Chapter 399: Swear Loyalty If You Wish to Live (1)
Hiiiiiiing!
Thud, thud, thud!
With a loud neigh, the Black King charged out through the open castle gates.
I swiftly seized the reins and mounted the Black King.
Among the soldiers emerging from the castle, some led extra horses alongside their mounts intended for the knights.
The knights quickly mounted the horses, and soon, the entire Fenris army was astride their steeds.
Galloping ahead on the Black King, I shouted once more.
“Let’s go! Sweep them all away!”
“Waaaaaahhh!”
The knights and soldiers of Fenris roared in unison.
The Black King, carrying me, surged forward like a streak of light. Though we had departed later than the soldiers, we soon took the lead.
The fleeing Roderick forces screamed in terror, their voices trembling with fear.
“The Fenris army is here!”
“It’s a cavalry charge!”
“Run! Get out of the way!”
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
The thunderous gallop of 10,000 cavalry shook the ground as if an earthquake had struck.
—
From the Roderick command post, urgent cries erupted.
“You fools! Form ranks! Raise your spears and shields! Get into formation now!”
But the Roderick forces were already in disarray, showing their backs to the enemy. If they faced the cavalry charge like this, they would be annihilated.
However, the morale of their battered and demoralized troops was too low for them to think of fighting back against the Fenris army.
“You, fight them!”
“We’re running away!”
“We can’t win! Those bastards are invincible!”
Instead, the soldiers cursed at their own commanders, blaming them for engaging in a battle they couldn’t win.
For them, fleeing offered a sliver of hope for survival, unlike the certainty of death in battle.
Most of the infantry, however, couldn’t escape the swift pursuit of the Fenris cavalry for long.
Crash!
“Aaaargh!”
A line of 10,000 cavalry could sweep across an enormous area. The Fenris Mobile Corps crushed through the Roderick forces as they surged forward.
At the center of this charge was me.
Piercing straight through the enemy ranks, I bellowed.
“If you don’t want to die, drop your weapons and lie down!”
At my command, Roderick’s soldiers fell to the ground, flattening themselves as much as they could.
But not all of them survived. There were simply too many soldiers sprawled across the ground to avoid them all.
Crash! Smash!
The relentless advance of the Fenris cavalry trampled many in their path. It was impossible to avoid everyone lying in their way.
“Aaaargh!”
“We surrendered! Spare us!”
“Roll to the side! Get out of the way!”
The cries of soldiers trampled under hoof mixed with those desperately trying to escape, creating chaos across the battlefield.
Despite the confusion, the Fenris soldiers didn’t intentionally kill the proned soldiers. They simply charged through, plowing forward without hesitation.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
Breaking through the utterly collapsed Roderick army, the Fenris cavalry galloped forward without mercy.
The Roderick soldiers either fled to the sides to escape the battlefield or gave up entirely, lying down in submission.
Watching this, Count Glasgow screamed in fury, tears of blood streaming down his face.
“You worthless idiots! Do you mean to tell me you can’t even put up a fight with all these numbers?!”
If every soldier had turned and resisted, they wouldn’t have fallen so pathetically. Even now, their numbers are still superior.
But when no one wanted to fight, how could there be a battle?
This was the nature of war. Even with greater numbers, once morale was broken, fear spread like an epidemic.
Thus, maintaining soldiers’ morale and loyalty was crucial in war. The Roderick army might have had the numbers, but they lacked what was most important, morale and devotion to the cause..
“Useless wretches! Miserable scums! Fight back! Turn around and fight, damn it!”
Count Glasgow hurled curses at his soldiers, his rage boiling over.
The western soldiers had long been rumored to be lazy despite their numbers. While Count Glasgow had heard these tales before, he hadn’t taken them seriously.
After all, there was no one to fight, and no one dared challenge them. He dismissed the rumors as the jealous slander of rival nobles.
“To think they’d be this pathetic…”
But the rumors were entirely true.
From the nobility down to the soldiers, everyone had grown complacent in the comfort of peace. None carried the tension of warriors prepared for battle.
Thus, they were no match for the Fenris army, which had endured daily hellish training and countless battles.
Even their resolve to protect their own lands was no match.
The Fenris soldiers’ cries echoed across the battlefield.
“Drop your weapons and surrender!”
