Chapter 510
Let’s End This Here. (1)
Recently, Amelia had found herself in a rather troublesome situation. Ever since the duchy’s forces withdrew, she had been struggling for days to stabilize her territory.
It was the side effect of swallowing up six counties at once. Since she hadn’t prepared for it gradually but had instead seized the opportunity for rapid territorial expansion, problems were bound to pile up.
To make matters worse, the economic strength of the eastern region had plummeted due to both the Rift and the war.
Every day, she pressured her retainers. If she had taken land, she had to take responsibility for it.
"Is the food transportation complete?"
"W-Well... There are just too many places that need supplies."
"I told you to focus all available resources on that matter, didn’t I?"
"The sudden expansion of our territory has made it difficult to even assess the current situation."
"Tsk, I really did take on too much at once."
Normally, she would have harshly reprimanded her retainers for whining, but this time, even Amelia had to understand.
Six counties might not sound that vast, but she had specifically taken the most fertile and expansive lands in the east.
Converted into baronies, the number would be in the dozens, and in terms of sheer landmass, it rivaled the Kingdom of Seiron. Though considered a small country, it was still comparable to an entire nation.
Even acquiring a single new territory took significant time to stabilize. That was why Ghislain had been most concerned with stabilizing his occupied lands.
No matter how capable she was, swallowing up this much at once was bound to cause indigestion.
And amidst all this, another unexpected issue arose—one that no one had foreseen.
"What? The Marquis of Branford has fallen from power?"
"Yes, His Majesty has recovered his strength. All the lords who lost their lands have flocked to his side."
"Hmm..."
"An order has been issued to annul the agreement and return all territories to their original owners. What should we do?"
At those words, Amelia scoffed.
She hadn’t gone through all this trouble just to give it all back. This was an opportunity that wouldn't come again—it was impossible to gain this much land in one stroke under normal circumstances.
However, the nobles who had overseen the territorial agreement stepping down was certainly a headache for her.
The royal family persistently demanded that she return the territories and reaffirm her allegiance to the king.
When Amelia ignored their letters without even sending a response, they blocked the transportation routes connecting Raypold and the east. Since they lacked the strength to march north, they simply cut off the supply routes.
"Those bastards..."
Amelia gritted her teeth. To stabilize her new territories, she needed to draw resources from Raypold as much as possible.
She could deal with the Kingdom’s army, weakened by the fall of the Marquis of Branford and their split with the Northern Army, at any time.
But the real issue was that the king had joined hands with the duchy. Amelia had already betrayed them and was now their enemy.
In the end, she had to make a choice—either fight for her land or make concessions.
While she was still contemplating, another startling piece of news arrived.
"The Marquess of Ferdium... has started a rebellion?"
"Yes. He is currently marching toward the capital with Count Fenris. The rest of the armies, including the Northern Army, have moved to the southern front to stop the duchy."
A triumphant smile spread across Amelia’s face.
'This is an opportunity.'
If the two sides clashed again, she could use the chaos to her advantage.
But before she could even make a decision, Ghislain's messenger arrived.
— Flap, flap! —
"Hello! I'm here!"
"..."
Watching the raven casually enter as if it were visiting a friend’s house, Amelia’s expression hardened.
That damn bird showing up meant that Ghislain was about to demand something from her again.
"So... What is it this time?"
"Of course, I'm here to deliver my master's orders."
"Speak."
"I’ll connect you directly to my master’s consciousness so you can talk."
"…Hmm."
Putting everything else aside, this spirit was truly impressive. Not only could it scout, but it could also be used for direct communication.
If she had something like this, she would put it to excellent use. A shame, really.
After a brief wait, the raven’s tone changed.
"Hey, Amelia. It’s been a while. How have you been?"
"Don’t act friendly as if we have a good relationship. Get to the point."
"Always so prickly… Look, I’m heading to take over the capital right now. I need you to head to the southern front and lend a hand. Make sure the duchy can’t advance right away."
"..."
"Why aren’t you answering? Hey, Dark, is the connection working properly? What? Oh, it is?"
"..."
Watching the raven talk to itself, Amelia finally opened her mouth.
"Why should I help you?"
What a ridiculous man. She had helped him a few times, and now he seemed to think they were on the same side.
Ghislain chuckled and replied.
"Oh, I’m not asking for a free favor. Didn’t I reward you generously last time? I’ll make sure you’re satisfied this time too. I don’t like working for free either."
