The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 427

Azadin may be the king of Banreung, but the foundation of his power lies in the Chadra Plateau.

The abundant food of the Chadra Plateau, the medicines and alcohol seized from the Dwarven Arrows [a group or faction], and the weapons and money are the most important resources that sustain Azadin’s power.

But what if the Chadra Plateau were to be taken?

Azadin’s forces would be immediately crippled.

‘The Fireglyph [a strategic location or fortress] has tremendous defensive power, but Prince Kalintz, who is currently defending it, doesn’t have many troops. Those bastards, they’re trying to tie me down here and attack the Fireglyph.’

Azadin, realizing the enemy’s intentions, summoned his generals.

“We will cross the river without delay. But not head-on, we’ll go around.”

“Yes!”

“Lord Karna, the Celestial Fire [an elite unit] must cross the furthest upstream. Can you do that?”

“Of course.”

“And Selim! You will take the heavy infantry and the refugee soldiers and cross nearby. It’s the most dangerous and important task, acting as bait to conceal the Celestial Fire’s crossing. Can you do it?”

“Leave it to me, Commander.”

“Good. The Arangian Guard [Azadin’s personal guard] and the Etar Bloodline troops will cross here when the enemy takes the bait.”

Azadin established a three-pronged crossing operation.

The Celestial Fire Knights, with their superior mobility and powerful attack, would be sent the furthest upstream to cross, and to conceal their crossing, the infantry led by Selim would cross at the midpoint.

If the enemy’s cavalry moved to stop Selim’s infantry from crossing, then the main force, led by the Arangian Guard, would begin crossing with a time difference.

It was an operation possible because of their overwhelming numerical superiority.

“This time, we have to fight in a disadvantageous situation, so the sacrifices will be great. But if we delay, we won’t be able to fight even in a disadvantageous situation. I ask you all to bear the sacrifices.”

When Azadin asked his generals, they all nodded.

Although Azadin was a member of the Herald Clan [a noble lineage] and an unpredictable figure, the generals of Azadin’s army knew well that Azadin valued life and his subordinates.

Even when figures like Prince Sram subtly suggested using refugee soldiers as meat shields, Azadin refused. The fact that Azadin was trying to shorten the time while accepting sacrifices meant there was a good reason, and even those who did not understand the strategy trusted and followed him.

In particular, Selim, a minotaur whose race was inherently loyal, was rather pleased to be given the most difficult task.

*********

Selim cut down trees in the nearby forest to obtain timber, and prepared timber and sandbags to build a bridge for the crossing.

Then, the Relief Knights [enemy forces] came nearby and attacked with magic and arrows.

They were not attacking during the crossing, but attacking the construction of the crossing bridge.

It was clear that they were trying their best to keep Azadin’s army tied down in this Tire River area.

“Alright, everyone, don’t mind them! Those arrows are nothing!”

Selim directly held up his shield and blocked the arrows, encouraging his soldiers. But then, slave soldiers appeared on the riverbank.

These slave soldiers, created by the Telbarin Guild [a merchant organization] by binding debtors and prisoners of war, were a mix of low-ranking soldiers who were nothing more than meat shields and demi-human soldiers favored by high-ranking officers… and among them were minotaurs.

“Selim! Son of Sellaoukos!”

The minotaur slave soldiers beat their chests and called out to Selim.

“Hmm? What is it? Do you know me?”

“You are the son of Sellaoukos. You are our brother!”

“Do not serve the Herald Clan, but return to your father. It is a child’s duty to be loyal to their father!”

The minotaurs said, showing other minotaurs.

“Our kin are here. Selim!”

“………”

Selim was surprised to see the minotaurs they were showing.

For him, who had not seen his kin often, they were showing him female minotaurs.

Selim, seeing a female of his race for the first time, felt his heart stir.

However…

“Nonsense! I may be a fool, but I know that a free man is better than a slave! What are you talking about?”

Under Azadin, Selim was a free man, no, a warrior noble.

But weren’t the Telbarin Guild’s slave soldiers slaves? Who would abandon their status as a warrior noble and become a slave?

But the minotaurs shouted.

“We are not slaves!”

“We are overseers! And your kin!”

“Listen to our story, Selim!”

The minotaurs tried to persuade Selim by claiming they were not slaves but overseers.

“Enough!”

Selim and his men crossed the river. Seeing this, the minotaurs and the corrupted Celestial Knights [enemy elite warriors] charged.

“We must hold the bridgehead!”

“Ugh, damn it!”

Dwarves appeared from the boats prepared for building the bridge. The elite musketeers of the Banreung Kingdom began firing from the middle of the river in the boats.

Dwarves hated going into the water, but they had followed this operation of firing from boats. It was a symbolic scene showing the high morale of Azadin’s army.

-Tatatang!

The muskets spat out smoke and fire.

The surprised Celestial Knights directly held up their shields to protect their horses’ heads.

The dwarves’ aim was also disrupted due to the unstable footing and fear of the water, so this firing was not very powerful.

But it was enough to reduce the knights’ breakthrough power.

In the meantime, Selim and the heavy infantry went ashore and took up defensive positions.

