Chapter 469
Chapter 469 The Limits of You Fools. (1)
Upon hearing Ghislaine’s command, Claude nodded.
“Understood. How shall we divide it?”
If the Northern Army moves simultaneously, they can stop anything in their path, thanks to Ghislaine and Ereness.
However, in the meantime, everything else will be pushed aside. Ultimately, we have no choice but to split our forces.
Ghislaine pointed at the map and said, “I will lead 20,000 of the Mobile Army in the direction the Commander is holding. Claude will take the rest. You can divide the troops further if necessary.”
She decided to entrust Ereness and her close associates to Claude. They had enough strength to handle the Delphine Army even without her.
The Delphine Army, which broke through the first barrier line, may split again to increase their mobility, but Claude should be able to hold them back.
“Claude, we need to secure the path to the capital before the enemy. You can do that, right? We can’t just rely on the Allied Forces to arrive. The Duke’s forces are moving faster than they are.”
“I understand. For now, I will split the vanguard and the main force to move.”
“Right, everyone, make sure to follow Claude’s orders well this time. The goal of this operation is to establish a defensive line near the capital using only the Northern Army. Just wait a little longer, and the Allied Forces will rejoin us.”
Claude looked at one side of the map and asked, “What about the Duke’s forces coming in from the east? The Northern Army can’t hold them off that far.”
While they could if they tried, but to hold off all the forces in the east would shrink the number of troops and commanders they can use.
That way, even the Northern Army would be in danger.
Ghislaine looked at Claude and asked, “How’s the situation over there?”
“The Eastern Army commander is dead, and the Kingdom Army is shattered. However, the Lords and the Allied Forces still have some left and have set up a defensive line again.”
“Then leave it be. Someone else will go help.”
“Someone else? Oh, you don’t mean…?”
“Right. Amelia wouldn’t miss such an opportunity. She must be itching to take all of the east for herself.”
“Count Raybold was confirmed competent from the last war… but the difference in troop numbers is too great. The Delphine Army is not like the barbarians.”
The quality of their soldiers is impressive, and there are many excellent commanders. Besides, at least one superhuman from the Salvation Society will likely be with them.
Raybold’s forces are inferior in every aspect. Even teaming up with the remaining forces in the east wouldn’t change much. No matter how capable Amelia is, it would not be easy to fend them off.
Despite Claude’s concerns, Ghislaine merely smiled.
“Fend them off? That girl has no interest in that. She probably won’t even join the forces of the Lords.”
“Then what will she do?”
“While others hold them back, she’ll harass the Delphine Army from behind.”
“…Harass them?”
“Yes. The strategy she used while fighting the barbarians isn’t her true strength. She had to defend herself due to the circumstances. The way she hates to fight is face-to-face engagement. She finds it utterly contemptible.”
“…Contemptible?”
“That’s right. She’s so self-centered and selfish that she absolutely detests any losses. So she loves to annoy others while striking from behind. She likes to inflict pain on others without suffering any herself.”
It felt like she was either cursing or introducing herself. Seeing Claude’s expression, Ghislaine squinted and asked.
“What are you thinking?”
“…Nothing. Nothing at all.”
“…Anyway, if Amelia harasses them from behind, the remaining forces will hold out to some extent.”
It was a scenario similar to the past life. At that time, the Mercenary King’s army played the role of attacking the Duke’s forces. And Amelia had diligently annoyed the Army of the Mercenary King.
Back then, Ghislaine had been really annoyed that she couldn’t catch Amelia. Now, only the targets have changed to the Salvation Society and the Duke’s forces.
She would use that gap to plant flags here and there. After all, she was not called the ‘Witch of the Flags’ for nothing.
“Now, let’s leave that side and move on. We need to sort out the two Corps advancing toward the capital first.”
In reality, Ghislaine didn’t care whether the capital was captured. Regardless of the kingdom, her plan was to wipe out all the power of the Duke’s family and the Salvation Society.
But she did want to meet the king at least once, and she had no intention of letting those fools easily achieve their goals.
If she were to catch and kill those scoundrels, she had to borrow the power of the Crown Prince Faction to kill at least one more to minimize their own damages.
“Let’s depart now. Everyone, get running again.”
At Ghislaine’s command, the Northern Army was divided into two groups. Ghislaine and the Mobile Army headed west, while the remaining Northern Army headed east.
*
The Kingdom Army’s Commander, Marquis Maurice McQuarry, was often treated as a fool by the nobles. This was due to his childish demeanor and reliance on superstitions.
However, no one dared to openly disrespect him due to his violent and hasty temperament and the authority of being a Commander.
After all, he did have some capacity as a Commander in his own right.
“Alright! The recent prophecy also indicates our victory! Especially, it says a great person will appear to help us, so everyone, let’s fight with all our might!”
“Waaah!”
His superstitious acts remarkably boosted the morale of the soldiers.
The fact that he personally came down to the southern front to lead also contributed to raising the soldiers’ spirits.
Unlike other nobles, he was not someone who neglected his duties. Rather, he showed initiative in a crisis like this.
Thanks to this, the Kingdom Army he led fought remarkably well. Some of the Allied Forces had also arrived, so their troop numbers were not lagging.
