Chapter 107

“The front and back are blocked!”

“W-What did you say?”

The rebel knights and soldiers bumped into each other.

The uphill road straddled the wall at a sparse distance… As the imperial knights got off at each spot, the rebel knights and soldiers on the top of the wall were trapped in the space between where each group of the imperial knights got off from the uphill road.

The only less noisy space was the area surrounding the third uphill road because Count Bauer blocked it.

But that didn’t mean it was quiet. Instead, the heightened tension roared as the nobles and knights around gathered with their breath held to fill the narrow space.

“Telling us to come out to the wall to join this farce when we can’t even lift a sword.”

Count Bauer’s knight murmured nervously when the piles of luggage made it difficult even to wield a sword.

The nobles’ eyes narrowed, but they did feel like apologizing. They thought they wouldn’t be able to accept it if they died like this, and it was already too late to bow their heads now.

They should’ve run down the stairs to the inside of the wall like Viscount Tara to hide. Why were they holding up?!

In addition, more problems arose. The imperial soldiers began to go crazy as they climbed up.

“Help me!”

Puck! Puck! Puck!

Perhaps it had been planned in advance: the rebel knights and soldiers trapped between the imperial knights were unable to move as the imperial knights advance in one direction. But there was no time to pay attention to them.

Because-!

“They’re coming!”

On their side, there was only a wide section between the second and the fourth, and the imperial knights who descended from the fourth ascent would soon arrive with their horses facing this way!

Count Bauer raised his sword and tried to face the imperial army, but there were too many hurdles.

Everyone was getting in his way.

He kicked the soldier in the back. As the fallen soldier curled up in pain, Count Bauer, who had a good idea, grabbed him by the back of his head and threw him in the direction the horse was about to run.

When the knights saw what their master was doing, their eyes widened.

“Ah! If we block the road, they won’t be able to come closer!”

“As expected!”

They flattered their master as if it were a good idea.

Since they could not touch the nobles, they dragged and threw the self-conscripted soldiers randomly.

People pile up like sacks. One side of the road above the fortress wall was blocked off. Then, the bodies stacked incorrectly at an angle deviated from the three-meter-wide road and fell into the inner side of the fortress wall, which was not blocked, unlike the outer rim.

Shoong!

Following that sound, Puck! It was as if people were no longer human. It was a terrifying sight, but wasn’t that what war is usually like? Count Bauer seemed very pleased with this method.

Now, those knights of the imperial army rode horses on the top of the fortress wall and ran wild like it was their world alone, but if more of them came up from below, they will be overwhelmed.

The floor was a mess with blood and corpses, enough to trip over and slip, so riding horses wouldn’t be advantageous to them as time passed. Until then, the nobles had to hold on. If you see their numbers, you will see an opportunity to eliminate them one by one. Even a coward’s last name is still a last name. Why didn’t Viscount Tara do anything?

Other remaining knights and soldiers in the castle would also come to help. However, the imperial knights, just getting off the second ascent, looked around and met Count Bauer’s eyes.

When the imperial knights found what had been piled up to block the road beyond Count Bauer, the imperial knights moved their horses’ heads in the opposite direction to that of their comrades.

“Stop them!”

When Count Bauer shouted to his knights, the knights threw the remaining soldiers as soon as they got their hands on them. The imperial knights frowned at the things that stood in their way.

Count Bauer unknowingly stepped on the body of his soldiers and climbed to the top. The count looked down at a knight on horseback. The count, who was about to launch an attack, stopped. In his eyes, he could see figures running up the wall.

The imperial knights, who rushed on their feet without horses, seemed to have known in advance what the situation was like on the wall! Of course it was the same with the third uphill they were on.

“Don’t let the imperial knights come up!”

After the count ordered, he jumped at the imperial knight on horse before him. While the count’s knights face the other imperial knights, one of the young nobles grabbed a soldier and threw him from the wall.

Puck!

One of the imperial knight, who was going uphill by foot, was unexpectedly hit by something and he fell off. The two bodies were thrown to the ground almost at the same time.

When it worked, the young nobles and knights exchanged glances with each other. The faces of the few remaining self-conscripted soldiers paled as if they were already dead.

***

“There’s a big difference in how they’re used because their attributes differ.”

In the past, when she traveled around the battlefield with Ignis, the king of the spirit of fire, rain of fire rained down and wrapped around the battlefield like a storm, burning everything all at once with explosions. Even if the walls did not fall, as long as the inside of the castle was messed up, the gates would open naturally because those who were inside had to crawl out, declaring their surrender.

Everyone had been afraid of Elisha, and hadn’t dared raise their faces. Compared to that, was it as harmful now? Or maybe it’s not the difference between fire and water, but Elisha herself.

