Chapter 166
The Rebel
Army's Battle ⑨ - Showdown at the New Gate (Prisoner of
Darkness)
Translator : PolterGlast
Under the tactics
envisioned by each army, the formations were established. Despite the deep
darkness of the night, the light launched by Leia and Darek ensured a
reasonable field of vision.
"In this
darkness, that bastard can't use his favorite blinding tricks. It would obscure
his own allies' vision as well. All troops, charge!"
Viscount Hiyorimi
swung his sword down.
"Listen up! Do
not meet them head-on. Parry and flow, fan out to the left and right, and
surround them. The rear guard will crush their tip, so don't worry about it.
Just push forward and chip away at them! Charge!"
Opposite him, Darek
also swung his sword down at the same moment.
And so, with the
thunder of hooves echoing across the land, the confrontation between the two
champions began.
The army led by Darek
pushed forward, not meeting the enemy head-on but whittling away at their outer
edges. Conversely, Viscount Hiyorimi's army cut through Darek's forces like a
knife through soft butter, advancing forward.
▼▼▼▼
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▼△▼
▼△△△△▼
▼△△△ヒ△△△▼
▼ △△ ▼
▼ △△ ▼
△△
△△
▼: Frontier Knights Sixth Corps (Darek)
△: Viscount Hiyorimi's Army
Leading the left wing
of the Frontier Knights Sixth Corps, Darek galloped at the vanguard.
Meanwhile, the right
wing was composed of the most elite troops—former farmers (and bandits) from
the Hiyorimi domain whom Darek had once saved and who had survived the bloody
battle of the Southern Gate. They had ridden with Darek through countless
battlefields.
They worshipped Darek,
and partly due to past grudges, they bravely charged at the most dangerous
point of the vanguard.
Viscount Hiyorimi,
protected within the thickest part of the advancing wedge formation's tip,
laughed at the enemy general's foolishness.
"Fools. Do they
think they've made a thick wall with that! The enemy's resistance is brittle!
We will break through shortly. Smash them!"
However, the outer
edges of the wedge were exhausted, worn down by the new enemy troops that
appeared one after another. Still, they had cut through Darek's column
formation, and just when it seemed they were about to break through...
"Gwah!"
"Geh!"
"Gah!"
The cavalry at the tip
of the wedge, who had been tearing through the enemy formation, cried out in
short screams one after another and fell from their horses. Because they were
charging in a dense formation, those behind them were caught up in the chaos,
and the wedge collapsed into utter confusion.
"You will all
prostrate yourselves on the ground and apologize to Claire-san!"
At the rear of the
army led by Darek, Yoltia, one of Takuhir's wives and a Gravity Mage, sat
astride her horse, her jet-black hair flowing as she wielded her gravity magic.
She was furious.
The Hiyorimi army had
wounded Claire, her fellow wife, her friend, and someone she looked up to like
an older sister. In fact, she had been so gravely wounded that she had been on
the verge of death.
And she could not
forgive Viscount Hiyorimi's inhuman treatment of his own citizens. She was now
unleashing that anger mercilessly upon the enemy soldiers on the battlefield.
※
When Erol had met with
Darek, Yoltia had accompanied him as a guard. And when she learned that Gale
had carelessly revealed her secret to Darek, she steeled her resolve.
She had strongly
requested that Darek allow her to participate in the battle. At first, Darek
was extremely reluctant to send his brother's wife into a dangerous battle.
But against Yoltia,
who would not back down an inch, he was at a loss. He devised a plan and
presented her with a condition. If her power was great enough to defeat him, he
would permit her to join the battle. They would face each other so he could
gauge her strength.
At this, it was
Yoltia's turn to be reluctant.
"I cannot
possibly behave disrespectfully toward my lord's elder brother!"
To her words, Darek
also did not back down. Darek himself had undergone combat training against
mages in the past, under the orders of his "Oni" Commander.
Certainly, in a
long-range confrontation, the mage had the advantage. However, if he could
close the distance, get inside their guard, and engage in close-quarters
combat, the swordsman would come out on top, so Darek was reasonably confident.
"There's no need
to hold back. If you can't defeat me, I can't send you to the front line. And
with that level of resolve, it's probably impossible anyway."
His words made
Yoltia's decision for her.
And so, she (Yoltia)
became the only person to ever make the Sword Saint (Darek) kneel upon the
earth—or more accurately, to make him stick to the ground in an unsightly
manner.
