Chapter 331

“Charge!”

The eastern army charged in unison.

The sight of seventy-seven thousand soldiers charging across the field was truly overwhelming.

*Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!*

The ground trembled as they advanced, their footsteps like thunder.

“Fire!”

“Volley!”

The Celtrine allied forces responded with catapults and arrows.

Boulders flew through the air, and a rain of arrows filled the sky.

*BOOOOOM!*

*CRASH!*

Eastern army soldiers were crushed beneath the boulders, their bodies turned into mangled corpses.

But those who died instantly were the lucky ones.

“Aaaaaargh!”

“Ugh!”

The screams of agony from the soldiers who were mortally wounded and writhing on the ground like crushed insects echoed across the battlefield.

But there was no one to help them.

They could only charge forward.

Because they knew that there was no other way.

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

Arrows rained down on them.

It was a terrifying sight, but it was still better than the monstrous catapult’s attack.

Because they could defend against it.

“Shields up!”

The eastern army soldiers raised their shields and continued their advance.

*Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank!*

Arrows bounced off their shields.

But they couldn’t block them all.

*Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!*

“Ugh!”

“Gah!”

Eastern army soldiers fell to the ground, arrows protruding from their vital points.

Their comrades trampled over their bodies and continued their advance.

It wasn’t cruelty.

They knew that if they stopped now, their entire army would suffer heavy losses.

*BOOOOOM!*

*BOOOOOM!*

The monstrous catapult continued to bombard them, trying to stop their advance.

But even that monstrous weapon couldn’t stop them.

Their eyes burning with determination, they charged forward.

Their momentum was terrifying.

“R-Ran, we’re running out of boulders…”

“Just fire them all! We have to reduce their numbers as much as possible!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

*Whoosh!*

*Boom!*

The remaining boulders rained down on the eastern army.

Ran stared at the scene, her eyes filled with thought.

‘I’ve done my part. Now it’s up to…’

She clasped her hands together.

‘I trust them.’

* * *

The Celtrine allied forces tried to inflict as much damage as possible with their ranged weapons.

But the eastern army finally broke through their lines.

“Heh, that’s the eastern army I know. Now this is a real fight.”

Duncan, the red-haired beastman, grinned, holding a large shield in one hand and his twin axes raised high in the other.

“Our role is crucial. I wish you all luck.”

Milia said calmly, her expression serious.

Her words were true.

The resident unit, the elite of the Celtrine army, had been tasked with holding the center of the front line.

If they collapsed, the entire army would collapse.

They had to stand firm and serve as the linchpin of their defense.

“Let’s all meet again alive.”

Norman said, his voice calm but filled with emotion.

Finally, Gwen, their leader, shouted, his voice filled with uncharacteristic passion, “I believe in us! Nothing can stop us, the survivors of hell! We will win this battle! We will survive!”

“Yes, we will win!”

“We will survive!”

“We are invincible!”

The resident unit roared, their morale soaring.

They were the best unit in the empire, capable of maintaining their morale in any situation.

The eastern army was upon them.

“Die!”

“Victory is ours!”

“We’ll kill you all!”

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

Swords clashed against shields, and spears against armor.

A fierce melee ensued.

* * *

Meanwhile,

On the right flank, along the river, another fierce battle was about to begin.

Two of Max’s juniors, who had shared countless life-or-death experiences with him, were stationed there.

“…I-I’m nervous, Camian.”

Annette said, her body trembling with a mix of fear and excitement.

She had followed Max and survived countless dangerous situations.

Hordes of monsters, hordes of undead, groups of dark mages, and even a secret dark organization. They were all terrifying enemies.

Those experiences had made her much stronger than she used to be.

But she still couldn’t shake off her nervousness.

“It’s a natural human emotion, Annette. What matters is that you do your best. And I know you can.”

Camian said, trying to reassure his girlfriend.

Max might have been the one achieving all the heroic feats that the protagonist should have been achieving, but Camian hadn’t been slacking off either.

He had performed his duties admirably in every battle, and he had earned the respect of the Celtrine army as someone worthy of being Max’s junior.

He was constantly growing and improving.

It was the result of his efforts to emulate Max.

“Camian…”

Annette’s eyes welled up with tears.

It was then that,

“You two look cute together, but this isn’t the time or place for that.”

“Eek?!”

“P-Professor.”

Annette and Camian were flustered by Regina’s words.

They felt embarrassed, as if they were being treated like children.

“He told me to protect his cute juniors, no matter what.”

“C-Cough! Cough!”

“Ugh…”

Camian and Annette blushed.

“But I told him that his juniors are capable adults who can handle themselves.”

“Professor…”

“So I don’t see you as people who need protection. I see you as people I can trust.”

Regina’s words were more encouraging than any words of comfort.

She was indeed a worthy student council president and professor.

“So show me what you can do.”

“Yes, Professor!”

“We’ll do our best!”

Camian and Annette’s morale soared as the enemy finally reached their position.

* * *

On the left flank, along the mountains,

Max, the commander-in-chief, was stationed there.

Along with the Celtrine Knights.

It was a strategic deployment.

Because neither flank could afford to collapse.