The momentum of the Fenris cavalry charge had significantly slowed. The sheer number of Roderick soldiers strewn across the battlefield was clogging their advance.
Still, the Fenris troops continued to press forward, trampling those who obstructed them. Any soldiers who stubbornly resisted were cut down without hesitation.
As the Roderick army completely crumbled, the aides and knights beside Count Glasgow shouted desperately.
“You must flee!”
“Relay This News to the Main Army Immediately!”
“We’re annihilated! We’re completely annihilated!”
More than half of their ranks had already been breached. The sheer number of soldiers was the only reason they had held out this long. Otherwise, the Fenris forces would have reached the command post long ago.
Count Glasgow swallowed his frustration and gave his orders.
“Guards, hold the front! Knights and officers, retreat! Inform the Marquis of what’s happening at all costs!”
After shouting his command, Count Glasgow turned his horse around. His escort knights hurried to flank him closely.
The remaining officers, commanders, and knights scrambled to flee the moment his order was issued.
The sight drew outraged cries from the remaining guards.
“The commander and knights are running away!”
“You bastards!”
“How are we supposed to hold the line?!”
Even though the guards were composed of elite soldiers with relatively strong discipline, they weren’t loyal enough to sacrifice their lives when their commanders abandoned them to save themselves.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
Amidst their anger, the guards turned abruptly toward the sound of galloping hooves. The Fenris forces were already upon them.
At the forefront of the charge was a man whose crimson, glowing eyes and cruel smile were unmistakable.
“We surrender!”, someone shouted.
The guards, without hesitation, moved aside and threw themselves flatly on the ground.
As I sped past them, I spoke.
“You seem useful. Stay where you are and wait. Anyone who tries to run will die.”
Despite the speed of my passing, my voice echoed as though whispered directly into their ears.
Gulping nervously, the guards could do nothing but remain flat on the ground, motionless.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
Count Glasgow, who had been fleeing for some time, glanced back over his shoulder.
“Ugh!”
His face twisted in terror, and he let out a scream.
In the enemy commander’s mind, I, The Count of Fenris, was pursuing him alone. Although he had started running when there was still a significant distance, I was closing in rapidly.
“S-stop him! Stop him, I said!”
He realized he would have to abandon even his escort knights. At this rate, it was certain I would catch him.
The escort knights exchanged uneasy glances.
Only ten knights remained with Count Glasgow. Originally, over a hundred had been assigned to him, but some had already fled during the battle, and most of those who stayed had died defending the gates.
Now he expected them to stop a master-level warrior like the Count of Fenris with just ten men?
It was tantamount to ordering them to their deaths to buy time.
After a brief exchange of looks, the knights nodded to one another and scattered to the sides.
They had abandoned Count Glasgow.
“Y-you scumbags! What are you doing?! Stop him! Stop that bastard!” Count Glasgow screamed desperately, but none of the knights heeded his cries. They were too busy saving their own skins.
Watching their retreat, I smirked and extended my hand.
Fwoooosh!
Shwip!
Dozens of spears formed from crimson mana materialized and shot forward. None of the fleeing knights escaped; the spears pierced their backs, instantly cutting them down.
“Aaaaargh!”
Defenseless and unprepared, the knights fell one by one, killed in an instant.
Now, only Count Glasgow remained.
As dark-red mana began to flow from my body, it enveloped the Black King.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
The Black King’s eyes glowed crimson, and his speed surged.
Count Glasgow glanced back, his expression twisting further into a mask of horror.
“W-what is this?!”
I was already upon him. Even from this distance, he knew I could hurl a spear and end him.
“Stay away! Don’t come any closer!”
Count Glasgow’s voice cracked as he wailed, frantically tugging on his reins. But there was no escaping the Black King’s speed.
I drew up alongside him and reached out, grabbing him by the neck.
“Guhhh!”
Count Glasgow felt a crushing pain in his neck, but I didn’t kill him.
The Black king galloped onward carrying us both out of the battlefield, while Count Glasgow with his neck in my grip, dangled in the air.
“P-please! Spare me! I’ll reward you handsomely!” he begged.
“You don’t get to die so easily.”
“W-what?!”
I tossed aside the spear I held and drew the sword at my waist. Without hesitation, I plunged it into his stomach.
Shlick!
“Gaaahhh!”
Count Glasgow screamed in agony, the blade impaling him. Though his stomach was pierced, he didn’t die. I had deliberately avoided his vital organs.
