Chapter 547
Changing the Route (2)
Dudududu!
The knights of Atrode galloped forward, following Gartros, who had flown ahead alone.
There were about a hundred of them. Even though they were all knights, it was too small a number to take down a fortress. But they did not hesitate in the slightest.
Kwaaaang!
Gartros, who had arrived first, unleashed his power without reservation.
The fortress had already been half-destroyed by the attacks of the priests and mages. The defending forces could not properly withstand Gartros' assault.
“Uaaagh!”
“Stop him! Kill him now!”
“What are the mages doing?!”
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
Gartros was strong enough to fight on par with Ereneth. With him rampaging, soldiers and knights fell one after another as soon as they charged at him.
The enemy mages, unable to ignore him, dispelled their magic barriers and began launching spells at Gartros.
Kwaaaa!
Since their own allies were present, they couldn’t use large-scale magic. The mages concentrated their power as much as possible, aiming solely at Gartros.
“That won’t be enough to kill me!”
Paaaat!
A dark aura completely engulfed Gartros’ body. He endured the incoming magic head-on without dodging.
Kwaang! Kwaaaang!
No matter how strong he was, taking numerous spells directly was not ideal. But he gritted his teeth and withstood the onslaught.
His mind was consumed with rage toward Ghislain. The humiliation he had suffered in Ritania had transformed him completely.
“Kh…!”
Gartros did not hold back his power. Standing at the forefront, he endured the enemy's spells while slaughtering those around him.
He charged forward, enduring the pain, determined to kill the enemy mages. Only someone of his overwhelming strength could withstand such an onslaught.
Count Biphenbelt, watching from afar the fortress, extended his hand again.
“Now.”
Seizing the moment when the magic suppression was lifted, Atrode’s mages cast their spells once more.
Kwaaaaang!
Even though Gartros was in the midst of battle, they paid no heed. They tried to avoid targeting his location as much as possible, but even if he was caught in the range, they believed he could endure it.
Kwaaaaang!
Countless spells rained down upon the fortress. The indiscriminate magical bombardment easily annihilated the enemy forces.
“S-Stop them!”
“Reinstate the magic suppression!”
“The enemy is advancing!”
The mages of the fortress fell into chaos. Though they were in the safest position at the rear, enemy spells were detonating everywhere.
If their allies all perished, they would no longer be protected. They had to defend their forces at all costs.
Some mages hastily deployed magic barriers, but it was already too late.
Kwajik!
“Kuaaaagh!”
Covered in blood, Gartros had already broken through the enemy lines and was grinning viciously.
“You pathetic little rats. Now, face the wrath of the gods.”
Kwaaaaa!
The dark aura around Gartros spread out in all directions, piercing through the enemy mages.
Magic was more lethal than attacks from soldiers or knights. That was why mages focused heavily on countering one another’s spells.
In other words, mages who lacked proper protection from their allies were utterly defenseless.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
“Aaaargh!”
In an instant, numerous mages perished. A few attempted to retaliate, but most were too overwhelmed by Gartros’ sheer dominance for their efforts to be effective.
“A m-monster…”
“How can such a being exist…?”
“Why are they using such tactics…?”
The Grimwell army’s mages were completely shaken by this unconventional combat method.
A lone warrior charging in, radiating dark energy, and rampaging amidst the battlefield Gartros was terrifying beyond belief.
Even their own forces were being caught in the enemy’s spells, exploding left and right.
“T-This isn’t right.”
The Grimwell mages, who had always fought from safe positions, had never encountered such a crazy strategy sacrificing a superhuman as bait while bombarding the battlefield with magic.
They lacked the experience to deal with Gartros, who had endured all sorts of hardships in Ritania.
“R-Run away!”
The Grimwell mages’ morale shattered in an instant.
Their allies were rushing in to protect them, but they doubted anyone could stop the rampaging warrior who fought like a demon.
The mages' formation collapsed completely. The attacks directed at Gartros became fewer and fewer.
At that moment, Atrode’s magical bombardment ceased. The reason was clear the hundred knights had finally arrived at the fortress.
Chwaak! Chwaak! Chwaak!
The knights swiftly pulled out grappling hooks, latching them onto the fortress walls, and scaled them in an instant.
There were no soldiers properly stopping them. Most had died from magic, and the survivors had scattered to avoid it.
