Slice! Shatter.
“Such petty tricks!”
Yannick’s axe slashed through Kim Ilwoo, but once again, it wasn’t the real body. Like mist, Kim Ilwoo’s form scattered and reappeared a short distance away.
“Sorry, but it would be troublesome if you ran rampant.”
“I might not be able to take you down alone….”
“But I can hold you here for a while.”
Five Kim Ilwoos surrounded Yannick, all pointing their weapons at him.
“Do you really think you can challenge me with such crude tricks?”
Swish!
Thunk!
Two Kim Ilwoos blocked Yannick’s flying aura sword with mana-infused shields.
Seeing them falter, Yannick charged, only to be intercepted by spears and swords.
Clang! Clang!
Suddenly, Kim Ilwoo’s weapons also glowed with dark mana blades, clashing with Yannick’s axe.
Although Kim Ilwoo’s mana blades chipped and dimmed slightly with each collision, it was Yannick who was growing impatient.
‘Damn it. I can’t afford to be tied up here!’
*
The Viscount’s cavalry of 300 was soon annihilated by the players’ ambush.
Only about 40 knights remained.
Ten knights were engaged with the baron’s knights, and the rest found themselves surrounded by players. The unidentified cavalry blocking their path had vanished, replaced by the players.
“You’ve got the hang of it now! Stay sharp and hunt them down!”
“Those without shields are knights! They’ll have to be cautious, so keep them off balance with coordinated attacks!”
Having gained experience fighting the two armor users, the players easily surrounded and engaged the knights.
Though individually less skilled, the ranker players who could wield Expert-level skills were genuinely threatening, even to knights.
“What are these people?”
“Damn it. We’re doomed! We have to retreat!”
The viscount’s knights who hadn’t reached Expert-level were quickly overwhelmed by the players’ assault.
Even those who were Experts but lacked armor were gradually worn down and edged closer to defeat. Watching from a short distance, baron Selfjord was amazed.
“Incredible. I can’t believe they’re holding their own against the knights.”
He turned to Kane, particularly observing a few standout individuals.
“Are you sure they’re strangers?”
“Absolutely. Their way of fighting is entirely different from ours, isn’t it?”
“It is. Some of them are incredibly strong. Like the one who won the duel earlier.”
Among the numerous players, a few truly stood out. Kim Ilwoo, using shadow clones to hold off the enemy commander Yannick.
Wang Chunmyung, fighting evenly against the enemy armor user with just a single sword. Han Seohyun , summoning a bear and a fox to confuse the knights.
And Louis Blake, facing knights barehanded with just his fists and feet. The top rankers of the Purple Guild were putting on a spectacular display.
Of course, the fighters themselves had a slightly different perspective.
Slice! Thud!
“Damn it!”
The one who had succeeded in landing an attack was Wang Chunmyung, but he was also the one cursing.
‘This damn thing just won’t go down. It’s like fighting a vampire.’
Despite targeting what he thought were vital points more than ten times during the duel, it had been in vain due to the damn defensive barrier.
Meanwhile, the enemy knight only grew bolder, counterattacking with renewed vigor. Other members of the Purple Guild faced similar situations.
Even when they managed to land successful attacks, they couldn’t deliver a decisive blow to the enemy knights, making it feel like they were going in circles.
‘To think Bae Dohyun took down such monsters alone in such a short time. I’ve got a long way to go.’
Wang Chunmyung could only bite his lip in frustration. However, the other players watching them had a different perspective.
“Wow, he’s really holding his own against him alone?”
“Single-digit rankers are truly in a league of their own.”
Even with dozens of players struggling to take down one knight, watching individuals like Wang Chunmyung keep an armor user at bay was awe-inspiring.
Bae Dohyun, too, was battling an armor user, and unsurprisingly, his opponent was already tattered.
‘Is it about that time?’
The main player force, which had gone towards capturing the viscount, was nearing the point of capturing their target. Once the commander was captured, the territory war would end, so it was crucial to wrap things up quickly.
「Entering the final phase. Stop solo raids and cooperate to clear the battlefield quickly.」
「Already? I was just about to take him down myself!」
「You’ve done enough. We need to share the credit to avoid complaints.」
With the order given, the players who had been waiting at the back rushed forward with excitement.
“Yes! The finishing blow is mine!”
“Keep formation! Don’t disrupt the rankers’ movements!”
“Mages, prepare for bombardment!”
The balance tipped swiftly.
As rankers, including Purple Guild members, pinned down the knights’ movements, other players’ attacks began to land, weakening the once formidable defensive fields.
And when the shields finally broke.
“You cowardly bastards!”
“The curse of Batar will fall upon you!”
Under the barrage of attacks, the knights began to fall one by one. In the end, only Yannick, the Expert high-level armor user, remained.
Proving his strength, even surrounded by hundreds of players, his shield did not break, and his spirit remained unbroken.
“Pathetic worms! Do you think your cheap tricks will work on me?”
His higher level of skill made it almost impossible for the players’ attacks to be effective. Even the rankers were struggling to do more than slow his movements.
“Is he the final boss?”
“If even the rankers can’t stop him, what should we do?”
“Isn’t Bae Dohyun stepping in?”
The players were abuzz, but Bae Dohyun didn’t make a move. Reluctantly, this final confrontation wasn’t his to finish; it was up to the players.
“Everyone, stand back.”
