Chapter 163
The Rebel
Army's Battle ⑥ - Showdown at the New Gate (Reinforcements)
Translator : PolterGlast
Having defeated the
detached force of Viscount Hiyorimi's army led by Lugner, Darek and the Sixth
Corps of the Frontier Knights immediately entered the town of Teigoon.
Of course, they first
informed Kira and the others defending the gate that reinforcements and
replacements would be dispatched immediately.
Some were of the
opinion that they should have immediately rushed to the New Checkpoint as
reinforcements, but there was a proper reason for the action Darek took.
He surmised that the
stress on the citizens of Teigoon—who had been suffering through the plague
response, had both their exits besieged by enemy forces, and were engaged in a
desperate defense—had already reached its limit.
For that reason, his
first priority was to inform the people of Teigoon that reinforcements had
arrived and to stabilize their morale.
It goes without saying
that Darek and his party were greeted by a tearfully grateful Miseri and a storm
of cheers from the citizens.
Immediately
thereafter, Darek sent 100 of his cavalry to defend the gate on the demon
territory side, relieving the self-defense force. Then, leading his remaining
400 cavalry, he entered the New Checkpoint.
"Lord Darek, thank
you for coming to our aid! With this, Teigoon will be saved!"
Gale, who had
experience fighting alongside Darek, greeted him with joy. To keep the arrival
of reinforcements a secret from the enemy, many of the soldiers welcomed them
with silent cheers.
Upon arriving at the
front line, Darek immediately convened the leaders of the defense force and
began to assess the current situation.
"I hereby
transfer the command authority entrusted to me by Lord Takuhir to you, Lord
Darek! We 300 will follow your every command."
Christoph, who had
once studied under Commander Weiss alongside Darek in the town of Est,
delegated full command authority to him.
From Darek's
perspective, Christoph and Elan, whom he had known well for a long time, had
grown to be impressively reliable. And participating in the meeting were many
faces (mages) that Darek did not recognize.
"Takuhir is truly
blessed with his subordinates. On my brother's behalf, I want to thank you all
from the bottom of my heart.
Everyone, thank you so
much for defending this land to the last. I am truly grateful that you have
supported my brother, who is never around when it matters most.
And don't worry
anymore. We will win! Let's win and welcome Takuhir back with smiles on our
faces."
"Yeah!"
"Ooh!"
"Yes, sir!"
The faces of all who
responded were bright.
Thanks to Darek,
Claire, who had fallen to an enemy's arrow, had also managed to survive. On his
orders, a cavalryman known for his strong legs rode to the infirmary, brought
back the Holy Mage Clara, and had her perform treatments.
"Now then, I
haven't been to Teigoon recently. I need you to brief me on our current forces,
mages, and weaponry. I'll devise a strategy after confirming that."
"Understood! The
total number of mages is currently..., and those present here are..."
"What! When did
he get so many..."
"As for
armaments, this fortress has..., and we also have these secret weapons..."
"Whoa! That's
nasty. But hey, I was never told you had something like that..."
"In
addition..."
"I see. He made
all these preparations without saying a word..."
Gale, who had idolized
his former superior Darek since those days, was so overjoyed by his arrival
that he explained everything he knew without holding anything back.
Even the details that Takuhir
had kept secret even from his own family... He was completely oblivious to the
fact that those around him were flustered, sending him silent signals, and
breaking out in a cold sweat...
"I see... Not
just the number of mages, but he was hiding a Light Mage too... Because she's a
woman? Was I really that untrustworthy?
And to think he was
developing such interesting toys (weapons)... I would have liked to use those
in my own army. To think he was doing all these interesting things in Teigoon
without telling me... that guy, he's so cunning.
Alright, when he
(Takuhir) gets back, maybe I'll have a long, thorough sword-sparring session
(punishment) with him..."
Darek said this and
laughed. In the end, Gale remained completely unaware of the intensely cold
stares from his fellow mages.
His comrades clasped
their hands together for Gale's future, imagining that he, too, would later be
subjected to special training (punishment) by Takuhir.
In the midst of this
exchange, a report came into the main camp set up inside the fortress.
"Excuse me for
interrupting! Lord Erol, having learned of Lord Darek's arrival, wishes for an
urgent meeting. How shall we proceed?"
