Chapter 283
Chapter 283 – You’re Not Alone. (1)
Gillian looked wearily at the Desmond’s army’s pursuit squad in front of him.
‘They really are persistent…’
For several days, Gillian had teamed up with the knights to launch ambushes. At first, the Desmond’s army was flustered and caught off guard, but soon they began responding more agilely and effectively.
As a result, the effectiveness of the ambushes diminished over time. Recently, they had been so busy fleeing from the pursuers that executing ambushes was no longer an option.
Gillian turned to look behind him.
In the distance, thousands of cavalry were slowly approaching.
It was a staggering number, with a remarkable 3,000 horsemen marching, equivalent to the military strength of an entire territory, all mobilized to catch them.
‘To think they can deploy such a force…’
Indeed, they were not to be underestimated.
While the main force advanced, the pursuit squad had quickly split and now blocked every possible escape route for the Penris army.
Then, as if driving game, they had herded them all the way to this point.
Gillian let out a deep breath.
‘Is this it…?’
They were in an expansive plain. There were no forests or mountains to hide in from here to the heart of Penris.
Their enemies had moved faster than expected, enduring losses early on and ultimately trapping them.
There was nowhere left to run. The only choice now was to fight head-on.
“Combat preparation.”
At Gillian’s quiet command, the knights and soldiers raised their weapons. All of them looked exhausted, their faces pale and drawn.
When they had fled the fortress, they hadn’t even packed enough food, let alone rested properly. It was no surprise that everyone was bruised and worn out from the continuous fighting.
Many soldiers were already reduced to half their numbers due to the repeated battles.
Yet, despite their exhaustion, all their gazes still held fierce determination. Gillian could feel each of them resolutely wishing to take down at least one more enemy.
With a wry smile, Gillian continued speaking.
“Spread out in a circular formation.”
The formation began to take shape into a circle. The cavalry warriors all raised their spears and shields high.
Now, there were no fortresses or terrain features left to use. Surrounded, they had to rely solely on their weary bodies to withstand attacks from all sides.
As the Penris army organized their formation, the Desmond army completed the encirclement.
Baron Hutton, leading the pursuers, looked at the Penris army with a satisfied smile.
“Finally caught those little rats.”
Gillian’s quick ambush tactics had been swift and strong enough to merit slowing down the advance in preparation for them.
However, the Desmond army had not simply danced to Gillian’s tune.
Though they had to pay many sacrifices to get this far, they had eventually created the desired situation.
Now, all that remained was to unleash the anger that had built up over time.
Baron Hutton drew his sword and spoke.
“End it.”
The Desmond army slowly began to tighten their grip on the Penris army.
Gillian covered his front with his shield and stepped forward, shouting.
“Here they come!”
As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of fireballs erupted from the Desmond army’s side.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Gillian gritted his teeth and blocked the spells with his shield. The other knights did the same.
Such magic wasn’t a problem. Without Willow, a 6th Circle Mage, it was feasible to hold out.
Whoosh!
Along with the magic, numerous arrows also flew toward them from the Desmond army’s formation.
They knew those arrows wouldn’t be of much use. Their sturdy armor and dispel magic would protect them.
The Desmond army’s goal was to keep depleting their stamina and mana like this.
Tatata-tat!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With every assault from the Desmond forces, the circular formation shook violently. All the Penris army could do was hunker down and endure like a turtle.
After some time, the ranged attacks stopped and the Desmond cavalry began to move in.
The Penris army, having been battered, looked exhausted even before they engaged. No, even without the before, their prolonged outdoor existence had left their physical state in tatters.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
As they watched the Desmond cavalry approach, the knights of Penris began to laugh.
Lucas, who had always feigned seriousness and called himself the “Genius of Spear Art,” honestly confessed.
“Hey, to be honest, I was thinking about bolting midway. Those guys are no joke. They’re nothing like the ones we’ve fought so far.”
“Hah, you coward. I knew you would think that.”
“Since we’re in it, let’s take out at least one of those bastards before we go. Our revenge will surely be taken care of by the lord.”
Yes, the lord would ensure their vengeance. Regardless of anything else, he was someone who never let grievances go unavenged.
So they could laugh even as they faced death.
Boom!
Finally, the two armies clashed. The knights of Penris skillfully dodged the cavalry charges and countered by taking down the horses and riders.
