Chapter 549
Changing the Route (4)
Marquis Tristan’s expression hardened as his sword clashed against Aiden’s.
‘This bastard...’
He could feel the sheer strength of his opponent. His sword was being pushed back.
Even after a brief exchange, he could tell his opponent had reached an extraordinary level.
If he had been in peak condition, he might have been able to put up a fair fight.
But why has someone like this only appeared now?
‘Was all of this really just to exhaust me?’
Had they truly sacrificed countless soldiers just to wear him down?
He had never seen a superhuman act in such a way before. If they were simply going to throw soldiers’ lives away, what was the point of having a superhuman in the first place?
Superhumans had to be countered by other superhumans. That was how an army preserved its strength.
That was why superhumans were classified as strategic weapons.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaaang!
With every clash of their swords, Marquis Tristan found himself being pushed back.
It was inevitable. He had been fighting at the front lines all this time, facing two other superhumans. More than half of his mana had been depleted, and his body was covered in wounds.
His opponent, on the other hand, was brimming with power. He looked as fresh as if he had just arrived on the battlefield.
Kwaaaang!
Marquis Tristan deflected Aiden’s strike and stepped back, letting out a breath.
“Huff… Was this your plan all along?”
“That’s right. To take you down comfortably.”
“You sacrificed countless soldiers just for that one reason?”
“That’s right. What’s so hard to understand? Soldiers are meant to die, aren’t they?”
Aiden grinned, his expression filled with twisted pleasure. He didn’t care how many worthless soldiers perished.
Even the Silver Knights, the force he treasured most, could be discarded if necessary.
What mattered was how much something benefited him.
He was an utterly self-centered man, completely consumed by his superiority. The only things he desired were fame and admiration.
That was who Aiden was.
Marquis Tristan grit his teeth. In all his years, he had never met someone so selfish.
“You’re a disgrace. And you dare call yourself a knight?”
“Chivalry? Duty of the strong? None of that matters. History only remembers the victors.”
“Losing to someone like you would be a disgrace.”
Grinding his teeth, Marquis Tristan swung his greatsword.
Kwaaaang!
The two clashed once more, their battle intensifying. Mana storms erupted around them.
Before long, there was no one else in their vicinity. No one dared to intervene, afraid of getting caught in the tempest of their battle.
As their duel escalated, the Silver Knights suddenly halted their fight and retreated. Almost as if by prior agreement, the Atrode Army also withdrew.
This was a stroke of luck for the Grimwell Army. The Silver Knights had been overwhelming them, driving them back without mercy.
A commander on Grimwell’s side quickly shouted,
“Fall back! Pull back for now!”
The same scene played out in the frontlines. The priests of the Salvation Church also stepped back, calling out to the soldiers.
“Fall back! Observe the Inquisitor’s battle!”
“You too! Stand back and witness this duel of knights!”
Grimwell’s soldiers were bewildered.
Their forces had the advantage, yet the Atrode Army was withdrawing with an air of superiority, as if they had merely been toying with them.
The commanders of Grimwell saw Marquis Tristan engaged in battle and decided to pull their troops back as well.
Ironically, everyone had now fallen back, watching the duel between the two men.
If Marquis Tristan had been in a better state, he would have been furious. Who in their right mind paused a battle just to hold a knightly duel?
But he had no time to dwell on such thoughts.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaaang!
“Urgh…!”
Aiden’s attacks were relentless. Tristan couldn’t even catch his breath properly.
As the marquis was continuously pushed back, Aiden burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Is this really all one of the Three Pillars of Grimwell has to offer? Is this all you’ve got? You’re too weak!”
Had they fought under equal conditions, Aiden would have struggled. But right now, Marquis Tristan was nothing more than an exhausted lion.
As the marquis’ wounds deepened, the Grimwell soldiers grew uneasy.
Marquis Tristan wasn’t just anyone. He was a legendary commander who had always led them to victory.
They had never once doubted his triumph. Yet now, the situation looked dire.
And they all knew why.
“This isn’t a fair duel!”
“Fighting someone who’s already exhausted and wounded is this a duel?”
“Protect the Marquis!”
