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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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I encountered the rebel army as I neared Polton. A force of at least two hundred soldiers had set up camp on the only road leading to Polton, effectively besieging the city.
The Rasino family banner flew proudly in the center of the camp, asserting their legitimacy.
“Ailgar and Joang are serious.”
I noted that most of the two hundred soldiers were adequately equipped.
For a younger son, not even the heir, to have mustered such a force meant he had scraped together every last coin from himself and his vassals.
It was also a testament to his determination to win the civil war.
“The situation isn’t favorable.”
As Muel had reported, Segeric was in a dire situation. His forces had been decimated in the previous war, and all he had left were the few dozen guards defending Polton.
It was fortunate that I had recruited mercenaries in Quaran under Segeric’s name. Otherwise, he would have lost everything to Ailgar without any resistance.
However, even with the mercenaries, our forces were only half the size of the enemy’s. Leaving Fiore behind in Quaran due to the Earl’s threat was also a problem.
The situation was disadvantageous on multiple fronts.
“The advisors still refuse to take sides?”
The Baron’s key vassals hadn’t sided with either son. Their power was secure enough for them to wait for the victor to emerge; they had nothing to lose.
I had thought they might intervene after Segeric was confirmed as heir. However, seeing Segeric trapped in Polton, it was clear they wouldn’t.
If they had supported Segeric, the rightful heir, the situation would have been completely different.
“They claim they’re focusing on investigating the Baron’s assassination and uncovering the truth.”
“They’re just waiting to see who wins. They know their value increases as both sides weaken each other in the civil war.”
It was beneficial to me. Segeric, with no one else to rely on, would have no choice but to depend on me. And after the civil war ended, I could use this incident as an excuse to eliminate all of the Baron’s former vassals.
The problem was that all of this hinged on a decisive victory in the civil war.
“Sir Allen, look…!”
Muel pointed towards the enemy camp. A group carrying a white flag was slowly approaching us.
I recognized Joang Conrad at the front and instructed Muel,
“Sir Muel, would you go to Polton while I deal with them? Convince Lord Segeric to support us from within the city once the battle begins.”
“Will you be alright alone? What if they try something… unsavory…?”
“They’re only a small group.”
Muel saluted and turned his horse towards the city, saying,
“Please be careful. You’re our only hope, Sir Allen.”
Muel gradually rode away, becoming a small dot in the distance. Would he still follow me if he knew my true intentions? As an opportunist, he wasn’t likely to resist. However, I needed to be cautious.
He wouldn’t hesitate to betray me if he saw a better opportunity. I would only reveal the truth to him once everything was set in stone.
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“I assume your coming alone means you intend to honor your agreement with Josephine.”
The men accompanying Joang Conrad were expressionless, as if they already knew. They seemed to be his trusted confidants.
“What are you talking about?”
Joang Conrad chuckled at my feigned ignorance.
“You can rest assured. Everyone here knows that you were the one who plotted to use Usebia to assassinate the Baron.”
Joang Conrad had misinterpreted my looking at his companions.
“You continue to make strange accusations. Wasn’t Lord Ailgar’s rebellion justified by his claim to prevent Lord Segeric, the Baron’s assassin, from inheriting the title? But you’re saying there’s another culprit? Then why did he rebel?”
Of course, it was all for show. If he didn’t accuse Segeric of being the assassin after the Baron’s death, Ailgar would have no choice but to watch as his brother inherited the title.
That was why he couldn’t reveal that Usebia was the true culprit, even though he knew.
The same applied to Segeric. Having already been accused of being the assassin, who would believe him if he claimed his sister was the true culprit?
‘It would only deepen suspicion, being seen as a desperate excuse.’
Sometimes, the truth wasn’t important.
In any case, I knew that if the Baron died, both sides would try to shift the blame onto each other. This also meant that Usebia, the true culprit, wouldn’t face any accusations.
Of course, there would be rumors. Those in the know would understand the truth. Even Muel seemed to have an inkling.
It was exactly what I wanted.
‘The daughter who assassinated her own father.’
What man in his right mind would marry a woman with such a reputation, even if she was a valuable pawn? I was certain there was no one but me.
“You…! Why did you kill the Baron if you weren’t planning to switch sides?!”
While Joang Conrad might not know my true objective, he must have realized he had been used. That was why he was so angry.
“If you intend to continue these false accusations, I’ll take my leave. Does Lord Ailgar also believe I’m the culprit?”
My role in the agreement with Josephine was to keep Ailgar in check. If he learned of this, his relationship with Joang wouldn’t be pleasant. Yes, this was a threat.
“Even Segeric doesn’t know that you are the mastermind behind all this…!”
“Even if you told him, he would dismiss it as a ploy to sow discord. And even if he believed you, he’s not in a position to abandon me now. It’s all thanks to you, Lord Joang.”
Sigh…
Joang Conrad, who had seemed to be calming down, gritted his teeth and glared at me.
“The same applies to us.”
“Then let’s agree to avoid such unpleasantness.”
I said as I stood up. Joang Conrad, rising as well, warned me,
“There’s no need. Your head will be decorating the city walls after this battle.”
Considering his superior numbers, twice our size, and his advantage in cavalry, including knights, Joang Conrad’s confidence was understandable.
However, even Powell Osborne, who had been repeatedly outmaneuvered by me in the previous war, had possessed similar advantages and still lost.
“We’ll see about that.”
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Thanks to having stalled for time, Muel had already returned by the time I arrived back at our camp. His expression wasn’t good.
“Sir Allen, Lord Segeric says he’s short on troops and can’t offer support…”
“I see.”
