novelraw Chapter 173 : Chapter 173
Chapter 173 : Chapter 173
Chapter 173. The Solaid Kingdom (1)
While heading to the Ramacht Plains, Mei was moving alone in a different direction from the rest of the party.
The path she was taking was the complete opposite of Evan's direction, and this was an order given directly by Evan.
‘To infiltrate the Imperial army and observe their movements, he says it so easily as if it’s someone else’s problem.’
Mei was entrusted with two missions.
To grasp the exact scale of the Imperial army’s forces and to confirm the existence of any beings that could shake the battlefield.
Regarding the latter in particular, Evan had been especially insistent.
‘The Seven Extreme Stars, if they appear, we might have to consider abandoning all plans, securing only the emissary delegation, and retreating immediately.’
The Seven Extreme Stars.
Not only Mei but even Evan, who had given the order, did not know their appearances.
However, Evan had said with conviction that even without knowing their faces and names, they would be able to recognize who they were at a glance.
‘He told me to think of Bakan Hardan if I get confused… but I still can’t believe that beings even more monstrous than him actually exist.’
Bakan Hardan, who had boasted absolute power in the war between the kingdom and the Kandahr.
Before his might, Mei had once hesitated to even set foot on the battlefield.
With the thought that there might be beings even stronger than him, Mei felt inwardly tense as she moved quickly towards the Imperial army camp.
Meanwhile, while Mei was moving alone to survey the Imperial army’s situation, Evan was with the rest of the party, heading towards the Ramacht Plains and briefly explaining their future plans.
“The plan is simple. There is a fortress protecting the Ramacht Plains. First, we will make contact with the kingdom’s side there.”
“By making contact, do you mean meeting those defending the border?”
To Anton’s question, Evan nodded and continued.
“That’s right. However, Sir Anton, please take Jack and Jaina and head not to the fortress, but to the border town where the emissary delegation is likely staying.”
“Why? If it’s to lend our strength, we will go with you.”
“No. Even if all of us go, it won’t be of much help. I am only going there to find out a few facts. So, please take care of the emissary delegation while I finish my work.”
“I understand for now.”
They were divided into two main groups.
Anton’s group was tasked with confirming the safety of and securing the emissary delegation, while Evan, Gaiard, and Rorn were tasked with grasping the situation on the front lines and devising necessary countermeasures.
“I’ll say it again, if it’s a level we can handle with our own strength, we won’t need separate support, and if not, it’s meaningless even if we all go. So, please keep that in mind. Securing the safety of the emissary delegation is the top priority.”
At Evan’s words, Anton gave him a word of caution with a worried expression.
“I understand, but you take care of yourself too. There’s no reason to die a pointless death on someone else’s battlefield.”
“Of course. I don’t plan on staying long either.”
“By the way. What exactly are you trying to find out by going to that dangerous front line yourself?”
As he asked the question, everyone waited for Evan’s answer.
“I’m trying to find out about the secret weapon of the Solaid Kingdom that can at least drag this battle into a stalemate.”
“A secret weapon?”
“Yes, if that exists, the Empire will not be able to covet this land recklessly.”
“Wait a minute. If something like that really exists, why didn’t the Solaid Kingdom use it sooner?”
Jack’s question was extremely logical.
From an outsider’s perspective, it was a situation that could certainly raise questions.
“There’s no reason to hide it when the Empire is right at their doorstep.”
“Yes, in a normal situation, they would have already used it. But the kingdom probably can’t use it right now. It’s not something just anyone can move.”
“Are you saying you can, young master? How? According to your words, it’s something even the people of this country can’t do.”
“That’s……”
It was a secret and a shame that the kingdom had hidden, not even recorded in history.
Furthermore, it was deeply related to the Seven Extreme Stars who had lived in the same era as Evan in the past.
“For now, don’t worry. I’ll figure out a way somehow and bring it to the front line.”
Evan dismissed any further questions and quickened his pace.
—Thud!
After running for a while, a fork in the road appeared, and Evan gave another instruction.
“If you go left, you’ll find the border town. Please!”
“I understand.”
“Jack, Jaina, you two be careful too! Always stick by the knight’s side.”
As Anton, Jack, and Jaina separated at the fork, Evan and the rest of the party increased their speed towards the Ramacht Plains where the fortress was located.
‘Please, I hope they are safe and sound.’
* * *
The Ramacht Plains.
Atop a high hill rising in its center, two fortresses were barely holding the kingdom’s front line.
The once-sturdy walls were now damaged in various places after several fierce battles, indicating how intense the fighting was.
Through the gaps in the collapsed walls, the groans of soldiers trying to endure their fatigue and pain could be heard.
“Ugh… how much longer do we have to hold on?”
“Don’t those bastards ever get tired……”
“I can’t hold on any longer.”
The border guards of the Solaid Kingdom protecting the fortress had already reached their physical and mental limits.
The face of their commander, Karap, was also dark as he looked on.
‘This is the worst situation in history. The Imperial army is pushing forward in shifts, day and night. We are just continuously defending without any rest.’
Currently, the defensive force of the Ramacht Plains was less than 20,000.
On the other hand, the attacking Imperial army numbered well over 60,000 and was launching continuous wave attacks in three groups.
