Episode 80: The Day We’ve Been Waiting For (3)
Tamos couldn’t sit still, his legs shaking.
The soldiers couldn’t get close to the fire, only managing to barely move out the injured ones.
At first, quite a few had made it out, but now hardly any soldiers were coming out at all.
“Damn it, they’re all just injured! What am I supposed to do with this?!”
The ones who made it out early were somewhat okay, but the rest were all dying.
Even those combined didn’t add up to 500.
“Viktor, you idiot! What’s up with this? You boasted so much and now you’re leading this massive army to defeat?!”
While Tamos was blaming Viktor, Lowell, who was scanning the battlefield, began to sweat profusely.
“This doesn’t make sense. No matter how fierce the flames, it’s flat ground. If they run out, even with serious injuries, they could make it. Something’s… something’s off.”
Desmond sent selected reinforcements with trained knights and soldiers.
In such a situation, it was hard to believe all of them would be in a panic.
“Was it because the troops were clustered together? If they were hindered by each other’s movements and the fire spread…”
He had expected at least a thousand to come out, but the number of escaping soldiers was far too low.
From deep within the flames, the screams of pain continued to ring out.
“They’re screaming like that and still not getting out?”
A bad feeling made his heart sink.
Lowell immediately checked the east and west sides of Perdium Castle.
“There’s no dust cloud!”
If the enemies had started pursuit, they would have mobilized cavalry. By now, a dust cloud should have been visible.
“What the hell is happening inside?”
Chills ran down his spine.
He gritted his teeth and shouted to Tamos.
“Lord! We need to retreat immediately! Take the remaining soldiers and knights and run!”
“Huh? But we were going to take the injured!”
“There’s something in there! Get to safety now!”
Tamos, who had been fidgeting for a while, turned pale upon hearing Lowell’s words.
“Right! Let’s run! Everyone, retreat!”
But it was already too late.
Those in black armor burst through the flames.
They looked like demons from hell.
“Th-That outfit…”
Both of their faces turned ashen.
Smoke continuously billowed from the black armor.
Tamos immediately turned his horse’s head.
He wasn’t even curious about how they made it through the flames.
“Block them! Stop those guys!”
With that command, Tamos kicked his horse into a gallop.
“W-What?! Lord! Lord! I will serve you well!”
Lowell babbled uncomfortably as he hurriedly followed behind Tamos.
As the remaining knights fled with their lord, the soldiers, having lost all their commanders, fell into chaos.
“W-We should run too!”
“What about the injured?”
“We lost anyway! If we stay here, we’ll all die!”
“Rido’s gonna die!”
The sharp-eyed soldiers started to scatter one by one.
They ran for their lives, leaving behind the injured and their weapons.
There was no difference with the reinforcements sent from Desmond. They had lost the will to fight.
“Everyone retreat! Do whatever it takes to get back to the territory alive!”
The mercenaries began to crazily chase after those fleeing.
“Catch them all!”
“Haha! Where do you think you’re running to?”
“Kill them all!”
The mercenaries, in the heat of slaughter, ruthlessly butchered the enemies.
“Ugh!”
The screams of the captured enemies echoed on the battlefield.
The mercenaries were running while dealing with the fallen injured. Even those limping away had their necks severed.
Crack! Snap!
“Spare me! I’m surrendering! I’m surrendering!”
“Aaargh! Stop it!”
“I’ve dropped my weapon! Please, spare me!”
The soldiers pleaded, either lying face down on the ground or kneeling, but the excited mercenaries didn’t care.
“Our captain says not to accept surrenders! Haha!”
Only a handful of soldiers managed to escape. Tamos’s escort troops were almost completely wiped out.
“Enough! Stop chasing them now!”
Gillian raised his hand to stop the frenzied mercenaries.
If they continued to chase, their own allies would all scatter.
“Phew, that’s a bit disappointing.”
“I really got to stretch my legs. Hehe!”
“Is it really over? Let’s check the corpses.”
The mercenaries began searching the fallen bodies.
They wanted to check if there were any rings, necklaces, or items of value.
As the mercenaries laughed among the corpses, Gillian approached, growling.
“What are you all doing? I’m pretty sure the spoils are to be shared fairly after the war ends!”
“Hey, why’s the one who knows all this acting so surprised?”
