CHAPTER 149

Sigmund, who had been trying to restore order for a while, could feel a black shadow swiftly passing by his side.

Blonde hair and blue eyes.

The striking figure was unmistakably familiar, even without anyone nearby to explain. The name came to mind readily.

"That... that..."

Vlad of Shoara.

The northern brat who dared take his son's sword.

"What kind of crazy bastard is he!"

And now, the guy who was causing all this madness.

Even if his formation was a mess, this damn brat knew how to exploit any gap in our defenses.

If it weren't for the fact that he was the enemy, his acrobatic movements would almost be entertaining to watch amidst the chaos. But Sigmund couldn't afford to be distracted, because every time that bastard moved, it tore apart the carefully constructed formation.

"Ha..."

Sigmund was more shocked by Vlad's actions than by Bayezid's cavalry who had just charged in.

While the attack was somewhat expected, what Vlad was doing now was unprecedented.

-What's that... suddenly popping out from behind!

-Did the castle gate open? Is this for real?

The knight of Bayezid, who appeared and vanished like lightning, as if he could easily stir up trouble whenever he pleased.

Unintentionally, Vlad's actions became a catalyst, throwing a stone into the pond of unease that Sigmund had been desperately trying to calm.

Like ripples spreading across a lake, the soldiers' uneasy murmurs slowly spread through the Gaider army.

※※※※

Vlad sprinted alone from the enemy lines, racing across the green meadow.

The open space between Gaidar and Bayezid, which no one could reach, was giving Vlad an unknown sense of liberation.

"······!"

However, his smile of liberation was short-lived. Soon, Vlad was pressing his body against Noir's back and holding his breath.

The scent of impending danger began to waft through the air.

"Shoot! If not now, we may never get another chance like this!"

With someone's shout, the sky filled with ominous arrows.

Vlad had to grit his teeth as he felt the shadows falling behind him and above his head.

The subtle gap Vlad had created bought Bayezid more time, and Peter's piercing gaze didn't miss it.

Aaaagh!

Raise the shields! Shields up!

The ground was green, but the sky was pitch black, and where the black rain had passed, someone's blood began to gather and form a bright red puddle.

The world that emerged from the narrow gap was undoubtedly vast, but it was still as brutal as ever.

"Reveal your identity!"

"Bayezid! Bayezid's knight, Vlad! I brought a message from Lord Josef!"

The arrows fell fiercely, as if they had been waiting for him to come out.

Vlad, who had crossed over with Noir, handed a sealed letter to the soldiers shouting for him to reveal himself.

The letter, personally written by Josef, contained invaluable information beyond what could be contained in a mere magic message or the crow's letter.

"Let him through."

The sentence written in the letter revealed his affiliation, and the direction he emerged from the gap affirmed Vlad's loyalty.

For someone like him, rigorous identity verification was nothing but a waste of time.

"Please follow."

The center of the formation moved according to the soldier's guidance.

The first thing that caught Vlad's eyes there was Bayezid's flag fluttering in the wind.

The sturdy walls of Sturma greeted Vlad.

"I have come at the behest of Lord Josef. My name is Vlad."

It was a field without even a tent erected, but it had a more serious atmosphere than anywhere else.

Countless knights gazed at him as if he was walking on the red carpet.

Through the path they slowly opened, familiar black eyes began to look at Vlad.

"Well done, Vlad, knight of Josef."

Peter carefully examined the knight sent by his son.

Despite efforts to compose himself, Vlad's shoulders twitched slightly, and his armor, heavily dented, bore witness to his time on the battlefield.

"Both you and Josef... Were there any injuries?"

"No. I am well."

Vlad's immediate response put Peter somewhat at ease, despite not showing it outwardly.

"Thank goodness."

The blue blood of nobility prompted Peter to choose the most efficient course of action, but even so, his heart did not become cold.

Certainly, he had worried for his frail son, yet he also felt pride.

"500 men."

After confirming his son's well-being with a firmly written note, Peter handed the letter Vlad had brought to Antalas, the knight commander.

It was a report sent not by his son but by Deomar's commander, Josef.

The report said that only 500 soldiers would be able to get out of the gates.

"Hmm."

However, what caught Peter's eye more than the number 500 was a single line of commentary written at the bottom of the report.

"....You want a duel with Godin?"

"Yes."

At Peter's subdued voice, the gazes of the knights serving him began to twitch.

Was he referring to Godin, the commander of Gaider's knights?

"I don't mean to disregard you, but the difference between you and him might be insurmountable."

It was so faint that Vlad could not notice it, but Bayezid's knights, who had served Peter for a long time, could.

The fact that their lord was smiling now.

"Do as you wish. I cannot say you lack the qualifications."

It was indeed the imposing presence of the Northern spirit he hadn't seen in a long time.

Even after the brilliant golden age of Bayezid had passed, there was no reason to refuse the young knight who was now challenging the towering walls once again.

Possibility is a beautiful thing, and young things that try to make it bloom have always been precious beings.

※※※※

"Damn bastard!"

The soldiers of Gaider climbed up the slippery hill.

Though they had managed to form a solid formation, Sigmund found himself cursing profanities in frustration as he crawled back into the chaos once again.

"Peter Bayezid! You don't get any relief even if you chew on it!"

The northern monarch used Deomar as bait to create confusion and took advantage of the opportunity to cause deep wounds.

Now he was firmly entrenched on the hill and forcing Sigmund to make a choice.

You come in first.

And I came well prepared.

The supply route was blocked, the retreat route was cut off, and now Peter was forcing Sigmund to make a sacrifice until the very end.

