Chapter 50

As the flying dragons soared overhead, the swarm of dragons took advantage of the distraction and launched a surprise attack.

The swarm of dragons, which seemed to defy the instinctual nature of dragons, successfully executed a cunning ambush, managing to grab several soldiers with their claws in the first strike.

Indeed, it was understandable why the salt merchants and their guards had been overwhelmed and defeated so helplessly, given such a brilliant ambush.

Young commander Xavier, with his mind partly blank, found himself contemplating such a leisurely thought.

However, even if the salt merchants' guards were highly skilled, they were not on par with specialized knights, and their numbers were not that great.

The ambush attack that had driven away the salt merchants could not possibly slaughter the hundred-strong army led by Xavier, who was a local lord.

"...All units, prepare to engage! Shield bearers, raise your shields toward the forest! Spear bearers, attack from behind! Archers, shoot from inside the circle! Keep the swarm of dragons away from the supply dragon carts!"

Xavier, regaining his composure, issued orders in a strained voice.

"Understood!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Got it, supply troops! Prepare more arrows!"

The soldiers, responding to the commander's voice, gradually resumed their roles and movements.

The battle, which had begun with the swarm's ambush, was gradually changing its nature.

Xavier led a purely military force assembled to slay dragons. Once they recovered from the shock of the ambush, they would not easily fall behind.

"Shield bearers, form a wall!"

"Spear bearers, don't move forward! Focus on restraining rather than attacking!"

"Archers, fire! Prioritize those attacking fallen comrades! Don't fear friendly fire! If they're dragged into the forest, there's no hope of survival anyway!"

As Xavier and his team regained their composure and launched an organized counterattack, the battle situation became a stalemate.

On both sides of the road, soldiers with short spears and wooden shields lined up, while the swarm of dragons, which had quickly retreated into the forest, extended their long necks through the gaps in the trees, emitting shrill cries.

Occasionally, the archers in the rear, armed with short bows, would shoot arrows, but most of them were blocked by tree branches and leaves and failed to hit the dragons.

Rarely, an arrow would penetrate the defensive wall of trees and strike a dragon, but it was a weak shot from a short bow, not powerful enough to kill a medium-sized dragon with its thick skin and robust skeleton in one hit.

"Kyaah!"

A dragon that was unlucky enough to be hit by an arrow let out a cry, bleeding from the wound, but it was far from fatal.

Xavier, keeping his eyes on the dragons and his subordinates facing off at the boundary between the forest and the road, turned to the knight beside him who was ready with a bow.

"Josep. How many casualties?"

"Only one confirmed casualty so far. He was dragged into the forest alive a while ago. Five others were severely injured in the initial ambush, but they are not in immediate danger of losing their lives. They have been evacuated to the supply dragon carts."

Knight Josep, keeping his bow and sharp gaze on the dragons in the shadows, replied in a calm tone.

Josep's weapon, a well-used 'dragon bow,' was the same size as the short bows used by the archers but had a power and range that surpassed even longbows.

If the angle and the point of impact were right, it was not impossible to kill a dragon with a single arrow.

In fact, one of the dead dragons lying on the road had been shot by Josep's arrow.

Xavier, tempted to draw his own bow, suppressed the impulse with reason and focused on assessing the situation. Shifting to a direct attack meant focusing on a single target for at least a moment.

For a young commander like Xavier, such tunnel vision could lead to fatal damage to the unit.

Xavier focused solely on assessing the current situation.

(Casualties: six, including the dead and those unable to fight. The damage is not severe enough to hinder combat operations. The defensive formation is already established. After the formation was set up... stalemate.)

Currently, Xavier's army could not reduce the number of dragons in the forest, and the dragons could not effectively attack Xavier's forces.

"Depending on the situation, I was prepared to enter the forest and adjust our equipment..."

Frustration began to seep in as the stalemate continued, and Xavier couldn't help but mutter.

"I can't agree with that. Facing such a well-organized swarm of dragons is unexpected. Engaging them in their territory, the forest, would not necessarily mean defeat, but the casualties would far exceed acceptable limits."

However, the seasoned knight beside him cut off the young commander's muttering.

Xavier himself must have recognized the danger of his idea.

He responded to Josep's answer with a simple "I see" and discarded his impulsive thought.

"But if that's the case, what should we do? This stalemate won't change on its own. We have a limited supply of arrows."

"For now, maintaining the current situation is best. While their numbers and organization are abnormal, they have their limits. If the stalemate continues, the less disciplined ones will act rashly first..."

"Kyaah!"

Just as he was about to continue, a dragon, as if responding to Josep's expectations, stretched its neck out of the forest, trying to bite a short spear, and exposed its face at the edge of the road.

"Ha!"

Josep did not miss this opportunity. A single arrow, quickly drawn from his dragon bow, struck the dragon's head.

