Chapter 193: Wait Here First. (1)
Everyone fell silent.
The Penris Soldiers coming over the castle wall, the exhausted Knights from combat, even the enemies charging with battle cries all halted their movements.
In that moment, no one could quite see what Ghislaine had done because of the blinding light that burst forth.
Rumble.
As soon as they briefly closed their eyes and opened them again, the castle gate was in ruins.
The Knights, who were dumbfoundedly watching beside Ghislaine, eventually muttered one by one.
“The, the castle gate….”
“How could he do that with a sword….”
“Is this the power of the Lord…?”
The Penris Knights who had fought alongside Ghislaine up until now stared blankly at the broken gate.
It wasn’t only the allies who were stunned. The Cabaldy Soldiers looked on in confusion at the sight of the crumbling gate.
“O-our castle gate has fallen.”
“Did one person do that?”
“Who on earth is that guy…?”
It is said that the Kingdom’s Greatest Sword, Count Balzac, could single-handedly break down a castle gate.
But that was merely a rumor, a far-off tale that didn’t feel real to them.
Yet now, that incredible feat was being performed right before their eyes. As an enemy, no less.
“We can’t win.”
“We’re all going to die.”
The faces of the Cabaldy Soldiers slowly began to turn to despair. With their spirits already at rock bottom from starvation and being besieged, it was only to be expected.
In the midst of all this, they confirmed that the Penris Army was digging tunnels and clung to their last hope.
They thought they would achieve victory after tonight, but that hope had been shattered.
Thus, they could only lose their fighting spirit.
The battlefield, which had been in a frantic state, grew silent. The shocking event was so surreal that no one could utter a word, as if they had collectively forgotten that they were at war.
And the one who had caused such a miracle, Ghislaine, momentarily gazed at the debris of the broken gate.
“Whew….”
He let out a deep breath and plopped down where he stood.
“Ugh, it feels like I’m going to die after using it for the first time in ages.”
It was still too early to use magic as freely as in his previous life.
Due to the extreme consumption of mana, he needed this much time just to be able to use such a feat once.
Had he regained the stature from his past life, he wouldn’t have produced such a noisy light, nor would he have collapsed after merely one use.
“My Lord!”
“Are you okay?”
The Knights nearby rushed over. Seeing them, Ghislaine waved his hands dismissively.
“I’m fine, so don’t worry. It’s a battle, why is everyone lost in thought? The enemy is right in front of us, right in front! Tsk tsk, everyone needs more training.”
At those words, the Penris Knights snapped back to attention and returned to their battle stance.
However, the enemies also regained their composure. The sharp-eyed Count Cabaldy shouted, pointing at Ghislaine.
“No matter how strong that guy is, he’s clearly exhausted! Look at him! He can’t move right now! He’s definitely out of strength! Strike now! Use your bodies to block the castle gate!”
At his command, the Knights and Soldiers of Cabaldy gripped their weapons tightly. This was their last chance to defeat the enemy.
They charged forward, roaring like madmen.
Sprinting out while shouting.
“Waaaaaaah!”
The only emotion governing the Cabaldy army was one.
Fear.
This was the only chance to kill the author sitting in front of the castle gate.
This was also their only chance to block the castle gate before the enemy’s great army arrived.
If they failed.
They would all be slaughtered.
That fear was the last driving force that propelled them forward.
“Lord! Please take cover!”
“We will hold them off!”
“Everyone, gather here!”
The already exhausted knights gritted their teeth and crowded around Ghislaine.
Gillian and Kaor also began to form up with the allied soldiers scaling the castle walls.
Seeing them, Ghislaine chuckled casually.
“Alright. Don’t block the road, just step aside a bit.”
“What?”
When the knights gave a confused response to Ghislaine’s unexpected words.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!
The ground-shaking sound grew louder, accompanied by a mighty voice from outside the castle.
“Step aside!”
Startled by that shout, the knights hurriedly moved to the side.
As soon as they cleared the way, a man galloped into the castle on horseback.
Boom!
“Lord! I’ve arrived! Are you alright?”
Lucas, who loved to show off, burst in creating a ruckus as soon as he entered and checked on Ghislaine.
Ghislaine smiled at him and said.
“I’m fine, so just sweep them away.”
“Understood!”
Lucas raised his spear high and charged towards the enemies, itching to fight heroically.
“Lord! I’m here too!”
Right behind him was Gordon, the muscle-bound guy who was previously unable to control his bladder… no, Gordon.
He too brandished his spear and fiercely charged at the enemies, just like Lucas.
