answered.
“Perhaps thanks to Baroness Dionell moving to the center army’s camp, a battle also unfolded on that side, your majesty. They have captured strategically important forests, hills, and valleys one after another and captured two enemy camps.”
“Excellent.”
Kallum brightly smiled and nodded his head.
He finally got the feeling that the battle was flowing properly.
At that moment, Greg smacked his lips and added on with a disappointed expression.
“Only, they had raised up their spirits too much and the right wing’s head commander Count George Lopez became greatly injured while attacking deep into the enemy’s camp.”
Kallum creased his brows.
“The situation?”
“Thankfully, there is no danger to his life. Only, it seems it would be difficult for him to carry out the head commander role any further.”
“Hmm.”
Kallum let out a quiet groan at Greg’s report.
Clouds always followed sunshine.
A bad event followed when a good event happened.
“Who would be good as his replacement?”
At Kalllum’s question, Greg contemplated for a moment, then answered in a small voice.
“There is Viscount Eddie Manson who acted as Count Lopez’s adjutant up til now and Viscount Higgs Potter, your majesty.”
Instantly, Kallum’s eyes opened wide.
“Higgs?”
That name directly shot into his ears.
Higgs had given the advice that simply satisfied his heart the last night.
The contemplation wasn’t long.
“I appoint Viscount Higgs Potter to the right wing’s head commander.”
“Yes. Understood, your majesty.”
Greg saluted and lowered his head.
He too had no particular dissent on Higgs’s appointment to the head commander.
Because he was tactful as well as upright, rather, he was one of the commanders he valued.
The news of the appointment was soon passed to the right wing.
Higgs as well as the Viscount Potter House’s soldiers greatly rejoiced and cheered.
However, there was someone else who rejoiced more than them.
“I see, so he finally became the head commander?”
The one smiling faintly as he asked back was Roan Lancephil.
“Yes, sir. The agent observing the KaLu Allied Army’s right wing personally gave the report.”
A man wearing wearing black clothes ideal for stealth lowered his head.
The smile hanging on Roan’s mouth deepened further.
“Understood.”
When he answered shortly, the black clothed man hid his presence like a fog.
Roan who was left alone breathed in deeply and nodded his head.
“Finally the entire board is set.”
A satisfied voice fully filled the inside of the tent.
*****
“This is quite troubling.”
An old man with a white beard grown long down to his chest smacked his lips and shook his head.
He was wearing a brilliant wine-colored robe and a tally pointed hat.
Sitting on a giant throne as brilliant as his robe, he lightly tapped the armrest with a tip of his hand.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
A light sound echoed in the grand hall.
“Must I kill Io Lancephil or something……”
A voice downed as if pained.
The men neatly lined below the giant throne lowered their heads with penitent expressions.
They too were wearing robes of wine hue like the old man.
However, their appearances were much humbler and the hats worn on their heads too were much shorter than that of the old man.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
For a while, only the sound of tapping the armrest fully filled the grand hall.
After who knew how long.
Tap!
The old man stopped his finger and made a faint smile.
“I’ve heard the holy command.”
The instant his words fell, the men who were lined up kneeled down on one knee.
The old man locked his hands together and made a bright smile.
“Send an envoy to Mills Voisa and Clay. I will confer them a holy land.”
At those words, the men who were kneeling on one knees all answered in one voice.
“Yes. Understood. Your holiness, Holy Emperor.”
“Heulheulheul.”
(p/n old man laugh)
The old man weirdly laughed and nodded his head.
The identity of the old man wearing the brilliant wine-hued robes and a papal crown Veldrica, the Holy Emperor of the Devesis Church that all empires and kingdoms of the continent believed and followed.
*****
“Damn it! This is ridiculous! Are those bastards truly monsters!”
Viscount Greg Sinaiz fiercely glared with his eyes and shouted.
He, on the day that became the fifth day since the battle began, personally led his legion and marched.
Unlike the left wing, right wing that had grasped an edge, the center army was still unable to overpower Roan and the Lancephil Fief Regiment.
But even though Greg who was the chief commander had marched leading twenty thousand soldiers, the battle actually progressed very tightly.
“Those bastards are the problem. Those bastards!”
The place Greg’s gaze headed.
At that place, three warriors were massacring, no, slaughtering the KaLu Allied Army’s soldiers.
Ping! Piving! Ping!
With clean sounds, sharp arrows pierced the air one after another.
Pbuk! Pbubububuck!
