Ch.155Chapter 155

It was absolutely not normal for the army’s commander-in-chief to personally lead cavalry in a surprise attack on the enemy.

Bluntly speaking, if the commander-in-chief were to die from a stray arrow, his subordinates might face a string of funerals as well.

However, Dario showed no hesitation in personally riding to command the army. It wasn’t because he was too stupid to consider the consequences, but because he couldn’t trust the fools around him.

‘It was my mistake to overlook that not everyone who agrees with me is intelligent.’

Even a dull-witted person would avoid making the same mistake a fourth time after repeating it three times.

But someone who didn’t even recognize their own mistakes could repeat them not just four times, but dozens of times. Why would they change what they didn’t consider a mistake?

Dario could no longer deny that the old men he had personally put in position were exactly that kind of people.

He didn’t need to search for evidence. The proof was right in front of him.

A knight who had gone ahead for reconnaissance returned with a shocked face and reported to Dario.

“Report, sir! Contrary to our plan, the enemy is already retreating toward our position!”

“These idiots… What did they do wrong that they couldn’t even lure those plunder-crazed dogs?”

“Hush, Lord Dario is listening. How dare you speak such nonsense?”

Not only the knights but also the mercenary captains, half of whom were employed almost like private soldiers by his clan, could not contain their anger.

They could have simply stripped some beautiful women and made them dance on the walls, and those barbarians would have charged the fortress! How could they fail at something so simple?

Their anger was entirely justified, but… strangely, Dario remained extraordinarily calm.

His face, as he rode with a composed expression, almost gave the impression of a sage’s demeanor. Dario spoke to his subordinates who were looking at him.

“I anticipated this might happen, so don’t be too alarmed.”

“What? What do you mean…”

“Though I bear the responsibility of commander-in-chief, I cannot arbitrarily interfere with the rights of other commanders. They might have agreed in front of me, but if they judged the situation differently, they would command as they saw fit.”

Although he had received the overall command from Dencan with the support of the elders, the battlefield never unfolds according to the expectations of those in higher positions.

Even while obeying Dencan, they were nobles and knights. Unless Dencan controlled them directly, they had the right to command their own troops as they pleased.

Dario was a battle-hardened knight who had survived by understanding such “common sense.”

He decided it was more convenient to ignore rather than oppose common sense, and resolved to cut the elders—who were nothing but burdens—from his army and confine them to the fortress.

Of course, he hadn’t intended to completely discard their usefulness. Even those with low intelligence could fight, so he could bring them out when needed.

Dario flicked his finger, and a messenger riding beside him approached.

“Fire a red arrow. It’s a signal that we’ve seized an opportunity, and those in the fortress will respond, if only to claim some of the glory.”

At Dario’s command, the messenger nodded and took out a red arrow from a quiver containing arrows of various colors.

The arrow was red from fletching to arrowhead, with a peculiar design featuring holes in the arrowhead to make noise as it flew.

The messenger swallowed nervously and carefully aimed the bow skyward. When the tightly drawn bowstring was released, the red arrow soared like a meteor, making an eerie sound.

The knights watching this hardened their faces and silently lowered their helmet visors.

The advantage of this arrow was that anyone could easily spot it due to its color and sound; the disadvantage was that anyone could easily spot it due to its color and sound.

Simply put, if allies could see it, so could enemies.

Dario lowered the bear-like visor of his helmet and drew the golden sword at his waist. He raised the sword forward and shouted vigorously.

“Even if our allies are foolish, we had ten mages who should have suppressed the Djin’s petty tricks! From now on, this will be a battle of strength against strength—how could these slaves of Djin, who rely on mere tricks, defeat us!”

No one reminded him that the Djin’s “petty tricks” had driven them into a corner. After all, Dario wasn’t disparaging them out of ignorance.

The knights roared and pointed their spears forward. Like they had merged with their masters’ spirits, the horses exhaled rough breaths and accelerated further.

In the distance, they could see a warrior pointing a finger toward them.

At first, a few warriors shouted with panicked expressions while looking back, but after retreating briefly, they returned with resolute faces alongside warriors in battle formation.

The warriors’ formation was as solid as rock, prepared to fight to the death, but Dario had no intention of retreating now that he had come this far.