Glaring coldly into his eyes, I spoke.
“Tell me everything, the composition of your main force, the number of knights and soldiers, your weapons, and your supply routes. Spill it all.”
He didn’t need to interrogate Count Glasgow for more information; those left behind in Fenris would be more than capable of holding the line. However, Ghislain intended to ensure accuracy for any unforeseen circumstances.
Count Glasgow trembled as he spoke.
“If I tell you, you’ll kill me anyway.”
“If you don’t speak, you’ll die regardless. The only choice you have is whether you die painfully or peacefully.”
Shwick!
Ghislain stabbed him again, this time infusing the blade with a faint trace of mana. Count Glasgow’s body convulsed violently in response.
“Aaaaargh! I’ll talk! I’ll talk!” he screamed, overwhelmed by excruciating pain.
The torment was so dreadful that Count Glasgow became convinced this madman was an expert in torture. It would be better to die quickly.
Desperate to end his suffering, Count Glasgow spilled all the information he knew. He didn’t have the chance to strategize or withhold anything every pause was met with more pain.
“Nothing special,” Ghislain remarked, his expression indifferent. Without hesitation, he severed Count Glasgow’s neck with a swift strike of his sword.
As expected, the enemy’s approach was a simple, brute-force advance.
“That’s manageable,” he muttered to himself.
Most of Ghislain’s key subordinates, save for Kaor, had remained behind at Fenris. Kaor and the assault unit weren’t suited for defensive battles, so they were brought along instead.
The main enemy force of 60,000 was now targeting Fenris. Their troops and equipment were vastly superior in both quality and quantity compared to the pursuit force here. Yet, Ghislain had no intention of returning immediately.
He trusted his allies and focused on quickly concluding the situation here.
By the time he returned to the battlefield, the fight was already over.
The Roderick soldiers were all kneeling with their hands behind their heads. Fenris troops stood at various points, watching over them and awaiting Ghislain’s arrival.
“Who among you holds the highest rank?” Ghislain shouted.
The captured soldiers glanced at one another. While the command staff had all fled, the soldiers still had ranks among themselves. Some looked to their seniors; others sought anyone of higher authority.
Eventually, all eyes settled on one man, who reluctantly stood under their collective gaze.
“I-I’m Walter, who led the escort unit this time. Previously, I commanded the 3rd Infantry Company of the Second Legion.”
His voice trembled with fear, convinced that officers like him would all be executed.
Ghislain observed Walter for a moment before speaking.
“Good. I’m granting you provisional command. For now, you will lead the remaining soldiers. Understood?”
“Y-yes? I… I understand!”
Though Walter wondered why command was being entrusted to him, he didn’t dare question it. He wasn’t eager to lose his head.
“Identify the remaining soldiers and regroup them by unit. If there’s no officer, appoint the most senior soldier as a temporary leader.”
“Yes, sir!”
Walter moved quickly, rallying the defeated soldiers.
While reassembling the enemy might seem dangerous, the Fenris troops paid it no mind. The Roderick forces wouldn’t dare resist after witnessing the overwhelming difference in strength.
Walter, having organized the soldiers to the best of his ability, returned to Ghislain.
“Th-there are about 15,000 soldiers left! Due to uneven numbers, I’ve grouped them into units of approximately a thousand each.”
“Good. You can finalize their structure later.”
The swift surrender meant more soldiers survived than expected just as Ghislain had planned.
Looking over the assembled soldiers, Ghislain raised his voice.
“From now on, Linderstein belongs to Fenris! This means you are now proud soldiers of Fenris! From today forward, you will fight for Fenris. Understood?”
“Yes, sir! Understood!” the soldiers replied in unison, their voices loud.
Their true feelings were uncertain, but no one dared to object to such a notion. The disparity in combat strength was painfully clear, and no one harbored thoughts of rebellion.
Moreover, Fenris had a reputation, even in the West, for treating its soldiers well. Some of them couldn’t help, but feel a flicker of hope.
Leading the troops, Ghislain marched triumphantly into Linderstein.
“Now, let’s move on to the next task,” he said.
Ghislain needed to return to Fenris as quickly as possible. However, abandoning the hard-won territory of the West wasn’t an option.
Thus, he planned to make the most of the troops and supplies he had gained here.