"Kyaah!?"

The arrow, flying horizontally like a silver flash, pierced the dragon's face, breaking through the leather and skull, and deeply embedded itself. While dragon brains are much smaller than human brains, making head shots often non-fatal, this time luck was on their side.

The dragon, struck by Josep's arrow, collapsed, its upper body protruding from the shadows of the trees.

"Wow!"

"Sir Josep, impressive!"

The soldiers' morale, which had been low due to the stalemate, visibly lifted.

"Good job, Josep. They may be cunning, but some are quite reckless."

While praising him, the young superior officer tilted his head in question.

"They're just dragons, after all. Even if the boss is cunning, the subordinates are instinct-driven beasts. No matter how terrifying the boss's orders, they can't keep obeying a 'stay' command forever."

"I see. So, the longer the stalemate, the more likely they'll break first."

The first bright report since the battle began slightly eased the frown on Xavier's forehead.

Observing the forest with a calmer eye, he noticed that the shadows of the dragons hiding in the gaps between the trees seemed to be shifting slightly closer to the road.

Before long, another dragon, having lost its patience, leaped onto the road, drooling and roaring.

"Kyaah!"

But a single dragon appearing on the road was nothing but prey to the waiting soldiers.

"Now!"

"Take this!"

"Go!"

The archers rained arrows from their short bows, and the nearest spearman threw his short spear at point-blank range to finish it off.

"Kyaah..."

The reckless dragon, riddled with arrows like a porcupine, was finally killed by the spear that pierced deep into its body.

"Good, keep it up!"

Xavier couldn't help but praise the soldiers.

If the stalemate continued and more dragons lost their patience and rushed onto the road, they could be picked off one by one.

A hopeful thought crossed Xavier's mind, but it was quickly dispelled by a loud roar from deep in the forest.

"Guuoo!"

The roar was not just loud; it carried a clear meaning and command, distinct from a mere animal's howl.

"Sir Xavier, to the right!"

At the young attendant Andres's warning, Xavier reflexively turned his gaze to the forest on the right and saw a shadow in the depths.

"Big..."

"Yes."

Though the trees and shadows obscured the view, the silhouette alone revealed that it was no ordinary presence.

Despite being much farther back than the other dragons, which were close to the edge of the road, it appeared to be the same size or even slightly larger.

Typically, a dragon boss is one head taller than an average dragon, but this one seemed to be two heads taller than a typical boss.

While the swarm of dragons is classified as 'medium carnivorous dragons,' this large boss was too big to be called medium. It was more like a 'smaller large carnivorous beast.'

"Guuwwii!"

While Xavier and his men were distracted by the giant dragon's shadow, it let out another loud roar.

Immediately, the dragons that had been poking their noses out of the forest retreated in unison.

Are they retreating? As the soldiers began to relax, Xavier instinctively called out.

"Don't let your guard down! Everyone, maintain the alert posture!"

Xavier's order was not wrong. Despite being a new commander, he instantly sensed the relaxation in his troops and quickly snapped them back into focus, a commendable judgment.

However, fortunately, the subsequent alert turned out to be unnecessary.

The rustling of underbrush and the swaying of tree branches gradually faded away.

"..."

"..."

After the sounds completely disappeared, Xavier, after a moment's pause, turned to the knight Josep and the bearded hunter for confirmation.

"Did they really retreat...?"

Knight Josep and the bearded hunter both nodded.

"Yes, all traces have disappeared."

"The earlier roar was a signal to retreat. Dragons generally don't attack the same prey they've given up on immediately."

With the approval of the battle professionals and the dragon expert, Xavier finally relaxed.

"I see. All units, stand down from alert. Treat the wounded and report the damage."

At Xavier's words, the soldiers, who had lost a few men, slumped in relief.

As the sun tilted westward, casting a reddish glow, Xavier and his men were busy with post-battle procedures.

The most challenging task was treating the wounded.

"Alright, I'm going to clean it. Bear with it."

"Aggh!?"

Tearing the injured soldier's clothes, the exposed wound was washed with a large amount of water, and a clean cloth was wrapped around to stop the bleeding.

For those with broken bones, several people held them down while the bones were set and splinted, then bound with cloth.

This was the extent of the treatment they could provide on the spot, but even this basic care could sometimes save a life that was destined to die.

Eventually, the supply team leader, after treating the wounded, reported to Xavier.

"Sir Xavier, the treatment of the wounded is complete. No one is in immediate danger of losing their life. The rest depends on their recovery."

Xavier responded with "Well done," and his face showed clear relief.

Above all, the fact that the wounds were not fatal was good news.

Of course, as the supply team leader said, it was too early to be optimistic. Those injured by dragon teeth or claws often developed high fevers later, which could be fatal for weakened soldiers.

