Chapter 471
Chapter 471: If I Say So, It Happens. (1)
Currently, Ghislaine was personally leading a mobile army of 10,000 soldiers.
While 20,000 troops were assigned to Marquis Maurice McQuarry, to maximize speed, they selected the elite 10,000 to move first.
Thump thump thump thump!
The 10,000 Penris mobile army moved with incredible speed. They only rested when the horses needed a break.
The powerful horses from the north had short rest periods, and the nutritious combat food of Penris further reduced their downtime.
Thump thump thump thump!
Ghislaine was traveling around the kingdom like it was her own backyard. The elite mobile army, feeling confident on familiar paths, quickly caught up with the Delphine army led by Count Fogren.
Dark, who was trailing the Delphine army, transmitted the news through their connection.
— They’re moving forward vigorously.
Ghislaine looked up at the sky. There was still some time before nightfall.
“Good. They probably don’t expect us to come.”
Common sense would dictate that the Northern Army, just coming off a battle, wouldn’t think another army would descend upon them so soon.
In fact, the messenger sent by Count Mathes after his defeat had not yet reached each legion.
The Penris mobile army was moving faster than the messenger.
“Everyone, take a good rest now. We need to move all night.”
After several days of running without rest, the mobile army collapsed onto the ground as soon as Ghislaine finished speaking. Even the well-trained soldiers were worn out from the relentless march.
They hadn’t even set up proper camps, just tied their horses in place and took a breather.
Of course, they weren’t just lying there doing nothing.
Penris was now overflowing with supplies.
“Ha, see, having money is good.”
“I didn’t think I’d be drinking this even when I’m uninjured.”
“In the old days, I couldn’t even afford to buy this.”
Everyone started pulling potions from their packs and drinking.
Potions not only healed wounds but also boosted vitality. They had the effect of artificially enhancing regeneration.
It was somewhat like pouring gold into their mouths, but no one minded.
Thanks to the overwhelming production, they all had extra potions in stock.
The training and discipline were strict, but Ghislaine always treated her soldiers excellently.
Because of this, their morale continued to rise as they engaged in more battles.
Whooooosh…
As the surroundings grew dark and a chill wind blew, Dark, who had gone out for reconnaissance, reported back through their connection.
— As you said, their movement speed is decreasing.
“Get on your horses!”
Everyone mounted their horses at Ghislaine’s command without hesitation.
“We’re moving now.”
As Ghislaine gestured and rode the Black King, the mobile army followed behind.
Again, Dark informed them of the situation through their connection.
— They’re stopping their advance from the front.
“Increase our speed!”
Thump thump thump thump thump!
The running speed increased even further. There were no obstacles to stop them.
This was only natural. Ghislaine hadn’t chosen the waiting spot at random.
The enemy wasn’t foolish and would definitely utilize scouts. The range would be quite broad.
To avoid being detected by them, they had no choice but to wait from a distance.
Thus, Ghislaine chose terrain where they could rest while the horses kept running.
— We’ve begun constructing the camp.
“Run faster!”
Ghislaine shouted with a fierce smile. Black energy began to envelop and ripple around the Black King.
Hiiiiiing!
The Black King let out a long howl and shot forward like a beam of light.
Though the distance between them and their allies increased, it didn’t matter.
It was always Ghislaine’s role to be the first to arrive at the most dangerous places.
Thump thump thump thump thump!
Following Ghislaine’s lead, the mobile army pushed their horses even faster.
They always faced battle with the mindset that it could be their last. Because of this, they poured all their strength into their charge.
No matter how skilled they were, it took time to set up a camp for a large army of 30,000.
Once the camp was constructed, Count Fogren spoke to his deputy.
“A being presumed to be a superhuman has joined Marquis McQuarry. They may attempt a surprise attack, so we must be wary.”
“Understood.”
“Just in case, set up stakes and blade traps around the camp.”
Count Fogren, as a competent commander, remained vigilant even after the victory.
Tired from the march, the soldiers were in a cheerful mood at the prospect of resting after the camp was completed. However, when orders for trap installation were given, they started to show annoyance.
Still, it was wartime, so they couldn’t afford to be careless. They moved out like elite soldiers immediately.
