Chapter 161
The Rebel
Army's Battle ④ - Apostle of Light from the East
Translator : PolterGlast
"What! What in
the world is happening? Why is he here? That's... impossible!"
Several hours after
dawn, Lugner was first startled, then dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events
as an enemy force attacked from the east, breaking through the demon territory.
It all began suddenly.
A cavalry force of
what must have been several hundred riders appeared as if they had sprung from
the demon territory itself, and simultaneously charged toward the main camp
where Lugner was waiting.
With perfectly
synchronized movements, the cavalry troop shattered and broke through the
thickest part of Lugner's formation, its center. Then, after getting behind
them, they fanned out to the left and right, forming a pincer to drive them
back towards the demon territory.
Lugner's small force
of about 100 cavalry was caught by surprise, torn apart at the center, and
enveloped, unable to even mount a proper command of the battle, and was now on
the verge of annihilation.
And Lugner recognized
the face of the man on horseback at the head of the enemy force, swinging his
sword and scattering his allies.
"The Empire has
an army of ten thousand! He's not supposed to be able to move from the Southern
Gate... Is Hastburg sending him here, prepared for his own destruction? I can't
believe it!"
Lugner himself knew
from his intelligence that the First Prince of the Griffonia Empire had
deployed a force of ten thousand to the border.
The Margrave's army
was already at a numerical disadvantage. Sending reinforcements here was
something that would normally be unthinkable.
What in the world is
happening... His mind froze at the completely unexpected event, and he was
unable to even command his own men.
"Lord Lugner,
please! You must withdraw for now. We cannot hold the enemy with these numbers!
Please escape while we hold them off!"
His retainer's words finally
brought him back to his senses. Still with a look of disbelief on his face, he
was escorted by a few men and fled into the demon territory, abandoning the 400
soldiers fighting before the gate.
The cavalry troop that
attacked Lugner, after routing his main camp of 100 riders, immediately turned
and galloped through the Teigoon pass toward the gate.
"For now, leave
the scattered ones who fled! First, we head for Teigoon. This pass is narrow
and has many difficult spots. Everyone, hold your reins tight!"
After giving the order
to his soldiers, the man galloped off at the head of the group, and the rest
followed.
The troop he led sped
through the narrow, winding pass as if it were a straight run across a flat
plain.
"This road, and
the demon territory around here, we've traveled them countless times during the
Iron Cavalry's training exercises. I could ride this with my eyes closed!"
The man boasted,
hurrying onward as he led the charge.
※
There were several
reasons why he was able to rush to this place, Teigoon, at this time.
Margrave Hastburg had
learned the details of Erol's rescue at the New Checkpoint from the messenger
from Teigoon.
He then ordered the
entire Frontier Knights to mobilize and immediately summoned his own vassals
and the various nobles located in the eastern part of the southern border
(Viscount Kirias, Baron Creitz, Baron Bold, Baron Herald).
At the same time, he
sensed suspicious movements across the border, on the side of the Griffonia
Empire, with whom they were under a truce.
The Margrave first
sent scouts and a messenger to make inquiries at the border.
When the messenger
returned, it was discovered that the army deployed there was not the force led
by the Third Prince, but for some reason, the army of the First Prince.
At this point, the
Margrave was perplexed, unable to grasp the Empire's true intentions and the
circumstances surrounding them.
However, when the
scouts returned, he began to get a clearer picture. For some reason, the army
deployed at the border was suffering from a food shortage and was in dire
straits. Their morale was low, and they were in no position to go on the
offensive.
After consolidating
several pieces of information, Margrave Hastburg arrived at a single
hypothesis.
Most likely, they are
having some internal strife with Viscount Kämpfer, who is under the command of
the Third Prince and is originally responsible for defending the border.
Knowing that sharp fellow, he's probably maneuvering in the shadows to prevent
the First Prince from gaining any military glory.
Around the time he
formed this hypothesis, the flames of rebellion rose in various parts of the
Kyle Kingdom. Here, the Margrave made what could be called a bold decision.
"Baron Solis
(Darek), you will henceforth lead the Sixth Corps of the Frontier Knights and
go to the aid of those fighting in the west! We will guard the border, so you
shall go and pacify the various regions! From this point on, I grant you
permission to act as you see fit, according to your own judgment."
At the Margrave's
command, Darek moved immediately.
It was only natural
that it took some time for the Margrave to make a decision in response to the
intelligence gathering and the unrest at the border.
Although unavoidable,
the allies he was heading to rescue, starting with Teigoon, must be in the
midst of a difficult battle.
Considering that,
Darek decided that from this point on, swift action was the top priority.
He immediately
gathered his subordinate soldiers, informed them that they would take the
shortest route through the demon territory to rush to Teigoon first, and had
them prepare.
Fortunately for him,
the demon territory around Teigoon was like his own backyard, an area he was
intimately familiar with.
