290 – Let’s Break Through Like This. (4)
As soon as Kaor and the knights in the Shadow Mountain Range received Ghislaine’s summons, they rushed to the Penris Territory with the hunters bound by contract.
While there were a few stubborn ones who refused to go, they all changed their minds under Kaor’s strong persuasion, known as the ‘King of Ironcliff.’
With the Turian Kingdom backing Ghislaine’s contract, the hunters with nowhere to go had no choice but to follow.
The other knights were reassigned to move with Ghislaine, while Kaor led the hunters on the mission to protect the mages.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Heeeing!
“Uaaaah!”
Desmond’s cavalry, unaccustomed to facing hunters, couldn’t react to the sudden attack and went down in chaos.
“Wow! This is easier than a monster!”
To these knights, cavalry were nothing more than slightly larger monsters with four legs.
And just monsters that could only charge in a straight line, at that.
For the hunters, who were used to fighting all sorts of bizarre monsters with strange bodies, taking on cavalry was not much of a challenge.
“Ah! They got away!”
Of course, they couldn’t block all thousand cavalrymen. A few cavalrymen broke through the clumsy hunters’ lines and charged straight at the mages.
Thud thud thud thud!
Vanessa, who was casting magic with her hands stretched out into the air, turned her head to look at the cavalry. She reached out with her empty hand toward the approaching foes.
“Earth Wall.”
Ruuuuumbble!
A wall made of earth suddenly rose up. The charging Desmond’s cavalry crashed right into it.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“UAAAAH!”
Heeeing!
The horses screamed in pain and fell after the strong impact. Some cavalrymen rolled over, crashing through the wall.
The following cavalrymen had no choice but to force their horses to stop.
Seeing this, Kaor shouted in shock.
“You idiots! You’re supposed to protect the mages! This isn’t a monster hunt!”
Kaor, who had only been posturing, rushed over and cut through the cavalrymen. Only then did the other hunters create a double line to block the cavalrymen.
“Geez… That was close.”
Kaor wiped the cold sweat from his brow. If the mages got hurt – especially Vanessa – Ghislaine wouldn’t let him or the hunters off the hook.
No, if that happened, it wouldn’t just be Ghislaine they had to worry about; they might need to flee because they lost the war.
Meanwhile, taking advantage of Vanessa’s momentarily broken concentration from blocking the cavalry, magic spells started pouring out from Desmond’s forces.
Vanessa hurriedly turned around and tried to negate the incoming spells, but some had already hit the Penris forces.
Though the lower-circle spells were blocked by armor and didn’t cause major damage, if this situation continued, it would be dangerous.
“Tch!”
Vanessa unleashed wide-area attack magic on Desmond’s ranks.
She didn’t expect it to succeed since they had 6th Circle mages too. She just wanted to divert the mages’ attention toward her, pouring her magic power even though she knew it would likely fail.
“Cough!”
Vanessa not only had a nosebleed but was now also spitting up blood from her mouth. But she gritted her teeth and persevered.
In the meantime, the hunters charged at the Desmond cavalry, who were hesitating against the earthen wall. The cavalry, caught off guard, became entangled in a fierce battle with the hunters.
And that turned out to be a much more favorable fight for the hunters. They were used to fighting chaotically without proper formations.
Bang! Bang!
“Die! You bastards!”
“Gwaaargh!”
The cavalrymen struggled against the hunters from atop their horses, but with their movements restricted, they were slowly being overwhelmed.
Despite struggling against the enemy, he couldn’t help but be pushed back due to the constraints on his movement.
The hunters formed teams and vigorously swung their swords, putting pressure on the cavalry.
“Wa ha ha! I’m the strongest!”
Among them, the standout performer was definitely Kaor. He casually slaughtered the cavalry as if showcasing his improved skills.
“Ugh! What the heck is this guy!”
“Didn’t our main forces charge at him?”
“Kill this guy first!”
Kaor smiled with satisfaction as he saw enemies rushing towards him.
“Hmm, are you all coming to stop me? Good, bring it on!”
Kaor got even more excited and went on a rampage. Even though they were all enemies, he loved being the center of attention.
As Kaor made a fuss, the number of cavalry heading in the opposite direction decreased, making it much easier for the hunters to fight.
Among the hunters, a slightly younger-looking man cut down a horse’s legs. As the horse fell, he quickly raised his sword and struck the rider down.
Swoosh!
A clean strike without any unnecessary frills. It was Arel, who had followed Ghislaine to Penris Territory after being saved.
