How To Suck Honey With Extras [EN]: Chapter 127

139. Those on the Battlefield (3)

He destroyed the only means of command.

With just that, the command of the monster corps, which the Marquisate boasted, was disrupted.

-Krrr?

-Khaaaaaaak!

The monsters, acting on their instincts, bared their teeth at the humans.

They began to rampage, venting their anger at being restrained.

And ironically, the soldiers of the Celrond Marquisate, who had been using them as shields, were the first to suffer.

Because they were fighting right next to the monsters.

“The monsters’ control has been released!”

“Don’t get close! They’ll eat you! Kuaaaaaak!”

“Fall back! Fall back!”

The Marquisate’s soldiers were being devoured before they could react.

“It’s karma. Using monsters as a front line is a tactic not even used in my time. Of course, it’s bound to fail.”

The silver-haired boy scoffed and swung his sword.

“Those who hide in fear can never defeat those who wield their swords while looking forward… Well, that’s what my teacher said. It fits perfectly.”

The path of the sword, gleaming silver like his hair, flashed, and the flesh of the enemies scattered.

“You son of a bitch!”

A blood-covered knight screamed and charged at the boy, aiming for his back.

He had been lucky enough to blend in with the monster corpses and avoid being cut down.

He thrust his spear, aiming for the boy’s back, but…

The spear, filled with his resentment, was blocked far too easily by another.

It was embedded in the stomach of a sturdy young man who had sprung out from directly behind the boy.

“Hey, even if you’re a knight, you shouldn’t show your back… Well, I guess it can’t be helped on the battlefield.”

He spoke calmly, as if he didn’t care much, even with the spear stuck in his stomach.

The knight looked at the tip of the spear he had thrust, wondering what was going on.

The spear didn’t pierce at all.

The spearhead stopped as if it had only touched his abdomen.

Even the tip of the blade was bent.

“Y-You monster!”

He understood what had happened and cursed.

That young man was also a considerable expert.

Just by reinforcing his body with simple aura [magical energy], he had become harder than ordinary steel.

“Hey! You attacked, and now you’re complaining!”

The young man frowned as if he didn’t like the knight’s attitude and kicked his leg up.

“If you’re going to fight, fight without complaining!”

With just that, half of his upper body was shattered and disappeared.

“…Hah, nothing much.”

“Even if they’re weak, don’t take it easy on them, Alnix. Even though he looks like that, that knight was at least at the beginning of the Expert level.”

“Puhahat! I won’t be pierced by a spear like this anymore, so don’t worry. You know that too, right?”

“…Okay, do as you please.”

The silver-haired boy shook his head as if giving up, and the young man called Alnix laughed loudly and began to smash the enemy with his bare hands.

Wrapping his arms around them and throwing them, crushing them with his feet.

He began to finish off the enemies as if harvesting vegetables in a field.

“…Still rough.”

He was a comrade, but it was a method that left him speechless.

The silver-haired boy narrowed his eyes as if slightly disgusted, and then began to swing his sword again as if to do his job.

“I have no grudge against you, but it’s for my personal purpose… So, I can’t go any further.”

He muttered bitterly, unfolded his swordsmanship, and cut down the enemies.

“If you really want to go over, you’ll have to defeat me, Sylvester.”

As a result, their actions completely routed the enemies.

* * *

“Defeated? Melnans was defeated?”

Marquis Celrond was furious as soon as he heard the news of the defeat.

“Melnans! That foolish bastard!”

He recklessly pursued, blinded by ambition, and ended up causing trouble.

Moreover, Melnans’ head is said to be hung as a warning in front of the Falzente Principality’s fortress.

What a disgrace.

That would affect the morale of our soldiers.

Marquis Celrond barely calmed down and decided to hear about the situation first.

“Kuh… Yes… First, let’s calm down and think. How did we lose?”

Even if that fool’s actions were rash, it wasn’t to the point of being so miserably defeated.

At worst, he thought that he would be scolded by the Archduke and return crying.

“…I can only say that the current result was unexpected.”

