It was two hours after the sun had risen. Both armies now faced each other on the battlefield, less than a kilometer between them.
On one side was the coalition army, much subdued compared to the night before, though most of them still seemed restless, adrenaline levels rising.
The main infantry unit was divided into three armies, with the central army larger in size. Each infantry army consisted of three divisions: spearmen and heavy shield soldiers at the front, with the bulk of the melee warriors situated in the middle. These warriors would be the first to spring into action the moment the front line opened a path. Most of the elite units would bring up the rear, remaining flexible and adaptive on the battlefield. Their role was to assist the rest of the infantry, pushing forward wherever they could.
The knights led the cavalry units, split into two main groups to secure the flanks of the formation.
Behind the infantry were lines of archers and mages, and behind them stood the commander and his guards.
Across the field, Alistair sat atop his horse, observing the enemy's formation.
Count Eulstan's armor was distinct from that of the knights around him. While most of the army wore the blue armor of House Roettger, the count donned a deeper shade of blue.
The most striking difference, however, was the type of armor. Unlike the other knights in heavy armor, the count had chosen to wear light armor.
In contrast to the coalition army, the Aenduil defense force appeared far less... uniform.
The army was divided into two groups: cavalry and infantry, both roughly equal in number.
There were no designated ranged units. Instead, archers and mages were scattered throughout the ranks, with some even riding alongside the cavalry. A rogue, wielding knives, stood beside a warrior carrying a glaive, while an archer in leather armor stood in front of a heavily armored knight. There seemed to be no strict rules governing the formation; each soldier stood wherever they chose.
To an average observer, this might seem like an army of mercenaries—untrained and undisciplined. But the truth was far from that.
“How's the enemy?” Albert asked, approaching the count on his horse.
The count kept his eyes on the opposing army without looking back at Albert.
“So far, it's what we expected. A standard army strengthened by some classes. The classes' composition matched the report. There is one ascended behind the main army, though.”
“Hmm? There is an ascended? Did they regroup with the detached unit?”
“Something like that, perhaps. They probably left one ascended, in case we have someone who can sense that far.
“If someone would sense an ascended stood just behind the main army, they probably would also assume there are more ascended. They would think at least an extra ascended would also guard the commander.
“Based on his position, that ascended could also easily retreat and escort the commander if things went south.”
Alistair started to tap his thigh repeatedly with his finger. Albert saw this and took a closer look at the count.
“What's the matter? You looked troubled.”
Alistair turned his head toward Albert. He contemplated for a while before finally speaking his thought.
“I can't feel the ascended group. They're not here. And I don't think the boy is here too.”
Albert’s eyes were wide open upon hearing the revelation.
“What!? What’s the last situation we know? You heard anything from Wade?”
“Nothing significant. The last time he saw the boy he was entering the Radroveth part of the base. It seems they don’t care about the boy’s cover story anymore. He can’t follow the boy without risking getting caught. And from then until this morning when they started to prepare for battle, the boy had not been seen, even after the Radoveth soldiers get into formation. And this is also when Wade noticed that single ascended entered the base.”
“Are you sure? Shit! This is one of our worst-case scenarios,” Albert said while muttering some extra curse words.
Albert stole a glance at the count before asking the important question.
“What are the chances that the second army is trying to circumvent us and attack the capital directly?”
“Very slim. The kingdom issued a mobilization order days ago. No matter their route, they would inevitably encounter one of our defending armies, each of which is strong enough to restrain them while the others close in from all sides. That would be sheer suicide.”
Alistair looked at the squirming Albert with warm eyes.
“We already talked about this yesterday. If they do this, their target would probably be me.”
“Alistair's explanation did little to calm Albert. He still seemed to have more to say, but ultimately decided against it and turned his gaze toward the opposing armies.”
“So I guess they’re sacrificing this army. That would explain the low number of awakened warriors.
“Is that why you’re wearing light armor? Are we going to rush this battle?”
