Ch.225I Guess We Should Call Them Sisters Now, Not Siblings.

“HASCHAL!”

A furious shout echoes from behind me.

Jargal, overflowing with murderous intent, was rushing toward me. But it was already too late.

Well, I suppose I’m running late too. Seems like I don’t have time to play around anymore.

“Sadly, it’s time for us to part ways. Please live long with that body of yours, Amin.”

Hersella wanted Amin to return alive but crippled.

Apparently, being captured by Orhan in that state would be more painful.

If conditions allowed, I had considered capturing him alive to take back… but it seems I don’t have that luxury.

Given how exhausted I am, carrying a person while running would likely get me caught by Jargal.

So, abandoning the idea of capture, I swiftly swing Durandal.

I slice off his left wrist and sever both ankles.

Then, flipping over his convulsing body, I lightly cut along his spine.

“Kuk! Kuek! Keuaaak!”

Amin screams as he vomits out his eyeballs that had been blocking his throat.

Now he’ll have to crawl on his elbows for the rest of his life. In a state of blindness, no less.

To finish, I pick up Amin’s dagger and thrust it deep into his groin—

“Kweeeeeeek!”

It was truly a grotesque scream.

Amin goes limp with bloody foam at his mouth. The dagger lodged between his legs trembles pitifully.

[It suits you well, Amin. Now you finally look like yourself.]

Hersella laughs with satisfaction.

Jargal has already closed the distance to just tens of meters.

After glancing at him, I run toward the outside of the encampment. It was time to escape.

Even a Champion would be busy trying to keep his lord alive after seeing him in such a state, so he wouldn’t have the luxury to chase after me.

=====【Jargal】=====

The night raid targeting their moment of carelessness inflicted critical damage on the White Banner Army.

Scattered in confusion by the flames engulfing the entire camp, the soldiers crumbled like sand castles against the imperial knights’ surprise attack.

Soldiers crushed to death under collapsed tents, warriors suffocated by smoke, and bodies reduced to ashes in the flames.

By the time Jargal somehow managed to get the situation under control, only two hundred troops remained alive.

Of those, only twenty warriors had survived.

Most of the warriors had lost their lives because the imperial knights had specifically targeted them.

Even the survivors were in poor condition due to burns all over their bodies, meaning only about half of them were actually capable of fighting.

The loss of supplies was also severe.

All the stored provisions had burned, and over a thousand horses had either died or fled.

It was an undeniable defeat.

So complete that they couldn’t even consider pursuing the hundred-plus knights who were leisurely retreating.

In fact, they needed to retreat immediately, not pursue.

In the distance, the wall gates were opening wide as imperial heavy cavalry poured out.

Their numbers.

At least two hundred, even by conservative estimates.

Jargal turned his head away from the sight, his eyes vacant.

The campsite, reduced to ashes, crackled and spat embers.

He had left the mangled Amin in the care of one warrior.

Even if they returned to Ordos like this, no good ending awaited them… but at least it would be better than falling into enemy hands.

That was the best Jargal could do. Perhaps ending Amin’s life would have been more merciful, but even in his unconscious state, his master had been mumbling that he wanted to live.

If luck was on his side, perhaps Amin’s maternal family might secretly take him away, giving him some chance to survive.

All that remained was dealing with the half-broken remnants of his army.

Behind him, one hundred and eighty infantry and forty cavalry, covered in blood and ash, were looking to him alone.

Hundreds of pairs of eyes met his gaze.

“…We have been utterly defeated.”

Jargal spoke quietly.

“We’ve lost our troops, supplies, and commander. All that remains are a handful of defeated soldiers and… one incompetent guard who couldn’t even protect his master. Even if we face them now, we’ll be crushed like fallen leaves.”

The heavy sound of hoofbeats pounded the dawn prairie.

Imperial cavalry spears gleamed in the moonlight. Death clad in steel was approaching.

“I am not of the White Banner Army, so I have no authority to command you. Consider this advice, not an order. Whether you choose to maintain a warrior’s pride and die like dogs, or retreat and survive, the choice is yours. No one will blame you if you withdraw from here.”

The soldiers stirred at these unexpected words.

Even for those who did not fear death, that didn’t mean they desired it.

Wanting to live is the essence of all living beings. The people of the steppes were no exception. They merely hid their fear behind the facade of being warriors.

Showing weakness by revealing fear would only invite contempt from others.

Even Amin normally tried to hide his own fear. Though he wasn’t very successful at it.

As death draws closer, the survival instinct grows stronger.

