Chapter 269

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

An earsplitting roar.

Before I could even comprehend what had happened, the world spun around me.

I realized I was falling from my horse when my back slammed into the ground.

“Ugh!”

A searing pain that momentarily took my breath away.

Even in that state, Darkhan instinctively rolled backward.

His body, sensing danger, reacted automatically.

He rolled several times before finally managing to prop himself up on his hands.

His entire body felt unpleasantly damp, as if drenched in rain.

The pungent smell of blood filled his nostrils.

He was covered in it.

But Darkhan couldn’t even register that, his eyes wide with shock, his body frozen.

Because he saw it.

What had happened.

His horse, his beloved steed, lay on the ground, severed in half.

An unbelievable sight.

His horse was a magnificent beast, a warhorse among warhorses.

Its size alone was twice that of other horses.

And yet, it had been sliced cleanly in half, from bottom to top, its bones severed with a single blow.

But that wasn’t all.

The horse’s insides were completely pulverized, turned into mush, as if an unimaginable force had been unleashed upon it.

It had been literally ripped apart by a single strike.

He had never even imagined that such a thing was possible.

There were no warriors on the snowy plains who could deliver such an absurd blow.

“Ugh… You monster…”

A groan of horror escaped Darkhan’s lips, the King of the White Eagles.

It was a reaction that was as good as praise from an enemy’s perspective.

Max, also covered in blood and horse gore, grinned menacingly.

“Without your horse, you’re nothing but a bird with clipped wings.”

Max walked towards him, his steps heavy and deliberate.

His figure seemed to loom over Darkhan, casting a long shadow.

The other barbarian warriors were also intimidated, frozen in place, unable to move, let alone intervene.

Darkhan gritted his teeth and stood up.

“Ugh! I am the king! The King of the Snowy Plains, no, the King of the North!”

He roared, trying to rally his spirit, to project an aura of power.

But everyone present could sense the hollowness of his bravado.

Max scoffed.

“I told you, the north doesn’t need two kings. You can play king all you want in the afterlife.”

“Shut up! Shut up! I am the king!”

“Alright, alright, I get it. You’re the king. Happy now?”

Max sneered, raised his sword, and charged.

Darkhan fought back desperately, his spear a blur.

But it was clear who was mentally broken.

Without his horse, he had lost the mobility and synergy that came with being a mounted warrior. There was no chance of victory for Darkhan.

And soon,

Darkhan was cornered.

Max’s sword swung down towards his neck.

“N-No…!”

Darkhan tried to block, but it was too late.

*Slice!*

His head flew off, his eyes filled with regret.

It was over.

* * *

The vast plains of the snowy plains.

The ground was white and damp with snow.

On that white expanse, two armies faced each other.

The barbarians and the Ernbert family.

The Ernbert family had the numerical advantage, but the barbarians had more cavalry.

“They didn’t make it in time.”

Lobel, the acting head of the family and the supreme commander, muttered.

He was referring to Regina’s right flank, which had been diverted.

“What should we do, Acting Head?”

His adjutant asked, trying to hide his anxiety.

“It doesn’t matter. We can win with just us. Besides, it seems like the barbarians are also missing some of their forces.”

The missing forces were probably the ones that Regina had reported as showing suspicious movements.

It meant that her judgment had been correct.

There was nothing to worry about.

“Then how should we deploy…”

“Divide the main army and have them act as the right flank. They’ll try to surround us with their cavalry, so have the right flank hold their ground and defend. We’ll decide the battle on the left.”

Their original plan had been for the main army in the center to hold the line, while the left and right flanks, composed of heavy cavalry, would crush the enemy on both sides.

But with the right flank absent, they had to modify their tactics.

The left flank alone was enough.

Because a victory on one side could decide the entire battle.

It would just take a little longer.

“Sound the drums of war.”

“Yes, sir!”

The great battle of the snowy plains, a battle where everything was at stake, had begun.

* * *

A fierce battle.

On the snowy plains, both the barbarians and the Ernbert soldiers fought with all their might, their lives on the line.

If they fell from their horses, they fought on foot.

If they lost an arm, they fought with the other.

If they lost a leg, they crawled with their arms.

If they lost their weapons, they fought with their bare hands.

The only thing that could stop them was death.

Neither side gave an inch.

But even in this stalemate, the tide of the battle was shifting.

The Ernbert family was gaining the upper hand on the left flank, thanks to the destructive power of their heavy cavalry.

But the right flank was being pushed back by the relentless waves of barbarian cavalry.

Excluding the stalemate in the center, both sides had gained an advantage on one side.

The battle was becoming increasingly unpredictable.

“The right flank is requesting reinforcements!”

A messenger arrived, his voice filled with urgency.

His expression was grim, his voice trembling.

It was clear how desperate the situation was on the right flank.

But,

“Denied. Tell them to hold on.”

Lobel coldly rejected the request for reinforcements.

Everyone present understood why.

If they sent reinforcements to the right flank, the center, already weakened, would become even more vulnerable.

And if the center collapsed, it would be an irreversible disaster.

