Chapter 572
Chapter 572: I Haven’t Forgotten You (1)
A moment of silence passed. It was unbelievable news.
I already knew through spies how the Allied Forces were moving. Then, it became clear that the pursuing troops were on the move as communications from several corps had stopped.
So the 2nd Corps was also heading toward their final objective.
But to hear that the 4th Corps was annihilated? Who on earth did they fight?
“The 4th Corps… why?”
Aiden muttered in confusion.
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand how the 4th Corps had been attacked. As far as he knew, the Allied Forces no longer had other troops to spare.
If the Allied Forces had been moving separately from the start, it would mean they were losing crucial supply routes and strongholds. The 1st Corps should be marching as well.
Duke of Penris couldn’t have moved so foolishly.
“Have other reinforcements already arrived? We need to go take a look!”
For now, they had to go and confirm the exact situation. Aiden and the 2nd Corps increased their speed.
Thunderous hooves!
There was no time to conserve stamina. They truly began running with all their might.
And upon arriving on the battlefield, they were met with shocked expressions.
“Really… annihilated…”
Aiden dismounted in disbelief and scanned the surroundings.
Not a single person had survived. Could it be that four superhumans in the 4th Corps fell so easily?
The enemies had thoroughly ravaged the 4th Corps. The signs alone told the story.
With a stiff expression, Aiden knelt and touched the dirt. An action he would never normally take, but the situation was that grave.
After fiddling with the dirt a few times, he looked around once more.
“Magic was cast. And not from the front, but from the rear… Did they break through the magic barrier to prevent their escape?”
The 4th Corps had fewer wizards or lower skilled mages compared to the 2nd Corps. Still, they should have been able to withstand most magical attacks.
The breach of the magic barrier signified the presence of a mage surpassing that level.
“There must be at least a 7th Circle Mage. Additionally, several high-level mages were likely involved.”
Even a 7th Circle Mage would struggle to face a legion alone. Hence, there were certainly supporting mages as well.
Aiden scanned the corpses with sharp eyes.
Each one bore wounds from all over. Even in death, their faces were filled with terror.
Seeing this, Aiden furrowed his brow.
“They were overwhelmingly outmatched. They couldn’t even fight back properly. It wasn’t even a suitable terrain for an ambush…”
He could tell at a glance just how strong the enemies were.
As he continued to survey the area, Aiden discovered the bodies of priests lying in front.
He examined the scattered footprints and hoofprints on the ground.
“One by one… Someone single-handedly took on all the priests. And on horseback.”
What a formidable opponent. To fight against superhumans while mounted was no small feat.
Of course, he could do that himself. But it would require much more mana to protect the horse.
Movement isn’t easy either, as he would need the horse to keep pace with the superhumans.
Yet they had managed to do it.
“Technique has reached its peak. Is such a person really part of the Allied Forces?”
She certainly wasn’t a saint. Anyone caught by a saint wouldn’t even have their body found properly.
Other superhumans might be exceptional, but as far as Aiden knew, none possessed this level of skill.
That left only two candidates.
“The Duke of Penris… Prince Turian…”
He was on his way to capture one of the two. For some reason, one of them had arrived here first.
Aiden closed his eyes. Images began to form in his mind regarding how the battle had unfolded.
‘A mage.’
A 7th Circle mage surpassing the allied mages. It had to be Vanessa. She was quite capable of a feat like this.
She had pulled off miracles several times and brought victory to Penris at crucial moments.
‘Unbelievable breakthrough power.’
The formation had undoubtedly been torn apart by a full-on charge. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she had overwhelmed the allied cavalry.
A military force demonstrating such breakthrough power could only be the Penris Mobile Army from the Allied Forces.
And signs of the battle against four priests.
It was a fight involving spears. Strong destructive power and outstanding technique were evident.
Prince Turian only used swords. And he wouldn’t fight so recklessly.
The one who freely wielded any weapon with tremendous destructive power to instill fear on the battlefield could only be one person in the Allied Forces.
Aiden opened his eyes, a cruel smile creeping onto his lips.
“The Duke of Penris, you’ve come.”
The initial feeling of shock transformed into anger, and that anger swiftly morphed into joy.
He had long wanted to kill that guy. To take him down would make him feel more complete.
He had hoped to meet him like this; it felt like fate had finally arranged the encounter.
“Hahahahaha!”
Aiden laughed loudly as he mounted his white horse.
In any case, to him, the 4th Corps was merely fodder to exhaust the enemies’ forces. Their absence mattered little.
Instead, he could concentrate all the available forces here.
And he could behead the Duke of Penris himself. That would bring the war to an end.
By killing him, he would elevate his own reputation and become a true hero who ended the war.
