novelraw Chapter 113: Revolution Defense War - End of the Decisive Battle
Chapter 113: Revolution Defense War - End of the Decisive Battle
The Imperial Army had completely collapsed.
“Pursue them! Make the invaders pay the price!”
Following Nicolas Nere's orders, his troops relentlessly pursued the Imperial Army, as if venting their pent-up frustration from initially playing the role of the defeated.
“Ugh, Uwaaaah-!”
“Haha, this is a complete sheep hunt!”
Shandra, racing across the rolling hills at tremendous speed, caught up to the fleeing Imperial soldiers and brandished her signature twin swords-
“Hi-Hiiik! Monsters, they’re monsters-!”
Behind her, Orcs followed, thudding along at an equally incredible speed, driving the Imperial Army into terror.
“We surrender, we surrender!”
“Don’t shoot! Please! Just spare our lives!”At this point, the rumors spread by those the Revolutionary Army had captured and released were having a fatal effect.
Imperial soldiers who thought they were about to be caught by the Revolutionary Army while fleeing began to surrender one after another.
The Commander of the Southern Army, Damien De Millbeau, looked down from a hill at the Imperial Army, collapsing in utter disarray and retreating, and his own men chasing after them.
“Uwahaha, victory, a great victory! Order all troops to pursue! Chase them! Chase them, I say! Make the name of Count Millbeau renowned!”
As Damien De Millbeau shouted excitedly, Giselle, who had been standing quietly beside him, spoke up.
“With all due respect, Your Excellency Commander, may I offer a word?”
“Hmph, a mere commoner officer cadet daring to address His Excellency the Count.”
“……My apologies.”
However, Peter de Cassel, who happened to be nearby, rebuked her, and Giselle immediately bowed her head in apology.
Damien, however, reacted differently.
“Ahem, ahem, ahem! This precious person… Ah, no, this precious… Uh. Anyway, we must treat such talented individuals well!”
“Ye-Yes?”
Peter de Cassel was taken aback.
He had been a loyal knight serving him since before he inherited the title of Count, but that didn’t mean he was ignorant of Damien’s personality.
The Count Damien De Millbeau, infamous for his inability to shed his aristocratic pride, subtly looking down on commoners, and loathing women—was he defending a commoner officer cadet, a woman at that, here?
Instead of him, the knight who had devoted his loyalty all this time?
Sir Cassel’s face filled with a sense of injustice, but Damien was already smiling broadly and speaking to Giselle.
“Ah, Officer Cadet Davie- no, Second Lieutenant Davie! Speak! What brilliant idea has come to you this time?”
At this point, Giselle too seemed a bit flustered, but the impact of the Commander personally uttering ‘Second Lieutenant Davie’ was greater.
Giselle suppressed the corners of her mouth, which were about to break into a smile, and replied.
“Considering Marquis Lafayette’s past battle records, he is likely to soon order the reorganization of the troops to prioritize the capture of strategic points. Therefore, if you entrust the pursuit to the swift Iberian forces or the cavalry and order the infantry to assemble in advance, a rapid response will be possible.”
“……Uh, r-really?”
Damien replied dumbly.
Hearing it seemed plausible.
‘No, but even I, who fought alongside him all this time, am unsure, so what makes her so confident?’
A cold sweat trickled down Damien’s spine.
Perhaps she’s this confident because she knows the Black Witch of Aquitaine is backing her?
If so, there’s no harm in making a good impression-
Only then did Damien notice Peter de Cassel, scowling deeply.
No matter what, he was the Commander of the Southern Army; he couldn’t lose his dignity by being swayed by a mere officer cadet, no, a newly commissioned second lieutenant.
“Ahem, ahem. No matter what, that’s-”
No.
Just as Damien was about to say that, a different thought flashed through his mind.
What terrible fate might befall him if he got on her bad side and, by some chance, earned the ire of the Black Witch of Aquitaine?
Wouldn’t it be better to incur the displeasure of a subordinate he could easily manage?
Damien De Millbeau.
The man who had always prioritized safety over pride and survived like a cockroach was quick to give up.
Having made his decision, Damien rubbed his hands together and twisted his lips into a smile.
“Good, good. Our men, weary from the long battle, need rest and reorganization. If you’re right, all the better! Relay the order for troop assembly, Second Lieutenant Davie!”
