novelraw Chapter 130 : Chapter 130
Chapter 130 : Chapter 130
Chapter 130
When he first heard that the Royal Army was retreating, he thought it was General Garme’s scheme.
That they had just retreated to avoid battle without suffering any damage.
It didn't take an hour for that thought to change.
He encountered a group of Orcs greedily devouring corpses, as if a buffet had opened, not far from the central area Ian was in charge of.
“My Lord, the cleanup is finished.”
“Good work.”
At Vergil’s report, Ian, who had been staring blankly at the dead soldiers for a long time, stood up.
“Were these guys in the same state too?”
“Yes, they were guys thrusting their teeth even in the moment of death, lost in madness.”
“Certainly, if they didn’t know, they would have had no choice but to retreat.”
At Ian’s serious words, Vergil nodded.
“Their skin seems twice as tough. Although they seem to have lost their reason just as much…….”
“Since they were guys originally fighting intoxicated by instinct, they actually became scarier.”
Ian, staring blankly at the fallen soldiers, smiled bitterly.
“We were lucky. If we didn’t know guys like this would appear, we would have been in danger too.”
“Since we are moving in small numbers, the damage would have been greater.”
Since they were using bows in most battles, such a sudden change was important information.
Like Vergil said, they would have lost quite a few soldiers.
No matter how well-trained Moner’s soldiers are, they wouldn’t think an Orc with an arrow stuck in its head would crawl and chew on their feet.
Whatever was done to them, the Orcs appearing here were closer to zombies than Orcs.
Ten times faster, tougher, and stronger zombies.
“I don’t know if we can call this lucky, though.”
Ian, smiling self-deprecatingly, scanned the battlefield.
The fact that someone died to find out information didn’t change.
Just that those who died today aren't Moner.
“This much is certain, right?”
It was a calm voice, but Vergil felt the anger and disgust contained within.
Even Vergil and the knights, who were confident they had experienced all the horrors of war, gripped their swords at the battlefield they had seen so far.
“Yes. Checking the Royal Army’s movement path confirms it. The dead Royal Army soldiers seem to have been used to buy time.”
“Like the horses released in the forest.”
“They tried to buy time by releasing horses, but after confirming Orcs only chase humans, they seem to have used soldiers.”
Just as they released horses to buy time, they released soldiers.
Knowing that soldiers falling into Orc hands wouldn’t die peacefully.
That’s not all.
“If the purpose was simply to buy time, they wouldn’t have used this many soldiers.”
“Yes. Nearly three hundred soldiers were dead in all battlefields confirmed so far. If they intended to use them only as bait, a hundred would have been enough.”
“Right, and that it’s not just one unit, but all units used as bait are moving east.”
Ian’s eyes, sunk low, scanned the battlefield once again.
“They must have wanted to push the Orcs onto other units somehow.”
He wanted to ask sincerely.
What those who ran away with all their might while drawing the Orcs’ attention were thinking.
Was what the soldiers running east hoped for salvation, or Moner’s despair?
‘Strictly speaking, since I also wished for the Royal Army to die rather than my soldiers, maybe I can’t curse them.’
Right, soldiers are not at fault.
The guy who moved the soldiers is the only one at fault.
“Check the outskirts again with the Knight Order. There might be a group we missed. I’ll go confirm who made this mess.”
“…Yes.”
Vergil bowed his head belatedly at Ian’s aura, sharp enough to cut.
* * *
At the Royal Army’s sudden return, the fortress fell into chaos.
The Royal Army, practically the pride of the Royal family, returned in just a week, looking no different from defeated soldiers, and even their troop numbers were noticeably reduced.
No matter how much the command tried to hide it, rumors were bound to spread.
“They put on all sorts of airs saying they came from the Royal family, but they were trash?”
“Khm hm! You, what if someone hears? Lower your voice!”
“No, it’s not like I said something I can’t say…….”
“Still, this person! Whether they are crippled or idiots, they are people who went to the battlefield and lost comrades, must you curse them?”
