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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Rome-! Invicta (Invicta)-! Invincible Rome-!”
“Your Majesty!”
[Thud thud thud thud-!]
‘Damn, he’s too fast.’
The emperor, charging alone while shouting the outdated slogan “Rome Invicta-!”
Considering that everyone else was shouting “Nobiscum Deus!” (God is with us!), the emperor was clearly intoxicated by the glory of ancient Rome.
Damn, they say people who love alcohol are all sentimental. Was he the most sentimental person in Rome because he was the biggest drinker?
“It’s His Majesty…! His Majesty is charging! You fools! Follow His Majesty!”
“For Basileus-! For His Majesty-! Charge! Charge!”
“Rome- Invicta-!”
“Your Majesty!!!”
The battlefield, a clash of neatly arranged squares, descended into further chaos as a group of horsemen charged in.
The emperor and the frontline commanders must have received some battle training. We had calculated countless possibilities over the past three days, but
all plans die the moment they meet the enemy.
Still, even the rebels wouldn’t have wanted the emperor to personally charge into that chaotic mess, let alone the imperial army.
‘Is that emperor crazy…! Why is he charging in here…!?’
This exact thought was clearly reflected on the faces of the rebel soldiers facing the emperor’s charge. They knew that if the emperor fell here, it would turn into a fight to the death, a true civil war.
But the soldiers already caught in the maelstrom of battle couldn’t hear the order to stand still and die by the emperor’s sword. The already fierce battle escalated to a new level of brutality.
“Make way! Romans! Make way-!”
Thanks to the emperor who had wedged himself between the enemy and allied lines, it was easy to charge forward.
At that moment, when both armies, with identical equipment and similar appearances, experienced a collective brain freeze due to the unexpected event, the emperor’s guard, the Scholae, expertly exploited the gap and made the first breakthrough. My second wave followed, widening the breach, tearing through the enemy ranks.
“Hel-la!”
As the golden figure swung his sword left and right, and the surrounding spears aimed for his horse instead of the emperor, consumed by the frenzy of battle, I leaped forward with all my might, clearing the bottleneck of a few horsemen, and landed right in front of the enemies surrounding the emperor.
[Whoosh- Thud-! Crack! Gah!]
My axe, descending with the force of my leap, cleaved through the flimsy steel and the organic matter beneath, burying itself in the ground with force to spare.
Bucephalus, the emperor’s steed, already agitated by his frenzied master, panicked at the sudden burst of blood, and only calmed down after my rough hand grabbed the reins.
[Neigh-!]
Michael, clad in pristine golden armor and wielding a sword that seemed untouched despite his enthusiastic swinging, stared at me with wide, trembling eyes. Our eyes were almost level, even though he was seated on the high saddle.
“Konungr Helgi…”
“Basileus Michael. That was a truly honorable charge, I will join you.”
Leaving Michael, who was staring at the ground where my axe had landed with his mouth agape, the Northmen warriors lined up behind me.
“Brave Romans of Thrakēsiōn and Opsikion! Kneel before your emperor! Or you will all die!”
Refil and Oleg to the left, Storolf and Djur to the right. Jarl Yngvarr took the center with me. I quickly issued orders to my lieutenants with hand gestures while urging the Romans to surrender. As the enemy lines, which had been broken by the emperor’s charge and my appearance, began to recover, I immediately charged in.
“Varang-ians! Honor your oaths! Forward-!”
[Crack!]
I threw away my broken axe, grabbed a spear and a single-edged sword lying around, and kicked off the ground.
“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah-!”
“Konungr Helgi! Konungr Helgi Helgason-!”
“O-din!”
“Hella-!”
They say wolves hunt cunningly. So our current form, pushing forward with pure force, was like a pack of bears.
Have you ever heard the sound of bears charging? If not, look here. A thousand bears, following their king, charging towards the Roman lines, a single mass like a boar’s snout, sharp as an arrowhead.
[Boooooong-!]
[Boooooooo-!]
Horns blared from all directions, and I, leading the charge, had already kicked through the enemy’s hastily formed defensive line.
[Crash-!]
“Aaaagh!”
“Gah!”
With a gasp, the enemy shield I had kicked shattered, and the body behind it flew away.
The Roman soldiers, who had endured arrow strikes without screaming, crumbled in an instant.
[Whoosh! Whoosh!]
Regardless of their comrade flying beside them, the soldiers remained focused on their task, slashing and stabbing at me. Their unwavering commitment pleased me.
‘Yes, this is what fighting is. This is what war is.’
My eyes turned red, and I frantically processed all the information around me: smells, sights, sounds, gazes, emotions.
I dodged the spear aimed for my neck with a tilt of my head, and lightly stepped over the sword aimed for my legs.
‘Haa-!’
I inhaled deeply, stealing the breath from my enemies.
I plunged my spear into an exposed chest, and as my body descended, I swung my sword, cleaving through a helmet.
[Thud! Crack!]
“Gah!”
My broken spear and sword, and the enemy helmet, more shattered than cut.
My empty hands quickly drew the sword from my waist, cutting down the enemies to my left and right.
[Clang-! Slash-! Slash!]
The enemy armor split open with a single stroke, revealing gruesome wounds on the tender flesh beneath.
“Aaaagh-!”
“Agh!”
Leaving behind the enemy, screaming and collapsing with all their might, I stepped back and grabbed the spear thrust at me with fear-stricken eyes.
[Whoosh-! Thud! Grab-]
“D-don’t come closer! You son of Satan!”
A voice trembling with fear, involuntarily escaping his lips.
‘I’ve never had a father like that.’
I grabbed the enemy by the collar, who seemed unwilling to let go of his spear even though the tip was in my hand, and charged forward.
“A-roooooos!!!”
