The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 330

216. Vestal Assault (2)

“All clear.”

“Good. It’s time to rotate.”

As 4 AM approached, the soldiers on the ramparts, weary from their watch, greeted the arriving relief force with tired expressions.

“Ugh… I’m exhausted.”

“I heard soldiers are being dispatched from the homeland?”

“They say 100,000 troops have already moved south. It seems war has truly broken out.”

“It’s a relief, though. At least the fighting won’t happen here. Being stationed here is a stroke of luck, don’t you think?”

The soldiers exchanged words as they descended the ramparts.

“It’s all thanks to that monster of Four Nine [referring to a powerful being associated with the Four Nine River]. After the chaos at Twin Armor, the first thing His Majesty did was build a fortress on the river.”

“Well, we’re better off because of it. After the fortress was built, even the monsters along the river disappeared. At first, I hated being assigned to the frontier. If I were in the homeland, I’d be dragged into the war by now.”

“Hehe… That’s right.”

“But does it make sense? That the Water King actually listens to humans.”

“Whether it’s true or not doesn’t matter. Even if he’s a Water King, he can’t walk on land. We just need to stand guard properly.”

“True, you’re right. I should go back and get some sleep. With the war and all, they’re increasing the number of guards, making it chaotic, even though we’re short on personnel.”

The soldiers descended the stairs, looking weary.

“I agree. Should we grab a cold one on the way back? What do you say?”

There was no response.

A moment ago, his comrade had been walking beside him down the rampart stairs, but now his voice was gone. The soldier waved his hand dismissively.

“Hey, don’t ignore me. If I ask a question, answer…”

Thud.

A sound of something falling to the ground.

Simultaneously, the object bounced and tumbled down the stairs.

“…!!!”

It was a helmet.

The soldier frantically turned his head, and a sharp blade was held to his throat.

“Shh.”

A short, forceful word.

But the soldier felt a chill down his spine from the gaze in the darkness.

“Wh-who… Mmph!”

The soldier’s cry was cut short.

A hand covered his mouth as a sharp blade pierced his abdomen.

No resistance was tolerated.

The collapsing soldier trembled, bewildered and surprised, as if unable to comprehend the sudden attack.

“Easy.”

A low murmur.

“Numbers?”

“The fortress is guarded by 10,000 soldiers, but there are no knights. The mages are only of the lower ranks. They are definitely unaware of our intrusion.”

“How long will it take to clear them out?”

“It will be done soon.”

Grace, ascending the stairs, spoke as she withdrew her sword from the soldier’s corpse.

“The Black Eye Clan assassinated all the key leaders upon infiltration. An enemy army without commanders poses no threat.”

In an instant, they had taken the lives of dozens of soldiers below the stairs. They looked up.

“Still… It’s strange that a fortress built so magnificently is defended by such low-quality soldiers. I suspect this fortress was just a facade.”

“Indeed. The defensive forces are quite small compared to the fortress’s appearance. I wonder why.”

Viola, standing beside Grace, also looked up, like the others.

The person who could answer their questions was there.

“Yes. Until now, that is.”

Flap.

Cahill’s cloak, leaning against the ramparts, fluttered lightly. The soldiers who had come up for the shift were lying motionless on the ground.

“Why would they build this fortress so grandly with so few troops? Who can tell me the reason?”

Despite being inside the enemy’s fortress, he appeared relaxed, as if teaching a lesson in war tactics.

“Could it be because of the Water King of Four Nine? I believe this fortress was built after the defeat at Twin Armor.”

Hashir was the first to answer.

“That’s right. That’s the reason on the surface. But do you think it’s just for defense?”

“It was built to serve as a bridgehead.”

The others turned to the voice that followed.

A silver sword gleamed in the torchlight.

It was Viola.

“A bridgehead… Explain the reason.”

“This fortress was built after the Battle of Twin Armor, as Hashir said. The purpose of guarding against the Water King of Four Nine is a good reason to build this fortress. But that’s just a facade, as you said. More importantly, it’s to cross the Four Nine River safely.”

“Crossing the river, huh…”

Cahill looked at Viola.

She scanned her surroundings and continued.

“Olivon sent troops to the Vestal March [a border region], under the pretext of the Empress, making it a new strategic point to focus our attention. Of course, considering that Tatul can be invaded through the south, the March can be a key point of attack.”

As she said, the March was a border region in the south.

If troops were concentrated there, Cahill would have no choice but to secure it.

“Isn’t that obvious? That the Empire intends to advance into Tatul through the south, using the March as a bridgehead.”

