Chapter 263
Southern Front ⑰ — Battle for Ishtar
(The Light That Descended)
Translator : PolterGlast
The battle against the Imperial Army Left Wing had reached
its fifth day. This meant that nine days had passed since the Margrave Hastburg's
army began the battle on the Southern Front at the Southern Gate Fortress.
In the battle between the Kyle Kingdom Army
Right Wing and the Imperial Army Left Wing, although the Kingdom side advanced
advantageously in localized battles, Ishtar had its outer walls taken,
and the Imperial Army, overwhelmingly superior in overall numbers, was in an
advantageous situation generally.
And as the morning sun rose, the Imperial Army camps began
to move, and battles started in various places.
At this time, there was another man who began to move as if
timed perfectly.
"Now then, I hear Duke Harry has also taken the
outer walls of Ishtar and is closing in on the interior. I too must
achieve some war results soon or I will incur the First Prince's displeasure. Gorman,
I apologize to you, but playtime is over. Today I will take this barrier
gate."
Viscount Kyrias, having muttered this, invaded the
inside of the barrier gate with his forces and deployed with their backs to the
Ishtar direction. They had used the path cut open by Duke Harry
and his men, passed through the mountainous area, and invaded the Demon
Territory Count's domain unnoticed.
"E-Enemy attack! Enemy attack from inside the barrier
gate! Th-That is... the Kyrias Army!"
"So the one who betrayed his motherland has appeared
again, unrepentant. This barrier gate withstood the fierce onslaught of 10,000
Imperial troops; surely a meager force of around 1,000 stands no chance of
taking it. Raise the balloon and report the start of battle to the Demon Territory
Count! Annihilate them and offer them before the Margrave's grave! Everyone,
rouse your spirits!"
Count Gorman's words, spoken calmly, carried an
indescribable weight and a menacing intensity burning with revenge.
But in the next instant, thunder that overwhelmed the
surroundings roared, and the soldiers deployed on the castle walls stiffened
and fell one after another.
"Wha-! Thunder magic... his bloodline magic."
Count Gorman muttered briefly. In terms of sheer
offensive power, the might of Thunder Magic and Fire Magic stands out, and
against attacks from a certain distance, ordinary weapons are helpless.
Unfortunately, although lightning rods were placed at this barrier gate, the
number of deployed Thunder Mages was small, and it was not equipped to
defend against everything.
"Archers! Focus your aim on Kyrias!"
At Count Gorman's command, a rain of 1,000 arrows
poured down from the castle walls, but the umbrella created by the Wind
Mages under Viscount Kyrias eliminated them all.
Then began the peerless display of his thunder magic. The
lightning strikes were now directed not at the top of the walls but at the
soldiers defending the gate below, and in that opening, Kyrias soldiers
attached themselves to the gate, attempting to pry open the key to the barrier.
"Kuh, can we not defeat him from here..."
Count Gorman muttered with regret. Defense tactics
utilizing Wind Mages had been taught by the Demon Territory Count
to each house in the Southern Frontier. This time, it backfired. Viscount Kyrias,
following Takuhir's teachings, had taken thorough measures against
arrows.
And then, a new report brought further astonishment to the
Count.
"E-Enemy attack! New enemies from the Demon
Territory side, about 6,000 cavalry are galloping towards us!"
"Si-Six thousand cavalry... huh."
That was all Count Gorman could manage to reply.
Meanwhile, in Ishtar, the Imperial Army commenced an
all-out attack at dawn, and a fierce battle was underway.
Late at night, the Imperial Army, having broken through and
burned down the gates at various places, had temporarily withdrawn to a safe
zone, but the next morning they invaded again into the outer district where
defensive power had dropped significantly.
Fortunately for them, all of the Demon Territory Count's
soldiers had retreated to the further inner district, so they could easily
invade the vast area called the outer district.
"The enemy army has few soldiers left. By our hands,
deliver the final blow to this fortress! All forces, commence all-out
attack!"
Duke Harry advanced 10,000 infantry into the fortress
interior to conduct an all-out attack, while deploying 1,000 Iron Cavalry each
on the South, North, and West perimeters, and he himself held down the East
perimeter with 1,000 infantry.
