NOVEL WEB Chapter 476
Chapter 476: My World is Complete. (1)
“The Northern Army has halted the advance of the Delphine Army’s 4th Corps!”
At the rare good news brought by the messenger, Maurice’s face lit up with joy.
“Really? What happened? Did they win a fight?”
“No, they managed to intercept a supply unit and cut off their supply line!”
“Ooh! So there are others in the Northern Army who can pull off something like that besides my nephew?”
Ghislaine nodded beside him.
It was similar to how Amelia had held back the Delphine Army in the East. Since the Northern Army’s advance was slow, it looked like Claude had divided forces to buy time.
The Delphine Army, not expecting the Northern Army to move so soon, must have been caught off guard.
“That’s a relief. It seems like we’ll arrive before both sides clash.”
Unlike the Crown Prince faction, which continuously received supplies from the capital and the North, the Delphine Army was increasingly stretching their supply lines. Now, with that line cut, they would certainly be in a tight spot.
Moreover, the Northern Army’s vanguard could join the defense line in that gap.
Of course, just because the situation was turning in our favor didn’t mean we could let our guard down. They might come up with some sneaky countermeasure.
Ghislaine spoke to Maurice.
“I, along with the Saint, will lead the Penris Army and move first.”
“What? What about me?”
“Take your time to follow. If the situation changes, we may need to send troops elsewhere.”
They might have to change direction to defend the capital or block the Southern front.
“Hmm…That’s a lot of pressure. I wonder if I can keep this under control…”
Maurice glanced back uneasily. Though they might be converted prisoners, there were still too many of them. It was only natural to feel uneasy.
Yet, rushing after Ghislaine was out of the question.
This army consisted of the remaining Kingdom troops mixed with the allies and prisoners. Such a mixed force couldn’t possibly have good speed.
Seeing Maurice keep glancing backward with a worried expression, Ghislaine squinted her eyes.
“What? The Supreme Commander of the Kingdom Army can’t handle this much? You lose one big battle and suddenly you’re timid.”
“I’m not! I’m just being cautious!”
After hearing Ghislaine’s comment, everyone felt childish. They shook their heads at Maurice, who had discarded the majesty of the Supreme Commander and was now getting worked up.
After a lengthy back-and-forth between the hidden intentions of Maurice and Ghislaine, they finally came to an agreement on leaving Parniel with the clergy.
The clergy followed the Saint, so there was hope that the prisoners would be more cautious.
Just as the conclusion seemed to be reached, Hubert, who had been quiet until then, interjected.
“Need a mage? Should I go with you?”
Hubert didn’t want to be here either. The combination of Ghislaine and Parniel was simply unbearable. It was clear that being beside them was the safest spot in the world.
Ghislaine flatly refused.
“No, it’s alright. We need mage power to stay here.”
“Aww, I wanted to go too.”
Muttering under his breath, Hubert subtly asked.
“Is Alfoy doing well?”
Originally, he had intended to kick him out of the heir position, but after being impressed by Alfoy’s performance at the last Mage Tower exchange meeting, he had put it on hold for now.
Ghislaine nodded.
“Of course, he’s doing very well.”
Honestly, she wasn’t sure if he was truly doing well, but he had certainly adapted. Hadn’t he even risen in the ranks?
Hubert made a slight disappointed expression.
“Well, as long as he’s doing fine.”
After discarding him a few times, their relationship had become quite awkward. It seemed like they would need to improve it.
Seeing the gloomy expressions of Maurice and Hubert, Ghislaine shook her head.
They were usually fine, but whenever she showed up, they relied on her without hesitation. It was ridiculous coming from people old enough to know better.
This was probably a side effect of her accomplishments.
“Sigh, I’ll be off first then. Come on, let’s hurry! We need to assist our allies!”
With a click of her tongue, Ghislaine set off with the Mobile Army. Parniel also followed on the biggest horse among the remaining mounts.
As she watched them leave, Maurice shut his mouth.
“If only I could ask the old lady… what a pity.”
Maurice couldn’t let go of his attachment to the fortune-telling old woman until the very end.
*
The commander of the Delphine Army’s 4th Corps, Count Palgau, found himself in deep thought as he marched toward the capital.
“Hmm, this situation isn’t good.”
The following supply unit had been ambushed and annihilated. For such a sizeable force to be wiped out conveyed that the enemy was formidable.
Moreover, a series of bad news followed.
“The 2nd Corps has been defeated, and the Northern Army is on the move! There was a hidden superhuman on the Northern Army!”
“The 5th Corps is currently stalled due to the Raybold Army!”
Count Palgau questioned his staff.
“What about the 3rd Corps?”
“The regular contact from the 3rd Corps hasn’t arrived yet.”
“Hmm… Are they engaged in battle too?”
The 3rd Corps had been completely wiped out after being ambushed by Ghislaine, but the news hadn’t reached them yet. The messenger hadn’t even had a chance to escape; Ghislaine had thoroughly obliterated them.
Count Palgau, who was rapidly advancing to smash the Southern front, gritted his teeth at the crisis closing in.