The soldiers, with their spears raised, initially managed to effectively block the incoming cavalry.
But there were simply too many enemies. With their current numbers, they couldn’t halt every incoming cavalry.
Boom!
“Uwaaaah!”
The incoming Desmond cavalry crushed the Penris soldiers.
The soldiers of Penris had high defense but lacked the agility of knights. They had to endure the tremendous shock of the charge.
In just two collisions, the Penris circular formation was shattered.
“Get up! If you lie there, you will really die!”
“Snap out of it!”
“Hold on a little longer!”
Though the knights of Penris fought fiercely, killing those surrounding them, they could only fall further behind in the chaos.
Unlike in the narrow fort they had once blocked, enemies were pouring in from all directions. The knights of Penris began to use their final strength.
This is the last battle. If they’re going to lose their lives anyway, they need to take at least one more down with them.
Boom!
Rampage.
The knights of Penris moved as if possessed by madness, fitting the word.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
No one held back their strength. They unleashed a relentless intent to kill, determined to take down as many enemies as possible.
Especially Gillian, who discarded his shield and wielded axes in both hands.
Without mercy, he brought down the enemies around him. He didn’t care about sustaining injuries.
Chop! Chop! Boom!
The approaching Desmond soldiers were cut down into a bloody pulp. Their screams filled the plains.
“Uwaaaah! These monsters!”
“Push a little harder! They must be tired too!”
“Today ends it! These damn bastards!”
The Desmond army was similarly fueled by anger.
They hadn’t been able to perform their usual tactics because of these nuisances, and they hadn’t slept properly. They had watched countless allies perish and had to live in fear.
The time to end that nightmare was approaching, but fear would not befit an elite.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Uwaaaah!”
“Waaaaah!”
The battlefield erupted in wild screams and shouts of madness.
Both attacking and defending sides were intoxicated by the heat of combat, focusing solely on killing the enemy before their eyes.
However, such a state cannot last forever. As time passed, the Desmond army’s momentum grew stronger, while the Penris army weakened.
“Cough…”
Thud.
One of the frantically fighting knights of Penris let out a self-deprecating laugh and suddenly collapsed.
Due to the obscured visor of his helmet, no one could see his face, but it was already covered in the blood he had vomited.
Thud.
Another knight fell to the ground.
It wasn’t just the knights collapsing. The soldiers had fallen long ago, their bodies just twitching.
Thanks to their sturdy armor, they hadn’t lost their lives yet, but the accumulated shocks and fatigue meant they could no longer find the strength to rise.
“Get up! Now get up and kill more!”
Only Gillian kept roaring, killing the enemies.
As long as Gillian continued to rampage, the Desmond army couldn’t easily approach.
But they quickly sensed that something was off with the condition of the Penris army.
“These bastards… are they finally tired?”
“Something feels too weird for that, doesn’t it?”
“Is something wrong?”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
As the Desmond army pulled back slightly, the knights of Penris, who had been barely holding on, began to fall one by one.
They would fall even without attacks. The Desmond army ceased their attacks and simply maintained their encirclement.
Ultimately, most of the Penris knights collapsed or sat down. Blood was streaming freely from under their helmets.
Seeing that, Gillian’s strength seemed to wane as he drooped his arms.
He was the only one standing in the Penris army.
Gillian looked sadly at the fallen knights of Penris, who were spitting blood.
“Get up… Get up and fight some more…”
His face looked like it had aged years over just a few days. The fierce light in his eyes had faded. He resembled the last appearance of a weary and wounded lion.
Suddenly the ranks of the Desmond army parted, and a man stepped forward from the inside.
“Baron Hutton…”
Gillian gripped his axe tightly again. His hands were shaking, but he was determined to kill this man at all costs.
Doing so would reduce the damage done to their allies in the coming battles.
Baron Hutton slowly drew his sword. His gaze was as arrogant and cold as it had been initially.
The two men hurled their weapons at each other.
Boom!
In just one clash, Gillian staggered backward. He was far too exhausted to withstand the Baron’s powerful attack.
Boom! Boom!
“Urgh…”
Each time they clashed, Gillian was injured and staggered.
Baron Hutton hadn’t fully recovered either, but he was in a much healthier condition than Gillian, having received ample treatment and rest.
Clang!
