Chapter 99: Chapter 99
“I didn’t know when we were in the west, but Pendia really is a shitty land, just as I heard. It feels like a monster pops out every ten steps.”
A mixed force of the Kingdom of Ajun and Prince Conrad’s army was advancing toward the northwestern part of Pendia.
A warrior with an axe haft slung over his shoulder grumbled.
“Because they live in a trashy place like this, their heads are filled with nothing but strange thoughts. Let’s quickly beat all those heretics to death and head off to the Goddess’s holy temple together!”
“Damn right, we should!”
When the warrior beside him shouted, the other Ajun warriors nearby also responded enthusiastically.
As the most devout Old Faith believers in the Arman Alliance, they did not doubt the announcement of the Holy See for a moment.
The heretical faction rampaging in the northeastern part of Pendia was the enemy of the Goddess and the minion of demons.
By killing, tormenting, and violating them, they would be able to draw closer to the Goddess.
Listening to the cheering warriors from a distance, a young Ajun noble murmured softly.
“As expected of a holy war, the morale isn’t bad. That’s a relief.”
“Since when does high morale make the enemy die on their own? We have to fight well.”
The one who answered in a cynical tone was a blonde man appearing to be in his mid-to-late forties.
Deep anger seeped from his gaze as he stared into empty space.
At that sight, the young noble who had spoken first let out a soft sigh and spoke.
“Are you thinking of your son again?”
“You are young, so you don’t know. You don’t know the feelings of a father whose fully grown child, not a newborn baby, suddenly meets a violent death.”
The commander of this expedition and the brother-in-law of the King of Ajun was Duke Lamis.
He originally had a young son.
A successor obtained after having three daughters in a row, whom he doted on so much that he had granted him the title of Viscount Axion at an early age.
When the child, who had departed on an expedition to build fame as a holy warrior, returned as a cold corpse, the duke unwittingly lost all strength in his legs and collapsed.
Was it estimated that he had been murdered after encountering Pendia’s explorers during a sewer search?
The feeling at that time was truly as if the ground collapsed beneath him and he fell into an endless abyss.
What made him even angrier was that they couldn’t even catch the perpetrator.
Because the murderers had long since fled, and even the interior of the city where traces could be found had been burnt completely into ashes by the flames of purification.
When he requested Pendia to catch the murderer only to be ignored, he had truly wanted to lead an army and invade.
Even after instigating the king through his younger sister to break off the engagement, that anger did not subside in the slightest, settling deep within his heart and maturing into hatred.
He was merely grateful to the Goddess that an opportunity to unleash all of this had arisen even now.
“Whatever else happens, I cannot leave a single one of those explorer bastards alive. I will raid their stronghold and rip to death every single one who has ever set foot in the Demonic Realm.”
At the growl of a wild beast that had lost its cub, the young noble Iscal, who was the King of Ajun’s youngest brother and Count Glusa, let out a sigh.
Thinking that it wouldn’t be easy to control their commander, who was filled with hatred.
“More importantly, it’s a pity we couldn’t receive support from Libert. Even if our relations aren’t great, they are still brothers in faith after all.”
“It can’t be helped. Since Duke of Morayen has returned, they are bound to be busy as well.”
Fortunately, Duke Lamis went along with the words of his young relative, who wanted to change the subject.
Iscal spoke, secretly relieved.
“That man certainly timed it well. He reclaimed his stronghold while Count Balik was busy in disputes with the capital nobles. Thanks to that, we were also able to cross over without any major trouble…”
Half of the Kingdom of Ajun’s territory was frozen tundra year-round, and the other half was also cool, making it difficult for crops to grow well.
Naturally, the inhabitants there became more accustomed to plundering others than procuring food themselves.
The place they mainly sought was Libert, the largest and wealthiest nation in the world, located just a short distance down to the south.
This prosperous and peaceful country was like a treasure chest that yielded food whenever it was beaten.
Thanks to that, the two countries had been growling at each other ever since the Arman Empire fell and they gained independence.
Even though they were the only two Old Faith countries among the Alliance nations.
If Count Balik, the gatekeeper of the north, had not been busy being harassed by the capital nobles and the returned Duke of Morayen, even backed by the name of the Holy See, it might have taken another year just to get permission to pass through.
