Chapter 240: The Rescue Is... [Alternate View]

【Jalpa】

This is the worst. Just recently, thanks to those fools, I displayed a shameful blunder in front of His Majesty, and I thought that day must have been the worst day of my life.

But apparently, that was nothing.

There is no room for doubt that this is the worst moment of my life.

“Your Excellency…! They were waiting for us after all!”

“Surprisingly, for small fry, they prefer standard tactics…!”

We charged, slipping through attacks from the left and right. Of course, I was aware that the enemy would likely be waiting deeper in.

In the strategy meeting held just moments before, we predicted they would be waiting at a narrowed section of the road, or that they would collapse the road to block it and rain arrows down from both sides. In either case, cannons would likely be used for the finishing blow.

From the Shelvia side’s perspective, letting us advance all the way to the fortress city would make predicting our movements difficult. If possible, they would want to hem us into a cramped environment where we couldn’t choose our formation and then blow us away with cannons.

In that case, we simply need to stop our advance just before the place where the enemy is likely waiting and incinerate everything to our front and sides. Neither Talga nor I have issues casting magic from horseback, so if all goes well, we can attack unilaterally.

That was what I thought, but we were met with an unexpected situation.

“…! Your Excellency, what lies ahead is neither a wall of men nor a fort! It is an Adult Dragon! Most likely a type of Earth Dragon!”

“Impossible…! A second one, following the one at Scudet…!? When a battle close to total war is happening at the border with the Kingdom of Yelenetta, they brought a dragon to Centena!?”

is the enemy commander insane? Or is their hand so full of trump cards that they can play multiple Adult Dragons?

No, now is not the time for that.

“…Dragon breath in such a narrow place is no joke! Fall back for now! Lure it out here and surround it! Keep moving constantly in the meantime! The enemy’s aim is to stop our movement! If we stop, the cannons will…!”

As I was shouting instructions, I suddenly heard an ominous sound.

It was the sound of footsteps. The footsteps of a massive number of people, resembling a rumble in the earth. Not a thousand or two thousand, but the sound of a large-scale charge reaching perhaps ten thousand.

“We’ve been had…! To think the cannons were a decoy…!”

Seeing the infantry-centered army approaching from the left and right, kicking up clouds of dust, I realized my thinking had been a fatal error.

My fire magic is far superior to cannons. Cannons can only be a threat if they catch you by surprise. That’s what I thought, but it seems that was merely bravado to hide my true feelings, unbeknownst even to myself.

After all, the cause of this blunder stems undeniably from my fear of the cannons’ threat.

In my head, I had convinced myself that the enemy would definitely try to intercept us with cannons.

I never expected them to use such a classic pincer attack…!

“Your Excellency! My Knight Order will retreat to Centena! Is that acceptable!?”

My strategy was a fatal failure. While I was stunned by that fact, Talga came before me and shouted. Seeing his eyes dyed with frustration and irritation, my thoughts finally restarted.

“…I know! We have no choice but to retreat! Those who can use magic, fire with all your might at the wall of people approaching from the sides! Just crushing the vanguard will greatly slow their advance!”

“Yes, sir!”

Giving only that instruction, I turned my horse around while chanting magic myself. Stradale relayed the orders in the meantime.

To buy time for the retreat, a massive volley of arrows was released. A breath later, intermediate-level magic was fired toward the approaching enemy army. Following that was my magic and Talga’s. Large-scale magic, also known as advanced or extra-large magic.

Although the number of spells was fewer than the intermediate magic, the range was incomparable.

“Flare (Belt of Hellfire)“

With that word, I unleashed the magic.

The gauntlet on my right arm, made using Fire Dragon skin and Mythril, was engulfed in flames, writhing like a living creature.

Then, the fire roared and gained momentum, rushing toward the approaching soldiers.

The belt of fire, seemingly swallowing everything, attempted to incinerate the living, creating humanoid piles of ash as it enveloped the ground.

On the opposite side, a tsunami of massive water and a wall of spears created by earth magic also took effect, succeeding in halting the large army that had been descending the slope like an avalanche.

