Chapter 259: Collapse (1)
UHVIThe first battle had been a success, but the tedious war of attrition that followed began to wear down the Anti-Imperial Coalition army.INjHM
OQYTN6gIn contrast, the Imperial army seemed to always maintain the same state, as if it felt no mental strain at all.djjr
7Pd9An enemy that does not lose morale makes despair feel even deeper for those who face them.SBQ
BP8aN4OCountless lives were extinguished on the front lines.LC2ek
3qE“Are you all right, Ace?”J5ZE
veRM9“Hmm?”ZvWrQQk
eYhV1“You dropped a card.”awkPbiY
VRV3B“Ah…”iPPseb6
3h6AdeAce smiled wryly.BaV
sDqvkcp“Looks like I’m already done for.”jeE3
62MZU4uThe army of Briol held the center of the Anti-Imperial Coalition’s front.
Although troops from the Confederation of Small Kingdoms had joined, their level was not high, so they offered little help.lCujMT
ptCuThat was why Briol’s elite troops had been sent to the Confederation to reinforce it.qPm9u
caTIwhEIn particular, the veterans from the allied army fulfilled that role.jqs
woq2r“Can you imagine? The Confederation rookies daring to play cards against this big brother from Briol. I’m going to teach them a lesson. Come on, bring me the deeds to your houses. How are property prices in the Confederation? Do you have mortgages?”IGMKtR
qZ2K0g“Of course they’ve gone down.”9TNeq
kMl“Huh? Why?”jyOrPPS
oR7J6Z“Friend, do you think property prices go up in the middle of a war?”Zex6R
uWc6“Ah, right, we’re at war.”wmb79qf
2rOU6Those sitting around the table burst out laughing. It was dark humor of the kind only those on the front lines could afford, to ease the tension.vmhAsC3
IIuEu0Raymond, who was on one side organizing his weapons, spoke.3EWXu0t
hWyCeI“Resting is fine, but the sentry says he saw movement on the Imperial army’s side. Better be ready. And put the cards away.”cEQ
pu9RZq“Oh, really?”w9R
MQnWhen Ace heard this, he began to put away his cards.N4PiB
5Jh“Hey, rookies, we’ll finish the game later.”ZmBK
L5ji“What’s wrong? You chickening out?”B76V
BVXi“We can continue later. That is, if we’re still alive.”1BjfJE
bqIglv“More like, by then you won’t be.”0JTo
0gRz“Then we’ll finish it in the afterlife.”cc4CXoV
fRCrLaughter broke out again.J6oIKW
XeWfRaymond chuckled softly with them, took his weapons, and walked away.dde
Zt8N8A Confederation soldier, watching, asked.bQj3D
KXQ“By the way, Ace, why do you pay so much attention to that guy? He just looks like some random old veteran. Too old-fashioned.”K6NRfDu
J9S0Ace, putting away the cards, smirked.2m2
5iIr“If you keep thinking like that, that extra life you’ve got is going to cost you. You’d better change your attitude.”GNyk
9C7Kr“Huh?”NbrmT8
JrqT7Kc“If you get on that old man’s good side, on the battlefield he’ll save you at least once.”uU83
xhROhWL“Is he that good?”uFS
5eWX1“Since you only see him here lying around with us, he looks like just another old man, but that man…”tmzHiR
mpqUHZ“What? Was he someone important?”4xttYa
UZa“Well…”9H5DG
FdjYOGAce left the sentence hanging. He wasn’t going to reveal that Raymond had been a knight; Raymond himself didn’t want it known.XzFhFE
oJ2kSo he only smiled.CXltCNR
Oy7“He’s an exceptional man.”cQWfT
Gi0xukFThe Confederation soldiers shook their heads.SPC8n
BLdMSww“Bah, you’re saying that because you’ve got nothing else to tell.”ZzA
Y9i65f“Those Briol guys really think they’re important.”kKZtR
5vZ9HI“Now that he’s gone, let’s play another round. What do you say?”KGg9TP