The knights of Grimwell were the first to step forward. Their intent was clear to interfere with the duel and rescue Marquis Tristan at all costs.
In response, the Atrode forces moved once more. They had taken this opportunity to catch their breath and reorganize, and now their momentum had returned stronger than before.
Just as the two armies were about to clash again—
Crunch!
Marquis Tristan’s greatsword tore through Aiden’s pauldron.
Thud!
At the same time, Aiden’s sword pierced Marquis Tristan’s heart.
“Guh...!”
Marquis Tristan coughed up blood. He desperately tried to muster his remaining strength to sever Aiden’s neck, but his sword would go no further.
Aiden glanced at his trembling hands before baring his white teeth in a grin.
“It was a good duel, Marquis Tristan.”
“Y-You... damn...!”
Marquis Tristan struggled to keep his eyes open. But his exhaustion had long since reached its peak, and now, with his heart pierced, his body refused to obey him any longer.
As Aiden pulled out his sword, Marquis Tristan’s body crumpled.
In that moment, Aiden’s blade swung once more.
Slash!
Thud!
Only after his head was severed did Marquis Tristan’s body finally collapse to the ground.
“Hmph...”
Aiden flicked the blood off his sword and looked at his shattered pauldron. Marquis Tristan had already been erased from his mind.
“Tch, I liked this armor...”
It had been crafted by the kingdom’s finest artisans. He had been particularly fond of its extravagant beauty, making this all the more disappointing.
The damage wasn’t limited to just the pauldron; he would have to replace the entire set.
His obsessive nature would never allow him to patch only a part of it. If he was going to replace something, it had to be everything.
While Aiden fixated on his pauldron, the Grimwell army stood in shock.
“M-Marquis Tristan is dead...”
“How could this happen...?”
“He... He killed the marquis...!”
Their faces were filled with disbelief. After all, Marquis Tristan had been their idol, the very symbol of their invincibility and now he was dead.
Even the commanders realized their mistake. They should have kept pressing forward when they had the advantage.
With Marquis Tristan dead, their morale had plummeted. No, more than that, they had lost the only one capable of fighting against this monster.
They had fallen into the trap of their enemy’s incomprehensible actions and presence.
Aiden pointed his sword at the stunned Grimwell soldiers. It was a stance he had practiced countless times before the mirror.
A cruel smile spread across his lips.
“Kill them.”
“WAAAAAHHH!”
The White Silver Knights and the Atrode army surged forward once more. Leading the charge were the priests of the Salvation Church, exuding waves of ominous black energy.
The Grimwell soldiers gripped their weapons tightly. They had to fight again, but deep down, they knew—
There was no stopping the enemy before them.
BOOOOOM!
The armies clashed once again. The exhausted and demoralized Grimwell forces faltered beneath the rampaging priests.
Seizing the opening, the White Silver Knights and the Atrode army tore through their ranks completely.
The battle was as good as over.
Closing his eyes, Aiden savored the scent of blood rising from the battlefield.
“This glorious battle will be sung by bards for eternity. And they will sing about me.”
A satisfying victory. Defeating the renowned Marquis Tristan would only elevate his own fame.
But it wasn’t enough. Aiden thought of someone his thirst igniting like fire.
“Duke of Fenris... I should be the one to kill you.”
Originally, during the Ritania civil war, Aiden had been meant to face the Duke of Fenris.
But the timing had been off. Helgenik’s rampage had forced him to move separately to reinforce their forces.
At the time, he had only been slightly disappointed.
With Gartros, Kaiyen, and Raul on their side, losing the civil war had never seemed like a possibility.
And yet, the Duke of Fenris had won. Worse, Ghislain’s own father, Marquis Ferdium, had risen to become Ritania’s king.
“I never imagined he’d rise so high.”
Now, the Duke of Fenris was among the most famous figures on the continent.
Ritania’s Strongest Swordsman.
The Undefeated Grand Duke.
Ruler of the North.
Savior of the Plague.
Saint of the Drought.
Pioneer of Innovation.
And—
The King of Mercenaries.
Any one of these titles alone was an honor, and yet they continued to accumulate. Aiden couldn’t stand it.
