Chapter 10

"Hmph, look. They’re really building defensive positions."

Isfard looked at the defensive positions of the Lostco army from atop his horse, saying it with a mocking tone. He continued,

"The Flame Emperor is said to be a brave general, but perhaps he’s just a coward. What do you think, Duke Elbistan?"

"Hmm... According to reports, there are about twenty thousand of them holed up there. We have forty thousand, so we outnumber them two to one. That’s probably why he’s doing this."

While trying to calm the excited Isfard, Duke Elbistan Kalkavan replied. To him, it was also surprising that Dandarion was showing a defensive stance. He had prepared for the Flame Emperor to launch an offensive in the open field, but his expectations were thwarted.

Just showing a defensive stance meant that the numerical disadvantage was a significant issue for the Lostco army. Or perhaps, they had suffered some losses in the dungeon conquest that caused a stampede.

"Then we’ve won."

Isfard said this with a delighted tone, but the Antalya army also had its concerns. This time, the Antalya army was more of a coalition of multiple noble forces rather than a single unified force. In other words, the nobles of various factions, led by the Elbistan Dukedom, had gathered their respective armies to form the Antalya army.

The core of the force was the Elbistan Dukedom’s army of twelve thousand, which had mobilized almost all available troops. However, this still made up less than half of the total force, with the rest being a collection of armies ranging from a few thousand to just a dozen or so.

The term "rabble" came to mind for Kalkavan. There were inevitable concerns about the command structure and coordination between the various armies. However, he did not show his unease and responded,

"Yes. However, the Flame Emperor is leading them directly, and their morale is high. Moreover, the direct imperial army of the Lostco Empire is said to number a hundred thousand. If they are holed up due to the numerical disadvantage, they must have already requested reinforcements. We need to strike while we have the numerical advantage."

"You’re right. Giving the enemy time is not a good strategy. Let’s attack immediately."

When Isfard said this, Kalkavan gave the order to reorganize the formation for the attack. Following the order, the Antalya army spread out horizontally to attack multiple points of the enemy’s defensive positions simultaneously.

While reorganizing the formation, Kalkavan maintained his composure and observed the Lostco army. For now, they showed no signs of moving. He sensed a consistent strategy. The Lostco army seemed to be genuinely waiting for reinforcements.

Kalkavan tightened his resolve. After all, they were facing the Flame Emperor. Moreover, the direct imperial army of the Lostco Empire was known for its strength. With such a solid defense, it wouldn’t be easy to break through.

However, hesitating would only allow reinforcements to arrive. Forty thousand was indeed a large army, but it was far from enough to face the entire Lostco Empire. Therefore, Kalkavan’s basic strategy was to win quickly and then seek peace.

He hadn’t shared this basic strategy with Isfard. Isfard was boasting, "I will capture the capital Gargando." This being his first battle, he was overconfident, and it was unclear how serious he was. However, a supreme commander should be grand in spirit.

Deciding when to retreat was Kalkavan’s job. While the final decision would be made by Isfard, Kalkavan had raised him like a son. Isfard would not ignore the words of his mentor.

"Preparations are complete!"

Kalkavan nodded at the report. He met Isfard’s gaze and nodded again. Isfard raised his spear and pointed the tip at the enemy.

"Begin the attack!"

A battle cry rose, and the entire army moved. The battle began.

■ ■ ■

Seeing the Antalya army move, Ethan gripped the bow in his left hand. He was standing on a high tower, giving him a clear view of the enemy’s movements. He led the archer unit, which would be the first to engage.

(The true crown prince, huh...)

Ethan muttered to himself. He was aware of the circumstances that led the Antalya army to launch this second invasion. It was a story from another country, but it left a bad taste in his mouth. At least, he hadn’t felt this way when dealing with Ginova.

Initially, Ethan had been wary of Ginova. A crown prince from another country and a Saint Mark bearer on par with Dandarion. It was natural to be cautious, given that he would be returning weapons and participating in the dungeon conquest with him.

"Really, the king is a problem."

Gamel had sighed like this, and Ethan completely agreed. What if something happened to Dandarion? Or if Ginova escaped?

"If it comes to that, don’t hesitate to shoot. I will take all the king’s wrath."

"I understand. I will stop him before it comes to that."

Gamel and Ethan had made this resolve. However, in the end, Ethan never had to shoot at Ginova. In fact, Ginova was dedicated, and the dungeon conquest went much smoother than expected.

As a result, Ethan’s feelings changed. At some point, he stopped aiming his gaze at Ginova’s back. While he maintained his vigilance due to his position, Ginova was undoubtedly a comrade.

Ethan witnessed Ginova losing everything. He knew that Ginova had cried alone. Despite his hard efforts, he was abandoned without any reward. It was a truly despicable story.

So, it wasn’t a commendable thought, but it was honest. Ethan’s morale was fiercely high, and the same was true for his subordinates.

(Well, I did eat their food, after all.)

Muttering this to himself, Ethan nocked an arrow and aimed at the approaching Antalya army.

"Fire!"

He gave the order and released his arrow.

The battle between the Antalya army and the Lostco army began with a volley of arrows. The parabolic trajectories of the arrows gradually became more horizontal. The advantage was clearly with the well-defended Lostco army. However, the Antalya army advanced, using shields to block the arrows and not minding the occasional casualties.

But then, a deep moat stood before the Antalya army. It wasn’t too wide to jump over, but the fence behind it prevented the rear from following. Even if one crossed the moat alone, they would be impaled by spears.

So, they used wooden planks to build bridges, but this limited the crossing points. Defending was easier, and the moat soon filled with the bodies of Antalyan soldiers. After the battle, this moat would likely become their burial ground.