The Imperial army attacked while getting sufficient rest, but the kingdom’s army had not even a moment’s rest due to the continuous battles.
‘Even this was only possible because the walls were holding out, but…….’
Part of the walls had already collapsed, and even the temporarily repaired sections were cracked.
The Imperial army relentlessly targeted those weak points, and the kingdom’s army had no choice but to defend with their lives.
‘If the offensive continues, we will inevitably collapse. There’s no way out, no matter how desperately we hold on.’
He could not expect support.
The Imperial army was slowly breaking down the fortress and applying pressure, and the kingdom’s army was also being gradually worn down.
Time was not on the Solaid Kingdom’s side.
‘The time has come to make a decision.’
He agonized, unable to sleep even late at night.
Whether to follow the king’s order and defend this place, meeting a meaningless death, or to choose a strategic retreat.
“Captain! A surprise attack from the west!”
However, as if not even allowing that, a soldier’s shout broke his deliberation.
“Everyone, to battle stations!”
Karap drew his sword once more with his calloused hand and raised it high.
“No matter what happens, we must defend this fortress!”
At the same order, repeated ad nauseam, the soldiers swallowed their groans and rose to their feet.
—Thump, thump, thump!
The sound of the Imperial army’s drums, announcing their might, shook the night of the plains, and once again, a fierce invasion began.
—Clang!
Weapons clashed violently, and the screams and cries of soldiers mixed chaotically.
Just then, a subordinate rushed up to Commander Karap and reported.
“Captain! Unidentified individuals are approaching from the rear!”
“What did you say?”
Since the Ramacht Plains were already blocking the Imperial army surging from the front, the group approaching from the rear could not possibly be the enemy.
Unless another kingdom had betrayed them.
“Are they civilians?”
“It seems so, but… something is unusual.”
“What do you mean?”
Karap was preoccupied with preventing the enemy from crossing the walls.
In the midst of that, his subordinate clearly conveyed what he had seen.
“There are only three of them, but none of them seem to be ordinary.”
“What nonsense are you talking about! We don’t have the luxury to worry about such people now. Tell them to go, this place is dangerous. No, just shoot arrows and chase them away!”
He dismissed his subordinate’s words and focused on stopping the Imperial army again.
But at that moment, something flew rapidly from the sky, passed over the soldiers’ heads, and fell into the fortress.
—Thud! Thud!
It was Evan and Rorn who had landed lightly on the ground.
The soldiers who saw this froze for a moment, and chaos ensued.
“Th-those are the ones!”
“What is it?”
Karap had no idea who these sudden arrivals were.
Furthermore, the werewolf who appeared with a human and the being presumed to be a vampire floating in the air was a strange combination that didn’t fit any situation.
‘The Manoa Kingdom? No, could it be that Remshait sent an expeditionary force?’
Even so, it was unlikely they would send only two or three people.
While everyone was hesitating in the confusion caused by this appearance, it was Evan’s side that moved first.
“Let’s go over, Rorn!”
“Understood.”
Evan, along with Rorn, jumped over the fortress and into the midst of the Imperial army.
As he cut down an Imperial soldier, the surrounding soldiers regained their courage amidst shock and cheers.
“They must have come to help us!”
“They’re allies!”
Each of these individuals was a warrior so powerful they seemed capable of taking on a thousand men, and they became an invaluable source of strength for the weary soldiers.
“Waaaaah!”
Although their identities were still unknown, it was clear that they were reinforcements who had appeared to help them.
Moreover, with their appearance alone, the tide of battle instantly turned in favor of the kingdom’s army.
“Retreat! Retreat!”
The former Seven Extreme Stars and the current strongest of the Kaien Kingdom, Evan Lafard, and the greatest warrior among the werewolves, acknowledged by the wolf god Fenrir, Rorn.
“I said retreat!”
These two swept through the battlefield, and the commander of the Imperial army, faced with the appearance of an unexpected powerhouse, chose to retreat.
“The enemy is retreating!”
In an instant, the Imperial army’s offensive receded, and as the battle concluded, Karap approached these unfamiliar reinforcements.
“I am Karap, the commander of the border guard defending the Ramacht Plains. Who are you, and where are you from?”
As Karap cautiously sheathed his sword, Evan also showed his respect and lowered his weapon.
“My apologies for the late introduction. I am Duke Evan Lafard. I have come from the Kaien Kingdom across the sea.”
“From the Kaien Kingdom?!”
To Karap, who was briefly surprised upon hearing his origin, Evan quickly got to the point.
“If you are in charge of defending the border, you must be a high-ranking military official, so we can talk. There is no time. Where is Karnak now?”
“Karnak…? How does an outsider know about that……”
“This is not the time for such talk! To save the lives of everyone here, you must tell me now. Where is Karnak!”
Karnak, which Evan mentioned.
It was a massive war machine that defended not only the Ramacht Plains but the entire southern region of the Solaid Kingdom, and a living legacy of an ancient civilization sleeping deep within a desert temple.
“If it is not activated, not only here but the entire Solaid Kingdom will be trampled by the Imperial army. So please, tell me its location quickly.”
A secret known only to the kingdom’s high command was being demanded so brazenly by a stranger he had never seen before.