The ruthless cruelty he displayed even made Sigmund, the usurper of the West, tremble.

"Damn barbarians!"

Despite the disadvantage, they had to press forward.

As time passed, the disadvantage would fall on Gaider's side.

Since it was simply an untenable situation, Sigmund had to somehow break through the army in front of him and create a path towards the West.

"To the spear infantry!"

And thus, they faced off against the Northern soldiers.

The axes flash beyond the tightly stacked shield wall.

It was as if they had inherited the savagery of their ancestors who had raided cities while sailing down the river.

Damn it! My spear broke!

Those who lost their weapons, fall back!

Ahh! Those lunatics are throwing axes!

An evenly matched fight.

However, the difference in depleted strength and morale was already an irreparable gap, so the screams could only be on Gaider's side.

"Bayezid! Forward!"

Men with mixed blood of barbarians.

Though it was a phrase full of discrimination and contempt, what couldn't be denied was the cruelty emanating from the blood.

"How dare these bastards challenge us!"

"Die! Die!"

The ferocity of the men who had to maintain their hot temper even in the freezing northern winds was undoubtedly more barbaric and brutal than people from any other region.

The madness of the North, which was difficult to express with just tactics and strategy, was being conveyed through their axes.

'As expected!'

Sigmund, who continuously encouraged his soldiers, gritted his teeth as he watched the bloodshed ahead.

Indeed, facing the Northern infantry with just the Western spear infantry was an impossible task.

If it was a fight between infantry units, finding troops strong enough to defeat them would be difficult even within the Empire.

"Hold on a little longer! Our time will come for sure!"

Yet Sigmund kept pushing his soldiers toward the front line without pause.

If there were savage axemen in the North, they were also cavalrymen who crossed the rugged wastelands in the West.

"If we hold off these bastards, our momentum will return!"

Given the natural development of cavalry in the Western region, it was only natural that their cavalry would be formidable opponents for the Northern cavalry.

Moreover, the mid-level troops in the West, equipped with gear plundered from the dwarves, were undoubtedly formidable opponents for the Northern cavalry.

The reason Peter deliberately took a position on the muddy grassland was because he was concerned about their attack.

'All it takes is one shot!'

In the current situation where everything was crumbling, relying on the most certain method seemed to be the best option.

Therefore, Sigmund decided to overcome this crisis through selection and concentration.

Through the spearheads of Gaider's prized cavalry.

※※※※

The ground is sticky, and the sound of hoofbeats is getting heavier.

Along with the summer weather, the sticky plains of Deomar were undoubtedly unfamiliar battlefields for the Western knights.

"The enemy is responding!"

Godin inwardly cursed the truly insane battlefield they had chosen.

The speed is dwindling.

But there might be something they can do.

Because they've put everything into this attack.

"Bayezid cavalry is charging on the right!"

"Ignore them!"

The cavalry's charge is like a barrage of arrows.

From the moment they leave until they reach the enemy, they cannot afford to stop.

Knowing this, the Gaider cavalry charged without a moment's hesitation toward the soldiers pushing their shields forward.

Crack!

A loud sound of shields breaking.

Along with it, the screams that followed were all too familiar to them.

'As expected!'

There are attacks that you know you can't stop even if you try.

For Gaider, the cavalry charge was always a surefire formula for victory, and that's why Sigmund believed without a doubt that through this single attack, they could break through the enemy lines.

"······?"

However, as Godin led the charge, he felt an odd sensation at the tip of his spear, causing his fingertips to grow colder little by little.

'Not enough!'

Though he had made contact, there was a sense of lacking.

He needed to thrust for much longer, but the spear felt strangely empty, not hitting anything solid.

"Damn it!"

Looking beyond the spear's tip, Godin realized where this strange sensation was coming from.

An angle cleverly hidden by the curved hill.

It was only now that he was faced with an unrecognizable formation below.

'Diagonal formation!'

Though he thought they were in a straight line, Bayezid's soldiers were actually arranged diagonally.

Only precise targeting could deliver a solid impact, but Gaider's charge, now tilted, could only follow the direction they were being led by the slowly erected shield wall.

"We need to flank them now…!"

Being the most confident meant being able to respond most effectively.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"······!"

The Bayezid cavalry, suddenly sticking close, began to deprive Gaider of the space to maneuver, becoming another wall for them to overcome.

"You've been flying high for too long."

A red world was flowing through his closed left eye.

Rutger Bayezid.

A man almost certain to be the next head of the family.

"Push through! We can't afford to give them space!"

"Damn it!"

On the right, there were infantry shield walls.

On the left, Bayezid's cavalry followed closely.

Thus, waiting at the narrowing entrance of the funnel-like formation were the Bayezid knights, exuding an extraordinary momentum.

Each of them had their left eye closed.

"Bring them to me! Knights!"

The lord and knight, Peter, aimed his sword at the charging cavalry.

"Their necks! The end of those who dare to defy Bayezid!"

A charge toward destruction.

While the knights of the West hastened to confront them with their own world, the target of the Bayezid knights was not them.

Hiiiiing-!

Aghhh!

The cries of horses losing their legs began to echo loudly across the meadow's hills.

The separated knees were struggling in vain toward the ground they could no longer reach.

"Ugh!"

Horses falling to the ground with a heavy sound.

The movements of the knights struggling above them were rising high into the sky.

The charge of the Western forces, now losing momentum, began to stall in front of the Northern knights.

"Bayezid Knights!"

The cavalry, now unable to function as cavalry without their mounts, faced the onslaught of the cold northern wind.

"Forward!"

Locked in a gaze upon the still ground, it was now the time for the knights.

[T/L: Read more chapters here: - https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]