Xavier, wanting to visit the wounded, but realizing he had other priorities, continued the conversation.

"How about the supply dragon carts? Can they be repaired?"

"Yes. Fortunately, only one cart had its wheel clawed, so we can make it moveable with a spare wheel. However, once we reach town, we'll need to replace the axle."

The supply team leader, scratching his head, answered Xavier's question.

The supply team was not just for transporting supplies. They were a skilled group capable of making emergency repairs to damaged supply dragon carts, weapons, and armor.

In a sense, the highest contributors to this battle were the supply team members.

After all, they had controlled the 'dull dragons' pulling the supply carts, preventing them from running wild while surrounded by the swarm of dragons.

The attendants, who had calmed the 'running dragons' ridden by the knights, had also endured similar hardships, but the drivers of the supply dragon carts had it much worse. The 'running dragons,' trained for combat, were more manageable in battle than the 'dull dragons,' which were trained only for labor.

Later, they would need to reward these men in some way. Xavier made a mental note and asked the supply team leader.

"Understood. Once the supply dragon carts are repaired, we'll depart. I'm sorry, but please hurry. If other dragons smell the blood, it could be disastrous. Also, can you transport the wounded on the supply dragon carts?"

After a moment's thought, the supply team leader nodded.

"Yes, it should be fine. The supply dragon carts had spare capacity, and fortunately, we've used a lot of water, making the load lighter."

"I see. The water issue, too. Understood. I'll leave the repair and transportation of the wounded to you. Do your best."

"Hai!"

The supply team leader responded loudly and hurried back to the supply dragon carts.

"..."

Xavier, who had been watching the supply team leader run off, eventually turned his gaze back to the front.

"Josep."

"Hai."

"Going into the mountains alone would be reckless, wouldn't it?"

Xavier's question was more of a confirmation of a known fact, and the seasoned knight nodded slightly.

"Yes. While we could achieve some results with sufficient caution, the casualties would certainly exceed acceptable limits."

The forest was the dragons' territory. Slaying a well-organized swarm of fifty or more dragons with a force of less than a hundred was a daunting task.

Xavier, clenching his lower lip in frustration, made a decision.

"...Understood. My mission has failed. I will request reinforcements from the capital."

"Understood."

Josep refrained from adding "A wise decision," as it might sound patronizing to a young commander who had just swallowed his frustration and made a rational decision.

While running his fingers through his beard, Josep listened as Xavier, still staring down the road, spoke.

"Once the supply dragon carts are repaired, we'll resume our march. Prepare to move quickly."

"Understood. Are we turning back to the capital?"

At Josep's question, Xavier, with a stern expression, shook his head.

"No, the opposite. We'll continue down the road and enter the royal territory. It's faster to get the wounded to a doctor that way."

"I see."

The seasoned knight, impressed by the young commander's judgment, kept his admiration to himself.

Indeed, Xavier's decision was not wrong.

If the goal was simply to reach the nearest settlement, turning back would be faster, but for the nearest place with medical expertise, continuing straight down the road to the edge of the royal territory was the best option.

There was a military facility of considerable size at the edge of the royal territory, and the Kingdom of Carpia ensured that at least one medical expert was stationed at any facility of a certain size.

It was clear that concern for the wounded dominated Xavier's thoughts.

But Josep also thought:

(The reinforcements from the capital will definitely stop at that military facility. Sir Xavier probably wants to join them there and go out again.)

Considering Xavier's position as the future lord of the Gazir border region, it was not impossible for him to lead the reinforcements, depending on the rank of the commander.

Xavier was likely not ready to give up. He still wanted to achieve a clear victory in this situation.

While Josep found Xavier's actions a bit risky, his desire for glory and fame showed that he understood what his father and the people expected of him.

"I'm worried about the wounded. I want to move as quickly as possible without overburdening them. Josep, can we have the foot soldiers ride behind our running dragons?"

Seeing the young commander's earnest efforts to fulfill his mission, Josep felt a renewed desire to support him.

"Well, there shouldn't be a problem. Strictly speaking, it's a violation of military law to have foot soldiers ride on running dragons, but this is still technically wartime. In wartime, flexible on-site judgment takes precedence over military law, by unspoken agreement."

Josep nodded and affirmed Xavier's proposal.

The 'running dragons' ridden by knights like Xavier and Josep were much larger and stronger than heavy horses, capable of carrying two fully armed men without issue. With proper feeding and rest, they could even carry three.

"Understood. We'll move as quickly as possible without overburdening the wounded, and we'll re-plan the night watch, water collection, and rest. Given the failure of our mission, we have an obligation to report the failure and request reinforcements as soon as possible."

Xavier, staring down the 'Salt Road' illuminated by the reddening western sun, declared firmly.

"Understood."

Josep, responding to the young commander's determined words, answered sincerely and briefly.