“Hold fast! If we endure today, we shall win!”
Unlike a typical Commander, Maurice shouted loudly from atop the fortress while personally commanding his troops.
Inspired by his enthusiasm, the Kingdom Army and the Allied Forces successfully repelled the Delphine Army’s assault three times.
Even with a High Priest known as a superhuman from the Salvation Society on the opposing side.
Ghislaine only heard reports of losses, but in reality, they fought remarkably well.
Count Fogren, leading the Delphine Army’s third corps, stroked his long beard in thought.
“Hmm, did Marquis McQuarry have such abilities being superstitious? Even though they aren’t using siege equipment, they’re holding us off quite well.”
Like the second corps, the third corps also did not bring siege equipment for rapid advancement.
They thought they could manage with Mages using magic, and the superhuman priest lending a hand.
But as they actually fought, the Kingdom Army defended surprisingly well against magical attacks.
One of the accompanying Mages said, “The Tower of the Bloody Flame’s main force and its master Hubert are here. They are blocking our allied 6th Circle Mages’ spells.”
“Hmm, is that so.”
Although they hadn’t completely shut down the enemy’s magic, the fortress walls had taken significant damage nonetheless. It also meant the opposing side had quite a number of 6th Circle Mages and 5th Circle Mages.
Count Fogren then turned to the High Priest of the Salvation Society, the Beacon of Light, beside him.
“The enemy’s resistance is stronger than expected. We can take it with ongoing fighting, but it will take too long.”
“Umm, I’m ashamed.”
Although the Beacon of Light showed a displeased expression, he apologetically admitted it.
They charged at the fortress multiple times, but each time, knights blocked the Beacon of Light. It was hard to sweep the Kingdom Army and the Allied Forces under such circumstances.
Count Fogren sighed but shook his hand a few times and continued.
“The urgency of needing to advance has been a problem. Since we currently have no other options, High Priest, I believe it’s time for you to show a bit more effort.”
“…Understood.”
In the end, it meant telling the superhuman himself to step up and fight without fail.
The Beacon of Light rushed into battle, so much so that it would turn into rags. They had already charged the gate five times.
After all, if they could breach this, it was only a shabby army of Lords behind them. Count Fogren knew that and proceeded to press forward with the whole army.
“Waaah! We’ve breached!”
The Delphine Army had lost half its troops but successfully occupied the castle gate.
Maurice, Hubert, and some commanders and troops had no choice but to retreat.
“Immediately! Capture Marquis McQuarry and the remnants!”
At Count Fogren’s command, a pursuit force was organized. If rumors spread that the Kingdom Army’s Commander was killed, the Crown Prince Faction would lose morale drastically.
Thus, the Delphine Army could not miss this opportunity.
Leading the pursuit was the enraged Beacon of Light.
“I’ll tear him apart.”
Having suffered so intensely, he needed an outlet for his frustrations. And the perfect target for that was none other than Maurice, the root cause of his woes.
Dudududududu!
Maurice hurriedly fled, a grim expression crossing his face, to evade the pursuit. Next to him was Hubert, the master of the Tower of the Bloody Flame.
The accompanying troop numbers were under five hundred, with a mix of retreating Allied Forces.
“I never thought it would end in such a defeat.”
Maurice bit his lip.
Although the Delphine Army had suffered significant injuries, they still retained considerable strength. Even if the remaining Lords combined their forces, they wouldn’t be able to fend them off.
It wasn’t just the breach here that was a problem; other fronts were also in jeopardy. There were two more routes for the Delphine Army’s advance besides the east.
The Northern Army might hold on, but it would be difficult for the other front to stop the Delphine Army as well. Having fought, it became clearer just how powerful the Delphine Army was.
“Run faster! We must escape the pursuit somehow!”
Despite the grim circumstances, Maurice urged his horse to race on. He needed to regroup the Lords’ forces and set up a defense.
Hee-hee-hee!
“Your Excellency! The horse can’t run any more! We have to rest!”
They had been running non-stop all day. The horse was frothing at the mouth. They were also starting to see fallen horses behind them.
“Ugh… We don’t have time for this.”
There was a superhuman in the Delphine Army. Who knew when he would catch up?
But everyone was exhausted, and even the horses were struggling to run, so they had no choice but to take a break.
“Just a little, just a tiny bit of a break.”
They had even failed to take proper water breaks, simply collapsing to sit on the ground.
Hubert, looking disheveled, spoke to Maurice. “Your Excellency, it should be fine. That priest of the Salvation Society looks to have taken quite a beating as well.”
As countless knights and soldiers charged aggressively, no matter how superhuman one might be, they would inevitably tire and get injured in numerous places.
If there were no superhumans, it would be hard for the pursuers to pick up the speed. Their horses would tire just the same.
Maurice weakly nodded. His appearance was in dire disarray.
“I hope so. But I left the seer behind.”
“…You mean that fortune-teller?”
“Yes. I wonder if she’ll be okay. She’s skilled, so she should manage to avoid trouble.”
“Cough cough.”
Hubert coughed awkwardly, turning his head. For a Mage, a fortune-teller was an entity he truly despised.
