Ch.151War and the Vermilion Bird #7

# A Duel to the Death

I turned the words over in my mind several times as I stepped into the large tent I shared with Helena. Though only two people used it, the spacious interior and abundance of items made it clear we were being treated well.

“If we assume there will be a duel to the death, how likely do you think success would be?”

As I pulled out a chair from under the table and sat down, Helena naturally took a seat beside me and appeared deep in thought. She had spoken confidently before the king, but it seemed that wasn’t actually the case. Just as I’d thought.

“I’m not sure. If my opponent is a Master, I can’t give a definitive answer. It’s too dangerous.”

That’s true.

I nodded as I listened to Helena’s cautious response, which carried the implication that overconfidence is the enemy. It made sense that she would be careful—someone who has crossed swords with another would best know their skill level.

As Helena said, the opponent is also a Master.

“Right. If we let our guard down, we could lose even a winnable fight…”

“Yes. As much as I’d like to refuse such a duel… it would be problematic not to accept it. I hate it. It could lower our troops’ morale.”

Helena was right. If she avoided the challenge thrown by the opponent, morale would certainly drop. I could clearly imagine the enemy Master mocking us with all sorts of insults and contempt.

Of course, Helena wasn’t the type of woman to fall for such provocations, but she was also the pride of our kingdom’s army. In other words, avoiding the opponent’s challenge would mean breaking our pride, inevitably lowering morale.

“Tsk. So the situation is forcing our hand. I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry, Jion? Just having your understanding is already more than I deserve.”

Swoosh. Helena leaned her head against my shoulder and smiled broadly with her eyes closed. Thankfully my leather armor provided some cushioning—if I’d been wearing plate mail, she might have frowned at the hard, cold sensation.

After a moment of awkward yet somehow gentle silence, Helena’s soft voice broke through.

“I’ll definitely come back. This embrace is mine, and I don’t want to lose it to anyone.”

.

Even after discussing whether to accept the duel, we continued conducting periodic night raids.

Normally, it would be difficult to carry out frequent raids when defending a castle, but thanks to our uniquely positioned camp, coming and going was quite easy. The elven army we had stationed in ambush on both mountain ranges blocked the enemy’s surprise attacks, but it was difficult for the Imperial side to block us.

It was hard enough for ordinary people to set up camp in the treacherous mountains, and even if they did, we would still have the advantage. Instead, they ended up facing elves in the forest, resulting only in increased casualties.

Of course, the Imperial side wasn’t thoughtless—they tried to reinforce their camp boundaries like iron walls or attempted to deforest the mountains. But we didn’t just stand by watching; we interfered, which must have been maddening from the Empire’s perspective.

In the end, even if they were pushed into a situation where an all-out battle was the only answer, it wouldn’t be easy with their exhausted soldiers. We were tired from conducting raids too, but not as much as they were. Their combat effectiveness was significantly reduced due to fatigue and stress from the pressure of not knowing when an enemy might come.

“Haha! We’ve successfully repelled their attack again today!”

“Even the Empire isn’t much of a threat! Those Imperial soldiers with dark circles under their eyes are truly pitiful!”

After the battle that lasted from morning until lunch, the royalist nobles under Duke Krauser returned to the camp with broad smiles. They had reason to be happy, as the Imperial side had suffered much greater losses.

Moreover, our soldiers’ morale was steadily rising, so we could say we were riding the momentum in many ways.

If we rode the momentum too much, confidence could turn into arrogance and lead to a crushing defeat, but we weren’t at that point yet. Even if we approached that threshold, it would be fine if we knew when to pull back appropriately.

“If I’m not mistaken… the Crown Prince’s soldiers were quite strong, weren’t they?”

I asked Helena as we walked back to our tent after finishing the military council. I was holding a bowl of soup made by Bart and the other cooks, as it was mealtime.

“Yes. That’s how it looked to me too. It seems their careful selection of troops has paid off.”

