Chapter 629

After cutting down the enemies that were climbing up, I fought for about seven minutes. By then, the area around me was already filled with the corpses of warriors.

Since this area was only defended by me, who was hiding my true strength, and a dozen archers, the warriors climbed the wall with ease, laughing and joking. But when they finally faced me, they paid the price for their easy climb with their lives.

I had cut down twenty-five warriors by then. Around that time, they seemed to realize that the person guarding this place—me—wasn’t just an ordinary soldier or knight. They started sending in their real elites.

– *”Kakaka!”*

So, a Paladin has arrived, huh?

I slanted the Black Iron Longsword I had temporarily brought and deflected the polearm swung at me. The blade, which could have split a boulder in one strike, missed and dug deep into the innocent city wall.

*”You deflected that? Not bad!”*

“……”

The Paladin in front of me laughed heartily and kicked out with his right foot. “Not bad,” my foot. What a weakling. I blocked his kick with my left arm, hidden under my robe, and took a few steps back.

If I wanted to, I could grab his foot and throw him or slam him to the ground and burst his body open. But since I needed to hide my identity and lure in as many enemies as possible, it wasn’t the right time to show overwhelming strength.

So, I revealed only the strength of a master and kept stalling him.

*”He’s on par with Dor-o…!”*

*”That Imperial guy, he’s at Paladin level after all!”*

Meanwhile, the warriors who had climbed up were marveling at the battle between me and Dor-o and threw down several rope ladders from the city wall.

The archers who had been shooting arrows with me retreated as soon as Dor-o appeared, so there was no one to stop the warriors. Soon, the Ka`har soldiers who had been shooting arrows from below would climb up the rope ladders like a swarm of ants.

And if the soldiers from the siege tower, which was now at close range, joined in, there would be over a thousand Ka`har soldiers in this area alone.

Just as planned.

*”Try blocking this too!”*

I twisted my lips, hidden under the cloth, and continued to deflect and parry Dor-o’s polearm, who was oblivious to the fate awaiting him.

– *”Kakaka-kang!”*

Every time the sword and polearm clashed, sparks flew in all directions. The deflected blade dug roughly into the surroundings, destroying everything. The pools of blood on the city wall splashed red waves, and the flesh and organs of the dead were torn apart by the blade.

—

A few minutes later.

*”What the hell is this guy…?!”*

*”He’s blocking all of this…?”*

Dor-o’s expression had hardened, unlike before. It seemed he had finally realized that I wasn’t just an ordinary master.

Well, it made sense. Even after teaming up with another Paladin, they could only manage to cut the edge of my robe.

Without answering, I swung the Black Iron Longsword and glanced at the battlefield.

While I was stalling, the area around me had filled up with warriors and soldiers, bustling like a store during a sale. The Empire Knights were fighting alongside infantry, preventing the Ka`har from taking over the entire city wall.

“Don’t retreat! For every step back, two comrades will die! Hold the line!”

“Move as you were trained! Push with your shields and stab with your spears!”

“Ooooooh!”

“Damn those yellow bastards!”

The knights’ commands, the soldiers’ shouts, and some racially charged insults mixed together and echoed.

The Empire soldiers, like 19th-century Westerners who believed it was their duty to stab colored people to death, thrust their spears with fierce hostility.

*”Kieeeet!”*

*”Stinking Western bastards!”*

In response, the Ka`har soldiers who had climbed up the rope ladders swung their spears and polearms, showing off their savagery with bizarre battle cries.

Death swept over like a wave.

“Fall and crash!”

In the distance, Joshua Blake was swinging his sword at a siege tower that had come dangerously close.

*”Haaaaap!”*

The longsword, infused with the spirit of a hero, grew to the size of a temple pillar. The Giant Hunting Sword, over ten meters long, struck the side of the siege tower—

*”Did you think I’d let you do that?!”*

An ice wall suddenly rose, blocking the sword. Ibamai’s Heroic Tale, Frozen Hell. The layered ice wall shattered like a kicked snowman as it blocked the giant sword.

– *”Kwa-jik!”*

Wood splinters shot up like a fountain. The ice fragments, shattered by the sword strike, smashed into the side of the siege tower like cannonballs, along with the bodies of the warriors inside.

