Chapter 613

Ha-shal-leur was showing propulsion that even surpassed the expectations of the ancients, evolving from a human tank into something akin to an attack helicopter.

The special forces, who chose to retreat and leave her behind, barely suppressed their urge to turn back and continued their desperate sprint toward the barrier.

The warhorses carrying them were in excruciating pain, their lungs and hearts feeling like they were about to burst from the brutal gallop, foaming at the mouth. Sadly, none of the riders had the luxury to spare a thought for the horses’ suffering or lives.

Everyone was in a state of urgency, bordering on desperation.

They had to get as far away as possible. They had to reach the barrier as quickly as possible. The only thought in the cavalrymen’s minds as they gripped the reins and spurred their horses was that.

The life of Marquis Median, the heir of Landenburg and the Empire’s strongest knight, depended on their speed.

“Gurgle…!”

One of the warhorses, pushed to its limit, coughed up blood and collapsed. The massive body dragged across the ground, uprooting weeds and scattering them in all directions.

“Damn it, is this as far as I go…! Good luck to you all!”

“Please, survive!”

The cavalryman jumped off the lifeless horse and saluted the special forces, who continued to charge forward without stopping, then drew his sword.

Having lost his horse, he knew he couldn’t reach the barrier. So, he decided to hold his ground here, sacrificing his life to delay the pursuers, just as the cavalrymen who had fallen before him had done.

Unless it was a master or a knight who had fallen, there was no time or energy to spare for ordinary stragglers, and so the numbers of the special forces continued to dwindle.

From one hundred and seventy to one hundred and sixty.

And then to one hundred and fifty.

“…Will Ha-shal-leur be alright?”

Nigel bit his lip and muttered anxiously. The distance had grown too great. Even the occasional roar of battle could no longer be heard. Anxiety gripped her chest.

“She’ll be fine. The fact that the pursuers haven’t caught up yet means… she must be successfully holding them off.”

Leonor narrowed her eyes as she answered.

“…Probably.”

She knew it was more of a hope than a certainty. The fact that Ha-shal-leur was still fighting didn’t guarantee her safety.

She might be barely holding on, battered and bruised.

‘If only I had reached the Realm of Heroes…!’

Leonor bit her lower lip.

Her benefactor, lord, and friend was fighting against overwhelming odds, and all she could do was run away without getting in the way. The fact that she couldn’t offer any help was infuriating.

Despite countless hours of training and battles after reaching the level of a master, she was still too weak.

‘Ha-shal-leur…!’

Ja-han was also boiling with worry and concern for Ha-shal-leur. Of course, the ‘Ha-shal-leur’ he was worried about wasn’t the Empire’s Greatest Sword, but the self-proclaimed Heavenly Demon.

—

After dozens of minutes of galloping, the special forces, ignoring the deaths of their overworked horses, managed to advance at nearly double the speed of ordinary cavalry.

They would need to maintain that speed for three hours to reach the barrier.

Cutting half a day down to three hours was an impressive feat… but it was ultimately meaningless.

Maintaining such a gallop for three hours was impossible, and even if they arrived in three hours, it would take several more hours for the hastily assembled reinforcements to reach the battlefield.

By then, Ka`har would have finished the battle, collected the dead, held funerals, and even finished dinner.

No matter how hard the special forces tried, sending reinforcements in time was impossible from the start.

All they could do was create enough distance from the enemy so that Ha-shal-leur, who deemed it sufficient, could retreat.

That’s what everyone thought.

Until the knight leading the special forces spotted a cloud of dust rising in the direction they were heading.

—

======[ Ha-shal-leur ]======

“Grrr…”

The unicorn glared at me with venomous eyes before disappearing. I stood up on the pile of fading entrails and wished him peace. Not that it mattered—he’d be back tomorrow.

[You landed safely, I see. Flying again will be difficult, though…]

‘Yeah. If things had gone according to plan, I could’ve kept flying for another ten minutes. Now, I can only manage about a minute.’

Thanks to the overly filial anger-management-issue lady.

Things had gotten quite messy because of her. While I was fighting Or-han, the Blue Army, having regrouped, was staring at me with bewildered eyes from not too far away.

Their numbers had significantly decreased, and the short rest hadn’t fully alleviated their fatigue from the forced march and fierce battle. They all looked exhausted… but that didn’t mean I had the upper hand.

I was even more exhausted than they were.

Thanks to Durandal’s Authority, my stamina was intact, but filling a broken car with fuel won’t make it run at full capacity.

Bleeding, bruises, fractures, internal injuries… Moving this battered body wasn’t something stamina alone could handle.

Of course, even if I hadn’t been injured, it wouldn’t have made much difference.

Once the blessing that turns a person into a superhuman, the Power of Feats, runs out, I’m just a beastman-level fighter with two spells: a blessing that ignores blades and endless stamina. Just an ordinary warrior.

…Well, I do have a bit more than that, but it’s still not enough.

I could handle ordinary warriors, but taking down a mounted Paladin would be tough.