The arrows, without a single exception, pierced the soldiers’ foreheads and necks.
A perfect accuracy.
Not only that, he even managed to pierce three soldiers with a single arrow.
The warriors showing off ghostly archery skill was no other than Harrison.
“U, u, uaaah! Sa, save me!”
One of the soldiers turned his horse and ran towards the Maiel Mountain.
Harrison quickly pulled his reins and drew his bowstring.
“It’s impossible to run away from me.”
A quiet shout.
Ggigigigigick!
Together with a sound of wood twisting, his bow curved.
Piing!
With a clean sound, a single arrow cut through the sky and flew.
The arrows rode the plain’s violent winds and greatly swayed.
But despite so.
Puuck!
The arrow precisely pierced the back of the head of the soldier who was running.
A skill difficult to believe even after seeing.
However, a scene even more hard to believe than this was unfolding right next to that.
Spat! Ssskuk!
A sharp blade of a spear halved the soldiers together with a wind.
The spearhead danced without a rest.
It didn’t discriminate front and back, left and right.
Though the KaLu Allied Army’s soldiers rushed from every direction, not one could dodge the spearhead’s kiss.
“Kuk.”
“Gguruk.”
Tens of soldiers fell with sounds of blood boiling.
A stream of blood scattered along the spearhead rising to the sky.
“Come as much as you wish.”
The identity of the boldly shouting spearman was Pierce.
Widely swinging his spear, he purposefully pierced into the center of the enemy army.
“Die!”
“Die!”
The enemy soldiers swung their swords and pounced as if they’d been waiting.
But before they could take more than two steps, they lost their arms and heads and powerlessly fell.
Now, even the spearhead slicing the wind couldn’t be seen.
Ssspat! Pbat! Ssskuk! Sssguk!
Only the sharp sounds of shattering the air and horrifying rupturing sounds hit the ears.
Of course, the KaLu Allied Army’s soldiers turned into corpses each time.
“Damn it! Shoot the arrows! Throw the spears!”
Greg shouted with redly flushed face.
Ssweaaaaak!
Soon tens, hundreds of arrows and spears covered the sky.
At that moment.
Boom!
With a boom, a fire erupted between the sky and earth.
Pububuck!
The arrows and spears couldn’t pierce the fire and disappeared as a handful of ash.
Black ashes fluttering like snow.
Below that was Roan wearing a crimson armor.
“Monstrous bastards……”
Greg creased his brows and glared at Roan.
His hands and feet restlessly trembled.
But even so, he couldn’t run.
No, there wasn’t even a need to run.
Though Roan, Pierce, and Harrison’s might were incredible enough to fear, they too were humans who bled red blood.
‘The bastards’ number of soldiers is at most five thousand. We will rush. If we keep rushing by forcing ourselves a bit, they will ultimately fall!’
Five thousand against twenty thousand.
It was a number difference that couldn’t be a fight in the first place.
“Attack! Attack!”
Greg shouted aloud.
At that moment.
Dum! Dum! Dum! Dum! Dum!
The sound of drums signalling retreat noisily rang from the Lancephil Center Army’s camp.
“Retreat!”
Roan loudly shouted and turned his horse.
With Pierce and Harrison at the head, the five thousand taemusas hurriedly began to retreat.
“Un?”
Greg who spiritedly gave the attack order tilted his head with a puzzled look.
‘Retreat? Why?’
Though the number difference was certainly great, the situation wasn’t disadvantageous enough to immediately retreat.
‘Perhaps some scheme again……?’
A suspicion instantly formed first.
Thanks to that, he couldn’t easily give the order to chase.
At that moment, a sound of horn was heard from the legion’s right.
Vvuuuuuuuu!
With a long and grand sound, a large-scale legion and a giant legion flag appeared.
“That’s……”
Greg soon widely goggled his eyes.
“Right wing?”
An incredulous event.
The right wing that should’ve been fighting the Lancephil Left Wing had appeared on the center army’s battlefield.
“B, betrayal?”
A horrible thought fully filled his head.
“All soldiers prepare for battle.”
He gave a quiet order.
There was no carelessness.
Greg wasn’t very smart but he was meticulous, however he was full of worry.
At that moment, a cavalryman run up like an arrow from the right wing.
Widely waving his arms, he shouted at the top of his voice.
“Lancephil Left Wing defeated! Lancephil Left Wing defeated!”
An unimagined news of victory.
The cavalryman brightly smiled and shouted once more.
“We will join the center army, sirs!”
< Amaranth (36) > End.