Building A Human Empire By Creating A Clan [EN]: Chapter 132

Creating Subordinates to Build a Human Empire 134

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“Row!”

As Kuirau’s army suffered through the second volley of fire.

Koamick moved from across the river, flanking the Imperial army.

Koamick loaded soldiers onto rafts he had hastily constructed overnight and sent them to the rear of the Imperial army. The river was only a few hundred meters wide, and the currents were calm, making it an easy crossing.

“Enemies!”

“Lizards are coming!”

Bang! Bang, bang!

The Imperial army immediately opened fire when they spotted the rafts emerging from the fog.

Unlike the front lines, they didn’t wait for the enemy to get close.

They fired harassing shots as soon as the rafts were in range, preventing them from approaching.

“Don’t get too close!”

The Maninjang [lizardman officer] shouted at the sight.

The rafts slowed and nearly stopped.

“Stay out of range! Don’t take unnecessary damage!”

The rafts lingered just outside the effective range of the matchlock rifles, following instructions.

They feigned crossing attempts, drawing the Imperial army’s attention.

While intense gunfire and cannon fire continued at the front, only light, intermittent harassment was exchanged at the rear, like a cat-and-mouse game.

“Good. Maintain the status quo.”

Koamick watched the scene with satisfaction.

“We wait for the humans and Kuirau to tire each other out. There’s no need for us to jump in like moths to a flame when both sides are still strong. We’ll aim to cross when one side is at a disadvantage.”

Koamick was concerned about the Imperial rearguard protecting the kingdom’s rear.

But that only reinforced his need to preserve his forces.

Even if they captured the human emperor, resistance was still possible.

In that case, they would have to fight again.

“Are you sure about this? I think Kuirau-nim [respected Kuirau] will be in quite a bind….”

Koamick scoffed at the Maninjang’s words.

“The monkeys have pulled a large number of troops to the rear to block our crossing. Look. There must be tens of thousands. That’s enough of a contribution from us. If they lose even with this distraction, then Kuirau is incompetent.”

It would be even better if that happened.

Koamick smiled, hiding his true feelings.

“Keep a close watch on whether the number of monkeys on guard decreases. If their numbers decrease rapidly, it means the front is that much more dangerous. That’s when we cross.”

“Understood.”

However, Koamick was unaware of something.

The soldiers the Imperial army had deployed to the rear to block the crossing were merely a facade. They had only deployed a small number of musketeers and archers to create the illusion of a larger force. It was Edar who was deceiving Koamick, not the other way around.

Koamick smiled, oblivious to the fact that he had fallen for Edar’s trick.

And in the meantime, the battle situation underwent a rapid and dramatic change.

“Now! Blow the horn! Signal His Majesty!”

Titus, Gehardt’s adjutant, who had been observing the battle from the front of the Imperial army, raised his hand.

Boo——

While Kuirau’s army was recklessly charging without any reserve forces, Kuirau’s rear was left with only a personal guard of less than a hundred men.

The horn was a signal to alert the Imperial forces to this opportunity.

Dudududu—

“What’s that sound!”

Kuirau, who had been intently watching the battle, shouted angrily.

Wasn’t that the sound of heavy hooves coming from the rear?

The cavalry had been annihilated, so what could that sound be?

He turned around and gasped.

“When did they get there?”

Over a hundred cavalrymen were charging towards him.

They were Imperial soldiers, all subordinates of Edar.

Except for one man, Edar himself, who was leading the charge.

“This… this petty trick!”

The idea of an ambush wasn’t exclusive to the two Incarnations.

Edar had also dispatched about a hundred subordinates under the cover of dawn.

He had gathered the strongest members of the expeditionary force, including Calliope, Gehardt, and Zekt, and sent them to Kuirau’s rear without him noticing.

“Valor sometimes has the same meaning as recklessness.”

Kuirau’s army charged bravely, but that was all they had.

After the initial charge, wasn’t the most important thing to protect the commander who remained?

“That monkey!”

Kuirau unleashed his soul magic as he watched the cavalry rushing towards him. Heat haze rippled around Kuirau, and a similar heat haze rose from the Lizardmen’s army.

The heat haze was composed of souls.

“Heok!”

“Cough, I can’t breathe…!”

“Kuirau-sama!”

Kuirau was attempting to temporarily boost his power by absorbing the souls of those who served him.

Just as the Archbishop of the Theocracy consumed thousands of souls to increase his power, Kuirau consumed tens of thousands of souls to achieve the same.

【Lv. 93】

The same level as Calliope.

【Lv. 78】

【Lv. 69】

【Lv. 74】

【Lv. 79】

【Lv. 82】

The levels of the guards beside him also rose rapidly.

Edar’s expression remained unchanged as he observed this.

Because it was exactly as he had anticipated.

“······.”

But there was something he hadn’t foreseen.

The child in his arms sparkled her eyes.

Mersephone’s eyes grew brighter as she got closer to Kuirau, and magic emanating from souls, similar to Kuirau’s, rose like heat haze around her.