“Yes, Your Excellency Commander Millbeau! I will carry out the order!”
Giselle immediately saluted and hurried off.
“My Lord Count. Aren’t you being too lenient with that insolent new officer?”
“Hmph, be quiet! If it weren’t for her in this battle, we would have been breached!”
“Pardon?”
Peter de Cassel looked dumbfounded, but Damien had no desire to explain further.
The shield of the Revolutionary Army, the master of defense, the renowned defensive general Damien De Millbeau, actually won by following a mere officer cadet’s suggestion, miraculously blocking the Imperial Army?
He wouldn’t say such a thing even if his mouth were torn open, absolutely not.
Just as Peter de Cassel, his face full of dissatisfaction, was about to speak again, a messenger arrived.
“Messenger! A directive from His Excellency Marquis Lafayette!”
“Oh, let’s see.”
Damien unfolded the directive.
The directive stated exactly what Giselle Davie had advised: cease pursuit, reorganize the troops, and prepare to advance on Nancy.
“See?”
Peter de Cassel, after looking at the directive Damien showed him triumphantly, wore a shocked expression, then spoke after a long pause.
“T-To think that second lieutenant, once a mere cavalryman in my regiment, was such an astonishing talent! You recognized her genius early on and requisitioned her as your direct messenger! Truly, Count Damien De Millbeau! This Peter de Cassel is in awe of Your Excellency’s insight!”
Listening to the truly loyal knight’s shifting thoughts, Damien De Millbeau had other thoughts.
‘Still, to think she knows Marquis Lafayette’s thoughts that well? Could that woman be a confidante planted by Marquis Lafayette and Countess Aquitaine to watch me?’
Meanwhile, the subject of these misunderstandings and assumptions was ecstatic about becoming a second lieutenant, running around tirelessly.
*
The main force of the Imperial Army collapsed too suddenly, too devastatingly.
While even the great Grand Duke Leopold was struggling to regain his composure and somehow rally his troops to retreat even a little further.
The Imperial light cavalry, Hussars and Dragoons, who had been guarding the flanks of the Imperial Army and engaging in a war of nerves with Jerome Morelle’s Chasseurs, faced the worst possible situation.
“The objective is complete annihilation; kill all except those who surrender! Wipe them out!”
“As per His Excellency the Marquis’s orders!”
“Why, why is Marquis Lafayette here- Kughak!”
We attacked them from the direction of the battlefield where Grand Duke Leopold’s army should have been.
As expected, perhaps they hadn’t yet received a messenger from their main force; the enemy cavalry, suddenly attacked from the rear, couldn’t hide their agitation.
“Waaaaah-!”
“Haha, this is it! Charge!”
“Uwaaaaak!”
As Jerome Morelle’s Chasseurs on the outskirts immediately joined in, the Imperial cavalry, surrounded front and back, fell into a panic, chaotically becoming prey in a one-sided hunt.
“Hi-Hiiik-”
Some Hussars tried to quickly break away and flee, but-
“Where do you think you’re going!”
The Chasseurs skillfully spurred their horses in pursuit, aiming and firing their carbines in a display of marksmanship.
Swords might be dodged, but bullets flying from behind cannot.
Those who had painstakingly broken out of formation screamed and fell from their horses, one after another.
“The Chasseurs are thoroughly incensed.”
Perhaps because they had lost quite a few comrades in a tense close-quarters battle after a string of overwhelming victories, the Chasseurs were tenaciously pursuing the Imperial light cavalry, inflicting severe damage.
“Morelle! Jerome Morelle!”
I rode into the midst of the Chasseurs darting here and there and shouted, imbuing my voice with mana.
Then, Jerome Morelle, covered in blood, rode up to me.
“Whew~ Congratulations on the great victory, Your Excellency Marquis! Haha, judging by your appearance, it seems Your Excellency also had some fun?”
“Ah, well.”
My own appearance, caked in blood, was not much different from Morelle’s.
“The Imperial Army has completely collapsed. Once the cavalry battle is over, I’d like you to order the Chasseurs to pursue them. Is that possible?”
Jerome Morelle stroked his chin with his hand and replied.
“Eh, that might be a bit difficult, I think? We’ve had more movement than usual due to repeated engagements of harassment and ranged attacks while maintaining distance, and both men and horses are generally exhausted.”
“Is that so, alright, then just neutralize the enemy light cavalry and secure the prisoners.”
