Frank's face turned pale.
Mario looked at Frank, both furious and enraged, but he knew this was not Frank's fault. He shot Frank a fierce glare, then looked at his subordinates and shouted, "Have the routed soldiers fall back. The rest of you, assemble and prepare to meet the enemy."
"Yes!"
Mario's entire cavalry battalion quickly broke away from the routed troops and gathered on the road, weapons in hand as they faced the charging black knights.
The number of black knights charging at them was not large—there was not even a full battalion, only a little over fifty men.
But no matter how few black knights there were, they were still Magic-armored Knights. No matter how many of Mario's men there were, they were only elite cavalry.
They could never stop those black knights. They could only hope that the Red Maple Regiment's main force behind them would arrive in time to support them.
Hopefully...
Biting his lip, Mario spurred his horse forward and took the lead in riding toward the black knights several hundred meters away, already prepared to die. At that moment, he forgot his misgivings about attacking Shalin. There was only the simplest thought of a soldier left in his mind—fight. Live or die.
"Charge with me!" Mario roared, leading his men closer and closer to the black knights.
Three hundred meters, two hundred meters, one hundred meters.
Once they were within a hundred meters, Mario could clearly see the magical patterns on the black knights' armor and the light glowing along those patterns.
Sweat seeped from his palms. Gritting his teeth, he tightened his grip on his weapon and raised it high, ready to bring it down.
But in the next moment, his eyes widened at an unexpected sight—the incomparably powerful black knights suddenly yielded