Chapter 143

Chapter 143: The Day of Decisive Battle (4)

By the time the morning sun had leapt over the horizon and fully revealed its face in the sky—

“Uwaaaaah! Kill themmmm!”

“Break through! Overrun the stronghold!”

Kaaang! Kaang!

Swaaeeeeeek! Thwack!

“Aaaargh!”

“Kill themmmm!”

Near the defensive stronghold built in front of the Mudside trading port—

The clashing of swords and the sound of arrows piercing flesh rang out without pause.

And before anyone realized it, the scent of blood began to blend more strongly with the sea breeze that came and went with the wind.

“Push through!”

“Don’t fall back, no matter what!”

Those who tried to break through, and those who tried to hold the line—

The battlefield they created was a hellscape unfolding above Mudside.

Of course, even in the midst of this chaos, the expressions and reactions of the two sides were strikingly different.

‘What the hell are these guys?’

‘Damn it, this level of strength?’

On the faces of the Tread soldiers and knights swinging their swords, a mix of frustration and bewilderment appeared.

‘This is more doable than I thought!’

‘…We can hold them off!’

Atop the palisades, the faces of the Daphne forces lit up with determination and hope.

Both sides had expected a one-sided outcome, yet what was unfolding was far from it—and their reactions showed it.

At that moment, far removed from the front lines—

“Huuuuuu… How troubling, truly troubling.”

Commander Pattinson, carrying a massive naval cannon on his back, briskly approached the defensive lines.

‘The Daphne Viscounty, huh.’

He scanned the palisades with his eyes.

Once powerful enough to be called one of the Empire’s Seven Great Houses, now a third-rate house that had fallen so far it had shriveled to the edge of Luden Shire.

‘I had heard they’d grown rapidly lately, but to think it was to this extent.’

Pattinson exhaled sharply through his nose, staring intently at the Daphne knights fighting near the palisade.

“Get lost!”

“Aaagh!”

Kaaang! Kaaang!

‘Forget 1-star knights, there’s a swarm of 2-star level ones here.’

And that so-called Young Master… he looks even more skilled than that.

‘The higher-ups’ had ordered him to monitor their movements for a long time, so he had thought he knew them well.

‘Maybe… this opportunity to cut off their lifeline is a stroke of luck for us.’

Yeah, best to think of it that way.

Just as Pattinson licked his lips with his tongue—

“Grrrr….”

A low growl came from beside him.

When Pattinson glanced sideways, he saw the count chewing on his fingernails, face twisted into a furious scowl and flushed red.

His fingers had turned red, and judging by the expression alone, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he bit someone’s head off right then.

“Hurry up, Pattinson.”

“Yes, sir.”

At the count’s urging, Pattinson nodded and turned to a soldier next to him.

“You, bring the shells and follow me.”

“Ah… y-yes!”

As the soldier bowed his head, Pattinson turned to Vernian Paul Tread and spoke.

“I’ll be off, my lord.”

“You had better not disappoint me.”

Vernian’s voice was sharp—beyond sharp, it was so tense it felt like it could snap at any moment.

“I’ll give it my best.”

Step. Step.

Commander Pattinson gave a small bow, then turned and strode quickly away.

Swaaeeek!

An arrow flew toward him as he walked, but he didn’t flinch.

Tadadang! Tadang!

The arrows bounced off his armor with sharp clangs.

Even when they struck his bare, helmetless head, they didn’t leave so much as a scratch on his skin.

At most, he occasionally scratched his face like a person swatting at a gnat—calmly, without the slightest reaction, as he steadily marched forward.

‘…What the hell, is that even human?’

The soldier following behind him turned pale.

He even started to suspect that the old man in front of him might not be human at all—but some kind of beast or ogre.

By the time Pattinson reached a spot not too far from the defensive line—

“Let’s seeee…”

He turned his head from side to side, scanning the defenses.

He looked for the section where the Tread forces were least concentrated and where the palisade seemed weakest.

“That spot looks good.”

To the right, where the palisade dipped inward.

Pattinson rotated the cannon barrel in that direction and let out a long sigh.

“Load the shell.”

“Yes, sir!”

The soldier following him quickly grabbed a cannonball the size of a human head from his pack and loaded it into the cannon.

“Let’s give it a shot.”

Thunk! Thunk!

Commander Pattinson spread his feet wide and gripped the cannon tightly.

And then—

“Rrrrrrrgh!”

He summoned power from his entire body, and his eyes began to glow blue.

His already massive muscles swelled even larger, and the veins bulging from his forehead pulsed like worms as the blue glow in his eyes deepened.

Soon, the entire cannon began to glow blue.

Swaaeeeaaaak!

A harsh grinding noise, like metal scraping inside the barrel, echoed out, accompanied by a pungent odor that stung the nose.

