Chapter 407: Let the Hunt Begin (3)

Dududududu!

Marquis Rodrick, covered in dust from his hasty retreat, still wore an indignant expression.

"Ugh... ugh...! I, the one destined to be king of this kingdom! Me, running away so pathetically like this!"

It still felt like a dream. Where had the army that once shook the heavens and the earth gone?

He couldn't comprehend how they fought, nor how they had been defeated.

"You idiots! Pathetic fools! Losing such a massive force without even putting up a fight!"

Even as he fled, Marquis Rodrick busied himself berating his generals.

Tenant, who was next to him, had no words to say. After all, most of the plans had been devised by him.

However, the reason they lost was largely due to Marquis Rodrick's impatience, which left no time for proper review of the strategies. It wasn't any single person's fault.

Simply put, Rodrick's vassals were inferior to those on Fenris's side.

"You useless bastards! Losing so badly to such nobodies!"

Marquis Rodrick continued to hurl insults at his own men, unaware of this fact. His vassals could only respond with bitter expressions as they listened to his tirade.

Because they had abandoned the mages and moved with only cavalry, they had managed to flee quite far.

The Perdium army that had been chasing them also seemed to have given up the pursuit, as they were no longer visible.

Tenant halted the army and spoke to Marquis Rodrick.

"We will rest for a moment."

"Do as you wish."

"Though it will be uncomfortable, please endure it for now. Even with just 5,000 troops, the Royalist faction will welcome us. They are in a dire situation right now."

"Five thousand... only five thousand...! Marquis Branford will surely mock me."

Marquis Rodrick, drained from his outbursts, looked utterly exhausted. He seemed to have lost all will, unable to believe the reality before him.

With nothing properly prepared, even resting simply meant collapsing on the ground.

In a feeble voice, Marquis Rodrick spoke.

"I'm hungry. Bring me something to eat."

"..."

"What are you waiting for? Bring me food, now."

"... We didn't prepare any provisions."

"What?! Then you expect me to starve all the way to the capital?"

"Once we leave Fenris's territory, I plan to request some supplies from other lords."

"Ugh... you useless wretches!"

Marquis Rodrick lashed out once more.

Eating was one of his favorite pastimes, and now he was forced to flee without even proper meals.

The miserable state of his situation only fueled his anger.

"Bring me water, at least!"

Thankfully, water was something everyone carried in their pouches, so it could be brought to him quickly.

"Ugh!"

Marquis Rodrick gagged as he drank from a leather pouch. Accustomed to magically purified water, the odor of this water made him feel as if he might die.

"I can't even drink proper water! Have I really been running my estate with fools like you?"

Marquis Rodrick threw the water pouch aside and resumed his ranting.

His vassals, the targets of his tantrum, grew increasingly displeased.

After venting his frustration, Marquis Rodrick sighed and looked up. Suddenly, something caught his eye.

"A raven, of all things, flying around. What bad luck."

A raven circled in the sky above. Others also looked up to see it.

"Id-io-t!"

"Did... did that raven just insult me?"

Already sensitive to insults, Marquis Rodrick grew furious again.

Though the others thought they heard it too, it was absurd to think a raven could talk.

"It must be a mistake."

"A raven can't speak, after all."

"We must have misheard."

However, Marquis Rodrick was relentless in his questioning.

"Isn't it strange that we all heard the same thing? If it wasn't the raven, who was it? Who insulted me? Was it you?"

"N-no, it wasn't me!"

"Then who insulted me? I'll kill every last one of you!"

The composure of the so-called strongest in the west had completely vanished.

During times of retreat, a leader's capability becomes even more crucial. Yet Marquis Rodrick's behavior only served to drain whatever loyalty remained among his men.

Tenant, unable to bear the sight any longer, turned his head. He suddenly noticed something unusual and froze.

"Dust...?"

Others might not see it, but Tenant, known as one of the strongest in the west, spotted faint dust rising far in the distance.

He squinted, observing more closely to discern whether it was a natural phenomenon or caused by human activity.

The dust didn't settle even after some time. It was clearly artificial.

Tenant quickly pressed his ear to the ground, focusing his mana.

Dududududu...

He heard the faint rumble of the earth from far away.

He sprang to his feet and stared in the direction of the noise.

"It's not from the direction we came."

It wasn't the Perdium army pursuing them. They couldn't possibly appear from that direction.

That could only mean it was another enemy.

"Everyone, mount up! Move immediately! The enemy is coming!"

At his words, the knights and cavalry quickly mounted their horses.

Even the bewildered Marquis Rodrick was forced onto his horse.

"I can't see anything! What's going on?"

"The enemy is approaching!"

"But I don't see anything! There's nothing around us!"

"We're moving now! Escort the Marquis!"

There was no time for arguments. As Tenant turned his horse, Rodrick's soldiers gasped in unison.

"Gasp!"

"It's... it's really the enemy!"

"The Fenris army is here!"

Above the heads of the approaching enemy, the Fenris flag fluttered in the wind. Fenris cavalry were charging toward them at a terrifying speed.