Receiving this news,
Darek's expression clouded over for a moment. He, too, was all too aware of his
past words and actions, both at the Royal Academy and elsewhere.
"Well, he's a
person of merit this time. He exposed the rebellion within his own family and
gave us the opportunity to respond. For now, at least, I'll meet him."
Darek said this as if
convincing himself and gave his consent.
He didn't want to
engage in another futile war of words with him like in the past, but he
supposed it couldn't be helped this time. That was his reluctant inner thought.
However, Darek's
expectations were to be betrayed, much to his surprise.
Erol, who was escorted
before him, first bowed deeply to Darek in accordance with etiquette and began
to speak.
"Lord Darek, I
thank you for coming to our rescue, and for granting me the opportunity to meet
with you. And first, I wish to apologize once again to the Baron for my many
past discourtesies. I have been a fool for so long..."
"..."
Next, he was rendered
speechless by the utterly unexpected words that came from Erol's mouth.
"Originally, this
is my family's mess, and I should be the one to put an end to it, but I do not
have the strength. I have no choice but to rely on your strength, Lord Darek.
I cannot forgive my
father and brother, who have fallen to darkness and madness. I am determined to
see them brought to justice.
But the soldiers are
not to blame. If possible, I want to speak with them and save them from the
encroaching darkness.
Of course, I intend to
bear the sin of harming innocent people and invading the Solis domain, and to
atone for it alongside them in the future. So please, I beg you, give me the
chance to speak with them."
"..."
Darek was bewildered.
He was so different from the Erol he had known until now that it was no
exaggeration to call him a different person.
"I am sure you
are perplexed, as I am so different from my past self.
I have not forgotten
the loyalty to the Royal Family I swore in my youth, nor my pride as a
nobleman. However, my twisted pride and my envy of you all had, at some point,
turned me into a fool.
But now, I believe I
have finally escaped the darkness that nested in my heart—the envy, jealousy,
and the curse of self-affirmation—and have been liberated from that dark place.
I felt that the
soldiers, too, are surely not doing this of their own free will..."
Darek recalled a
rambling story he had heard from the headmaster when he was at the Royal
Academy in the capital.
『You are one of the few users of Light Magic in the
kingdom, so you would do well to remember this.
In this world, there
is light and there is darkness. Those who delve too deep into the darkness and
are captured by it will have their bodies and minds fall into the deep dark.
The deeper the darkness within a person, the more skillfully they hide within
it, traversing the world without ever showing their true form.
But light dispels that
darkness. The denizens of darkness, knowing they cannot defeat the light,
constantly seek to extinguish it. You would do well to keep this in mind. 』
At the time, he hadn't
understood its meaning at all. But now, he felt he somehow understood.
It was the same with
the citizen soldiers he had faced at the demon territory gate. Kira and the
others had said that after they were captured, their demeanor had clearly
changed.
And there was great
confusion in their own memories. Just like the members of the first Cadet
Knights, long ago.
"There is just
one thing I wish to confirm. Lord Erol, if I may?"
Before the nodding
Erol, Darek unleashed the light he had frantically deployed during the day, a
light that sprang from the earth and enveloped the area. At a reduced power, of
course.
"Oh, is this your
Light Magic, Lord Darek? It is the first time I have seen it, but it is a warm
and divine light. It feels as if it could dispel evil. To us who use Dark
Magic, it feels very dazzling."
Erol was unperturbed.
If the old fox's words were true, it was safe to assume he had not fallen to
darkness.
"Lord Erol, I
understand. I grant you permission to come to the front lines with us and give
you the opportunity to persuade the soldiers. You may do as you see fit."
"Thank you. My
thanks, my thanks!"
Erol knelt before
Darek and expressed his gratitude, with tears even welling up in his eyes. And
so, Erol, too, was to join the vanguard of the battle.
※
That day, the invading
army led by Viscount Hiyorimi resumed their attack as the sun set.
They still had no way
of knowing about their defeat at the demon territory gate, nor of Darek's
arrival.
And so, the defensive
battle of Teigoon, which had been in a desperate predicament, was to greet a
new turning point with the addition of Darek.
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