episode_0303

* * *

In place of Yuuri, who was busy praying at the altar every day, it was Epinel’s job to command the troops before the battle with Serpina’s army.

Since they were exhausted from building the altar, rather than providing special training, they were managing the morale of the soldiers by simply maintaining basic discipline and providing them with ample time to rest.

Epinel was unmanned. He was a man who knew much more about how to deal with soldiers than Vanessa, who had once been a strategist for the Karelian army, and so he avoided any reckless actions such as imposing strict discipline when he was not even given more money.

However, it was impossible for the soldiers not to accumulate dissatisfaction with the country that did not pay them a proper price despite being mobilized for unreasonable tasks, and a considerable number of soldiers deserted the ranks. Epinel also knew well that it was unreasonable to demand one-sided loyalty from soldiers who were not even armed in these troubled times.

Instead of money, what she utilized was Serpina’s presence.

“You don’t think you can live with your heart intact while kneeling before a fucking bitch like Serpina, do you!”

Perhaps it was her notoriety that helped raise the morale of the soldiers to some extent –

In fact, it was also a clear fact that the soldiers’ evaluation of Serpina had been changing slightly recently.

“My relatives at the Alkanwood Castle say that the fairness of the government has improved even more than during the Bran’s time… … .”

“My married sister said that since her husband’s family lives in the northern part of the country, they can receive relief supplies when diseases spread.”

―If, leaving everything aside, the subjects under his rule are satisfied, is he really a tyrant?

It may be an extremely radical and bold idea to have in this day and age – but even so, these were troubled times, times when such outrageous imaginations were permitted.

Fortunately for Epinel, one or two good deeds or anecdotes were not enough to wash away the evil karma engraved on Serpina’s name.

If public opinion had been just a little more favorable toward her, she would have been forced to kneel before Serpina in a humiliating manner that bordered on surrender, without even receiving a single proper training session.

No matter how excellent the weapons are, if there are no soldiers, battles, or even wars, cannot be waged. This was an iron rule she had learned over and over again even before she began working as an academy instructor.

As she was passing the time by somehow recruiting soldiers, news was delivered to her from intelligence.

“Really? You mean you built a fortress around the castle of Valharat?”

“Yes. And, we have received information from multiple sources that troops are being gathered there.”

If it were in that location, it would be possible to invade Rakline Castle instead of Valharat Castle –

Of course, it made sense to assume that they would advance straight to the capital, Balharat.

Even if it wasn’t to the extent of completely abandoning the castle like Chell, dividing the soldiers into each territory ahead of Serpina’s great army was the same as begging to be killed individually, so most of the soldiers except for the minimum number of troops had long ago been gathered at Valharat Castle.

At this point, with more than half of the existing forces having been consumed in the war against the plague and the Chel army, the fact that they were only able to scrape together a handful had not changed.

“What would you like to do?”

“I guess we should start preparing for battle. Is there any news of someone who appears to be a wizard?”

“Yes. Right now… … .”

“Okay. If there’s anything unusual, report it right away.”

“Net!”

After the soldier left.

Epinel’s adjutant, who had been serving in the Aesir Army for quite some time, cautiously asked her a question.

“Excuse me, General Epinel. Are you thinking of a siege?”

“Because that’s the smartest way.”

“But if you lock the gate, isn’t there a chance that you’ll be unilaterally attacked by the wizard? I’m worried about that… … ”

“Well, you could think that way, but – in my personal opinion, I think that wizards might not be that omnipotent.”

“Is that so?”

Epinel nodded and said.

“Think about it. If there were wizards, wouldn’t it be most reasonable to just put them in front in every battle and fight with their abilities alone? But Serpina isn’t doing that. Whether it was the battle with Chelgun, or the process of suppressing the rebellion in the north… … At any given point in time, it’s reasonable to assume that the role of the hundreds of thousands of troops was much greater than that of the wizards. If wizards were such absolute beings, why bother mobilizing soldiers? ”

“What do you mean… … ?”

“It would be reasonable to assume that there is some kind of penalty that we are unaware of. In the end, it is something that they can only use as a secret weapon.”