“Yes, there is no longer any reason to bait them. We'll use a fast formation. I'll pierce their rank and hold their rear while you clean up from the front.
“Go back to your position. We'll begin soon.”
“Yes, sir.” Albert gave the salute before riding back to his position.
Alistair stared at Albert's back. He didn't tell him the whole story. He didn't share what he thought was the reason for the enemy to target him.
If they went through all this trouble only for him, there is a big chance that they know something.
House Roettger was an old clan with many secrets. But there are some secrets that not even those in the inner circle of his clan know about. This could be connected to one of those secrets.
That holy sword was strong; there is no doubt about that. If Radroveth had been holding the sword all this time, he should've heard something about it. There should've been stories about a great warrior hailing from Radroveth carrying a powerful sword. But no such story nor warrior had ever come from Radroveth.
Alistair tightened his grip on his spear. He'll need to deal with what's in front of him for now. But he still couldn't get it out of his head.
Someone gave Radroveth that sword recently.
He could only mutter under his breath.
“That fucking goddess.”
____________________________________
Edith Atterberry stood at the rear of the main infantry. She was impossible to miss—taller than any man around her, with bright red hair that caught every eye. Clad in the knight's armor of Ortsgard, a large round shield strapped to her back, she held a steel glaive firmly in her hand. As one of the few grand masters on the alliance’s side, she had the freedom to move as she pleased.
Becoming a grand master before the age of 40, Edith was one of the most promising talents from Ortsgard. Her talent was highly regarded, and she was expected to ascend in the future. This reputation allowed her to hold a high post in the Ortsgard army, making her one of the very few who understood the true reality of the incoming battle.
“Heh heh, look at all these idiots. If only they know what fate awaits them.”
Edith turned her head to look at the man speaking. He was a ranger, squatting on top of a post. A simple bow was slung across his back, and a pair of rather intricate daggers hung at his hips. The man wore a bandana—perhaps for style—but Edith believed he was just trying to hide his receding hairline. She did not think highly of him. He had a penchant for speaking his mind but lacked the wit to avoid sounding boorish.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
This was not the first battle she had fought alongside him; that’s how she knew he was a coward—pretty useless in open battle. Still, he was easy to control and had many uses.
“Keep it down, Guth. The soldiers may not be able to hear at this distance, but there’s no need to risk it.”
“Yeah, I know, but don’t you think—”
“How’s the enemy movement?” She cut him off mid-sentence; she had already heard enough.
“Ahem… yes, there’s still no significant movement.”
She looked around her. The soldiers had quieted down, but she could sense the anxiety in the air. This is how it feels before any battle. However, Edith knew more than these men. Guth was right; anxiety wouldn’t begin to describe how they would feel if they knew the truth.
The fact that the opposing army was actually an Awakened army was known to only a select few. Not even all the grand masters present were aware. They expected to fight a standard army supported by Awakened individuals, something akin to their own forces.
Most of these men would likely be dead or captured, but that was part of the plan. She might appear to be here to support the front line, but her true purpose was to ensure that all the Grand Masters could retreat before it was too late. That was why she had been given command of all the Grand Masters present. Many of the older Grand Masters were surprised they had to follow her orders, but thankfully, none voiced their concerns.
It’s unfortunate that they had to risk all of the Awakened below the Grand Masters, but it was necessary. They needed to stall as long as possible, and this army had to be defeated to lure the enemy. She hoped there would be many survivors—not because she cared about their well-being, but because the more survivors there were, the longer the enemy would take to manage the aftermath.
What would happen next was something she did not know. All she understood was that a second force from the alliance had been moving independently. This force was much smaller but significantly stronger than this army. She suspected that all the missing ascended were there.
She glanced back at the command camp far behind. The only ascended left in the army should be there—Gregory, who worked directly under the king. His responsibility was to ensure the commander could retreat safely.
Although they were both from Ortsgard, she had never actually met him before this war. If there had been no war, he would have remained somewhere secluded, training—supposedly. He was strange, but then again, all Ascended were a bit peculiar.