"If we let the Demon Territory Count's army
escape, they could become a source of future trouble. Listen well, annihilate
them to the last soldier!"
He had issued instructions for an annihilation attack that
could be called harsh. Confronting the Demon
Territory Count's forces directly for the first time, he was terrified of
something unidentifiable. Not just power, but their strategies, their responses—everything shook their common sense and
was beyond comprehension.
People fear what they cannot understand. Therefore, he
intended to conduct relentless attacks to overcome his anxiety.
After several hours of offense and defense, a new turning
point arrived for the Demon Territory Count's army, which had been
purely on the defensive until then. They, who had kept the lid tightly closed like
a shellfish and devoted themselves to defense, suddenly began to move, bringing
a new phase to the war situation.
While under fierce attack from the Imperial Army that had
invaded Ishtar's outer district, new information that confused Alexis
and the others was brought by balloon signal.
While Alexis closed his eyes, considering the meaning
and assessing the progression of the situation, the messenger and Count Solis
repeated confirmation of the situation.
"Is that true? No mistake?"
"Yes, the flag colors are certainly Yellow-White-White.
It means the enemy army was repelled at the barrier gate side, victory
achieved."
"Then what is that dust cloud visible in the distance?
Too many for a routing enemy army. That dust cloud... it seems at least 5,000 cavalry
are heading this way."
No one could answer this question clearly. Nor the
mysterious phenomenon occurring right now...
"Just now, confirmed with the telescope! Fluttering at
the front are the Frontier Knights flag and the Viscount Solis
flag!"
When he received that report from the lookout, Alexis,
who had his eyes closed, snapped them open and spoke.
"Order all catapults! With the signal of the bell, fire
a volley towards the inside of the outer district! Convey that they should do
it thoroughly! Order
them to strike with the intention of destroying everything inside the outer
district! In response to this, all Archers prepare to fire a volley as well!
Now is the time for us to win this battle!"
When the sound of the large bell equipped in the central
district rang out continuously, the counterattacks of the units that had been
striving for defense individually stopped, and a momentary silence visited the
battlefield.
And next, three large bell tolls rang out in the clear sky.
The sound of bells inviting the Imperial soldiers to the underworld...
The Imperial Army, which had been conducting fierce attacks
from the outer district and dominating the battlefield until then, saw a scene
like hell filled with agonizing cries and screams of agony around them when the
roar and dust clouds that echoed everywhere settled.
Over their heads, a volley of nearly 5,000 stone bullets
from 30 catapults and a storm of 2,000 arrows had rained down. Unlike arrows,
stone bullets bounced until their kinetic velocity reached zero, continuing to
assault the surroundings as ricochets.
Even the unharmed soldiers stood stunned, and some ran
around shouting incomprehensible words. And threading through the gap where
their thoughts froze, the second volley of arrows struck.
Then, the Imperial soldiers began to run first to escape to
the safe outside of the castle gate, attempting to leave this danger zone.
"Wh-wh-what is happening? What is that roar? Report
what is happening to those who invaded the city!"
Duke Harry, who had set up camp outside the castle
gate and was watching while anticipating the progression of the situation—no,
the fall of Ishtar—could not understand the events that happened inside
the gate upon seeing the soldiers routing in disorder.
Furthermore, unlike Alexis and the others who were on
the high ground of the central district, they were standing on flat ground, so
they had no means to confirm the approaching dust clouds, nor the composure to
do so.
The group of cavalry, raising clouds of dust as they
approached from the rear of the Imperial Army, was closing in on Ishtar's
castle gate.
"Finally, finally. Everyone, the Margrave's
vengeance, now is the time to fulfill it! All forces, charge as death-defying
soldiers!"
"Ooh!"
Following Darek, who galloped at the vanguard with
eyes blazing in fury, a cavalry force of 5,000 attacked the Imperial Army.
The cavalry unit led by Darek, burning with anger,
swept aside the 1,000 Iron Cavalry deployed on the South side with momentum and
force of numbers, then turned their military column counter-clockwise to attack
Duke Harry's main camp, the 1,000-man infantry unit.