Lightning gathered on Dario’s golden sword. The knights following him drew courage from its brilliance, while the warriors in formation paled at its flash.

“Though I may be a fallen old man now, breaking through your formation is nothing to me!”

“Block him!”

Spear tips shot out like snakes from between the wall of shields, aiming for Dario’s horse. They had judged it more feasible to attack the horse than Dario himself, who was clearly extraordinary in his armor.

However, the warriors found that Dario’s golden sword was faster than their spear tips. The lightning-wrapped sword cut through the spear tips, and horse hooves shattered shields, breaking the formation.

“For Dencan! Trample those who choose to be playthings of the Djin!”

“Would you call yourselves northern warriors if you yield to these imperial dogs who have only fattened themselves until now? Fight with the determination to drive a sword through their hearts even as you die!!!”

The knights’ spears and the warriors’ spears extended toward each other, targeting their opponents. However, the balance of power was tilting in Dario’s favor.

This was partly because they had depended on their king, but largely because Dario, at the vanguard, was slaughtering enemies with strength that belied his age.

Additionally, when mercenaries, emboldened by the knights’ charge, began to exploit cracks in the formation, the noble leading the army frowned…

“Caw! Caw!”

“That’s!”

“Ravens, a flock of ravens!”

At the familiar yet welcome sound of ravens cawing, the nobles looked up and cheered. Though Wendigo might not have easily accepted it, ravens were considered birds of good omen in Manheimr.

Ravens were the king’s eyes and ears, as well as messengers of the gods, so people had come to see the appearance of ravens as a good sign.

And this time, it truly was a good omen. Seeing the flock of ravens cawing in the sky, the warriors began to resist with renewed strength.

“His Majesty must have found us. If we just hold out now, His Majesty will save us!”

“Damn it, focus on surviving even if you don’t know how to kill!”

“If you want to send even a piece of gold to your family, fight with the resolve to die!”

As their precarious morale blazed hot again, Dario frowned and swung his sword. Though he didn’t want to worry about it, the news that the King of Manheimr was approaching concerned him.

However, Dario’s red arrow had flown before the ravens. For the first time since setting out, Dario was glad to see the elders’ faces.

Dario roasted five or six enemies with a swing of his lightning and shouted vigorously.

“I never thought I’d be so glad to see those fools. With the reinforcements, let’s burn all these enemies to—”

“Lord Dario. The reinforcements have stopped moving!”

“…What?”

At a knight’s cry that was almost a scream, Dario twitched his eyebrows and quickly turned his head. Just as the knight had said, the army led by the elders had stopped.

After a moment, the army accelerated again, but their expressions clearly showed fear beyond tension.

“Caw!”

It was no illusion that the ravens’ cries sounded like mockery. Dario beheaded a charging warrior and looked back.

Dozens of wolf riders were charging forward, letting their excited wolves lead the way, and behind them, Wendigo’s forces were following closely with an ominous aura.

But an even more terrifying presence accompanied the wolf riders.

“…So that’s the King of Manheimr.”

“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■!!!!!”

A terror draped in black silk was approaching them.

* * *

‘So these are the enemy’s main forces.’

Wendigo quickly assessed which side was the enemy’s main force as he charged with the wolf riders.

As the one conducting the subjugation, it wouldn’t have been strange if the more distant group was the enemy’s main force, but he was certain that the enemies right in front of him were the main force.

When the wolf riders charged, they quickly disengaged from the battlefield and charged toward his position.

Considering that the ones in the back hesitated as soon as they made eye contact, it was more likely that these more courageous and quick-thinking ones were the main force.

The knights’ momentum was fierce and intense enough to mask the scent of fear. Wendigo clicked his tongue and ordered Jacken, the leader of the wolf riders at the front.

“Jacken, maintain the vanguard of the wolf riders but follow behind me. Remind the wolf riders that the enemy is charging with the resolve to die—let no one be careless!”

When Wendigo’s order fell, Jacken followed behind Wendigo without unnecessary reply, reducing his speed.

Of course, considering the king’s safety, he should have charged at the front, risking his life, but Jacken, who had nearly lost his head to the king’s hand, prided himself on being a warrior who revered the king more than anyone.

