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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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A cloud of dust rose behind the charging cavalry, the thigh muscles of their horses rippling powerfully as they pounded the earth.
The full-force lance charge threatened to crush everything in its path. I would be no exception. I imagined myself impaled on a sharp lance, a premonition of the future.
I felt my horse’s unease through our contact. Even my clever and courageous horse, which had carried me to victory so many times, was nervous in the face of the enemy’s ferocious charge.
I gently stroked its neck, whispering words of encouragement, a mantra for victory.
“We will win again.”
As if understanding my words, my horse’s breathing gradually calmed. I, too, composed myself.
The enemy was in a single-file formation. I would only have to face two of them at most. There was no reason we couldn’t break through.
My horse, as if sharing my thoughts, picked up speed. The enemy cavalry approached rapidly, as if we were one with our steeds.
Now it was the enemy who panicked. The lead horseman, seeing the imminent collision, instinctively closed his eyes.
Horses are sensitive creatures. They faltered, sensing their riders’ unease. Their speed decreased, and their formation broke. We had won the psychological battle. I seized the opportunity.
“Hiya!”
I deflected the blind spear thrust aimed at my horse’s head. Thanks to my horse, which trusted me and didn’t falter even with a spear aimed at its head, I was instantly within the spear’s range.
The enemy horseman, opening his eyes belatedly, discarded his spear and reached for his sword, which he had been holding along with the reins.
He was far too slow. My sword had already passed, grazing both his horse and the horse of the rider beside him.
“Agh!”
“Ugh!”
The horses, their knees buckling, stumbled and fell, their riders tumbling to the ground. They couldn’t get up easily, having suffered a much greater impact than a normal fall.
“Ignore them! Break through!”
Despite their comrades’ fate, the enemy cavalry didn’t stop. They aimed their lances at me and increased their speed, as if to avenge their fallen comrades.
I pulled on the reins, turned my horse, and spurred it forward.
“Close ranks! Shields up!”
Humans can display surprising strength in the face of mortal danger. My soldiers were no exception.
Despite lacking specific training, they moved swiftly, seeing the ferocious charge of the enemy cavalry. They closed ranks in the gap I had created and raised their shields.
Of course, the impact wasn’t negligible. It was, after all, a properly formed lance charge. Some of the mercenaries were knocked off their feet.
However, I could confidently say the enemy’s results were less than they had hoped for.
“Wheel around! Wheel around!”
The enemy cavalry, instead of engaging in a melee, attempted to wheel around and charge again.
I wasn’t going to let them. Their speed had decreased as they turned, and we were close again.
I spurred my horse and charged into the disorganized enemy ranks.
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“You!”
The first one I encountered tried to deflect my sword, aimed at his horse.
I put more force into my swing, cutting through both his sword and his horse. He tumbled to the ground with his horse and didn’t get up. His sword, unable to withstand the force, twisted and bent.
“Tsk.”
It wasn’t unusable yet. I spurred my horse forward again.
“Don’t engage him! Just break through!”
The enemy completely ignored me, as if they had received such orders.
It was a wise decision, knowing that a single individual’s strength couldn’t significantly impact the outcome of a battle unless they were engaged. It was undoubtedly Joang Conrad’s instruction.
However, he had overlooked one thing.
“Hiya!”
I turned my horse towards the enemy’s reserve force, where their command was located. The command, whose retreat would be equivalent to defeat, wouldn’t be able to flee like the cavalry.
“Lord Vale! Over there!”
The cavalry didn’t know what to do. My soldiers were slowly encircling the enemy, while I was charging towards their command.
They hesitated, unsure which to prioritize. Then, realizing that while soldiers could be replaced, the capture of Ailgar would mean game over, they followed me.
“Capture him! Capture him!”
But it was too late. I had already reached the enemy command.
“R-Run!!”
Could ordinary infantry stop me, when even elite cavalry couldn’t? Moreover, these were mercenaries, lacking any sense of loyalty.
