My villains, episode 440
, 65. The climax of spring (15)
“Ooh oh oh!”
When the knights and cavalry, including Sir Langbolt and I, returned to the defensive line, the soldiers shouted like thunder. There were soldiers brandishing weapons and flags toward the dawn, and there were others standing on top of a broken wooden fence and hurling insults at the enemy.
Wouldn’t the expression ‘fraud pierce the sky’ be for this kind of scene?
It was only natural that the soldiers’ spirits rose. It was because within 30 minutes of launching a surprise attack aiming at dawn, the enemy had been crushed by nearly 500.
However, the war situation was not so optimistic.
“…Two hundred and fifty dead or wounded? Just two magic rooms?” Staff Fogan, who was commanding the troops next to Count Ines, nodded with a heavy face.
“As you can see, Commander, it wasn’t just a spell on that level. It seems that a high-ranking saboteur sent from ‘Linhow on the Mountain’ is behind enemy lines.”
but. ‘Sphere of Destruction’ is a spell that borrows the power of the magic circle, so even so, ‘Arrow of Destruction’ is a spell that even ordinary saboteurs cannot imitate. If there is a high-ranking saboteur in the enemy camp who handles such spells, massive damage is inevitable.
“Ugh. Anyway, we have to evacuate the wounded first to Eisbovald… How many wounded are difficult to treat on the Iophya line?”
Iofiya has the ability to heal wounds as a soul shaman who has acquired the title of ‘Kanzai’.
However, due to the nature of magic and its low level, the healing techniques performed by the girl in the meadow were not as instantaneous as the power of the Kwangmyeong Bridge. If the priest’s prayer technique was to instantly wash away wounds, Iofiya’s sorcery was to regenerate quickly by boosting vitality. It felt like using a wound healing potion with little effect.
Of course, that alone was of great help, but it was impossible for Iofya alone to take care of dozens of injured people.
“We are still figuring out the exact situation of the damage, but at least 30 people will have to be evacuated.”
“Thirty people. It is an ambiguous number.”
“So that’s what I’m saying.”
Staff Fogan hesitated for a moment before adding.
“It would be better to postpone the evacuation for a while.”
“Evacuation? why?”
“We don’t even have enough troops to build an evacuation unit. To conserve a little bit of force, it is better to do one small-scale evacuation rather than several small-scale evacuation.”
shut up for a while
The wounded who need to be evacuated will be those who have had limbs cut off, have tetanus, or are still bleeding and need to be cared for by a priest. If evacuation is delayed, some of those thirty or so will not survive. If you’re lucky, one or two will die, if you’re unlucky, more than half may die.
“I will.”
But I nodded my head without thinking too long.
“I’ll decide on the timing, so prepare first.”
“I will serve you, Commander.”
There are roughly a hundred enemy soldiers who lost their lives at my hands just a few minutes ago. It was not that difficult for me now to give orders to the wounded soldiers whose lives were on the line to hold out just a little longer.
The vanguard of Saint Baek Hopeken, who suffered great damage from the night raid, moved back the garrison by about a hundred meters. It was a measure to escape from the breath of the old mage, Og Schlizo.
What followed was very simple. Having a strong defensive posture and firing destructive spells…
The baptism of magic close to the bombardment that I had experienced as a taster at dawn began to knock on the defense line. Tired wizards, as well as Atalanta, went on the defense, but they could not block all the destructive spells that flew incessantly for four or five hours.
In the end, the allies had to put their heads behind mounds or under trenches. Concentrated formation is a privilege of the side with superior magical power, so even the few wizards had exhausted all their mana, and now they had no choice but to stay spread out.
By noon the defenses were completely devastated.
Nevertheless, Altzenberg’s vanguard remained motionless, firing spells. It was like fighting a siege against a giant.
He tried to fight back by crossing the river again, but he didn’t seem to want to fall for the same trick twice. Seongbaek Hopken himself led his disciples and elite soldiers, including imperial knights, into the field, so it was impossible to attack them recklessly.
Of course, you can try to attack.
