Victory / Advancing

"For Kazimierz! Charge!"

A light, brisk bugle call rang out—the rallying signal for the Kazimierz Beastmaster Knights' charge. After resting for a while, the Beastmaster Knights began putting on their armor and preparing for battle.

At 2:30 p.m., ten thousand Beastmaster Knights appeared in a dense formation on the gentle slope behind the Kazimierz position. Driving their Siege Rams, they began advancing at a slow trot.

The Knights Errant battling the Sarkaz all shouted excitedly. This was their unfailing weapon of victory. A mass charge by the Beastmaster Knights could trample any enemy beneath their feet. Even the battle-hardened elites of Ursus had to avoid their edge.

"Report! The enemy infantry is moving toward both sides of the position!"

"I see them!"

Theresica lowered his binoculars and ordered, "Command the First Division and the caster formation to move backward together! The Second Division will deploy in place according to plan!"

Taking advantage of the opening created when the infantry moved aside for the Beastmaster Knights, the Sarkaz hurriedly retreated as well. Seeing this from afar, the command tent of the Kazimierz army erupted into cheers.

The oppressive atmosphere vanished at once. Tolk laughed and ordered, "Let the knights run wild! Crush all those Fiends!"

The Beastmaster Knights quickly advanced up the slope. The infantry on both sides cheered them on, as though welcoming them as they charged toward victory.

In the blink of an eye, the knights reached the top of the slope. From there, they could see the Sarkaz retreating in chaotic disarray. Yet among the crowd, some made no move at all. They held long spears and formed square formations, their positions staggered from one another and spaced extremely far apart.

"What kind of strange formation is that?"

"Probably so their routed soldiers can pass through safely without interfering with them."

"They still want to resist? They'll start running soon enough!"

The Beastmaster Knights laughed. The first wave began urging their mounts forward at full speed, entering their charging formation.

"Knights! Set your lances!"

The upright lances were lowered in unison and held level. The knights drew closer together, forming three ranks from front to back.

As they watched the towering figures racing toward them, not a single soldier within the squares fled. Even the remnants of the First Division, who had been retreating in disorder, stopped and formed identical squares around the Second Division.

Inside their sturdy helmets, the Kuranta wore smiles. Infantry without open ground could never stop their charge. Since the founding of Kazimierz, this had never happened—

Hmm?

Amid the Siege Rams' cries, many of the knights were filled with confusion. Why had the mounts beneath them stopped? Why had they raised their forelegs so high?

"Fire!"

The Sarkaz platoon leader shouted with all his strength. The archers concealed behind the heavy infantry immediately raised the semiautomatic crossbows in their hands.

Whoosh—

A dense rain of arrows shot forth. A large section of the orderly knight formation collapsed at once, seriously disrupting the formation. The officer commanding the second rank saw the gap in the first rank and hurriedly shouted, "Fill the gaps and reform! Get through before the second volley!"

His voice had barely faded when the knights were still adjusting their formation, yet the second rain of arrows had already arrived.

The knights in the second rank no longer needed to fill the gaps in the first. The original first rank had already been wiped out, and only a handful remained from the second rank.

Only then did the third rank see the ground clearly. Somehow, a field of spikes had appeared before the Sarkaz square formations. Those spikes were what had caused the Siege Rams to halt their charge so suddenly.

This was the work of the Sarkaz casters. Following Theresica's orders, they had deployed Originium Arts capable of altering the terrain before the Second Division's battle line.

"Dodge!"

The remaining knights shouted and turned toward the side of the square. However, this sent them straight into the gap between two square formations.

An even denser rain of arrows descended. A Beastmaster Knight squad of nearly a hundred men was wiped out in an instant amid their screams. The squad leader fell to the ground, his eyes filled with shock and doubt.

He did not understand. Why weren't the Sarkaz restringing their crossbows? Why—

A mass charge by more than ten thousand Beastmaster Knights could not be halted just by shouting an order. By the time the knights in the rear gradually slowed enough to pull on their reins without colliding with one another, two thousand knights had already been unable to stop themselves from charging into the Sarkaz square formations.

They fell in agony beneath the Sarkaz arrows. Their armor could not block every shaft.

The knights wanted to retreat and regroup with the infantry behind them, allowing the infantry to help tear open the Sarkaz square formations. However, the Sarkaz caster formation that had moved earlier had now reached its planned positions. They began activating their Originium Arts.