“Phew…”
Arel took a deep breath and tightly gripped his sword again.
He had only received basic training and could not participate as a cavalry member. Instead, he took on the role of guarding the mages alongside Kaor.
He had been training hard to build his stamina and improve. Though still lacking, his determination to protect the territory was unmatched.
‘I can’t let anything like that happen again.’
Many had died and villages had been destroyed due to the barbarian raids. He never wanted to experience that again.
His younger sibling was smart and studied administrative duties. Now, Penris had become his second hometown that he must protect.
“Ugh!”
Arel swiftly swung his sword again. Although his muscles were stiff from tension and he felt exhausted, he kept his focus.
To wield weapons accurately in any situation.
That was the first thing Ghislaine taught him.
Kaor, seeing Arel’s impeccably precise stance, stroked his chin.
“Oh… for a rookie, you’re doing quite well. It’s like looking at the old me. You seem to be training harder than I ever did back then.”
That was definitely not true. When Kaor was Arel’s age, he was too busy drinking and partying to train at all.
While Kaor chuckled and praised himself, the hunters gradually reduced the number of cavalry.
Thanks to their efforts, Desmond’s cavalry couldn’t reach the mages. The remaining cavalry were now busy fleeing.
Those who escaped would either regroup elsewhere or make their way off the battlefield.
As the hunters, who faced the cavalry, casually chased after the fleeing horses, Kaor shouted.
“Don’t chase them! I said don’t chase! You fools!”
Only then did the hunters get their act together and surrounded the mages while keeping an eye on their surroundings. Once the situation seemed somewhat under control, Kaor approached Arel.
“Hey, rookie. You’re doing some fighting, huh?”
“Thank you!”
“You saw me fighting, right? How was it?”
“It was truly amazing!”
To Arel, Kaor was indeed an incredible warrior. He single-handedly slaughtered dozens of cavalrymen, so how could he not envy that skill?
With a proud smile, Kaor asked again.
“Who do you think is stronger, me or the old man?”
“…”
Arel couldn’t answer and slightly turned his head away. Kaor then moved to follow his gaze and pressed on.
“Who do you think is stronger?”
Arel found Kaor’s face intimidating and turned his head in the opposite direction. Yet somehow, that face kept following him.
“Who is it?”
How childish. It was driving me crazy with its childishness, but I couldn’t ignore it. In the end, Arel compromised with reality.
“…It seems Kaor is stronger.”
“Hahaha! Right? The old man is getting carried away back there because he’s sick. That’s how the weak are! Hahaha!”
Gillian and the injured soldiers had already long escaped the battlefield. They must be receiving treatment from Piote and the servants at the temporary fort that’s distanced from here.
Thud, thud, thud!
Emerson, chasing after the archers, glanced back at the now silent rear of the Penris army and frowned.
“Did we fail?”
I briefly hoped when the magic was cast from our ranks, but it seems it was just a minor distraction.
“I must decide.”
Whether to continue chasing the archers or to attack the mages.
After a moment of contemplation, Emerson looked ahead.
The archers were continuously fleeing while dodging the cavalry, yet they kept shooting arrows toward Desmond’s army, which was engaged in battle on the other side.
They were truly optimized for taunting the enemy.
If we don’t deal with those archers, our allies will continue to be dragged around. But…
“I’ll deal with the mages first.”
Even with Willow, a 6th Circle mage, they were unable to properly unleash magical attacks due to keeping the enemy in check, resulting in Desmond’s army being pushed back.
If we eliminate the mages on the Penris side, the tide of battle will turn in an instant. One reason the archers have become ineffective is because of the presence of those mages.
So, there was no need to keep being dragged around by the archers.
Though determined to go after the mages first, I couldn’t rush in right away. If I let them go now, the archers would head straight to reinforce the central Penris army.
For now, I had to push them as far from the center as possible.
“Put in more effort!”
Emerson yelled loudly, urging his horse on. Yet, the archers’ speed was too fast, making it difficult to drive them where he wanted.
Even though the archers wore full armor, it didn’t seem too heavy. Plus, their horses, seemingly well-sourced, were full of energy.
With our numbers being greater, they didn’t even try to engage and just kept shooting arrows while fleeing. In the end, we had to predict their movement and maneuver accordingly.
Thud, thud, thud!
“Just a little more!”
Based on his experience, Emerson gradually changed direction, predicting the archers’ flight path.
