Chapter 564
If You Run Now, You Can Live. (1)
“Hehehehe……”
A priest of the Salvation Church wiped the blood off his face and laughed. Around him lay the corpses of countless soldiers.
“Puhuh! To think they’d be this weak. This is almost too easy!”
The priest, who had an amiable impression, was named Placus. He had once served as the personal healer and aide to Berhem, the former king of the Ritania Kingdom.
When Ghislain took over the capital, Placus had immediately fled and joined the Atrodean Army.
Now, the legion he belonged to had successfully ambushed one of the allied forces’ marching legions, securing victory.
Clank, clank, clank.
A figure clad in armor approached Placus. It was Count Poleno, the commander of the 5th Legion.
“You’ve done well. We’re planning to move to the next location now.”
“Oh? And where do we head next?”
“We will first wait at the designated location. We need to receive new intel. The enemy must have already heard of this ambush, so they’ll likely change their approach.”
By now, their opponents would have realized that their information had been leaked. Naturally, they would execute any traitors and adjust their strategy, which meant they, too, had to revise their plans accordingly.
Placus chuckled.
“Kuhuhuhu, as long as they aren’t the Ritanian Army, they won’t be much trouble.”
“That’s true. But before facing the Ritanian Army, we must steadily reduce their numbers.”
“Of course, of course. Once the entire alliance is wiped out, what could the Ritanian Army possibly do on their own?”
Placus spoke dismissively of the Ritanian Army, but in reality, he knew the truth was quite the opposite.
The highest priority order given to all Atrodean legions was to avoid direct confrontation with the Ritanian Army at all costs.
The final goal of their strategy was to completely isolate the Ritanian Army by annihilating their allies first. There was no benefit in engaging such a formidable force head-on.
Placus, unwilling to acknowledge the shame of his own past retreat, continued to belittle them.
“Most of them are just remnants absorbed from the kingdom’s main forces. A bunch of lucky survivors who ended up following the Duke of Fenris. They’re just a horde with inflated numbers. I can’t wait to deliver their punishment.”
“Haha, is that so? Well, as long as we have a transcendent priest like yourself, we have nothing to fear.”
Count Poleno chuckled and let the comment slide. After all, they had no intention of clashing with the Ritanian Army just yet.
In fact, they had already pinpointed the enemy’s location and were deliberately moving around it.
As Poleno smiled, another figure approached him and spoke.
“A bit disappointing. Too many of them managed to escape.”
The speaker was Count Srouc, the commander of the 6th Legion of the Atrodean Army.
The Atrodean Army was operating in pairs, with two legions moving together at a set distance.
Their strategy involved rapidly encircling and ambushing the allied forces, coordinating with nearby legions to execute joint assaults.
Count Poleno nodded in agreement.
“Indeed. They were even more spineless than I expected.”
The battle had been won, but they had failed to annihilate the enemy completely. More than half of their opponents had fled the moment their defeat became inevitable.
They had wanted to pursue, but they exercised superhuman patience to hold back. A reckless chase could have jeopardized the grand strategy.
Count Poleno smacked his lips.
“For now, we’ll have to be satisfied with this.”
“They’re nothing special anyway except for the Ritanian Army. They’re just a bunch of pigs relying on sheer numbers.”
It was disappointing that they hadn’t managed to wipe them out in one blow, but they couldn’t afford to be fixated on minor details.
As long as they continued to erode the allied forces’ strength and morale, this operation would be a success.
They had both the skill and patience to achieve that goal.
Mounting his horse, Count Poleno spoke.
“Let’s move. The enemy will expand their reconnaissance range.”
“Indeed. We should scatter again and prepare for the next operation. I’ll have the infantry stationed at the designated location.”
“We’ll do the same.”
The Atrodean Army had split its forces, but each legion still numbered around 20,000 to 30,000 troops, making them considerable in size.
However, more than half of them were infantry, making rapid movement difficult.
Thus, the actual mobile forces within each legion consisted of 5,000 to 10,000 cavalrymen.
The infantry, in turn, dug traps at anticipated battle sites, constructed makeshift defenses, and supported the cavalry’s operations.
To them, the infantry was nothing more than expendable. Their real strategy hinged on high-speed maneuvers and ambushes led by superhumans.
Mounting his own horse, Count Srouc spoke.
“We won’t be able to secure any more supplies in this area. We’ll need to expand our range.”
To maintain their speed, they had only brought dried rations, meaning their food supply was always precarious.
To compensate, they had divided their forces to plunder settlements across the region, which also had the added benefit of disrupting the allied forces’ intelligence network.
Count Poleno raised his hand in a casual salute to Count Srouc.
“Understood. Move carefully. We’ll be in touch soon. The other legions will also contact us shortly.”