And now, having survived the hellish sea of flames, their desire for life was stronger than ever before. Strong enough to forget even a warrior’s code.

“If you wish to live, disperse individually and return. Scatter in all directions and protect your lives with your own strength. Most will be caught and killed, but perhaps some will survive and make it back.”

The soldiers looked at each other and nodded with gloomy expressions.

Warriors began dispersing in all directions. Their lives now depended on their own legs and heaven’s will.

Those with good fortune would survive, those without would die.

Mounted on his horse, Jargal gripped his fire spear firmly.

Though he had told the soldiers to return, he himself had no intention of going back. He no longer had the face to return.

‘Someone needs to buy time.’

Jargal turned his horse to directly face the approaching heavy cavalry.

Three warriors followed behind him. They were on foot, having apparently given their horses to others.

“…Foolish ones. Didn’t I warn you about dying like dogs?”

“My side is cut, so I can’t run away in this state anyway.”

“I’m an orphan with no ties. Even if I return to Ordos, no one would welcome me.”

“My younger brother fought alongside Lord Havar. How could I, his older brother, show my face anywhere if I fled?”

The warriors laughed as they gave their reasons.

Jargal sighed and smiled.

‘I can’t say I have no regrets. Still.’

The matter of his younger sister and Amin still remained as knots in his heart.

But the wind blowing was strangely refreshing. Enough to blow away what had accumulated in his chest.

One drop, two drops. Rain begins to pour.

Cold droplets extinguish the flames and cool his heat-scorched body.

Jargal looked up at the sky. Raindrops streamed down his face.

“…It’s refreshing.”

“Indeed it is. How pleasant!”

The warriors joked as they gripped their weapons.

The ground beneath their feet trembled. The raindrops hitting and bouncing off the heavy cavalry’s armor were clearly visible.

Perhaps having spotted Jargal, about half of the retreating knights had also joined the formation.

Though Haschal was nowhere to be seen, there were surely those among them who surpassed Jargal himself.

‘I won’t last long.’

But what did that matter now?

The falling rain was refreshing, and the blowing wind carried the scent of the steppes. That was enough.

“Let’s go! Our brothers who departed before us are waiting!”

Raising his fire spear, Jargal charged toward death.

Three warriors followed behind him.

The imperial spear tips shattered them.

================

“The knights are returning! Clear the way! The heroes of Landenburg have returned!”

The knights who had attacked the Ka’har encampment returned to the wall amid resounding cheers.

And deservedly so. With fewer than two hundred men, they had annihilated an enemy force ten times their size. It was an achievement worthy of ballads.

Seventy knights who were still in good condition rejoined the heavy cavalry to pursue the scattered remnants, while the remaining fifty returned first.

These were those who had fought to exhaustion or suffered injuries requiring immediate treatment.

“Proud knights of Landenburg. You are my pride! Everyone gathered here will forever remember the indomitable courage and honorable dedication you showed today. I will testify even before the celestial gods that each and every one of you is a hero who saved the Empire!”

Ludwig lavished praise on the knights.

The wounded knights looked at each other and smiled wryly.

Even to themselves, they looked more like miserable survivors than glorious victors.

Their burned uniforms were stuck to their skin, and bright red burn marks spread unevenly across their cheeks.

Some were bleeding profusely from their sides, and others had lost an arm.

But they could still smile.

They had overcome that infernal battlefield, that unspeakable hell, and returned alive to tell the tale.

Their tired eyes shone with relief and pride.

“…You’ve all worked hard. It must have been a difficult battle, so rest well for now. The war with them has been concluded.”

Healing priests who had been waiting rushed to attend to them.

Holy light illuminated the surroundings.

—-

I didn’t really need treatment.

I was just exhausted from using too much power, but I wasn’t particularly injured.

Strangely, unlike the other knights, I hadn’t suffered even minor burns.

Perhaps because I had practically bathed in blood?

Leaving the soldiers’ cheers behind, I walk inside the wall.

I wanted to sleep. My tired body demanded rest.

– Rustle.

I remove my cloak, which had been scorched and torn to rags.

Dried black blood scabs shower down like cookie crumbs.

The uniform underneath was in the same state.

With every movement, it crackles as ash and blood dust scatter.

…I should wash up first.

I asked a priest to guide me to a place where I could clean myself.

It seemed to be a public bath, with several priestesses chatting while washing themselves, but I didn’t have the energy to even glance at them.

If I relaxed even a little, I felt I might collapse and fall asleep right there.

My head was foggy.