Chapter 225

“Ha-shal-leur, ugh!”

From behind, a roar filled with anger echoed.

Jargal, overflowing with murderous intent, was charging towards me. It was already too late, though.

Well, I guess I’m late too. Doesn’t look like there’s any more time to play around.

“Sorry, but it’s time to part ways. Hope you live long and prosper in that state, Amin.”

Hersela wanted Amin to return alive, even if crippled. But being captured by Or-han would probably be even more painful.

If conditions allowed, I might have considered capturing him and taking him with me… but there’s no time for that. I’m pretty exhausted myself, and carrying someone would likely slow me down, making it easier for Jargal to catch up.

So, I gave up on capturing him and swiftly swung Durandal.

I struck his left wrist, severed both ankles, and then flipped his convulsing body to lightly slice his spine.

“Gah! Ugh! Aaaah!”

Amin, with his eyes bulging out, screamed in agony. He’ll have to spend the rest of his life crawling on his elbows, blind.

To finish it off, I picked up Amin’s dagger and plunged it into his groin.

“Gyaaaaaaah!”

What a bizarre scream. Amin, foaming at the mouth, slumped down. The dagger lodged between his legs trembled pitifully.

[It suits you, Amin. Now you finally look like yourself.]

Hersela smiled with satisfaction.

Jargal was now just tens of meters away. After a quick glance, I dashed towards the outskirts of the camp. It was time to make my escape.

No matter how great a warrior he is, with his lord in that state, he’ll be too busy trying to keep him alive to chase after me.

=====[Jargal]=====

The midnight ambush, taking advantage of their carelessness, dealt a fatal blow to the White Flag Troops.

The soldiers, panicking amidst the flames engulfing the entire camp, were unable to respond to the Empire knights’ surprise attack and crumbled like a sandcastle.

Soldiers crushed under collapsed tents, warriors suffocated by smoke, and bodies turned to ashes by the flames—by the time Jargal managed to regain control, only two hundred soldiers remained.

Of those, only twenty warriors were left.

The Empire knights relentlessly targeted the warriors, and most of them perished. The survivors, too, were in poor condition due to burns, so only about half of them were fit to fight.

The loss of supplies was also severe. All the stored provisions were burned, and over a thousand horses were either dead or had fled.

It was an undeniable defeat. They couldn’t even muster the courage to chase after the retreating knights, numbering over a hundred.

In fact, they had to retreat immediately. Far in the distance, the barrier gates opened wide, and the Empire’s heavy cavalry poured out.

Their numbers—at least two hundred.

Jargal, watching this with hollow eyes, turned his head. The camp, now a pile of ashes, crackled and spat embers.

Amin, severely wounded, had been left in the care of a warrior. Even if they returned to Ordos, a good ending wasn’t likely… but at least it was better than falling into enemy hands.

That was Jargal’s best option. Perhaps it would have been more merciful to end his life, but his master, even in his unconscious state, muttered that he wanted to live.

If luck was on their side, Amin’s maternal family might secretly rescue him, allowing him to survive.

All that was left was to deal with the remnants of the shattered army. Behind him, one hundred and eighty infantry and forty cavalry, covered in blood and ash, stared at him.

Hundreds of pairs of eyes met his.

“…We have been utterly defeated.”

Jargal spoke softly.

“We’ve lost our troops, supplies, and commanders. All that remains is a handful of survivors and… a single incompetent guard who couldn’t even protect his master. Even if we face them now, we’ll be crushed like fallen leaves.”

The heavy sound of hooves pounded the grassland dawn. The Empire’s cavalry spears gleamed under the moonlight. Death, clad in steel, was approaching.

“I am not of the White Flag Troops, so I have no authority to command you. Consider this not an order, but advice. Whether you choose to die like dogs, clinging to the warrior’s pride, or flee to survive, the choice is yours. No one will blame you if you retreat here.”

The soldiers stirred at his unexpected words. Even those who didn’t fear death didn’t necessarily wish for it.

The desire to live is the essence of all living beings. Even the people of the grasslands were no different. They merely hid their fear behind the guise of being warriors.

Showing fear, a sign of weakness, would only invite scorn from others.

Even Amin had tried to hide his fear, though not very successfully.

The closer death looms, the stronger the survival instinct becomes. And now, having escaped the hellish inferno, their desire to live was stronger than ever—so strong that they forgot the warrior’s code.