3PUnBJaThe Confederation soldiers hadn’t fought alongside Raymond yet, so they didn’t know his skill.jW7t4
JCJ1“Man, these guys…”4LkZs
yHYA“Then tell us, what’s so special about him?”2zK
hz3wq“All right.”I3qm6Z
dofQQAce got indignant.DqrU
bWR3r9l“Sir Raymond is a knight. A real knight. He’s serving as a soldier only for our sake. So don’t treat him with disrespect and give him the honor he’s due. He’s a man of incredible skill.”zu4QuI
Ws2x84MThe Confederation soldiers looked at each other and then burst out laughing.yVq
SvfgYxe“A knight? Pff, hahahaha!”OrtpN
MKI“You sure know how to tell jokes, friend.”40zA5
YrZ“If that guy’s a knight, then I’m the captain of the knights.”W0pr
iUQC8“What would a knight be doing here?”5RR5Bkp
XEZPyFNo one believed him.tv2C5
StL9hAce looked at them one by one with a disdainful expression and muttered.sv3V
Aksy“What you know determines what you see… If you knew that Sir Raymond is not only a knight, but someone very close to His Highness, you’d fall over backwards.”rhrWxz
rC5TBd“His Highness?”zpVCf
9b3i“In the allied army, Sir Raymond was the knight who served closest to Prince Yuri.”W35gA4s
cEWBv“Wow!”t25N
w3AhzURThe laughter grew louder.5MnOJ
6KP1Perhaps, if it had been another Briol soldier, they might have believed it, but Ace had such a reputation for lying at poker that they always doubted whatever he said.5hmr
VKA“Ace, the master of lies.”B3xA49o
AzGE6M“I never lie, except when playing cards!”qhqw3
tYQ“Sure, sure…”xMcJjUK
3ki“You’ll see…”L7444kL
AbDhLAce ground his teeth.zOz
BoI6W“All right. Let’s make a bet. If, when we meet Prince Yuri, it turns out I’m telling the truth, how much will you give me?”IjVLJ
6Kvle“And what would you give?”7vvmNZu
EQ8DXf“I’ll pay too.”ijD
fBx5“I like it.”5jL
5trAnd so, they even made a bet.l0Eszwe
EFiBut no one believed Ace and they took it as a joke. They thought that common soldiers like them would never meet a noble as high as Yuri Briol.vr7CyvI
OC5kzAs Ace wrote an IOU and sealed it, the alarm bell began to ring.gmbg
0YhEi6“What’s going on?”ErIrB
nRKxfhkEveryone turned.uCZf
9i6VZ5P“It’s an attack!”0RhP
SnA8pLTThe soldiers grabbed their weapons and ran out.18p8DY1
mpo1MkWhen they exited the tents, they saw the Imperial army approaching in the distance.dXd
DSDoBut this time, there was something different.ShVTtiG
hdCCAmong the troops running forward moved something black and strange. Ace couldn’t believe what he was seeing.43wJjY
YSFyr“What the hell is that?”y2GxjBm
V1X6NS5At first glance, they looked like beasts. They were crouched low, moving multiple legs like spiders, and the tentacles rising from their backs writhed fiercely, seeking their prey.rBliS
Fgc9sThey were, literally, monsters.hfjL2
73ySeeing that scene, a chill ran down Ace’s spine.sQngL
VMVtBj“What… what is that…”JTS1
JKGSZ“They’re monsters.”6NSK
FBMhPXN“The Empire really…”RLbf
LrUfSHC“How are we supposed to fight that?”CbH5m
Pl2hMEveryone knew the Empire had fallen into the corruption of black magic.rFNtX
m1OuZNot because someone had told them, but because they had experienced fighting Imperial soldiers who no longer seemed human.MbdNweQ
8PR2oeBut they had never imagined such horrifying creatures would appear. The Anti-Imperial Coalition was literally fighting an Empire turned into a monster. Seeing this scene, everyone understood it with brutal clarity.E1OC
