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With each thunderous hoofbeat striking the ground, the earth quakes.

The vibrations shaking the land can be felt even from afar, giving the impression of a giant rushing toward us.

Waving the imperial flag, the cavalry clad in pristine white armor charges forward without hesitation.

It was the appearance of the elite cavalry, the White Dragon Order, of the Imperial Army, all fully armored in heavy gear.

“Yah! Hyaah!”

“Charge forward!!”

The sharp cavalry spears pierce through the bodies of the Undead, while the heavy hooves trample the decayed corpses.

The charge of these well-trained cavalry units is like a natural disaster to the infantry, who cannot resist. The Undead forces struck in the rear fell to pieces under the relentless spear charge, quite literally becoming meat chunks.

At the forefront of this formation stood a formidable veteran of the Imperial Army.

“Never lose momentum, Knight Order! We charge all the way to the city!”

“Yes, Commander!”

“Anyone who falls behind will die! I’ll rescue my granddaughter, even if it costs me my life!!”

“C-Commander!? You mustn’t forget that our primary goal is to protect Her Highness the Princess!”

“Ugh, enough! She’ll be with my granddaughter anyway!”

“Commander! You’re too far ahead! Please slow down just a bit! Commander-!!”

“White Dragon Order, charge! Chargeeeeee!!”

The Kalstein Marquis, ignoring his adjutant’s protests, gripped the reins with his left hand and raised his cavalry spear high with his right, slamming it into the horse’s waist.

While it might seem a bit excessive for the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army, often praised as the Dragon’s Pillar, it just so happened that he had risen to this rank due to the war (the higher-ups had either been purged or resigned in disgrace). In truth, the Kalstein Marquis was more of a field commander. As a Master Class-level powerhouse himself, that was natural.

And while it seemed like he was just recklessly charging forward, it was a calculated surprise attack that cleverly exploited the element of surprise from an unexpected rear assault. The Undead forces, taken entirely off guard, fell with little resistance. Even if they had stationed Knight units, like Death Knights or Doom Knights, or even just shield-bearers in the back, they wouldn’t have been caught off guard so easily.

You could argue that in that brief moment, the Kalstein Marquis’ strategy shone through as he expertly pierced the enemy’s weakest point. Once heavy cavalry begins a charge, they simply cannot lose mobility. Therefore, shouting anything aside from “Charge” would be unnecessary.

Moreover, faced with the crisis involving his beloved granddaughter, it wasn’t surprising that the Kalstein Marquis had thrown himself to the front lines without considering his stature as Commander-in-Chief. His adjutant, however, was in a real bind.

The Undying Legion Commander was also aware of the battlefield’s unusual circumstances. At this rate, a rear ambush could render the army ineffective, but he was hyper-focused and unable to take direct action. However, there were still options available.

Some of the escort troops surrounding the Undying Legion Commander turned their heads. Elite beings composed of top-tier Undead, including Hell Commanders, Doom Knights, and Arc Banshees. They could easily wipe out an entire army, but could also block paths.

If the elite Undead forces were to intercept the Knight Order’s charge, the halted Knight Order would likely become surrounded by the swarming Undead and face total annihilation.

However, even upon seeing the elite Undead forces blocking their path, the expression of the Kalstein Marquis didn’t waver in the slightest. Was he determined to maintain mobility and push through, or did he have some kind of backup plan? His face displayed no intention of changing direction or reducing speed at all.

Just then, at the moment the Imperial Army and the elite Undead forces were about to clash head-on.

Dozens of knights drew their swords and leapt from their horses.

Each of their swords shimmered with an aura glowing like starlight.

“For the glory of the Empire!”

“For Her Highness the Princess!”

Clad in white cloaks, the knights engaged in fierce battles against the elite Undead.

Each one of them was a member of the Royal Guard, the empire’s strongest military organization, with all members having reached the Master Class.

While the Royal Guard faced off against the elite Undead, the White Dragon Order, led by the Kalstein Marquis, elegantly maneuvered through them to enter the city gates in the shortest distance.

“It’s the Imperial Army! The Imperial Army has arrived!”

“That flag… it’s the White Dragon Order!”

“Uwaaaaah! We’re saved!!”

With the arrival of the reinforcements who burst through the battlefield, the townspeople cheered in unison.

There had been cheers during the Faceless Hero’s time as well, but even though they were also support troops, the press control by the royal family had led to the Faceless Hero being treated like a mysterious hero. Compared to the sheer force of the three-letter title, “Imperial Army,” and the sense of stability that a military force provides compared to an individual, this cheer was more fervent than before.

