NOVEL WEB Chapter 14
Tartulk dropped his massive axe onto the ground with a thud. Sticky streams of fresh blood trickled down its blade.
“Hah, once the wall collapses, it’s this easy.”
The path he had traversed was littered with bodies.
The heavily armed defenders of Belgorod Fortress who had fought valiantly even after the breach in the walls were powerless against Tartulk’s overwhelming might.
The Chief of the West.
He was the leader of the largest, strongest, and most ferocious bandit group in the western part of the Empire.
Though he never dared to provoke the imperial army, he easily plundered the private armies of local lords.
And any major mercenary groups that came after the bounty on his head were wiped out entirely by him.
What chance did the poorly supplied, ragtag army of the Okhraine Duchy have against him?
It was only natural they stood no chance.
“Brother, George says he’s found cargo that matches what they’re looking for.”
“Is that so? Bring it here immediately!”
Soon after, a skinny young man appeared carrying a gleaming round gemstone.
Even Tartulk, who knew nothing of magic, could feel the immense mana emanating from it.
“Is this the ‘Pearl of Omen’?”
Indeed, it closely resembled the picture shown by Inspector Yegor Ivanov.
Since he had mentioned that it wasn’t just a simple jewel but an artifact possessing special powers, there was no doubt about its mysterious strength.
“It seems to be correct. Summon the mages from the Information Bureau.”
“Yes, Brother.”
As the subordinate left, Tartulk poked at the Pearl of Omen.
Each rough touch sent strange sensations coursing through his senses.
According to legend, simply possessing it granted one profound knowledge.
An individual without magical knowledge could become as skilled as a first-class mage, while those already talented could reach unparalleled heights unattainable by others.
The moment he realized this, a faint greed sparked within Tartulk’s heart, but…
He quickly changed his mind.
‘Too risky to mess with.’
Especially since he didn’t want to provoke the Imperial Inspector Yegor Ivanov.
At a certain level of mastery, one could objectively assess the strength of others.
Even someone as formidable as Tartulk was nothing more than a moth before Yegor.
One strike.
Without exchanging a single blow, he had been brought to his knees by a single attack.
– The leader of the bandits, his head would look good hanging in the capital square.
– Wait! Friend! I’m truly sorry! I’ll do anything if you spare my life!
There was no time to think when your life was on the line.
So, he accepted their proposal: to lead his band of over two hundred bandits to secure a “special artifact” from Belgorod Fortress at the Okhraine border.
Though attacking a fortress beyond the border seemed suicidal, Yegor had promised support from his mages.
‘At least we’re alive thanks to that.’
Recalling how Yegor suddenly stormed into their hideout still sent shivers down his spine.
Yegor promised not to interfere with Tartulk’s activities as long as he handed over the artifact safely.
A generous reward, even considering the assault on the border fortress.
Which meant the Empire must consider this artifact extremely important.
“Brother, they’ve arrived.”
“Greetings, comrades. You’ve been a great help in this fortress assault!”
“…It is indeed the Pearl of Omen.”
The dark-robed figures showed no reaction to Tartulk’s flattering words.
They merely examined the Pearl of Omen he handed over and carefully placed it in a prepared storage box.
“Our objective is achieved; we shall return.”
“Understood, Squad Leader.”
“Hold on! Where are you going?”
“The news of the fortress’s fall will have reached the Okhraine army. They’ll be here soon, and it mustn’t be revealed that the Imperial Army was involved.”
“What…? That means…”
“If you value your lives, you’d best leave quickly too.”
The real reason the Information Bureau spared the bandits’ lives was simple.
They were expendable.
Whether invading a fortress across the border or plundering supplies, these were the kinds of people who wouldn’t cause trouble later.
Even if some surrendered and told the truth, how many would believe them?
Once the artifact stored in the fortress was secured, Tartulk and his band’s role was over.
However…
‘Might as well create some confusion for those wretched Okhrainians till the end.’
Squad Leader Boris tossed a map of the fortress he had on him to Tartulk and said,
“The Okhrainian forces will likely form a siege quickly. But during the night when visibility is limited, carefully moving towards the relatively lower terrain on the left should allow you to break through their encirclement.”
“Comrades… you’re really leaving like this!?”
“Then good luck.”
That was all. The bodies of the mages were momentarily wrapped in mana before disappearing right before Tartulk’s eyes.
High-level wind attribute magic.
Teleportation.
A spell that moved the user to a predetermined coordinate following air currents, not as far-reaching as using a scroll but certainly beyond what a mere bandit could ever hope to catch.
“You… you bastards!!”
Only then did Tartulk understand Inspector Yegor’s intentions.
From the start, the Information Bureau had no intention of sparing them.
They had used them freely and discarded them like worn-out hunting dogs when done.
“Damn it!!!”
Unable to contain his rising anger, Tartulk stomped his feet furiously.
“Brother!! There’s a tremendous number of lights visible not too far away!”
