Volume 8, Chapter 5 - The Rose Princess and the White Night King, Part 2
“Isn’t it about time we took advantage of the blind spot…?”
This was said by Kaet, the second-in-command of the elected army, who was heading toward the Grantz’ main camp from the left side of the Nidavellir camp. He was a young, thick bearded Dwarf, approximately twenty-four years old this year.
“Ando-sama, I think we’ve come far enough.”
Kaet said to the commander who was running alongside him.
“Yes. If we can get this close, we should have no problem. All we have to do now is see how much they will be distracted.”
The commander, Ando, looking at the Grantz’ main camp built on top of a hill that could be seen from behind a forest, laughed.
“I just received a message from the main camp, and it seems that the main battle has not yet been settled.”
“Of course, we would be in trouble if the battle was settled so quickly. Besides, the main army comprises people who have their families taken hostage. They will fight desperately.”
When Ando cleared his throat in amusement, Kaet smiled happily as well.
“But if they find out that their families have been sold into slavery, they will be very angry.”
“Then I will have to return the human women in my custody.”
Kaet remembered the time he visited his mansion.
If his memory was not mistaken, there were no hostages in his mansion.
“Was there any hostage? It didn’t seem like anyone was there when I visited before.”
“Oh, they’re in the ground.”
Commander Ando pointed to the ground from his horse.
“You’re keeping them underground, huh…? well, considering the possibility of them escaping, that might be better.”
Kaet was convinced alone, but Commander Ando waved his hand in front of his face that it was different.
“They cried and screamed, so I buried them in the ground.”
He was smiling so fiercely that even Kaet couldn’t stop himself from opening his mouth.
Even Kaet, a member of the “elected army,” did not like other races.
However, he didn’t really hate them either. Above all, he did not possess a shred of the brutality of the commander, Ando. Ignoring Kaet’s reaction, Commander Ando became talkative.
“So there is no point in getting angry because they won’t be coming back. Besides, they are doomed to die anyway, even if they survive. If they want to resent us, they should resent their parents for not giving birth to them as Dwarves.”
His voice was filled with taunts, and he sounded so amused that it was hard to believe that he was completely sane.
Kaet had no sympathy for the poor fellow, but he was afraid that if he listened to the commander any longer, he would lose control of himself, so he decided to refrain from the private conversation and return to his duties.
“I just received word that we have just destroyed the Grantz’ scouting party, sir.”
“Oh, well done. The Grantz would never think that there could be an informant in their ranks.”
“But, alas, it seems that the informant was killed in action.”
“…The human race is a fragile creature, isn’t it?”
Perhaps Kaet was not interested; he did not say anything further.
“I heard that General Gormo is trying to make this battle a bitter one.”
Kaet asked, and Ando nodded in an exultant tone.
“Umu. The main army is going to end up with a sloppy result. General Gormo must be grieving as well. But, as expected of General Gormo, he has used a bold move to obtain an informant from Grantz and then use the main army as bait.”
“I believe it is a very effective strategy against such a passionate Beastman.”
“They are foolish to bite their masters when they should be wearing collars. But this battle will show who’s better.”
And then Ando reached for the handle of the axe on his back.
“Then we must be on our way, for any further delay may result in a reprimand.”
Commander Ando’s eyes lit up, and his fighting spirit was full of enthusiasm.
His lips were moistened as he spoke, and it was clear that he was truly eager to enjoy the battle.
He was a man who has never known defeat and has left behind many deeds of valor.
“I shall thank them. Those Grantz soldiers came all the way here for my honor.”
This battle is an opportunity to prove one’s strength ― an enormous reward awaits beyond that.
Then there was no reason to enjoy the war. In fact, the only person who could show more prowess than he could was General Gormo, if only in the elected army. If that was the case, there is no way that the “human” Grantz could win.
“My arm is ringing. I can’t wait to break the thin necks of the human.”
Commander Ando swung his axe several times to familiarize his hand with it and then placed it on his shoulder.
“We will now come out of the shadows and attack the enemy’s main camp in one fell swoop.”
“Yes, sir. I will notify the entire army.”
Kaet signaled to the flag bearers, and Commander Ando raised his axe.
“Let the banner rise, to our glory! Strike our strength on the Grantz from afar!”
As soon as Commander Ando finished, Nidavellir’s army rushed out of the shadows of the forest.
The roar of horseshoes shook the earth, eclipsing the silence that had prevailed earlier.
The sunlit armor reflected and scattered the light.
“Haha, our victory is――”
“All troops charge!”
“――What?”
Immediately afterward, the Nidavellir assault force was hit by a violent blow from the right side.
A flaming sword beheaded Commander Ando while his eyes rolled back in surprise. As the head whirled and soared, the skin melted, the flesh was charred, and the blood evaporated. When it hit the ground, the skull was reduced to a crisp piece of wood and vanished, snatched away by the wind.