While other troops moved using the bridge, small boats, and rafts, Selim and the heavy infantry had to endure the enemy’s attacks, becoming a living bridgehead.

“Come on!”

Selim also held a battle axe and a greatsword in each hand and faced the approaching enemies.

A minotaur charged and swung a mace at Selim, but Selim easily parried it with his battle axe and rolled the opponent to the ground with his greatsword.

The minotaur kin were very powerful enemies, but unfortunately, Selim was a head taller than even his kin.

While Selim was blocking the minotaurs, a Celestial with crimson wings charged at Selim on horseback.

Selim roared, stunning the horse, and struck the corrupted Celestial Knight with his battle axe.

-Clang!

The Celestial Knight skillfully blocked the attack with his shield even though his horse was stunned, but the horse’s feet lifted off the ground.

And the heavy infantry on either side of Selim also withstood the enemy’s attacks well.

“These, these bastards! They’re not just infantry!”

“Arangian Guard!”

Azadin had selected some of the Arangian Guard and placed them as guards to protect Selim, the commander.

They were disguised as heavy infantry, men-at-arms, and were responsible for protecting Selim from being surrounded by enemies.

“We’ve been found out?”

“Then there’s no need to hold back!”

The Arangian Guard began to draw on their dragon blood and breathe out from their mouths.

The Arangian Guard, who had made the blades of their halberds red-hot by breathing dragon fire onto them, easily swung their halberds and protected Selim.

However, maintaining the bridgehead still resulted in enormous sacrifices. Selim, the Arangian Guard, and the men-at-arms were holding out, but the refugee soldiers were being swept away like fallen leaves by the minotaur soldiers and the corrupted Celestials, to the point where the river was stained with blood.

But as the corpses fell into the river and Selim and the men-at-arms began to be pushed back.

Azadin’s army began crossing from the main camp.

Azadin’s main force, led by the Arangian Guard and the Etar Bloodline, rained down arrows to protect the bridgehead, and after crossing, they clashed with the main enemy force.

However, the enemies also had corrupted Celestial Knights stationed in their main camp, and they were able to withstand the attacks of the Arangian Guard and the Etar Bloodline, putting up an equal fight.

The main force was still gradually pushing back the Wisdom Order [the enemy faction], but Selim’s side was unable to hold out, and the balance was collapsing.

But then, the Celestial Fire Knights, who had gone around the river from the furthest point, appeared.

The Celestial Fire Knights appeared on the enemy’s flank and charged, rescuing Selim’s main force, which was on the verge of collapse.

“Good! They’ve completely taken the bait!”

“We’ve won!”

Azadin’s soldiers cheered. This three-pronged crossing operation, in which they risked their lives as bait, was a complete success, and the Celestial Fire Knights had attacked the enemy’s rear, so victory was at hand.

However…

The corrupted Celestial Knights began to utter strange words.

Real blood flowed from their blood-stained wings, and the speaking Celestial Knights were also coughing up blood from their noses and eyes.

“N, Nether magic?!”

The priests of Azadin’s army were horrified and cast protective spells.

But while they could protect the living, they could not protect the corpses of the refugee soldiers who had been sacrificed in the crossing operation.

The corpses began to mutate, transforming into grotesque beasts.

“Ugh?!”

Not only that, but they also infused the Nether language into the ordinary humans among the slave soldiers, turning them into monsters and throwing them at Azadin’s army, using the opportunity to retreat.

The Nether beasts acted as a rearguard, allowing the core forces of the corrupted Celestial Knights and the Telbarin slave soldiers to safely retreat.

*********

Azadin’s army seized the Tire River area and succeeded in crossing the river.

However, this time they suffered truly heavy losses.

The three-pronged crossing operation was successful, and they even managed to raid the enemy’s rear with cavalry, but the enemies used evil magic to minimize their losses and successfully escape.

They had won the battle tactically, but they had suffered a lot of damage from the enemy’s weapons, forbidden arts.

Azadin had succeeded in crossing the river, but he had to reorganize his troops first.

“Hmm. It’s clear that morale has been lowered.”

Sion Etar, who had come to Azadin’s army, clicked his tongue.

“Because we had to fight the Nether beings. Just seeing the Nether beings, well, it wounds the souls of ordinary people.”

Azadin replied to Sion Etar.

“So, you’re not pursuing the enemies? I hear that the Wisdom Order is attacking the Fireglyph right now. If the Fireglyph is taken, won’t all of Your Majesty’s foundations be destroyed?”

“I know.”

Azadin needed to quickly attack the Wisdom Order’s main camp to reverse the enemy’s strategy of attacking the Fireglyph.

However, the corrupted Celestials who freely wielded Nether magic were not easy to deal with.

In this battle in the Tire River area, Azadin’s army suffered the most casualties.

Tactically, Azadin’s side had won, but the poorly equipped refugee soldiers had been used as meat shields, and the surviving soldiers had witnessed Nether magic and their morale had plummeted, making reorganization urgent.

But then, a messenger came to Azadin’s army.

“It’s a disaster, Your Majesty! Chitae is acting strangely!”

“Chitae?”

The Chitae Kingdom, adjacent to the Arangi Kingdom, had begun to show unusual movements.