Adding insult to injury.
Had they marched out the moment they heard the fortress had fallen?
Tartulk steadied his excited mind and focused.
“Call the kids together.”
“Brother!?”
“We’ll kill these bastards and march back to the Empire proudly!”
Despite his momentary cowardice, he was still the Western Chief who had instilled fear in the citizens.
Being captured and executed by the Okhraine army wasn’t the end he envisioned.
“To hell with Okhraine! Let’s slaughter them all!!!”
We’ll break through their encirclement and return home triumphantly. If we can do that, the Information Bureau won’t interfere further.
Surviving and continuing to assert our dominance—that’s what we’ll do.
Tartulk’s fiery gaze flashed as he lifted his axe high.
*
Bella’s ‘Hydroburst’ shattered the ranks of the enemy charging forward.
A mid-level water attribute magic that compressed moisture in the air and exploded it.
It was particularly effective against troops without armor, who lacked resistance to pressure.
Nice shot, Bella Meyer!
“Excellent, Enok Platoon Leader. Please continue providing magical support!”
After saying this, Captain Ivan rushed towards the front lines. Once the situation escalated beyond mere mop-up operations, he couldn’t remain idle in the rear.
Look now.
Even after Bella’s magic, numerous bandits remained.
How many did they bring? Did they leave even a single person in the fortress?
When I first heard the fortress had fallen, I assumed they would definitely engage in a protracted defense.
If they were just going to eat up the supplies and slip away, why bother crossing the border?
In games, neglected or poorly defended fortresses often fell victim to marauders.
Sometimes defeated bandits would settle there, turning it into a makeshift military camp.
‘That would be a real pain.’
Even if they didn’t intend to settle down, wouldn’t they typically choose to use the sturdy walls for a delaying tactic?
Upon hearing the fortress had fallen, the Okhraine army quickly mobilized and set out.
Perhaps because the bandits weren’t fully focused on looting.
Realizing they were surrounded, it would be common sense to choose to stay entrenched within the fortress.
Yet these guys were forcing their way through the encirclement rather than defending.
‘Whatever the case, repelling them is priority.’
Bang! Bang bang!!
Gunshots rang out. I drew my pistol from my coat and shouted to Bella Meyer as I approached her.
“Bella Sergeant! We need to target the rear ranks, not the ambiguous front!”
“Understood…!”
Bella’s mana surged again. A streak of blue light flashed as elongated water streams coiled around her.
“Roar of the Azure Dragon!!”
Like a dragon lunging at its prey, the gathered water streams soared skyward and…
BOOM!!!
ROAR!!!
Plunged down, unleashing torrents of rain.
A difficult-to-handle upper-tier water magic.
The precise strike on the enemy’s rear ranks caused significant disruption among the bandits, though it still wasn’t enough to halt their advance.
Lieutenant Ivan probably hadn’t expected them to engage in full frontal combat.
To avoid friendly fire during the night battle, our wide and thin firepower deployment failed to significantly hinder the overwhelming numbers rushing towards us.
Eventually, the bandits became entangled with our soldiers guarding the initial defensive line.
This directly led to hesitation among the rear units.
Using guns while friendlies and enemies were mixed would risk shooting our own allies.
Such tragedies were something none of the 4th Platoon wanted.
“All forces! Draw swords and charge!!!”
Judging it too dangerous to use firearms in such close quarters, Lieutenant Ivan boldly chose melee combat.
“Draw swords!!!”
“Charge forward!!!”
“Yaaaaaah!!!”
The cries of soldiers and gunshots mingled, plunging the battlefield deeper into chaos.
Not good.
Even superior equipment and rigorous training couldn’t make engaging the bandits in a nighttime frontline clash a wise situation.
Now that it’s come to this, Bella’s magic can’t be used recklessly either.
She looked at me, unsure what to do as she had become irrelevant like a dog chasing chickens.
At that moment.
I caught sight of a man swinging a giant axe in my field of vision. His arm covered in menacing tattoos, the hulking bandit chief standing nearly 190 cm tall.
“Forward!! Forward we go!!! Escape and glory and riches await us!!”
He decapitated an unfortunate soldier blocking his way and roared to boost his men’s morale.
‘So that’s the key.’
I wondered how the bandits managed such coordinated movement until I saw their leader leading from the front.
Though struggling valiantly with his men to break through our encirclement, he had slightly retreated due to the fierce resistance from our platoon members.
With no nearby friendly forces tangled up right now.
There’s no better opportunity to snipe him with magic.
‘Water magic tends toward area effects. Might as well use fire magic which focuses single-target firepower more effectively!’
“Lumina Sergeant!!”
I quickly located Lumina.
Captain Arrendt had instructed to keep her involvement in the battle to a minimum, but her power as the “Crimson Mage” was necessary in this situation.
For a successful operation, sometimes risks must be taken knowingly.
“Lumina Sergeant?! Why aren’t you responding…”
But.