“Who doesn’t know that?! sending only guys like that is the problem itself! Since it seemed dangerous, they must have picked only the weakest guys to send! Ah, shit!”
“Tsk tsk tsk. Idiots, if they are weak, they should have hidden on their own…….”
As similar conversations repeated throughout the fortress, before long, two hypotheses circulated in the fortress.
“It’s clear those guys who can’t even read leaves overdid it trusting only their skills! Don’t you know by looking at those shiny swords and armor?! Since they are guys using such swords, they naturally use sword qi! They’ll do better next time.”
The hypothesis that the Royal Army, coveting achievements, suffered great damage while overreaching in their operation.
“Skill my ass for guys looking like idiots at a glance! They are guys who died that much just catching Orcs. What else would they do but die if sent?”
The hypothesis that since it’s clear at a glance the Royal family sent them as sacrifices, the Royal Army shouldn’t enter the forest.
What was certain was that the image of the retreating Royal Army was imprinted on the fortress residents.
“Viscount, how is it?”
“…Diez, it seems your choice was right.”
Even to the northern nobles remaining in the fortress.
“With this, there won’t be anyone doubting Moner’s potential anymore.”
At Viscount Dotran’s words, the northern nobles nodded.
“I don’t know what happened…….”
“Just seeing that they ran away from Orcs that Moner’s soldiers catch like wild boars proves Moner’s soldiers are worth a hundred each.”
“Even so, I really didn’t know the difference would be this big.”
Moner’s soldiers hunting over a hundred Orcs like eating a meal with just ten people, and the Kingdom’s soldiers running away from the forest even with ten thousand soldiers.
The appearance of those two units shook the hearts of the nobles who couldn’t make a decision until the end.
“As Viscount Diez said, if Moner moves, it seems a tectonic shift will occur.”
“Hahaha! Even if that happens, wouldn’t our North, who shared the war, be safe?”
“If everyone says so, I guess I should also lend a hand on the path Moner takes!”
Diez, listening to those words, smirked inwardly.
He could clearly envision them coming to find him tonight saying they want to help the 2nd Prince.
“Everyone, calm your excitement. Shouldn’t we survive the war first to see what comes after?”
Looking with satisfaction at the nobles whose faces instantly turned earthy, he continued.
“It is afternoon training time.”
“I say this every time, but there is a reason for Moner’s potential.”
“Still, don’t we beat most soldiers now?”
The wish of those who would later become the pillars of the solid Royalist faction with Moner was smaller than expected.
“I just hope I don’t faint…….”
“Since training ends only when you faint…….”
* * *
Meanwhile, in Count Sven’s office, Knight Commander Carlson was reporting what happened in the forest to the Count and General Garme.
“Carlson!”
The General’s shout, half mixed with anger and killing intent, echoed in the office.
“Do you think it makes sense that you let soldiers become bait on their own!”
Towards Garme glaring at him as if to tear him apart, Carlson bowed his waist.
“Kuhuhuk! I apologize. I and the Knight Order tried to stop them somehow, but…….”
“Shut up!”
The General, looking down at Carlson with a gaze as if looking at filth, chewed his lip and said.
“If, if, there is any fault of yours in this matter.”
I will absolutely not forgive you.
At the cliché threat he could know without hearing, Carlson bowed his waist lower once again and spoke in a sobbing voice.
This time with a bit more emotion.
“It is all my fault, General! I should have held onto the soldiers running out saying they would buy time for the Kingdom even if they burn their bodies! I, because I was lacking, couldn’t save the soldiers, General!”
“…….”
Despite Garme’s silence, Carlson didn’t straighten his waist.
‘Oh my, look at that fierce killing intent. Dog-like old man. If I bend this much, you should accept it a little.’
As if seizing the position of General wasn’t a coincidence, it was clear Garme didn’t trust him.
‘But so what?’
Now that all the soldiers who could tell the truth are dead, there is nothing that old man can change just by suspecting him.