I unconsciously almost sighed in relief, but a chill ran down my spine. If everything up to this point went according to Yelenetta’s strategy, there’s no way it ends here.

They wouldn’t commit the folly of letting the rat that purposefully came out of its hole return for free.

“Don’t let your guard down…! You’ve stopped moving! Run…!”

I looked up and shouted.

Immediately after, the sky went dark.

I heard nothing. But there was a sensation of pain all over my body. Strange. Even though I was on a horse, I felt as if something was being pressed against me from my right shoulder to my waist, and both legs.

My vision brightened slightly. I didn’t know what happened, but I understood that I was not moving at all right now. Dangerous. At this rate, even if the cannons don’t come, that troublesome Adult Dragon will.

My blurred vision gradually became clear.

I could see a horse running toward me. A ridiculously huge horse. It was so large I couldn’t see the rider’s face.

Strange. The horse came right in front of me, and a little dirt fell on my face. Yet, I heard nothing. Someone seemed to be reaching out from atop the horse and shouting, but I couldn’t hear anything. Not understanding why, I reached out toward the master on the horse. Trying to sit up, I felt a terrible dizziness. I see. I am currently lying on the ground.

Looking casually, I noticed that my own hand, which should have been familiar, had changed shape.

Two fingers were missing from the middle. This looks like I’ve sustained other major damage as well, I thought, feeling detached as if it were someone else’s problem.

“…Your Excellency, the Marquis!”

The desperate face of a knight who had dismounted shouted right in front of me as I lay there. Finally, my hearing seemed to have returned.

“I… know… Just… w-wait…”

My mouth wouldn’t move well. My own voice sounded muffled to me. The moment sound returned, I felt a strong numbness in my body and a headache. My arm was pulled, and I was forcibly made to stand. Pulled strongly, I ended up leaning my weight on the knight’s shoulder.

And then, I learned the extent of the disaster.

Cannon fire must have hit the rear of the cavalry unit. Before my eyes lay a hundred corpses of knights and horses. No, perhaps some were alive. But on a battlefield, being in that state is as good as dead.

Should I consider it fortunate that I divided the Knight Order into smaller groups? Looking into the distance, many knights were still carrying out the retreat.

But just looking around, a considerable number seemed to have fallen prey to the cannons.

War has changed. It has changed completely. I was forced to realize that fact, whether I liked it or not.

A large knight on horseback approached from a short distance away. That remarkable, blessed physique. There was no mistaking him. It was Talga.

“Your Excellency…! Is Your Excellency safe!?”

What happened to the Knight Order Talga led? Perhaps his Deputy Commander is leading them.

“D-do not… g-gather commanders… in a place… l-like this…!”

My voice was raspy, even to my own ears. But they seemed to hear me properly. Talga nodded with a grave face and looked at the knight.

“Can you put His Excellency on a horse?”

“With Lord Talga’s assistance… I will secure him to my body with a rope.”

Hearing such a conversation, I felt violently irritated.

“F-fools… I… will not be… n-nursed by anyone…!”

Saying that, I tried to pull away from the knight, but the two immediately stopped me.

“Y-you mustn’t push yourself!”

“Your Excellency, right now, your leg is…”

At those words, I lowered my gaze. My neck hurt, but I didn’t care.

Indeed, my right leg was missing from the knee down. I didn’t know when I had been treated, but my thigh seemed to be tightly bound, yet the bleeding continued.

“G-give up… on t-taking me… Join up with… S-Stradale… and r-reorganize… at Centena…”

If they take me back, there is a high probability everyone will die. If that happens, this defensive battle will be hopeless.

Those were the thoughts behind my words, but I immediately realized my thinking was naive. It is already hopeless.

Explosions and tremors could be heard in the distance. Talga and the others were preparing to retreat while holding down their skittish horses.

I exhaled deeply. This is no longer the time to protect my pride. I am the high-ranking noble protecting this land, Marquis Jalpa Bul Ati Fertio. If I do not do my best, I am a disgrace to the nobility.

“…Talga.”

“Yes, sir!”

When I called his name, Talga turned around. Looking into his eyes, I told him in a low voice.

“Call Van. Call Baron Van Nei Fertio… There is… n-no other way… to win.”