Chapter 313

The distance between them closed.

Max was getting tired.

He was much younger, but he couldn’t keep up with Vinchel, who possessed an overwhelming amount of internal energy.

“Oh no, Max!”

Ran stomped her feet anxiously.

“Y-Young Master!”

The surrounding soldiers also fidgeted, their faces filled with worry.

But they couldn’t intervene.

It wasn’t a fight they could participate in.

Vinchel was almost upon Max.

“I’ve got you now, you bastard!”

Vinchel’s sword shone brighter than ever.

It seemed to contain all his pent-up rage, ready to tear Max in half.

Max reacted instantly.

– Form of the Revolving Slash.

His body spun, his sword a blur.

It was a sharp counterattack that could catch anyone off guard.

Even Vinchel’s expression faltered for a moment.

“What?!”

*Whoosh!*

His Sword Aura narrowly missed Max.

Max’s aura-clad sword immediately thrust towards Vinchel’s torso.

It was a difficult timing to react to, as he had been caught off guard.

But the Sword Saint was the Sword Saint.

He instantly summoned a sword and used it as a shield.

*Clang!*

The impact was so powerful that the flying sword was pushed back.

But it didn’t reach Vinchel.

“Not enough.”

Max muttered, his hand already moving to execute his next technique.

His opponent was the Sword Saint.

Half-hearted attacks wouldn’t work.

He had to unleash his full power to even have a chance.

Max gathered all his energy.

– Form of the Destructive Slash.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

A storm of sword strikes, as dense as a net, enveloped Vinchel.

It was a defensive technique, so its power was weak, but when used offensively, it could create chaos and confusion.

But,

“I’ve already seen that!”

Vinchel’s sword moved swiftly.

*Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!*

He deflected all of Max’s attacks.

He had completely seen through his technique.

And he didn’t stop there. He moved his flying swords to attack Max’s back.

The flying swords thrust towards him in an instant.

It was a surprise attack that could kill even a skilled warrior before they could react.

But Max had Hero’s Intuition.

He jumped as soon as he felt a chill run down his spine.

*Whoosh!*

Three flying swords missed him.

“He dodged that?”

Vinchel frowned.

Max’s reaction speed was beyond his expectations.

– Form of the Falling Slash.

The tables turned again.

Max’s body fell like a thunderbolt.

*Whoosh!*

His sword slashed downwards, as if it could split a mountain in half.

“Bring it on!”

Vinchel chose to counterattack instead of dodging.

He refused to retreat.

He had already been forced to retreat countless times because of those monstrous arrows.

He had been mocked by Max and those lowly soldiers.

And now he was going to retreat before this young brat?

Unacceptable.

*Whoosh!*

His upward slash was flawless.

It was so perfect that it could be included in a textbook.

And it was imbued with his aura, so its power was obvious.

*BOOOOOM*

The clash of their swords sounded like an explosion.

Max’s body was flung back by the impact.

Vinchel, on the other hand, only took half a step back.

That single clash clearly showed who was stronger.

The Sword Saint was the Sword Saint.

It was a harsh reality.

But,

Strangely, Max was smiling.

He spun in midair, regaining his balance, and landed gracefully.

*Thud!*

“How can I ever repay you for this?”

Vinchel frowned.

“What nonsense are you spouting now?”

“Why wouldn’t I be grateful? You just created some distance for me.”

Max grinned.

Vinchel, realizing what had happened, hurriedly charged at him.

“Damn it!”

But Max was already running away at full speed.

“Stop running, you little rat!”

“What? I can’t hear you!”

Vinchel was furious.

He couldn’t believe that he had been repeatedly outsmarted by this shameless little bastard who kept running away like a rat.

The annoying chase resumed.

Vinchel’s veins bulged on his forehead.

And then,

“Wow, Max, you’re so cool!”

“A-As expected of the Young Master!”

“You’re amazing!”

Ran and the soldiers cheered him on.

“…”

It was a group psychological attack.

Vinchel’s body trembled with rage.

“Aaaargh! You damn bastards!”

He finally exploded, his anger erupting like a volcano.

It was at that moment.

*FWEEEEEEEET*

A signal flare shot up into the air.

A red flare, signaling an emergency.

Vinchel’s face hardened.

He finally snapped out of his daze and regained his composure.

He realized that he had been lured too far away from his troops, consumed by his desire for revenge.

“Tsk.”

He had to retreat.

He had to retreat and assess the situation.

“You… Next time, I’ll definitely…!”

He glared at Max and then turned to leave.

Max, finally able to relax, bent over and caught his breath.

“Phew, it seems like I made it in time.”

He smiled.

A victorious smile.

He had a feeling that they were going to win.

* * *

“No?!”

Vinchel, who had returned to the top of the wall, was shocked.

He saw an army approaching from the plains.

And it wasn’t a small army.

It was an army of at least five thousand.

He immediately realized that they were enemy reinforcements.

The snowflake emblem on their flag was clearly visible.

The emblem of the Ehrenbert family.