The fact that this meant being a hero along with social niceties mattered not to him.
“History only remembers the victors.”
People’s resentment would only last briefly. In the new world established by the Salvation Society, he would live in high praise.
Power was the only value upholding the order of this world.
“Let’s go, the Duke of Penris should be waiting for us up ahead.”
Aiden was confident. The Duke of Penris was surely awaiting him.
It was fate.
Clop, clop, clop.
The white horse elegantly took the lead. Behind was the force of the 2nd Corps.
They no longer rushed forward. They moved at a steady pace, conserving their strength.
As night fell, they even took a moment to rest. They needed to recover their stamina before the fight.
Aiden didn’t hurry. After all, he knew he would meet him, so why rush?
As he expected, when dawn broke and they moved on for a while longer, they soon encountered an army camped on the vast plains.
“So they were here after all.”
Aiden smiled. He was the man chosen by the heavens.
That very heaven had set the stage up for him, creating an atmosphere as if the allies had been completely annihilated and were in crisis.
Therefore, how could he not feel joy?
Aiden swept his hair back and moved forward. At that moment, someone else also stepped forward from the opposing side.
Slowly riding forward, they soon met at the midpoint.
“The Duke of Penris.”
It was the face he had seen in portraits many times. Just as he expected, it was indeed the Duke of Penris.
Ghislaine also smiled as he opened his mouth.
“Aiden, it’s been a while.”
“Oh, you remember me? Looks like you managed to get a hold of my portrait or something?”
While Aiden had performed well in recent battles, he lacked the fame compared to Ghislaine.
However, for the Duke of Penris to recognize him at first glance made Aiden inwardly pleased. Then suddenly he realized something strange.
“By the way, you mentioned it’s been a while… have we met? I have no memory of it.”
“Oh, quite a few times.”
Ghislaine smiled chillingly. They had been renowned as two of the seven great powers of the continent in their previous lives, partaking in battles together as members of the Human Alliance.
They had even engaged in mental warfare, trying to outmaneuver each other.
It was just that kind of relationship. Allies, but with differing dispositions; they regarded each other with contempt, to the level of being not quite enemies.
Yet that relationship had completely soured in their last battle.
Aiden had been one of the masterminds to disrupt the continent while Ghislaine was his nemesis who had prevented his revenge.
Ghislaine closed his eyes and continued in a calm voice.
“I have not forgotten you.”
The chilling sensation he felt as his head was severed still lingered in his memory.
The day when everything around him was shrouded in red blood.
How much he had regretted, lamented, and grieved.
How foul it felt to die without completing his revenge.
So Ghislaine could never forget that day. He couldn’t forget Aiden from that day.
At the moment he was beheaded, he recalled what Jerome had said when parting.
— They say you can be reborn.
Yes, that had been said. Thanks to those words, he had vowed revenge even as he was dying.
If he were to be reborn.
If such a miracle really occurred.
With a snap!
Ghislaine opened his eyes. A crimson light had vividly filled his gaze.
“I swore I would tear you to pieces.”
A tremendous and heavy aura emanated from Ghislaine’s entire body. Within it surged boundless killing intent and hatred.
Aiden narrowed his eyes and glared at Ghislaine. In his words and gaze, Aiden sensed a grudge he couldn’t comprehend.
“Seems there’s something I don’t know about… but oh well, it doesn’t matter.”
They were at war. Besides, he was the enemy. There might have been someone connected to the Duke of Penris among those he had killed.
If he were to worry about every detail, he wouldn’t live to see another day.
And anyway, he intended to commit a wrongdoing against the Duke of Penris soon.
He planned to kill him and completely trample Ruthania.
“Harboring a grudge in advance isn’t all bad.”
Clop.
Aiden steadily maneuvered his horse. Ghislaine matched his pace.
The elegant white horse walking gracefully contrasted with the ferocious and rough energy emanating from the black horse.
The two glared at each other for a moment, circling around.
Ghislaine slowly spoke.
“What do you think? Shall we settle our score here?”
At those words, Aiden fell into contemplation for a moment.
He didn’t think he would lose. However, the power displayed by the Duke of Penris had been formidable.
Winning this knightly duel would certainly grant him higher fame. It was a tempting proposal.
“No, wait. He seems gruff but he might be quite cunning. Who knows what tricks he’s hiding?”
The mere fact that the Duke of Penris had appeared here was evidence enough.
The situation on the battlefield was turning strangely. Count Bifenbelt’s strategy seemed to be out of line.
If the Duke of Penris was here, he had no idea what was happening on the other side.
“There’s no need for me to take unnecessary risks. That guy must believe in something to act like this.”