“Alright, let’s finish this and rest!”
The soldiers on guard began to replenish their ranks one by one. Some soldiers were moving to switch shifts.
The working soldiers picked suitable spots and started digging.
At that moment, when everyone’s tension eased and their guard was at its weakest—
Thump thump thump thump…
A few soldiers heard the sound of hooves rushing from somewhere and looked up.
But the sound wasn’t very loud. They understood from their experience that it was just one person.
“Is it a messenger?”
As they wore puzzled expressions, their faces quickly turned to horror.
Thump thump thump thump thump!
The sound of one horse’s hooves was swallowed by the massive noise of many horses approaching. That sound was getting closer.
The surroundings hadn’t fully descended into darkness yet. Though it was getting dim, the knights with good vision noticed the approaching figure holding a spear.
“Enemy! The enemy has appeared!”
“Draw your weapons!”
“Quick, form ranks!”
Everyone began to panic. Even the soldiers who had been preparing traps threw down their tools and searched for their weapons.
They hadn’t been caught unprepared. They had acted according to the combat manual and didn’t do anything carelessly.
It was just that Ghislaine had skillfully struck at a gap in their defenses.
Ghislaine pulled back the spear, which was now vibrating with black energy.
“Let’s have some fun.”
With that single phrase, Ghislaine’s red eyes shined as she threw the spear.
Kaa-boom!
The spear, filled with mana, flew forward and burst into a massive shockwave.
The soldiers standing nearby didn’t even have time to scream as their bodies were torn apart.
However, the force of 30,000 soldiers was immense. The number killed by Ghislaine’s attack was only a fraction of them.
The enemy still had so many left.
Hiiiiiing!
Swoosh!
The Black King let out a long howl and charged into the bewildered camp of the Delphine Army.
Ghislaine grabbed a spare spear from the saddle.
“Good.”
The enemy was still flustered. They hadn’t even properly established their ranks yet.
They needed to leap in before they could gather themselves, to keep them disoriented.
She would have to take on that role until the mobile army arrived.
“Let’s go!”
Whoosh!
As Ghislaine shouted, the black energy surrounding the Black King grew even larger. Simultaneously, dozens of spears made of mana emerged around her.
Pahhh!
The mana spears spread out and pierced through the enemy.
“Gwaaargh!”
“Stop them! Block it!”
“Quickly, form ranks!”
Thump thump thump thump!
Crash! Crash! Crash!
Ghislaine and the Black King rampaged, taking the soldiers’ heads as they tore through the camp.
Some desperately geared up to charge out, while others hurried to flee from Ghislaine.
Here and there, commanders shouted orders, but the soldiers couldn’t even properly hear them as they hadn’t formed ranks.
Pahhh!
“Ugh!”
Whenever they tried to do something, a mana spear would fly in and disrupt the area. The Delphine troops fell into panic and confusion.
“What’s happening! Who the hell is invading us!”
“Gather up! Everyone gather!”
“Shit! What kind of monster is that!”
No one considered that it could be Count Penris. It was too absurd.
Still, even though they were elite troops, the army of 30,000 began to form ranks from the outside.
Those in the center of the camp quickly gathered to protect their commander.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The mages clustered around Count Fogren. Knights surrounded them with shields.
The finest elite soldiers also gathered around them to protect their commander. Even though they were unsure of the situation, they had to ensure his safety.
Count Fogren shouted in frustration.
“What the hell! How did we let our guard down? The enemy is attacking! Who is it! Who, for the love of god!”
“T-there is one enemy. Its identity is still…”
In the meantime, the dusk deepened, making it hard to see the enemy’s insignia and appearance. Especially since they were surrounded by black energy.
Using black energy, the priests of the Salvation Society and Count Penris were well-known.
Since the priests wouldn’t attack them, it could only be Count Penris, but they couldn’t imagine that he had come alone.
“Quickly, stop him! Stop him!”
“Don’t worry! We got surprised! Soon our allies will surround…”
The report from the knight accompanying him was cut off midway.
Thump thump thump thump thump!
The sound of hooves shook the ground powerfully. If the ground was shaking this much, it meant an incredible number of cavalry were coming.