f2u3ne“How are we going to stop that?”alLl6CX
YSCc5i“The knights will have to…”Yd380R
HowHThose creatures advanced, mixed among the ranks of Imperial soldiers rushing toward them.KRR
FxwiAvThere weren’t many, but they didn’t even inspire the will to fight. Even the knights, bewildered, stopped dead in their tracks.wiYl58t
LjEfD6S“Everyone, stay calm!”nnw1D
VKiXBAt that moment, someone shouted.iFIZ
10A6“If the soldiers form a line and block their advance, the knights will attack those monsters directly!”F70f0e0
7KlvIt was Raymond. He shouted at the knights, who had been paralyzed by the shock.GbdRS0P
Y4T“First, shoot them with arrows and observe their reaction! Then it’ll be the knights’ turn!”pvS7z
Cda“B-but… we’ve never faced anything like that before…”LoHOOBw
9Hn7Umc“Has anyone here ever done it before?”ZuZBr
u2qDGRaymond’s voice boomed with authority. Immediately, the knights sent from Briol stepped forward.oslH8h
EsnBXAH“Just as Sir Raymond says. The knights must act.”Jh91P6
qxWFCw“And who will stop the Imperial knights?”K16KLg
PlFMS“Who else? We will, of course.”oVfM4
QOo2A knight who knew Raymond called him “Sir” when addressing him, but the situation was so critical that no one noticed.eHigki
6L1sBMOne of the Briol knights spoke.uEkMp84
fQbEH“Are you afraid to fight, being knights?”4Ai6Hd2
U2c“What are you saying?!”puM3J0c
apRRfas“Then stop complaining. Let’s go!”phoMUP
ZgoEZDTThe knights and soldiers sent from Briol moved first.VxbI
2IKN“For Briol!”m2R
lYbZBThe troops of the Confederation of Small Kingdoms began to understand, if only a little, why Briol had gained so much fame in the war.27VlJ
IrBG7bLate, they rushed after them and shouted along with them.j0Gvb
r5y“Hold the defenses!”hrffibL
3fFbyZThe Imperial army was already close enough to the defensive line erected by the anti-imperial alliance.05q
LsLYUnder a rain of arrows, the Confederation archers responded. Projectiles crossed the air everywhere.lUsVYzY
sfr7obUIn the midst of that exchange, the clash began.3bYeEz
OV4B2t0“Die!”t7D
j17q“Aaaagh!”kIIv8p
lNc“Diiieee!”eTn
cC7CThe sounds of the battlefield, where life and death mingled, were harrowing. Everyone roared like beasts. The dead fell beneath the defenses, becoming stepping stones for the living.BVMH
CbTDDFinally, the monsters arrived.mzNb
XgVqWTheir tentacles lashed out immediately.9iP2P
M2wce“Aaaagh!”RIDB9
2wgCQ“Block it!”zASrZR
ALYUOThe soldiers hastily raised their shields. They didn’t pierce them, but the impact was so strong their bodies wavered.UtTzrv
OAXAce gritted his teeth as he held his shield. Up close, the monster was even more horrifying than he had imagined.qO2hS7
4kruzHe couldn’t believe it was possible to defeat something like that.Jox3
FNhs2a5But there was no room to flee.WUgYari
jerLIf the anti-imperial alliance’s line broke at even one point, the collapse would spread like a domino effect.DAmcD
aeI0qMAnd then, the next battlefield would be the entire continent.gd6Azw
zbH“Diiieee!”IHGnZAT
WcYeAce shouted with all his might. He pushed his shield forward and thrust his sword past the tentacles, driving it into the creature’s body.3T8OItn
cUWBlood splattered.qXgH
7YamjIt didn’t penetrate much; its flesh was as hard as stone.pAKcT9g
XRrI“Damn it!”6oHWG
fZAbGThe tentacles whipped violently, striking in all directions. The soldiers beside him were pushed back.5ASA
HOahJTh“H-he’s… insane…”2e1
Bhq2mHU“We can’t stop it.”D32MQ
