Reader’S Regeneration Life [EN]: Chapter 274

274―――――

Two Things You Shouldn’t Touch

“The possibility of survival is almost zero.”

Nudia’s 1st Army Commander sighed in relief at Silienne’s words.

She was an elf who valued herself highly, unlike other races, so she wouldn’t speak nonsense.

“Are you comparing us elves to humans, who simply nock an arrow and shoot? We imbue our arrows with mana before firing.

How could a human, who can’t even use a speck of mana, possibly block such an attack, let alone the arrow itself?”

“That’s a relief then.”

“Our kin have eliminated the human who was acting so presumptuously.

So, don’t worry. He’s dead.”

Silienne finished speaking and left the barracks as if she couldn’t stand to be there any longer.

The 1st Army Commander, watching her leave, muttered, “Those bastards.”

“If the Celestials love those kinds of beings, I wonder if there’s any place for us humans.”

“…I think so too.”

Ive, who had been sitting silently beside him, spoke up.

“It’s been quite a while since we spread the rumor that Zion Clausel had died.

We made sure it was discussed in every castle, city, and even within the army, intending for spies to hear it.”

“Indeed.”

“But it’s strange.

Why don’t we see any signs of wavering?

Someone who was considered our trump card in the war against Nudia is dead, so why don’t we see any confusion or panic?”

That was strange.

Too strange.

She had heard that Clausel wielded great power, especially in the East.

Many people, especially after the last war with Nudia, admired and respected Zion Clausel for his achievements, which were beyond the dreams of ordinary people.

They spread the rumor that Zion Clausel was dead, and as if to prove it, the main force of Hispania, as well as the northern barbarian warriors who had been harassing the 1st Army, had stopped moving.

However, no one in the East was subtly approaching Nudia.

Instead, they were exuding an atmosphere of infinite animosity, ready to die together in a mutual demise.

“…It seems we’ve miscalculated.”

What is greater than a hero is a dead hero.

Ive had simply intended to weaken the enemy’s limbs or even eliminate a key figure to shift the war slightly in Nudia’s favor, but suddenly the atmosphere had become several times more frigid.

Upon hearing that Zion Clausel had died, the soldiers and people of Hispania, instead of despairing and wondering what to do, showed an overwhelming animosity, ready to tear them apart and kill them, while the enemy army, on the other hand, had ceased all activity.

‘What on earth is going on!’

No matter how much she urged the spies she had planted, they only reported that Zion Clausel seemed to be dead and that the main force was not moving.

It was a time when accurate information was needed, but she couldn’t push them too hard for fear of losing her informants.

“Hmph.”

Ive sighed and left the barracks.

The original goal was to inflict damage on the main force of Hispania and then lure the enraged enemies to a suitable battlefield for a decisive battle, but strangely, they showed no signs of moving.

‘Even those fearsome cavalrymen have suddenly stopped moving.’

Perhaps the most bewildering thing for Ive was the northern warriors.

Nudia had no idea how to deal with them, but they had suddenly rushed in and wagged their tails with a method that no one could resist, eventually swaying the cavalry and knights, resulting in a crushing defeat for Nudia.

Having achieved such a victory, they should have continued to provoke them and prevent them from resting, but after inflicting damage on Hispania and hearing about the misfortune of Zion Clausel, they too had suddenly stopped moving.

‘Since Duke Zion Clausel went north, the barbarian tribes there became more amenable, so he might have been the link.

And if that link is broken, they would have lost their reason to fight.’

But nothing was certain.

If there was anything to hope for, it was that the rumors of Zion Clausel’s death would shake the Clausel March [a region or territory], allowing the main force to break through.

However, despite the passage of much time, the main force was still blocked by Clausel and unable to move.

The large number of regular troops, even with siege weapons, were struggling to capture a single castle.

‘This shouldn’t turn into a protracted war.’

Information came in that the Holy Prussen [a theocratic state] had launched a counterattack against the demons and succeeded.

There were signs that the demons, who had been pushing in with great momentum, were experiencing defeat and were about to retreat, and if this happened, Nudia would suffer the same fate.

Launch an attack, encounter fierce resistance, and retreat.

The picture was eerily similar, naturally making Nudia, who had been talking about the will of light, look like an idiot.

In fact, they were just fools who had joined the demons’ offensive to conquer Hispania and divide the world in half with the demons, only to fail!

“Haa…”

It was at that moment, as Ive let out another deep sigh,

that something suddenly seemed to sparkle, and she glanced up at the night sky.

There, a star that had been shining since who knows when was slowly falling to the ground, painting a scene that seemed to hold some meaning.

The star drew a red tail as it moved away, eventually falling towards the location of Hispania’s main force, even making a faint sound.

‘Zion Clausel… is he really… dead?’

It wasn’t just anyone, but the archery skills of the elves, and she had personally confirmed that he had been hit directly in the chest, and the elves had strongly asserted that he couldn’t have survived.

The enemy army has also stopped moving, creating an atmosphere as if they are wondering how to handle this confusion.

When the situation reaches this point, hesitating becomes uncomfortable.

If Zion Clausel is really dead, if the link between the fearsome northern warriors and Hispania is broken, and if the main force is still blocked by Clausel and unable to move…

Now is the chance for the 1st Army to step forward, break through the enemy’s main force, and surround Clausel.