As we had been avoiding the Crown Prince’s forces during our raids, the difference was becoming increasingly apparent. While we couldn’t pick and choose during a siege battle, we could be selective during raids.

The difference in fatigue was inevitable.

Fortunately, the Crown Prince’s side seemed to be making good use of the situation and putting on a convincing act to avoid suspicion. Otherwise, there would have been an uproar long ago.

“My Duuuke~. You worked hard today too.”

When we returned to the tent, Ellen, who had been separated from us while attached to the magic corps, approached with a slightly awkward nasal tone. She too was holding a soup bowl with several large potatoes in it.

“Ellen, welcome. I heard the soldiers survived thanks to you.”

“Oh, it was nothing.”

Ellen smiled shyly and dismissed it as nothing, but in truth, she had achieved remarkable results.

It might not stand out like killing an enemy commander or cutting down many soldiers, but she had saved many lives by navigating through the chaos of flying swords, spears, and arrows.

“You worked hard. Come sit here. Let’s eat together.”

“Yes. Excuse me.”

When Helena gave her permission, Ellen eagerly placed her bowl on the table and pulled up a chair to sit on my left side. It felt very natural, as she always did this when eating or in the study back at the mansion.

“Everything tastes better when eating outdoors. Maybe it’s because they’ve taken care with the ingredients.”

“Was the food at other battlefields not good?”

“Of course not. Quantity took priority over quality, and filling our stomachs was the most urgent matter, so there was no time to worry about taste. Moreover, during my mercenary days, there was a tendency to save money on food costs.”

The two women conversed while eating without letting food spray out. They spoke only after chewing thoroughly, which was natural, but it was fascinating how they maintained a sense of composure despite eating quickly.

“How does the battlefield situation look from your perspective, Ellen? Does it seem alright?”

“It’s more than alright—it’s going extremely well. With the rapid dispatches using elves and the unconventional defense of attacking the Imperial army from the center and both sides, we’re giving them a hard time. Of course, we’re avoiding a full-frontal battle and just picking away at the edges, so we’re not inflicting major damage, but I like the feeling of gradually wearing them down.”

“Really? That’s truly fortunate.”

Helena picked up her spoon with a more relaxed expression, seemingly having gained confidence. The words coming from Ellen, who was more battle-hardened than anyone else on the battlefield, apparently carried high credibility. It made sense, as even across the entire continent, few had as much combat experience as dark elf mercenaries.

In any case, thanks to that, we were able to finish our meal in a good atmosphere without any choking incidents.

“Here. Have some tea.”

After returning from returning our bowls, I brewed three cups of tea using the brazier in the tent. It was still amazing to me that even on the battlefield, there were facilities and teacups to brew tea as usual.

I had accepted it during outdoor practice, but I thought it might be too luxurious an indulgence for actual combat.

“Thank you.”

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

As much as I wanted to have some snacks with the tea, I refrained, thinking it might look too carefree. It was also right to use supplies like food as efficiently as possible, even though we currently had plenty.

With a start, Ellen, who had been sitting with the magic corps and had been separated from us, jerked her body and moved her chair to sit across from me. She had acted upon hearing footsteps from quite a distance away. She seemed to be mindful of various things, as we weren’t just among mansion staff who understood our complicated circumstances.

I expressed both my apology and gratitude to her with a few words, then gazed at the soldier who was rushing toward the entrance.

The soldier caught his breath, gave a military salute, and shouted in a resonant voice:

“My Duke! Excuse me for disturbing your rest! Urgent news!”

“Urgent news? Has the Empire launched another attack? But the camp seems strangely quiet for that…”

“Yes! There is no military movement. The reason is that a noble from the Imperial side has come near the castle and is calling out the Duke’s name.”

A noble. I could roughly guess which noble it was, and Helena must have been picturing his face too. Seeing her sigh quietly as she put down her teacup gave me that impression. If it wasn’t him, she wouldn’t have shown such an expression as if the mood had been completely ruined.

“Is this noble perhaps… Count Helix?”