“Well, didn’t we receive the support of the Holy See anyway? That alone is enough. I will eradicate every single heretic from this land by any means necessary.”
Duke Lamis turned his head, his eyes glinting fiercely.
Behind him, a group of holy knights and priests carrying the golden flag of the Holy See could be seen following along.
*
In response to the enemy’s invasion, Cheryn’s army, which had been stationed in Garne City, moved rapidly to the north.
Of course, since it would be difficult to respond to any potential movements by Elvin if everyone left, about a hundred men remained on standby in Garne City.
They were tasked with controlling the city while monitoring Elvin’s movements and reporting them quickly.
During the march, the semi-horse archers formed ten-man squads, traveling back and forth between the main body and the west to scout enemy movements and convey information.
All they could do was catch a glimpse of the marching crowd far away, but they were able to learn a great deal through the family crests on the flags raised above.
“If it’s a golden flag, it’s the holy knight order under the Holy See. And this flag is… yes, the one leading the Kingdom of Ajun’s reinforcements must be Duke Lamis. He has the highest status among the nobles who have appeared so far.”
“Do you know who he is?”
On the road heading north after leaving Garne City.
At Cheryn’s words after she checked the report that had just come in, Shan asked back in wonder.
It was because, even though royalty studied a lot, it was surprising that she could recognize a foreign noble’s crest from a mere description.
“He is the man who claimed a few years ago that his son was murdered by Pendian explorers in the Demonic Realm. Because of that, Cassia’s engagement was broken off.”
“Ah.”
When Shan and Roden showed signs of surprise upon hearing the story, Cheryn nodded slightly.
Knowing how the Thousand Shapes had been excavated, she also knew that the one who killed Duke Lamis’s son was Shan.
After all, there couldn’t have been multiple Altoan ruins burned down by the crusade order around that time.
While the three of them exchanged subtle glanced, Ravana grimaced and spoke.
“If so, his resentment toward Pendians must be quite deep.”
“Indeed. It would be nice if we could make good use of this somehow. Driving a wedge to cause disagreement with Conrad, or…”
While Cheryn was squeezing sneaky wisdom out of her mind, another messenger arrived.
However, this time it was from the south, not the west.
Perhaps because he had chased after the army moving north in full swing, the messenger looked far more exhausted than those who had come earlier.
“Urgent news! Prince Elvin’s army in Hasra has begun to move! Two corps of about fifteen hundred to two thousand men each are said to be heading west and east respectively!”
After a brief silence, Cheryn clicked her tongue.
“He is threatening us.”
“Threatening… you say?”
“He is pressuring both Conrad and me not to quietly play defense, but to clash quickly. Telling us that if we don’t, he will nibble away and devour everything from behind.”
“But if he does that, couldn’t Conrad and we pull our forces back together and pincer him?”
“He must have judged that it would be difficult for them to retreat while bringing along the holy knight order under the pretext of a holy war. For now, we must check how that side responds before acting.”
Cheryn immediately sent a messenger, not a scout, to Conrad.
The first was to inform him of Elvin’s invasion and ask if he intended to eliminate him first, and the second was whether he intended to abide by the Holy Accord as fellow children of the Goddess.
As expected, the reply that came back the next day was resolute.
“He said not to talk nonsense, coming from a whore who sold her soul to the devil.”
Flinging the letter away, Cheryn spoke to the priest who had come to represent the Eastern Holy See in this war.
“As you can see, that side has declared the annulment of the Holy Accord. We can expect this side to lend your strength as well, right?”
“Yes, Princess.”
The face of the answering priest was still tinged with agony.
Even though he was not the one who made the decision to break the long-standing promise, he had approved it as a person of authority.
Afterward, Cheryn looked down at the map and spoke to Roden.
“Sir Roden.”
“Yes, Princess.”
“Since things have come to this, we must settle this in a short battle as quickly as possible and head off to defend the east.”
“Are you going to engage in a pitched battle right away?”
“Originally, I wanted to utilize our strengths (mobility and superiority in supply line) but it can’t be helped.”
The original plan had been to attack the supply routes of Conrad’s army.
Because it was impossible for an army of over ten thousand men to self-procure food in the northwest, which had been exploited by Duke of Morayen.
However, now that they learned Elvin was poking at both factions simultaneously, a short, decisive battle was inevitable.