Departing from the
Southern Gate fortress before the night had fully lifted, they galloped their
horses and raced through the dangerous zones of the demon territory at a speed
no one could have imagined.
※
For Kira and the
others engaged in a desperate defensive battle, the report they had been
waiting for as if in prayer finally arrived.
"It's the
Frontier Knights! I can see Lord Darek's banner! W-we're saved!"
This soldier's report
spoke for everyone involved in the defense. And the news of these
reinforcements instantly boosted the morale of the despairing defenders.
Darek, who had
arrived, also let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the gate on the demon
territory side.
"Thank goodness!
They're still holding out somehow. First, we scatter the cavalry in front of
us! Follow me!"
Bursting out of the
pass and into the open space before the gate, Darek gave the order and charged
his cavalry forward.
The fact that the
battering ram was moving meant the gate had not yet fallen. He understood that
at a glance.
The first to be
crushed by the charge of the cavalry led by Darek were the soldiers under
Lugner's direct command who had been leading the citizen soldiers.
On the verge of their
own victory, they were shaken by the unexpected turn of events and thrown into
intense confusion by the appearance of the enemy army. It was also a disaster
for them that they had been directing the battle from the safest position at
the very rear.
They ended up taking
the full brunt of the charge from Darek and his men, who were burning with
anger, from behind.
"F-from behind?
W-what's happening?"
"What happened to
Lord Lugner's headquarters?"
"Retreat!
Retreat!"
"T-to
where?"
Blocked by the gate on
one side and the narrow pass on the other, they, of course, had no route of
retreat.
"Pay no mind to
the infantry in the back! First, surround and annihilate the enemy
cavalry!"
Darek identified these
cavalrymen as the most formidable, the regular soldiers of the Hiyorimi army,
and immediately set about annihilating them.
His sword skills were
said to be "unmatched in the Kyle Kingdom," and with sharp, fierce
strikes, he cut down the Hiyorimi cavalry one after another.
Meanwhile, the shaken Hiyorimi
army, caught by surprise, was unable to mount an organized resistance.
Outnumbered and at a disadvantage, they were cut down one by one.
Between Darek's 500
elite riders and a mere 100 who were drunk on their imminent victory and had
lost their escape route, it wasn't even a contest.
Furthermore, the
infantry (citizen soldiers) deployed in front of the gate were also greatly
shaken by the enemy soldiers who had suddenly appeared from behind.
They were not
originally soldiers, but conscripted citizens.
Watching the
cavalrymen who commanded them being cut down one after another by the enemy
force that had stormed the battlefield, they could only stare in a daze.
"Hey, are we
supposed to keep attacking this way?"
"I don't know.
Ask a soldier!"
"Where are the
soldiers?"
"At this rate,
we're going to get killed too! Shouldn't we group up in one place and ready our
arrows?"
"Yeah, they must
be part of the enemy we're seeking revenge on. We can't forgive them."
After a short while,
the citizen soldiers of the Viscount Hiyorimi's domain, without being ordered,
began to voluntarily retreat from the front of the gate and gather. Then, they
began to ready their arrows, aiming at Darek and his men, their eyes clouded and
spewing a dark hatred...
Darek, while
commanding the overwhelmingly advantageous cavalry battle, a battle of
annihilation, was the first to notice this danger.
"Tch! It would be
better if they just stayed quiet. At this rate, we'll take casualties too."
As he said this, he
unleashed his bloodline magic, Light Magic, toward the enemy archers. With all
his might, the strongest light he could create! With that thought, he unleashed
it with all his strength...
The moment the citizen
soldiers of Viscount Hiyorimi were about to pull their triggers, a blindingly
dazzling light assaulted them. Grouped together, they were enveloped by the
light that suddenly erupted from beneath their feet and were swallowed by its
intense brilliance.
"Gwaaaah!"
"My eyes! My
eyes!"
They screamed and
collapsed to the ground. They fell down as one, and not a single one rose
again.
"What... what was
that just now?"
Even Darek himself,
who had unleashed the light, was bewildered by this event.
He couldn't hide his
surprise at the unexpected effect of the Light Magic he had impulsively
unleashed with all his might.
He had intended to
blind them to seal their arrows and then overrun them with his cavalry in the
meantime, but seeing this strange sight, Darek hastily changed his plan.
Since the immediate
crisis was over and the Hiyorimi cavalry had been wiped out, he ordered his
soldiers to capture them. Although they would be dealt with appropriately
later, he was reluctant to take the lives of those who were unconscious and
offering no resistance.
He himself stood
before the still-smoldering gate and shouted.
"Open the gate!
Open the gate! The immediate danger has passed. Is there anyone here who knows
my face?"
And so, the battle for
the defense of Teigoon's demon territory gate came to a close, brought about by
the wielder of light who had rushed from the east, bringing hope.
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