“I refuse to accept this.”
If only he had killed the Duke of Fenris during the Ritania war...
Then all those glorious titles would have been his.
But it didn’t matter. The war on the continent was growing more intense by the day.
In the end, the Duke of Fenris would have no choice but to face him.
And when that time came, he would personally kill that bastard. If that happened, all the praise would be his.
“The protagonist of this world isn’t you, Duke of Fenris. It’s me. I’ll make you realize that truth.”
Aiden lifted his head with his eyes closed and stretched out his arms.
And a painter was diligently capturing that very scene.
* * *
"Waaaaah! We won!"
The 3rd Legion of the Atrode Army had also successfully captured a stronghold of the Kingdom of Grimwell.
At this pace, surrounding the royal capital wouldn’t take too long.
There was a time constraint everything needed to be completed before the Duke of Fenris arrived but in the end, the Atrode Army wasn’t aiming to conquer the entire kingdom.
All they needed was to secure the supply routes and key strategic points necessary to besiege the capital.
A few more battles, and they would reach their goal.
Count Kalmund, the commander of the 3rd Legion, turned to the man beside him.
"Well done. Will you be moving separately now?"
"Yes."
The man, who had a taciturn demeanor, gave a nod. Count Kalmund also nodded before speaking again.
"Revolutionary Leader, thanks to your assistance, things went a little smoother. But is there really a need for you to leave now?"
This man was the leader of the Revolutionary Group an organization that had allied with the Salvation Church to overturn the continent.
They had already struck a deal with the Salvation Church, agreeing to receive control over several kingdoms once the war ended.
A new world and a new faith.
The interests of the Salvation Church and the Revolutionary Group aligned perfectly.
For the Revolutionary Leader, becoming king was his ultimate dream. What religion he followed didn’t matter to him.
To achieve that dream, he needed to expand his influence and eliminate those who stood in his way.
And the biggest obstacle of all was undoubtedly the Duke of Fenris of Ritania.
The Revolutionary Leader smirked at Count Kalmund’s question and replied.
"The Kingdom of Grimwell will fall easily enough without us. I actually see this as a great opportunity."
"Hmm? Why is that?"
"The Allied Forces will likely strike the Kingdom of Atrode while you are all away. They're already gathering near its borders."
"That’s true."
"So they would never expect the army attacking the Kingdom of Grimwell to suddenly change direction and ambush them. That’s what I plan to do catch them off guard."
"I see... That does make sense. But are you sure about this?"
"I’ve already discussed it with the priest. As long as you ensure we receive the promised rewards, everything will be fine."
The idea of ambushing the Allied Forces had come from the Revolutionary Leader.
Gartros had initially opposed the plan. The Allied Forces were large in number, and there were more pressing matters than reducing their ranks.
However, the Revolutionary Leader had persuaded him by setting certain conditions namely, that they would only move after securing key strongholds in the Kingdom of Grimwell.
"We won’t engage in a direct battle. We’ll just cut off their supply lines, deal some damage, and then retreat."
The Revolutionary Group excelled in raiding and ambush tactics. That was precisely why no kingdom had ever succeeded in capturing them.
Right now, the Allied Forces’ attention was completely focused on the Salvation Church and the Kingdom of Atrode.
This was the perfect opportunity. The Revolutionary Leader intended to use this chance to strike a blow to the Allied Forces and prove his own capabilities.
Count Kalmund understood his reasoning.
"Cutting off their supply lines and dealing damage will indeed work to our advantage. Your chances of success are high, but keep in mind Duke Fenris is on their side."
From the Salvation Church’s perspective, Duke Fenris had now become their greatest threat. Even those who had never faced him in battle were wary of him.
Hearing this, the Revolutionary Leader gave a sly smile.
"I’ve heard that the Duke of Fenris is formidable, but at least when it comes to ambushes, I’m the best. Striking from behind is my specialty."
The Revolutionary Group had never once engaged in an open-field battle, but when it came to ambushes, they had absolute confidence.
However, there was one thing the Revolutionary Leader did not know.
Ghislain’s true expertise was in pursuit, ambush, and annihilation.