They had no choice but to hope to win with minimal damage by carefully crafting detailed tactics.
Receiving the command, Roden bowed his head and spoke.
“I will consult with the other knights and devise a strategy.”
“I leave it to you.”
*
Two days after receiving the letter.
Moving rapidly to the northwest, Cheryn’s army succeeded in preempting a strategic stronghold that Conrad’s army had to pass through to head toward Palles.
Mount Aman.
Looking at the map, it was merely a small mountain situated in northwestern Pendia, but contrasting it with the layout of the highway showed just how important a place it was.
Among the mountain passes in Pendia, roads large enough for ten thousand men to move were fewer than expected.
And for Conrad’s army to head toward Palles, they unconditionally had to pass through the road extending below Mount Aman.
If they were to forcibly avoid this, they would have to detour to the northwest, but doing so would take nearly three to four more days.
Even worse, because this pass was relatively narrow, there was a need to disperse the more than ten thousand soldiers to some extent while moving.
“So, if those bastards ignore this place and move, we can just strike them directly. It will become a situation of devouring them from behind.”
“Indeed…”
As Roden explained over the map, the nobles and knights of Cheryn’s camp nodded in admiration.
Because even if all maps of the neighboring region were secured, pinpointing such a strategic stronghold and drafting a defensive strategy was not something just anyone could do.
Having received approval for the defense operation, Roden next ordered the construction of pointed wooden palisades, trap pits, and the like.
It was to block options such as the opposing army bypassing part of the terrain to make a surprise attack.
“Right, install it over there! Set up the supports properly so it doesn’t roll down!”
When such defensive measures were added to the archer units stationed on high ground, the advantage was beyond words.
Even cavalry units, which were like their natural enemies, could not charge up the hill and leap over obstacles.
A few hours later, having completed all measures, Roden reported to Cheryn.
“All preparations are complete. Now we only need to draw the enemy in.”
“I see. Do you happen to have a plan in mind?”
“Yes, strictly speaking, it’s a method to provoke the enemy commander, but…”
Roden asked for understanding, then whispered softly to Cheryn.
Hearing the story, she looked at Roden with surprised eyes and then burst out laughing.
“That will certainly be effective. However, I’m worried about Sir Shan’s honor. Is that alright?”
“Yes. It wasn’t anything shameful, and if we can win, I don’t mind taking a bit of abuse.”
When Shan, sitting opposite Roden, answered calmly, Cheryn nodded.
“Good. Then I will leave the luring to you. If you don’t mind, shall I write a script for you? I’m confident I can make him furious for sure.”
Everyone wondered what on earth the plan was, but Cheryn did not reveal it.
It was because she worried that if it were leaked in advance, the shock the enemy received might be lessened.
Exactly one day after they assumed a perfectly defensive posture.
They finally came face to face with the combined forces of Conrad and the Kingdom of Ajun coming up from the south.
“Wow…”
“Are we fighting those guys from now on?”
The soldiers of the north and east swallowed hard as they looked at the army of over ten thousand deployed below the foot of the mountain.
Not only was the sheer number more than twice their own, which was daunting enough, but the soldiers from the Kingdom of Ajun were different even in appearance.
Thanks to helmets with spiky horns, tall stature, and muscular physiques, they were distinguishable from the Pendian army brought by Conrad.
On top of that, there was the holy knight order dispatched by the Western Holy See, holding high splendid golden flags.
Wearing pure white armor and mounted on white warhorses, the thirty-odd knights created a strange sense of incongruity with their peculiar fastidiousness unsuited for a battlefield.
However, even the combined forces of Conrad and the Kingdom of Ajun, who were showing off such dignity, could not immediately strike Cheryn’s army either.
It was because Cheryn’s side held an overly advantageous position.
High up on the low mountain, the main body had a small cliff behind them, while the archer unit had spiked palisades in front of them.
Since the infantry unit surrounded their front, if the enemy charged, they would have no choice but to be showered with arrows flying from a long distance.
In contrast, because of the terrain difference between high ground and low ground, the arrows shot from their side were bound not to reach easily.
“Mmm.”
“I received reports, but it is truly a troublesome position. There must be a considerable strategist on that side.”
“I heard a man named Roden is virtually acting as the commander.”
Conrad nodded with a heavy expression at the words of his subordinate noble.
