Raising the Princess to Overcome Death

Chapter 247

On the rounded hills of the Kingdom of Conrad, Elzeor de Lognum stood with his hands clasped behind his back, flicking his fingers. The generals and strategists around him, along with a few nobles led by Count Geogis Germain, were celebrating their victory in the initial skirmish.

However, Elzeor's gaze remained fixed on the enemy.

They had successfully breached the border.

Count Lopero, the western border lord of the Kingdom of Conrad, had failed to defend the outposts and strategic points along the border, and his army was now retreating in disarray.

But something felt off.

The Marquis Guidan, who was well-versed in the terrain here, had advised on the tactics, and with an overwhelming force, victory was expected. What puzzled Elzeor was the enemy's excessive foolishness.

'No matter how well I concealed the gathering of my troops, they couldn't have been completely unaware until now.'

Unless the enemy was utterly incompetent.

'So why didn't they make any preparations? Even if they had only increased their ranger patrols and packed archers into the outposts, we would have suffered hundreds of casualties...'

"Congratulations on your great victory! It is all thanks to your excellent leadership, Your Highness—no, Your Grace. Now that the enemy is in disarray, perhaps it would be wise to toast to the soldiers' morale?"Count Germain, his cheeks flushed, interrupted the prince's thoughts. Elzeor smiled faintly.

"Would you mind encouraging the soldiers, Count? You seem more suited for the task than I am. However, it might be best to hold back on the alcohol. Many of the soldiers are former pirates, and they might become difficult to control once they start drinking."

He dismissed the sycophants. As the cool southern wind brushed against him, he resumed his contemplation.

'...In the histories and maxims of the blitzkrieg tactics used by King Maunin and Queen Reti, there is mention of deliberately choosing to lose a battle. This is to lure the enemy into favorable terrain or to set up a complete encirclement...'

Elzeor climbed onto a platform and surveyed the surrounding landscape.

The wind blew in from the southern sea, and the warm early summer air filled the hills, where forests dotted the valleys.

Why did the enemy allow us to advance this far? What would I have done if I were them?

If it were me...

'I would have used fire.'

I would have set the forest ablaze, hidden my soldiers there, and, using the smoke and confusion, launched a surprise attack from the foot of the hill.

Ah! And I could have severed the enemy's supply lines, which had crossed the rugged mountains. If I could just reclaim the outposts we passed...!

"Magician!"

Elzeor de Lognum urgently summoned a magician.

I was careless.

Even as Prince Elzeor, I might have been overconfident. But I never imagined they would have prepared such a large-scale military strategy right after crossing the border.

They deliberately let us pass the outposts. More than letting us pass, they avoided destroying them on purpose.

But Elzeor de Lognum's concerns turned out to be unfounded.

Three magicians approached slowly and used a cloud-seeing spell to scan the rear and surrounding hills. However, they found nothing.

"This can't be right...? Are you sure you checked thoroughly?"

The youngest of the three magicians shrugged.

"Yes, there's nothing there."

The middle-aged magician added a slight explanation.

"They might be hiding in the forest. Since we're looking down from the sky, it's difficult to see through the cover of trees."

The elderly magician spoke with certainty.

"Are you checking for an ambush? Even if there were knights, it would be difficult to hide soldiers under the trees. There is no ambush."

"Is there any possibility that an enemy magician is hiding?"

"Ah, that's possible. Although I doubt any magician would be that bold... But you need not worry about that either. If an enemy magician prepares to use magic, we will know immediately."

"I see... Understood."

He dismissed the magicians and this time called a few knights to personally scout the area.

There was still no reason to assume the enemy had acted foolishly. Underestimating them would be a mistake only to make after they were all dead.

The prince rode around the surrounding forests and hills on horseback. He even visited the northern camp of Marquis Guidan and was checking the rear when he thought, 'Is there really nothing?' and was about to return.

"Stop there. Who are you?"

Ten barbarians were approaching clumsily. The brutish men, unable to recognize a knight, glared at him with wild eyes.