Hearing that, Amelia's interest was piqued.
"Fine. As long as I stop the duchy, you’ll have no trouble taking the capital. What’s in it for me?"
"I’ll help you stabilize your territory. It’s been a headache, hasn’t it? Once I seize the capital, I’ll send plenty of food and supplies your way."
"Hmm…"
It was certainly an enticing proposal, but it wasn’t quite enough.
“I can take care of that myself if I have enough time.”
“If the duchy marches north, you won’t have that time. Even if the Northern Army holds them off, it’ll be the same. The longer the war drags on, the harder it’ll be to secure that much supply.”
Amelia twisted the corner of her lips into a cold smile. That bastard knew her weaknesses all too well.
But what truly piqued her curiosity was why he was so desperate to drag her into this.
“The forces on the southern front should be enough to buy you time. Do you really need my help?”
“Well, first, to minimize casualties. Your abilities would be a great help.”
“So there’s a second reason?”
“I don’t want you scheming behind my back. That would be annoying. You were probably already thinking about how to use this situation to your advantage.”
“……”
Amelia silently laughed again. As expected, this man knew her far too well.
Ghislain continued, his tone now more solemn.
“My targets are the duchy and the Salvation Church. I don’t want to waste time or suffer unnecessary losses elsewhere.”
“And?”
“If you refuse, I’ll kill you this time for real. The moment I seize the capital, I’ll march straight for the east.”
“You… dare…”
“Make your choice. I know fighting you will be a hassle. I’ll take losses too. But I can’t leave you unchecked before I go up against the duchy at full strength.”
Grind.
Amelia clenched her teeth. This bastard was once again threatening her to make use of her power, just like before.
She understood what Ghislain meant. Ghislain has stepped forward as a pillar of hope to the kingdom in handling the duchy and the Salvation Church. And Ghislain saw her as a potential threat. He might attack her as soon as possible once he is done dealing with the Duchy and the Salvation Church.
In other words, this was her last chance to join forces with him.
“……”
Amelia remained silent for a long time, her expression already cold and rigid.
Ghislain said nothing either. Dark, feeling the weight of their glares, turned his head away uncomfortably.
‘What’s with this insane power struggle…’
Even as rage surged to the top of her head, Amelia’s mind raced. How could she turn this situation to her advantage?
‘He says that, but coming here will be a burden for him too.’
Ghislain wanted to head south as quickly as possible. Fighting her here would only benefit the duchy. There was no way he wanted that.
But that didn’t mean she could keep dragging this out. Just as he knew her well, she knew him too.
‘That bastard has more to protect now… but if things go south, he’s the kind of man who’ll do something reckless.’
He might just storm in here, losses be damned. She had to find a compromise.
Their relationship had always been a delicate balancing act. That also meant that her power was still necessary.
‘Unless…’
A realization dawned on Amelia, and she slowly nodded.
The forces stationed on the southern front were more than enough to hinder the duchy. Even if she tried something, Ghislain could stop her. The Ferdium and Royal Armies were still in the capital.
So why did he still want her power? He might want to minimize losses, but there had to be something else he intended to use her for.
She was beginning to see what Ghislain truly wanted.
Which meant…
“You have more to offer, don’t you? This doesn’t feel like the end of it.”
Ghislain chuckled. She really did have a terrifyingly sharp mind.
“Of course. There’s more. Shall we discuss what comes next?”
The two talked a little longer. After Dark left, Amelia immediately gathered her troops and set out for the southern front.
A new ambition burning in her heart.
* * *
“I’ll take command.”
“…Understood.”
Having already received prior notice from Ghislain, Gillian handed over command to Amelia without resistance.
Her abilities had already been proven, so there were no objections.
From that moment, the battle began to take on a different shape.
“Baron Valois, take charge of the right wall.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Amelia started by reorganizing the entire defense force. She had brought in Baron Valois, who had surrendered after Daven’s death, precisely for this reason.
His skill in defense was second to none, and as expected, he successfully held back the Delfine forces.
Of course, she didn’t plan to just hold out. The enemy had too many troops and too much firepower. If they wanted to prolong the fight while minimizing losses, they had to chip away at the enemy’s strength.
“You’re the dwarves who planted those strange stakes before, aren’t you?”
Amelia's question made Galbarik and the dwarves roll their eyes and avert their gazes. They had once driven stakes into the ground to hinder Amelia’s advance.
