Chapter 110

Episode 110

It was a storm of aura, in the truest sense of the word.

The air expanded, unleashing a powerful gust of wind. Selendis, holding her shield firm, channeled her aura to withstand the onslaught.

‘Just a little longer. I just need to hold out a little longer.’

Selendis had no intention of defeating Donovan.

She was simply buying time, waiting for the retreat order to come from the enemy’s headquarters.

It was a hopeless wait.

There was a chance that O’Brien’s operation had failed. If that were the case, she would die here, fighting to the very end.

But Selendis wasn’t afraid.

Her heart was filled with trust and respect for O’Brien. Nothing could shake her faith in him.

She tightened her grip on her shield.

*Boom!*

A deafening roar echoed through the air, like a giant boulder crashing against a cliff. Shockwaves rippled outwards.

“Impossible!”

Donovan couldn’t break through Selendis’s ironclad defense. The unique swordsmanship style of House Savion, infused with secret techniques, allowed her to overcome the difference in their aura levels.

Another overwhelming wave of aura erupted.

“Die!”

*Whoosh!*

*Boom!*

Selendis blocked it again, but she was pushed back several steps. A sharp pain shot through her arm, as if it were broken.

But she just sighed briefly, her stance unwavering.

She maintained her posture and took a step forward.

*Whoosh!*

*Boom!*

*Thud!*

*Crash!*

Donovan launched wave after wave of aura attacks. But none of them landed.

Well, not exactly.

“Ugh.”

A thin trickle of blood escaped Selendis’s lips. She hadn’t been able to completely negate the cumulative impact of the attacks.

But she straightened her stance, refusing to give up.

‘What a stubborn woman!’

Donovan realized he had misjudged her. And he began to suspect that there might be a hidden strategy behind her actions.

‘No, she’s not just stubborn. Something’s wrong!’

A chill ran down Donovan’s spine.

He turned around.

He focused his vision and saw Baron Roman, mounted on his horse, staring at him with icy eyes.

‘What’s going on? What am I missing?’

He couldn’t figure it out.

He had no choice.

He had to defeat the enemy commander and annihilate the enemy’s main force that had come out to the plain. That was his only mission.

He wouldn’t be able to return to the main family if he failed to achieve any significant results in this war.

‘I can’t rot in this backwater forever. I have to return to the capital and pursue my dreams!’

Donovan straightened his stance.

Selendis flinched. His aura had changed completely.

She wondered if she could block it.

Her internal injuries made it difficult to channel her aura. And she couldn’t ask Sir Paris for help because he was also engaged in a fierce battle.

The soldiers behind her were fighting for their lives.

She couldn’t let them be overrun.

“This is the end.”

Donovan gathered all the aura he could muster. His faint purple aura intensified.

It was a powerful aura that most high-ranking knights couldn’t achieve.

He charged towards Selendis, unleashing his final blow.

*Boom!*

The defensive techniques of House Savion blocked the attack. But they weren’t enough to completely negate the unprecedented power.

Donovan’s aura ripped through Selendis’s shield.

*Crack!*

The deflected aura struck Selendis’s abdomen.

Her armor crumpled, and she rolled on the ground, coughing up blood.

Donovan had exhausted all his aura with that single strike.

But it was a worthwhile trade. He had defeated the enemy commander. Now, all he had to do was eliminate Paris and the remaining soldiers, and the war would be over.

“If I had known you were this persistent, I would have gone all out from the beginning.”

He grinned and approached Selendis.

Surprisingly, Selendis’s left hand was empty, but she was still gripping the Frost Sword in her right hand.

She tried to get up, but her body wouldn’t obey.

“Do you still have the strength to fight? Don’t push yourself. Further resistance is futile. I’ll end your miserable life.”

“…”

“Consider it an honor to die in battle.”

Donovan, consumed by madness, held his sword in a reverse grip with both hands. He thrust it towards Selendis’s heart.

Or rather, he tried to.

*Clang!*

A sharp spearhead deflected his sword. Donovan, startled, activated his martial arts and leaped back.

A mysterious figure, their face and head completely concealed by a mask, stood before Selendis.

Even at a glance, their spear-wielding stance was extraordinary.

This wasn’t part of the plan. They had gathered information on all the enemy’s forces, and there was no mention of a spear-wielding knight.

“Who are you? Identify yourself!”

The mysterious spear knight didn’t answer. They simply channeled their aura and thrust their spear forward.

“Gah!”

The spear narrowly missed Donovan’s heart. And it didn’t stop there. The spearhead changed its trajectory smoothly, like a mollusk.

Donovan felt trapped.

Even with his abundant aura, it was difficult to fight against such skill. He would be pierced in a few moves if he didn’t do something.

The situation had taken a turn for the worse.

If the cavalry hadn’t been so thoroughly defeated, he would have called for help from the other knights.

But the two knights fighting Paris were still locked in a stalemate.

They had neglected their training, indulging in food and drink under Baron Roman’s rule. Paris and the low-ranking knights of the Walker Knight Order, on the other hand, had trained diligently.