"Run with all your might! We can escape!"

Tenant drew his sword and shouted. Rodrick's cavalry tightened their reins, preparing to flee.

"Let's go!"

Dududududu!

Rodrick's army began to move. Though the Fenris cavalry were fast, there was enough distance to escape without clashing.

"Ride faster! Shake them off at all costs!"

Tenant gritted his teeth. If the gap narrowed further, they'd have no choice but to fight.

He glanced sideways. The distance was still sufficient.

'We made it! They can only catch the rear guard at most!'

But just as he thought this, he noticed something about the enemies in the lead.

'Elves?'

The moment he recognized them, the advancing Fenris forces all drew their bows.

"Archers! Ride faster!"

Terrified, Rodrick's troops fled, completely unprepared for the attack of the mounted archers, as they assumed all Fenris archers were confined to Silverlight Fortress.

The rain of arrows was relentless.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Caught off guard, Rodrick's troops could only succumb to the arrows.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

"Arghhh!"

Boom! Crash! Bang!

Soldiers and horses hit by arrows tumbled to the ground, and those running alongside them became entangled and fell as well.

In an instant, the middle ranks of the formation were thrown into chaos.

At the forefront of the Fenris forces, the elf Lumina raised her fist into the air.

Dududududu!

At her signal, the Fenris forces changed direction, chasing after Rodrick's rear guard.

When she raised her bow again, the others followed suit.

Swoosh!

Arrows continued to rain down mercilessly on Rodrick's retreating troops. Those in the middle and rear ranks were helpless against the onslaught.

"Arghhh!"

"Don't stop! Keep riding!"

"We must get out of here!"

Thanks to Tenant's quick judgment, a considerable number of Rodrick's troops managed to escape the battlefield.

Lumina, leading the archers, gradually slowed her pace.

"Stop. We're too late to catch up now. Secure the surviving horses and take the remaining ones as prisoners."

She gave her orders calmly.

Though the so-called strongest in the west had some capable individuals, they had sensed their approach and moved quickly.

'If they had reacted even a little slower, we could've captured Marquis Rodrick.'

Though slightly disappointed, Lumina, who was not overly ambitious, quickly let it go.

"Still, as the head butler said, they're really here."

Currently, Ghislain and Claude were in constant contact through Dark's powers.

Ghislain had scattered Dark's consciousness far and wide, at great mana expense, but he didn't care.

After all, every major threat in this war had essentially been eliminated.

Marquis Rodrick's fleeing troops slowed their pace once they confirmed there was no pursuit.

"Huff, huff... where on earth did those enemies come from?"

Marquis Rodrick gasped, and Tenant replied.

"The elven mounted archers were stationed at Silverlight. It seems they were sent from there."

"Ugh! That's why we should have occupied that place!"

Had they taken Silverlight, those elves would have been theirs to command, and the enemy wouldn't have dared to act so arrogantly.

The thought only deepened his frustration.

"Let's rest now that we've shaken off the pursuit."

"This area is still dangerous. It would be best to move continuously until we're out of the northern region."

"Surely no one else will come after us now."

They had shaken off both the Perdium army and the Silverlight pursuit forces. Count Fenris was still in the west, so there was no one left to chase them.

Still, Tenant shook his head.

"We've lost another 1,000 troops. It's better to leave the north as quickly as possible."

"Fine... I understand."

Marquis Rodrick nodded reluctantly, following Tenant's advice. After all, it was Tenant who had saved him from almost certain death earlier.

Covered in dust and reduced to a rabble of stragglers, they continued their march toward the capital.

Before long, their advance came to a halt.

"Hmm... a canyon."

Tenant frowned slightly. Passing through here would be the fastest way out of the north.

The problem is the ambush. If there is an ambush inside the canyon, it would cause significant damage.

There was no time to send out scouts. Searching the canyon and waiting for reports would take too long.

As Tenant contemplated the situation, Marquis Rodrick spoke.

"Let's just enter the canyon."

"Marquis... the canyon is dangerous…"

"The pursuit force just caught up from Silverlight. If they had the capacity to set up an ambush here beforehand, wouldn't they have already surrounded us?"

"Hmm…"

It was a reasonable point. If Silverlight had sent troops to ambush them here, they would have already been caught long ago.

The mounted archers they encountered earlier were surely the fastest troops Silverlight could dispatch.

"Understood. We will proceed through the canyon immediately."

Tenant's response brought a triumphant smile to Marquis Rodrick's face. He believed his judgment was sharper and more accurate than anyone else's.

Nevertheless, they proceeded cautiously, just in case. But by the time they reached the middle of the canyon, nothing had happened.

Everyone started to relax a bit and moved more comfortably.

"Hahaha, fools. If it were me chasing, I wouldn't have sent those archers but would have ambushed this canyon instead."

Marquis Rodrick laughed arrogantly. It was clear to him now—Fenris's men had won purely by luck. In a proper fight, they wouldn't have stood a chance.