They were knights of at least mid-tier level, highly skilled. As soon as they climbed atop the fortress, they killed the remaining soldiers and secured the entry point.
Following behind the knights who had gone up first, the Atrodean Army rushed forward carrying ladders.
"Uwaaaaah!"
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The Atrodean soldiers quickly climbed the walls using the ladders. They were the elite among elites, entrusted with special missions.
"Open the gates!"
The soldiers who had climbed up through the secured entry point swiftly formed ranks and pushed back the defenders on the fortress walls.
Rumble!
The fortress gates swung open. The Grimwell Army still had a considerable number of troops left, but in their scattered state, they couldn't stop the enemy, who moved in perfect coordination.
Once again, Count Biphenbelt raised his hand forward.
"Finish them."
Thududududu!
The Atrodean cavalry, waiting at the front, charged ahead. The remaining troops followed right behind them.
The fortress commander saw this and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Stop them! What are the archers doing?! I said, stop them!"
But no attacks rained down from the walls. The Grimwell Army, already thrown into chaos and disorder, was completely uncontrollable.
The Atrodean Army, having swiftly entered the fortress, began massacring the remaining Grimwell soldiers.
"Aaaaargh!"
Screams of the Grimwell soldiers echoed from all directions. The fortress commander clenched his lips tightly.
They had completely fallen into the enemy’s absurd strategy. They had been dragged around, unable to even put up a proper fight.
"Urgh! Retreat!"
After issuing his final command, the fortress commander turned to flee. But he never succeeded in escaping.
Crack!
Before he knew it, Gartros had appeared, grabbed his neck, and snapped it.
“Uhuhuhu…”
Despite being drenched in blood, Gartros was laughing. Memories from the past kept surfacing in his mind.
"Duke Fenris… You must have always waged war with this kind of feeling."
War had never been Gartros' domain. His role was to move behind the scenes and determine the direction of the nation. He had never fought on the frontlines like this.
That was the difference between him and Duke Fenris. And only now did he come to realize it.
"You've done well."
When Gartros turned around, Count Biphenbelt was standing there.
"We captured the fortress swiftly, just as you wished. We will immediately move on to the next stronghold."
"Good, I trust only you."
Gartros smiled once more.
He had heard of Count Biphenbelt’s reputation as an excellent commander, but seeing him in action exceeded all expectations. Their side had suffered almost no losses.
Using the strongest force to strike at the enemy’s weak points and achieve victory. Gartros knew of one other person who used such tactics.
‘Isn’t this exactly like Duke Fenris’ way of waging war?’
And now, he himself was playing Duke Fenris’ role in this strategy wielding the greatest strength and charging at the enemy first.
Unbeknownst to Gartros, there was a reason why his and Duke Fenris’ tactics were so similar.
In Ghislain’s past life, the Atrodean Kingdom had hidden its true intentions and operated within the Human Alliance. Ghislain, the King of Mercenaries, and Count Biphenbelt had fought alongside each other many times.
The two had been deeply impressed by each other's ability to wage war. Naturally, they had influenced one another.
Clicking his tongue inwardly, Gartros felt a pang of regret.
‘If only this man had been in the Ritania Kingdom…’
Had that been the case, Ghislain and Amelia wouldn’t have defeated them so easily. That was what frustrated him the most.
However, at the time, Count Biphenbelt had been preoccupied with conquering the Atrodean Kingdom. Even if his abilities were recognized, calling him to Ritania had been impossible.
Shaking off his regrets, Gartros bit his lip and smiled.
‘Wait for me, Duke Fenris. After we find our king, I will repay the humiliation I suffered.’
He eagerly awaited that day.
When that day arrived, he would personally offer Duke Fenris’ head to the gods.
* * *
The Atrodean Army advanced on the Grimwell Kingdom in three separate legions.
Count Biphenbelt led the 1st Legion, striking at the most crucial strongholds.
And leading the 2nd Legion, advancing from another direction to surround the royal capital—
"Hmm, I look handsome again today."
—was Aiden, a strikingly handsome man who admired his reflection in the mirror with a satisfied smile.
"Uwaaaaah!"
In the vast plains before him, a fierce battle was raging.
Yet, he stood at the rear, too preoccupied with adjusting his hair in the mirror.