The Lostco army’s defensive positions were not entirely surrounded by fences. There were gaps here and there, but these were essentially guiding paths. The Antalyan soldiers who charged in were all dealt with by the waiting Lostco soldiers.

"What are you doing! Create a breakthrough quickly!"

Seeing the attack not going well, Isfard gave an impatient order. Indeed, continuing the attack would only increase their losses. Judging this, Kalkavan decided to force a breakthrough, even if it was somewhat aggressive.

Kalkavan moved the heavy cavalry of the Elbistan Dukedom, his trump card. He sent them to charge through the gaps in the fence, which were invitingly open. They laid wooden planks across the moat to create a path and charged in.

Naturally, they were the target of concentrated attacks. However, attacks were also launched at other points, forcing the defenders to split their efforts. Moreover, the heavy cavalry, with both riders and horses armored, could deflect arrows. It was difficult for infantry to stop the momentum of the charging cavalry, and they broke through the fence and entered the defensive position. A breakthrough was finally made.

"Don’t miss this opportunity! Charge!"

Kalkavan smiled confidently and ordered a full charge. The Antalyan soldiers raised a battle cry and launched a fierce offensive. Seeing this, Dandarion smiled ferociously.

"Not bad. The training of the soldiers is not poor."

However, his voice still had a relaxed tone. In reality, even though the enemy had breached the defenses, the Lostco soldiers were not flustered. They skillfully dealt with the invading heavy cavalry, dismounting them or striking their flanks.

In some areas, the battle had turned into a chaotic melee, but the Lostco soldiers were still formidable, and the Antalyan army couldn’t break them down as they wished. Unable to flank the front defenses, the Antalyan reinforcements outside couldn’t enter as they wished. Overall, the battle was still at a stalemate.

"About time."

Dandarion, who had been observing the battle with a sharp eye, suddenly muttered. He was looking beyond the Antalyan army. Suddenly, a group of cavalry appeared. Their number was a staggering nine thousand, the pride of the Lostco army’s cavalry.

If they were to defend, the cavalry would have little role inside the defensive positions. Therefore, Dandarion had kept the cavalry hidden from the beginning. The purpose was, of course, to strike the enemy’s rear or flank.

This surprise attack was almost perfectly successful. The Antalyan army’s target was, of course, the defensive position where Dandarion was. With a fixed location, predicting their route was easier. Moreover, being in their own territory, they had a good sense of the land. With sufficient reconnaissance, it was easy to use the cavalry’s mobility to circle around to the enemy’s rear.

"All cavalry, charge!"

Leading the cavalry was Ludgar. The sound of Ginova’s crying still lingered in his ears.

Like Gamel and Ethan, Ludgar had initially been wary of Ginova. He had intended to be the first to stop him if necessary, but fortunately, such a situation never arose.

Even if it had, it was doubtful he could have stopped him. Seeing Ginova’s combat skills up close, Ludgar was amazed. Although his movements were still rough, he was more experienced in dungeon combat. As a Saint Mark bearer, his small body seemed much larger.

However, Ginova himself did not boast about his combat skills. In fact, he often seemed embarrassed. At first, Ludgar thought it was because of Dandarion’s presence, but he soon realized it was just Ginova’s nature.

Despite being over ten years younger, Ginova was a warrior worthy of respect. Ludgar highly regarded him. He was intelligent, and being a Saint Mark bearer, it was a shame he was born in a different country.

However, Garellan II, or rather the Antalyan Kingdom, had made him cry. And it was through a shameless betrayal. Thinking about this, Ludgar’s blood boiled. The hand gripping his spear on horseback tightened.

(I’ll make them pay for their betrayal...!)

Ludgar’s cavalry charged into the Antalyan army’s rear without losing any momentum. The Antalyan army had spread out to attack the Lostco defensive position, making them thin. They couldn’t stop the cavalry charge and their formation was torn apart.

"Scatter! Overrun them!"

At Ludgar’s signal, the Lostco cavalry split into four units, each moving independently to confuse the Antalyan army. Their coordination was excellent, and the Antalyan army couldn’t defeat the scattered enemies one by one. Instead, they were dragged around, their formation broken, and their losses increased.

Seeing his cavalry toy with the Antalyan army, Dandarion laughed pleasantly. The Antalyan army, attacked from the rear, was in chaos, and the pressure on the front had weakened. Victory was just a step away.

"Eliminate the enemies who have entered the position! Then, launch a full offensive!"

Dandarion gave the order. The soldiers raised a battle cry in response, sensing their advantage. Their morale was high. Satisfied, Dandarion nodded and looked at Gamel, who was standing by.

"I will join the battle."

"Victory is certain even without Your Majesty’s involvement..."

"Don’t say that. I want to see the face of this so-called true crown prince."

Dandarion smiled fiercely, and Gamel, smiling wryly, responded, "As you wish," and bowed. Then, they each mounted their horses and led about a thousand cavalry into the battlefield.

Gamel, on horseback, held a spear instead of a large shield. He used the large shield mainly in dungeons. In recent dungeon conquests, his role had been limited due to the strong front-line fighters, including Ginova.

Regarding Ginova’s loss of his crown prince status and subsequent exile from the Antalyan Kingdom, Gamel didn’t particularly care. After all, it was a story from another country. In fact, he was secretly pleased. The Antalyan Kingdom had lost a valuable Saint Mark bearer, while the Lostco Empire had gained a new one.

In this case, the Antalyan Kingdom had weakened, and the Lostco Empire had strengthened. Since it benefited the empire, Gamel was pleased.

(Well, did the Antalyan Kingdom have a good enough reason to do so?)

Gamel thought this somewhat maliciously. Did the so-called true crown prince, Isfard, have the capacity to eliminate a Saint Mark bearer like Ginova? It wouldn’t be bad to assess that. With this thought, Gamel spurred his horse forward.