All kinds of direct-attack spells and battlefield arts poured furiously toward the Kazimierz knights. Following Theresica's orders, they drew a blockade between the Beastmaster Knights and the infantry, splitting them into two separate sections.

"We can't retreat! Charge!"

The Beastmaster Knights began advancing into the Sarkaz arrow fire. The Sarkaz immediately changed targets. They no longer prioritized the knights, instead shooting the Siege Rams first.

The charging Siege Rams suddenly collapsed onto the ground, throwing the knights on their backs into the air. One knight landed in a daze and had barely managed to stand when an arrow pierced his throat. Even when a few Knights Errant reached the Sarkaz lines, each had to face several Sarkaz heavy infantrymen alone before becoming another corpse.

Inside the Sarkaz command post, the oppressive atmosphere vanished. Everyone around them spoke with noticeably louder voices.

Manfred gazed at Theresica in astonishment. He had merely carried out His Majesty's order to arrange the Sarkaz forces by battalion into these square formations. He had never expected them to be so effective.

After learning that the Second Division had withstood the charge of ten thousand Beastmaster Knights with fewer than a hundred casualties—and had nearly annihilated them—Theresica finally let his tense heart relax.

After experimenting with the Siege Rams' biological traits with the Confessors, he had learned that the creatures possessed characteristics similar to horses. He had therefore copied the square formations used on Earth to resist cavalry. In truth, he had no idea whether they would work.

Meanwhile, in the Kazimierz command tent, a Knight Errant covered in blood and wounds staggered inside. He collapsed helplessly before Tolk, and the dull thud startled him awake.

"My lord! Ten thousand... ten thousand knights—they're all gone!"

Tolk had originally been planning to take a short rest, but his eyes widened in disbelief. He grabbed the man by the collar.

"What did you say?!"

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Victory

The Banshee chieftain had curiously picked up a semiautomatic crossbow, while the Confessor scrutinized the formation the Sarkaz forces had arranged on the battlefield.

This war had left them somewhat unaccustomed to things. It was their first time doing nothing at all, merely standing there like two statues. Yet the result of the battle had completely surpassed their imagination. The young king had tinkered with a few little inventions and casually gathered some seemingly irrelevant information, then combined them into the astonishing situation before them.

That had been the Confessor's previous opinion. Now he had changed his mind. He had merely glimpsed a corner of His Majesty's thoughts, and that had led him to make an absurd misjudgment.

"Your Majesty."

The Confessor leader bowed respectfully. The Confessors were not swayed by strength, but they had no resistance whatsoever to the wonders of thought.

"Ah! Your Majesty."

The Banshee hurriedly set down the semiautomatic crossbow in her hands. She had been so absorbed in it that she had failed to hear the approaching footsteps.

"Mm."

Theresica answered indifferently. He raised his binoculars and observed the battlefield, his expression still solemn.

"Your Majesty, the situation seems quite favorable. Why are you still so troubled?" the Confessor asked in confusion.

"The Second Division has already entered the battle. The only reserve force I have left is the Royal Court Guard. Yet Kazimierz still has at least twenty thousand Beastmaster Knights, and their commander has not moved."

At this point, Theresica turned his gaze toward the Confessor and the Banshee. "With the two of you here, I'm not worried about what their commander can do. But I am very concerned about how much damage those twenty thousand Beastmaster Knights might inflict on the Sarkaz."

"Then, Your Majesty, why didn't you let us act from the beginning? I can guarantee that Kazimierz would have brought no more than thirty thousand troops here."

"That would have alerted the surrounding nations. Then everything would have become no different from the past."

Theresica said this even though the Sarkaz now had the banner of resisting the Seaborn. If they truly wanted to move against you, wouldn't they still come?

Not many people on Terra had seen the Seaborn yet, but they certainly had vivid memories of the Fiends.

The bloody battle continued amid the ancient Sarkaz ruins. The people of both races fought with all their strength to end one another's lives in this barren place devoid of any resources.

After repelling another attack, the exhausted Sarkaz looked around. Their numbers had dwindled further and further. Some archers who had become skilled at using and maintaining the semiautomatic crossbows had picked up weapons and joined the front line, while the Kuranta continued arriving without end.

Kazimierz, meanwhile, was nearly numb with shock. They had never fought a battle like this. Knightly orders were sent forward one after another, and only a few lucky survivors returned. Corpses had piled up across the ground until not even the desert sand could be seen.