[Made by The Great Blacksmith and Friends.]
They had even inscribed such a phrase.
They feared that they might be harassed because of it. Truly, one should not go around provoking others.
However, Amelia simply chuckled and gave a new order.
"From now on, dig tunnels. Any shortage of manpower will be supplemented by Raypold’s forces."
"Huh?"
"Just do as you're told."
With reinforcements added to their numbers, there was no issue with the construction. The dwarves diligently dug tunnels all over the place as ordered.
Kaiyen, who commanded the Delfine forces, realized that something had changed.
"The enemy's tactics have shifted."
As time passed, both the attackers and defenders naturally became exhausted. This gradual accumulation of attrition would normally increase casualties.
However, the enemy’s losses were actually decreasing.
Unlike before, when they had seemed somewhat rough and ferocious, they now moved as if they were part of a finely tuned machine. In fact, such a method was proving to be even more effective for defense.
"This is troublesome."
Even though his side had more than ten superhumans, the enemy’s superhumans possessed abilities so unconventional that they could not be easily overwhelmed.
An endless surge of immense divine power continuously healed their allies, while spirits emerged to disrupt enemy attacks.
Despite being superhumans, they did not operate independently. Instead, they remained with the soldiers, focusing solely on defense, making them exceedingly difficult to break through.
Meanwhile, news continued to spread that the kingdom’s forces were surrendering to Ferdium. It was impossible not to feel impatient.
For several days, both sides engaged in a grueling contest of strength. Then, a mage reported,
"The visibility inside the fortress has been obscured. It seems their entire magical force is focused on blocking our sight."
In a battle of this scale, it was expected that both sides would have hundreds of mages, and some of them naturally used spells to keep watch over the opposing camp.
Even if interference magic was used, it was impossible to completely block visibility, leaving some gaps through which they could still observe. However, at this moment, the enemy’s camp was almost entirely hidden from view.
"Hmm."
After a moment of contemplation, Kaiyen gave an order.
"Prepare for a night raid."
There were limited reasons why a defending force would obscure its vision. The most probable explanation was that they were planning a night raid.
As expected, under the cover of darkness, enemy mounted archers stealthily slipped out and targeted the flanks of the Delfine forces.
"Attack!"
The waiting troops immediately gave chase. The mounted archers, caught off guard, quickly turned and fled.
However, as the pursuit focused on them, another commotion erupted elsewhere.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
"What is it now!?"
Kaiyen was startled by the sudden noise from the rear. Moments later, a soldier came rushing in to report.
"Enemy mages have appeared in the rear!"
"What? How?"
"They must have dug tunnels!"
Kaiyen was dumbfounded. Who had ever heard of a defending force digging tunnels?
The reserve troops stationed in the rear were caught off guard by the sudden attack. Though the enemy retreated quickly after their ambush, minimizing the damage, the mere fact that they had succeeded in landing a blow was a significant problem.
"Those bastards…"
With the enemy growing bolder, they now had to reinforce their rear defenses.
They briefly considered using the enemy’s tunnels, but they had already been tightly sealed. Even if they attempted to reopen them, the enemy would quickly catch on.
"Sigh… I can't believe the defenders are being this aggressive."
In an evenly matched fight, defenders typically held the advantage. But with the enemy taking the offensive so actively, the Delfine soldiers' fatigue only worsened.
Amelia commanded her forces in a way that seemed dangerously bold. In the dead of night, she would suddenly use hot air balloons to rain arrows and spells down on them, or she would randomly venture out at night to prowl around the area.
Surprisingly, these tactics were effective. The Delfine forces became increasingly on edge. She truly had a knack for tormenting people.
However, Kaiyen wasn’t one to sit idly by. He reorganized his formation and efficiently positioned his sentries.
As a result, the enemy was no longer able to engage in guerrilla tactics so freely. Yet, in doing so, they had wasted too much time.
"The capital has fallen!"
At the latest report, Kaiyen clenched his teeth. This meant that Count Fenris, the Mobile Corps, Ferdium’s forces, and the kingdom’s forces would all be marching south.
Once they joined the battle, their side would be at a disadvantage. They needed to resolve this conflict before that happened.
He turned to Gartros and said,
"We must force an engagement, even if it means suffering more casualties."
"Let’s do it. I will tell the priests to stake their lives on this battle."
The Delfine forces' strategy changed. Now, their entire army concentrated on the fortress walls. They no longer cared about casualties.
