15. Chapter 15 – Sunset
Walm’s body was extremely tired because he used his mana to the limit. His legs were as heavy as stones because he had run a long distance. Once the fire leveraged a little, he realized his allies weren’t in the surrounding area.
“The rest is, only you…. the Commander.”
Walm thought that he could save time if he asked and got a reply. But he didn’t think that he would really get a reply, so he was surprised.
“That’s right. As a small fry, you’re so full of yourself. I am the commander of the Ferrius Kingdom and Myard Expeditionary Army, Winston Ferrius.”
There was a fear of body double, as Walm didn’t know the face beforehand. However, in his temperament and short tone, Walm could feel the innate dignity and character.
“Surrender”
Walm thought he couldn’t just kill him. After all, if the man was the commander of the enemy moreover a member of the royal family, and he could take him as prisoners of war, his homeland would have an advantage in negotiations between nations.
“I still have all my limbs, a sword, and pride. My soldiers are still fighting. There is no reason to surrender!”
Winston, who pulled out his sword from the scabbard, stepped to Walm with the upper stance.
The man was moving better than expected. Walm’s opinion, which the royal commander must be just a decoration, had to be changed.
Walm thrust the halberd to parry it, but while deflecting the tip with the sword, the man wrapped around to the left side of Walm.
Neither magic nor skill could be used now. Walm hoped his allies in the surroundings to help him, but in addition to the fire, they were busy dealing with the enemy soldiers that were still alive and trying to rescue Winston. Even the mana that Walm used to strengthen the body was running out.
Walm could only focus on how to kill the strong enemy in front of him. The sword and halberd were crossed many times, aiming for fatal injuries to each other.
Winston’s sword hurt Walm’s arm, and Walm’s halberd hurt Winston’s neck.
A slight amount of blood oozed from the neck, but it was far from a fatal injury. Space and distance were created as the fight went on.
Walm grabbed the bottom of the handle of the halberd and thrust it from a distance farther than before. Winston’s stance collapsed due to a blow from the timing that he didn’t expect.
Threw the pulled-back halberd at Winston’s head. Winston calmly knocked it with his sword, but Walm, who had stepped in, hit the sword with his left shoulder and pulled out the longsword.
When Winston stopped moving, he collapsed from his knees. The neck was cut halfway and blood was overflowing unstoppably.
“U, ugh, even if, I lost, Fer, rius, has, not, lost… yet”
Winston, who squeezed out his words, stood on the ground and died under Walm’s eyes.
Walm took a deep breath and raised his voice,
“I’ve defeated the enemy commandeeeerrrrr!!!”
Walm’s battle cry immediately propagated to the battlefield.
While the Highserk soldiers become livelier, the Ferrius soldiers who had been resisting were rolling down the hill to run away.
The Highserk soldiers weren’t sweet enough to let them go. The horse’s roar reached the side of Walm who was at his limit and breathing heavily. A group of cavalries appeared.
A man advanced from a group of soldiers with heavy armor to Walm.
“Did you kill Winston?”
The man was the Commander of the Jaff cavalry battalion, who was well-known amongst every Highserk soldier.
“Yes, sir.”
Confirmation of the results of the battle. Jaff, looking into the corpse, slowly nodded to Walm.
“It’s Winston Ferrius himself. Well done. It’s a great achievement. What’s the name of your unit?”
Walm thought it was just a confirmation of body double, so his reaction was delayed.
“… Duwei Squad of Kozul Platoon, and my name is Walm, Sir.”
“Walm, is it? I thought Winston’s neck would be in my hands, but you did a great job. The light infantry battalion is rebuilding on the hill and finishing up the battle. You should rest until then.”
Fatigue had already reached its limit. If the one talked to him wasn’t a general, Walm would have been throwing his body to the ground.
“And in honor of the achievement, I’m sure Commander Berger will reward you. Don’t die until then.”
After saying that, Battalion Commander Jaff steered his horse, led the battalion to go down the hill.
When the enemy soldiers who couldn’t escape were swallowed by the battalion, they exposed their skeletons on the ground.
From the top of the hill, you could see all the movements. They ran around the battlefield like a single living creature, attacking behind and on the sides of enemy troops that were fighting the infantry battalion on the plains.
Walm took a breath while thinking that the Jaff Cavalry battalion was like a wolf attacking a flock of sheep. Their striking power was terrifying, but they responded well to the enemies that they passed, causing the formation to collapse in a blink of an eye, and so the pinched troops were destroyed.
It was chained everywhere on the battlefield.
The defeat of the Ferius and Myard Alliance was obvious in Walm’s eyes.
“Walm, are you okay?”
Jose, covered in dirt and blood, talked to Walm, worrying about his condition.
“Somehow. I’m really tired.”
“Tired huh. It’s proof that you’re still alive.”
“Are the other guys safe?”
“Everyone is still kicking. Well, Barito and Noor look like they’re about to fall on the ground at any moment. As for Commander Duwei, you know it.”