[Thud thud thud thud thud-!]
The foolish and brave souls who stood in the way of my chariot-like charge were all knocked down and sent flying, rolling on the ground.
[Thud! Thud thud! Thud!]
“Ugh! Gah! Urgh…”
The soldier who had become my shield was already foaming at the mouth, his eyes rolled back, pierced multiple times by spears from his own allies.
I soon confirmed that the thick enemy ranks had been broken, and seeing no more enemies blocking my path, I released the collar I had been gripping in my left hand.
[Thump-!]
“…”
Demon- Satan- Heracles.
Beyond the surrounding soldiers, too terrified to even move, muttering the most evil and powerful names they could think of, another enemy formation approached, exuding a viscous aura.
‘Yes, this is what a disciplined army is. I’m learning a lot today.’
If the first rank is broken, the second rank takes over. If the second rank is broken, the third rank takes over. This was the discipline of Rome.
I wiped the sweat dripping into my eyes with my blood-soaked hand. The [Sword of Courage] in my right hand was pristine, but stained crimson.
“Opsikion-! Forward! Forward- Go!”
[Thud thud thud thud!]
Beyond the retreating enemies, another formation approached. I felt a thrill as I saw their faces, a mix of fear and duty.
“Soldiers of Rome-! I, I am Helgi Ragnarsson-!”
The bloodlust boiling within me made it impossible to hold back. As Northmen warriors, in similar states as me, began to form ranks around me, eager to charge forward,
“Our Konungr is the strongest!”
“Sterk-! Helgi Sterk-!”
“Varangians-! Are any of you tired-!”
Jarl Yngvarr, who had been keeping up with me despite his age, shouted loudly. The warriors all roared like wolves in response.
“Aoooooooooooh-!”
“Aoo-oooooooh!”
[Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!]
I took out the shield from my back and struck it with the pommel of my sword. One by one, they followed my rhythm, beating their shields.
[Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Boooooooo-ooong-!]
“Uooooooooooooh-!”
“Uoooooooooh-!”
The horns blared once more, and the sound of two Roman armies, drawing their shields close to their mouths and letting out low growls, intertwined with the sound of the approaching enemy and the allies joining from both sides.
“Varangians! Shields! (Skjold)!”
“Shields!”
[Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!]
During that brief respite, my mind, which had regained its composure, decided that now was the time to hold our ground.
‘We have the advantage in cavalry. The moment we broke through the enemy’s first line, their terrain advantage was gone.’
We win if we hold out.
“Soldiers of Rome and the emperor! Brothers! We will not budge from here-!”
“Hel-la!”
“A-ros!”
“Nobiscum Deus!”
“Rome Invicta-!”
The imperial army formed a solid, hedgehog-like defense, centered around the Varangian lines.
Within the warm wall of shields, reeking of blood, sweat, and other filth, I watched the approaching enemy ranks.
‘The tables have turned. Let’s see what you’ve got.’
Just because reason had returned, it didn’t mean my raw, primal instincts were dead. My still-thirsty instincts constantly assessed the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses.
Finally, the enemy javelins flew first.
The tide of battle had completely reversed.
The rebel army, slowly approaching to push back our imperial forces, who now occupied the position where they had been firmly entrenched on the slope, after I and the Varangians had broken through their lines.
The Roman army typically placed young and vigorous men in the first rank, and more experienced and composed men in the second rank. The approaching enemy clearly understood the power of discipline and collective action.
The soldiers, marching forward despite the fear evident in their eyes, following orders.
It was an awe-inspiring force.
‘I came to steal engineering techniques, but I’m learning something even better.’
Rome was a textbook for me.
From the city walls, to the way they built their buildings, to the way they paved their roads and arranged the houses around them. The way they entertained their citizens and ruled their surroundings.
My sharp mind analyzed everything, storing it away in a corner of my memory. The sight before me was truly inspiring.
‘This is the power of Rome. The power to endure, even as emperors change and countless enemies invade.’
But admiration and sympathy were two different things. It was time to test how long this rigid discipline could hold out.
[Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!]
[Whoosh-! Whoosh-! Whoosh-! Thud! Thud thud!]
“Gah!”
“Argh!”
Close combat between infantry always involved projectile weapons.
Despite the battle that felt like it had already lasted for over two hours, the light infantry, still full of energy, charged forward, throwing spears and loosing arrows at the enemy lines.
Blades, flying through the gaps in our shield wall, struck here and there with heavy thuds, but the wounded were quickly moved to the rear, and the warriors filling their places showed no hesitation.
Life and death on the battlefield were ultimately a coin toss.
We would reach Valhalla anyway, wouldn’t we? Or else, Hella’s embrace.
As we drew closer, to the point where we could see each other’s eyes through the gaps in our helmets, the Varangians hurled their forearm-sized hand axes with force.
[Whoosh! Whoosh-! Thud! Thud thud!]
The light infantry, who had been fiercely engaged in a projectile battle between the approaching enemy infantry and our shield wall, had already withdrawn, so the hand axes flew without obstruction, embedding themselves in enemy shields, forcing arms down, and knocking unlucky soldiers to the ground.
[Baaaaaaaaam-!]
“Forward-!”
“Overrun those barbarians-!”
“Hold-! Hold-!”
“Don’t retreat-!”
Soon, the enemy reached a distance that felt comfortable to me, charging forward. We extended our spears and tightened our shield wall, increasing its mass.
[Thump-! Thump! Thump! Thump!]
The roar of warriors, trying to break each other’s will by throwing their entire bodies into the clash, rather than simply stabbing with swords and spears. And beyond that,
[Rumble- Thud thud thud thud-!]
Finally, the sound of hooves, accompanied by the fluttering eagle banners, shook the ground.
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[and anotha one]