The ferocious beast of the north that had dared to defy the Crown Prince.

If they had successfully crushed the Celtrine family as planned, they would have been next.

But,

They were now facing them in the worst possible situation.

They were already struggling with the siege, and now the Ehrenbert family’s elite forces were approaching from behind?

It couldn’t get any worse.

Vinchel’s face contorted in frustration.

He hesitated for a moment.

Retreating after coming this far was unacceptable.

Retreating without achieving anything, after suffering so many losses?

It would severely damage the Crown Prince’s authority.

The worst outcome.

But,

…It was better than being annihilated.

“Retreat! Everyone, retreat!”

Vinchel roared, his voice filled with frustration.

* * *

A miraculous victory.

The Celtrine family, having repelled an army of thirty thousand, was overjoyed.

The area outside the castle walls, where their homes and fields were located, was in ruins because of the siege, but it didn’t matter.

They had survived.

Nothing was more important than that.

The Celtrine territory was in a festive mood.

Count Celtrine generously provided food and drinks, allowing everyone to celebrate.

Three people walked through the crowded castle.

“I saw the destroyed siege weapons. It seems like they were quite formidable.”

A handsome young man with a masculine face said.

It was Camian Croycher.

He had come down from the north with the Ehrenbert family’s vanguard.

Of course, his best friend, Annette, was also with him.

“It must be Ran’s work, right?”

“Probably. She’s the only one who could create something like that.”

Camian nodded in agreement.

It was then that they heard a cold voice.

But it wasn’t an unpleasant voice.

It was just her usual tone.

“It seemed like a catapult. It seems they have a skilled artisan.”

Regina’s gaze landed on her students.

“Ah, yes, Professor. Her name is Ran. She also created those large ballistae on the walls.”

“Oh? They were hiding a secret weapon?”

Regina’s eyes sparkled with interest.

Thorough preparations that exceeded expectations.

That must have been the key to their victory against the Crown Prince’s army.

As expected of the man she had acknowledged.

“You have to keep your trump cards hidden, right?”

A voice came from ahead.

A faint smile appeared on Regina’s lips.

The man himself had appeared.

“Senior!”

Annette beamed.

“Congratulations on your victory!”

“Well, it’s only natural for a senior like you.”

Camian, too embarrassed to be overly enthusiastic, simply gave him a thumbs-up.

“Stop trying to act cool, you idiot.”

Max chuckled.

It was then that the surrounding people erupted in cheers.

“Oh, it’s the Young Master!”

“Young Master Max!”

“Our hero!”

“The invincible Max!”

“Long live Young Master Max!”

“Long live the Celtrine family!”

The people were excited.

It was understandable.

Max was the hero and savior of the Celtrine territory.

They all knew that they would have been massacred by the Crown Prince’s army if it hadn’t been for him.

“You’re quite popular.”

Regina said, her tone meaningful.

The last time she had visited, Max had been practically a taboo subject among the residents.

They had hated him.

But he had completely changed their opinion of him in a little over a year.

It was nothing short of a miracle.

Max smiled.

“It just happened.”

He continued, “Well, we should move to a different location, right?”

* * *

“I’m truly grateful for your swift assistance, Acting Head Lobel.”

Count Celtrine said to Regina, unable to hide his joy.

“It was nothing, Father. It was our duty to help. In fact, I’m ashamed that we were so late.”

“Oh, don’t say that, Regina.”

She naturally called him “Father,” as his future daughter-in-law, but he awkwardly called her “Regina.”

Camian and Annette exchanged glances, finding the situation awkward.

Understandable, kids.

…It wasn’t easy to be casual with a daughter-in-law like her.

“Yes, yes, Miss Regina.”

The Countess even used honorifics.

Camian and Annette looked like they were witnessing a new world.

See, there are no exceptions when it comes to intimidating people.

“You’re my son’s juniors from the academy, right? I’m also grateful for your assistance.”

Count Celtrine also acknowledged his son’s juniors.

He was a considerate man.

“It was nothing…”

“Just a small contribution.”

Annette and Camian replied humbly.

Annette was fine, but Camian… He was acting so out of character.

Had he learned how to be sociable?

“Well, let’s stop with the formalities and get started, shall we?”

Max said, changing the subject.

This was a victory celebration banquet.

It wasn’t appropriate to just talk and not eat, with all the delicious food before them.

Everyone at the banquet looked at him approvingly.

“Haha, yes. Then why don’t you say a few words, Max? You’re the hero of the day.”

Count Celtrine nodded.

Max raised his glass without hesitation.

“This isn’t my victory. It’s not your victory, Father. It’s everyone’s victory. We were able to achieve this because of everyone’s efforts. But it’s not over yet. A long and difficult road still lies ahead. I intend to overcome those challenges by uniting everyone’s strength, as we have done so far. And I will succeed.”

*Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!*

Applause erupted from the crowd.

Max smiled and said, “So let’s join forces and see this through to the end!”

Yes.

They would see it through to the end.

Until this terrible civil war was over.