Chapter 78: Counterattack (3)

Kalin led 2,000 cavalry around the flank, moving quickly at first before slowing down to a cautious pace. He was careful not to be noticed by the enemy.

The outer side of the plain where Akiten Castle stood was slightly elevated, partially obscuring the view, and the probability of the besieging enemy noticing was low, but it was still a cautious move for safety.

Upon reaching the target location, Kalin assessed the battlefield with the wind.

The Western Army was still besieging the castle, and the main force of the allied army had now arrived nearby.

Soon, they would take advantage of the gap in the high ground, reorganize their ranks, and charge with the cavalry.

As expected.

A few minutes later, the enemy extended their forces along the high ground, and the cavalry on either side advanced.

'Now, there's no chance they'll look this way.'

They would be too preoccupied with the sudden attack to have any chance of looking the other way.

Kalin raised his hand to prepare for the charge.

Wooong— The long, deep sound of the empire's horn echoed across the battlefield. The Western Army, which had been besieging the castle, fell into confusion.

The Western Army had set up scouts from a distance to anticipate additional imperial forces, but Kalin had taken care of them all.

The confusion in the Western command was evident. The order to retreat the besieging soldiers was a beat too late.

The soldiers began to retreat belatedly, but it was already too late.

'Even if they responded to the severed scout reports, it would have been too late.'

The attack aimed at the angle of the high ground. The leading 2,000 cavalry were soon in front of the Western Army.

The retreating soldiers fired arrows, but the unorganized ranks made them ineffective.

Instead, the Western mages, who had been participating in the siege, cast spells at the cavalry.

For a moment, the battlefield was illuminated in a rainbow of colors. However, it was natural for mages to be mixed in with the cavalry. Here, magical cavalry was essential.

The spells canceled each other out, and the cavalry, with their heavy weight, broke through the Western Army's ranks.

Soldiers who couldn't withstand the shock tactics fell. The cavalry charged through before losing momentum and then moved diagonally.

After dealing with the few stragglers, they made a large turn around the Western Army's flank.

While the cavalry drew attention, the imperial infantry closed the distance. They pushed through the chaos steadily.

The Western Army finally began to prepare the remaining forces.

The siege had been continuous, day and night, with the troops divided into two to allow for rest.

About 10,000 Western soldiers set out to assist the retreating allied forces.

15 seconds after the soldiers set out, it was time. Kalin drew his sword.

"Let's go."

"Yes."

At the same moment Kalin started, the 2,000 cavalry charged together. The sound of horses was loud.

Wooong— One cavalryman blew the horn.

Another wave of confusion spread over the already chaotic Western Army. This time, the confusion was a more severe blow.

The enemy might have assumed there were more forces behind the cavalry.

Even if there were no subsequent forces, it was enough that the 10,000 reinforcements hesitated for a moment.

The 2,000 cavalry launched a surprise attack on the enemy's core.

The main force was virtually nonexistent. Breaking through was an easy task.

The noble commanders were the targets.

While most nobles in this world are stronger than commoners, they can't stand up to 2,000 cavalry unless they are Sword Masters.

Moreover, Kalin was there.

Kalin, who arrived first at the main camp, dismounted and neutralized the key commanders he had identified with the wind.

He disarmed them with a single swing of his sword and knocked them out with a punch. The binding was left to the following cavalry.

It wasn't a difficult task. Training with a Sword Master was more effective than Kalin could have imagined.

He felt he had improved significantly and wanted to spar with Ryudern again to see the results.

'Well, this should boost morale.'

The Western Army, whose morale was already at rock bottom, now showed no will to fight.

The surprise attack had completely shattered them.

Dealing with the main camp, which had no troops, didn't take long.

Striking the command. The 10,000 reinforcements, who were wavering and turning around, were all dealt with.

Now, it was a matter of dealing with the remaining forces. With the enemy in disarray, it was an easy task.

Kalin led the cavalry out again.

"Uaaaaah!"

"Run!"

The Western Army, having lost their command, had half of their soldiers fleeing and the other half laying down their weapons in resignation.

There were no soldiers with the will to fight.

As the tide of victory turned completely, the remaining forces from Akiten Castle came out.

A small number, but it was clear they had been squeezed to the limit. Soon, the battlefield was completely cleared.

It was a tremendous victory.

The soldiers of Akiten Castle looked exhausted. They were filled with battle fatigue, but their expressions were bright.

"Glory to the Princess! We are deeply grateful for your immense favor. Thank you sincerely!"

The Earl of Akiten, despite his dark circles and gaunt appearance, shouted loudly and bowed his head.

A siege with the participation of mages. The walls were almost on the verge of collapse. He must have suffered a great deal.

"It was the duty of the royal bloodline to protect the empire. I am the one who should apologize for the delay in receiving the news of the attack. You have endured much."

Erendil patted the Earl of Akiten on the shoulder. The Earl looked at the Princess with a moved expression.

"How could the Princess feel apologetic? That's not the case. You arrived just in time. In fact, I was expecting the walls to be breached tonight."

"It was worth the quick ride."

The walls indeed looked precarious. It was a close call even though we rode without rest.

There was a significant chance that the castle might have already fallen.

"You held out well. I noticed there were many mages. Successfully defending the castle is a remarkable achievement."

"Fortunately, we recently hired mages from the Imperial Magic Tower to reinforce the walls. We received great help from them."

"Is that so?"

Erendil nodded.

"I should meet them as well."

