Chapter 105

"Oh, those bastards from Orod. And him? He ordered to finish off the wounded without a second thought. And then joyfully watched as the torn bodies of knights scattered into pieces.

"Your Eminence, what are your orders?"

"Your Eminence!!"

Seeing that the Duke did not react, the captain of his retinue took command upon himself and ordered the reserves to strike at the infantry advancing across the bridge. A hundred heavy cavalry, seizing pikes, charged towards the target, followed by three hundred mercenaries from the caravan guard. And finally, the paladins. The captain held back the remaining two hundred of the ducal retinue under his command. The peasant and city militia were left untouched, standing in astonishment and watching the entire battle.

The armored knights, gaining a slight but significant acceleration, toppled the infantry that had crossed the bridge into the river. But they couldn't dislodge everyone. A melee ensued. People fell from the bridge repeatedly. The terrible melee was now killing more than the enemy's steel. And the icy water carried away its victims. The Orad's retreated. Elur's paladins easily leaped across the river and engaged in battle on the left bank. Behind them, the knights followed across the bridge with the mercenaries.

Baron Gunther drew his sword and strode towards the bridge, leading his last reserve—the personal retinue. There was no retreat. The battle was lost. Neither the archmage nor the company of royal paladins had made any difference. He had no army left. Certainly, he would now shatter the Elur's here; the paladins would sweep away the cursed crossbowmen and strike from behind, but the battle was lost. Uselessly and completely. He shouldn't have played at chivalry and should have given the archmage orders right away, but he decided to show off and defeat the enemy according to all the rules.

"You old fool!"

Unlike Baron lost in his thoughts, the archmage saw everything. He had laid out completely, deploying several of the most powerful spells, one of which was cast beyond the possible range. Only another mage could understand the skill with which it was done. It was a pity there was no one to appreciate it. All around were only incompetents and weaklings.

And he had spent half of his strength on destroying such dangerous enemies as the crossbowmen with artifacts. He utilized all his art and talent as a mage, surpassing himself and yet didn't kill! And now he saw perfectly well how paladins were dying on a low hill.

Here a paladin received an "Air Fist" in the chest and was thrown several meters back, and his opponent swiftly caught up with him in a leap, driving a sword into his abdomen, and then, for some reason, bent over the fallen enemy and froze for several seconds.

There an Elur's grabbed a man by the neck and lifted him with an outstretched arm, again pausing for several seconds before tossing the lifeless body aside. And a warrior with a six-pointer defended himself against three paladins at once, he was faster than them, and soon all of them were defeated. He pierced one of the fallen with a spike and for some reason stuck his hand into the wound.

Ceasing to try to understand the logic of the enemy's actions, the archmage turned back and walked down the road, past frightened wagoners and laborers, past surviving horses and the carts they were harnessed to. A warhorse harnessed to a cart? This campaign had seen more fantastic sights.

It was time to save his own skin. Archmage Godius tucked the crystal of power into the pocket of his warm mantle. There was no need to use it now. It could come in handy on the return journey over the pass. Of course, he could have depleted the crystal and with a couple of "Fire Meteors" destroyed the remnants of the Elur's, but why bother? It wouldn't change anything; the battle and the war were lost.

A loud, piercing trumpet sound made the mage freeze in place. He had noticed people emerging from the forest immediately, but the weak combat spells directed at them were reflected by a "mirror." And then darkness struck him on the head.

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