With his long years as a cavalry commander, he skillfully narrowed the distance and chased down the Penris archers.
At the very back of the fleeing archers, Ascon kept looking back and shouting.
“Hey, damn it! Run faster! I’m gonna die back here!”
The enemy was chasing with a terrifying momentum. He needed to escape quickly, but his horse was suspiciously slower than the others.
He was already falling behind to the point of nearly breaking away from the formation, yet the horse was just trotting along as if it were on a leisurely stroll.
“Damn it! Please! For the love of god!”
No matter how much he cursed, the speed wouldn’t pick up. At this rate, he’d be the first to die.
In the end, Ascon gritted his teeth and grabbed his bow.
“I can take that one out first, right?”
Turning his body, he spotted the commander charging hard at the front.
Desmond’s cavalry didn’t use full plate mail like Penris. The commander chasing him was wearing chainmail, with a helmet that had a gap near the eyes.
If he could hit that small opening in the helmet, he could take the commander out in one shot.
Elves, when focused, could hit even the tiniest openings with their archery skills. They utilized the power of nature.
Creeeak…
Ascon pulled back the bowstring, concentrating. His body wobbled, but he didn’t care. The arrow would ride the wind and hit its target accurately.
It doesn’t matter to me. The arrows will ride the wind and hit the target accurately.
A skill that only elves can see.
It takes a little time to aim, but it can be said to be a fearsome strike.
‘I can feel the wind.’
The sensations of my whole body are guiding me. Now, if I shoot now, the wind tells me I can pierce that commander’s face.
‘Riding the wind.’
Pang!
Emerson, chasing after Ascon, immediately raised his shield as the light flashed.
Swaaaa!
The arrow soared high into the sky on the wind and disappeared.
“Damn it, I knew it wouldn’t work.”
Fwirrr!
Ascon’s horse galloped, laughing with its teeth bared as if something was amusing.
On the other hand, Emerson, seeing the arrow flying high, twisted his face in rage.
“How dare you play such tricks!”
It was insulting. There was no way an archer’s skill could be that pathetic.
The fact that he’s lagging behind in the back and shooting like that must have been intentional to mock him.
Come on, try to catch up if you can.
To throw such a provocation at him in the urgency of battle.
Emerson gritted his teeth.
“I will definitely catch you and kill you.”
Just a little more pressure. Then he planned to turn and push the mages away.
The heat of the battlefield intensified. Both sides were giving their all to crush each other, but neither had the decisive blow.
The Penris Army had excellent individual skills, but they were severely outnumbered, while Desmond’s Army had overwhelming numbers but couldn’t seize the initiative.
That’s why both sides aimed to eliminate the mages first to turn the tide of the battle at once.
However, as the fight dragged on, it was the Penris side that became disadvantaged. In fact, it couldn’t be said they were in a favorable position either. If Ghislaine hadn’t been active, the tide might have changed long ago.
Bang! Bang!
Ghislaine, wielding his spear with glowing red eyes, was truly overwhelming.
The relentless onslaught of Desmond’s heavy infantry couldn’t even properly block his attacks as they were sent flying.
Shields and armor were mercilessly shredded, and corpses piled up. Spears flew from all directions, attacking any openings.
“Uagh! This monster!”
“Knights, hurry and stop that guy!”
“Stop him! He’s aiming for Lady Willow!”
Shouts erupted everywhere, but no one could stop Ghislaine, who was steadily advancing.
They couldn’t completely surround him or stop him. The Penris knights and soldiers who followed were protecting Ghislaine’s back with their formidable defenses.
Thud thud thud!
Ghislaine slowly felt the burden of his subordinates on his body. As he got closer to the mages, more skilled knights clung to him, and soldiers charged at him furiously.
‘Just a bit more.’
But there wasn’t much time left. If he could break through the defenses a few more times, he would be able to take the mage’s head.
Bang! Bang!
Every time Ghislaine and the Black King advanced, the enemies were thrown back, creating a path. Their appearance was like that of an evil spirit dominating the battlefield.
As the defense line of Desmond’s army was being breached helplessly, a loud shout came from one side.
“Move aside!”
Swaaa!
The troops facing Ghislaine quickly widened their space and withdrew.
Thud thud thud thud!
At the same time, a group of knights in silver armor riding horses appeared. All of them wielded halberds fitted with axe blades.
The knight at the forefront, Rones, shouted.
“Assassinate Count Penris!”
Desmond’s Royal Guard, the elite knights, charged toward Ghislaine.