Under the relentless attacks, Gillian could not hold on and lost one of his axes.
Boom!
The subsequent strike shattered his other axe that was poorly charged with mana.
Crack!
Hutton’s sword brutally sliced through Gillian’s chest armor.
Thud.
As blood poured from his chest, Gillian staggered several times before finally kneeling.
He gazed upward at Baron Hutton with weary eyes. It was a look of bewilderment, as if questioning why he hadn’t been killed outright.
Baron Hutton, stained with blood, opened his mouth.
“Gillian.”
“……”
“Though you are a mere mercenary, it seems such a life is too precious to waste in this war. I will give you one more chance. Surrender.”
“… I refuse.”
Baron Hutton’s brow twitched. He could not comprehend it.
“Why? Weren’t you a mercenary? Why would you risk your life for Count Penris? Is that contract really so valuable?”
“… It’s not just a contract.”
At first, it was gratitude for saving his daughter. He had followed him to repay that favor.
He had been prepared to give his life at any time. After all, he thought sacrificing his own life was a just return for his daughter’s life.
Yet, as he kept watch over Ghislaine, his thoughts gradually changed.
Ghislaine was a special person.
Despite being of noble lineage, she cared little about the status of those around her.
Not a mercenary by trade, she still exhibited the heart of a true warrior.
She had saved their territory multiple times from crises using her mysterious knowledge.
Always doing her utmost to protect others rather than gratifying her own selfish desires.
Thus, she was the one who eventually accomplished something that everyone had deemed impossible.
The longer he spent with Ghislaine, the more Gillian was inspired by her character.
At some point, Gillian began to see Ghislaine not merely as a benefactor who had saved his daughter but as a true lord who he should sincerely believe in and follow.
As a result, he could not betray Ghislaine.
This was not just a debt of gratitude nor a bind of a contract.
Loyalty.
Gillian had merely found someone he was willing to wager his life on—someone truly worthy of his loyalty.
Of course, at times… she could be ridiculously unpredictable and amusing as well.
When he reached that thought, Gillian couldn’t help but smile unknowingly.
Baron Hutton couldn’t understand the sight of Gillian like this. He couldn’t fathom how Count Penris was deserving of such loyalty.
“Why! Are you really following that little brat!? Do you honestly believe Count Penris can conquer the North? Do you genuinely think he can win against the Duke faction!?”
“If it is my lord, he will surely accomplish it.”
“That’s laughable! Just the delusions of a clueless brat dreaming! Dreams should stay as dreams!”
“The dream of my lord…”
Gillian raised his head once more to look at Baron Hutton.
His eyes, now completely tranquil, were unlike a moment ago. With a calm demeanor, Gillian spoke as if he was exhaling his last breath.
“It is my dream.”
“This brat…”
Baron Hutton lifted his sword. He should have severed Gillian’s neck instantly, but regret kept holding his hand back.
‘It can’t be helped.’
It was regrettable, but he needed to quicken the kill and return. Looking at the situation, he doubted reasoning would hold any weight.
Just as he made that decision and was about to strike down—
Whoosh!
Boom!
Sensing the sudden incoming arrow, Baron Hutton lifted his sword to block it. Yet the arrow shattered his sword and pierced his chest.
“Cough!”
Baron Hutton stumbled backwards, clutching his chest, taking several steps back.
The nearby Desmond soldiers were all astonished. Though he had been in worse condition due to his injuries, Baron Hutton was an elite knight. How could he be wounded by an arrow?
Even Gillian, who had just clashed swords with Baron Hutton and understood his prowess, wore a face of disbelief.
Who could shoot such a formidable figure so easily?
No, it was possible. There was one person in the North capable of that.
Someone whose depth of skill couldn’t be gauged.
Someone growing stronger like a monster as time passed.
Gillian’s heart began to race.
As the pounding of his heart resonated, there came the sound of earth-shattering thundering.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!
There were no sounds of trumpets, nor cheers; only the powerful sound of hoofbeats pounding the ground.
Gillian slowly turned his head back.
“Ah…”
Before his eyes unfolded the scene he had longed to see.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!
The vast plain was filled with the banners of the Red Wolf. The owner of that banner was everything to him. The last dream he had left.
And the person he had been waiting to see the most…
“Gillian—!”
With red eyes shining, she was galloping towards him faster than anyone else.