“First come, first served, my friend.”
“Join us if you want.”
As the mercenaries pushed back with their idle banter, Gillian pressed an axe against the neck of the closest one.
“Do you want to end up beside that corpse? Who told you to move around freely?”
The mercenaries stepped back, startled by the menacing atmosphere.
To Ghislaine, Gillian appeared loyal, but deep down, he was still a rough mercenary.
During training, he’d been so tough on them that everyone feared him.
Pressed by Gillian’s momentum, the mercenaries withdrew their hands from the corpses, but their faces were full of resentment.
Knowing that hurting their pride would only build resentment, Gillian said one more thing.
“Have you forgotten the lord’s command? No matter how much of a mercenary you are, at least show courtesy to a lion. And go claim your due reward.”
“Ugh…”
“Well, the captain did say that… What can we do?”
Recalling the order, the mercenaries licked their lips and nodded.
If it were another employer, they’d be cursing and complaining, but now they couldn’t dare to say a word.
While keeping a tight grip on the mercenaries, Gillian often turned his heavy expression away.
‘Where is the lord?’
Ghislaine was still nowhere to be seen.
‘Did something happen?’
It didn’t make sense that Ghislaine hadn’t come out yet when the mercenaries had easily killed the enemies and escaped.
Gillian checked his armor.
Dirus Ent’s inner garment had already shriveled up and lost most of its function.
Most of it had fallen apart, and only a few ragged pieces loosely hung on.
The helmet felt the same.
At this rate, he wouldn’t last long even if he entered the fire.
The flames rising all around showed no sign of extinguishing.
With normal fire, he could wrap his body in mana to endure, but that was magical fire.
Gillian couldn’t assure himself he would be safe in there.
“I need to check it out.”
But he couldn’t just wait around.
There was nothing.
If there was something happening, they needed to help, and if not, they just had to find and leave quickly.
As Gillian moved, Kaor tilted his head and asked beside him.
“Hey, old man. Are you going in again?”
“Yeah, the Grand Duke hasn’t come out yet.”
“Ahaha, are you worried about that crazy person now?”
“Watch your mouth. Do you want me to just kill you here?”
As he lifted his axe, Kaor stepped back, feigning fear.
“Let’s do it later, later. I’m too tired from using too much strength today.”
Gillian turned with a cold glare at him.
“Anyway, I’m going back in, so you better manage the mercenaries.”
“Hey, if the Commander hasn’t come out yet, isn’t there a good reason for that?”
“What did you say?”
As Gillian frowned and turned back, Kaor shrugged and continued.
“Don’t go in and mess things up for no reason. We just need to do what we’re told properly. Am I wrong?”
“Hmm.”
Kaor did have a point.
Ghislaine always preferred to move faster than the enemy expected.
Because of that, even the allies found it hard to follow his thinking.
He might be doing something entirely unexpected right now.
But still, they couldn’t just leave him be. He was always walking the edge like a knife’s blade.
Ghislaine did not fear the danger of losing everything with one mistake.
Gillian thought it was the duty of a loyal follower to support such a master.
‘I guess I’ll have to wait a bit longer.’
But given that Kaor’s words weren’t wrong, Gillian decided to wait a little bit more.
Just a little longer.
*
CLANG!
Viktor staggered. It was a powerful blow that could have taken his head off if it was a moment too late.
Viktor was flustered. Was there really a knight in this territory that could threaten him?
Instinctively, he thrust his sword, causing the opponent to sway backward.
“Pretty good!”
As he regained his composure and confirmed his opponent, Viktor’s eyes widened.
“You!”
A figure in black armor and a black helmet.
One of those disgusting fellows who had continuously interrupted him during critical moments in this war.
“You dare to appear before me!”
Viktor gripped his sword tightly and spewed forth his rage.
Yes, he had to hunt them all down.
Just as he was about to step forward, he suddenly stopped in shock.
SSSHHHHHH!
Steam was constantly rising from the opponent’s armor.
“…It wasn’t armor?”
Upon focusing his power, he realized that it wasn’t just black armor; it looked like something black was layered over the armor.
The dark mass absorbed the heat and emitted steam.
‘That armor is blocking this fire.’
The moment he realized it, chills ran down Viktor’s spine.