The soldier watching from behind widened his eyes.

‘Wh-what the…?’

Was the cannonball spinning inside?

Even without seeing it, he could tell.

Commander Pattinson wasn’t using gunpowder—he was trying to fire that cannon with nothing but his own strength.

“Grrraaaagh!”

Pattinson’s face twisted in agony.

Crackle! Crack!

The ground beneath him split open from the force radiating outward.

Just watching was enough to send chills down the spine.

‘If I get caught in that… I’ll die.’

Step by step, the soldier instinctively backed away.

How many more seconds passed like that?

‘The light’s gone?’

The soldier swallowed dryly and stared at the cannon.

The blue glow that had enveloped the entire weapon was gone.

No—more accurately, light was now leaking from within the barrel instead.

Which could only mean one thing—he had, almost certainly, infused it with mana...

‘He focused all of it into the cannonball inside.’

Sweat rolled down the soldier’s forehead.

At this point, it was impossible not to know what technique Commander Pattinson was using.

‘Is he using Shockwave to fire the cannon?’

Shockwave.

A decisive technique said to be usable only by knights of at least 3-star rank, requiring both an immense amount of mana and superb control over it.

Commander Pattinson’s plan was to unleash that very skill through the cannon.

And the moment the light inside the barrel reached its peak—

“Th-there! He’s aiming over there!”

“What the hell is that?!”

The Daphne soldiers atop the palisade belatedly spotted it and loosed their arrows.

Tadadang! Tadang!

But the arrows bounced off uselessly, causing no harm whatsoever.

“Hrgh!”

Pattinson braced the barrel on one knee, then spread one hand wide and slammed the cannon hard.

And then—

KWAHHHHHHHHHHNG!

In that instant, a blinding flash of light and a thunderous roar burst from the barrel, followed by a thick, blue beam that shot toward the defensive line.

Crackle! Crack!

“Argh!”

“Guhhak!”

The soldiers standing in the path of that light were obliterated, their bodies shredded and scattered into the air.

It charged forward with the force of a divine thunderbolt.

The moment the blue beam—having turned a dozen Tread soldiers into dust—struck the palisade—

KWAHHHHHHHHHHNG!

A deafening blast tore apart the entire thick palisade, blowing it to pieces.

“Aaaaagh!”

“Guhhak!”

With agonized screams, bloody chunks and flesh rained in every direction, dyeing the surroundings red.

“Phewww… Looks like I might’ve… overdone it a bit.”

Pattinson took a deep breath.

His body had been pushed far back by the recoil, and long skid marks were left on the ground where his feet had scraped along.

“H-holy…”

The nearby soldiers stood with their jaws dropped.

‘There’s an opening.’

‘He made that with one shot…’

To the right of the palisade, where the cannon had struck—

A wide gap had opened up, big enough for a dozen men to pass through side by side.

‘The palisade is gone.’

‘Was that the commander’s doing?’

All eyes from the Tread conscripts and knights were now fixed on him.

“…What was that just now?”

“The wall’s been breached!”

On the other hand, the faces of the Daphne soldiers had turned ghostly pale.

And then—

THUD!

Commander Pattinson casually tossed the cannon aside and roared.

“Everyone, enter through the breach! Push forward in one sweep!”

At once—

“Yesssirrrr!”

“3rd Unit, follow me!”

“4th Unit, move in behind them! This way!”

Unit Commanders Bohim and Gilton shouted as they charged forward.

“Follow the commander!”

“Soldiers! Move, now!”

The Tread forces surged through the broken gap like a crashing wave, one after another.

As if a taut rope had suddenly snapped—chaos unfolded in an instant.

Commander Pattinson turned his head to the side and grinned.

“Now that feels refreshing. Don’t you think?”

“Y-yes, sir!”

The soldier assisting him nodded repeatedly.

Thwack!

Pattinson clapped the soldier’s back with a hand the size of a pot lid and said,

“Well then, let’s go. Time to finish this.”

“Understood!”

Shrring!

The soldier drew the sword strapped to his back.

“Let’s enjoy ourselves a little, shall we?”

Step. Step.

Commander Pattinson also picked up the sword-lance he had slung over his back and began walking forward.

---

Inside the defensive line—

The entire Daphne force had fallen into chaos, scattering in panic.

“D-Deputy Commander Manton! What’s going on?!”

“I don’t know either! We’re just following the Young Master’s orders, aren’t we?!”

Mikkelsen, sword in hand, asked, and Manton replied with a furrowed brow.

“What do you mean you don’t know?!”

“Ask your brother about that! I’ve got my hands full just keeping myself alive!”

“Brother Beryl’s got another mission, damn it!”

The sudden explosion had blown open the defensive line.