They focused all their efforts on bringing down a single section of the wall. The catapults and mages all concentrated their attacks on that one spot.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
Even though the defenders tried to reinforce that area, it was difficult to pull troops away, as soldiers were scaling the walls like relentless fiends from other directions.
When the attackers fought this fiercely, the defenders inevitably had to suffer great losses to hold them back. However, Amelia made a different choice.
“Move all the stone, wood, and any other large and sturdy materials behind the section of the wall under concentrated attack. Consider it all discarded.”
They moved a large amount of materials that could be used as temporary barricades and then left that side unattended.
With the remaining forces supporting other areas, casualties were reduced, and defending became easier.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
Of course, the neglected section had weak defenses and inevitably began to crumble. Even the magic units stationed there had been withdrawn.
Kwaaaang!
In the end, the wall completely collapsed under the enemy’s concentrated assault. Fortunately, the Delfine Forces were blocked by the secondary barricades and couldn't immediately break through, but it was only a matter of time before those, too, gave way.
Kaiyen gazed at the pile of barricades with cold eyes.
“By tomorrow, we’ll be able to break through. I’ll kill them all.”
Although a significant amount had been piled up, it was nothing superhumans couldn’t clear within a day. Without a wall separating them, the battle would shift in their favor.
Amelia understood this as well. Yet, she had a different reason for abandoning the wall.
“We’re abandoning this fortress and retreating. We’ll hold them off at the next fortress. From now on, our goal is to draw the enemy in deeper.”
Following Amelia’s orders, all troops silently withdrew from the fortress overnight. The next morning, when Kaiyen learned of this, he let out a shout of triumph.
“Good! Pursue the enemy immediately!”
The next fortress was incredibly small—just large enough to fit the enemy’s massive army.
Which meant proper defense would be nearly impossible. A few attacks would be enough to bring it crumbling down.
The Delfine Forces were too busy chasing after the Northern Army, following their movements precisely. Eventually, they succeeded in surrounding the Northern Army, who had retreated to the small fortress.
“What’s the enemy’s movement?”
“They are currently advancing south. Since their forces are so large, their speed is slow. We estimate it will take at least a week.”
“We will seize this place within two days and annihilate them.”
It was no easy task. The enemies inside the fortress were still a formidable army.
However, they had more superhumans on their side, and their soldiers were stronger overall. It wasn’t an impossible fight. After all, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that more than half of the enemy’s forces were a disorganized rabble.
“Attack!”
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaaang!
As expected, the enemy was struggling just to hold the line. The fortress was so small and fragile that they couldn’t mount an effective counterattack.
At this rate, a full-scale battle was inevitable.
Watching the situation unfold, Amelia nodded.
“It’s not just brute strength. His ability to command troops is remarkable.”
Kaiyen had pursued them far faster than expected. Though he had been caught off guard by the initial ambushes, he hadn’t suffered severe losses.
He adapted quickly to changes in the battlefield and had a sharp instinct for knowing when to push for a decisive victory.
If this battle continued, their side would inevitably suffer great losses.
And yet, Amelia smiled.
“It looks like I’ve done everything I needed to.”
She had stalled for as long as Ghislain had wanted.
The Ferdium Forces and the Kingdom’s Army were still far away, but... things would be different with the Fenris Mobile Corps, known for having the fastest mobility in the kingdom.
As she gazed up at the sky, she saw a single crow circling overhead.
“That thing makes communication so convenient.”
She wanted one for herself, but there was no way to get it. A real shame.
While Amelia leisurely observed the situation, the Delfine Forces continued their relentless assault on the fortress. At this rate, it would fall within two days.
Just then, a dust-covered messenger rushed toward Kaiyen, who was glaring at the fortress with burning eyes.
“What is it? What’s going on?”
“T-The Count of Fenris…!”
“The Count of Fenris? Has the Mobile Corps arrived?”
“N-No, sir!”
“Then what is it? Speak quickly.”
Kaiyen’s harsh tone made the messenger pale as he shouted in urgency.
“They bypassed the frontlines and headed for Mowbray County! They are currently marching straight towards the Ducal Territory!”
Ghislain had once saved Edwin, the son of Count Mowbray, by extracting Dark from his body. In return, Count Mowbray had promised to open the way for him when the time came.
Realizing the unexpected development, Kaiyen’s expression hardened.
With all their forces deployed here, their main camp was now vulnerable to an attack.