Ch.598Just Push the Obstacles Out of the Way.

After half a day’s march, we discovered a medium-sized village.

A small clan with hundreds of able-bodied men and more than three times that number in residents. According to Hersella, it was “Honisegashia”… or the Sheep Village.

Though it was far from having a pastoral atmosphere.

News of the two military outposts being destroyed must have reached them, as sentries with torches were sparsely positioned on the wooden palisade surrounding the village.

Judging by the frantic waving of the torchlight, they had probably noticed our approach long ago. It would be impossible to conceal the sound of two hundred heavy cavalry approaching. They must be preparing for battle inside the village.

Well, if we’ve been spotted, we’ll just have to fight.

“Let’s go.”

I moved to the front of the cavalry and drew the bow tucked beside Cascador’s saddle. I could attack from a distance with Durandal too, but arrows had the advantage in range.

“Do you intend to charge? I believe attempting fire tactics would be more appropriate, given that they’re surrounded by wooden palisades.”

Karim, one of the Masters from Landenburg who had joined our detachment, approached and asked.

Fire tactics. Strategically, it was the most rational choice. We could rain fire arrows or ignite Karma flames to set the entire palisade ablaze, then block the narrow entrance. Most of the enemy would burn to death in that fiery pit.

The heavy cavalry of our detachment were elites trained meticulously by Ludwig, capable of shooting arrows accurately even from horseback.

Hitting moving targets would be tricky, but hitting stationary palisades wouldn’t be difficult.

But…

“No. Let’s hold off on burning the village for now. I’ll break through the palisade, then you provide covering fire before charging in.”

I rejected Karim’s suggestion. If it were a military outpost, I would have burned it without hesitation, but this was an ordinary village where seven out of ten inhabitants were likely non-warriors—women, the elderly, and children.

It felt somewhat uncomfortable to burn them all indiscriminately.

[Ha, look at the holy maiden. Though I suppose you actually were a saint, weren’t you?]

Hersella grumbled, understanding my meaning.

…Complaining about not massacring civilians from her own homeland—what twisted morality.

Of course, burning them all would yield massive Murder Karma, so from Hersella’s perspective, I was throwing away a feast laid out before her… but I didn’t want to slaughter those who couldn’t fight or had no intention of fighting.

If there were no other options, that would be unavoidable, but that wasn’t the case here.

Of course, I couldn’t force others to make irrational choices just because I wanted it. A commander’s duty is to achieve victory with minimal losses, not to enforce humanitarian principles.

So I came up with a reasonable excuse to explain to Karim and Hersella.

“We’ll kill all enemies who attack us, drive out the elderly and women, then burn down the village. The survivors will have no choice but to head to Ordos. Let’s see how Orhan responds when he has more mouths to feed.”

It was a fairly rational idea for something I came up with on the spot.

People who have lost their food, homes, and protectors will have no choice but to flee to Ordos, and Orhan, as the Kagan of the Great Plains, will have no choice but to take them in.

One village might not be a problem, but as the number of refugees increases, it will start to strain Ordos’s food supplies.

Wasn’t that why they had scattered their warriors across the region in the first place?

“Hmm… I see. Not a bad strategy.”

Karim nodded in understanding and stepped back slightly.

“What is the scope of enemies? Should we target all who resist with weapons?”

A gloomy, murky voice. It was the question of Jan Ridel, the eighth sword of Landenburg.

“Well…”

I tilted my head slightly, considering.

The scope of ‘enemies’… I suppose anyone capable of fighting as a soldier could be included. The problem is…

‘I’m not sure about the Ka’har standards. At what age do you consider someone combat personnel?’

The Empire typically sets the minimum conscription age at around 17, so for Ka’har, maybe around 15?

In modern warfare with firearms everywhere, even a ten-year-old could be used as a soldier, but in this world where close combat is the norm, younger children wouldn’t even be able to fight properly.

[You’re asking about standards? Well… it’s ambiguous by age…]

After pondering briefly, Hersella responded as if she had found an appropriate comparison.

[I know! Use the cart wheel as a standard! That would make it easy to distinguish. Any male larger than a cart wheel can be considered a soldier without exception.]

‘…What?’

Is she serious?

I couldn’t tell if Hersella was telling the truth or lying to accumulate more Murder Karma. A cart wheel? That seems too young. Even a seven-year-old would probably be taller than that.

“Lord Haschal?”

There was no more time to deliberate. The enemy lines were drawing ever closer, and Jan, finding my silence strange, was addressing me again.

“Ah, yes. Anyone whose solar plexus is visible above… no, not just above a cart wheel, consider them all enemies.”

“Yes, I will do so.”

I couldn’t possibly order them to kill everyone taller than a cart wheel as Hersella suggested, so I compromised at that level. About 140-150cm, I guess. At that height, they would be at least fifteen years old.

—-

“Battle stations! Battle stations! The Imperial bastards are coming!”

Frantic shouts from inside the palisade carried on the wind. Within arrow range. I drew my bowstring and infused the arrowhead with Murder Karma.