If the king opened the path, the wolf riders would only widen that path and follow the king’s way.

As the wolf riders changed formation to hide behind Wendigo, Dario swallowed his disappointment.

If they had broken through the wolf riders in a charge-versus-charge, the wolf riders would naturally have become an obstacle blocking the king’s actions…

“If we can harm the king, we can throw the enemy into confusion. Anyone who is confident they can drive a spear into that man’s body and doesn’t mind losing their life, support me!”

“Gilbert of House Denbaron will support you, my lord.”

“Abel of House Riverwood will support you, my lord.”

As Dario personally volunteered for the most dangerous mission, two knights pledged themselves to the cause and moved close to him. Both were known for their exceptional skill with spears.

Dario nodded as if there was nothing more to prepare and raised his golden sword. When they were close enough to see the drool from the wolves’ mouths, Dario gave his final order to the knights.

“More dangerous than them are the wolves they ride. Everyone, target the wolves!”

“Trust your wolves and strike down the enemy in one blow!”

As if retreat was never an option, the two groups charged toward each other.

Dario struck first. The two knights who had sworn to support him suddenly accelerated and charged at Wendigo from both sides with their spears extended.

“■■■■■!!!!!”

With a roar-like bellow, Wendigo swung his ice sword with his right hand. The chillingly sharp blade of the ice sword flew from left to right with a ghostly howl.

Gilbert, seeing the blade flying toward his waist, thrust his spear with all his might, sensing his own death.

“For Dencan!”

But Gilbert’s spear never reached Wendigo.

Before it could reach Wendigo’s body, Gilbert’s spear was cut off, and his upper body flew through the air along with the spear shaft, spraying blood.

Abel, who had sworn alongside Gilbert, raised the shield in his left hand. His family’s heirloom shield was said to be so sturdy that it had once blocked a giant’s blow, according to legend.

Abel intended to deflect the ice sword when it collided with his shield…

CRACK!!!

“!?”

The moment the ice sword made contact with the shield, cold energy spread and froze Abel’s shield along with his arm. Abel’s head flew off with a bewildered expression.

Besides these two, other knights who charged in uncontrollably had their bodies split in two and flew through the air, with blood and entrails obscuring the sky like a red mist.

For a brief moment, Gilbert’s corpse blocked the line of sight between Wendigo and Dario.

“Hah!”

Dario didn’t miss that brief moment.

Wendigo’s right arm, holding the ice sword, had momentarily stopped after completing a wide arc, and with his vision blocked, now was the opportunity.

Dario, not wanting to waste the chance his subordinates had created, leaped onto his horse and extended his golden sword toward Wendigo’s chest.

The golden sword, flashing with lightning, felt truly divine…

Flinch!

“Kuk!?”

With an inexplicable sense of foreboding, Dario instinctively withdrew his sword and guarded his side. Even Dario himself didn’t understand why he had done so, but he didn’t regret it.

Wendigo’s fingernails, seemingly from nowhere, flew at Dario with enough force to tear him to shreds.

With an uncomfortable metallic sound that was hard to believe came from a collision with fingernails, Dario was sent flying backward as if hit by a blunt weapon.

As he flew backward, Dario watched his subordinates charging. The knights began to engage in chaotic combat with the wolf riders.

Strangely, however, Wendigo’s figure didn’t disappear.

Of course not. Wendigo was advancing toward Dario, slaughtering every knight that blocked his path.

“Heh… kheuk!?”

Dario, who had let out a laugh of disbelief, regained his senses as he rolled on the ground. He used his golden sword as a cane to stand up.

Wendigo, with his ice sword planted upright, asked Dario:

“Will you surrender?”

“…I cannot, as the battle is not yet over.”

Dario spat out a handful of blood and raised his golden sword.

Like a pearl that remains a pearl even when buried in mud, despite being buffeted by storms and tainted by old desires, Dario’s essence remained that of a knight.

He would rather die than bow his head to a Djin.

“I see. Then let us continue.”

Having confirmed Dario’s resolve, Wendigo clicked his tongue and gripped his ice sword again. If death was what he wished for, he would grant it.