Since he had felt this way, he had many doubts. He preferred not to take the lead in fights.
“I refuse. This isn’t a personal duel; it’s a war, isn’t it? A duel… let’s do it when you survive.”
With that, Aiden turned his horse around. He now planned to charge the entire army forward to drain that guy’s strength.
After all, the 2nd Corps had four priests.
Ghislaine chuckled softly.
“Alright, do as you wish.”
In their previous life, they hadn’t been able to settle the score properly due to too many interruptions.
Thus, Ghislaine intended to settle the score one-on-one with Aiden.
Of course, he knew Aiden would refuse right now. That guy, despite appearances, was quite sly.
Just like in their last life, he would likely use his allies to drain his strength.
Ghislaine turned his horse and muttered.
“I can’t wait to see how your expression changes.”
Aiden wouldn’t know. He wouldn’t have a clue about the preparations made to confront him.
The two returned to their respective lines. It was time to clash with full force.
Upon returning, Aiden quickly issued commands.
“We have slightly more numbers, but we cannot underestimate the enemy’s forces. Everyone must charge with the resolve to die.”
Since their forces were entirely cavalry, the strategies available were limited.
They had 30,000 troops while the Penris Mobile Army had 20,000. Numbers were in their favor, but they were at a disadvantage in equipment.
“Spread out as much as possible. This way we can charge while encircling them.”
The Duke of Penris had picked an excellent position. The open plains were ideal for cavalry to spread wide during the clash.
The enemy must have prioritized mobility when choosing this battlefield.
Aiden continued speaking without pause.
“There’s a 7th Circle Mage on the enemy side. Don’t worry about anything else; focus entirely on dispelling magic. If necessary, draw upon your life force. If the magic goes off, we’re finished.”
They also had several high-level mages and a 6th Circle Mage on their side. It would be tough, but if they pushed their abilities to the limit, they could hold out until victory.
“Judges, please don’t recklessly put yourselves forward; stay in the back. If the Duke of Penris steps in, you must handle him.”
In addition, Aiden detailed the strategy further.
However, he and the White Silver Knight Order did not take on any duties. They were merely waiting.
Slowly, both armies began to move.
Since the knights withdrew, only the Atrode Army filled the cavalry formation.
With a grin, Aiden extended his hand.
“Everyone charge. Don’t spare your lives—crush the enemy!”
Thunderous hooves!
The Atrode Army gradually sped up, soon the Penris Mobile Army began to rush to meet them.
Both sides formed extraordinarily long lines. The Atrode Army needed to attempt encirclement to make up for their inferior combat power.
In response, the Penris Mobile Army also charged in a very long line.
Aiden’s eyes lit up at the sight.
“Heh, are they trying not to be cornered? But it won’t be easy. We have them outnumbered.”
When an equal number of enemies clash in front, the rest can easily maneuver around. To counteract that, increasing distance weakens the frontal force.
If such a situation were to occur, they could easily overcome their disadvantages in equipment… and annihilate the enemy.
Of course, their troops would also face annihilation, but it was a trade-off worth making to catch the Mobile Army.
“Kill them all. Leave no enemies alive.”
Just reducing the enemy numbers would suffice. Then he, along with the White Silver Knight Order and the remaining priests, could slaughter the enemy.
No, the White Silver Knight Order and priests would also drain the Duke of Penris and the strength of the 7th Circle Mage before dying.
And in the end, he would gloriously finish them off.
That was Aiden’s plan.
Thunderous hooves!
When tens of thousands of cavalry moved simultaneously, the ground shook as though an earthquake had struck.
As the distance between them closed, tremendous momentum surged. Both sides showed no intention of retreating.
Thunderous hooves!
The Atrode Army gripped their spears tightly.
The Penris Mobile Army was famous for their charges. They would surely display immense destructive force. They had to endure that and counterattack effectively.
The wider spread meant the enemy’s spacing had also increased. They could penetrate with enough might. After all, they were among the best of the best, having amassed vast experience.
Thunderous hooves!
The sound of thundering hooves grew closer, and the Atrode Army found themselves only able to hear their own ragged breathing.
Their hearts raced as if they would burst. Sunlight glimmered off the spearpoints, aiming at the approaching enemy.
Thunderous hooves!
At that moment, an overwhelming silence enveloped the field. Time itself felt slowed.
Just a bit longer, just a little more before the collision.
As the two forces charged like a storm, they were about to collide.
Screeeech—!
A red light swiftly traced up the spearheads of the Penris Mobile Army.
Thud!
With a dull sound, something suddenly erupted from the glowing spear.
Aiden could only watch in shock.
Pah—!
Over ten thousand fiery projectiles came crashing down upon the Atrode Army.
