The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 359

229. The Great War (3)

“They’re coming.”

Kaila said in a tense voice. As she raised her hand, the 5,000 cavalrymen began to ride their horses in unison.

“Block the entrance to the canyon!! Absolutely prevent the enemy from entering!! Spears!! Deploy the Blazing Inferno Formation!!!”

At her command, the warriors of the Chang family simultaneously formed two circular formations at the front in the narrow canyon, while the remaining soldiers lined up in rows to match the width of the canyon.

Dudududu…!! Dudududu…!!

The warriors, composed of cavalry, clashed with the Imperial army first. Rotating in circles, they converged like a drill, piercing through the Imperial army and splitting to both sides.

“Strike the second and third waves!!”

The Chang family’s fierce, flame-like tactics were not a one-time affair.

As the two leading circular formations broke through the Imperial army like opening a door, the cavalrymen lined up behind them struck the narrow canyon in succession.

“That young leader is quite something. She seemed to be trembling before the battle, but her eyes changed as soon as it started.”

“She created the Formation of Mists with me. She is one of the most knowledgeable people in tactics. Especially her ability to control battles that occur simultaneously like this is remarkable.”

Dusalla nodded at Anthem’s words.

“The reason for dividing the army is to respond quickly to situations and move flexibly, but no matter how good the coordination is, it is not as good as one person moving the army.”

“That’s realistically impossible. Once you enter the battle, it’s difficult enough to command your own unit, let alone worry about other units.”

“This terrain will make it even more so. The road is divided by the hills, so it’s no exaggeration to say that you can’t see the position of your allies.”

Dusalla nodded.

“So you’re saying that young girl is doing the impossible right now.”

“In a way that would be impossible for anyone else.”

Anthem looked at the magical kites floating in the sky, connected by long strings to each unit of Kaila Chang’s forces.

The five large, square kites flying in the sky moved as if they were alive, wherever the sound of weapons clashing was heard.

These were the kites flown by each of the Chang family’s units, divided into 1,000 soldiers.

Whiiik……!!!

Each of the four corners of the kite was connected to a different colored string, and strangely enough, they moved left and right even without wind during the fierce battle.

And whenever a corner of a particular color pointed to the sky, the Chang family’s soldiers would dash through the canyon as if they had received orders.

Thanks to the kites floating in the sky, each unit could coordinate with each other and know each other’s position, even if they couldn’t see each other.

“To use kites as signals to inform the situation of the units. That’s an interesting method. She seems to have further developed the Blazing Inferno Formation, as well as creating the Formation of Mists in the Duchy.”

“Yes. It’s impossible without the Chang family’s excellent craftsmanship. Riding a horse and controlling a kite is not easy, and the soldiers’ ability to quickly judge the kite’s markings is not something that can be created in a short period of time.”

“As the head of the Five Great Families, she is finally doing her part.”

“Perhaps Lord Carryl brought her to the center of the battlefield for that reason. The Five Great Families had less activity in the process of the northern barbarians and southern warriors of the Great Plains gaining merit. He created a stage for her to gain merit.”

Dusalla nodded at Anthem’s words.

“She will properly gain merit. It would be even better if the Chang family beheaded an enemy commander.”

She said something strange, as if she had something in mind, and raised the corners of her mouth.

“Then a little help would be fine.”

As Anthem raised his hand, the soldiers behind him began to beat the drums in unison.

Doom― Doom― Doom―!!!

If the Chang family had kites, the Free Army followed the Chang family in perfect order, running with the troops to the sound of the drums.

Surprisingly, Randol was at the forefront.

“I don’t know whether to say you’re amazing or cold-hearted… In some ways, I think a strategist should be like this.”

She smiled faintly at Anthem as she watched the scene.

“I’m not sure if he can truly be on our side. He could be an obstacle to the Lord. I need to see if he has sworn allegiance or if he has come with vague comfort.”

“Well, that kind of personality… I don’t think badly of it, but it seems like it comes from experience?”

Anthem gave a bitter smile at Dusalla’s words. Fran, whom he trusted and followed without question, was also a dog of Wooden Cloud. If Randol still harbored feelings for the Empire, he would inevitably be harmful to the Free State that Carryl was creating.

“Maybe.”

Anthem answered quietly and scanned the battlefield.

“Then isn’t the person who needs to gain merit not Kaila or Randol, but someone else?”

“Yes?”

Dusalla said to him.

“It’s you.”

* * *

“Th… This…….”

Tiren, with a pale face, watched the incoming troops from the hill and began to panic, not knowing what to do.

“Th… This is urgent!!”

“All three vanguard units that passed through each canyon have been annihilated! On the contrary, the enemy has launched a counterattack and is pushing in!”

“No way! How……!!”

“The problem was that magic couldn’t be used because the terrain was narrow. I don’t want to admit it, but the barbarians are better at horsemanship than us. It may have been a mistake to organize the troops mainly with cavalry to go for a quick battle. We need to reorganize the troops and fight right now.”

Squeeze-

At Mart’s words, Tiren bit his lip slightly and shouted as if he had made a decision.

“Re-enter the cavalry. Enter the path where the annihilated vanguard passed with 5,000 troops each. Hurry!!”

“Yes!!”

As the soldier who received the order went down the hill, Mart hurriedly asked back.

“It’s the path where the vanguard was annihilated. By the time you send the troops again, the enemy will have finished reorganizing, so won’t the same thing happen?”

“It doesn’t matter. The most important thing is for Father to break through the bottleneck and advance to the enemy’s rear. If we don’t send troops, the enemy will concentrate their attack on Father’s side.”