For Ion, this was a familiar scene he had experienced dozens of times, so it didn’t feel new. Instead, the joy of unexpectedly seeing a familiar face in this situation was even greater.

The Kalstein Marquis pulled on the reins and halted his horse. With a hearty laugh, he said,

“Ion! I hope I’m not too late?”

“…I think you arrived just in time.”

The timing was almost too perfect.

A subtle smile appeared on Ion’s lips, though it likely couldn’t be seen due to his helmet.

“And so, where is our Marian, the one I entrusted to you? If even a hair on her head is harmed…”

“Grandfather!”

“Oh, oh!! Is that my beloved granddaughter Marian?! You’re safe!”

The Kalstein Marquis embraced Marian in joy at their long-awaited reunion.

One thing he overlooked was that his armor was coated with the rotting blood and flesh of the Undead that had been trampled on the battlefield. Thus, Marian’s expression upon being suddenly hugged by the Kalstein Marquis also soured, but she couldn’t bring herself to push away her tearful grandfather. She did her best to suppress a look of disgust.

“How on earth did you arrive here? I heard the roads had collapsed, causing delays in reinforcements…”

“Indeed. So I crossed beyond the monster’s territory. I nearly died a couple of times along the way, but what a laugh that was!”

Schwarzheim had long been the frontline and forward base bordering the Ionia Kingdom. Aside from the bridge connecting it to the Empire’s mainland, all directions led into the lands of the Ionia Kingdom, where all territory had long since turned into monster territory.

Even for the Imperial Army, led by the Dragon’s Pillar, to make the exceedingly arduous journey around to Schwarzheim was beyond imagination. Especially in a time-sensitive conflict, it was even more so.

By the time they brought their forces here, they had already suffered over twenty percent losses. That would have been impossible without the intervention of the Royal Guard. Since the Royal Guard had faced most of the strong enemies head-on, sacrificing themselves to minimize losses for the White Dragon Order, it had made all the difference.

The Kalstein Marquis had honestly been surprised by their participation. They were known to be a bunch who famously never lifted their heavy rears from the capital during times of crisis.

In the last war, they’d busied themselves only with the defense of the capital, under the pretext of protecting the Emperor and his legacy, and if they ever did finally join the fight, it was always solely to support the Brave Wilhelm.

Surely, the Royal Guard hadn’t suddenly changed their minds and repented. It was reasonable to conclude that someone must have given them orders to move.

“Hmm….”

The Kalstein Marquis’ gaze shifted toward Elizabeth.

Elizabeth greeted him with a graceful nod, as if to say she had expected him to arrive.

In war situations, the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army is granted the privilege to forego formalities with royalty. Still, the Kalstein Marquis responded to her nod and bowed his head firmly toward Elizabeth.

Though the Princess likely had her own calculations in mind, the Kalstein Marquis thought it was largely due to the Princess that they had been able to arrive here without delay.

After concluding the brief reunion with his granddaughter, the Kalstein Marquis mounted his horse. With a simple swing, he lifted the heavy cavalry spear onto his shoulder like it was a twig.

“I don’t even know how long it’s been since I stood on the battlefield with you like this. Am I the only one who is happy?”

“Well, the war is over. I thought I’d never have to return to battle again.”

“That’s strange. Look ahead. If this isn’t a battlefield, where is it?”

Behind them were civilians to protect. In front of them lay countless Undead.

In contrast, their own number was merely around ten thousand elite troops.

In terms of a surprise attack, they might have a chance, but in an all-out clash of power, defeat was a given.

Even though they arrived with great enthusiasm, the situation remained dire.

However, faced with such circumstances, there stood two heroes who had led the previous war to victory.

The Faceless Hero and the Dragon’s Pillar chatted casually, as if it were an everyday occurrence.

“As always, I’ll leave the judgment to you.”

“Leave it to me. Colonel.”

“Haha! It’s amusing how you still call me Colonel when I’ve long since retired that rank. Hyaah!”

Leading the charge of the Imperial Army, the Dragon’s Pillar blocked the path ahead.

No matter how seasoned adventurers might be at hunting monsters, they couldn’t defeat a trained army in a large-scale battle.

Under the command of the Dragon’s Pillar, the Imperial Army took up a thorough defensive stance. Their robust defenses would likely not break even under assaults from countless Undead.

Now, there was no one left to stand in their way.

Ion’s eyes coldly focused on the Undying Legion Commander.

It was truly time to see this through to the end.

 

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