As these thoughts brewed, his anger and frustration grew once more.

"Damn it! One day, I will invade the North again and kill them all—"

"Waaaah!"

Marquis Rodrick's muttering was cut off by a loud war cry.

"W-what is this!"

Rodrick's troops were in disarray. Suddenly, forces emerged from both sides of the canyon.

Someone murmured in shock as they spotted the newly appeared forces.

"F-Fenris Mercenary Corps…"

It wasn't the flag of Fenris's territory but that of the Fenris Mercenary Corps that fluttered. Though separate from the territorial army, they were still allied.

Seeing them, Rodrick's troops turned pale.

"Why are they here…?"

"When did they set this up!"

As they floundered in confusion, someone from the mercenary side shouted.

"Fire!"

Swoosh!

Thousands of arrows rained down on Rodrick's troops.

"Arghhh!"

"Charge forward!"

"Break through the canyon!"

Under attack in the narrow canyon, evasion became even harder. With no other option, Rodrick's troops abandoned resistance and began running.

"Run! Quickly!"

Tenant, dragging along the bewildered Marquis Rodrick, shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice hoarse.

If they weren't careful, they could be completely annihilated within the canyon.

"Damn it!"

Tenant gritted his teeth as he ran. Up ahead was a path that descended from the upper cliffs.

From that path, countless mercenaries began pouring down to block their escape.

At their forefront was the Drake Mercenary Corps, hailing from the West.

"Kill Marquis Rodrick!"

The leader of the Drake Mercenary Corps, Dominic, roared, his voice reverberating through the canyon.

"Waaaaah!"

The mercenaries let out a fierce battle cry as they charged at Rodrick's troops.

Tenant, too, unsheathed his sword and shouted loudly.

"Break through!"

There was no intent to fight. Fighting in this narrow canyon held no advantage. If things went awry, Marquis Rodrick could be killed.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

True to his reputation as the West's finest sword, Tenant cut through the mercenaries as he pushed forward. His equestrian skills were also unmatched in the West.

Marquis Rodrick and a few of his vassals clung closely to Tenant, following him desperately.

"Marquis Rodrick!"

Dominic, with fierce eyes, chased after them. However, he was blocked by the escort knights and soldiers following Tenant.

"Out of my way!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Dominic, who had improved greatly after meeting Ghislain, now possessed better mana cultivation techniques and swordsmanship. With the help of abundant rune stones and mana concentration circles, he had grown even stronger.

Using his newfound power, he cut down Rodrick's knights and soldiers with ease.

"It's time to avenge our brothers!"

Dominic shouted, and the other members of the Drake Mercenary Corps echoed his cry.

"It's time to avenge our brothers!"

Their shouts reverberated through the canyon, as if it would collapse from the noise. Naturally, Marquis Rodrick, fleeing for his life, could hear it too.

"Those filthy, lowly mercenaries dare come after me!"

The Drake Mercenary Corps had become the catalyst for this war. Yet now, being chased by them was infuriating beyond measure.

"Tenant! Tenant! Are we to flee even from these wretched mercenaries?"

"..."

Tenant did not respond to Marquis Rodrick's cries. For now, escaping this canyon took priority.

But Marquis Rodrick felt differently.

"Tenant! Kill those wretched scum at once!"

As Marquis Rodrick continued to rant, Tenant suddenly turned back, his face filled with rage, and threw his sword.

Thud!

"Eek!"

Marquis Rodrick was so startled he nearly fell off his horse.

The person hit by Tenant's sword was one of Rodrick's escort knights. That knight had been about to stab Marquis Rodrick.

"G-gurgle…"

The knight, his neck half-severed, fell from his horse.

Tenant gripped his reins tightly and spoke firmly.

"Marquis, focus solely on escaping."

"U-understood."

Marquis Rodrick replied in a subdued voice. Even his escort knights had turned against him. He now fully grasped just how precarious his life was.

Dududududu!

Thanks to Tenant's efforts, the vanguard of Rodrick's forces barely managed to escape the canyon.

However, screams continued to echo from behind.

"Arghhhh!"

"Spare me!"

"I surrender! I surrender!"

The Drake Mercenary Corps, fueled by pent-up rage, showed no mercy.

In the end, Rodrick's forces suffered near-total annihilation.

"Marquis Rodrick!"

Having crushed Rodrick's forces, Dominic shouted loudly, continuing his pursuit of the marquis. The Drake Mercenary Corps followed close behind.

Their determination to capture and kill Marquis Rodrick was palpable.

Tenant ignored it all, focusing solely on running. Marquis Rodrick, drenched in sweat, followed silently, unable to complain any longer.

But they soon had to stop.

They had barely exited the canyon when they encountered another army blocking their path.

The enemy had formed an extended line, their numbers easily exceeding ten thousand.

Tenant's face darkened as he recognized the man at the front.

"They've already reached the North…"

Mounted on a black horse, with a lance casually resting in hand, and a confident smile on his face—

Count Fenris, hailed as the strongest in the North, was blocking the canyon's exit.

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