novelraw Chapter 194: Engagement - Battlefield
Chapter 194: Engagement - Battlefield
"There they are."
Leo pointed, directing their attention to where a group of ten enemy soldiers was hiding. Lena gulped nervously.
It was her first battle. She had never been on a battlefield before, nor had she ever raised a sword with the intent to kill. She closed her eyes briefly to calm her breathing.
All her swordsmanship training had led up to this moment. I can do this, Lena Ainar. Don’t be afraid.
"Let’s go. Do as much as you can. Don’t overdo it."
Leo’s casual tone as he pushed her forward helped settle her nerves. His confident assurance that she could handle it made her feel less anxious. Gripping her sword tightly, Lena dashed out of the bushes alongside Leo.
“A knight!”
A lookout soldier shouted.
At the shout, ten soldiers quickly formed a defensive formation, and one soldier dashed off in the opposite direction.
A messenger.Lena glanced at Leo, who remained unfazed. He noticed her glance and smiled, causing Lena to feel a bit embarrassed. She quickly turned her gaze back to the enemy, not wanting to appear incompetent in front of Leo.
“Lena, I’ll take the lead.”
- Stomp.
Leo walked forward without a hint of tension. He didn’t draw his sword until he was close to the soldiers, and it was only then that Lena sensed a shift in the atmosphere.
The soldiers before them suddenly seemed less formidable. Earlier, she had worried about how to break through their formation—should she just charge in blindly? Now, those concerns vanished.
Leo’s {Successor Technique} guided her on where to go.
- Crash!
Leo’s sword shattered the shield of the soldier at the forefront. The soldiers immediately swarmed, but Leo remained calm and composed.
He parried the sword of the soldier next to him and struck. He delivered a spinning kick to the soldier rushing at him from behind, which coincidentally deflected an incoming arrow. The follow-up spin sliced the fallen soldier.
Lena observed him. The {Successor Technique} showed her...
Nothing. She didn’t need to do anything.
Lena realized that she didn’t need to intervene in this fight. Leo wouldn’t get hurt even if she did nothing.
“Lena, what are you doing? Take over here.”
“...Oh, okay.”
Leo had ‘left’ an enemy for her. He had deliberately hesitated instead of simply cutting down the soldier, allowing Lena to engage.
“H-h-huh...”
The enemy soldier Leo left for her was a mess. Terrified by the knight who effortlessly cut down his comrades, he was shaking uncontrollably.
Lena easily killed him. She knocked aside his weakened sword and plunged her blade into his chest as he struggled.
Her first kill. The first fruit of her labor as a swordsman was merely this.
Lena felt a sense of futility. She had prepared herself to feel guilt after killing someone, but there was none.
And that sense of futility doubled when she looked up. Leo was literally ‘playing’ with the remaining five soldiers. He looked back at her like a mother bird encouraging her chick to fight and grow.
It was incredibly humiliating. But she had expected this, so Lena charged in.
When Leo, now a knight, had proposed they dive into the battlefield together, Lena had been furious. She argued about why he made such decisions without consulting her, but Leo countered that it was a good opportunity for her too.
“As a junior knight, you won’t see much action. You’ll be stuck guarding generals or centurions. Is that what you want?”
To gain experience and earn merit, one had to go to the battlefield. That was Leo’s main argument, and Lena agreed with it.
She just hadn’t expected Leo to be this strong. She thought that if surrounded by many, she would have to help him, but now she wondered...
‘...Stop acting like a child.’
Lena gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on her sword. Despite her fear, she faced the enemy diligently, allowing her to test some more aggressive sword techniques.
Indeed, Uncle Noel’s swordsmanship didn’t quite suit her. Hiding a move for a single decisive strike was fine, but the overly defensive nature didn’t sit well with her.
‘Yes. I’ll adapt this swordsmanship to my style. Eventually, I’ll create my own techniques. Then one day...’
Having dispatched the last soldier, Lena turned to Leo.
They needed to hide before another squad arrived, but Leo seemed distracted. He appeared to be scanning the area, as if he had lost something or was keeping a lookout.
“Leo? We need to hide now.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
Even as Lena pulled him into the bushes, Leo continued to glance around. His eyes seemed to be focused on something distant.
After a moment, Leo stopped and spoke.
“Lena. Um... how about we go that way? It’s not good to reuse the same hiding spot, so we should find a new one.”
“Huh? Do we have to do that now? Shouldn’t we rest first?”
Although it was spring, the bushes were not as dense as they would be in summer, making it harder to hide. They would have to dart between the shrubs and trees to avoid detection.
It was quite exhausting, especially after ambushing a squad.
But Leo seemed determined. He appeared quite anxious, making Lena wonder if it was really that urgent.
“Uh?”
“Shh!”
As they walked along the forest ridge, Lena noticed something. Between the bushes... knights!
Two knights from the Kingdom of Bellita were resting, hidden between the shrubs. They had dug a small hole and were lying in it, and if Lena hadn’t been looking for a hiding spot, she wouldn’t have seen them.
Leo grabbed Lena’s shoulder as she got excited.
“Stay here. I’ll take care of it.”
“What? No way. I want to fight too.”
“No, Lena. Those are knights. They’re too much for you to handle right now.”
“B-but...”
Lena, who was about to insist, felt Leo’s faint sigh. She was about to say, “You can help me,” but then felt pathetic.
How much more pitiful can you get, Lena Ainar? Now you’re used to relying on Leo for everything.
Gritting her teeth, Lena turned her head and spoke.
“...Alright. I’ll stay here. Be quick.”
“Sorry.”
[Quest: Duelist 988/1000 - {Swordsmanship} ability increases by one level.]
I need this kill. Those knights aren’t weak enough to be taken lightly like the earlier soldiers...