The rest of the Atrodean legions had a clear objective to seize control of the supply routes that Ghislain had exposed and target the allied forces’ moving legions.
It was a complex and difficult strategy to execute, but the Atrodean commanders had the capability to pull it off.
Moreover, the allied forces’ slower mobility was another reason the Atrodean Army was so confident in their victory.
Dudududududu!
The 5th and 6th Legions of the Atrodean Army swiftly withdrew from their positions. They would now gather new intelligence and determine their next target.
Meanwhile, the other Atrodean legions were executing similar maneuvers. Another allied legion had already fallen victim to their tactics.
To the allied forces, the Atrodean Army seemed to be moving at an overwhelming speed a force impossible to catch.
The Atrodean Army had successfully disrupted the allied forces’ vision and intelligence network, but their real advantage lay elsewhere.
It was thanks to the traitor’s inside information that they had been able to anticipate the enemy’s movements and set up ambushes in advance.
And now, that very traitor was sitting inside his tent at the allied camp, lost in thought.
“Hm… Moving to another stronghold again? Is this a trap?”
The Duke of Fenris had issued new orders. Since it was clear that information was leaking, he commanded a covert maneuver to coordinate with another legion in secret.
Even his commanders and knights were to be kept in the dark as the army repositioned itself.
“Looking at it like this, it seems they still haven’t figured it out yet…”
The document contained detailed strategic instructions a plan to close the distance between the legions and establish better coordination until reinforcements arrived.
It also stated that both the Duke of Fenris and Julien had begun pursuit of the enemy.
“They still haven’t fully identified me.”
It wasn’t just legion commanders who could turn traitor. Lower-ranking officers, knights, and even common soldiers could serve as spies.
In fact, several of his own men were working alongside him as informants.
That meant the Duke of Fenris likely wasn’t certain who the traitor was, leading him to issue such broad and cautious orders.
“Good… I can’t let this opportunity slip by.”
If the allied legions managed to link up, they would become much harder for the Atrodean Army to handle.
Right now, while they were still in transit and vulnerable, was the perfect time to strike.
Summoning his most trusted subordinate, he discreetly relayed the information.
Shortly after, a reinforcement unit disguised as a reconnaissance team left the encampment.
* * *
Deep within a dark forest, Count Defrodon, commander of the 9th Legion of the Atrodean Army, was engaged in a hushed conversation with a knight.
“So, they’re moving to another stronghold?”
“Yes. A new order was issued after they lost two legions.”
“What about the Ritanian main force?”
“No changes on their end. They’re still guarding their original supply routes and bases.”
Count Defrodon fell silent for a moment, deep in thought. Then, he spoke again.
“And the Duke of Fenris and the Prince of Turian they’ve both mobilized?”
“Yes. They’ve begun pursuit. Most likely, they’re heading towards the area where ‘we’ suffered losses.”
“Hm… I see. That means the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Legions were stationed there… We won’t run into them.”
Defrodon nodded and made his decision.
“Contact the 10th Legion. We’ll strike the allied forces while they’re still on the move.”
“Understood. I’ll take my leave now. I used my reconnaissance duties as an excuse to slip away, so I need to return quickly.”
“Where will your unit be headed?”
The knight pulled out a map and pointed to a specific location.
“We’ve been ordered to move here. We’ll be traveling as slowly as possible, so you need to strike before we arrive.”
“Understood. I’ll send one of my scouts to inform you of the next meeting point. Keep an eye out for the markers we’ve left nearby.”
“I will.”
As the knight departed, Count Defrodon mounted his horse and prepared to set his plan in motion.
"Advance at full speed! The infantry will march through the night to catch up. Establish a defensive line near the target location to counter any enemy pursuit!"
Count Defrodon’s 9th Legion of the Atrodean Army began its movement. Their objective was the allied forces currently in transit.
Originally, their plan had been to block the supply route that Ghislain had deliberately exposed and intercept the incoming reinforcements. However, since the rerouted allied forces were now closer, they decided to strike there first.
As they advanced, Count Defrodon reviewed the information on their target.
"Marquis Gideon of the Kingdom of Turian. Roughly 40,000 troops... And since the Turian prince isn’t with them, this is manageable."
The Atrodean Army had fewer numbers, but that didn’t matter. The 10th Legion’s cavalry would be joining them soon, and just counting the superhumans in his own 9th Legion, they already outnumbered the enemy’s.
Moreover, the Ritanian main force still hadn’t moved. As long as they engaged the allied forces lacking superhuman support in an open-field battle, victory was assured.
"Move quickly! We need to strike before they reach their stronghold!"
Dudududududu!
The 9th Legion of the Atrodean Army charged forward without rest.
Moving so openly meant there was a high chance they would be spotted by enemy scouts, but that didn’t matter. As long as they capitalized on their speed, they could simply strike fast and retreat.