Bringing a fortune-teller to the battlefield to make predictions seemed absurd, right? Of course, because of that, it did strangely boost morale.
Sensing Hubert’s discomfort, Maurice chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, “I actually know, too. How everyone sees me. They probably think of me as a pathetic fool caught up in superstitions.”
“Cough, no, that’s not it. Well, your hobby of fortune-telling is well-known…”
“It’s not a hobby.”
“Huh?”
“It’s not a hobby; I truly wanted to believe.”
Scratching his shining head, Hubert said, “W-well, you don’t have to believe it anymore, right? You said you’d meet a great being in this battle, but none showed up…”
“No, no. That’s not why I believe it.”
With a sad look, Maurice clutched Hubert’s shoulders. Before his death, he had something important to convey.
His trembling eyes met Hubert’s as he said, “Even if everyone calls it quackery, even if they all say not to believe it, even if they all point fingers at me, I couldn’t, I just couldn’t do that.”
“Y-your Excellency…”
“Because the old woman told me she could find my lost child. Therefore, even if everyone denies it, I must believe. At least I must trust that old hag.”
Maurice bit his quivering lips multiple times.
“That’s how I can find my lost child. That’s the reason I believe in that fortune-teller. And that’s…”
Before he could finish his sentence, a guarding knight on watch came rushing in, shouting.
“Pursuit force! There’s a superhuman at the forefront!”
A dust cloud was rising from a distance, and in front of it was a superhuman racing faster than horses.
Chaang!
Maurice drew his sword and turned his body. With a wry smile, he said, “That’s the heart of a parent.”
“……”
Hubert was left speechless. Until now, he thought Maurice was just a fool who believed in superstitions.
But he wasn’t foolish. He merely wanted to grasp at hope.
Maurice gazed at the sky for a moment before continuing, “And all the soldiers who follow me are like my own children.”
Taking a deep breath, Maurice shouted loudly.
“Everyone run! Their target is me!”
“Your Excellency!”
The guard knights screamed in shock. However, Maurice stood tall and cried out.
“Go! The place you die should not be such a shabby place! You must survive and achieve victory!”
“Your Excellency! No!”
“It’s an order! Run and join the Lords’ army! And protect this kingdom!”
Paaak!
Blue mana erupted from Maurice’s sword. Exhausted, the blue light flickered faintly.
But he was also an advanced knight who mastered the noble family’s Mana Circulation Method.
At least for a moment, he could hold the enemy back.
The knights and soldiers hesitated, unable to flee as they stood awkwardly.
The black dot that had been visible from afar suddenly approached right in front of Maurice.
Kwaaah!
Dust clouded as the Beacon of Light appeared. His black robe was tattered, and patches of dried blood were smeared all over.
“Marquis McQuarry!”
The Beacon of Light grinned cruelly. He had been restrained by this well-known fool for days, and had taken significant damage.
Upon engaging, it was evident he was not just some random Kingdom Army Commander. Considering his abilities and standing, he had to die here.
“Did you deliver your last words?”
“……”
Maurice’s lips quivered as he readied himself. Even if he died, he wanted to take a hit before leaving.
Just as the two men were about to clash, someone charged in from Maurice’s right.
Thunk! Boom! Thunk!
With each step, it sounded like the ground was bursting apart. Everyone naturally turned their heads toward the source of the sound.
The Beacon of Light tilted his head as he saw the approaching figure.
“A woman? A priest?”
A woman was sprinting toward them, wearing a white priest’s robe and wielding a hefty mace in one hand.
However, as she got closer, something felt amiss.
“What the… what is that…?”
From a distance, it wasn’t clear, but the nearer she got, her size and the mace’s magnitude seemed extraordinary.
Thunk! Boom! Thunk!
With each blink, the distance between them shrunk rapidly. The Beacon of Light sensed that her strength was anything but ordinary.
He gathered his energy and shouted, “Halt! Reveal your identity!”
Kwaang!
Suddenly, the woman surged forward at an incredible speed. Seeing her approach, the Beacon of Light gasped.
This woman was larger than any ordinary man. The mace she was holding was even bigger than a human body.
Dududud!
Her arms swelled, and the tendons bulged as she swung the enormous mace at the Beacon of Light.
“You bitch!”
Caught off guard by the sudden attack, the Beacon of Light raised his arms. He managed to block the attack, but then…
KWAHAH!
Crack!
“Gahk!”
With one blow, the Beacon of Light’s arm shattered, causing him to spit blood and fly off several paces away.
“Phew…”
The woman exhaled deeply with a fierce expression and said, “My name is Parniel. I am a devoted servant of the Goddess of War.”
Thus, she, later known as the ‘Saint of War,’ arrived in the Ruthania Kingdom, marking her place among the seven mighty of the continent.
After delivering a beating and self-introduction, Parniel’s aura left everyone around speechless.
Maurice, who had been gaping, slowly turned his head to gaze at Hubert.
Upon making eye contact, Maurice awkwardly smiled and said, “I-I told you I had it under control, didn’t I?”
Hubert nodded.
Who would have thought a noble would really show up?