That small difference had accumulated, leading to opposite outcomes.

“Damn it! Retreat! Micra! Nathan! Come here and secure our retreat! The rest of you, keep Paris occupied!”

The two high-ranking knights fighting Paris disengaged and rushed to Donovan’s side.

Thanks to them, Paris could fight more freely.

He didn’t have much aura left, but he had enough experience to deal with the Gerard remnants.

They couldn’t hold out for long and eventually fled.

The mysterious spear knight could have pursued them, but they stopped. Instead, they approached Selendis and helped her sit up.

“Are you alright?”

Selendis was startled. It was a woman’s voice. A voice she had heard somewhere before.

She focused her fading consciousness.

An image of a woman from her memories surfaced.

“…Your Highness.”

“You recognize me, so you must be alright. You seem to have some internal injuries. I’ll share my aura with you, so just bear with it. And don’t speak.”

“Why are you here…?”

“I told you not to speak.”

Selendis closed her mouth. A refreshing energy flowed into her body.

Beatrice, the princess of the Empire, was generously sharing her aura with Selendis.

After a while, Selendis had recovered enough to sit up on her own.

“Who are you?”

Paris approached and asked. He was covered in blood.

Selendis understood why Beatrice had concealed her face.

“Sir Paris, don’t worry about me and regroup the soldiers. We must have suffered heavy casualties.”

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m fine.”

Paris’s suspicious gaze swept over Beatrice. As he left, the princess whispered, “I heard about the war. I heard Baron Roman picked a fight with you over something ridiculous. He had a bad reputation, and he finally did it.”

“Does… His Majesty know about this?”

“Of course not! That would be a disaster! I’m here as a mercenary. It’s normal to hire mercenaries in a territorial war.”

Selendis wasn’t convinced.

If this were to be revealed, Baron Roman would formally protest to the Empire. It would put House Kalisto in a difficult position.

“…You should leave this place immediately. The enemy might attack again.”

“You want me to leave you here injured? I can’t do that. A friend of a friend is a friend of mine. Don’t worry. I won’t use the Bellatrix spear technique.”

“…”

Selendis finally got to her feet. She pleaded again.

“This is House Walker’s war. I’ll protect this place. I appreciate your concern, but this is my duty.”

“You’re a truly loyal person.”

Even though her face was concealed by the cloth, Selendis could sense her expression.

“They say good people attract good people. Both Aubrey and you are good people.”

“Your Highness.”

“Alright! You’re so stubborn. But I have a condition. I won’t interfere. I’ll just observe and help if you’re in danger. Is that okay?”

It was difficult to refuse. If the enemy attacked again, they would be slaughtered.

But then, something strange happened in the enemy lines.

The enemy had enough troops to launch another attack. But instead of advancing, they were retreating.

It wasn’t a temporary retreat.

As time passed, the enemy’s main force moved further away.

“What’s going on? It seems like the enemy is retreating. Did they all get heatstroke or something?”

Selendis knew the reason.

“It seems like the lord has captured their headquarters.”

“…What? You mean Gerard Castle?”

“Yes.”

Beatrice laughed. “That’s so like Aubrey.”

“That crazy guy… I think I know what his strategy is. We need to form a pursuit unit and drive the enemy into the ambush.”

Selendis was impressed. Princess Beatrice was not only skilled in spear techniques but also in tactics.

“It seems like everything worked out, so I’ll be on my way. Oh, and Knight Selendis, I saved your life, so do me a favor. Keep my involvement a secret from Aubrey. Okay?”

She left the battlefield. Selendis returned to the main camp.

Sir Paris was also aware of the enemy’s retreat. Everything was ready for the ambush.

“Captain, stay here. I’ll lead the pursuit unit. Everyone, move out! Follow me!”

***

Baron Roman, his face pale, shouted frantically.

“Why are you so slow! Didn’t you hear that the castle has fallen?!”

“Calm down, my lord. If we increase our speed any further, our formation will collapse. We’ll be easy targets for the pursuit unit!”

“Damn it! How could they lose the castle?!”

He had scoffed when the first messenger had delivered the news. He had thought it was a cheap trick to lure his army away.

He had even considered sending more troops, but several problems had arisen.

First, the cavalry attack had failed.

Such things happened in war. But when he saw Donovan and the other knights fleeing, he sensed that something was wrong.

The decisive factor was the gift Jericho had sent.

Billy’s head.

Baron Roman finally believed that his castle had fallen.

Of course, he could continue the attack and try to capture the Walker castle. But he had too many secrets hidden in his headquarters.

‘I have to go back and eliminate them!’

His secrets were well-hidden, but if the castle were completely occupied, it would be a different story.

If they were exposed to the world, it wouldn’t just be one or two people who would get hurt.

He had to prevent O’Brien from getting his hands on them.

“Increase our speed, even if it means sacrificing the rearguard! We have to recapture the castle!”

“But…”

“Silence! Disobeying orders will be considered treason!”

Roman ignored the knights’ advice to proceed cautiously.

They entered the canyon in a disorganized manner.