“Should we re-establish the supply line… or push forward as we are?”
It was possible to push if they chose to. The remaining forces at their front were quite weak. If they could break through there, the capital was within reach.
However, besieging the capital would pose its own problems.
“Without siege equipment, we can’t easily capture Cardenia. If we delay, our supplies will dwindle… and the Northern Army will surround us.”
If they were to be surrounded in turn, even having a superhuman wouldn’t guarantee victory. Count Penris was renowned as the strongest in the North, and it was known that there were other superhumans on the enemy side as well.
After two days of contemplation, Count Palgau made his decision and spoke to his staff.
“We will not go to the capital.”
“What? Then what do you plan to do?”
“We will join forces with the 5th Corps in the East.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“The 5th Corps is facing more troops than we are. It’s the first area where the allied forces supported. Moreover, the 5th Corps is currently under threat to their supply lines.”
Count Palgau pointed at different spots on the map as he continued.
“So we will join the 5th Corps to maintain the defense line while simultaneously re-establishing our supply route. Even part of our forces should be enough to guard the supply line.”
“And what about here?”
“If we move immediately, the Northern Army will chase us down. Therefore, we must pretend to continue advancing toward the capital.”
“Just pretending to advance, you say?”
“Exactly. We will advance northwards and decimate their defense line. When that happens, the Northern Army will have to go back to defend the capital right away. In that gap, we slip away to the East.”
The staff nodded. Given how the situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable, it was the best option available.
Joining the 5th Corps would bring their numbers to a staggering 100,000. That would provide enough troops to breach enemy defense while maintaining the supply line to besiege the capital.
Remembering that the 2nd Corps, led by three superhumans and counting 100,000 soldiers, had suffered a defeat against the Northern Army made him slightly anxious.
But if they could just secure the supply line and besiege the capital, the Duke faction would surely send new reinforcements.
Count Palgau’s eyes sparkled.
“We’ll let go of this supply route without a second thought. The Northern Army likely targeted the supply line to buy themselves some time. So we will march northward without rest.”
Count Palgau had caught on to Claude’s intention. If the Northern Army could arrive in enough time, there would have been no need for them to target the supply line.
With that, Count Palgau made a bold advance, even at the cost of the supply lines.
Count Palgau’s prediction was spot on. The forces blocking them at the fortress were only about 10,000 in total.
That was combined from the existing 5,000 troops and another 5,000 that Claude hastily sent over.
“It’s just a small fortress. We can take it soon. Attack!”
Under the pressure of time, the Delphine Army began its assault immediately.
Fwaaa!
The Delphine Army’s mages cast large-scale spells upon the fortress.
Unfortunately for the Kingdom troops, they lacked mages. Thus, Count Palgau felt at ease issuing the magic attack order.
At that moment, as the soldiers in the fortress trembled in fear watching the incoming magic, an elf stepped forth.
“Flowing currents, envelop this place with your purity.”
Kwoooosh!
A massive burst of water erupted, forming the figure of a woman composed of blue waves.
It was the high water spirit, Endairon.
Endairon’s body spread wide, enveloping the fortress. The magic cast by the Delphine Army collided against the blue barrier.
Kwagaang!
The barrier shook dangerously upon direct impact but did not collapse.
The fortress’s soldiers gazed in awe at the elf.
The elf was Ereness, who had arrived at this place alongside Gillian.
Her mouth moved once more.
“Whispering echoes, manifest your strong will here.”
Rumble!
Suddenly, the ground trembled in the Delphine Army’s formation, and rocks began to rise up everywhere.
It was the movement of the earth spirit, Noeanen.
“Whaaaat! What’s going on?!”
“It’s a spirit! Block it!”
Caught off guard by the sudden attack, the Delphine Army’s formation collapsed in an instant.
Out of over a hundred mages, half stepped forward to restrain Noeanen from using its powers any further.
The remaining half continuously cast spells at the fortress without rest.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Ereness, continuously pouring her energy into the spirit, asked Gillian.
“Are there no catapults here?”
“Not even one, apparently.”
“How long do we have to hold out?”
“About two days should be enough.”
“Could that cunning one have not expected this?”
“Thanks to the ambush on the supply unit, it caused these troops to arrive a little later than expected.”
After the supply unit was decimated, the Delphine Army had spent two whole days figuring out what to do, which was why the vanguard had managed to arrive here just in time.
Ereness nodded.
“Right, it seems we’re in for a tough battle.”
“Just block the magic attacks. I’ll do my best to hold out.”
Gillian said resolutely.
They had rushed to set out, so only he and Ereness had arrived first, but with the cavalry that had come with them, they could certainly fend off even several times that number of enemies.
Though the enemy also had superhumans and many knights, it would not be easy for them to approach.
While Ereness kept pouring power into the spirit, she remarked,
“It won’t be easy. I can’t help because I’m bound by the enemy mages.”
It was quite the feat just to be holding back so many mages by herself. She could fight while continuously pouring energy into the spirit, but she would be facing superhumans. She couldn’t spread her power any thinner than this.