However, she would not be like that. As the first Ascended sponsored by the kingdom, working full-time for them was expected of her. Even if she hadn’t received sponsorship, she would still have been active in the military. All these older Ascended were just odd; fighting on the battlefield offered better experiences than training on some mountain.
“They’re moving—cavalry vanguard,” Guth informed her, now standing at the top of the post and looking straight at the enemy.
“Hmm? Impatient, aren’t you?” She turned her attention toward the enemy; the battle would start soon. It was unfortunate—they were supposed to delay the battle as long as possible. Still, it wasn’t all bad; the army could now initiate the battle from a defensive formation.
“SHIELDS READY! SPEARS TO THE FRONT!” The commanders shouted their orders.
“Wait! What the hell!?” Guth’s outburst caught Edith’s attention. The battle was about to start—this wasn’t the time for surprises. At least that’s what she thought, until she heard what Guth had to say.
“The cavalry vanguard—it’s Count Roettger’s personal banner. I think that’s him leading the cavalry.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah! I was part of the envoy contingent when Prince Henry was negotiating with the Count. That’s definitely him! Is he really going to lead the vanguard?”
“He couldn’t be that reckless, right?” Edith muttered aloud. “I’ve heard the stories—Lord Roettger, the strongest warrior in the land. Always leading his men into battle. Never retreated, never been beaten.”
“I thought that was just some story…” Guth responded, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek.
“It is just a story. A stupid tale made to inflate his legend,” Edith sniggered. “No sane commander would do something that reckless. Maybe in a small skirmish, but definitely not in a battle of this scale.”
Edith started chewing his nails. “What the hell is he thinking? There’s no way he’s really going to try that.”
“Wait!” Edith suddenly realized something. “What’s their composition? I mean his personal guards, not the cavalry.”
“Um…” Guth glanced back at the enemy’s frontline, concentrating mana in his eyes again.
“A dozen shield knights. Fifteen mages—that’s odd... Two, no, three spear knights, including the Count. I can’t see the rest, but he’s got around fifty personal guards. And about 1,000 cavalry in the vanguard.”
“I knew it!” Edith’s eyes widened as she processed the report. “He’s not actually going to lead the vanguard. It’s a hit-and-run unit. He’ll probably be involved in the first contact, but his personal guards are there to protect him and help him retreat. That’s how he’s been keeping his fame intact.”
Edith fell into deep thought. “Alright, gather all the grand masters at the mage corps. There’s going to be a slight change of plan.” She started moving toward the mages.
“…wait,” Guth weakly called after her. “I know what you're thinking, but maybe it’s better to stick to the original plan. Let’s not take unnecessary risks.”
“Are you stupid?” Edith snapped, incredulous. “That’s Count Roettger himself. Do you know how much his head is worth? Now’s not the time to be a coward, Guth. Do as I say, and don’t make me repeat myself.” Without waiting for a response, she turned and ran toward the mages.
If only she had paid more attention to the ranger, she might have noticed how his face had grown paler and paler.
Aenduil’s cavalry vanguard began to advance, trotting steadily toward the alliance’s army.
“ARCHERS! INTO POSITION!” the commanders shouted as they adjusted their formations.
Edith couldn't believe her luck. This could turn out better than she had hoped. A grin spread across her face at the thought of the fame and fortune that would come with killing the so-called “strongest” warrior in the land. Earlier, she had been upset about not being chosen to participate in the hidden force, but now, her fortune had changed.
“Mages! Halt!” Edith shouted. The mages preparing for wide-range spells were taken by surprise. The commander of the mage unit was ready to rebuke the intruder until he realized who it was. He quickly signaled for the mages to stop their preparations.
“Don’t use wide-range magic! Switch to single-target spells! Aim for the leader of the vanguard on my command! Keep firing until I tell you to stop or until you run out of mana! Do you understand!?”
“Yes, my lady!” the mage unit commander replied, saluting her before coordinating the mages.