“If you wish to live, scatter individually and return. Disperse in all directions and rely on your own strength to survive. Most will be caught and killed, but some may survive and make it back.”

The soldiers, looking at each other, nodded with somber expressions. Soon, the warriors scattered in all directions. Their lives now depended on their own legs and the will of the heavens.

The lucky ones would survive; the unlucky ones would die.

Jargal, mounted on his horse, tightly gripped his halberd.

He had told the soldiers to return, but he had no intention of going back himself. He had no shame left to return now.

“Someone has to buy time, right?”

Jargal turned his horse’s head to face the approaching medium cavalry head-on. Three warriors followed behind him. They had apparently given their horses to others, as all three were standing on their own two feet.

“…Stupid fools. Didn’t I warn you it would be a pointless death?”

“I got slashed in the side. In this state, there’s no way I can run anyway.”

“I’m an orphan. Even if I go back to Ordos, there’s no one to welcome me.”

“My younger brother fought alongside Havar. If I, his older brother, were to run away, I’d be too ashamed to show my face anywhere.”

The warriors laughed as they each gave their reasons. Jargal sighed and smiled.

“I can’t say I have no regrets… but still.”

The matters of his younger sister and Amin still weighed on him like a knot in his chest. Yet, the wind blowing in was strangely refreshing, enough to blow away the things that had piled up inside.

One drop, two drops. The rain poured down. Cold droplets extinguished the flames and cooled his scorched body.

Jargal looked up at the sky. The rain soaked his face and streamed down.

“…It’s refreshing.”

“Indeed. It feels good to be cool!”

The warriors chattered as they gripped their weapons. The ground beneath their feet trembled. The raindrops splashing on the medium cavalry’s armor were vivid.

Whether they had seen Jargal or not, about half of the retreating knights had joined them. Hasalleur was nowhere to be seen, but among them were surely those who surpassed Jargal himself.

“I won’t last long.”

But now, what did that matter? The falling rain was cool, and the wind carried the scent of the grasslands. That was enough.

“Let’s go! Our brothers who left before us are waiting!”

Jargal raised his spear and charged toward death. The three warriors followed behind him.

The Empire’s spears shattered them.

================

“The knights are returning! Make way! The heroes of Landenburg have returned!”

The knights who had attacked the Ka`har encampment returned to the barrier amidst cheers. It was a feat worthy of such acclaim. Knights who had annihilated ten times their number with less than two hundred men. An achievement worthy of a ballad.

Seventy knights who were still in good condition rejoined the medium cavalry to pursue the remnants, while the remaining fifty returned first. They were either exhausted from fighting to their limits or had injuries that needed immediate treatment.

“Proud knights of Landenburg. You are my pride! Everyone gathered here will forever remember the indomitable courage and honorable devotion you showed today. I will testify before the heavenly gods that each and every one of you is a hero who saved the Empire!”

Ludwig praised the knights. The wounded knights looked at each other and chuckled.

To their own eyes, they looked more like miserable remnants than glorious victors.

Their charred uniforms clung to their skin, and bright red burn marks spread across their cheeks. Some were bleeding profusely from their sides, and others had lost an arm.

Yet, they could laugh.

They had survived the hellish inferno, the horrifying battlefield, and returned alive to prove it.

Their tired eyes shone with relief and pride.

“…You’ve all been through a lot. It must have been a tough fight. Rest well for now. The war with them is over.”

The waiting healers rushed to them. Holy light filled the surroundings.

—-

I didn’t need treatment as badly as the others.

I was just exhausted from the strain, with no serious injuries.

Strangely, unlike the other knights, I hadn’t even suffered minor burns.

Was it because I was practically bathed in blood?

Leaving the soldiers’ cheers behind, I moved inside the barrier. I wanted to sleep. My exhausted body demanded rest.

– Rustle.

I took off my cloak, which had turned into a tattered rag, blackened and torn. Dried blood clumps fell like cookie crumbs.

The uniform I wore underneath was the same. With every movement, it rustled, scattering ash and blood dust.

…I need to wash up first.

I asked a priestess to guide me to a place to wash. It was a public bath, and a few priestesses were chatting as they washed, but I didn’t have the energy to pay attention to them.

If I let my guard down even a little, I felt like I would collapse and fall asleep right there. My head was foggy.