Chapter 371: We’ll Meet Again Soon. (1)
Through the open gates of the fortress, a man riding a black horse emerged, holding a spear loosely by his side.
Behind him, 400 individuals followed, each carrying a wooden box strapped to their backs.
Howard, observing the scene, smirked mockingly.
“So, they’ve finally given up. They’ve held out longer than I expected. Must’ve eaten every scrap they could find…”
But Howard’s words trailed off as he realized something strange, his expression hardening.
“They still have horses?”
It had been nearly two months since they had besieged the enemy within the fortress, cutting off their supplies. By now, even the horses should have been slaughtered for food.
With 400 people to feed, it would have been impossible to preserve the horses for this long. At most, the livestock should have lasted two weeks.
And yet, every single one of them was mounted. If they hadn’t eaten the horses, then what in the world had they been surviving on?
“What’s going on? Why do they all look so healthy?”
The aura and demeanor of the riders weren’t at all what Howard expected from people who had been starving for weeks. Though still some distance away, their appearance was clear enough for Howard to assess.
Even the horses seemed to be in good condition. Though slightly lean, they snorted and pawed the ground energetically.
Just as Howard observed, the knights of Fenris were far from exhausted.
They were simply on edge, their nerves sharpened to a razor’s edge.
—
“Ugh… Eating that cursed powder gave me muscle loss,” muttered Gordon, his now slimmer figure making him look more agile.
Lucas, riding beside him, nodded in agreement. “Let’s take out our frustration on those bastards. My mood’s already soured.”
Gordon and Lucas, who had tasted the field rations during Claude and Ghislain’s battle of wager, grumbled irritably. They weren’t alone; the other knights shared the same sentiment.
For the past two months, they had sustained themselves on the combat rations that Ghislain had prepared. Each of them carried several containers of the powdered food, making it possible to endure the prolonged siege.
But the monotony had worn on them, testing their patience and making them irritable.
Their strength hadn’t significantly diminished, but their minds were plagued by an almost addictive yearning for real food.
Looking at his knights, Ghislain chuckled.
“Today, we’ll crush those bastards, steal their provisions, and finally eat our fill.”
At his words, the knights licked their lips. Memories of the delicious meals they had looted from castles during previous raids resurfaced in their minds.
Even a small estate in the wealthy west would surely have enough supplies to feed this many troops, with plenty of meat included.
As Ghislain urged his horse forward at a steady pace, he spoke calmly.
“Let’s begin before they fully understand what’s happening. When I give the signal, charge.”
“Understood!”
The knights responded with a thunderous roar, each tossing their wooden boxes to the ground.
The boxes shattered, spilling spears in every direction.
Guoooooh…
As Ghislain advanced, the spears began to rise into the air, one after another.
The speed of the Black King’s gallop increased steadily. Before long, hundreds of spears floated behind him, forming a terrifying procession like an army of their own.
Howard and the Roderick forces watched the spectacle in shocked, their shouts filled with panic.
“W-What the hell is that?!”
“The spears are flying after him!”
“Is he really a mage?”
It was obvious that the spears were being controlled by Count Fenris. Until they killed him, there would be no way to stop the deadly projectiles.
But Ghislain was rumored to be a master. Killing him would not be an easy task.
Howard stared at the approaching Ghislain and shouted desperately.
“Don’t lose your nerve! No matter how strong he is, he’s been starving for nearly two months! Form ranks and prepare to engage!”
The infantry at the front leveled their spears, assuming defensive formations. On the flanks, cavalry began to maneuver, ready to charge at any moment.
Archers drew their bows, ready to shoot at Ghislain as he approached.
One man against 20,000.
It was a sight unprecedented in the kingdom’s history. Though the situation seemed absurd, no one dared to let their guard down.
“Loose!”
Fwoosh!
At the commander’s order, a rain of thousands of arrows surged towards Ghislain.
But with a flick of his reins—
Dududududu!
The Black King surged forward, breaking through the arrow-laden sky in an instant.
Howard’s face hardened as he shouted once more.
“Stop him!”
“Uwaaaargh!”
The infantry at the front screamed as they steadily marched forward with their spears in a phalanx formation. The cavalry on both flanks also began their advance.
At the same time, the spears hovering above Ghislain scattered like rays of light, shooting forward with terrifying speed.
Papapapapapak!
“Aaaaagh!”