"Yes. It will be an honor for them to meet the Princess. Please come inside. The city is in poor condition, but I hope you will forgive any rudeness..."

"How can we talk about etiquette in times of hardship? Moreover, after a week of continuous riding, any seat will be welcome."

Kalin was slightly impressed by the Princess's response. The 16-year-old Princess's handling was quite excellent.

Ryurik and Emmit also looked at the Princess with similar admiration.

"Wow!"

"Long live the Princess!"

The procession led by the Princess, followed by the Earl of Akiten and Duke Ryurik, was met with an enormous welcoming crowd.

The faces of the citizens, filled with fatigue, lined the path to the Earl's residence, throwing flowers in front of them. The Princess looked at them with a smile.

'Not bad.'

Kalin genuinely thought so. People were smiling and showing endless joy.

Is this what it feels like to be a hero? Even for Kalin, who was new to war, it felt quite heartwarming.

* * *

During the interrogation of the Western Army commanders, we learned some surprising news.

The King of Rohalak had brought the families of the subjugated kingdoms into his own forces and brought them to the battlefield.

It was a safeguard to prevent commanders from fleeing when the battle situation turned unfavorable.

Although the empire defeated Rohalak in the game, it wasn't for nothing that Rohalak unified the West.

It meant that if the situation in the central battlefield seemed strange, he would kill all the families.

This was something he could do now that he had subjugated them by force and had immense power.

'Still, the plan to strike at the core won't change much.'

The composition of the forces was mostly a mix from the various Western kingdoms.

This was also to prevent organized desertion at the kingdom level. They would become each other's watchdogs.

Of course, there were drawbacks. Even if the commanders didn't want to retreat, the soldiers' perspectives were different.

They wouldn't listen to someone who wasn't their own king. The morale drop was faster compared to the empire.

This battle was no different.

Still, if I had to choose, I would also use my family as hostages.

"Thanks to Sir Kalin, we achieved a great victory."

At the banquet after the meal, Duke Ryurik said.

A miraculous victory with less than 500 casualties on our side. Emmit responded with a smile.

"That's true. It would have been impossible without dealing with all the scouts."

"I didn't imagine it could be done even before the battle."

The Duke still looked doubtful. It was indeed an almost impossible task.

If not for the wind.

The scouts weren't just a few. They had to be assassinated from blind spots after accurately identifying the enemy's position.

Thinking Erendil might not understand the reason, Emmit added an explanation.

"If we had been caught by the scouts, we would have lost a significant number of troops. The enemy's morale dropped quickly, but their quality wasn't bad."

"I agree. The shallowness of the cavalry charge indicates that the enemy responded well even in the chaos."

"Yes. If they had the strength to respond, it would have been a tough fight. Morale would have been a factor too."

The Duke and Emmit discussed. I shared the same opinion. The most important thing was the soldiers' morale.

Mental state has a greater impact than imagined. In the game, even with a large number, a morale drop often led to a crushing defeat.

While the game isn't exactly the same as reality...

This time, it was a similar case. The loss of will to fight due to two surprise attacks led to the great victory.

"You've learned a lot. I knew Schurtaffen did well, but I didn't expect it to be this effective. You've worked hard. Schurtaffen, come and have a drink."

Erendil, who had been listening quietly, nodded and passed the credit to me.

Since it was offered by a superior, I drank it in one gulp.

Afterward, Erendil turned his gaze to the mages seated on one side of the banquet hall.

The mages sent from the Imperial Magic Tower looked quite tense. It was natural with the Princess and Duke Ryurik present.

Mages from wealthy families wouldn't come to the West to reinforce the walls.

These were mages with talent but no resources. This was a tremendous opportunity for them.

"You provided great assistance in the defense."

"As mages of the empire, it was our duty."

Erendil smiled.

"Duty. There's no such thing as a duty in this world. It was a very commendable and excellent deed."

I was surprised by Erendil's words. She had repeated what I had heard from Duke Ryurik.

To use it in this situation. Hmm, should I call her fox-like?

Duke Ryurik's expression, listening from the side, wasn't bad. He was seeing someone who shared his thoughts.

"I should hear your names. I'll see you again in the empire."

This was the advice I had given. They were capable but powerless, so I suggested treating them well.

If even one capable person among them was good, it would be a success. It was a welcome opportunity for them as well.

"My name is Pashkin."

As the mages introduced themselves, I couldn't help but widen my eyes.

He's Pashkin?

I didn't recognize his face. The Pashkin I saw in the game had long hair and scars.

A famous mage who made a name in the war against demon worshippers. To meet him here.

"Indeed. You were the most active."

"Your words are an honor, but it was the result of everyone's combined efforts."

They waved their hands, perhaps close friends.

It wasn't proper etiquette in front of the Princess, but the good atmosphere allowed it to pass with a laugh.

"I know that. It's good to see camaraderie."

The conversation about the defense, the hardships, and praise for Erendil deepened the atmosphere.

During this time, I subtly suggested to Erendil that bringing Pashkin would be a good idea.

Saying he seemed extraordinary was enough.

Mages are not a loss to gather, and I was confident she would listen to me.

Two days after the battle.

Pashkin accepted the Princess's offer, and we focused on reorganizing in a good atmosphere. Until a messenger from the main force poured cold water on it.

"His Imperial Highness the Third Prince suffered a crushing defeat in an ambush. About 35,000 troops, who successfully besieged Omi Mountain, are heading this way."