Kaet was brought back to his senses when the headless torso of Commander Ando fell from his mount to the ground. He instantly flashed his sword to defend himself and tried to catch the oncoming enemy blade.
“Hyiee――!?”
His neck, which was covered in flames, was struck up. His sword was broken in half, and the sword’s tip was thrust into the ground.
The faces of the Nidavellir soldiers who had been chasing after the commanders were distorted with grief.
An unfamiliar cavalryman jumped out one after another from the woods on their right. Behind them, the lion’s banner was fluttering in the wind. The number of them exceeded their own, and the fear of death gripped the Nidavellir soldiers.
Unfortunately, it was not easy for the Nidavellir ambushers, who were running as fast as they could toward the Grantz’ main camp, to change direction. The two thousand Nidavellir ambushers were split apart instantly by a hard blow to the side of their heads.
“M-move! Quickly! The enemy is coming!”
They were supposed to ambush, but instead, they were ambushed. There was nothing more terrifying than going from being the hunter to being the hunted. Their brains refuse to comprehend it. To protect their fragile self-esteem, they blocked out reality and delayed their next move.
“You’re in the way. Move aside.”
“Gaahh!?”
There was a shadow running freely through the chaos of the Nidavellir ambush force.
The red hair fluttered in the wind while red flames scattered behind her.
A goddess-like woman was dancing on horseback. Everyone was transfixed by the sight. Regardless of whether they were in the presence of death, their eyes were drawn to the scene.
Even in a world of blood and smoke, she was as beautiful as a rose when she was at the center.
Her every swing was as gentle as a spring breeze.
Yet ― fierce.
Even a sword forged by a master craftsman would be smashed, and even armor will be easily pierced. The corpses of Nidavellir’s soldiers piled up on the path she had taken, their faces stunned.
Corpses are being created inexhaustibly.
“Be in full bloom ― Flame Emperor!”
Suddenly, a whirlpool of flames centered around her soared into the sky. A hot wind blew up, and the excessive heat distorted everyone’s face.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Driven out of his fear, a Nidavellir soldier delivered a fierce blow to the oncoming woman.
However, the technique he had spent his life mastering cut through the air.
“Tsk――!”
He was unable to deliver a second blow. His torso had already fallen to the ground.
At this point, the red-haired woman ― Liz ― stopped her horse.
Her escort, the Grantz soldiers, surrounded her in the blink of an eye, creating an ironclad defense.
The flag bearer raised the lily flower, the flag of the sixth princess. It was followed by the lion’s banner.
“That is.
“Eradicate!”
Liz pointed her “Flame Emperor” in her hand at the sky and swung it down in a single stroke.
As if to show her support, screams erupted from everywhere.
The Grantz’ forces numbered a mere 500, while Nidavellir’s were 2,000.
The difference in strength was obvious, but from a few moments ago, all that could be heard was Nidavellir’s screams.
“Give victory to our Rose Princess!”
After losing their commander first and then their second-in-command, the Nidavellir were in a state of confusion.
The large number of flags waving in the woods on the right misjudged the number of Grantz soldiers, and the Nidavellir soldiers were killed one after the other without being able to grasp the situation. No matter how much difference there was between the two races, if one loses one’s commanding officer and control, they become nothing more than a headless crowd.
Naturally, the headless serpent was no match for the lionized Grantz. The line was in disarray, and the Nidavellir soldiers struggled to save their own lives. Once the battle began, everyone was desperate to survive. That said, the Grantz soldiers were not careless, nor were they overconfident. They slaughtered the Nidavellir soldiers without fail.
The lion was rushing ― there was nothing the Nidavellir could do in the face of such a threat.
Their last resort was the unit commander, whom they all revered as their superior officer. However, with even the ranks in disarray, the unit commanders were easily defeated.
“Ah, aaahh…”
There was no way to win. It took no time at all for them to realize this. In the face of life, self-esteem is a distant memory. The Nidavellir soldiers threw down their weapons and began to flee.
“Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t, don’t come.”
Throwing their shields, swords, and other forms of resistance, the Nidavellir soldiers turned their horses’ necks and galloped across the land.
After their hearts were broken, what awaited them was fear. They had to flee while feeling the enemy approaching from behind. In contrast, the brave Nidavellir soldiers, who did not consider escape an option and were abandoned by their comrades, were all trampled in their souls by the Grantz. The Nidavellir ambush force was instantly broken up, but further tragedy befell them.
“We’ll go after them. Overrun them thoroughly.”
Liz made a quick decision. It was necessary to instill fear in them so that they would not stand in front of them as enemies again in the future. Seeing Liz running over the corpses, the Grantz soldiers could not help but chase after her. They cut down the Nidavellir soldiers who had lost their will to fight and launched a pursuit battle.