Darek, who had been
completely helpless against her magic, was once again astonished by her power
and had since devised several tactics that utilized her strength.
※
The vanguard of the Hiyorimi
army, the cavalry at the tip of the wedge, fell from their horses all at once,
sticking to the ground. The horses, too, were unable to stand on their four
legs, toppling over one after another as if pressed down by something
invisible.
"Gra-gravityyy!"
Viscount Hiyorimi
screamed. He knew of it.
The magic that stood
as the polar opposite of the dark power he himself possessed. The Gravity
Magic, feared by those who had fallen to darkness even more than Light Magic, a
power that was thought to have been lost.
He immediately tried
to flee the scene without a care for his appearance. But they were already
completely surrounded by Darek, and there was no escape.
"Please, stop! I
don't want to! I don't want to fall! Gwaaaaaaaaaah...!"
Those were his last
words.
Thus, the fleeing
Viscount Hiyorimi's army was annihilated, and most of them were captured, stuck
fast to the ground.
Viscount Hiyorimi, the
ringleader, was captured in an unsightly state, stuck to the ground and unable
to move a muscle. But even after Yoltia's gravity magic was released, he did
not come back.
Having fallen to the
bottom of darkness, he was already in a state of complete insanity. His eyes
had lost their focus, saliva drooled from his half-open mouth, and he repeated
some words like a delirious babble.
His consciousness had
sunk to the bottom of a deep, dark well—the purgatory of darkness feared by the
denizens of the dark. Dragged down by the weight of the darkness, from a place
he could never climb out of, he screamed endlessly, pleading for help.
But his body would
never again utter those words or screams. He had become a living corpse.
※
The battle ended.
Darek stopped Erol, who had intended to take responsibility by killing his
father with his own hands. Darek had the insane Viscount Hiyorimi imprisoned,
telling Erol that he would not be executed for now.
"I understand the
circumstances, but for a child to lay a hand on a parent is unbearable. We will
transport him to the Royal Capital, where he will be judged and his crimes
tried in the proper place.
Would it not be better
for you to be known as the one who captured his traitorous father, and with
that merit, plead for the continuation of your family name? You will also need
to watch over the future of the soldiers who returned to the righteous path,
admiring you, will you not?
What about the
citizens who admire you? Who will save the citizens who are still suffering
within your domain? You still have much to do, don't you?
Do not act
rashly."
He gently admonished
Erol. As if a taut string had snapped, he collapsed to the ground and began to
cry, clinging to Darek's legs.
"Why? Why won't
you let me strike down my father! Why won't you let me die?
Are you telling me to
live on in shame, branded as a traitor?"
"Yes. If you have
the pride of a nobleman, then protect your citizens to the end. Protect your
soldiers to the end. Die to apologize? Take responsibility?
That won't solve
anything! Stop trying to act cool when it's not your style! Where did the resilient,
sharp-tongued Erol go!
It's fine to be
unsightly. Push yourself to struggle, struggle with all your might, and
survive! If you can do that, I promise you my unchanging friendship, as a proud
friend who will protect the kingdom from now on."
"Why, why... I
was always so envious of you all. I always hated you all. And still... you can
offer friendship to someone like me?"
After that, Erol
continued to speak, as if pouring out all his feelings. Darek listened to his
words in silence for a while.
"Honestly, when I
met you again, I also doubted my own eyes. Seeing you, so resolute, so pure and
innocent like new-fallen snow, I couldn't help but think you were cool.
Anyone can act cool
when things are going well. It's only when a person faces adversity that their
true nature is revealed... that's what I believe. That's why I felt I could
trust the man you are now.
Jealousy? I've had my
fill of that too. I had a younger brother who was ridiculously talented since
he was a kid, someone I could never beat.
Why don't we both get
covered in mud, push ourselves to the limit, and try to look as cool as we
possibly can?"
After crying for a
while, Erol looked up.
"Hmph, you ask
the impossible, Lord Darek... I have always been jealous of you all, and have
also seen you as my goal. Don't blame me if I trip you up now that I have
survived, you hear?"
"Yeah, I'll
gladly take you on. I was relieved to see you've got your sharp tongue back;
you're finally acting like yourself again. I look forward to our future. The
way you were just now, you were past cool and so ridiculously humble that,
honestly, it was creepy."