No one would believe that Squad Commander Duwei was killed in action. Walm was convinced that even if his whole body were to be stabbed, he would still rampage around.
Walm tried to sit down but he heard a voice. The owner of the deep, low-pitched voice that he was familiar with was Squad Commander Duwei.
“Don’t lay your body. You won’t be able to stand up right away. Drink water little by little, and in 5 minutes we’ll start pursuing. Rest after that, after we’ve been relieved of the burden.”
Yes, the battle hadn’t finished yet. From a water bottle that Walm brought on his waist, water reached his mouth and flowed down the throat. The thirst instantly subsided.
Walm turns his gaze to the side. The corpse of Winston Ferrius, who had been killed, was escorted by the still-standing enemy’s tent.
Walm managed to survive the most difficult task, but the climax still remained. A few kilometers away, a fierce battle continued on the hill where Myard camp was.
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“The Ferius army is, totally collapsed!! Three battalions have already been destroyed. The remaining battalions are also routing.”
“There is also a report that Winston Ferrius was killed in action…”
“Ariand’s troops and Gary’s troops are in chaos, t-the hills are completely surrounded.”
The death of Winston, the general of Ferrius, was enough news to put Myyard soldiers on the brink of despair.
Youth Myard tried hard to rebuild the formation, but Highserk’s proud Jaff Cavalry Battalion ruined it.
Some unit was resisting the Highserk infantry battalion on the rear, the sides were continued to be hit endlessly, many soldiers died as the formation collapsed.
Youth tried to systematically retreat with a messenger and magic tools, he realized that Ferrius army, which soldiers routed individually were less damaged.
More than 6,000 Ferrius troops had already been killed in action, and more than 5,000 Myard soldiers had died.
All that was left was the left-wing infantry troops that ran chaotically at the beginning of the battle and the 3,000 who barely escaped to the hills. Considering all of that, Youth thought that he was intentionally trapped in a hill.
Thinking about why he bowed his head against the neighboring country and endured it for five years, Youth seemed to lose his strength, but he endured thinking about his territory and the only daughter left behind.
Youth used scorched earth tactics when he was feeling from Kanoa Kingdom to avoid the complete collapse of the country from Highserk. Important facilities were burned down, and all portable food was then brought to Myard. All the remaining grain was burned down.
Youth had accepted the citizens who fled from Kanoa Kingdom as much as possible, but was hated like a devil by the former citizens of Kanoa Kingdom who remained in the land annexed by Highserk.
Even if he was resented and hated, it was all for his homeland, that Youth, who was in despair, got on Ferrius’s proposal. But now, he didn’t know if it was the right choice.
“Adore’s troops who tried to break through the siege were bounced off.”
The last hope to get out of the siege also failed. What Youth could do was already limited.
He told the citizens from the magic tools installed in the city that defeat was inevitable. The citizens should have begun to escape to neighboring countries.
“There is no escape. At this rate…”
The angry military officer muttered. Normally, Youth would have rebuked him not to give up, but the situation was completely hopeless.
“… Is it really over?”
The siege continues to shrink, and the onslaught continued from all directions. Youth decided that he couldn’t kill the soldiers in vain anymore.
“Let’s surrend―― “
“Are you the soldiers of Sarria?!!”
The words Youth spoke to were drowned out by the angry words. The invaders to the main camp were Highserk soldiers, whose flag indicated the troops of Sarria City.
When the former compatriots found Youth, they shout with bloody eyes.
“He’s here… the bastard who sold his own country!! Myard, the traitor!!”
“Kill him!! He burned our farms and our families!!”
“Death to the traitor!!!”
Youth was aware that he was resented. After the scorched earth tactics, many lost a lot of property and some were plundered and insulted by the rampaging soldiers, which was then heard by Youth, and those deviant soldiers were sentenced by him.
Natural, yes it was natural. But, Youth couldn’t imagine that the hatred of the inhabitants of Sarria City had been amplified rather than disappeared in five years.
The Myard soldiers nearby tried hard to stop the Highserk soldiers, but there was not enough power to stop the frenzy of the Sarria soldiers. Youth waited for the approaching people without pulling out his sword.
“Myard-sama!!”
Youth didn’t know what was the right choice. But there was no doubt that he would soon follow Winston.
“I’m sorry”
There was no time to think about who or what to apologize for. Countless blades pierced the youth.
The last thing that came to Youth’s mind was his daughter who remained in the city. The perpetrator who cut off so many people as a necessary sacrifice, realized that the last thing he thought of was his family. While thinking that he was selfish, his consciousness was fading.
The remains of Youth Myard, stabbed with 13 spears and swords, were lifted and exposed to the top of the hill.
At the same time that the chain of command of the Ferrius and Myard army was completely lost, and as if saying that the conclusion had come, the sunset came to Myard.
TN: Join my discord channel if you want.
Damn
Shit… Beautiful but very sad ending…