15. Chapter 15 – Sunset
Walm’s body was extremely tired because he had used up his mana to the limit. His legs were as heavy as stones because he had walked a long distance. And when the fire died down a little, he realized that his allies weren’t in the area.
“The rest is, only you…. the commander.”
Walm thought he could save time by asking and getting an answer. But he didn’t think he would really get an answer, 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 that the man was a body double, since Walm didn’t know the face. But in his temperament and short tone, Walm could sense the innate dignity and character.
“Surrender.”
So, Walm thought he couldn’t just kill Winston. After all, the opponent was the enemy’s commander, a member of the royal family at that. If he could take Winston as a prisoner 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, unsheathing his sword, approached Walm with the upper stance.
The man, Winston, moved better than expected. Walm’s opinion that the royal commander had to be only a decoration had to be changed.
Walm thrust the halberd to parry it, but while deflecting the point with the sword, Winston turned to Walm’s left.
Neither magic nor skill could be used now. Walm hoped for the help of his allies in the area, but they were busy not only with the fire, but also with the enemy soldiers who were still alive and trying to save Winston. Even the mana Walm used to strengthen his body was running low.
Walm could only concentrate on how to kill the strong enemy in front of him.
Sword and halberd crossed many times to mortally wound each other.
Winston’s sword injured Walm’s arm, and Walm’s halberd injured Winston’s neck.
A small amount of blood oozed from the neck, but it was far from a fatal injury.
Space and distance were created in the course of the fight.
Walm grabbed the lower part of the halberd and thrust it from a greater distance than before. Winston’s stance collapsed from a blow he hadn’t expected
The pulled-back halberd was thrown at Winston’s head.
Winston calmly knocked the halberd 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 on his knees. His neck was half cut and blood flowed inexorably.
“Uh, ughh, I may, have lost, but, Fer, rius… hasn’t, lost… yet…”
Winston, squeezing out his words, stood on the ground and died under Walm’s eyes.
Walm took a deep breath and raised his voice,
“I’VE KILLED THE ENEMY COMMANDEEERRR!!!”
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 only a confirmation of a 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. Had the one who spoke to him wasn’t a general, Walm would have thrown 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 and led the battalion to go down the hill.
When the enemy soldiers who couldn’t escape were swallowed up by the battalion, they exposed their skeletons on the ground.
From the top of the hill, you could see all their movements. They ran across the battlefield like a single living creature, attacking behind and on the sides of the enemy troops fighting the infantry battalion on the plains.
Walm took a deep breath as he thought of how the Jaff Cavalry Battalion was like a wolf attacking a flock of sheep. Their striking power was terrifying, but they reacted well to the enemies they passed, so the formation collapsed in the blink of an eye and the trapped troops were annihilated.
It was chained all over the battlefield.
The defeat of the Ferrius and Myard Alliance was obvious in Walm’s eyes.
“Walm, are you okay?”
Jose, who was covered in dirt and blood, spoke to Walm, concerned 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.”
Barito and Noor (Having a hard time in the background)
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 wanted to sit down, but he heard a voice. The owner of the deep, low-pitched voice he knew was Squad Commander Duwei.
“Don’t lie down. You won’t be able to stand up right away. Drink water little by little, and in 5 minutes we’ll start the pursuit. Rest after that, after we are relieved of the burden.”
Yes, the battle hadn’t finished yet. From a water bottle Walm carried on his hip, water entered his mouth and flowed down his throat. The thirst subsided instantly.
Walm turned his gaze to the side. The body of Winston Ferrius, who had been killed by him, was escorted to 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’s camp was located.
◆
“The Ferrius army has, totally collapsed!! Three battalions have already been destroyed. The remaining battalions are also routing.”
“There is also a report that Winston Ferrius had been killed in action…”
“Ariand’s troops and Gary’s troops are in chaos, t-the hills are completely surrounded.”
The death of Winston, the commander of Ferrius troops, was enough news to bring the Myard soldiers to the brink of despair.
Youth Myard tried hard to rebuild the formation, but Highserk’s proud Jaff Cavalry Battalion ruined it.
Some units resisted the Highserk infantry battalion on the rear, but since the sides were hit again and again, many soldiers died as the formation collapsed.
Youth tried to systematically retreat with a messenger and magic tools. In the process, he noticed that Ferrius’ army, whose soldiers retreated one by one, was less damaged.
More than 6,000 Ferrius troops had already been killed in action, and more than 5,000 Myard soldiers had fallen.
All that remained were the left infantry troops who ran chaotically at the start of the battle and the 3,000 soldiers who barely escaped into the hill. Considering the course of the battle, Youth thought the soldiers were trapped on the hill on purpose.
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 when he thought about his territory and the only daughter left behind.
Youth used scorched earth tactics when he was fleeing 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 had fled the Kanoa Kingdom as much as possible, but were hated like the devil by the former citizens of the Kanoa Kingdom who had remained in the land annexed by Highserk.
Even if he was resented and hated, it was all for his homeland. That was Youth thought.
Youth, who was in despair, got on Ferrius’ proposal. But now, he didn’t know if it was the right decision.
“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 informed the citizens through the magic tools installed in the city that defeat was inevitable. The citizens should have started to escape to the neighboring countries.
“There is no escape. At this rate…”
Murmured the angry officer. Normally, Youth would have admonished him not to give up, but the situation was completely hopeless.
“… Is it really over?”
The siege continued to shrink, and the onslaught from all directions continued. Youth decided that he couldn’t kill the soldiers for nothing any longer.
“Let’s surrend―― “
“Are you the soldiers of Sarria?!!”
The words Youth spoke were drowned out by the angry words. The invaders who rushed into 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 even our families!!”
“Death to the traitor!!!”
Youth was aware that he was resented. After the scorched earth tactics, many lost their 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.
The result was, yes as expected. But still, Youth couldn’t imagine that in five years the hatred of the inhabitants of Sarria City had amplified rather than disappeared.
The Myard soldiers nearby tried with all their might to stop the Highserk soldiers, but their strength was not enough to stop the frenzy of the Sarria soldiers. Youth waited for the approaching people without drawing his sword.
“Myard-sama!!”
Youth didn’t know what was the right choice. But he had 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 a selfish man, his consciousness faded.
The remains of Youth Myard, who had been stabbed with 13 spears and swords, were lifted to the top of the hill and exposed.
At the same time when 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…