The hundreds of spears pierced through the advancing soldiers without mercy.
And it didn’t stop there.
“The spears… They’re moving!”
The spears began moving on their own, attacking the soldiers as if they were controlled by ghosts.
The more mana Ghislain poured in, the greater the number of spears he could control, and the longer he could maintain them.
Right now, Ghislain was essentially fighting with hundreds of spearmen by his side—immortal soldiers impervious to harm as long as his mana lasted.
Pahk! Pahk! Pahk!
“Aaagh! Somebody do something about this!”
The soldiers fighting against the spears descended into chaos. Without a tangible enemy to counterattack, they could only parry or dodge as best as they could.
More skilled soldiers and knights managed to deflect or destroy some of the spears, but most of the troops weren’t so fortunate.
Amidst the growing confusion in the front lines, the Black King reached their very midst.
“Time for some proper rampage.”
Hiiiiing!
Ghislain’s laughter lit up his crimson eyes as the Black King neighed in response.
Closing the distance in an instant, the Black King leapt into the fray, plunging straight into the ranks of soldiers.
KWAANG!
“Uwaaaagh!”
From atop the rampaging Black King, Ghislain swung his spear in all directions.
Though his strikes appeared wild and aimless, each swing claimed the lives of dozens of soldiers, decapitating them with chilling precision.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack-thwack-thwack!
Ghislain’s spear moved faster and faster, leaving the soldiers too terrified to even think of blocking it.
The number of enemies daring to approach him steadily dwindled. Most were too preoccupied with retreating.
Despite their large numbers, the Roderick forces were little more than armed civilians—poorly trained and lacking any real battle experience.
Howard, watching Ghislain’s onslaught, muttered in disbelief.
“This… this can’t be… He must have been starving for so long…”
Even witnessing it with his own eyes, Howard couldn’t believe it. That such otherworldly skill could be displayed after months of supposed starvation—it was nothing short of superhuman.
Unaware that the Fenris knights hadn’t been starving, Howard couldn’t make sense of the situation.
Snapping out of his stupor, he yelled at the top of his lungs.
“Don’t run away! The more you retreat, the more losses we’ll suffer! Knights, deal with those spears first!”
Ordinary soldiers couldn’t stand a chance against the flying spears. Even though the spears simply repeated basic thrusting motions, to the average soldier, it felt like fighting ghosts.
Responding to Howard’s command, knights sprang forth from various positions and began targeting the spears.
The soldiers, gritting their teeth, regrouped and attempted to surround Ghislain once more. But the moment they gathered, they were slaughtered.
KWAANG! KWAANG!
Even a mere graze from the crimson mana-infused spears left bodies shredded and heads exploding.
Sometimes, even without contact, soldiers’ necks were mysteriously severed.
It was only then that the Roderick soldiers grasped the true terror of the title Master.
“He’s… he’s a monster!”
“We can’t get near him!”
“Where are the knights?! We need the knights!”
The soldiers, gripped by fear, hesitated. The sight of Ghislain, his eyes glowing red as he beheaded their comrades, was utterly terrifying.
A few desperate soldiers crouched low, attempting to bring down his horse instead, but even that failed.
Thwack! Thwack!
“Aaargh!”
Hiiiiing!
The Black King was no ordinary horse. It rampaged with such ferocity that no attack could be properly executed against it.
Even when attacks landed, they were glancing blows at best, unable to pierce the dense muscle beneath its hide.
In the end, the soldiers who approached the Black King were the first to die.
“So… this is the strongest in the North… Count Fenris…”
Someone muttered in despair as they retreated.
Fear spread like wildfire. While the knights were preoccupied with hundreds of flying spears, the soldiers were utterly dominated by Ghislain, unable to muster the courage to attack.
Howard, clutching his head in frustration, screamed.
“Strike him down, you fools! How can you call yourselves the strongest army of the West if you act like this?!”
One man was holding back an army of 20,000. It was an absurd and humiliating spectacle.
As the soldiers closest to Ghislain frantically retreated, those behind them hesitated to advance.
“Keep attacking! If you wear him down, you can win! Exhaust him, and we can kill him!”
Even a Master wasn’t invincible. With enough men, they could drain his stamina and mana.
But the soldiers lacked the resolve or determination to carry out such a strategy.
Most of them had no loyalty or sense of purpose in this battle, only following orders out of fear of punishment.