“…Listen well. My army is one. Because ten thousand soldiers move according to my will, I can be a General with this old body. Even if that was the right choice, even if they thought greater damage would occur if they didn’t sacrifice their bodies immediately to buy time.”
Garme, shedding fresh blood between his chewed lips and fist, continued.
“My soldiers would absolutely, absolutely never do that.”
Listening to the voice that sounded like a plea asking him to tell the truth, Carlson crumpled his face.
‘That’s why I’m bending my waist like this.’
If someone like a Knight Commander shows tears and bows his waist, he should just move on his own.
Don’t impossible things happen in life sometimes?
Seeing the soldiers turn around and run east without checking when I hinted it was the General’s plan, it seemed those guys were waiting for it too.
‘Fuck, seriously. Since he’s the old man the King likes of all people, I can’t even act according to my temper.’
While looking at the ground with a bent waist and thinking of a way to make that old man a ‘hero’.
Count Sven, who was silently watching their conversation, pinched his brow and thought.
‘It’s about time he came…….’
The moment he heard the story packaged so beautifully it was unbelievable, Sven decided.
To hand over this tiresome problem to the Young Lord.
‘Isn’t he the temporary Duke? Originally, matters related to the Royal family should be handled by the Duke, indeed.’
If he steps forward, it would be possible to tear off the mask of that Knight Commander worse than a dog and find out the truth of the story.
‘Looking at it, it seems they used them as bait to escape, otherwise similar damage might have occurred. By the way, is that bastard bending his waist to laugh? What a real son of a bitch.’
Even watching Carlson continuously bowing his waist and Garme not hiding his anger at losing soldiers, no emotion was felt in the Count’s eyes.
From the moment he heard the Royal Army was a dagger sent by the King, the two were practically dead to him.
It was just a matter of time.
“I am really, really sorry, General! Kuhuhuk! If I had moved faster, I could have saved them!”
So he couldn’t feel any emotion at that melodrama either.
Since there is no way it has any meaning who among the already dead humans died first.
‘By the way, mutant Orcs…….’
That was all that caught his interest in the two’s conversation.
Just in time, his vacation wasn’t far off.
* * *
Ian’s reaction upon arriving at the fortress was cold.
“Is that all?”
“What does that mean?! The Royal Army suffered unprecedented damage!”
“So, you mean the Royal Army’s command system is a mess and their ability is also a mess?”
“Th-this guy dares!”
The moment he faced the two again, he was certain that Carlson was the one who caused the trouble this time.
Because it seemed clear the General cherished the soldiers he raised with his own hands.
Just that facing the anger no different from crocodile tears, the emotion worrying about the Royal Army disappeared.
‘The Count called it a melodrama…….’
I came back to the fortress leaving the special unit behind, and two clowns are putting on a play.
One to hide his sin.
The other to avoid his duty.
‘Seeing them acting out anger and sadness like that, they must have thought I would wait until they calm down…….’
Rather, feeling a small sense of kinship, even the feeling of worrying about him cooled down.
“…Moner kept the promise. We were considerate so the Royal Army could move intact, and condoned the strongest Royal Army wasting time at the entrance of the forest.”
Watching the two pieces of trash suited more for a theater troupe than a battlefield gave him a headache.
Although he wants to use them more, if they are at a level difficult to use, he has no choice but to discard them.
It’s not like there aren’t other ways.
“According to the promise, the Royal Army guard the west of the forest. If you lack ability, send a request for cooperation or something.”
“Young Duke! We haven’t even recovered from the damage, are you meaning to drive the Royal Army to their deaths now?!”
Despite Carlson’s shout, Ian didn’t blink an eye.
“Funny words. Isn’t it natural not to recover from damage on the battlefield? If you lack ability, request cooperation from the Royal family or something. I’ll introduce you to the contact left by the Royal family.”
Ian, having said everything he had to say, turned his back without saying another word.
‘I hope the Royal family sends more support at this opportunity.’
While smacking his lips wondering if usable horses might increase.