sQPUAt that moment, a tentacle slipped under a soldier’s shield and pierced him.J2fbslU
e3BhXl“Ah…”ctVT05
n6WOAlThe tentacle moved as if sucking something out, and with each movement, the soldier’s vitality was drained from his body.0pL
NfFNVgwIt was a scene that made the skin crawl.LjEc0
kIdq“D-damn it!”Oah0
5m5Ace shouted, but had no other choice. He held his shield and swung his sword desperately.w89KMJ
iQIEZ“How… are we going to stop this…?”39EeD
hCROxThe tentacles whipped even harder, and Ace was pushed back without being able to resist. One of them shot straight toward his neck.oqybuJF
Ku6nTClang!z9odsx1
jFkcSomeone intervened and saved him.X4D1F
KAX4m9h“Are you all right?”aM7exx7
GYQ“Sir Raymond!”B4FH2uz
VDjIt was Raymond. With sword in hand, he stepped in to face the tentacles.bXjCNd
UbcqCiImmediately, nearby Imperial soldiers attacked him with spears to block his advance, but Raymond dodged every blow and sent slashing waves of energy at the tentacles surrounding him.ViRDv8
BqqmSeveral of them were severed.G7MOO
TZh0X0“Ah!”ov7Ph
hl0FThe soldiers around him widened their eyes in astonishment at such skill from someone wearing the armor of a common soldier.WcS2lc
03IWHBRaymond didn’t stop there. He activated his mana method and charged toward the monster.RKnV
ODWWygThe creature, sensing the danger, flared all its tentacles at once.75kDS5L
t5TNqJU“Kgh!”MKPk
sVEWlRaymond halted, unable to advance further. The Imperials took advantage to counterattack, and a spear grazed his thigh.6T3pJo
0t66L25“What are you doing?! Help Sir Raymond!”p44D
ENvC40SAce shouted, and the Confederation soldiers, who had frozen up, began to swing their weapons.3oL
bSyhBut in the end, Raymond had to retreat. Other knights arrived to engage the monster, but the result didn’t improve.DFKyM8
EOcThe creatures were agile—immediately retreating when they sensed danger and attacking from a distance with their tentacles. When resistance weakened, they would advance and massacre without mercy.a7VgK
Em3Ace saw several of his comrades fall, impaled by those tentacles.W1c
h5rBi“Damn it!”qgJ3WO
zdC“Sir Raymond! Can we stop them?”0Nx1M3
KgLz“Who knows… we’ll have to give it our all.”QJBwEe8
LemRaymond only answered with a frown as he swung his sword. Little by little, the defensive line began to give way.qsck
X9nDkNvAll around, the monsters were draining the life force of their victims, becoming even stronger.UaYnc
eIE4They wouldn’t be able to hold out like this.G9YUCrp
qkwS“If only reinforcements would arrive…”ajT
AtOpAce looked up.3v4
4CqJvEThe endless Imperial tide and those strange beasts made his morale plummet.WX5j2ok
mvYc5They didn’t have the numbers or the strength to hold.LVn
n1GAulHThen, something lit up his vision.667yna
XQOK1ze“Huh?”wHbv
JMBThe light intensified. At first, he thought the sun had broken through the clouds, but soon he felt heat at his back.jJ7
whteInstinctively, he turned—and froze.WITrK
qfwheV“W-what…?”vPNT
9qFIn the sky burned an enormous ball of fire.bhixsJG
NEh“Magic…?” he murmured.gD78BE
AI1Impossible.AfKcHC
vnBLpOn the battlefield, magic was almost impractical—it was enough for the enemy to have one or two mages to nullify any spell in the area.g2lY
bCLLeThen what the hell was that?bbwhtZ
Z6AnpWhile he stood stunned, the ball of fire began to tilt.sOf
jCnlQaAnd a massive blaze fell upon the Imperial forces.mmmul6
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