However, considering that Hopeken’s gloves are powerful magic tools that freeze all surrounding magic power, if he confronts his elite troops, he will have to engage in hand-to-hand combat without blood manipulation.
If Hopeken and I were to stick together for a short period of time, such restrictions wouldn’t be a big deal. But this is a battlefield.
Standing in the field, Hopeken was not just a master of swords, but a noble commander with over a dozen swordsmen, over thirty imperial knights, and numerous elite soldiers.
Sir Langboldt and the Knights of the Milgrester family were not lacking in skills, but they were outnumbered. If you put your head against them, both sides would have to fight for their lives.
As a result, Staff Fogan’s advice was very reasonable.
The number of soldiers who needed to be evacuated increased to about 100 in the evening, as damage continued to occur while they were beaten and driven into the collapsing trenches.
When the evacuation force was set off before sunset, the number of troops remaining in the devastated defensive line was less than eight hundred at most.
In this situation, an incident occurred that threw the already broken morale into the gutter.
The enemy’s main force had arrived.
“X feet.”
I mumble unintentionally.
Climbing up a watchtower with one corner blown off and looking down at the countless enemy soldiers, it would be strange if curses didn’t come out in desperation.
“…roughly how many are those?”
Sir Langboldt, who was stroking his mustache and watching the enemy lines, answered my question.
“well. It won’t be six thousand, but it’s definitely over five thousand.”
I was very slightly relieved.
For me, who was not accustomed to counting the number of people yet, there seemed to be tens of thousands of enemies gathering across the river.
However, the officers and staff gathered around them seemed to have different opinions.
“Commander. Step back to Eisbobalt right now. If that huge army attacks, we won’t be able to last an hour – no, not even thirty minutes.”
“Isn’t it a satisfactory achievement just to slow the enemy’s advance for a while?”
“You boasted that Your Highness the Three Princes and his army would appear, but there has been no news so far.”
Perhaps because the situation had progressed this far, the remaining knights and officers, a total of about 10 or so, came up with one voice to withdraw.
Turning slightly to the other side, Atalanta was silent, looking a bit tired, and Sir Langboldt had his arms crossed with an expressionless face.
I quietly scratched my eyebrows and asked the girl sitting on the side of the watchtower a question.
“What do you think, His Excellency?”
Earl Ines, head of the Milgrester family, had a sleepy expression on his face, then blinked blankly.
“What do you mean Commander?”
“Do you think His Excellency should also resign?”
“Why are you asking me that?”
“That’s right, about half of the troops remaining in the defense line are His Excellency’s troops.”
Even if you simply count the number of soldiers, that’s about it. Most of the knights and officers gathered on the watchtower were Milgrester’s retainers, and the battle mages who had blocked the magic bottles last night were also patronized by her.
So, to put it mildly, it would have to be said that Count Ines’ stake in this battlefield was higher than Sir Langboldt’s or Atalante’s.
“Uh”
Earl Ines narrowed his eyes for a moment.
The aristocratic girl with fair skin and rosy cheeks and the noisy battlefield with a musty stench did not suit her at all. However, the pupil, which was finely divided up and down and gave off a sharp atmosphere, somehow gave the girl an unfounded belief that she would make a good decision.
“I remember what the commander said yesterday.”
“I mean?”
“You said that if you back down, you will only lose. As if this is the only place where victory can be found.”
The Count continued with a calm expression.
“Because I bet on the three princes, Your Highness and the Lord, I have to believe it until the end.”
“…I am just grateful that you trust me. But this is not a gamble for fun.”
“It may seem like that from the commander’s point of view, but to me it’s a gamble.”
A slight smile was drawn on the girl’s small face.
“And… to a young and greedy nobleman like me, the odds are more important than the odds.”
I didn’t think it was something that would come out of a 15-year-old girl’s mouth, so I laughed awkwardly.
The knights and officers of Milgrester, who had been talking about retreating like that, were silent. It’s always surprising that a count who hasn’t even had a coming-of-age ceremony holds onto his vassals so tightly. Is it the power of dominance befitting a prestigious family?