“W-what…?”
Before they could even finish assessing the situation…
The cavalry, numbering 10,000, crashed into the Delphine army’s camp.
Kyaaaang!
“Ugh!”
The soldiers, who had only just barely formed ranks, screamed as they were swept away.
The Delphine army didn’t even get to mount their horses, let alone form proper ranks. There was no way they could stop the sudden cavalry charge.
Fires began to blaze throughout the camp. The Delphine army started being slaughtered by the charging cavalry.
“W-what is this…?”
Count Fogren couldn’t believe his eyes as he witnessed the chaos unfolding before him.
They hadn’t done anything half-heartedly. They were preparing traps for a nighttime ambush too.
But to have been completely and perfectly ambushed while exploiting their fleeting weakness!
To accomplish that meant they were monitoring their position in real-time, evading the scouts’ sight, and gauging distance and speed accordingly.
It was something that should have been impossible. He could only think that their opponent had gotten lucky.
Suddenly, Count Fogren recalled someone renowned for such mobility.
“C-could it be…?”
It didn’t add up. There was no way it could possibly be him chronologically.
But if it wasn’t him, then this situation couldn’t be explained. The defeated soldiers led by Maurice couldn’t display such prowess.
Someone who rampages while confronting numerous enemies.
A massive black horse enveloped in black energy.
Mana spears flying in all directions.
The strongest man from the north, acknowledged by all the kingdom.
“Count Penris!”
At Count Fogren’s scream-like shout, Ghislaine responded.
“Indeed, I am Count Penris.”
Fwoosh!
Ghislaine charged towards Count Fogren at lightning speed.
No matter how caught off-guard they were, it was still an army of 30,000. If they continued to resist, the damage on their side would also increase.
Especially those 6th Circle Mages were a problem. Their destructive power was tremendous. She had to draw all attention toward herself.
Just as Ghislaine had predicted, Count Fogren pointed a finger shouting.
“Kill her! Everyone attack that one! If we can kill her, this war is ours!”
How he had already dealt with the 2nd Corps, how he had arrived here so swiftly was unknown to him.
He had no idea how he landed a perfect timing attack like this.
But one thing Count Fogren knew for sure.
Even if it meant everyone here would die, they had to kill her.
“L-lieutenant! We have plenty of allies. If we use magic now…”
The mage was at a loss. Count Penris was a master. To inflict damage on someone like him would require top-tier magic.
Even casting area spells would inevitably damage their own side.
But in frustration, Count Fogren grabbed the mage by the collar and shouted.
“Now! I said now, kill her! You idiots! If you leave her be, we’ll all die anyway!”
They were already pushed back in momentum and their formations shattered. The enemy was sweeping through the camp with incredible mobility. It was just taking time because of their numbers.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
Ghislaine rushed toward Count Fogren, throwing aside the soldiers surrounding her.
It wasn’t difficult to clear a path when all the knights were clustered around Count Fogren.
She had to keep drawing their attention like this.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
“Ugh!”
Watching the soldiers being swept away endlessly, the mages wore grave expressions.
Count Fogren was right. Right now, they couldn’t afford to consider their own allies while fighting.
They absolutely had to kill that monster here.
Hoooooo…
The 6th Circle Mages, 5th Circle Mages, and their subordinate mages gathered every ounce of mana they could muster.
Brrrrooom!
The 6th Circle was one step below the superhuman known as the 7th Circle. While they weren’t superhumans, they were still weapons of war that could alter the battlefield landscape.
Though fewer than the 2nd Corps, two 6th Circle Mages and six 5th Circle Mages joined the fray here. Just the subordinate mages numbered over fifty.
They were casting spells with the resolve to wipe out even their own allies.
All directed towards a single target.
Feeling the tremendous mana congregating around her, Ghislaine tightly grasped the reins of the Black King and said:
“Hang in there, buddy.”
Shooom!
Ghislaine’s body was completely enveloped in darkness. Within it, her red eyes glimmered.
Hiiiiiing!
The Black King was also enveloped in the swirling black energy, shining red eyes just like his master.
In that moment.
Numerous spells launched from the mages to strike Ghislaine.
Kyaaaaaaaan!