That’s why Lobel had made a cold-hearted decision, even if it meant sacrificing some of his troops.

“Yes, sir!”

The messenger, his face grim, turned his horse around and disappeared.

The battle resumed.

Lobel’s decision seemed to have paid off, as they started to make progress in the center.

The Ernbert troops were slowly pushing forward.

‘Good. Just a little more.’

Lobel’s eyes gleamed with determination.

And then,

Another messenger arrived from the right flank, his voice filled with urgency.

“The right flank is requesting reinforcements! They can’t hold on much longer!”

The messenger’s expression was even more desperate than before.

But Lobel shook his head again.

“Denied. Tell them to hold on as long as they can.”

They were starting to gain the upper hand in the center.

Diverting troops now would be throwing away their advantage.

Lobel had calculated that it would be faster to break through the center than to wait for the right flank to collapse completely.

“B-But…”

“No buts. There’s no time to waste. Go and deliver my answer.”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

The messenger left again.

Lobel refocused on the battle in the center.

The Ernbert main army pressed their attack, their momentum increasing.

The barbarians were being pushed back even further.

‘Alright. It’s almost over.’

Lobel’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.

If the left flank and the center collapsed simultaneously, the battle would be over.

At that moment,

“T-The right flank is requesting reinforcements! The situation is critical!”

The messenger returned, pleading for reinforcements once again.

His face was pale, his voice trembling.

For the first time, he had used the word “critical,” highlighting the desperation of their situation.

‘Damn it, we’re almost there.’

Lobel’s face contorted in frustration.

Because he knew.

That he couldn’t refuse this request.

He couldn’t abandon the right flank.

“Hmm.”

But he couldn’t make a decision immediately.

Because he could see victory within reach.

But he couldn’t afford to hesitate any longer.

Just as Lobel was about to grit his teeth and order reinforcements,

Something unexpected happened on the battlefield.

“R-Reinforcements! Reinforcements are here!”

Someone shouted, their voice filled with joy.

“Reinforcements…?”

Lobel tilted his head in confusion.

“L-Look over there!”

His adjutant shouted, pointing to something in the distance.

Lobel instinctively turned his head.

There,

A cloud of dust was rising into the air.

And then,

The sound of thundering hooves grew closer and closer.

Cavalry.

Enemy cavalry?

No.

The Ernbert family’s banner, emblazoned with a blizzard, was fluttering proudly.

“Reinforcements!”

*Bang!*

Lobel leaped into the air, his massive body moving with surprising agility.

It was a movement filled with joy, the joy of certain victory.

“Send reinforcements to the right flank immediately! And coordinate with the flanking force to crush the barbarians!”

Lobel roared.

* * *

An overwhelming victory.

The Ernbert family was in a celebratory mood.

No, the entire north was probably celebrating.

Because they had finally eradicated the barbarians who had plagued them for so long.

They no longer had to worry about barbarian raids and massacres, no longer had to take turns keeping watch at night.

True peace had finally come to the north.

‘If the full strength of the north and the Celtrine family’s wealth are combined…’

I was already looking ahead.

To the empire, which would soon be engulfed in the chaos of civil war.

Without strength, you would be exploited.

Without strength, you would be forced to make choices you didn’t want to make.

You would be helplessly swept away in the conflict between two giants.

But that wouldn’t happen anymore.

I would make sure of it.

‘I will be the one making the choices.’

It was possible, as long as I had the strength.

And today, I had taken a crucial step towards obtaining that strength.

“Have a seat.”

My second meeting with the acting head of the family.

But the atmosphere was completely different from the first time.

Most importantly, the knights’ gazes on me were different.

“I’ve heard the reports. You played a significant role, didn’t you?”

Lobel said with a satisfied smile.

I replied calmly, “I just did my part. We were able to achieve victory thanks to everyone’s efforts.”

“Haha, you’re even humble.”

Lobel laughed heartily.

Then he addressed the knights, “Isn’t that right? He deserves to boast about his achievements.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Slaying Darkhan, the Chief of the White Eagles, is a first-class achievement.”

“I heard he also played a key role in predicting the enemy’s surprise attack on our base.”

“He deserves our respect.”

The Ernbert knights praised me.

It was something I couldn’t have even imagined a few days ago.

It meant that my achievements were so great that they had even overshadowed their previous reservations about me.

And,

As befitting knights of the Ernbert family, warriors to the core, they acknowledged my skills, regardless of their previous feelings.

They were truly knights of a prestigious martial family.

“Hahaha, I’m happy to see my brother-in-law being recognized.”

Lobel laughed again.

Brother-in-law.

It wasn’t a casual remark from Lobel.

He had only called me “future brother-in-law” once during our first meeting.

His words now meant,

‘He’s accepting me as family.’

I smiled inwardly, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

I had achieved another prerequisite.

The true condition for a marriage alliance.

Not just a political arrangement, but acceptance from the heart.

I stood up.

And then I spoke casually,

Responding to his acceptance.

“Thank you, brother. To show my gratitude, allow me to offer you a toast.”

“Haha, with pleasure.”

The victory celebration was more lively than ever.