“T-they are coming! Run!”
The Nidavellir soldiers were running away in a panic, screaming, while the Grantz chased after them like lions relentlessly chasing their prey.
The Grantz soldiers, led by Liz, displayed several times more strength than usual. They themselves must have asked themselves why they were filled with so much vitality. No, the Grantz did not harbor even a shred of such futile questions. They were simply surrendering themselves to the fire burning deep inside, and their thoughts were dominated by the thought of eliminating their master’s enemies.
“Bow down to our Rose Princess, you foolish dwarves!”
With tremendous force, a Grantz soldier thrusts out a spear. The Nidavellir soldier, who had thrown away his shield and even his weapon, had no choice but to catch the spear’s tip with only his now inadequate armor. The dwarves whose backs had been pierced were pushed from their horses to the ground one after another.
As the Nidavellir ambushers scattered in all directions like baby spiders, a cry of triumph rang out from a distance. Then the red-haired girl finally stopped chasing after the enemy.
“…Skadi seems to have won.”
Liz exhaled deeply as she looked out at the northern sky, tinted red by the setting sun.
The stench of choking blood wafted through her nose as she let the oxygen rush back into her lungs.
“…Stop pursuing. Tell everyone to be on the lookout.”
Liz ordered her subordinates and silently advanced her horse, looking around the battlefield.
The surrounding area was a sea of blood, and a silent mass of flesh sank into the ground. The horse that had lost its master neighs sadly as it passes by. Soon the color of the ground became familiar.
“Cerberus, let’s go back. We don’t need any more chases.”
Liz called out to the white wolf who had grown up with her since she was a little girl and considered her a little sister.
Her white fur was stained crimson from the blood that had spilled on her, and she was almost black from the setting sun.
“Cerberus?”
The white wolf sitting on the ground was not responding to Liz’s call from earlier, her nose swimming in the air.
Liz wondered if she was injured, but Cerberus suddenly began to run.
“Wait! Cerberus!”
Her formidable legs instantly created a distance between her and Liz.
Liz also kicked the horse’s belly and ran out across the land.
“Your Highness! Where are you going?”
The soldiers escorting her made panicked voices, and Liz immediately felt a presence at her back that was chasing after her.
Liz kept running, staring only ahead so as not to lose sight of the white wolf.
Eventually, at a point well away from the battlefield, Liz slowed her horse.
“…This place.”
There was a forest in front of Liz.
Liz caught a glimpse of Cerberus disappearing into the thick grass with a sideways glance.
“Your Highness, Your Highness, wait, where are you going?”
The Grantz soldiers caught up with Liz and brought their horses up to her.
“Your Highness, is something the matter?”
Liz did not reply when her subordinates asked her.
She just looked silently at the woods ahead. Then, when she reached the entrance, she dismounted her horse.
“Your Highness, it’s dangerous. Please go back.”
Even though she heard a voice on her back telling her to go back, Liz silently continued to the inner part of the forest.
Staring straight ahead, she was being guided by something.
It is not a deep forest.
The trees were so lush and easy to walk through that she could see the light on the other side.
After stepping through the weedy ground, Liz eventually stopped walking.
She had been able to enjoy the scent of nature earlier, but from this point on, the smell of blood filled the air, perhaps due to the poor circulation of the wind. That was no wonder, for many dead bodies were lying on the ground.
Not a single one of them was breathing.
“Yo-Your Highness… this is…”
The silence was broken by the clanking of the guards’ armor who had followed from behind.
They saw a broken sword, an axe biting into a tree, and blood-soaked weeds buried in the ground as if they had been trampled on many times. Is the eerie sound coming from the soles of their feet the mud, or is it the blood soaking into the ground?
The only thing that can be said is that there was definitely an epic battle.
Away from the main battlefield, a nameless battlefield that will never be etched in history.
There must have been a battle that no one cared about.
It is a place where brave warriors, outnumbered but willing to take on the challenge and then scatter in order to let just one man escape.
“……”
Liz offered a silent prayer to the bodies on the ground, but she did not see any familiar faces among them.
There was no time for faint hopes, for she heard the mournful cry of Cerberus.
The only tree in the forest was illuminated by the setting sun.
An old soldier leaned against its trunk ― a white wolf poking at his arm with her nose.
Liz began to walk quietly.
She walked up to him without making a single sound as if afraid to disturb his sleep.
“…I had so many things I wanted to say to you.”
Liz got down on both knees on the ground and looked into the old soldier’s face.
“But…”
Liz reached out her hands to touch the old soldier’s cheeks, and her mouth broke into tears.
“I can’t say anything if you look at me like that…”
Tris, who lay without breath, but with a satisfied smile on his face.
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