“The preparations are complete, 2nd Consort.”

Elisha turned her head toward the voice. It was Count Dyke of the East.

Duke Cherkah had attached this person to help that useless Prince Raymond, so his abilities were of course not to be questioned.

Beyond Count Dyke, there was the prince on a huge black horse, staring only at the tightly closed gates in the front.

He seemed to like it so much that he had never looked away.

Behind the prince was lined up with the rest of the knights except for the thirty-five knights who had been sent up on horseback and the hundred who had just run on their own feet.

“I’ll go into that castle and open the gate. Does Count Dyke think that the prince can do as much as to bring Viscount Tara, the lord of the viscounty, without any failure after the gate’s been opened?”

Count Dyke’s eyes widened as if it sounded like he was ignoring his young master. Elisha certainly meant that, so she waited for his answer without much emotion.

“Yes, 2nd Consort.”

After checking, Elisha turned away from him. She looked at the place where there was a disturbing aura from before. It was on the side of the wall with the third uphill. It was also the place where the fiercest fighting was taking place, so there was a particularly thick layer of blood and flesh under the walls.

Shreung!

Elisha pulled out the sword she had received for this expedition and ran toward the third uphill without delay.

Even as Elisha approaches, Puck! Puck! Puck! the bodies of the rebel soldiers that were rolled like snow from above and thrown away continued to injure the imperial knights. As a result, fewer and fewer people go up the third path.

“Go elsewhere!”

When Elisha shouted, the knights of the imperial army, who had just stepped on the uphill slope, or were wary of the walls and were wondering what to do, were divided in half and went to the second and fourth ascent.

The atmosphere above the walls became strange as Elisha tried to climb exactly the third uphill. One by one, the bodies of the rebel soldiers were thrown over the walls of the fortress. It seemed like they planned to drop them all at once.

So, instead of climbing the third ascent, Elisha sprinted off the ground and soared upward.

Wherever she moved, large leaves made of water bloomed to support her feet. Elisha used it as a support and launched her body over her again. She did that five or six times.

The path above the fortress wall was clearly visible under her, who took the last leap and leapt, eyes.

Her silver hair, spread wide in the air, her fair face, and her eyes that contained the sky, were dazzling. 

The black cloak fluttering behind her back was like wings. That was the problem. She was not an angel just because she was pale and standing in the sun. She was the devil!

Shgock!

The blade that slid down from the air cut through the flesh of Count Bauer’s knight. Blood splattered between the long cut.

“Gyaaagh!”

Elisha, who pushed the screaming rebel knight hard toward those approaching her, widened the distance, and straightened her sword.

Count Bauer, who barely knocked down the imperial knight on horseback, felt as if his blood was boiling at the appearance of the silver-haired woman. The biggest reason he came here was right in front of him!

“You cut off my son’s right arm in the foothills of Pavezzo. My son lost his dream of becoming a knight and committed suicide!”

Elisha tilted her head at the sudden cry of Count Bauer.

“What? Can’t you remember because you’ve dealt with so many western nobles? He was just a kid who just had his coming-of-age ceremony! You could’ve let him go once!”

“First of all, I’m sure you’re mistaken about something.”

To Elisha’s answer, the opponent showed a more intense reaction.

“Mistaken? Are you trying to excuse yourself? I didn’t know anything else, but I thought you were proud enough not to avoid your mistakes!”

“That’s what I said. If your son had really fought me, it would have been the neck, not the arm, that was cut off. So it’s probably not me that your son met. And even if I did, what did I do wrong? Why is it wrong to give the same back to the man who points his sword at me? I don’t think it’s a mistake, and I won’t shy away if you want to hold me accountable.”

Before Elisha could finish speaking, Count Bauer rushed in.

Kwang! Kwaaang!

Count Bauer swung his sword loaded with mana repeatedly. Whenever Elisha dodgeg, his sword struck the bare floor or the side of the wall.

It vibrated on all sides, bouncing off pieces of stone, cracking. Elisha dodged so well that it felt like she was teasing him. Count Bauer rushed in with his eyes lit with bloodthirst and pressed her down…!

Elisha moved one step to the side, and Count Bauer followed suit. However, while Elisha was standing still, Count Bauer’s body staggered.

It was quite natural for him to lose his balance. For while Count Bauer was swinging his sword around, Elisha had slowly moved out of the way above the wall and into th air.

At Elisha’s feet were large leaves of water, but Count Bauer didn’t have that ability.

Swiiigh!

“Uwaaagh!”

Count Bauer fell down the wall with a scream. Elisha looked down at him indifferently and raised her gaze. Everyone was looking at her in disbelief.

“You shouldn’t have taken a step unless there was a road.”

Elisha’s casual muttering echoed in their ears like thunder.