Then there’s no choice but to entrust it to Shandra and the Iberian forces, who were committed late in the battle and should be fresh.
They lack cavalry, but Shandra herself and the Orcs boast incredible speed and endurance, even if not quite on par with cavalry, they should be sufficient for pursuing stragglers.
“Haha, thank you for your generous consideration! Well then!”
Morelle immediately rode off.
I turned my head and watched as most of the Imperial light cavalry were either killed or dismounted, hands raised in surrender, subdued.
I clenched my fist, my hand still trembling from the lingering tension of battle.
This is the first time.
The losses weren’t insignificant, but this isn’t a pyrrhic victory like the one at the Western Plains of Besançon.
With Gaston falling at the start of the battle and Eris departing, we clashed head-on with Grand Duke Leopold—and achieved a perfect victory against him and the Empire that had seemed like a colossal threat.
-If Your Excellency cannot do so, I intend to make people think of me, not the ‘Blue Knight,’ when they hear the name Lafayette.
Those were my last words to my father, the Blue Knight, who made me feel like a disgrace to nobility and a knight who couldn’t fulfill his role.
I recalled the almost legendary end of the Blue Knight and shook my head.
In Francia now, I might be more famous, but I don’t know how it will be for posterity.
Perhaps this is still not enough.
Anyway, to be a wall, even in death. He truly wasn't a good father.
I turned my horse and began to return to the main force.
Still, at the very least.
The blood and sweat of those who followed me, the deaths of those who fell, had value.
Those who risked their lives and dedicated themselves were given not denial and the guillotine, but rightful victory and honor.
For now, that alone was an overwhelming feeling.
*
During the long hours of continuous battle.
Eris had to focus solely on healing, concentrating her mind.
The Abyss Corporation’s poison was truly vicious; it tried to repel her divine power, causing incessant bleeding and allowing the toxin to spread through the body.
Previously, healing Countess Aquitaine alone had been difficult, but now, trying to heal Sir Gaston and numerous cavalrymen simultaneously was even more taxing.
She knew well that the moment she withdrew her divine power, the poison would ravage their bodies further, so she couldn’t rest for even a moment, pouring her strength into everyone for a long time.
The intermittent sounds of cannons from outside disrupted her concentration.
She wasn’t without worries.
Eris was not well-versed in military science or tactics.
However, even from the news conveyed during her brief conversation with Pierre de Lafayette, she could understand that the situation was difficult.
The number of those who would fall without her protection would surely not be small.
If the Revolutionary Army were defeated because she wasn't on the front lines, because she had misjudged.
Eris couldn't even imagine how she would feel if that happened.
However, there was someone who declared that lives held different weight on the battlefield and told her to leave the responsibility to him.
-Yes. I will lead this battle to victory.
That person had said so.
-I'll trust you, Marquis. Not just me, but everyone in the Revolutionary Army will trust you.
Eris had replied thus.
Therefore, she trusted, prayed, and focused solely on healing.
Even when she finally expelled the poison from Gaston and the cavalrymen's bodies, and even as more wounded from the ongoing battle were ceaselessly brought in.
Eris remained at her post until her whole body was drenched in sweat and she was utterly exhausted. She consciously refrained from asking anything from those bringing the wounded.
Whipping her body screaming for rest, she devoted herself to healing until her eyes grew dim, and then a familiar voice came from behind her.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty. How are Gaston and his men?”
Eris replied as if she had been waiting.
“They are safe. They will awaken after a few days’ rest.”
Before Eris could voice the question she was suppressing, Pierre answered.
“We won, Your Majesty. It is a perfect victory.”
Only then did Eris turn her head.
Seeing Pierre, clad in blood-stained clothes that looked hastily wiped, because he couldn't quite hide his joy and relief.
She smiled, relieved and proud.
“You’ve worked hard, Marquis.”
Ah, thank goodness.
Eris added with a smile.
“……Thank you.”
For repaying my trust, for ensuring I wouldn't be tormented by guilt.
“I am the one who should be grateful.”
Pierre replied, then paused before adding.
“……You may rest now, Your Majesty.”
There must still be people to heal.
Yet, somehow, the moment she heard those words, she could no longer support her body.
Her tilting body was caught by strong arms.
“Then, please…….”
Eris’s consciousness immediately sank.
Strangely, not into anxiety, but into a sense of relief.