They had to hold their ground until the “hammer” arrived from behind the enemy lines.

If even one flank collapsed, everything would be over.

It was a situation that would make anyone nervous.

Especially ordinary soldiers.

But the soldiers on the left flank weren’t panicking.

Because Max, their commander-in-chief, was fighting alongside them, at the forefront of the battle.

They could sense his unwavering determination and his sense of responsibility.

It boosted their morale.

“Sir Hank.”

“Yes, Young Master!”

“Tonight, we’ll have a victory celebration.”

“I’ll be sure to pour you the first drink!”

Hank, the captain of the Celtrine Knights, said enthusiastically.

“Good.”

Max smiled faintly and drew his sword.

“Bring it on!”

He roared, his voice booming towards the approaching eastern army.

* * *

“Damn it, those bastards!”

Arhin, who was leading the charge, frowned.

“T-They’re strong!”

“W-Why aren’t they collapsing?!”

The eastern army soldiers were panicking.

It was understandable.

They were launching wave after wave of attacks, but the enemy was holding firm in the center, like an impenetrable wall.

And at the heart of that defense was a single unit.

A unit with a cute turtle emblem on their flag.

The Turtle Unit, as the Crown Prince’s forces called them.

The elite of the elite of the Celtrine army, who had repeatedly defeated the Imperial City’s forces led by the Imperial Knights.

The eastern army had heard the rumors.

But this was the first time they had faced them in battle.

Well, it was technically the first time they had seen them in action.

Because they had been hiding their true strength during the raids.

“D-Damn it, they’re this strong…?”

“Ugh, where did these elite soldiers come from…?”

The rumors were true.

No, they were actually understatements.

The Turtle Unit was defending like an impenetrable wall.

They were like a wall made of human flesh.

“Damn it! Don’t panic! We’re the best warriors in the east! The best!”

Arhin shouted, trying to calm his soldiers.

“How long do you think they can hold out?! They’ll get tired eventually! Keep pushing! We can break through!”

The eastern army’s morale recovered somewhat.

But it was clear that they were struggling to gain the upper hand.

On that battlefield.

* * *

On the right flank,

Another fierce battle was raging.

It was a difficult battlefield for the Celtrine army, since they didn’t have elite units like the Turtle Unit or the Celtrine Knights.

But they were holding their ground.

Because of a single person.

A person who was a beacon of hope to her allies and a source of terror to her enemies.

“D-Die, you monster!”

An eastern army soldier thrust his spear at Regina, his eyes filled with fear.

He wasn’t alone.

Two, three, no, five soldiers attacked her at once.

But their spears missed, as if she was a ghost.

Regina dodged their attacks with her exquisite footwork, her movements like a phantom.

And then,

Her sword flashed.

*Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!*

Four eastern army soldiers’ heads flew off, as if they were made of butter.

It was so surreal that it felt like a cruel joke.

“Eek?!”

A brave eastern army soldier collapsed to the ground, his legs giving way.

He had never experienced such terror before.

“D-Don’t come near me!”

He crawled backwards, his face contorted with fear.

*Thud!*

It wasn’t Regina’s Frostbite Sword that killed him, but a Cavern knight’s spear.

“You pathetic fool! The eastern army never retreats! Anyone who retreats will die by my hand!”

The knight’s execution of his comrade boosted the morale of the eastern army.

But the knight knew that it was only a temporary solution.

They had to eliminate the root cause.

That northern monster.

At that moment,

Duke Cavern, who had been observing the battle from afar, suddenly stood up.

He had made a decision.

“Captain.”

“Yes, Your Excellency!”

“Send half of the reserve knights to deal with the Knight of Zephyr.”

“Y-Yes, sir?!”

The Cavern Knights, the best knight order in the east.

Five hundred elite soldiers, handpicked from the best warriors in the east.

Four hundred of them were currently engaged in a fierce battle, and the remaining one hundred were waiting in reserve, ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice.

It meant,

That fifty knights would be sent to deal with a single person.

It was unprecedented.

It was an insult to a warrior’s pride.

“B-But…”

The knight commander stammered, even though he always obeyed orders without question.

But,

The Duke’s voice was cold.

“She’s a worthy opponent, and we have to eliminate her quickly. Or do you have a better plan?”

“…”

The knight commander fell silent.

He didn’t have a better plan.

“…As you command.”

He moved out.

* * *

The Celtrine army also sensed the arrival of the fifty Cavern knights.

They were emanating a powerful aura, unlike any enemy they had faced before.

“P-Professor!”

Annette said, her voice filled with worry.

“I’ll help you!”

Camian tried to join the fight.

But Regina stopped them.

“No, it’s fine. The longer I can hold them here, the more time it’ll buy for the other battlefields.”

“Professor…”

“The sword of Erenbert will not be broken.”

*Whoosh!*

For the first time, she uttered the name of her sword.

The sound of a cold and heavy blizzard.

It was a noisy battlefield, but her voice somehow reached everyone’s ears.

That special sword name.

It meant that Regina Erenbert was getting serious.

To save everyone.

To achieve victory.

“Bring it on.”

Her voice, as cold as ice, echoed across the battlefield.