Leo circled around the ridge. Carefully stepping through the budding weeds, he positioned himself advantageously, then charged swiftly.
“Haaa!”
“What the...! Ugh!”
- Clang!
Leo leaped from the ridge, bringing his sword down on one of the knights.
The knight barely noticed and drew his sword to block Leo’s strike, but he couldn’t withstand the weight behind Leo’s attack. His grip broke, and blood dripped from his crushed fingers.
“You bastard!”
- Whoosh!
Another knight swung his sword. Leo couldn’t finish off the disarmed knight and instead leaped into a somersault, evading the strike.
- Clang!
Leo thrust his sword mid-air. The attacking knight, who seemed to be the senior, blocked the thrust but struggled to get up.
“Urgh!”
Leo landed and viciously stomped on the knight. His face and sword were driven back into the ground.
“Senpai...!”
The disarmed knight panicked. The large knight who had just stomped his superior now thrust his sword repeatedly.
Despite his face being trampled, the senior knight fought desperately, batting away Leo’s thrusts with his arms, causing blood to spray everywhere as his forearms were shredded.
“Quick, get your sword...! Hurry!”
The pinned knight screamed, trying to kick Leo’s arm.
“Sorry, Julian.”
“W-what?”
Leo Dexter knew who this was. Julian, a knight from the 3rd Order. During the last scenario with the beggar siblings, Prince Leo had met all the knights from the Bellita Kingdom at the Orville palace.
The {Tracking Technique} didn’t necessarily require knowing the names, but he had seen the knights sign the guest book at the banquet.
This knowledge enabled him to participate in the {War} scenario. It was an optimal environment to clear the Duelist quest and, with caution, posed no threat to his life.
Count Herman Forte, the swordmaster of the Bellita Kingdom, wouldn’t be participating. Leo had seen this when the beggar siblings’ scenario ended.
[The ending of the Engagement scenario has changed.]
[Lena Ainar]
[Final occupation: Knight of Avril Castle]
[Marriage partner: Leo Dexter]
[Leo Dexter]
[Final occupation: Knight of Avril Castle]
[Marriage partner: Lena Ainar]
[Engagement Ending: Peace of Avril Castle]
+ Lena Ainar, born at Avril Castle, enjoyed a happy childhood... (abridged) ... Lena participated in the war between the kingdoms and achieved great feats, becoming a knight. She returned to Avril Castle to live as a knight, protecting the castle and raising three children happily. +
+ Leo Dexter, born in the capital, Barnual... (abridged) ... Leo participated in the war between the kingdoms and achieved great feats, becoming a knight. He returned to Avril Castle, married Lena Ainar, and often went hunting with her and their children, living happily. +
This was the ending they were destined for.
Though the exact reasons were unclear, Count Herman Forte wouldn’t participate in this war, meaning Leo only needed to clear the quest.
Of course, having an identical ending wouldn’t be ideal. There was one more thing he needed to do, but it wasn’t particularly difficult.
“Farewell.”
Leo preemptively said his goodbyes. The resistance was fierce, and the foolish junior knight had picked up his sword, making it impossible to give Julian a quick death. Instead, Leo stabbed the wrist of the arm he was standing on.
“Aaaargh!”
“Senpai! You bastard! How could a knight be so cowardly...!”
“Cowardly?”
- Whoosh!
Leo dodged the wild swing effortlessly, smirking. He had given his all to ensure he didn’t get hurt by a capable opponent, and this was considered cowardly?
It was laughable.
Deciding there was no need to answer, Leo swiftly slashed at the knight before him. After a brief exchange, Leo’s sword pierced the knight’s neck, sending Julian to join his junior in the afterlife.
Despite his right wrist being nearly severed and his left arm torn to shreds, Julian had charged bravely and died honorably, his heart pierced.
[Quest: Duelist 990/1000 - {Swordsmanship} ability increases by one level.]
Almost there.
Bloodied, Leo smiled as he retrieved the Bellita Kingdom knights’ emblems from Julian and his junior’s bodies.
His accomplishments and quest counters were steadily accumulating. With no significant threats ahead, a smile naturally formed on his face.
‘It will all end soon.’
With his achievements, he would be discharged from this war. Upon completing the Duelist quest, he would head to the Holy Kingdom of Jerome and marry Lena. He would inform Lena that she would likely become a knight, completing the career ending.
And in the next childhood friend scenario... he would end this cursed game.
“Ha. Hahaha... Hahahahaha!”
Leo Dexter laughed, looking up at the sky. Having taken down two knights, he felt so strong that he wasn’t afraid of the enemy reinforcements.
Meanwhile, Lena, hiding nearby, wore a troubled expression. She panted heavily, overwhelmed by the sight of Leo’s prowess.
‘Stop acting like a child. I must catch up to Leo...’
Could she ever catch up to that monster?
“Lena, thanks for waiting.”
The monster approached. Leo smiled kindly, but Lena couldn’t meet his gaze.
*
This pattern repeated itself. Leo roamed the battlefield, hunting knights, with the quest completion in sight.
But one day, Leo encountered an unexpected visitor.
“W-what’s this! Senpai!”
“...Oh no. I told you to find soldiers, not knights. Deros! Move aside!”
A redhead aflame. Katrina pushed through the bushes where Leo and Lena were hiding. She shoved aside her junior, Deros, and drew her sword.
Leo was equally startled.
‘Why is she here already? Did something change again?’
It was still late spring. It wasn’t time for Katrina to appear.
She usually emerged in midsummer because the 2nd Order, which she belonged to, departed late.
Based on the beggar siblings' scenario, the 1st and 2nd Orders of Bellita Kingdom deployed late under Count Herman Forte’s orders. She should still be in Orville, just now deploying...
Leo’s spine tingled with a cold chill.
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