And there was no commanding figure among them to rally their spirits or lead the charge.
“Ugh… I should have brought heavy infantry instead…”
It would have been better to surround Ghislain with heavy infantry, using their shields to gradually wear him down.
Heavy infantry was ideal for battling a strong enemy. Their unit type specialized in defense, and their consistent training gave them mental resilience superior to ordinary soldiers.
However, the army had been hastily assembled, leaving no time to bring proper heavy infantry.
“All knights, attack the Count of Fenris!”
Howard gritted his teeth and gave the order. Fortunately, the knights had already managed to sever most of the spears, causing them to drop to the ground. Without hesitation, they charged toward Ghislain.
Woong!
As the knights closed in, Ghislain’s movements shifted.
“Should I put in a little more effort?”
Since his opponents numbered 20,000, Ghislain had been conserving as much energy as possible. He couldn’t afford to exhaust himself mid-battle.
But against knights, it was a different story. Smirking, he drew on more mana, eager to test the skill of the Western knights.
Ka-gang!
“Oh? Not bad.”
Several knights lost their heads immediately, but a few managed to block Ghislain’s spear.
Though their combat experience was lacking, the knights, well-fed and heavily supported, displayed impressive skill.
“Money really is everything.”
Some had to draw on experiences from previous lives and endure hellish training, while others resolved everything with wealth. How could the world be more unfair?
Yet, Ghislain only chuckled as he shifted his body. In the end, all that Western wealth would soon belong to him.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
“Ugh! What’s going on?”
The knights surrounding Ghislain were startled and pulled back in shock.
The broken remnants of the severed spears had risen again, striking in all directions.
The knights misunderstood Ghislain’s ability. The spears didn’t have a life of their own—they were merely manipulated by his mana.
Even if they were broken in half, they could still be used as long as he had sufficient mana. Their shortened length only slightly altered their reach.
The spear fragments swept the area once more. While their killing power was reduced, they effectively kept the knights from focusing on Ghislain.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Ghislain deliberately created chaos in his surroundings, ensuring the flow of battle remained under his control.
Howard watched the scene unfold, clenching his jaw.
“What a monster.”
It was his first time seeing someone who had reached the rank of Master. Though he’d heard stories of their greatness, witnessing it firsthand was an entirely different experience. The movements, the strength—it was all beyond imagination.
On top of that, Ghislain’s strange abilities kept both soldiers and knights from properly concentrating.
“He’s truly a one-man army.”
This was precisely why knights existed—to face opponents of such immense strength. A strong enemy had to be matched by an equally strong force.
Howard knew it was time for him, the army’s commander and strongest warrior, to take the field.
“Make way!”
Spurring his horse forward, Howard charged with his escort knights.
As he neared Ghislain, Howard bellowed and swung his spear with all his might.
“Count Fenris!”
Kaaang!
Mana collided with mana, unleashing a powerful shockwave.
Their gazes locked. Ghislain smiled slightly and asked,
“Are you the commander?”
“That’s right! I will—”
Thwack!
Before Howard could finish speaking, Ghislain parried his spear in an instant and brought his own spear down toward Howard’s head.
Howard, thrown off balance by the first strike, instinctively knew he couldn’t block the second.
Thankfully, his escort knights reacted swiftly, crossing their halberds in front of him to intercept Ghislain’s spear.
Paaaak!
The halberds shattered instantly, but the knights quickly retrieved spare spears from their saddles.
Meanwhile, other knights seized the opportunity to target the legs of the Black King.
“Not bad,” Ghislain remarked, pulling back on the Black King’s reins and retreating slightly.
Howard, seeing this, shouted.
“Knights, aim for the horse! Escort knights, stay with me and attack Count Fenris!”
Every knight on the battlefield rushed toward Ghislain and the Black King.
No matter how extraordinary the Black King was, it couldn’t withstand the combined assault of so many knights.
Ghislain deflected the attacks with ease, retreating bit by bit. The soldiers didn’t dare intervene, busy retreating themselves.
As he withdrew, Ghislain patted the Black King’s neck and spoke.
“Kong, you should start learning mana cultivation techniques someday.”
Prrrr.
The Black King snorted, unable to understand a word Ghislain said, likely excited from galloping through the battlefield.
Smiling faintly, Ghislain suddenly shouted loudly.
“Attack!”
His thunderous voice echoed across the battlefield.