Dozens of warriors were crushed into human ice cubes in an instant, but compared to a direct hit from the Giant Hunting Sword, it was a minor loss.

“Ibamai…!”

Joshua furrowed his brow and swung his sword again, enlarging it repeatedly. The pillar-sized sword clashed with the rising iceberg, turning the area around the siege tower into a field of debris.

…I knew this would happen.

Looking at it, that siege tower would probably be half-destroyed before it even reached the wall. But with the War Chief holding him back, it seemed unlikely that Joshua would destroy the other siege tower.

“Dammit, this is…!”

Frederick was in charge of the other siege tower. He was relentlessly throwing Explosive Throwing Spears at it, but unfortunately, none of them hit.

– *”Kwaaang! Kwaaaang!”*

The ‘Einvelt’s Flash,’ which had been shot straight at the tower, was blocked by someone and exploded mid-air. It looked like a fireworks display.

It was probably Or-han, protecting the siege tower as it advanced. There couldn’t be more than one or two people who could block Frederick’s Heroic Tale with their bare bodies.

The fierce battle wasn’t limited to them.

*”I am the Paladin Gia-hun!”*

“What are you saying? Speak in Imperial.”

Leonor was dealing with a Paladin, using some rather aggressive body language to compensate for the lack of communication. Meanwhile, the Swords of Landenburg, including Nigel, had surrounded a black-armored War Chief on the city wall.

*”Giran Glar! This will be your grave!”*

The second Sword of Landenburg, Heinrich, shouted in slightly awkward Eastern. The War Chief, called Glar, smirked and drew two curved swords, gripping one in each hand.

*”The Swords of Landenburg? You bugs dreaming an impossible dream. Do you think you can defeat me with just seven Paladins?”*

*”We won’t know until we try!”*

Spears, longswords, axes, war hammers, and even a massive halberd. The weapons of seven masters struck toward the War Chief of the Black Armies.

—

Anyway, it seemed like it was about time to start. The siege tower was now close enough to reach the wall in a few dozen seconds, and my area was already filled with enemy soldiers.

Besides, if I delayed any longer, Frederick might get killed by Or-han.

Right now, Or-han was busy protecting the siege tower, but once it reached the wall, he’d start rampaging in earnest.

It was a bit disappointing that I’d only lured in two Paladins…well, actually, about five. There were probably two or three more Paladins waiting inside the approaching siege tower, ready to jump out at any moment.

I had originally planned to lure one of Ai-shan’s War Chiefs here, but it seemed War Chief Hatan hadn’t even joined this battle. He probably went to Dane instead.

Lucky bastard. He managed to avoid his death spot perfectly.

Well…I’ll get a chance to kill him someday.

And so, a few dozen seconds later.

– *”Kuuuung!”*

Finally, the Ka`har siege tower arrived right in front of the wall. The drawbridge at the front of the tower opened wide, spanning the city wall, and countless Ka`har soldiers poured out like sperm searching for an egg.

It’s time.

*”Kyaaaaah!”*

I unleashed all the strength I had been holding back, throwing the Black Iron Longsword at Paladin Dor-o and drawing Durandal to swing at the Paladin next to him. Superhuman strength and the feats of a hero. It was more than a Paladin could handle.

– *”Kwaaaang!”*

Dor-o, who had tried to block the Black Iron Sword, fell from the wall along with his shattered polearm. The other Paladin, who had raised his sword to block Durandal, was split in half along with his blade.

The hood I had been wearing fell back, revealing my tied-up black hair, which fluttered like a horse’s tail.

*”W-what?!”*

*”That hair, could it be?!”*

The Ka`har soldiers who had been rushing toward me stopped in their tracks, shocked by the sight of two Paladins dying in an instant.

Even though I had covered my face with cloth, the skin color and black hair visible above my nose would have been enough for them to figure out who I was.

*”The Traitor Wolf, Ha-shal-leur…!”*

…What kind of nickname is that?

I let out a hollow laugh and extended twelve crimson tentacles, sweeping them around as flashily as possible. So that Or-han, who was blocking the Explosive Throwing Spears in the distance, would notice my location.

*”Ha-shal-leurrrr! So you were there!”*

The next moment, with a deafening explosion, a mountain-like mass of fighting spirit began flying toward me.

Yeah, of course he’d charge right at me. He knew he was the only one who could handle me.