14. Chapter 14
It was Winston Ferrius, a man from a royal family, who commanded the army of the Ferrius Kingdom to support Myard.
Winston had graduated from military school as one of the best among his peers and was a good choice to be appointed commander in this war, even after disregarding the fact that he was second in line to the throne.
Winston was good at group operations and his personal skills were as good as a knight’s due to his childhood training. He had experienced everything from skirmishes to major field battles, and he was confident about his task as a commander.
The military counselors and generals who assisted him were all well-known and elite individuals with daily training and experience. Winston was struck by a strong sense of impatience for the first time in his life.
“The momentum of the enemy soldiers isn’t stopping!!”
“The horse fences have been pulled out. The enemy is approaching here.”
Winston gritted his teeth as one piece of bad news after another came crashing in.
“If only cavalry, it’s still okay, but the enemy came up to the hill while bringing a battalion of infantry, crossing a 6km road. Why are we being pushed off by such guys!?”
Impossible. Yes, it seemed impossible but, Winston had to sort out such a situation. In the first place, the Myard army mixed with militias, wasn’t suitable for advanced mobile warfare.
Therefore, the defense of the hill leading to the Myard capital was strengthened by prior strategy meetings. The Highserk army, which had bitten into the position prepared by both Ferrius and Myard, would be held on the front line. Then, the siege network which had been set up would destroy the army on the field. This was the plan.
As expected, the enemy launched an attack on Myard’s camp, which was peppered with weak soldiers. Moreover, the front line was stalled, with no way to advance as the Myard soldiers had consolidated their defenses.
Winston was convinced that he couldn’t lose when he had half-besieged the enemy army, which was the main force. But in reality, he was now in trouble.
Winston and the generals expected that only cavalry would come to attack the base. So, they set horse fences for this purpose, and 2000 soldiers prepared as the reserve.
Unlike Myard, the Ferrius army consisted of regular soldiers who had trained regularly. Even if the enemy were Highserk soldiers who had already experienced many battles, they should be able to deal with them.
Winston had never heard of light infantry pursuing cavalry kind of charge. Even if it were possible to follow the cavalry, they would be exhausted and in a condition that made it impossible for them to be decent in battle.
But, the Highserk Army realized this.
Myard infantry troops flooded from the left, being overrun by the cavalry. Even the Ferrius soldiers, on the defensive on the hill, were about to be crushed.
“… Winston-sama, this is dangerous. We have no choice but to join the position of the last battalion.”
One of the determined strategists tried to persuade Winston.
“Don’t be stupid. Are you telling me to abandon the camp and run away?”
On the right wing, the main force continued the onslaught. If they abandoned the camp and opened the hill here, the main force would be hit hard. For Winston, this proposal was unacceptable.
“If the commander is killed, the chain of command will collapse. Right now, we should surrender the hill and rebuild the army!!”
“Uh, Guu …”
Hearing the strategists’ advice, Winston hesitated with his decision and groaned. The enemy was a group of 4000 men. As long as the last battalion joined in, it could still be held out. The Myard troops flooding the left wing retained their fighting ability as the enemy gave priority to speed. There was no doubt that Ferrius would win if he could buy time.
Winston couldn’t make an immediate decision. If he abandoned the hills here, victory would be even further away from sight.
A loud sound of magic echoed at the front. The cries that went with the wind had to be those of the Ferrius soldiers. As a soldier, Winston couldn’t conclude that he would retreat and neglect his royal duties.
A bloody soldier stormed into the camp.
“What is it? You’re in front of Winston-sama you know!!?”
Shouted the soldier, ignoring the rebuking knight.
“The horse fence has been breached. The enemy cavalry is rushing here. It can no longer be maintained!!”
This news was enough to bring everyone in the main camp to despair.
“Winston-sama, leave immediately, we’ll do something here!!”
The first to react were the soldiers directly under Winston.
“Take him!”
Before Winston could make a decision, the soldiers and strategists pushed Winston and took him away from the headquarters.
“Get the decoy group, NOW! They’re just around the corner!”
The main camp tent burst with a bang, and the enemy approached Winston.
“Do something and stop them!!”
“They’re here. Those light infantries.”
At the edge of his vision, Winston saw the guards in whom he had great confidence being defeated by enemy ordinary soldiers.
One was a muscular man, but the other one fascinated Winston. This was because an ordinary and harmless man activated his skill and cut down the guards along with their armor.
“Hi-Highserk soldier is really terrifying.”
Winston realized that the decisive battle on the plains would have been impossible to win if even an ordinary soldier had this kind of skill. And that he should have joined the siege battle near Aidenberg, the capital of Myard.
The guards were working to escape from their lord, Winston. If there was a problem, there were individuals in this world who could throw tactics out the window because they could handle the difference in numbers of dozens of people.
Winston felt heat on his back, and at the moment he was about to turn around, he noticed that soldiers were taking cover on his left and right. Immediately after, a fierce flame was scattered around with an unbearable amount of heat.
“W-what…”
Winston, seeing a mixture of flames and wind, was stunned. The soldiers who were struggling to protect him were caught in the fire, fluttering their limbs as if they were dancing, and stopped moving.
The soldiers behind Winston were half-burned and gasping constantly.
“Oi, get it together!!”
Winston remembered the old battlefield story. An old soldier who became an educator had told him,
『”If you see a blue flame on the battlefield, it’s a fire that will send you to the hell gate, and if you’re invited, what waiting inside is death. The name of it is――”』
Winston thought it was just a superstition or some kind of myth, but it was real, and was about to approach him in real time.
“De…《Demon Fire》”
The enemy with this skill was a soldier who had no special characteristics. While walking quietly among the soldiers on fire, he approached.
“The rest is, only you… the commander.”
The man told Winston expressionlessly, as if looking at the uncut weeds.
TN: Demon Fire, in raw it’s 鬼火 (Onibi), it can also be translated as Ignis Fatuus (Means, foolish fire or will-o’-the-wisp). To be honest, I thought Ignis Fatuus or Onibi sounded cooler, but I chose Demon Fire, because it’ll fit better with the story.
TN: Join my discord channel if you want.
so badass
Pretty sure blue fire is caused because there is excessive oxygen in the vacinity allowing for a flame with a higher oxidation.
Walm on his from time 🥶😈