novelraw Chapter 193: Engagement - Archer
Chapter 193: Engagement - Archer
193: Engagement - Archer
When the army from Avril Castle arrived at the battlefield, the winter scent had vanished, replaced by the fresh smell of spring. Leo looked around the newly established camp with a sense of unfamiliarity.
The soldiers exuded an air of inexperience. Their armor was clean, and their weapons had yet to taste blood. They fussed over the wounded who had been brought in.
This was the appearance of an army at the early stages of war.
Despite the generals on both sides only engaging in light skirmishes as a prelude to the main battle, the soldiers behaved as if they were already caught in a blood-soaked maelstrom. Some awaited their turn with overconfidence, while others were anxious and jittery.
The swirl of emotions was almost amusing. In less than two months, they would either be corpses or become desensitized to blood and death. They would turn into the cold and rigid chess pieces favored by generals.
It was a sight only possible because they had arrived at the battlefield two weeks early.
Previously, Leo had always arrived a month into the war, but preparations at Avril Castle had expedited their departure.
Not merging with the forces departing from the capital also played a significant role.
The timing was awkward for waiting, so they had come to the battlefield on their own. Leo wondered how the bribe-taking, snub-nosed White Captain, who had only quieted down after receiving bribes, would react to him now that he was a knight, but he missed that small pleasure.At that moment, a knight who had been inspecting the camp with Leo called for the Centurion. A soldier with a sturdy build saluted with a disciplined gesture.
Normally, a centurion would be treated almost on par with a knight, but this soldier was actually a Hundred Captain.
He had been temporarily given the title of Centurion to lead the soldiers during the march, so the knight spoke down to him.
“We are going to report to the commander-in-chief. Wait here for a while and then go see the administrator for further instructions.”
“Yes, sir.”
Leo and four other knights headed towards the commander-in-chief’s tent. Leo waved at the junior knights gathered in the distance, indicating he would be back soon.
Lena responded with a salute.
Soon, they were inside the commander-in-chief’s tent. In the tent, supported by four long poles, the senior knight greeted and reported.
“It’s been a while, Count.”
“I’ve brought soldiers from Avril Castle. 300 warriors from the tribe, 900 regular soldiers, 18 junior knights, and 5 knights. We have no mages or priests. The Cross Church... yes, it seems we are not alone in this. Most of the warriors are axemen. Their equipment is in decent condition, and 113 of them claim proficiency with the bow. We haven’t had the chance to test them as archers. The gender ratio is about 8:2, with a higher proportion of women among the Ainar tribe warriors. We brought 90 horses, eight suitable for combat and seventeen swift runners. They could be assigned to messengers. We also brought supplies equivalent to thirty-six carts, of which twenty-seven are food supplies. We have one ton each of sugar and salt, 32 tons of radimu, 20 tons of potatoes, and jerky...”
The senior knight’s report continued. The commander-in-chief occasionally interjected with questions like, “What kinds of medical supplies?” or “What is the level of training of the soldiers?” and eventually smiled in satisfaction.
“Good. It’s a shame we didn’t bring much alcohol, but thank you for bringing plenty of weapons and tobacco. The timeline was tight, but you did well.”
“Thank you.”
“But why are there only five knights? Did one desert?”
Hahaha! The commander-in-chief’s joke prompted polite laughter in the tent.
“No, sir. We have an additional knight. This is Leo Dexter. He was knighted temporarily at Avril Castle, and as you know, he is the famous son of Noel Dexter.”
“Noel Dexter?”
The commander-in-chief appeared confused.
After thinking for a while, he exclaimed, “Ah! Noel!” which indicated he hadn’t been in Barnual during the civil war. Noel Dexter was well-known only in the capital.
The commander-in-chief greeted Leo warmly.
Despite clearly having little interest, the recognition of Leo’s achievement in meeting {Blood of the King}, Prince Arnulf de Klaus, seemed to take effect, and he praised Leo’s young age and capabilities.
The senior knight also credited Leo for bringing in a substantial amount of supplies.
After the exchange of pleasantries, the senior knight asked how to distribute the soldiers they had brought.
“The soldiers from Avril Castle are ready for immediate deployment. However, the warriors have not yet been organized into units.”
“There’s no need to organize them just yet. We were planning to separate the warriors anyway, so this works out well. Administrator, merge the soldiers and junior knights from Avril Castle with the main force. Send the warriors to the nearby hills for hunting. Some foraging would be good too.”
The commander-in-chief leaned back comfortably in his chair.
“It’s just starting, so we need to feed them well first. Even scared soldiers will want to fight if they’re full.”
He was a seasoned general. Having been a general during the 'Nine Days War' over a decade ago, he knew how to drive soldiers into deadly situations.
It was a basic virtue for a general. Rather than relying on the king’s name to boost morale, one had to draw out the soldiers' voluntary eagerness.
Anyway, the senior knight had no more business with the commander-in-chief. Having completed the handover of the soldiers he led, he said he would now go see the commander of the knights and saluted.
At that moment, Leo interrupted.
“Commander-in-chief, excuse me. I have a request.”
“What is it?”
“May I remove my squire from the roster?”