“……What? Are you saying that the rest of the Imperial soldiers will be used as bait!”

“We just need to seize the central hill. If we do that, we can suppress the enemy. Right now, Carryl is the only one who can stop Father there. If we can catch Carryl, the rest of the troops can push in.”

“You… Are you saying that those guys are not bait, but you’re using Father as bait?!”

Mart looked at Tiren with fearful eyes, without realizing it, at the sight of the dying Imperial army.

* * *

“You’re still the same, Tiren. But you’ll feel it more and more. The air that’s tightening your breath.”

As Carryl unfolded the Swastika Ring, Tiren’s face on the horse in the distance was clearly visible.

He nodded as if he had predicted Tiren’s plan.

[To use his own father as bait. That guy is also a viper.]

“It must be to catch me.”

[So you put Randol in front of Kwell. In that sense, Anthem is also not an ordinary person, because he is the only one who can catch Kwell in a different sense than skill. Hehe… It’s worth seeing.]

Aln smiled strangely as if he was watching the back-and-forth battle of wits unfolding.

‘Tiren, this is the battlefield I’ve been rolling around on. The countless blood that is falling will tighten your neck even more in the future. It’s a mistake to think this is the end.’

Carryl said quietly, covering his face.

“Let’s go.”

Then the Black Eye Clan members standing behind him slowly nodded.

* * *

“Hoo-up!!!”

Kwell McGovern took a short breath and swung Yulston.

Jwajajajajak……!! Jeujeueuk……!!

As he cut through the electricity blocking his path with his sword, it scattered powerlessly in both directions.

There were a few more traps on the narrow road made of hills, but Kwell continued to increase his speed, accepting the low-level magic as it was.

“To block a 6th class magic trap with just one blow… He’s really a monster…….”

Thomson exclaimed without realizing it as he watched the traps that he had prepared with all his heart from Azor being destroyed one after another.

Thanks to the attribute stone, he was in the ranks of a 6th class high-level wizard.

And since he was originally a 5th class wizard, his talent was not lacking, so the power of the traps he made was by no means weak.

But he couldn’t stop Kwell, who was riding his horse at the front, even for a single step.

“Don’t slow down!! If we don’t reach the top, the damage to our allies will only increase!!”

At Kwell’s cry, the Blue Knights’ cavalrymen burned with fighting spirit and ran.

“Pour out all the traps and magic we have prepared. Even so, I don’t think there’s anyone who can stop that guy unless it’s the Lord…….”

The Ulkas Guild’s magic corps nodded at Thomson’s command and began to chant.

Kwaaaang……!! Kwagagagang!!!

Shwaaak!!

Kwell continued to run even in the pouring lightning and ice pillars.

Hwaaaak……!!

At that moment, a fierce flame covered him. His feet, which no trap could stop, stopped for the first time.

Digon Dual Swordsmanship 1st Form – Crimson Moon Wind (紅月風) [A swordsmanship technique that creates a whirlwind of flame blades]

There was only one sword, but small flames attacked Kwell, creating a whirlwind as if countless blades were pouring out on the wind.

“……!!”

Kwell quickly raised Yulston vertically and fended off the flames. In the wind of flames, a sharp blade accurately aimed for his vitals.

“What is this?”

Blocking the sword, Kwell’s voice was low, but there was a deep anger in his voice.

“Randol.”

He was no longer wearing a mask. Instead, the released flame in his hand was burning fiercely.

“I lost contact with you after you went to the Imperial City, but why are you here? No, why are you standing on that side?”

“I think Father knows the reason well. Isn’t it strange?”

“What is?”

“This war.”

“The Empire’s territorial war has been going on throughout its founding history. Besides, this war is something that should have happened. We can’t just leave the Free State that threatens the Empire alone.”

“The dragon.”

“……What?”

“Why does His Majesty know about the dragon? Not only the Platinum Dragon, whose identity even the late Emperor Tyran Stean did not know, but also the other three dragons who were not interested in the human world have come forward.”

“That’s…….”

“Is this war really waged by His Majesty? Not the dragon?”

“I think Father also knows that Tiren contacted Wooden Cloud secretly under His Majesty’s secret order.”

Kwell’s face hardened at Randol’s words.

“Father also knows that the artifact that Wooden Cloud is looking for is in the Empire’s artifact warehouse, right?”

Randol said to him.

“Dragon Bone Tomb.”

“What about it?”

“It is said that Kaie Esir made that warehouse with the bones of the Flame Dragon, Lyseria, during the Old Empire era. But the moment I saw it, Carryl said something strange to me.”

“What do you want to say?”

“He said that the tomb in the Imperial City is none other than a demon’s den.”

“Nonsense……!!”

Randol replied again in a low voice.

“The dragon has no reason to help the Empire out of goodwill. But if the dragon is related to Wooden Cloud… Father also senses that Tiren and His Majesty may be going down the wrong path, right?”

“Shut up!!”

The soldiers there flinched without realizing it at Kwell’s roar.

He rode his horse towards Randol as if he couldn’t delay any longer.

“What are you trying to protect, Father?”

But as he watched him rushing towards him, Randol asked in a calm tone for some reason.

“The Empire? Your family?”

Kwaaaang―――!!!

The moment Kwell’s Yulston and Randol’s released flame collided, Randol’s body staggered and bounced back at the same time as a fierce roar. He slid back dozens of meters, and red blood dripped from his mouth even though he had blocked only one attack.

“No, let me ask you again. What are you trying to protect, Father…….”

There was no mercy in Kwell’s sword.

While realizing how great the power of his sword was with all his might, Randol took a stance and asked him in a low voice.

“His Majesty? Or Carryl?”