As the mages adjusted their spells, the grand masters began to arrive.
“What the hell, Edith! Why are you gathering us here? The battle is about to start!” one of the older grand masters questioned her brashly.
Deciding to ignore the slight for now, Edith got straight to the point.
“Alistair, the Count of Eulstan. He's the one leading the charge. We're going to kill him here.”
Surprised, the old grand masters exchanged glances. “Are you sure—”
“Yes, I’m sure. We have positive confirmation already. Guth was—” Edith paused when she noticed the ranger wasn’t there.
“That fucking coward! Anyway, that’s definitely him. I’m afraid we won’t have much time. Our window of opportunity will be tight, around the first engagement. What say you?”
The grand masters stayed silent for a while before one of them addressed her. “What about the battle, though? If all the grand masters are here, it might affect our formation.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Edith replied, her voice softening to ensure that no one unimportant could hear her.
“Some of you already know what will happen here, right? I’m sure some of you have received leaked information. Even if you haven’t, just by looking at the enemy, you must have a vague understanding of the situation. So don’t worry about it; whatever happens to the army is part of the plan.”
Upon receiving confirmation from Edith, some of the grand masters scrunched their faces, while others muttered choice expletives under their breath. But none seemed surprised. It didn’t take long for them all to agree with Edith’s plan.
“Get ready; they’ve picked up speed,” one of the grand masters, also a ranger, informed the group.
“Hmm.” Edith turned to look at the vanguard; they were already at the distance where she could make out individuals in the cavalry.
“Master Mage.” Edith gestured at the commander of the mage corps to get his attention. “You see that banner in the middle of the formation? Aim everything toward that direction, specifically at the person in front.”
“Understood, my lady.” The mage went back to his unit and started giving directions to the others.
Edith turned to the grand masters. “Okay, I’m a shield knight. I’ll be the one on the forefront. The rest of you will support me and aim at the rest of the cavalry.”
The grand masters scoffed under their breath. A shield knight? So what? With the spell barrage that was coming, she wouldn’t have to do any tanking if the goal was the count’s head. But none of the grand masters voiced their protest. She was, after all, their commander, and they all understood that she would be the one receiving the most honor. But still, they would also gain something here. Killing the count of Eulstan would make them famous.
The grand masters started moving and taking their positions near where the count’s first engagement would happen.
“ARCHERS!! FIRE!!”
Arrows blackened the sky, but the cavalry vanguard did not alter its speed or direction.
“Shield!” “Mana Barrier!” “Force Vacuum!” Dozens of mages began to cast various spells to block the arrows.
The cavalry again picked up speed as barrages of arrows deflected in mid-air.
At the forefront, just behind the Count, a mage approached and said, “My liege, their mages are preparing spells; the mana patterns do not indicate large-scale spells.”
“Hmm.” The Count acknowledged the mage and began to increase his speed, riding ahead of the group, accompanied by only two spear knights, two shield knights, and the previous mage. They rode in a V formation, with the Count at the front, adjusting his direction slightly to aim right at the center of the grand masters' concentration.
And then the barrage of spells erupted. Layers of different colors and sounds surged toward the Count. The mage released the spell she had been preparing.
“Mana Transfer.” Her mana began to flow toward the two shield knights, who, in turn, started casting their skill.
“Widerzauberschilt!” Two massive golden shields manifested in mid-air. The shields combined to protect the group, forming a cone shape with the point directed away just in front of the Count.
The spell barrage reached them at less than 100 meters from the alliance’s frontline. Just before the spells struck the shield, the Count raised his left palm and cast his skill.
“BREAK”
A massive explosion erupted at the point of impact, accompanied by thunderous sounds and blinding light. Edith, positioned just behind the shield wall, had to close her eyes. Instinctively, she raised her shield to protect herself.
A second later, she opened her eyes—and saw him. The Count was already in front of the shield wall, his spear raised and drawn back. Their eyes met, and she heard him again.
“THRUST”