The commander-in-chief looked puzzled. Leo elaborated.
“I wish to keep my squire with me.”
“What do you mean? Keep him with you? Where?”
The commander-in-chief’s face crinkled as he finally understood.
“That’s not for me to decide. Do as you wish, but you’ll need the approval of the commander of the knights.”
“Thank you.”
Leo bowed and exited. The other knights who had accompanied him had odd expressions. They seemed to want to say something to Leo but hesitated.
“Arrogant.” — This was likely what they wanted to say.
Leo’s request had been more than just arrogant; it bordered on insolent.
A knight who joined the order was assigned a senior. It was meant to ensure they learned the basics from a veteran knight, and the senior-junior pairing was also the fundamental unit deployed in battle.
But how could a mere temporary knight dare to break this convention? Normally, it would have been out of the question.
However, unlike the commander-in-chief who had furrowed his brows, the knights knew of Leo’s skills. Despite his young age, his depth in swordsmanship was unfathomable. He was robust enough to put older men’s pride to shame, brimming with vitality.
[Achievement: Monster Hunter - ‘3’, slight mana imbues the body.]
[Achievement: Expert - Leo's physique becomes stronger.]
Additionally, he possessed the talent to imbue his body with mana...
Leo's body exerted a strength that far surpassed what his muscles should be able to produce, and the knights could not fault him for being arrogant. They ground their teeth, realizing the vast gap between them and Leo.
Fine. It’s better this way. They had no intention of becoming the mentor of such a monster; he might as well rise quickly.
Although their pride was wounded, this was nothing new. They were royal knights who were confident in their swordsmanship, but among the knights gathered from all over the kingdom, there were always differences in skill levels.
This hierarchy could often be seen by noting which knight belonged to which order.
With the exception of the Arcaea Empire, often called the Magical Kingdom, the other kingdoms organized their knights into three orders: the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd orders, with the 1st order typically housing the most skilled knights.
This was because those who performed best in the entry exams were sent to the 1st order. For example, historically youngest knights like Noel Dexter were almost always placed in the 1st order.
Thus, those who achieved quickly were picked by the 1st and 2nd orders, leaving the 3rd order with relatively less skilled knights.
However, this was only generally true. There were always exceptions.
One of the most notable examples was...
Baron Arpen Albacete, a swordmaster from the Kingdom of Aslan, came from the 3rd order.
Having become a knight by placing in the Maunin–Reti Tournament, he was assigned to the 3rd order due to being a native (barbarian) and not taking the entrance exam.
At first glance, one might think a talented individual was unjustly placed, but his skills were not extraordinary at the time. Even as a knight, he was no more than a great warrior who insisted on using an axe.
However, he grew at an astonishing rate. Despite knights rarely transferring between orders, he moved from the 3rd order to the 2nd, and finally to the 1st order, eventually becoming the commander of knights just before the civil war. He even broke the custom that only nobles could become commanders.
By the end of the civil war, he became a swordmaster, the first barbarian to become a noble.
Of course, Baron Albacete’s case was extreme. Nonetheless, many knights who started in the 3rd order reached significant heights.
One such knight was Jensen Byley, the commander of the 3rd order of knights in the Kingdom of Aslan, where Leo and the four knights arrived.
A middle-aged knight, his uniform starched stiff with plentiful use of starch, looked Leo over intently and then asked again.
“Noel Dexter’s son?”
After the senior knight’s report and introduction of the temporary knight Leo, Jensen stood up and offered a handshake.
“I saw you a few times when you were young. Time flies. Good to see you. You look more like your mother. How is she? Did your father not mention me?”
His face was scarred. Though long healed, the scars were of different hues, making his face appear mottled. The most severe scar stretched from his right cheek to his nose, a testament to a survival against the odds.
Leo was taken aback to meet someone who had known his past self. He hesitated, unsure of what to say.
A simple “I’ve heard a lot about you” would suffice.
However, not knowing his father’s relationship with this man, and having been betrayed by those he thought he knew, he feared making a mistake.
In such cases, saying nothing was best.
Leo bowed silently, and Jensen gently shook his hand. Misinterpreting the silence, Jensen muttered, “Still angry with me, I see.”
With nothing more to say, Leo changed the subject. He asked if he could keep his squire with him independently.
“Why?”
“My squire is my betrothed.”
Leo said this and then closed his mouth. There was much more he wanted to say, but he left it to their imagination.
The once amicable knight commander’s eyes grew cold.
“I see. Well, if that’s what you want, we’ll let you do it.”
Jensen’s face contorted, his many scars twisting with irritation. He then spoke in a warning tone.
“But! I must say, it’s quite presumptuous. This is a battlefield, not a place for playing games with your fiancée. Are you still insistent?”
“Yes.”
“...Then prove it with your skills.”
Clang.
Jensen Byley drew his sword, a unique square-tipped two-handed blade, and issued a challenge.
“Let’s see how skilled you’ve become. Don’t blame me for this. It’s for your own good...”
- Vwoom!
Jensen’s sword emitted a distinctive whistling sound as he swung it down. Moments later, Leo found himself with a mentor.
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