"Who are we? Who are you to block our path? Shall I just gut you right here?"

One of the knights, enraged, was about to draw his sword when Elzeor motioned for him to stop.

"Wait, calm down. We were rude. But we are in a state of war. Who are you to be approaching the rear of Marquis Guidan's and our army?"

"Ha, we finally made it."

"Hmph. If you hadn't screwed up back then, we would've gotten here much sooner."

The barbarians chatted among themselves. One of them, seemingly tired from a long journey, was massaging his legs.

The royal knight escorting Elzeor, unable to contain his frustration, pressed them.

"Answer quickly."

"Oh, you're quite uptight. Don't worry. We're here to join Marquis Guidan's army."

"Marquis Guidan's? Why would barbarians...?"

"Ah! We've been expecting you. Let us guide you."

Elzeor squinted and winked at the knights, then turned his horse towards his own army instead of the marquis's. As they walked, he asked,

"Was your journey difficult?"

"Oh, don't even mention it. It's hard to communicate with outsiders, and there are two domains with the name Guidan, ha ha ha. We got lost so many times."

"Yeah! Lost my foot. The locals were so hostile. They called us barbarians and tried to extort more money from us, and gave us wrong directions too. Ugh, when we were in the village, I had my doubts, but once we got out, it was clear. This rotten world needs to be turned upside down."

The barbarian warriors nodded in agreement. Elzeor also nodded along with them, asking,

"So you came to see Marquis Guidan. What promises did he make to you?"

"We don’t know the details; only the general and the chieftain know that. But the noble said if we helped, all the natives in the kingdom would be freed."

The knights' expressions hardened. Elzeor de Lognum lightly stroked his chin, smiling.

"I see. So it wasn't just one tribe that sent troops... Which tribe are you from?"

"The Bizaine tribe. Is that Marquis Guidan's army up ahead?"

"Yes, it is."

"Thank you for guiding us. Oh, my friends, we've finally made it. Let’s hurry and find our people. My daughter must have arrived by now."

"Do you have a daughter? If you tell me her name, I can arrange for you to meet her."

"Oh! Thank you. I'm Uvan Bizaine, and my daughter's name is Vanne Biz—"

- Swish.

With a simple gesture from the prince, Uvan Bizaine's head fell. As the knights slaughtered the barbarians, the prince pieced together the reason for the enemy's retreat.

Marquis Guidan. This old fox has been scheming.

He must have planned to kill me and then use our kingdom to overturn everything by allying with Conrad... Ha! Impressive.

"What will you do? Shall we seize Marquis Guidan immediately?"

A knight, drenched in blood, asked coldly. The prince shook his head.

"Keep today's events a secret."

This expedition was something he had been preparing for his entire life.

Calling Marquis Guidan in and executing him wouldn't be difficult, but doing so might cause his army to disband on its own. Even though I am a prince, I have no legal grounds to control those who receive their pay from the marquis.

What should I do, then? Wait... Of course, Guidan will reveal his treachery at the Irotasi River.

Elzeor de Lognum turned his horse around, contemplating how to turn Marquis Guidan’s army against itself. Behind him, a long trail of red horse hooves stretched out.

---

"The stone bridge has been destroyed."

In just two weeks, the armies of Marquis Guidan and Duke Elzeor had pushed the enemy back to the Irotasi River.

Count Lopero, the western border lord of Conrad, had destroyed the stone bridge while retreating, much like when Philas Tertan had died, and set up a camp on the other side.

They could have left the bridge alone.

It would take a long time to restore that stone bridge. Although the pillars remained, if the wide river flooded during the rainy season, the restoration would become much more challenging.

The two invading armies of the Right Kingdom began constructing rafts to cross the river. Fortunately, although the Irotasi River was excessively wide, it wasn't very fast. One could swim across it, but not with an entire army in full armor, and there needed to be some means to maintain the supply line, even if just nominally.

The soldiers, unaware they would soon become rebels, worked diligently to build the rafts. They attached shields to protect against enemy arrows and proudly showed off the sturdy oars their squad had secured.