“…then let’s hold out for just one more day. If you endure the night well, the day might be somehow.”
I looked back at those gathered at the watchtower.
“Just one day. If Prince Ulkar doesn’t appear by tomorrow evening, then let’s retreat without regret. Ice Bobalt to Proshafen if necessary.” “I already told you, Commander, to endure a day against a large army like that…
“I will fight to the point of dying.”
He shrugged his shoulders with a light face that didn’t match the bar he had spit out.
“If that doesn’t work, I can’t help it. If I die, then either run away or surrender. but.” About twenty pairs of eyes turned to me. I continued to speak softly.
“If a day has not passed or if there is someone who runs away or surrenders while I am alive and well.”
Tension flowed through the gathered eyeballs, but I just kept my mouth shut and smiled.
Judging by the expression on his face, it seemed that there was no need to say anything.
“…I can’t.”
A young woman sitting near a campfire and peering into a crystal ball abruptly stood up.
“You’re trying to do something stupid. I have to step in.”
“That is not to be said.”
An elderly man with golden rings on his ten fingers and golden bracelets around the necks of both hands held her back with a firm tone.
“Have you forgotten why we left the palace? You’re a smart person, so you’ll know very well that even coming here was forced enough. Please take care of yourself.”
“I never asked you for help. I just do what I have to do.”
A cold wind blew between the woman with her rich blonde hair and the stout old man.
The six men and women who seemed to be in a party stared sideways at each other, holding their breath.
“It’s starting again.”
“This time, the lady’s momentum isn’t too strong, right?”
“But it won’t work for that old man.” It was a woman and a man who were grooming a straight military sword and a heavy sword.
The woman had brown hair and full of freckles across her nose and cheeks, and the man was short but stocky and had a stern face with a shaved head.
“…isn’t it a bit harsh?”
“Severe. A person who believes only in his age, regardless of whether he is up or down-”
The old man dressed in gold looked back at them with one eye.
“Mira Steedman. What were you talking about just now?”
“Hep.
“Q”
The freckled Mira and the tight Steedman shrugged like a frightened rat.
In their place, a young man sitting next to him strung a bow and met the old man’s eyes.
“The lady said you were right.”
“I didn’t ask for your opinion, Cole. It’s none of your business.”
“This is what I want to say. Who dares to challenge the ceremonies of the noblest person in the palace?”
“…Are you being sarcastic? How dare you—”
The old man jumped up, and Archer Cole quietly put his hand on the quiver hung on his thigh.
Then the blonde woman shot the old man.
“Take care of yourself, Aktupyr. Your job is to follow us around. No one wants to be a nanny.”
An elderly man, one of the seven Grand Masters of the Palace of La Palais, ‘Aktu Pir Ol’, looked back at the woman with a frown on his face.
“You are the High Master, remember your duty. Your mission is to investigate the necrosis in the Council of Dawn. Go after your old lover-”
“Old lover?”
Aktupyr’s face crumpled even more as the blonde woman let out a cold voice.
“Who is your old lover?”
The dark forest began to tremble at the resonance of mana from the woman.
“Should I put it in my mouth? High Master heard the rumors too!” Grandmaster Aktufir twitched his nose for a moment before exclaiming.
“The red knight is a lecherous person who enjoys flirting with women, and each has women who resemble snakes and demon shadows! I am going to be seduced by such a lascivious scoundrel and forsake the responsibility that runs in your blood!”
The young woman’s pink lips parted. Her blue eyes flashed and she said in a slightly refreshing tone.
“However much.”
“High Master!”
“You don’t care what I do with those bitches. And if you try to use the coffin you put on me as a dog leash, I’ll gladly abandon you. Then what will you do?”
“Please refrain from verbal abuse! It is only natural that with a noble lineage and position comes great responsibility! How dare you talk about dog collars!”
As the stalwart old man raised his mana, a whirlpool raged in the middle of the forest.
As the situation progressed, the disciples of Aktupyr, who had been sitting a little apart, quietly raised themselves.