Krold, who had joined a little while ago, also quietly gave his opinion.

He, who had just returned to the battlefield, had not yet fully entered the front lines.

Because he has more to do than just fight.

“I have heard of the Archduke’s heroic tales, but considering his age, the current result is impossible.”

Total annihilation was too much.

No matter how skilled he is, his age must be taken into account.

Even if an Aura Master’s body ages slower than others, they still age.

Moreover, Archduke Nilphas is 83 years old this year.

Even if his body is strong, at least the amount of aura he has will not be the same as before.

Rumor has it that a master who has reached the extreme, наоборот [conversely], his body is re-forged into a body that is better than his prime, even as he ages, но [but] the Archduke would not have reached that level.

As far as Krold knows, there is only one knight in the Empire who has reached that level.

That’s just a rumor, and he’s never confirmed it.

“It seems that the Archduke’s power is stronger than expected.”

“Are you talking about his knights? I certainly heard that the Archduke trained them himself. Are they that skilled?”

“According to the information, their level is at best Expert. I don’t think they are good enough to achieve that kind of result.”

“Hmm. I wonder what’s going on.”

“…There was someone with equipment that was clearly different from the knights of the Falzente Principality.”

A knight spoke to them as they were pondering.

He was one of the few who barely survived the battle.

Most of the reports came from his testimony.

“Come to think of it, I heard from the informant that Archduke Nilphas had three guests he brought in from the outside.”

“Certainly… According to the information he gave, they were just mercenaries, but they actually had that much skill?”

Now Nelvis’s, that damn fool’s, information is becoming increasingly unreliable.

Is that fool not even able to identify people properly?

The information only mentioned mercenaries with some skill.

Moreover, he hasn’t heard from that guy recently.

Seeing that the spy has also gone missing, there’s no reason to expect anything anymore.

“Krold, what do you think?”

“…Excuse me.”

“Tell me the truth. It doesn’t matter.”

“Looking at the state of the recovered monster corpses and soldiers’ corpses…”

Krold seriously spoke about the level of the enemy he was guessing.

“At least one of them has power at least equal to Archduke Nilphas, I guess.”

“…Ugh, this is getting worse.”

Troublesome elements keep appearing one after another.

“Then I will personally step up and face them in the next battle.”

Krold directly expressed his intention as if he had noticed his worries.

But Celrond shook his head.

He stopped Krold from going to war.

“No. First, find out about those outsiders. We can’t start a fight without even knowing who they are.”

In the worst case, he would have to face two masters comparable to Aura Masters and Archduke Nilphas all at once.

At this rate, there’s no way to win with a frontal attack.

“Remember this, Krold. We must never…”

“…Never lose. Avoid defeat.”

“Yes, that’s right… Hmm? Who said that just now?”

The Marquis rolled his eyes as if wondering.

He also noticed that the faces of the knights, including Krold, were filled with astonishment.

“Hey, what’s… Ugh?!”

Only then did he realize and hurriedly turn around.

For some reason, there was someone who could never be here, standing there.

The Third Prince of the Empire is there.

Even laughing while holding his stomach, leaving those who were surprised.

“Puhahahahaha! Your appearance is a sight to behold, Celrond. You’re not usually so frightened by this little prank.”

“Y-Your Highness! Why… are you in a place like this, no…”

“Why am I in a place like this? Don’t talk nonsense, Celrond. There is no place I cannot go.”

However, he cannot nod obediently.

This place is a fortress that was managed by the Falzente Principality until it was captured.

Even if he is a prince, is this a place where he can suddenly appear as if he is visiting his own home?

“It’s nothing. I asked someone to take me there because I had something to do.”

“Who is it?”

“He’s not here. He dropped me off for a while and sent me on an errand.”

To leave the prince here and go somewhere else.

Who would commit such an absurd act?

The Third Prince only chuckled as if their bewildered reaction was rather pleasant.

“The trivial things are fine. More than that, it seems that it’s not easy after all. The atmosphere is not good. Hehehe.”

The Third Prince did not seem very anxious even after reading their atmosphere.

That was unexpected.