Baron Selfjord appeared with his guards. The players retreated, replaced by the five armor users and knights of the baron’s household.
“The battle is over. Will you surrender?”
“Ridiculous. Do you think I would kneel to a mere baron?”
Yannick scoffed at the baron’s question, showing his intent to resist till the end. As if expecting this, the baron drew his sword and raised it to his chest.
“I respect your resolve. I will grant you an honorable death worthy of your master. Everyone, attack.”
At the baron’s command, his knights charged at Yannick. The baron himself joined the fray, summoning a mana blade on his sword.
Moments later, the seemingly unyielding Yannick fell, decapitated by the baron’s sword, and soon after, the viscount’s camp was completely overtaken by the players.
The territory war concluded with the captured viscount being dragged before the baron.
*
“What is the royal decree?”
With the battle over, the baron asked the approaching royal observer, whose face had turned pale.
“Well, that is…”
The observer faltered, indicating that the royal family hadn’t prepared any mediation outcomes for a baron’s victory, assuming it was unlikely.
“Well then, we’ll resolve it among ourselves.”
“Wait, no! Observer, where are you going?”
As the baron dismissed the observer, Viscount Jeremy, now captive, shouted in despair.
But what could the observer possibly do for him now?
“My lord, surely, there’s a misunderstanding. We’re both vassals of the Ruben Kingdom. Can’t we wait for further orders from the royal family?”
Swoosh.
The baron drew his sword and brought it to the viscount’s neck.
“I’m afraid I don’t have such intentions.”
“Alright! Alright! Just spare my life, please!”
That day, baron Selfjord extracted a third of the viscount’s territory and a huge compensation sum.
Naturally, a portion of that was given to the First Knight Order and the players.
*
The results of that day’s territory war didn’t spread across the kingdom immediately. Since the viscount initially incited the war, they had planned to conclude things quietly.
But rumors couldn’t be completely contained.
“Is it true that Baron Selfjord won the territory war?”
“Apparently, the royal observer reported it right to the palace.”
“How could a baron defeat a viscount?”
The man spreading the gossip leaned in closer and whispered conspiratorially.
“This is off the record, but it seems like Viscount Raul’s First Knight Order had a hand in it.”
“What? No way, even if that’s true, the opponent was… the marquis.”
While everyone murmured and kept it hush-hush, it was already clear who was behind the ongoing territorial disputes.
The third prince Herdian, who held the reins of the kingdom, had the backing of Marquis McNeil’s house.
“That makes Raul’s actions even more incredible. Plus, I heard the troops he mobilized were foreigners.”
“Indeed, those foreigners supposedly summoned by the gods—it’s only natural they would follow Viscount Raul, the emissary of the gods.”
At that moment, some people drinking nearby leaned over and spoke.
“Hey, let us in on this good information!”
“Well, it’s not confirmed news, you know.”
“Come on, have a drink and spill the beans.”
Suddenly, a crowd surrounded the man, eager to hear the gossip.
“Well, alright then. Let me tell you again.”
Thus, the story about Raul began spreading throughout the capital, Thurium.
*
“So, how are people reacting?”
“Everyone seems quite pleased. Noble house tyranny has always grated on the citizens.”
“And the impression of the master?”
“People are saying things like ‘As expected of Viscount Raul,’ and ‘He’s the emissary of the gods.’ He’s being solidified as a righteous noble standing up for the weak.”
“You’ve done well. Keep up the good work for now.”
“Of course. You can count on me for tasks like this anytime.”
Elias, the head of the First Knight Order’s Thurium branch, patted the shoulder of the bard and handed him a hefty pouch.
The man quickly stowed the pouch in his coat and left the room. Now alone, Elias opened guild communications.
「Yes, Director Bernard. As instructed, we’re sowing the seeds well. The response from the capital’s citizens is positive. Yes, send over the data, and we’ll proceed with the next steps.」
Let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing?
Raul had no intention of embracing such modesty. While other nobles overlooked it, public opinion was a tremendously powerful weapon.
The image formed subtly could distort even the truth. A month after the first victory in a territory war. Raul and the players won six subsequent territory wars.
Raul’s First Knight Order became a beacon of hope for vulnerable lords facing unjust invasions. Conversely, greedy lords had to swallow bitter defeats, which sent shivers down the spines of those manipulating from behind, such as Marquis McNeil, Count Randal, and other factions.
Bam!
“Another loss? What did the troops we sent even do?”
“Half of the ten knights we sent died. The remaining five barely escaped the encirclement.”
“What on earth happened? Are those foreigners really that threatening?”
Denis de McNeil, the overseer of external affairs for House McNeil, bellowed. But shouting wouldn’t change the outcome of the territory wars.
“What should we do? Remieu Barony’s territory war is next week.”
Denis ground his teeth and shook his head in response to the sub-director’s question.
“Orders from the top. We’re pulling out of territory wars for now. Withdraw all deployed troops.”
“What? All of them?”
“Yes, all of them. The head of the house has ordered a halt to external activities until we can properly assess the situation.”
“Then what about the lords we promised support?”
“Who cares! Tell them to figure it out themselves! We have bigger problems to worry about than some barons!”
“Understood.”
The sub-director quickly left the office.
Bam! Crash.
“Raul! Count Ashton! I won’t let this slide!!”
For a while, the sound of breaking furniture echoed through Denis’ office.
(To be continued)