Chapter 10: The Assassin on the Battlefield
On the city wall, as the humans began their siege, Mork and the Beast King split up.
Each took charge of an area, while the senior Orcs and Dark Elves were also each responsible for a small region.
Only when these high-ranking leaders could no longer hold their ground would Mork and the Beast King step in to assist.
Though they were ready to dive into battle, their first priority was to keep an eye on the bigger picture.
This was a massive war involving over ten thousand troops, not just a skirmish of hundreds or thousands.
They couldn’t afford to focus on just one spot and ignore the rest.
Facing the barrage of boulders and arrows raining down from the city wall, Airael and the units following the siege engines smoothly reached the wall’s base.
Next, with a resounding “bang,” the siege gate slammed against the wall.
The human soldiers above were ready and waiting.
As soon as the gate landed, the soldiers surged toward the wall like a swarm.
Just like yesterday, the Orcs were pushed back by the human soldiers, who soon managed to establish a foothold on the city wall.
Thanks to the siege engines, a steady stream of soldiers continued to join in.
Down below, Airael and Arthur also climbed onto the siege engines and made their way to the wall.
At this moment, the human soldiers were locked in a standoff with the Orcs, just like yesterday, unable to advance further.
Arthur and Cain exchanged glances, then, as they had previously discussed, they each led a group of people to expand the territory for the humans from both the left and right on the wall.
Airael stayed behind, watching the two engage in battle, sighing inwardly.
Honestly, my melee skills aren’t half bad either.
Muttering softly, Airael continued to stay in the back, casting spells.
Most of the magic she released was supportive, aiming to protect the lives of the human soldiers or boost their attack power to take down the Orcs.
While this approach wasn’t as direct as unleashing offensive magic on the Orcs, it minimized human casualties to the greatest extent.
These soldiers were all under their command.
Arthur had just begun to build his influence, so it was vital to cherish it.
Moreover, the most crucial point was that offensive magic could cause friendly fire!
Celia and Aurora, though they were advanced warriors with considerable strength, had only one objective—to protect Airael’s safety.
Thus, they kept a close watch around Airael.
There are assassins on the battlefield, after all!
And the frontline mages are usually the primary targets for those battlefield assassins.
Unsurprisingly, Airael’s exceptional performance quickly attracted some fans.
Two assassins lurking nearby noticed her and swiftly made their way toward her.
Airael, however, was completely oblivious to the danger.
Her focus was solely on the three parties of soldiers fighting their hearts out; Orcs, Dark Elves, and humans were all locked in a chaotic melee on the wall.
Despite the general lack of combat prowess among humans compared to the other two, they had other means to compensate.
One was their sturdy armor, and the other was their teamwork.
While the Dark Elves and Orcs had reached a complementary advantage to some extent, they lacked coordination.
Their alliance formed purely out of mutual interest.
A team cobbled together with no understanding of each other might have complementary strengths, but how effectively they could harness that advantage was left to fate.
On the other hand, the human army, though quite mixed in backgrounds, were all humans, and that diversity was broad rather than deep.
When it came down to specific squads or companies, they were practically old friends, boasting immense teamwork.
In action, these squads and companies wouldn’t disperse but would focus on concentrated tactics.
Thus, led by Arthur and Cain, along with Airael’s magical support, their side made swift progress, akin to a high-spirited advance.
The Orcs and Dark Elves were being relentlessly pushed back.
However, this did not deter the two battlefield assassins; if anything, it only fueled their resolve.
Those two powerful warriors could wait; first, they had to eliminate this highly threatening mage before worrying about anything else!
But soon, the pace of the two assassins slowed.
They had caught sight of Celia and Aurora.
The two guardian knights had been carefully observing their surroundings.
It would be incredibly difficult for them to sneak past their watchful eyes!
Though their pace had diminished, they neither stopped nor retreated.
As assassins, they had their own pride.
Once they selected a target, they had to take a shot.
Besides, where’s the thrill in that?
So the two assassins hesitated only briefly before sprinting forward again.
Since avoiding their gaze was out of the question, they decided to spring into action and finish their target!
Let’s see who has more explosive power—the assassins or those two guardian knights’ reaction speed.
As soon as the two assassins revealed themselves, Celia and Aurora immediately detected their presence.
They tensed up at once, each racing toward an assassin to intercept them.
Right after, Airael also noticed the intruders.
Seeing two assassins fixated on her, Airael felt a surge of delight.
What did that mean? It meant she was performing exceptionally well, and her status on the battlefield was crucial!
However, thinking that these two wannabe killers could take her down was downright ridiculous!
After a mental round of mockery, Airael stopped paying attention to them.
They had already been blocked by Celia and Aurora.
As assassins, their exposure meant they had practically put their heads on the chopping block.
Not to mention, they had already been intercepted.
Celia and Aurora, as guardian knights, were essentially the nemeses of those assassins.
The outcome was roughly as Airael had envisioned, as soon the two assassins fell into a disadvantage in their battle with Celia and Aurora.
Their daggers found no purchase against the shield and sword-wielding, fully armored Celia and Aurora.
Realizing the tide had turned against them, the two assassins swiftly retreated.
Faced with the nimble assassins, the somewhat cumbersome Celia and Aurora could only watch them escape helplessly.
They didn’t pursue further—first, they truly couldn’t catch up, and second, they needed to remain by Airael’s side for her continued protection.
“They got away.”
Noticing the two returning, Airael spoke up.
Celia and Aurora remained silent, acknowledging their shortcoming in not catching or eliminating the assassins who attempted to kill Your Majesty.