Clearly, Marquis Celrond was prepared to be scolded until just now.

‘Could it be that His Highness didn’t expect anything?’

That can’t be.

Marquis Celrond denied that possibility for the time being.

“Don’t worry. The battle is only in its early stages.”

“Yes, and I thought you were doing well from the beginning, but in the end, you were defeated.”

“…”

The Prince deliberately teased him, enjoying the Marquis’s speechless reaction.

“Celrond, you need to be more nervous and take this matter more seriously.”

“…That’s obvious.”

“Never underestimate them. They are the descendants of a clan that has kept the secret treasure for hundreds of years as promised.”

“Even if it is a secret treasure, they are just those who have hidden it and enjoyed power by sucking it dry.”

“What you’re talking about is carelessness. Tsk.”

The Prince clicked his tongue as if he was amused.

“…That’s enough. You guys can just do this much. Just don’t lose.”

The Prince only ordered them to maintain the front lines.

For Celrond, it was quite unexpected.

Isn’t the goal to capture it?

Then he should be attacking more aggressively.

“…What do you mean?”

“The way things are going is not satisfactory, but maintaining the current state is enough for now. Old man Nilphas will be annoyed enough.”

Only then did the Marquis realize.

That the Third Prince was not very interested in the war itself.

Just don’t lose.

In other words, anything other than defeat doesn’t matter.

Even victory does not catch his eye.

“But if we don’t win, we won’t be able to secure the artifact you want…”

“Just watch. Maintain the current state for now. You can do that, right? Let’s wait for the results.”

“Results?”

“I’ve thought of a few tricks, so I want to wait for the results first.”

It seemed that the Third Prince had instructed something to be moved separately.

Celrond did not understand what the Prince was planning.

On the other hand, Krold’s expression hardened as if he had realized something, and he even trembled.

Unlike Marquis Celrond, he knows to some extent about the personnel that the imperial family can use, thanks to his position as an Aura Master, whom the Empire cherishes.

A brazen person who can leave the Prince of the Empire in a place like this and move him around.

Moreover, Krold did not detect it, let alone the other knights.

He began to guess who was making that possible.

If the person he thought of was correct?

‘Could it be that His Highness intends to shed blood by using means other than war? If he does that, he won’t be able to avoid criticism?’

However, he cannot ask about his intentions rashly.

He put aside his doubts and bowed his head.

“I understand.”

Marquis Celrond also pretended to understand the Prince’s intentions and obediently agreed for the time being.

“But how will Your Highness return?”

“Return? Of course, I can’t. How can I go back until he returns? Surely Celrond, you’re not telling me to walk to the Imperial Palace, are you?”

“…N-No way.”

“I’ll stay here for a while. I’m also interested in this fortress. I’ve only seen fortresses built in the imperial style so far. I wanted to look around a bit.”

“I understand. I will give instructions to prepare immediately.”

Celrond and the rest of his retainers suppressed their desire to cry and beg him to return, and hurriedly prepared for the guide.

“And… Sir Krold?”

“…Your Highness?”

“Were you perhaps thinking just now, ‘Does he want to shed blood by means other than war?'”

Do I need to say it for you to know?

When the Prince asked, Krold immediately knelt down.

“If you are going to punish me for having disrespectful thoughts, I will never avoid the responsibility.”

“Don’t jump to conclusions. I’m not a tyrant enough to punish you just for thinking.”

The Prince said, laughing as if he was enjoying it.

“So I’ll answer your question.”

The Prince’s answer was exactly what Krold had imagined.

“It means that it’s okay to kill some as part of the means. I don’t want territory or humans.”

“Something else?”

“Yes, of course.”

That is clearly different.

The Prince added a strange word.

“Things other than the purpose are not worth considering. War is something that is started to want what you want. So isn’t it natural that anything other than that doesn’t matter?”

“…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll decide later whether to interfere further or not. So until then, you guys can do as you please.”

The Prince smiled sincerely.

“I sincerely expect your success.”

And those who saw that smile felt a strange eeriness and obediently bowed their heads.