Since they also operated scouting units, they knew that Cheryn’s side was constantly scouting them through semi-horse archers and that they had set up camp on the mountain.
The reason they came anyway was that there was no proper road for a large-scale army to move without passing through this place.
Perhaps this was also what those people had intended.
“Wouldn’t it be better to besiege them here for now and go for a long-drawn war? There is no need to fight them from a disadvantageous position.”
“If we take a detour back the way we came…”
“Then those bastards will chase us. To move along a road suitable for an army of this scale, we would have to detour for at least four days. It’s not realistic.”
Above all, they were an army that had traveled from afar for a holy war.
No matter how unfavorable the situation was, the moment they retreated with the enemy right before their eyes, a drop in morale was inevitable.
With the enemy in plain sight, their opinions divided and they argued.
The nobles of Conrad’s faction wanted to settle the battle quickly by any means, fearing their territories might be shattered by Elvin, while the nobles of the Kingdom of Ajun, who couldn’t care less about such things, wanted to watch calmly and take their time.
“Those bastards are trapped on the mountain. If we besiege them and spend time, they will starve to death. We only need to wait and devour the bastards when they come down.”
The one who expressed this opinion was none other than Duke Lamis, the head of the Kingdom of Ajun’s army.
To his opinion, a western noble following Conrad replied.
“However, our side’s food situation isn’t plentiful either.”
“We should procure it nearby.”
“…The food situation around here isn’t plentiful, as it was suffering under Duke of Morayen’s tyranny until recently.”
“If you scrape it out, it all comes out. Fortunately, we excel in that field.”
Just by unleashing hundreds of Ajun raiders, who plundered Libert as routinely as eating meals, into the surroundings, the food supply would be sufficient, Duke Lamis said in a cold tone.
For Conrad, who had to rule this land in the future, it was frustrating, but it was difficult to shout that he couldn’t do so.
Because he had summoned them due to a desperate situation.
Of course, Cheryn’s army wasn’t actually in dire food circumstances as they thought.
It was because they were storing large quantities of fresh food through the refrigerators.
While opinions were converging toward besieging the enemy below the mountain, a knight came inside from outside the tent and shouted.
“A messenger is coming from the enemy army!”
“A messenger? What do they have to say…”
They had already crushed any possibility of harmony, so could it be that they were intending to provoke them to go back?
Stepping out of the tent in wonder, Conrad widened his eyes in surprise.
“That bastard is…”
The full plate armor with a faint golden sheen was somewhat unfamiliar, but the giant Mount Horais warhorse and the crest drawn on the shield placed at his side were familiar.
Shan Barendil.
It was definitely the guy who was Cheryn’s most powerful knight and had now become Count of Shedil’s adopted son.
Marquis Abel, who was silently attending Conrad from behind, also realized the opponent’s identity and slightly widened his eyes.
Riding Arwin, Shan approached close to the enemy camp alone and brought his horse to a halt when he reached a distance of about one hundred fifty meters.
Then, he used the sound-amplifying magic device he received from Count of Shedil.
[“Ah- Ah-“]
A voice echoing all the way to Conrad’s distant camp.
At the moment when everyone wondered what on earth he would say, Shan brought up a story they hadn’t even imagined.
[“Duke Lamis, listen well. I heard that previously your son died while exploring the Demonic Realm. Was it Viscount Axion, you said? It seems that was my doing.”]
“What?”
The face of Duke Lamis, who had maintained a cold expression until then, distorted terribly.
The aide beside him, Count Glusa, quickly restrained his elder relative.
“Calm down, Duke. He is clearly spouting random words to provoke us. Isn’t your son’s death a fairly famous story even on Pendia’s side?”
“Right, whew, yes… How dare he use that child’s death in such a way. If he gets caught later, I will truly not forgive…”
The duke, having calmed down, chewed on his anger while taking a deep breath, but for only a short moment before his eyes rolled back at the following words.
[“At that time, the knight escorting that brat used a shield mixed with grayish metal. I melted it down and put it to good use. As he died, he squealed like a piglet that you would avenge him…”]
Information that no one could know unless they were the person involved: that the escorting knight used a shield mixed with magic metal and that the attacker took it after he died.
The moment he heard this, the taunts that followed were not even heard.
“I’ll kill you!”
Duke Lamis, whose eyes had completely flipped, spewed out his rage.