I wasn’t disappointed. I hadn’t expected support from Segeric, who was cornered and desperate.
I had sent Muel simply to conceal the true culprit’s identity, which would inevitably be revealed during the parley.
There was a big difference between suspicion and knowing the truth.
I patted Muel’s shoulder reassuringly.
“Don’t worry. We’ve already achieved a decisive victory against overwhelming odds.”
Experience, or the lack thereof, made all the difference. Muel’s face brightened as he recalled our victory in the previous war.
The mercenaries reacted similarly. Thanks to the veterans of the previous war, now leading smaller units, their morale remained high, even facing an enemy twice their size.
“Preparations are complete.”
Dreng, who had finished organizing the mercenaries and came to report, also looked confident.
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-Poo~
The horn blared. Joang Conrad, having returned, had immediately ordered his troops to advance. Dreng and Muel took their positions at the center and right flanks, respectively, as I drew my sword.
I rode along our lines, my sword clashing against the mercenaries’ weapons.
“Do we need a flowery speech for a battle we’re destined to win?!”
“Ooh! No!”
“Then let’s go and win!”
“Let’s go!”
With my final words, our forces, divided into left, right, and center flanks, began to move. I led the main force on the left flank.
The road leading to Polton was flat and open. It wasn’t terrain conducive to complex maneuvers, so the enemy, confident in their superior numbers, advanced boldly.
Our forces moved differently. The three divisions advanced at varying speeds.
The left flank, where I was positioned, moved the fastest, while the right flank was the slowest. By the time the enemy reached a certain distance, the right flank had stopped completely. The center flank advanced a little further, then also stopped.
From above, our formation would resemble a backslash. It was Powell Osborne’s oblique formation, the one that had nearly defeated me.
‘I haven’t been idle for the past week.’
While training with Andrei, I had also been drilling the mercenaries in this tactic. The results were now evident.
“Keep pace! Don’t get excited, you bastards! If you charge ahead, you’ll die! Understand?!”
A week wasn’t enough time to perfect a new tactic.
However, with the veterans of the previous war, who understood the effectiveness of this formation, placed strategically throughout the ranks, it was taking shape.
“Sir Knight!”
The enemy’s right flank, the first to encounter us, finally seemed to sense something was amiss and called out for their commander.
However, in this era, without sophisticated communication methods, changing formations mid-battle was impossible.
‘That’s just a fantasy in games.’
The enemy right flank had only one option. The knight who appeared to be their commander raised his sword and pointed at us.
“Nothing has changed! Break through their lines!”
The enemy soldiers, after a brief hesitation, spurred their horses and charged.
The difference in numbers became more apparent as they approached. Unease rippled through the ranks behind me, spreading like a disease.
“Follow me!”
I spurred my horse forward without hesitation. My horse, as if waiting for that command, surged ahead.
The enemy knight, their commander, involuntarily recoiled as he saw me. I had seen him once before, during the duels at the Baron’s castle, when I had defeated three knights in a row.
Knowing my skill, he was avoiding a direct confrontation. It was a wise decision.
“Sir Knight!”
However, it was a mistake as a commander. His hesitation caused the entire enemy right flank to waver. I seized the opportunity.
“Don’t show your back if you value your honor!”
I swung my sword diagonally. A spear shaft aimed at me snapped in two. The soldier who had thrust his spear, eyes squeezed shut, opened them, surprised by the sudden lightness in his hand. However, what he saw was his own falling body.
My sword had already taken his head.
“Die!!”
Even though they were relatively well-equipped mercenaries, two enemy soldiers, seeing me retrieve my sword, attacked me from both sides.
One aimed for my horse’s unprotected head, and the other for my hips. Their eyes gleamed with the anticipation of the reward they would receive for capturing me.
However, their hopes were dashed. Having conserved my strength, I recovered faster than they anticipated.
“Huh…?”
The one who had aimed for my hips collapsed, looking down at the sword protruding from his throat.
The one who had aimed for my horse retreated as my horse reared up, but my clever horse, not satisfied, moved towards the soldier, presenting him to me. I obliged.
“Gah.”
With three mercenaries down in an instant, the enemy’s disarray intensified. My allies poured through the gap I had created.
“Kill them! Kill them all!!”
The enemy’s right flank began to crumble. By then, our right flank had finally encountered the enemy’s left. If we could encircle them, victory would be ours.
“Sir Allen!”
Joang Conrad realized this as well. Less than twenty enemy cavalry, designated as reserves, were charging towards us, trying to salvage the collapsing right flank.
They formed a single line, their horses pressed close together, their lances tucked under their arms.
‘A lance charge?’
It was a crude attempt, but a lance charge nonetheless. I pushed the veteran mercenary who had alerted me to their movements.
“Encircle the enemy, as we practiced!”
“But the enemy cavalry…”
“I’ll take care of them!”
Leaving the veteran mercenary in charge, I charged towards the enemy cavalry.
They seemed to be mocking me for challenging them alone. However, as I drew closer, my horse at full gallop, the threat of their pointed lances unwavering, they began to waver.
‘The greatest fear comes from the unknown.’
I focused on the tip of my sword. While the enemy’s charge was fierce, and their lances sharp, threatening to impale me at any moment, I trusted that my enhanced vision would reveal an opening.
Moreover, a mere Baron’s son and his vassals couldn’t have perfected a proper shock charge.
It was the enemy who should be afraid of the impending clash. To them, lacking my enhanced vision, what followed was the unknown.
As I collided with the lead horseman, he instinctively closed his eyes, creating the opening I had been waiting for.
‘Now…!’
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Woohooo! Chargeeee!
War!!! Anyways thanks for the chappie!