The infantry, having witnessed the cavalry avoid me, scattered in all directions without even attempting to fight.
“Come back! Come back! Those who flee will die by my sword!”
Joang Conrad drew his sword and threatened them, but the soldiers, swept up in the panic, were already fleeing. They resembled a flock of sheep scattered by a wolf.
“Lord Joang! It seems it’s your head that will be decorating the city walls!”
Joang Conrad didn’t have time to respond to my taunt. Perhaps realizing how close I was, he turned and fled, abandoning his troops. I thought I saw Ailgar’s face among the fleeing figures.
I didn’t pursue them. If the civil war ended like this, it would only benefit Segeric. And I now had a convenient excuse.
“Save Lord Ailgar!”
The cavalry had finally caught up. There was no reason to spare them.
I showed no mercy, effortlessly cutting them down, one after another, like a farmer harvesting crops.
“M-Monster…! How can he… alone…!”
“He’s not human! He’s not human!”
I ignored their cries and continued my harvest. The capable knights had already been killed by me, so there was no one left who could stop me.
As Ailgar and Joang fled further, the remaining cavalry also turned and ran.
By then, my forces had completely surrounded the enemy. I rejoined my troops and raised the Rasino family banner I had picked up earlier.
“Your commander has fled! Surrender!”
As the surrounded enemy soldiers watched, I snapped the banner in two.
Seeing that no one attacked me, the surrounded soldiers, realizing my words were true, began to lay down their arms. They still outnumbered us.
“Sir Allen! A great victory!”
Muel exclaimed, celebrating our victory against an enemy twice our size.
“We can celebrate after we capture Ailgar. Form a pursuit party.”
Our losses had been less than expected, and we still had some cavalry remaining, so Ailgar wasn’t likely to surrender easily.
I didn’t intend to capture him either. A hunting dog that has outlived its usefulness is destined for the stewpot. Ailgar still had a role to play.
“You’re absolutely right. The victory isn’t complete until we capture Lord Ailgar…!”
Muel, oblivious to my intentions, looked at me with admiration. The mercenaries who were serving under me for the first time reacted similarly.
“Didn’t I tell you? He’s a legendary hero! Twice our numbers? Pfft. He would have won even if they had ten times as many!”
The veteran soldiers who had fought alongside me boasted.
Of course, such easy victories wouldn’t be possible in the future. Powell Osborne, who knew me well, would be prepared, and the Earl would try to crush me with his superior forces.
However, just as in this battle, I would be the final victor.
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Nobles valued appearances. It was customary to serve a lavish feast for guests, even if they were struggling to feed themselves the next day.
Segeric, besieged and cornered by Ailgar’s rebel forces, hosted a banquet immediately after his victory to restore his damaged reputation.
He also intended to declare himself the victor of the civil war and claim the barony.
And I was the one who had orchestrated it all. All eyes turned to me as I entered the banquet hall, their gazes filled with respect and admiration.
Influential figures from various families, sensitive to the shifts in power, tried to approach me, and beautifully adorned young women smiled coquettishly.
Segeric, as always, was the most enthusiastic.
“The hero of the hour has arrived!”
Segeric grasped my hand and led me to the seat of honor.
Baroness Adelia, Muel, and Dreng were already seated. My place was opposite the Baroness, next to Segeric.
As I sat down, Segeric raised his wine glass, calling for everyone’s attention. The musicians stopped playing, and all eyes turned to him.
Segeric, smiling with satisfaction, spoke,
“When that scoundrel Ailgar besieged Polton, I truly understood the meaning of despair! It was a desperate situation! However! I had faith! Faith that my loyal knight would save me! Even though his forces were only half the size of the enemy’s, my faith never wavered, and I have been rewarded!”
The attendees cheered and applauded. Segeric poured wine into my glass as he continued,
“Seeing is believing. While I had heard of your prowess and leadership, it was only after witnessing yesterday’s battle that I realized I had underestimated you. That bastard Ailgar had every reason to flee like a dog with its tail on fire.”