“C-could it be you planned this trap from the beginning…?”
The enemy had been wearing that armor since the first day of the war.
This meant they could have set off this fire at any time.
But they had waited for him to gather all his troops to maximize the trap’s effectiveness.
“You, you…”
Viktor was at a loss for words from the shocking revelation.
The opponent nodded sideways, saying.
“Yeah, I prepared this trap at a very high price. Do you like it?”
“You prepared this? Who, who are you?”
He couldn’t even see the face due to the helmet.
But for someone of this caliber, he knew he couldn’t be unknown.
Surely a lord, knight commander, or a general…
“Ghislaine Perdium.”
“…?”
“Don’t you know me?”
“Ghislaine… Perdium? Grand Duke Ghislaine?”
“Yeah, I am that very person.”
Ghislaine arrogantly lifted his chin and declared.
As Viktor stared blankly at him, his breath gradually became more labored.
Victor’s breath became increasingly labored as he watched him.
“The reckless Grand Duke… the cornered Swordmaster… the trash of the North…”
Ghislaine hadn’t even crossed his mind. Not even on the danger list, too insignificant to consider.
To think he was brought down by such a person, he couldn’t endure the humiliation that enveloped him.
Heat rose to his head, leaving him dizzy. Victor staggered slightly but managed to regain his balance and straighten up.
“I, the greatest knight of the North… was defeated by a mere fool?!”
“That’s right. And your life ends here, Victor.”
“…!”
Victor snapped back to reality as if cold water had been poured over him.
“How do you know my name?”
He was Harold’s hidden ace. His name was barely known anywhere.
Yet, a person from this rural territory, a Grand Duke called a fool, knew his name?
“The Count was wrong. The Count’s information was faulty.”
Victor was convinced.
Losing this war was not his fault, but the mistake of Count Desmond.
There had to be a traitor in the territory. That guy must have spilled all of the Count’s plans to Perdium.
That’s how his name was revealed, and Perdium was able to prepare such a massive magical trap.
So… all he had to do was kill this idiot.
Then he could go back and say it wasn’t his fault. Since he had killed the one blocking him, everything would be fine.
“You arrogant brat, you dare show up and talk back knowing who I am?!”
Victor’s eyes sparkled with murderous intent.
He didn’t even feel the heat from the flames surrounding him.
Only rage boiled within him, ready to burst.
“How dare a fool think he could challenge the greatest of the North!”
Boom!
Dozens of swords rained down on Ghislaine.
Clang, clang, clang!
Ghislaine swung his massive two-handed axe to block the swords, but he was steadily being pushed back.
Indeed, Victor was skilled. Despite his serious injuries, it barely showed in his swordsmanship.
His sword technique was strong and straightforward enough to be called the epitome of a knight, unceasingly targeting Ghislaine’s vital points.
The momentum was so overwhelming that even with a much larger weapon, Ghislaine had no choice but to yield.
Clang!
As Ghislaine’s axe collided with a sword, it went flying away, and Victor thrust his sword forward without hesitation.
Whoosh!
Ghislaine twisted his body to dodge, but Victor’s sword chased after him and pierced his shoulder.
Zing!
The sword, heated by the flames, burned through flesh. Smoke rose from Ghislaine’s shoulder.
Just as Victor, filled with glee, was about to attack again, Ghislaine’s cold voice pierced his ears.
“Enjoying yourself?”
“What?”
Whoosh!
From the side, the axe sliced through the air. Startled, Victor leaned back.
Clang!
The chest piece of his armor split open, and blood sprayed out.
Ghislaine seized the moment, twisting his body and delivering a strong kick to Victor’s abdomen.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Victor, thrown off balance, fell backward but quickly stood up again.
Luckily, the attacks didn’t continue immediately.
“You bastard! How dare you be on par with me?!”
Was that trash capable of fighting at his level?
No matter how injured he was, he just couldn’t believe it.
Clatter.
Ghislaine threw his axe to the ground.
When he removed his helmet and tossed it aside, his sweat-drenched face became visible.
“You’re certainly decent. But is that all it takes to be called the greatest of the North?”
He slowly drew the sword from his waist, aiming it at Victor.
Then, with a smirk of disdain, he laughed.
“Get up. Let me show you who the real greatest of the North is.”
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