Luckily, their experience and skills were decent enough to place them in command of the front lines.
Following Lucas and Gordon, the Penris knights, who had been waiting outside the castle, began to leap into action.
They all rushed past Ghislaine, exchanging remarks along the way.
“Lord! You’ve worked hard!”
“Now, leave it to us!”
“We believed in you!”
Some wore proud expressions, others looked astonished, while some appeared deeply moved.
What they all shared in common was a firm resolve to become the lord’s strength.
“Let’s sweep them away!”
With someone’s shout, the spears of the Penris knights began to glow blue.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!
As the thunderous sound of hooves approached with a fierce momentum, the Cabaldy army gritted their teeth.
They were rushing toward the castle gate, and there was no time to form a proper line to counter the cavalry.
They clashed directly with the Penris knights, clinging to the faint thread of hope provided by their heavy armor.
But hope was just hope.
Boom!
“Uuaaaargh!”
The blue spears of the knights pierced through the enemies’ armor in an instant.
In just one clash, the formation of the Cabaldy army crumbled in no time. However, the Penris knights did not stop and pressed on, mowing down the enemies.
No matter how heavy infantry they were, it was impossible to stop oncoming knights without a proper formation.
Count Cabaldy could only watch in a daze as his army was swept away like autumn leaves.
“How… how could this be? There are so many knights…”
Like Jaimon, he could not believe the situation unfolding before him.
They couldn’t win. With that many knights, there was no way to secure a victory in a direct confrontation.
And that wasn’t the end.
“Waaaaaaah!”
Penris soldiers had formed up and were charging from both castle walls.
Soldiers who had already flooded through the castle gate began to spread out and surround them.
“Uuargh! Save me!”
The screams of the Cabaldy army echoed from all around.
Massacre, this was a perfect massacre.
In Count Cabaldy’s view, he saw his soldiers, who had been the pride of the North, fall helplessly.
It felt like a dream; the reality seemed to blur away. Time felt like it was flowing slowly.
Time seemed to slow down.
Just then, someone shouted loudly, as if to awaken his mind.
“Lord! Get out of here! You need to escape!”
It was Leslie, the Knight Commander of Cabaldy.
Only then did Count Cabaldy snap to his senses, gritting his teeth.
“It’s clear that the Crown Prince Faction has supported the knights. We’ve been played!”
There couldn’t possibly be this many knights or soldiers in Penris Territory. Count Cabaldy could only think that the Crown Prince Faction had used this difficult time to attack the Duke Faction first.
Leslie urgently grabbed Count Cabaldy’s arm.
“That’s not the important part! You need to escape right now! The enemies are surrounding us!”
“Let go! Are you telling me to run away from such a punk?”
Count Cabaldy roughly shook off Leslie’s hand.
He couldn’t allow himself to be defeated by a punk like Baron Penris.
“What are you doing! Form up! I said to form up and fight back!”
Count Cabaldy shouted hoarsely, his eyes bloodshot.
In truth, the outcome was already decided.
With the charge of the Knights of Penris, the Cabaldy Army lost half of its troops in an instant. The soldiers of Penris, who had started the siege, were easily applying pressure.
The few surviving Cabaldy soldiers were cowering behind their shields, barely holding on.
The moment the siege formation was complete, the Knights of Penris shouted out from all directions.
“Those who throw down their weapons and lie on the ground will be spared! Those who resist until the end will not escape death!”
That shout signaled the end of the battle.
Thud.
One Cabaldy soldier tossed down his weapon and lay on the ground.
As if that was a signal, the Cabaldy forces, barely holding on, began to collapse rapidly.
Clang, clang.
The sound of throwing down weapons echoed continuously from all around.
Half of them were still holding onto their weapons, but they had already completely lost the will to fight.
Once they witnessed the overwhelming might of the Penris Army, they had no desire left to continue.
It was all part of Ghislaine’s plan.
He had ordered Lucas and Gordon to push forward quickly for the first charge while deliberately slowing the offensive afterwards.
There was no need to kill all the soldiers. Those soldiers would now be forcibly incorporated into the Penris Army.
The battlefield suddenly fell silent, to the point of being stifling.
Aside from the occasional groans of injured soldiers, no other sounds could be heard.
Even the Knights of Penris, who usually chattered incessantly, had fallen silent.
They knew their master still had work to do.
“Get up! Get up and fight! If you don’t get up this instant, I will kill you all!”
At that moment, Count Cabaldy’s voice broke the silence, echoing across the battlefield.
Around him were only Leslie, the Knight Commander, and a dozen of his guards. Yet Count Cabaldy still could not accept the fact that he had been defeated.