After traveling nonstop for an entire day, they arrived at a small forest near the target location.
"Scout the area. The enemy will be passing through here. Contact the 10th Legion as well."
The scouts of the 9th Legion spread out. Since they already knew the enemy’s route, finding them wouldn’t be difficult.
By the next day, the scouts returned with a report.
"We’ve found the enemy. They’re moving at a slow pace."
"And the 10th Legion?"
"They’re stationed far away since there wasn’t a good place to hide nearby. They said they’ll start moving ahead of us."
"Alright. We’re advancing now."
Without hesitation, Count Defrodon led his troops out of the forest. They had rested enough while tracking the allied forces’ movement.
If they simply blocked the road, the 10th Legion would catch up in time.
Dudududududu!
The 9th Legion of the Atrodean Army galloped forward. Before long, the allied forces appeared in their sights.
Count Defrodon’s face split into a wide grin.
"Idiots. This will be your grave."
Having perfect knowledge of the enemy’s movements was an overwhelming advantage.
It was a shame that they couldn’t keep exploiting this forever eventually, their enemies would become more cautious.
But by the time that happened, the allied forces’ numbers would already be significantly reduced.
"Block the path!"
Dudududududu!
The Atrodean Army cut off the allied forces’ escape route. However, they didn’t immediately engage in battle. They had to wait for the 10th Legion’s arrival.
With most of their forces being infantry, the allied army had no choice but to assume a defensive stance.
Running wasn’t an option against cavalry.
Seeing this, Count Defrodon let out a mocking laugh.
"You think having more numbers means you can fight back? You'll regret not running while you had the chance."
Dudududududu!
As they blocked the path and waited, the 10th Legion emerged from the enemy’s flank. Now, all that was left was to charge forward and crush the allied forces.
Count Defrodon turned to the two priests standing beside him.
"Break their frontlines first. We'll follow right behind. We've confirmed that they have no superhumans on their side."
Superhumans were rare, even among entire kingdoms there were usually only one or two per nation. Naturally, most of the allied superhumans were stationed near their respective kings for protection.
The Atrodean Army, however, had far more superhumans, enough to deploy them across every legion even if they were only half-trained ones. On top of that, their commanders were highly skilled.
That was why they had been able to win battles against much larger enemy forces.
The two priests nodded without hesitation and stepped forward.
Paaaaang!
As they charged, two priests from the 10th Legion also rushed into the fray.
The battle was about to begin.
Count Defrodon raised his hand and shouted.
"Everyone, charge!"
"Waaaaaaaah!"
Dudududududu!
The cavalry of the 9th and 10th Legions surged forward, ready to tear through the enemy lines with overwhelming strength.
Count Defrodon was certain of victory.
But then he noticed something strange.
'...They're too calm.'
The allied forces’ demeanor was different from what he had seen before.
There was no sign of fear.
It made no sense. No matter how many numbers they had, they shouldn’t have been this composed.
Until now, even when the allied forces had numerical superiority, they had always collapsed before the superhumans of the Salvation Church.
Especially Turian forces before Julien appeared, their army had struggled against rebels.
There was no way Marquis Gideon, a veteran commander from Turian, would be ignorant of the Salvation Church’s power.
And according to the traitor’s intel, Julien wasn’t even here.
Count Defrodon’s eyes narrowed.
'Have they grown cocky after fighting alongside the Duke of Fenris? Insolent fools.'
Whatever their confidence stemmed from, they would soon be reminded of the fear they had forgotten.
The priests at the front thought the same thing.
'Do these mere soldiers think they can stop us?'
The soldiers in the frontlines had formed a tight shield formation they looked more disciplined than the troops they had faced before.
Strangely, all the frontline soldiers were fully armored something uncommon for standard infantry.
But it didn’t matter.
Once the priests rushed in and swung their weapons a few times, the formation would crumble.
It had always been that way before, and there was no reason for it to be different now.
Or so they thought—
Kwaaaaaang!
Suddenly, someone burst out from the allied ranks.
A towering figure, tall enough to look down on most men, wielding a massive mace that matched her gigantic frame.
The priests hesitated for a moment.
Because this person wasn’t supposed to be here.
"No way... This army is—"
The priests' eyes widened in shock.
Standing before them, Saintess Parniel smiled coldly.
"So there really was a traitor. No you were never on our side to begin with."
In a flash, she closed the distance and swung her gigantic mace.
"—Hurk!"
One of the priests raised his arms instinctively, trying to block the attack.
Everyone reacted the same way the first time they faced Parniel—
Because none of them had ever experienced her strength firsthand.
KWA-AAAAAAANG!
"KRAAAAAAGH!"
CRACK!
The priest’s arms twisted grotesquely as they were completely shattered.