And proceeding as is, they trampled the enemy army to the
North and West under horse hooves, crushing them. Finally on the West side, Alexis
commanded the catapults and Longbowmen, sealing the retreat path to the South
with a volley. Thus, the Imperial Army, with no way to advance or retreat,
collapsed and began to rout aimlessly.
There were circumstances as to why Darek could
participate in a battlefield where he originally shouldn't have appeared.
Going back several days, Duke Klein, convinced that
the interception posture for the Southern Front was ready due to King Kyle
himself going to the front upon receiving news of Margrave Hastburg's
death, had sent an express messenger carrying a written order to Darek,
who had disappeared into a base built inside the Demon Territory to
conduct guerrilla warfare.
It said...
『I
convey this order as Chief of General Staff.
Accompanying His Majesty the King's departure to the front, a force of
30,000 is to be deployed around Burg. Since this puts a lid on
the Imperial Army's northward advance, there is no need for your unit to
continue engagement with the enemy Right Wing. You are to lead your
mobile forces and head to reinforce the Demon Territory Count as quickly
as possible. Depending on the war situation, I grant you free
discretion, but first, please give your attention to stabilizing the Ishtar
area.』
"Hmph, the old raccoon does calculate well...
Excellency Klein, I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Darek,
receiving that order, wept with joy. Similarly, the Margrave Hastburg
soldiers and Farmus soldiers wept and rejoiced wildly that they could take
revenge.
However, there was one issue. Within the Frontier Knights,
there were also those dispatched from the Viscount Kyrias Army. Before
heading to the battlefield, Darek confirmed their intentions again.
"We wish to correct our lord's folly. Though our hearts
are torn, we are now convinced that slaying our master with our own hands to
avenge Her Ladyship is the only way to secure a future for the child left
behind. We beg of you, take us with you!"
Receiving the words they spoke through tears after a painful
decision, Darek permitted them to accompany him. Then, secretly crossing
the Southern Gate plains under cover of night, they secretly advanced
through the familiar bamboo forest on the edge of the Demon Territory
and reached the barrier gate defended by Count Gorman.
"First, we wipe out the enemy soldiers attacking the
barrier gate! Men, follow me!"
Count Gorman, who initially misunderstood them as an
enemy attack, also made a decision when the Frontier Knights flag and
Viscount Solis flag were confirmed by telescope.
"It is a chance for victory! Open the gate immediately
and secure the path for our allies!"
Due to Count Gorman's bold wit, Darek and the
others rushed into the barrier gate with momentum and clashed with the Viscount
Kyrias Army.
"Hmph, Thunder Magic? Without a fixed line of sight,
even magic is powerless."
Saying so, he deployed Light Magic simultaneously with the
rush.
"My eyes! My eyes!" "Kuh, I can't see
anything!" "Guwah!"
Irradiated by the dazzling light, some were not only dazzled
by looking directly at it but were assaulted by intense pain. Even those who
didn't look directly became momentarily blind. And there was one person who
screamed and writhed in agony, clutching his head.
Seizing this opportunity, the cavalry that crossed the
barrier gate one after another attacked the Viscount Kyrias Army.
Among them, the Margrave Hastburg soldiers and Farmus soldiers
wielded extraordinary power, and the Viscount Kyrias Army was
annihilated. Amidst that, no one noticed a man being secretly carried by
soldiers and removed from the battle line.
And Darek, learning of Ishtar's predicament
from Count Gorman's messenger, decided immediately.
"Erol, lead one unit, 1,000 mounts, and head to
the mountainous area! Suppress the enemy's invasion route, that is, their
retreat path, and put a lid on it! I will lead the remaining 5,000 mounts to Ishtar."
"Understood! Copper Unit, follow me!"
Thus, Darek, having split his unit, appeared before Alexis
and the others.
"Leave those routing in pieces having lost the will to
fight! They can't escape anyway. We will crush the remaining organized forces!
The enemy is the Imperial Army's most elite Iron Cavalry. Do not let your guard
down!"
Darek and his
men completely dominated the battlefield. Wounded enemy soldiers and enemy
soldiers who lost the will to fight surrendered one after another, taking off
their helmets and throwing away their swords.
The Battle of Ishtar, said to be the fiercest battle on the Southern Front, concluded here. By the legion led by the Swordsman of Light who descended from the East.
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