Lumina had vanished without a trace. She was definitely right behind me just moments ago, wasn’t she?
Then I recalled the penalty listed on her status panel that had crossed my mind.
[Combat Avoidance]
[Will retreat upon signs of impending combat.]
‘Could it be…’
I turned my trembling head to look at the forest behind.
The rear, growing as dark as the fading flare lights. Only an eerie silence remained there.
Lumina Blue had deserted.
—
Bella’s ‘Hydroburst’ shattered the ranks of the charging enemy forces.
The mid-level water magic that condensed moisture in the air and exploded it was especially effective against lightly armored troops.
“Good job, Enok Platoon Leader. Please continue providing magical support!”
With that, Captain Ivan charged towards the frontlines. Once the situation escalated beyond simple mop-up operations, he couldn’t remain idle in the rear anymore.
Even after Bella’s magic attack, many bandits remained.
How many had they brought? Had they left even a single person behind in the fortress?
When I first heard the fortress had fallen, I assumed they would definitely attempt a protracted defense.
If they were just going to consume the supplies and slip away, why bother crossing the border in the first place?
In games, neglected or poorly defended fortresses often became targets for marauders.
Sometimes defeated bandits would settle there, turning it into a makeshift military base.
‘That would be a real headache.’
Even if they didn’t intend to settle down, wouldn’t they typically choose to take advantage of the fortress walls for a delaying tactic?
Upon hearing the fortress had fallen, the Okhraine army quickly mobilized and set out.
Perhaps because the bandits weren’t fully focused on looting.
Realizing they were surrounded, it would be common sense to choose to stay entrenched within the fortress.
Yet these bandits were attempting to break through the encirclement instead of defending.
‘Whatever the case, repelling them is priority.’
Bang! Bang bang!!
Gunshots echoed. I drew my pistol from my coat and shouted to Bella Meyer as I approached her.
“Bella Sergeant! We need to target the rear ranks, not the confused front!”
“Understood…!”
Bella’s mana surged again. A streak of blue light flashed as elongated water streams coiled around her.
“Roar of the Azure Dragon!!”
Like a dragon lunging at its prey, the gathered water streams soared skyward and…
BOOM!!!
ROAR!!!
Plunged down, unleashing torrents of rain.
An upper-tier water magic notoriously difficult to control.
The precise strike on the enemy’s rear ranks caused significant disruption among the bandits, though it still wasn’t enough to halt their advance completely.
Lieutenant Ivan probably hadn’t expected them to engage in full frontal combat.
To avoid friendly fire during the night battle, our wide and thin firepower deployment failed to significantly hinder the overwhelming numbers rushing towards us.
Eventually, the bandits became entangled with our soldiers guarding the initial defensive line.
This directly led to hesitation among the rear units.
Using guns while friendlies and enemies were mixed would risk shooting our own allies.
Such tragedies were something none of the 4th Platoon wanted.
“All forces! Draw swords and charge!!!”
Judging it too dangerous to use firearms in such close quarters, Lieutenant Ivan boldly chose melee combat.
“Draw swords!!!”
“Charge forward!!!”
“Yaaaaaah!!!”
The cries of soldiers and gunshots mingled, plunging the battlefield deeper into chaos.
Not good.
Even superior equipment and rigorous training couldn’t make engaging the bandits in a nighttime frontline clash a wise situation.
Now that it’s come to this, Bella’s magic can’t be used recklessly either.
She looked at me, unsure what to do as she had become irrelevant like a dog chasing chickens.
At that moment.
I caught sight of a man wielding a giant axe in my field of vision. His arm covered in menacing tattoos, the towering bandit chief standing nearly 190 cm tall.
“Forward!! Forward we go!!! Escape and glory and riches await us!!”
He decapitated an unfortunate soldier blocking his way and roared to boost his men’s morale.
‘So that’s the key.’
I wondered how the bandits managed such coordinated movement until I saw their leader leading from the front.
Though struggling valiantly with his men to break through our encirclement, he had slightly retreated due to the fierce resistance from our platoon members.
With no nearby friendly forces tangled up right now.
There’s no better opportunity to snipe him with magic.
‘Water magic tends toward area effects. Might as well use fire magic which focuses single-target firepower more effectively!’
“Lumina Sergeant!!”
I quickly located Lumina.
Captain Arrendt had instructed to keep her involvement in the battle to a minimum, but her power as the “Crimson Mage” was necessary in this situation.
For a successful operation, sometimes risks must be taken knowingly.
“Lumina Sergeant?! Why aren’t you responding…”
But.
Lumina had vanished without a trace. She was definitely right behind me just moments ago, wasn’t she?
Then I recalled the penalty listed on her status panel that had crossed my mind.
[Combat Avoidance]
[Will retreat upon signs of impending combat.]
‘Could it be…’
I turned my trembling head to look at the forest behind.
The rear, growing as dark as the fading flare lights. Only an eerie silence remained there.
Lumina Blue had deserted.