"As always, battlefields are just filthy. There's way too much dust."
Aiden clicked his tongue, his expression filled with irritation. Hadn't he already suffered enough recently when meeting Helgenik and the leader of the Revolutionary Group?
He truly despised such tasks, but there was no choice. It was something that only someone of his caliber could handle.
"Being too perfect is just exhausting."
Muttering to himself, he remained still as maids diligently polished the armor he was wearing.
Aiden couldn't stand even a single speck of dust on his armor. He had to be immaculate at all times.
Nearby, his staff shifted uneasily before one of them carefully spoke up.
“L-Legion Commander.”
“What?”
“The battle is intensifying.”
“So?”
“...Please issue an order.”
“Tell them to keep fighting.”
“The casualties are mounting.”
The Grimwell forces had come out to intercept the Second Legion. While their numbers weren’t as great as the Second Legion’s, they still fielded a considerable army.
As a result, the longer the battle raged, the heavier the casualties became. In fact, since Aiden had yet to issue any commands, their side was suffering even greater losses.
Yet, Aiden spoke as if it were a trivial matter.
“They’re all expendable, aren’t they?”
“...”
“I brought them along as cannon fodder anyway. What’s the problem?”
Just as he said, those troops were rebels gathered from various kingdoms, which was why their numbers were so high.
It didn’t matter if they died. They had been brought here solely to deplete the enemy’s forces.
The more they fought and perished, the better. As long as the Atrode Kingdom's army and his knights survived, that was enough.
Still looking at himself in the mirror, Aiden continued speaking.
“You know, I realized something when I watched Helgenik.”
“...”
“He only sent corpses to fight while he didn’t even lift a finger. Do you have any idea how envious I was watching that? That whole ordeal was exhausting.”
“...”
“So just think of them as corpses. See? They’re already wearing down the enemy for us.”
“...”
The staff remained silent, their faces stiff. While his logic wasn’t necessarily wrong, expending so many troops this early on hardly seemed wise.
Sensing their unease, Aiden smirked.
“You’re all such cowards. Why are you so worried when you have me?”
“...”
The staff merely bowed their heads. Aiden shook his own a few times before speaking.
“Well, having plenty of disposable troops isn’t a bad thing. If you’re that concerned, you guys take command for a bit. I’ll allow it.”
“U-Understood.”
It was a small relief that he granted them even that much authority. As long as no one touched his appearance or his obsessive cleanliness, Aiden wasn’t the most inflexible superior.
The staff rushed out in a flurry, hastily coordinating among themselves before issuing commands. As a result, the battle situation improved slightly.
After all, their side still had the numerical advantage.
“Waaaahhhh!”
“Kill them all!”
Shouts rang out as countless bodies fell. Both sides were fighting with desperate ferocity.
However, despite their superior numbers, the Atrode forces soon began to falter once more.
A monstrous foe stood among the enemy ranks.
No matter how well the staff issued commands, they could not stop that one individual. The battle was turning against them once again.
Yet, Aiden remained seated elegantly, preoccupied with admiring his reflection and nibbling on fruit.
After a long while, he finally turned to the knight beside him.
“How many of them do you think are dead by now?”
“Hmm… Our numbers were greater, so the enemy’s forces have thinned considerably since the start. But they still have plenty left. Their superhuman is simply too powerful.”
“They must be getting a little tired by now.”
“Most likely. They’ve been fighting at the vanguard the entire time.”
“Then I suppose it’s about time to move.”
Aiden preferred to weaken the enemy before stepping in. Of course, he did so by sacrificing troops that were of no use to him.
They might have been disposable, but letting too many of them die would tarnish his reputation. It seemed like a good time to make an entrance.
As Aiden rose to his feet, the maids swarmed him, giving his armor a final polish.
“All right, get ready.”
Aiden mounted his white steed and smiled.
Turning the tide of a losing battle with overwhelming strength this was his favorite kind of scenario.
The feeling of playing the savior was utterly exhilarating. No matter how many others perished, his prestige would only soar.
“Let’s go.”
Dagdak, dagdak, dagdak.
His white horse, a reflection of its master, carried Aiden forward with elegant strides.
And behind him, his personal knightly order, the Silver Knights, and the Atrode Kingdom’s army began to advance.