Chapter 209

Count Dubien is said to be a man who participated in the battle against the Ka`har tribe 10 years ago and achieved some merit.

After obtaining his title, he lived quietly, almost in seclusion, but as soon as the civil war broke out, he gathered his soldiers and began targeting neighboring territories as if he had been waiting for this moment.

It seems he had been biding his time, waiting for an opportunity to reveal his ambitions.

The villages we passed through… Countess Renea’s territory was crushed in a swift advance, and now they’re on the verge of besieging the lord’s castle….

The troops stationed at the pass to prepare for potential reinforcements ended up encountering us.

[So, what’s your plan now?]

Hersela asked me, her voice filled with amusement and mockery.

“Huuu…….”

A wisp of smoke, carrying my complicated emotions, dissipated into the air.

[Such things are useless now. From the moment you spoke to me, the distance between you and me has grown closer.]

‘I know. I just wanted to smoke, so I did.’

I had a feeling this would happen.

Until now, I could dismiss it as auditory hallucinations and move on, but once I spoke to her, it was no different from acknowledging her existence.

As Hersela boldly declared, I no longer had any means to block her voice.

Not that I wanted to block it anyway. I just felt a bit suffocated and lit it up.

‘…Nothing changes. I’m not Leopold’s subordinate. What matters most to me isn’t his gain. It’s upholding the principles I’ve set. Those who massacre innocent civilians for the sake of efficiency deserve to die.’

Yes. It was absurd, but Count Dubien was a noble who declared his support for Leopold.

Judging by his actions, it seemed less like loyalty to Leopold and more like using the war as an excuse.

A scoundrel is a scoundrel, but this one’s on a whole other level.

[So, you’re helping your enemy in the end…. Well, not bad. A warrior should prioritize their beliefs over gain. Even if those beliefs seem more suited to a priest than a warrior.]

Leaving Hersela’s laughter behind, I headed toward the carriage.

…Beliefs.

Such a grandiose word doesn’t suit me.

It’s not like I prioritize some ideology over my own life.

—-

No one in the group opposed the idea of punishing Count Dubien.

Leonor didn’t care what happened to Leopold’s faction nobles, and Rana was only concerned with religious ethics, not political conflicts.

Nigel was a bit troubled by the idea of attacking our allies, but after some thought, he eventually nodded.

Leaving such a person unchecked would bring dishonor to Randenburg, he said.

The question was how far to go with the punishment… but this was resolved thanks to the soldiers we interrogated.

Count Dubien’s forces numbered about 450.

300 were his personal troops, and the remaining 150 were conscripts from various regions.

There were also about 10 knights… well, 9 now.

They carried out massacres four times. At first, the soldiers hesitated, but by the end, they were enjoying it.

Even the men conscripted from the plundered villages later joined in pillaging other villages without hesitation… so there’s no one innocent here.

They even executed those who refused to participate in the looting and rape for insubordination.

We drove the carriage toward Renea’s castle.

—-

Countess Renea’s territory was half occupied.

Only the lord’s castle remained intact; the villages below had already become Dubien’s garrison.

Count Dubien had surrounded Renea’s castle but was holding off on attacking, waiting for her to surrender rather than losing troops in a siege.

We stopped the carriage as the castle’s roof came into view.

“Nigel. Let’s leave the carriage here and head to the battlefield alone. That should be fine, right?”

We’re about to enter a warzone… it wouldn’t be right to bring Rana into that.

“Indeed, that would be better. If they start firing flaming arrows, we might lose the carriage.”

Though his reasoning was different, Nigel also nodded in agreement and stopped the carriage.

“Then, take care of Rana.”

“Be careful, sisters!”

After entrusting Rana’s safety to Leonor, Nigel and I rode toward Count Dubien’s army.

We weren’t going too fast, as we might need to gallop soon.

“Will you attempt a full-frontal assault? Or do you plan to meet Count Dubien first?”