His pride, obsession, and stubbornness prevented him from recognizing that punk named Ghislaine.
Step, step.
The sound of someone’s footsteps could be heard. All the Knights and soldiers of Penris parted to create a path.
Count Cabaldy gazed at the person approaching with a heavy presence.
“You are…?”
It was the one who had broken down the castle gate. The one who had shown incredible power.
Even he seemed burdened by breaking the gate. His face was pale, and exhaustion was evident in his steps.
Count Cabaldy quickly recognized who he was, based on the aura emanating from him and the reactions around.
“Don’t tell me… you are Baron Penris?”
“Yes, I am Baron Penris.”
“How could a punk like you have such strength…?”
Count Cabaldy’s words were cut short. Right beside him, Leslie had turned and fled.
A Knight Commander of a territory running away and abandoning his lord!
Everyone around, regardless of being from Penris or Cabaldy, wore expressions of disbelief. Count Cabaldy’s face flushed with humiliation.
The Penris Soldiers surrounding them lifted their weapons to stop Leslie.
“Get out of the way!”
Leslie drew his sword with a desperate look, intending to break through the encirclement and escape.
After all, he was the Knight Commander of the Count’s territory. His skills wouldn’t be taken lightly.
Just as the soldiers tensed up, readying for an attack, Gillian’s axe flew in from behind Leslie.
Thwack!
“Ugh!”
Caught off guard in his haste to flee, Leslie couldn’t dodge the axe that lodged itself in his back, and he fell from his horse.
“Cough!”
Even spitting blood, he struggled to stand up.
Using his sword as a makeshift staff, he barely got to his feet, only to find Gillian standing before him, his expression as blank as a wall.
Leslie extended his trembling hand and said, “Wait, I surrender…”
Thwack!
Before he could finish, Gillian’s sword struck Leslie’s neck.
With his head gone, Leslie’s body staggered for a moment before collapsing.
Gillian swung his sword once to shake off the blood, then looked around with an arrogant expression at the remaining Cabaldy knights.
“Kneel before the Lord immediately.”
At Gillian’s words, the Cabaldy knights smirked.
They were not like the soldiers. They had lived with pride and honor as knights for a long time.
Their commander had already met a disgraceful end escaping. If they too knelt, the honor of Cabaldy would be irreparably tarnished.
One knight drew his sword and declared, “We will fight to the end for our Lord and territory.”
With those words as a signal, all Cabaldy knights charged at Gillian.
Simultaneously, Kaor and the Penris knights beside Ghislaine surged forward as well.
Clash!
In an instant, a dozen knights were entangled in combat.
Count Cabaldy watched as his knights fell one by one, biting his lip until it bled.
Now, he truly felt it was over. All the reputation and status he had built up was crumbling.
“My Lord… please escape…”
The Cabaldy knight, with a hole through his chest, couldn’t finish his words.
That was because Kaor had taken his head.
Seeing the last knight fall, Count Cabaldy closed his eyes.
Ghislaine’s calm voice followed.
“Take him down.”
A few knights forcibly pulled Count Cabaldy from his horse and forced him to kneel.
“Let go! You brutes! Do you even know who I am?”
Count Cabaldy screamed and struggled, but he couldn’t escape the knights’ brutal grip.
In the end, with no strength left to resist, he bowed his head. The boiling humiliation was unbearable.
At that moment, Ghislaine, who had approached him, spoke in a cold tone.
“Long time no see, Count Cabaldy.”
Count Cabaldy, without raising his head, let out a faint laugh.
“Hmph, when did you see me and say ‘long time’? Do you even know me?”
“Oh, I know you very well.”
Ghislaine recalled the past life. The moment he set his sights on Perdium from the Duke’s Faction, Count Cabaldy cut off the iron ore supplies headed for Perdium.
Thanks to that, Perdium couldn’t even properly maintain their weapons, let alone acquire new ones.
That wasn’t all. Count Cabaldy had even sent troops, lending a hand to Perdium’s demise.
How could he forget someone like that? How could he possibly let it go?
In his past life, he had gone directly to split his head. Yet the dark flame burning in Ghislaine’s heart had not extinguished.
No matter how much he smashed and broke, that flame grew larger, endlessly consuming his soul.
Now, it was time to snuff out one of those flames.
Ghislaine slowly bent down, grabbed Count Cabaldy’s hair, and forcibly lifted his head.
“Cough, you… how dare you…”
Looking into the angry face of Count Cabaldy, Ghislaine grinned savagely.
“I’m the one who has something to say. How dare you.”
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