Hashir tilted his head slightly at Viola’s opinion and looked at Cahill.

“Continue.”

“If it were just a simple numbers game, that would be the case, but the Empire won’t target the south.”

“You’re saying they have a different aim.”

“The Vestal March is just a place to set bait to lure each other. The real bridgehead is this fortress. They built this massive fortress to use it as a base to strike our rear while diverting our attention to the south. And they did it in advance. It seems the Empire was preparing for war with us.”

Viola smiled faintly at Cahill’s question.

“That’s right. After the defeat at Twin Armor, they pretended to be scared, built a fortress, and pretended to cut off contact.”

For so long.

Olivon had been acting all along.

Even Anthem wouldn’t have predicted it if Cahill hadn’t said so.

“But the Empire overlooked one fact.”

Viola emphasized her voice.

“That we can use magic battleships. And that magic engineering weapons, including golems, have already crossed the strait.”

Hashir said as if he had realized it this time.

“That’s right.”

“And that we were able to arrive here before them thanks to the time we gained.”

“We can say that we exchanged blows in a numbers game, but as a result, we, who can use the golem corps, are one step ahead in the territorial war.”

Hashir’s heart pounded at their words.

“To invest 100,000 troops and use the March as bait… Could this daring plan have come from the mind of a man named Bran Gant?”

“I don’t know. He may still be lacking, but he has the qualities of a tactical master. He’s definitely someone who can’t be underestimated… But Bran isn’t the type to do that. Frankly, he’s not included in the variables I see in this war.”

As upright as his personality was, his battles didn’t involve backstabbing. Especially not a plan that took so long.

‘But there’s someone who’s good at these shallow tricks.’

Cahill smiled bitterly.

“Hmm… Then what do you think?”

“Tiren. Tiren McGovern.”

In his previous life, he rose to the position of Imperial Chancellor.

He had the qualities for it, but it wasn’t just because of his outstanding administrative abilities.

‘When Tiren rose to that position, it was a time when the Duchy and the Three Kingdoms were being reorganized, and a revelation had been given. In other words, it was wartime.’

What made him stand out was not war, but strategy.

His ability to see far ahead occasionally shone in this way.

“That’s why…”

Cahill looked down at the ramparts.

“He’ll be gauging the number of troops gathered in the March. Sending nearly 100,000 troops along with the golems should be enough to deceive him. Now, he’ll try to cross the Four Nine River to strike our rear.”

Rumble…

It was then.

Looking at the dust clouds rising in the distance, Cahill turned around and said.

“Am I right?”

His subordinates couldn’t help but admire the sight.

“Enemy confirmed! Identified as the Black Knights! Including about 200 mages, the enemy’s forces are estimated at 150,000!!”

The report was made in an instant thanks to the soldiers who had been ambushing in the forest.

“To deploy the Black Knights, who are in charge of defending the Imperial Capital, here first. He intends to reduce the weight considerably.”

Cahill nodded.

“Viola.”

“Yes.”

“Kaisin, the commander of the Black Knights, has been in charge of defending the Imperial Capital for a long time. He’s that good at siege warfare.”

“But the fortress is already in our hands. His strengths will be useless.”

“Yes. You’ve always wanted to prove your strength, so I’ll give you the opportunity this time.”

Cahill knew that no further explanation was needed.

“I’ll leave the Wolf Fox Tribe here. Annihilate the Black Knights here with Hashir. The Four Nine River is like a waterway that runs through the continent. We will completely occupy this place and use it as a passage to the Empire.”

“We will do so.”

“Then I’ll entrust you with the command. Welcome them.”

“Yes.”

Viola bowed and answered Cahill.

“Are you entrusting the command to her? Then where are you going…?”

“We exchanged blows, one move each, with the March and this fortress, but the war starts now. Once they know this place has been occupied, battles will break out sporadically, including the northern border, the Kiwell Coast, the Ravtan Gorge, and even the deep forests of Heim, where the Order is located.”

Cahill said in response to Hashir’s question.

“But the main force hasn’t moved yet. The damage from the sporadic battles will eventually be only tens of thousands at best. For two forces with a million troops, it’s just a light scratch. In the end, it’s a war that ends when the main forces clash.”

Everyone nodded at his words.

“A million troops…”

“The main attacks must clash to end it. These wars are just a prelude.”

At his words, his subordinates’ hearts pounded, even though the enemy was coming towards them.

“…That’s what everyone will think.”

“Yes?”

Cahill looked at them, who were questioning him, and pointed to the sky.

“I’ll be back. To shake the Empire.”