“What do you think?”

“If the Count recognizes us, he’ll likely want to meet us directly. Capturing him then would make the fight easier. Though it’s not the most honorable method, deceiving him into thinking we’re allies….”

While suggesting a highly effective strategy, Nigel’s expression was slightly grim.

Torn between honor and practicality…

Whether his worried appearance should be called knightly or just stubborn, I couldn’t tell.

“Guess you don’t like my plan? Well, against those lowlifes, there’s no need to stoop to such tricks. Let’s just do it this way.”

The strategy I proposed was simple. In fact, it wasn’t even worthy of being called a strategy. It was just about charging straight through the enemy lines to capture Count Dubien.

After that, I planned to slaughter those who resisted and call for surrender. Though I had no intention of actually sparing anyone who surrendered.

Gradually, Count Dubien’s camp came into view. Close enough to clearly see what the soldiers occupying the territory were up to.

A group of men walked out of a warehouse-like building, laughing and chatting. Seeing them adjusting their half-undone belts… it seemed they had gathered captured women for their use.

…Yeah, no reason to let them live.

I nodded to Nigel, who gripped his spear, and spurred my horse forward.

—

“Enemy! Alert!”

“Enemy…? There’s only two of them. Are they messengers?”

“Did you forget what the Count said? Anyone coming from that direction is an enemy! Report to the knights immediately!”

They must have noticed us, as frantic voices shouted from their side. Archers on guard drew their bows, and soldiers gathered to form a defensive line, raising their spears.

Pretty quick reaction. Must be the lord’s private soldiers, not conscripts.

“Nigel, I’ll cover you. Charge straight in.”

“Yes!”

Following Nigel as he sped up, I also drew my bow and nocked an arrow.

A group of archers or a spear formation was quite a nuisance for a charging knight. Attacks aimed at the knight himself were no problem, but blocking attacks aimed at the horse was tricky.

So, better to take care of them beforehand.

– Thwack!

The tightly drawn bowstring released with a heavy groan. The arrow, like a beam of light, pierced an archer targeting Nigel.

“Ugh…!”

The archer, pierced through the torso, let out a short scream and fell backward.

“An arrow?! From that distance…?”

“It’s just one guy! Shoot him dead!”

Before they could aim and release their arrows, I fired another shot. The commanding soldier’s head was pierced.

Four more arrows followed, cutting down the archers’ lifelines. Perhaps due to the sudden ambush, the remaining archers hadn’t even arrived yet. Only spearmen were left.

If I take care of them, the charge should go smoothly.

[…That’s not how you shoot a bow.]

Just as I was about to draw the bowstring again, Hersela, who had been quiet, suddenly chimed in.

‘It hits just fine, what’s the problem?’

[Do as I say and keep quiet. Remember how I fought with the web of Life Force wrapped around my blade? Do the same with the arrowhead.]

As Hersela instructed, I condensed a thin strand of Life Force and wrapped it around the arrowhead. I couldn’t create hundreds of strands like her, so I forced about five or six strands together.

‘Like this?’

[It’s crude… but perfection isn’t possible from the start, so this will have to do. Now shoot it into the heart of the enemy formation. You’ll see something interesting.]

Skeptical, I released the bowstring.

– Sssshhhh!

The sound was different. If the previous arrows felt like slicing through the air sharply, this one felt like it was tearing through it.

And then,

As the glowing arrow, leaving a red trail, pierced the center of the spearmen—

– Kwaaaahhh!

The unleashed light engulfed everything.

“Ahhhh!”

“Gyaaaah!”

Along with a fountain of blood, agonizing screams erupted. The uncontrolled strands of Life Force swept through like a storm. With each red streak, the soldiers’ bodies were sliced apart like cake.

[See? This is how you use a bow. Do you understand now?]

Hersela laughed triumphantly.

I had no retort. After all, a single arrow had just shredded nearly ten soldiers.