It was all a futile effort, but to deceive the enemy, one must first deceive their own.

The fact that they would be fighting their allies—the army of Duke Elzeor—would only be revealed the day before they crossed the river. Marquis Harvey Guidan frequently visited Prince Elzeor under the pretense of making reports, while secretly observing his movements.

"Prince Elzeor seemed in a very good mood. After winning more than thirty battles, it's no surprise. He’s eager to cross the river and encircle Radoga."

"That’s good news. But don’t let your guard down. Despite his appearance, he is a prince and surely has hidden abilities."

Marquis Guidan nodded.

"Indeed. His political skills are especially outstanding. People often think of him as a womanizing playboy, but I don't see him that way. I’ll be more cautious. Oh, by the way, the prince said he would send soldiers to the rear. He’s concerned that the extended supply line could be vulnerable to surprise attacks."

"How many is he sending?"

"He planned to send a thousand, but I suggested sending three thousand since we have some leeway in the battle. I’m worried I might have asked for too many."

"No, that’s actually better. Surely he wouldn’t assign former pirates to guard the supply line, so the soldiers being sent to the rear will be elite troops. This will make things easier. How’s the preparation for the crossing on their side?"

"It’s progressing quickly, probably because many of them are sailors. They’re even building small boats. The crossing is scheduled for four days from now."

Things seemed to be going smoothly, so Marquis Guidan laughed brightly. However, this would be the last time Rev saw him laugh.

Three days later, on a day when the rain fell steadily, the marquis’s head rolled between the two camps. He had gone to report that crossing the river would be difficult due to the weather, but it led to his execution.

As the soldiers murmured, Duke Elzeor de Lognum shouted:

"The traitor, Marquis Harvey Guidan, has been executed! The marquis incited barbarians to rebel, and you, who have been with those slave dogs, are also traitors!"

In front of them stood an army of 50,000 men, strong enough to fill their boats, with the swollen river on their left and the endless flags of the Lognum royal family emerging from the forest on the right. The only apparent escape route was to turn back.

"But!"

Despite being soaked, the prince's dark hair, as black as the night sky, stood out from afar as he sternly rebuked them.

"I know that you were merely following orders. I will give you a chance. Kill those insolent slaves and prove your loyalty to the Right Kingdom, and your sins will be forgiven!"

Two hundred royal knights stepped forward, splashing through the muddy ground. Faced with this intense pressure and the overwhelming allure of amnesty, any ordinary soldier would bow their head to such a commanding prince.

Leo Dexter, arms crossed, thought, ‘Is this where it ends again?’ He planned to take Rev and escape, but then a faint, flickering voice started to grow louder.

"...Nonsense..."

The murmuring grew gradually until it turned into a furious roar, each man drawing courage from the others.

"Don’t talk nonsense!"

"How dare you insult our marquis!!"

"You bastard!!"

The soldiers were in tears. For over ten years, they had served under Marquis Guidan. The kind-hearted Marquis Harvey was a respectable employer and a man who had endured much suffering.

The knights of Marquis Guidan were just as furious, if not more so, than the soldiers. They had all abandoned their swords, having renounced the God who had taken their lord’s son. Ashamed of the ceremonial blessings they received upon knighthood, they had crafted new ones and proudly declared themselves unbelievers.

The vilest curses they could think of were hurled at the prince. As it became clear that everyone was doomed to death, Leo stepped forward and shouted:

"Take up your arms! For Marquis Harvey Guidan!"

The raindrops glistened with brilliant reflections. In the shimmering light of the Aura Blades, everyone screamed, "Waaaaaaaah!!!"

The fury of men in the muddy battleground.

This was not something that suited Rev's nature, but even he drew his sword to add to Leo Dexter's fervor.

"Charge!!"

Whose shout was it?

Without hesitation, the soldiers began to yell, "Charge!!", "Charge!!", "Charge!!", "Charge!!", as they charged forward.

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