And then—

“Kill them all!”

“Uwaaaaa! Advance!”

With eyes blazing blue, the Tread forces surged through the gap like a tidal wave.

They’d barely been holding the line even with the palisade in place—now, with this breach…

Kaang! Kaang!

“Eeeek! S-stop them!”

They were swept away like people caught in a flood.

“Deputy Commander Manton! Help me out here!”

“Hold your ground yourself!”

Kaang! Kaang!

Swords and arrows flew in from every direction—it wasn’t enough to have just ten bodies.

And worse…

“L-Lord! This way!”

“Break through the right flank, Mulgybson!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Father! They're coming from the left too!”

Viscount Cobalt, Mulgybson, and even Malion—

All of them were drenched in blood and sweat, desperately holding off enemies swarming in from all sides.

Meanwhile—

“Aaagh!”

“S-someone help!”

Every time the Anvil Knights charged forward and swung their swords at the Daphne conscripts, bodies were torn apart and blood sprayed through the air.

A scene of utter despair.

“Get lost!”

Shlaaash!

“Gahk!”

Mikkelsen cut down the enemy soldier in front of him, then quickly turned his head to the side.

“Eeeek!”

“Guaaagh!”

As the Anvil Knights’ swords and spears cut down the Daphne conscripts one after another, the terrified soldiers couldn’t even muster a proper counterattack and simply stumbled backward.

While glaring at that scene, Mikkelsen’s consciousness grew hazy—and suddenly, a short voice echoed in his ears.

—

—S-Sir Knight, please save me! Please!

—Shut up… and die.

—

In that moment, Mikkelsen’s brow furrowed and his body trembled violently.

“Rrrgh…”

JEEEENG!

Mikkelsen kicked off the ground and charged toward the soldiers.

“M-Mikkelsen!”

His comrades nearby shouted in alarm, but they were already overwhelmed dealing with the enemies in front of them and couldn’t stop him.

Tat! Tat! Tat!

Mikkelsen, charging like a madman, reached the group of soldiers.

“Get the hell out of here, you bastards! I’m your opponent nowwwww!”

He dove right into the middle of a cluster of three or four enemy knights.

Kaaang! Kaang!

He gritted his teeth, stretched out his sword, and dodged with rolls, barely enduring their strikes.

“S-Sir Knight!”

“Run, all of you! If you don’t want to die!”

“Eeek!”

With that, the terrified conscripts turned and fled without even looking back.

Thanks to Mikkelsen, they were saved.

But…

“Guhuhk!”

Mikkelsen himself, having taken the brunt of the enemy knights’ relentless assault, could hold out no longer and collapsed to the ground.

“Hey bastard, did you enjoy playing hero?”

A Tread knight raised a hand axe shimmering with blue light.

If it landed, Mikkelsen’s head would surely be severed.

Clench!

Sensing death, Mikkelsen shut his eyes tightly—

KWAJEEEEK! KWAJIK! KWAJIK!

“Gah!”

“Guhhek!”

The sounds of flesh being torn apart and a couple of short screams rang out.

And then—

“Get the hell up, you bastard!”

A harsh, familiar voice reached his ears.

Mikkelsen slowly opened his eyes to see Hardin, brow deeply furrowed, standing over him.

His entire body was drenched in sweat, and he looked utterly exhausted.

Mikkelsen blinked, then opened his mouth.

“Y-Young Master…”

Did he just… save me?

Did he save me?

Mikkelsen stared blankly at Hardin—

SMAAACK!

Hardin’s palm slapped him hard across the face.

“Get your head on straight! If you don’t want to die!”

Maybe it was thanks to that.

The blankness in Mikkelsen’s eyes disappeared, and clarity returned.

“My apologies!”

Mikkelsen got back on his feet and gripped his sword once more.

At that moment—

“Uwooooh!”

BAAAAM!

Hardin kicked an approaching knight hard, sending him flying, then scanned the surroundings.

‘So they’ve nearly all gotten inside?’

The defensive line, which had been built to keep the enemy at the shoreline, was now instead filled with those very enemies.

Normally, this would mean utter defeat.

But Hardin saw it differently.

‘Up to this point… everything is going according to plan.’

Hardin grabbed the war horn hanging at his waist and took a deep breath.

He had drawn the cat into the jar. Now, it was time to hunt.

He blew the war horn with all his might.

BWOOOOOOOOOOO!

The piercing sound of the war horn rang powerfully throughout the stronghold interior.

‘Now.’

‘That’s the signal!’

Upon hearing it, the Daphne soldiers’ eyes changed all at once. Then, in unison, they shouted:

“Everyone, retreat! Retreeeeeeat!”

The tide of the battle, which had held steady for so long, shifted in a single moment.

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