“Ready to fire!”

The heavy cavalry following me all drew their bows. Their posture was somewhat unstable compared to Ka’har mounted archers, but they seemed capable of shooting.

We’d need to get closer to ensure accuracy.

Unlike me.

– Twang!

The moment I released the string, a red flash cut through the air with a sound like a beating drum.

About two seconds later.

“Aaaaargh!”

A flower of blood bloomed on the distant palisade. Jeokseonsi. The whirlwind of Murder Karma released from the arrowhead tore the screaming sentry’s body to shreds.

Another shot. And another.

Three Jeokseonsi bloomed on the palisade.

“What is this! Imperial sorcery?”

“The torches! Get away from the torches! They’re targeting us!”

Urgent shouts. Unlike the White Banner Army, they either didn’t know about my technique or couldn’t recognize it in the darkness of night, but either way, they kept shouting about sorcery while trying to spread out to minimize casualties.

Riding at the front of the heavy cavalry, I narrowed my eyes to observe the situation on the palisade.

About forty sentries with bows. Considering those who fell to Jeokseonsi, there were probably around fifty originally. The rest were not visible, perhaps behind the palisade.

Whether they were planning to charge out on horseback or hold a defensive position inside, I wasn’t sure.

Well, either way, I just need to break through head-on. Judging by their shouts about “Imperial bastards” rather than “Haschal,” they probably didn’t know I was here. If they had known, they would have retreated.

Though it’s too late for retreat now.

“Open fire! Target the sentries on the palisade!”

As we closed to sufficient range, I put away my bow, drew Durandal, and shouted. In response, about two hundred arrows flew through the night sky in disorderly trajectories.

Most arrows merely embedded themselves in the palisade, proving the archers’ inexperience, but out of two hundred shots, about a dozen hit enemy soldiers.

Though few died, blocked by shields and armor.

“Who do they think they’re imitating! Fire back! Knock them down!”

In contrast, the Ka’har archers, true to their reputation, accurately targeted us despite their smaller numbers. Both their rate of fire and accuracy far surpassed ours.

But it was meaningless.

– Clang!

Arrows pouring down like rain bounced off with clear metallic sounds. Landenburg’s heavy cavalry, completely encased in armor with even their horses wearing barding, could not be felled by ordinary arrows.

Still, there must have been some skilled archers among them, as occasional groans escaped from the knights, though the steel armor wasn’t penetrated, merely dented.

Of course, Jahan, Leonore, and I wore our usual armor instead of full plate, but none of us were at risk of being hit by stray arrows.

Jahan spun his glaive in circles, blocking incoming arrows, while Leonore smiled as she deflected each arrow aimed at her with her longsword. Me? I didn’t do anything special. I wouldn’t get hurt even if I got hit anyway.

“Damn those metal bastards!”

“Get ready! They’re coming!”

The frustrated voices of the Ka’har warriors were clear. Ready? Seems they have some kind of plan.

What will it be?

A trap? Frontal assault? Or a defensive stand behind the palisade?

There was a sense of commotion, but no visible change. The main gate of the palisade remained firmly shut, and the sentries standing on it continued to shoot arrows, aiming for gaps in the heavy cavalry’s armor.

Not that it mattered, as the weapons of the Masters at the front of the heavy cavalry blocked them all.

After exchanging several volleys of arrows, we had closed to within twenty meters of the palisade.

“Now! Let’s go!”

“The Imperial bastards must be crazy! How dare they come here!”

At that moment, with fierce battle cries, hundreds of mounted warriors began to emerge from both sides of the village.

[A flanking charge. A textbook maneuver.]

Hersella murmured quietly.

Their intention was clear. The Landenburg heavy cavalry would momentarily halt at the palisade blocking their front. Taking advantage of this pause, warriors emerging from the sides of the village would charge into the cavalry’s flanks.

As Hersella said, it was a solid, textbook tactic. There was a significant risk of counterattack if the timing was off, but their horsemanship was skilled enough to coordinate that timing perfectly.

The only problem they hadn’t considered was my presence here.

“I’ll go first! Follow me! Think as if there’s no palisade in front of us!”

I whipped Cascador’s reins and spurred him on.

A full-speed charge that would look suicidal to others. Concentrated fire from the Ka’har rained down on me as I broke formation and charged ahead alone. Ignoring the arrowheads that merely grazed my skin, I infused Durandal with Karma.

“What is that! A horned horse?!”

“Wait a minute. That woman, could it be…!”

The enemies visibly faltered, perhaps finally recognizing me. But it was already too late.

The aura of Murder Karma raised by Hersella rose like a cloud. Durandal, brimming with heroic deeds, trembled slightly as it emitted a blue-silver radiance. And before me, the massive wooden wall.

“Kyaaaah!”

At the moment just before impact, I yanked Cascador’s reins to the side to change direction and swung Durandal toward the palisade. Jeolgong. Manifesting the principle of the vacuum blade that follows the trajectory of the slash.

An invisible massive slash struck the wooden wall.

– Kwaaaang!

Debris scattered through the air.