This was merely a ruin containing only broken bricks and rubble. Why were they fighting to this extent here? Three thousand Knights Errant had already been lost in this cursed place and would never return to their homeland. As for the Fiends on the other side, half of them should have died as well.

"Sarkaz! You are worthy opponents. So long as you surrender or retreat, we swear on the honor of the knights that we will guarantee your safety!"

"Go to hell, you Sarkaz bastard!"

The Kuranta received a vulgar insult in response, and the battle began again.

Tolk could no longer sit still. Although he had brought several days' worth of food, if they could not defeat the Sarkaz on the first day, it would be even less possible on the second.

"Haven't we taken the ruins yet?"

This was already the fourth time he had asked the question in half an hour. The people around him thought for a moment before answering, "The Sarkaz resistance is fierce, and our losses are also very heavy..."

"How much longer will it take?"

Tolk looked toward his subordinate commanders. One of them stammered for a while, unable to say anything.

It was already 3:15 p.m. The infantry were nearly exhausted. If they delayed any longer, then without the infantry's support, the remaining twenty thousand Beastmaster Knights would probably have to suffer enormous casualties to gnaw through the Sarkaz' hard defenses.

The cost of continuing this attack is too great. We can't count on the ruins...

Tolk picked up his weapon. "Assemble all our forces!"

"What?"

"Didn't you hear me? It's time for the final assault!"

Tolk's gaze swept across everyone. "We have no chance to retreat. If we return like this, we'll wish we were dead! Think about it, everyone. What will the other knightly families think of us? How will those retainers mock us behind our backs? Of course, if we win and take Kazdel, none of that will matter. We'll even obtain land of our own, belonging to the knights!"

"Yes, sir!"

The commanders present drew their weapons. The situation was laid bare before them, and coming here had been their own choice.

The ground of the battlefield began trembling once more, even more noticeably than before. The battlefield casters joined forces to cast long-range spells, but a blinding burst of light suddenly erupted behind the gentle slope.

The Sarkaz soldiers could see nothing. They could no longer distinguish the boundary between earth and sky, sensing only that the trembling beneath their feet was growing stronger.

"The Kazimierz commander has moved. Now it's up to you. Bring him to me!"

Theresica turned his head toward the side. The Confessor and the Banshee bowed.

"As you command, Your Majesty."

Within Kazdel's urban district, every resident had hidden inside their home. The streets were empty, yet thin, scattered footsteps suddenly rang out.

"Did Kazimierz... break through?"

"What nonsense! His Majesty must have mobilized the militia!"

The nervous Sarkaz residents could not help guessing wildly. Mudrock pondered briefly before taking up her weapon.

"I'm going out to take a look. Don't move."

Mudrock prepared to activate her Originium Arts, then opened the door and stepped into the street.

The people approaching were indeed a group of Kuranta, but their expressions were dejected. They wore only thin underclothes, and fully armed Sarkaz soldiers marched on either side of them.

He won? Mudrock thought happily.

"Move faster, Kazimierz bastards! Didn't you want to come to Kazdel? Today, you can swim here to your heart's content!"

The soldiers' shouts as they escorted the Kuranta were especially loud. The militia and the residents who had been hiding came out one after another. Every Sarkaz crowded along both sides of the street to watch the group of Knights Errant.

As the Kuranta procession moved forward, golden characters drifted across the sky.

A moment later, a voice rang out.

"I, Theresica, hereby announce to all the residents of Kazdel... we have won!!!"

"Woo—!"

Every Sarkaz in the streets and alleys could not stop cheering.

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Advancing

"I, Theresica, hereby announce to all the residents of Kazdel... we have won!"

It was a very brief announcement, but it drew a conclusion to the bloody battle that had lasted several hours and involved tens of thousands of people.

The spell runes drawn by the Banshee dispersed in the air, and the surrounding clamor returned to Theresica's ears. He turned to look behind him, where several orderly rows of Kuranta were kneeling.

They struggled with all their might. Although nothing restrained them, they could only kneel with their hands held behind their backs.

"Damn little Fiend!"

"Shut up! You're speaking to the king of the Sarkaz!"

The Banshee put away her bone pen and casually said, "Lower your head."

An invisible force appeared along with the Banshee's words. He suddenly slammed face-first into the ground. No matter how hard he tried, he could not straighten his back and could only roar in helpless fury.