I still had some Feats and Life Force Techniques left, so I could win in a one-on-one fight… but no one with half a brain would agree to that.

No, actually, it’s all a moot point. Or-han, who was sent flying by the tentacles of the Life Force Technique, would be more than enough to take me down as I am now.

He’s not in the sky, so he must have fallen like I did… probably somewhere behind them.

Well, he’ll show up soon enough, completely unharmed.

“Haaa…”

I leaned on Durandal, planted in the ground like a cane, and caught my breath while waiting for Or-han.

Charging at the Blue Army here would be the worst move. Waiting for Or-han to return and continuing the natural one-on-one fight was the best option.

“…That monster isn’t flying anymore. Has he run out of strength?”

“If that’s the case…”

Perhaps they were convinced I was exhausted. The warriors at the front of the Blue Army began to stir.

They didn’t attack me yet, as no orders had come from Or-han or the Paladins, but the moment a command was given, they would charge without hesitation.

“Run out of strength? Think you can kill me? If you’re so sure, come at me. I’ll cut you down one by one.”

I spat out the blood pooling in my mouth and pointed Durandal, which I had planted in the ground, at them.

“I swear on the bloodline of the Great Sorcerer flowing through my veins, the blood of Ai-shan Gi-or. I’ll take at least a thousand of you with me.”

The confession of the Great Sorcerer’s bloodline, deliberately chosen words.

The fact that ‘I’ use sorcery and that ‘Ai-shan Gi-or’ was of a sorcerer’s bloodline would be a completely different matter for the warriors.

“The bloodline of a sorcerer…?”

“What nonsense is this traitor spouting…?”

As I expected, the warriors’ momentum faltered for a moment. They might not believe me… but with the word ‘oath’ emphasized, it wouldn’t be easy to dismiss it as mere nonsense.

That was enough. Just planting the seed of doubt in their minds was enough to mess with Or-han.

If I made it out alive, I planned to advertise this fact widely.

Those loyal to Or-han would dismiss it as mere rumors, but those who had only submitted to his power without true loyalty would undoubtedly take notice.

Without my intervention, they would start investigating the connection between Ai-shan Gi-or and the sorcerers to find a chink in Or-han’s armor. If evidence surfaced, Or-han would be in a very difficult position.

Right?

“Your cunning has only grown, Ha-shal-leur.”

Or-han, his expression hardened, pushed through the stirring warriors and revealed himself. The deep furrows in his brow clearly showed his frustration and anger.

He must be really pissed. He probably thought I’d keep the family secrets since he acknowledged me as his successor, but he didn’t expect me to blab them openly.

Well, he must have misunderstood my desire to become Kagan, so he probably didn’t think things would turn out like this when he spilled the beans.

“You should’ve been more careful with your words in front of the enemy.”

I smiled even wider, mocking him. It didn’t change the situation, but seeing Or-han’s face twist made me feel a little better.

“…That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about that.”

Or-han gritted his teeth and pointed behind me.

Behind me…?

Ah. Could it be… already?

A sudden possibility. Without taking my eyes off Or-han, I focused my senses on what was behind me.

And I sensed it.

The ground vibrating slightly. An indistinct echo. The gradually approaching presence of thousands… no, nearly ten thousand.

A large army was approaching from the west.

“Your Majesty—! We must retreat! The forces of Landenburg, the Empire’s army, are approaching!”

Right on cue, a frantic cry rang out. A scout from the Blue Army, with five arrows stuck in his back, returned and reported the best news I could hope for.

[Ludwig’s reinforcements…! They’re not too late!]

‘See? Good things come to those who believe.’

I didn’t expect them to arrive this quickly… but thanks to them, I’m saved.

I chuckled and relaxed my shoulders. There was no need to be tense anymore. With the Empire’s reinforcements arriving, all I had to do was flee west and join them.

—

“You took too long…”

Or-han, his face as fierce as a tiger’s, glared at me as he issued the retreat order upon seeing the ten thousand Imperial troops charging toward the Blue Army.

Yeah. He had no choice but to retreat.

Three thousand exhausted Blue Army troops couldn’t possibly face an Imperial force three times their size. Even the invincible Indestructible Body seemed to be reaching its limits. If they had chosen to fight, he might have lost his invincibility and fallen during the battle.

Anyway, that’s how I narrowly escaped with my life.

What a hassle. Who knew a mere skirmish could be so grueling and exhausting? I couldn’t help but sigh.

“Haa…”

With trembling hands, I pulled out a cigarette and sat down on the ground, watching the retreating enemies as I inhaled the smoke.

‘They’re running away pretty fast. I thought Ka`har never showed their backs to the enemy?’

Turns out that was a lie. Seeing them flee faster than anyone else, it seems ‘strategic retreat’ has become second nature to them.

[If a pursuer follows, they’ll turn around on horseback and shoot arrows. That way, they’re not showing their backs.]

‘What kind of sophistry is that?’

I chuckled, but the smoke caught in my throat, and I coughed up blood. With the tension gone, my twisted and injured insides seemed to finally scream in pain.