His praise was excessive. Segeric was clearly trying to appease me.
Thanks to our minimal losses in the battle, the number of my troops now within Polton was more than the city guard could handle.
In other words, if I changed my mind, he wouldn’t be able to keep his position as heir. He hadn’t captured Ailgar yet, and I hadn’t released Ailgar without reason.
“Such a victory cannot be achieved through human effort alone. Man plans, but God decides. This victory wouldn’t have been possible without the Lord’s blessing. Therefore, it is clear that the Lord has deemed you the rightful heir, Lord Segeric.”
I humbled myself. To achieve my goals, I needed to maintain the facade of Segeric’s loyal vassal.
Segeric’s face brightened, oblivious to my act. At his signal, the musicians resumed playing, and the atmosphere in the banquet hall grew even more festive.
“But what happened to the Baron? Was he truly assassinated by Lord Ailgar?”
I asked, my gaze fixed on the young men and women dancing, my voice low enough for only Segeric to hear. Segeric, too, kept his gaze forward as he replied,
“Of course, it was Ailgar! That… that… I can’t even call him my brother anymore, accused me of being the assassin! But why would I assassinate my father when all I had to do was wait to inherit the title? It’s absurd.”
Segeric, even to me, his most trusted vassal, hid the truth. It wasn’t to protect Usebia.
Segeric, taking a large gulp of wine in frustration, continued,
“Isn’t it too convenient? To rebel immediately after Father’s death? He’s been planning this since he used the Crusades as an excuse to receive funds from Father. Didn’t you warn me that Ailgar’s compliance was suspicious?”
“However, I never imagined he would assassinate the Baron.”
“Who could have anticipated such an act of kinslaying? Only someone as wicked as him could conceive of such a thing. Indeed.”
Segeric paused, glancing at me, then continued cautiously,
“Between you and me, this isn’t such a bad outcome. I’ll inherit the title sooner, and you’ll win your love.”
“You mean…?”
Segeric puffed up with pride.
“Mother objected, but I insisted. I told her we had to break off the engagement with Earl Bruah and give Usebia to you, for the sake of my most trusted vassal.”
Segeric acted as if he had made a great sacrifice, but the reality was likely different.
Usebia’s value had plummeted due to the unsavory rumors surrounding her. If Earl Bruah learned of his future wife’s scandal, he might even take it as an insult.
Regardless of his reaction, the Earl would demand a much larger dowry.
Therefore, Segeric must have decided that giving Usebia to me, who had proven my worth in the recent war, was the more advantageous option.
It was exactly as I had planned.
“Is that true?”
“Haha, have you been living under a rock? We’re family now. Family who share both joys and sorrows.”
Segeric was just like the Baron. He would burden his vassals with the sorrows while keeping the joys for himself.
Despite knowing this, I smiled. As long as I could have Usebia, my plan was halfway to success.
“I pledge my unwavering loyalty.”
“Of course. But we have more important matters to discuss, don’t we? We need to confiscate and distribute the assets of Ailgar and his supporters, and then there’s the succession ceremony…”
Segeric, acting as if everything was settled, was eager to begin distributing the spoils of war. Or rather, he was eager for the succession ceremony.
That couldn’t happen. The Baron’s seat had to belong to Usebia. I was prepared to throw a wrench in his plans.
“We haven’t captured Lord Ailgar yet.”
“He lost his entire army of two hundred men. He won’t have the funds to raise another army.”
“But he still has legitimacy.”
“What good is legitimacy without the power to enforce it?”
“He could borrow that power.”
Segeric finally looked at me.
“Surely not…?”
“Would a man who murdered his father and instigated a rebellion hesitate to seek foreign aid?”
The war couldn’t end yet. Ailgar wouldn’t want it to either.
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Lezgo!!!
Thanks for the chappie!