Epinel’s reasoning was, in a very fundamental sense, close to correct.

I don’t know if there’s a penalty or not, but if the wizard is that useful and useful and a near-invincible being, he should be doing a lot more and bigger things than he is now, and if he isn’t, there must be some blind spot that we don’t know about―and considering Serphina is worried about Reika’s lifespan and doesn’t want to use her to her full potential, it was pretty much a hit anyway.

“I see… … The general is truly amazing. I heard that Cheol-kun was afraid of the magician and went out to intercept him out of nowhere, but was defeated and destroyed… … .”

“It’s nothing great. If I were truly great, I would have done something before the country’s downfall. Like, I could have brought Yuuri back to his senses, or devised a strategy to ease Anima’s worries. But I couldn’t do that. ”

“General… … .”

“That was a long, pointless speech. Go and tell the soldiers and officers to gather at the barracks. I have something to tell them.”

“Yes!”

Epinel thought as he watched the adjutant’s back as he returned.

The reason for the siege was not only because of the certainty that there would be a penalty for wizards as well.

In fact, there is no such thing as a penalty, and using magic to target our troops stationed in the castle was actually half-desired. No, perhaps it wouldn’t be wrong to say that that was the real goal.

If you use magic, you can figure out where it’s coming from. Considering the eyewitness accounts of past battles, you should definitely be able to figure it out.

‘I’d rather use magic. If I could find out about the wizard’s existence. If I could somehow figure out the wizard’s location—’

-You can kill a wizard.

At least you can kill a wizard.

With that, the real plan of Epinel, which he had not revealed to anyone, was to deliver the final, irreversible blow to the Serpina Army.

At first I thought Swen was a wizard… … but from what I heard from Anima a while ago, it seems like Swen really isn’t a wizard.

In that case, it was highly likely that the pink-haired woman who had made an appearance in the Serpina Army was a magician.

No, it doesn’t matter who it is. If I could just capture the moment when someone uses magic, I would kill them, no matter who they are.

‘I will never… … I will never let Serpina take over. Even if it means dying in the end, I will do whatever it takes… … ‘

If you wish to destroy the Aesir Army, you too will have to pay the price.

With that thought in mind, Epinel walked towards the barracks.

* * *

Epinel was speaking in a very serious tone to the soldiers and officers of the Aesir army who were inspecting on the platform of the barracks.

“As you all know, there is a very high chance that we will not win this battle. No, it may be possible to say with certainty that we will not win. Nevertheless, you have not lost your spirit and stayed in your homes or given up the battle and returned to your hometown, but have come out here. And I believe that you also know very well what that action means.”

Although no one spoke up at Epinel’s words, a feeling of sympathy was still rising among the people gathered there.

―We are now going to die. Everyone here, at least, did not know that staying meant death.

“They say that it is a natural virtue for those who are living off the country to sacrifice their lives for the country, but even so, we have encountered countless people who changed their minds when they actually saw death. That is why I want to thank them for making such a difficult decision.”

“We may not survive. However, I guarantee that the pride of our souls in never giving up on the vicious and cruel murderer Serpina will continue to burn brightly on this continent after our lives are over, and eventually burn brightly enough to burn the witch Serpina at the stake.”

“So, I will make a shameless request. Stay with me until the end. If you decide to stay with me, I, my lord, and our Aesir Army will never give up on you!”

Wow!

Was it a way to somehow shake off the instinctive fear of death that he felt?

He shouted so loudly that everyone, including you, were told to leave the castle of Balharat.

Yuuri, who heard the soldiers’ shouts while praying, closes her eyes and conveys her feelings to her comrades.

‘Ernandoff. Emma. Please. Please, please give us strength… …!!!’

* * *

And a few days later.

“What… … ??”

As Epinel prepared for the final battle with a determined mind, unbelievable news reached his ears.

“The Serpina Army’s fortress… … has completely collapsed! It is presumed that all the soldiers have been annihilated! There is news that the Serpina Army is hastily withdrawing from the front line and is attempting a retreat… … !!”