“Yes. You’ve guessed correctly.”

Haah. Helena sighed as soon as she heard the answer, picked up the sword she had leaned against her chair, and stood up. The timing seemed a bit awkward for a fight, but in a way, it was appropriate. Afternoons were typically longer than mornings.

“Very well. If he’s calling, I should go. What are His Majesty and the others doing?”

“His Majesty and the two Dukes have already reached the castle wall and are exchanging words while listening to the man’s provocations.”

“They’re going through a lot of trouble.”

As an expression of incredulity appeared vividly on Helena’s face, the soldier bowed his head and turned around first. It seemed he was returning to his post now that his role was finished. Unlike a few days ago when guidance was needed, there was no need for it now as both the castle and camp were in our territory.

“Oh, Duke! You’ve arrived!”

As we quickly rode to the source of the commotion, the King greeted Helena enthusiastically, grasping her hand. Judging by the weariness evident in his expression, he had been through quite an ordeal.

“I apologize for being late. And I’m sorry for causing Your Majesty unnecessary trouble because of it.”

“Nonsense. It’s that fellow who lacks manners, barging in when we were trying to rest after lunch.”

The King comforted Helena, who was apologizing with her head bowed, as they walked along the castle wall. Meanwhile, I exchanged brief greetings with the other two Dukes whose eyes I met, then turned my gaze outside the wall following Helena.

Immediately, I saw the face of a middle-aged man who broke into a broad smile as soon as he saw Helena’s expression. Despite the considerable distance, I could see his words and expressions clearly. At least, by my current standards.

“Finally, you’ve come!”

“Yes, I have. You’re the one who’s been desperately looking for me, aren’t you?”

“That’s right, you coward!”

Coward.

Count Helix, despite his sharp, intellectual appearance, hurled unrestrained provocations in a rather rough voice.

“Coward? On what grounds do you say that?”

“You’ve reached the level of a Master, yet you don’t hesitate to conduct sneak attacks! What else should I call you but a coward?!”

“I think night raids are a perfectly reasonable strategy on the battlefield… don’t you?”

Her normally gentle voice rang out loudly as she raised it and infused it with mana. I’m not sure if it reached the Imperial camp, but it was loud enough for Count Helix and the dozens of cavalry following him to hear.

“Hmph! It might be understandable for ordinary soldiers, but it’s not something a warrior who has reached enlightenment should do! Perhaps it’s because you’re a woman that you so shamelessly justify your cowardice! The sword in your hand must be weeping!”

“Yes, that’s unfortunate. Anyway, tell me why you’ve recklessly barged in here.”

“If you call yourself a knight or a Master, you wouldn’t avoid a duel I’ve proposed! Stop running away with your tail between your legs and let’s settle this properly, with our lives at stake! Come out!”

Fighting was the expected answer.

Helena, knowing him, didn’t show much agitation and looked down at the cavalry behind him as she spoke.

“You say you want a duel, yet you bring cavalry?”

“Don’t use them as an excuse to run away! They kept following me persistently, so I had no choice! Of course, I’ll keep them at a distance during the duel, so don’t worry!”

He continued to spew words about whether she would keep running away cowardly, and if so, she was nothing but a cowardly woman, not a Master or anything else.

The man seemed to enjoy degrading Helena and went on a long-winded tangent, riding the flow of the conversation. I almost thought he might collapse from exhaustion from his own talking.

This caused the faces of those standing on the castle wall to flush red with anger.

They looked as furious as if they themselves were being provoked, not just Helena. Perhaps insulting Helena was equivalent to insulting themselves.

As I was thinking about the importance of pride, unacceptable words spilled from the man’s mouth.

“I hear you’re desperately clinging to one man—would you come out if I beheaded him?! Or is your own life too precious that you’d just stand by and watch even that?! Even your precious love is worthless in the face of survival!!”

*Grind*

I shook my head inwardly as I watched Helena grinding her teeth, her trigger button having been pushed.