"Hahaha, you have
a harsh way of putting things. Truly... you are quite a person..."
Saying so, Erol knelt
before Darek once more.
"From this day
forth, as long as I am permitted to live, until I can repay my debt to you, I
shall become your subordinate. So, do not disappoint me."
"Hmph, for now...
do as you please. Well, since you've offered, I will dare to give you an order,
Lord Erol.
Henceforth, lead the
soldiers who have returned, go back to the Hiyorimi domain, and devote yourself
to restoring order and aiding the citizens. Put aside your loyalty to me for
now, and first, focus on protecting your people. I will put in a good word for
you with the Margrave.
I don't know what will
happen after the war, but I won't let it turn out badly for you. I will never
abandon you. So go, and fulfill your duty to your citizens with peace of mind!
Give your soldiers the chance to atone for the crimes they have
committed!"
"I gratefully
accept your command. My thanks to you, Lord Darek... I offer you my heartfelt
gratitude. Thank you."
Answering thus, Erol
bowed his head deeply. And when he next raised his face, he wore a natural
smile, as if the tense air within his heart had cleared.
And so, Darek gained a
companion he could call a lifelong friend, a comrade with whom he would fight
and walk through the many crises that were yet to come.
Thus, the domains of
Teigoon and Estol escaped their greatest crisis. And Erol, too, was saved by
Darek. In two senses of the word...
Of the 1,000 soldiers
of the Viscount Hiyorimi's army that invaded this region, just over 500
gathered to Erol's side at his call, and just over 300, including those who
tried to flee with the Viscount, were captured. The remaining 200 refused to
surrender to the end and were surrounded by the overwhelmingly superior force
and defeated.
※
Having won the battle
at the New Checkpoint and saved his younger brother's domain, Darek still had
no time to savor the aftertaste of victory.
He reorganized the
forces at the New Checkpoint, assigning a portion to guard the gate on the
demon territory side and a portion to defend the New Checkpoint itself. Then,
leading the entire Sixth Corps of the Frontier Knights, he joined up with the
army led by his father, Baron Solis, on the outskirts of the town of Fran.
After joining forces,
they left the 200 cavalry that had been dispatched from Teigoon to defend the
town of Fran and the surrounding area, and the father and son, leading a total
force of 700 cavalry, raced to the aid of their allies who were still fighting
a difficult battle.
They bypassed the main
road using the mobility of their cavalry and launched a surprise attack from
the rear against the enemy army that had invaded Baron Cornell's domain.
"Oh!
Brother-in-law, I am in your debt! Men, now is the time to counterattack! We
too will go on the offensive and respond!"
At the arrival of the
long-awaited reinforcements, the garrison led by Baron Cornell also charged out
from their defensive positions. Surprised by the arrival of an enemy force that
was both unexpected and far superior in number, the invading rebel army was
caught in a pincer attack from the front and rear and was annihilated.
Furthermore, Darek and
his forces immediately redeployed.
They attacked the
flank of the rebel army that had invaded Viscount Gorman's domain and was
engaged in a standoff at the border.
"Reinforcements?
I am grateful! Now is the time to scatter the ones who have violated our
domain! All troops, from this moment, charge the enemy army!"
At the arrival of the
reinforcements, the army led by Viscount Gorman turned to counterattack as one.
The invading army broke ranks and fled, but the two armies pursued them with
the force of an angry tide, defeating most of the invading viscount's army and
surrounding the mansion where the fleeing viscount had barricaded himself.
After capturing the
viscount and his family, who were terrified by the large besieging force and
tried to escape under the cover of night, they completely pacified his
territory and obtained several pieces of information. As a result, they were
able to grasp the identities of the nobles who had joined the rebellion at that
point, and a general outline of their scheme.
Of course, among that
information was an authentic personal letter from the First Prince of the
Empire.
Based on this information,
the force composed entirely of cavalry—from Viscount Solis, Viscount Gorman,
Baron Cornell, and the Frontier Knights Sixth Corps, a total of 1,000
riders—raced through the now leaderless southwestern Kyle Kingdom, pacifying
and suppressing it one area after another.
Count Goyoku, who had
invaded the territory of Margrave Hastburg and was eagerly awaiting the
Empire's invasion, as well as the nobles under his command who had left their
domains to join the rebel army, had no way of knowing about this sudden change
in the situation.
The tide of the war
had shifted dramatically, and it was about to enter its final phase all at
once.
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