“under. What is the atmosphere like?”
“They’re like nerds.”
The freckled mummy and the tight Steedman archer Cole jumped up as a signal, and those who were sitting near the bonfire quickly got ready.
paper weave.
A woman in gray leather armor and steel vauntlets raised a longsword, and a flashing current flowed along the blade. The dark gray hair was dyed blue, revealing the calm expression of a woman called ‘one-eyed Simos’ or ‘green-haired Moses’ and an eyepatch covering one eye.
The two men standing behind them couldn’t help but stare at each other.
Master Hagni, a man in a robe with geometric patterns, saw Aktufir’s angry face, swallowed dry saliva, and shook his head as if coming to his senses at the sight of a young woman engulfed in flames. Then, he raised a cane studded with three jewels and pretended to aim at the old man.
Saitz, a young spell thief clad in a loose cloak and wielding a dagger and staff, stood in the dark, chin twitching, then sneaking back to hide in the shadows of the forest.
“Are you going to confront the palace again?”
“It’s fun.”
The cloak of flame swayed and the camouflage spell that was covering the young woman melted.
The shabby coat turned into a splendid white robe with black patterns, and the branches that seemed to have been broken at random turned into glossy black poles, and a shining tiara appeared on top of the rich blonde hair.
“I am the owner of the palace, and I am the palace. Are you asking who stands up to whom?”
“High Master!”
“I have been patient enough. ”
said Highmaster Ellen with a blue smile.
“I know I’m grateful just for hanging out with childish house play. As he threw the quarterstick forward as if toppling over, the black magic rod turned into a black carpet .
She climbed onto the carpet half-flying, and before Aktupir could dissuade her, she flew off into the night sky.
“Such a rush.”
While the old man muttered with a bewildered face, the High Master’s followers, who were equally flustered, looked at each other and moved to one side. Then, I started running towards the place where Ellen had disappeared.
“her.”
Aktufir sent them off without restraint, then looked back to one side of the dark forest.
“Maybe you would like this?”
The shadows in the forest shook and a woman appeared.
She appeared as she cast an invisibility spell, wearing a black veil draped under her eyes with long eyelashes, and holding a three-headed snake-shaped staff in one hand.
“You knew this, Aktupyr?”
“I knew there would be a problem, but I never imagined that I would be so irresponsible. You act as if you became a high master to escape the palace, right?”
“I guess that’s true.”
“I don’t have time to listen to you, Nashal.”
Like Aktupyr, Nashal An Wei, one of the seven Grandmasters of the palace, smiled.
“so? What would you like this older sister to do for you?”
“…I’m just asking for an opinion. We can’t let the High Master get involved in a war, can we?”
“You know, why ask? Hurry up and follow me.”
“It is impossible to stop her alone.”
“You have disciples.”
Ak Tufir, who looked back at the sorcerers called masters in the palace according to his disciples, replied as if it was not appropriate.
“A high master is someone who is proficient in all the tricks a wizard can do. Can my students recite a single word of incantation in front of her?”
“It won’t work.”
“So I need help.”
“no.”
“Nashal!”
She answered in a languid voice, not hiding her annoyance.
“My back hurts. If you recklessly confront that monster lady, you won’t be able to walk for ten years.”
“So you’re just going to watch?”
“Who is stopping the aberration of puberty? If you commit in moderation, let’s make amends.”
“Nashal!”
“I don’t know. Stop looking for your sister and take care of it yourself.”
Aktufir sighed and cupped his furrowed brow.
“…Nashal, no, senior. Please be serious. Isn’t it disturbing the spirit of the palace when the school’s great senior is like this? You must be responsible for the birth of such a High Master.”
“Oh is that so? He said he was cute, but it must have been because he resembled me.”
The old man sighed again in annoyance and looked back at his disciples.
“I’ll go first, so senpai—no, Grand Master Nashal, and follow me.”
Then, without hearing an answer, he cast an incantation, and ten golden rings flashed. Then Aktupyr’s giant rose up and shot like an arrow toward the southeast.