The remaining knights and soldiers would be all up to Gillian.
“It’s alright. I’m used to this kind of thing.”
Gillian wore an arrogant smile. Defending something had become an all-too-familiar task for him now.
Kaor and Belinda, who had ambushed the supply unit, would surely lead an assault party and be rushing over. They just needed to hold out until they arrived.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The water barrier shook continuously. The soldiers inside the fortress gripped their weapons tightly, tense.
Seeing how better than expected they were withstanding the magic attacks, Count Palgau raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“What? How are they able to block so many magic attacks? Is it really the spirit?”
A nearby mage nodded and replied.
“Yes, it’s not magic but the energy of the spirit. At this level, we can say it’s a spirit mage of superhuman caliber.”
“Hoh… Where did such individuals come from?”
For the 4th Corps, who had not yet received the news properly, Ereness’s existence was a bolt from the blue.
Blocked by this unexpected resistance, Count Palgau pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Keep the mages attacking without rest. Bind that spirit mage, and the others will attack the fortress.”
It was regrettable that they weren’t able to utilize their full magical force, but they had managed to tie down a superhuman.
It seemed there were no other variables. If all their forces advanced in this state, the fortress would soon fall.
“Attack!”
“Waaaaaaaah!”
As soon as the attack order was given, 50,000 troops began to move simultaneously.
Seeing the Delphine Army, like a tidal wave, charging toward the small fortress, the remaining battered troops all grew fearful.
Only the troops coming from Penris ignited their fighting spirit.
“Get ready.”
As Gillian raised his hand, all the cavalry, led by Lumina, drew back their bows.
All of them watched the approaching enemies tensely. Time seemed to flow slowly, as if it had stopped.
“Waaaaaaaah!”
The Delphine Army, intent on capturing the fortress in one swift move, threw themselves into the fray without hesitation.
Finally, as they entered range, Gillian shouted loudly.
“Fire!”
Fwaaaaaaah!
The arrows shot by 5,000 cavalry rained down upon the enemy formation.
But the damage was minimal. Being seasoned elite troops, even the infantrymen managed to block the arrows with small shields as they charged in.
“Don’t stop shooting!”
Gillian shouted again.
The Penris cavalry’s bows were foldable for portability.
That wasn’t their only advantage. They were equipped with mechanical devices like pulleys at both ends, making it nearly effortless to shoot. Because of this, they could manage rapid volleys.
Fwaaaaaaah!
Without even a moment to catch their breath, another rain of arrows poured down.
“Waaah!”
“What! Why is it so fast?!”
“Carefully block the arrows!”
Surprised by the unexpected second arrow attack, the Delphine Army sustained more damage as their numbers dwindled. They had been in the midst of their charge when the arrows struck unexpectedly.
Thanks to this, the Delphine Army’s advance slowed down. The Penris cavalry took advantage and relentlessly rained arrows down.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Eventually, a ladder was secured against the walls of the fortress. The Delphine Army, having suffered considerable damage from arrow attacks, was now in a state of fury.
They gritted their teeth and began to scale the castle walls. With such overwhelming numbers, they believed that if they could just get up there, conquering it would be simple.
“Get in there!”
Clank! Clank! Clank!
The Kingdom soldiers clung to the wall, filled with anxiety. To allow the cavalry to keep shooting, they needed to hold their ground firmly.
Jing―!
All 200 or so Penris knights accompanying Gillian activated their armor magic.
From here on out, it would be time for them to fight seriously.
“Hurry up and get up there!”
Five thousand arrows wouldn’t be enough to stop 50,000 troops. Ultimately, a few of the Delphine Army’s knights managed to break through the shield wall and successfully climbed onto the battlements.
“Kill them all!”
A Delphine knight shouted with bravado, summoning his mana as he stepped forward.
Fwoosh!
As soon as he advanced, his head was split open by Gillian’s axe.
“Hold fast! We can hold them easily!”
Gillian shouted, wielding his axe.
Enemies were beginning to creep in through the gaps that had opened up everywhere. There were just too many.
But Gillian and the Penris knights leaped around, taking down every enemy that climbed.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gillian’s strength, enhanced to the utmost level thanks to absorbing the Dragon Heart, was nothing short of astounding.
Soldiers were swept away the moment they made it over the wall, and even the knights couldn’t withstand several strikes.
They were holding out far better than expected. Arrows continuously rained down, killing soldiers below the fortress.
Watching the scene, Count Palgau pointed at the top of the fortress with his finger.
“It seems you should head out now.”
“Indeed. I see that man is Gillian, who is called the White Lion.”
“It looks that way. He’s certainly one of the individuals we must kill.”
“Very well, let’s deal with him this time.”
The judge of the Salvation Society, clad in a black robe, stepped forward. He was a superhuman who had significantly contributed to breaking through the Southern front.
At that moment, a quiet being appeared, unnoticed by anyone on the battlefield.
— Wow, everyone seems busy.
A crow began to circle high above the battlefield.