“Commander!”

Having made her decision, Ive acted quickly without delay, and the commander and other officers nodded in agreement.

He was hit by an elven arrow, Ive saw it herself, and the enemy army is in disarray.

This is a reasonable suspicion, so it’s a natural result.

Therefore, the 1st Army, which had been resting and had grown even larger with the continuous addition of reinforcements, quickly advanced towards the location of Hispania’s main force.

Of course, they increased the number of scouts several times more than usual to guard against the movements of the northern barbarian warriors, and fortunately, there was no news of them approaching.

“It seems something really happened.”

“It’s all the better. We need to either break through the main force and advance to the center, or seize the rear of Clausel and completely capture it!”

“The demons have been pushed back.

The Holy Prussen has won the holy war that broke out due to the demons’ attack!

If our Nudia is pushed back here, we’ll end up in the same situation as the demons!”

“That must never happen.

The moment we are branded as demon followers, we are isolated!”

It was a situation where their feet were on fire [a dire situation].

If they dragged it out any longer, they would lose their justification and be branded as demon followers and invaders, so they had to somehow defeat Hispania and obtain a confession and negotiation terms that they were involved with demon followers.

For that reason, Nudia’s 1st Army searched for Hispania’s main force at twice the usual speed.

Before long, they encountered Hispania’s main force, which had finished crossing the river and was preparing to advance after dealing with something.

“It’s the main force of Hispania!”

“Surroundings!

Is there anything else detected in the surroundings?”

“No.

And according to the scout who came in earlier, the northern barbarians were not far from where we first stayed.”

“…That means.”

“Even if they come here as fast as possible from there, it will take several hours.

At least there’s no chance of being caught from behind or the sides!”

There was nothing to worry about or be afraid of.

Now, they must break through them and only think about winning.

If they fail to do so, they will not only be unable to return home alive, but even if they do, they will be suspected of being demon followers and face scorn!

“Form ranks and advance!”

“Keep pace!

Maintain the distance!

We’re going to collide as one!”

These were the Nudia soldiers, who had been hearing all sorts of flowery rhetoric about victory even before the fight. They were extremely excited and full of confidence at the thought that they could finally have a proper fight.

“Knights and cavalry, attack the enemy’s flanks from the right and left!”

“Charge! Charge!”

As the cavalry from Nudia advanced, Hispania also sent out their cavalry. If cavalry were to break into the infantry formation, it could be split in an instant, and if the flanks or rear were exposed, it would be fatal, so naturally, they had to send out troops with equal mobility to stop them.

“Haaaat!”

Ibe also drew his sword and moved with the knights. Being on the main force’s side would overlap with the commander anyway, so he couldn’t command as he pleased. More than anything, it was much easier to ride out like this to assess the battlefield situation.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

As the infantry formed ranks and glared at each other, the Nudia side slowly approached. On both sides, knights and cavalry mingled, creating a tremendous melee.

“Uwaaaah!”

“Keuk!”

“Uwaaa!”

However, as time passed, Nudia’s advantage began to show, little by little. Nudia had repeatedly emphasized the need to win at all costs and even boosted morale with the story of the enemy’s important commander being killed, while the Hispania side seemed to have not yet recovered from the shock of the earlier attack.

The wing on Nudia’s side, among those that were spread out, was gradually taking the form of enveloping the Hispania side. If things continued this way, they could be completely surrounded on three sides and simply annihilated without being able to move properly, so the Hispania side sent a signal to retreat from the battlefield.

“The enemies are trying to retreat!”

“Grab their ankles! You must inflict great damage here!”

“Keep biting and hanging on! Rush in!”

“Uwaaaah!”

As Hispania’s cavalry gradually retreated, Nudia’s cavalry also followed suit. The widely spread wings narrowed again, and Nudia’s infantry formation almost reached the front of Hispania’s formation, and just as the battle was about to begin in earnest…

Whoosh!

Kugwagwagwa!

Suddenly, a huge cry erupted, and the world turned crimson red. The monster, which instantly devoured the shouts of the battlefield, the cries of horses, and the shouts of commanders, trapped both sides of the Nudia army with a huge wall of fire and glared at them as if mocking them.

“What, what nonsense…”

“This wasn’t a situation where we could launch a fire attack?”

It’s not a place overgrown with vegetation, and the wind isn’t on their side either. But how could it be that the flames wriggled as if they had a will and were alive, blocking only the left and right sides of where the Nudia army was located!

Kuaaaa!

Whoosh!

The Nudia army numbered in the tens of thousands, and of course, its size was enormous, but the wall of fire was even larger, encircling even that huge size.

Hiiiing!

Hiiing!

The horses on the Nudia side were also startled by the sudden situation and hesitated to charge. Ibe could see that the end of this huge fire ended right behind the Nudia army. In this wide plain, the only way for this huge army to escape was to break through the enemy or retreat.

‘Then, of course, somehow break through…’

Just as Ibe, who thought so, was about to issue a charge order.

“Waaaaaaa!”

“Uwaaa!”

The Hispania army, which had been confused and trying to retreat until just now, suddenly stopped in its tracks and prepared to face Nudia’s charge, and charge as well. And a path opened up in the midst of that huge shout, and a cart for carrying the wounded appeared.

“…Ah, ah. Aaaaa!”

The moment he saw it, Ibe screamed. He was deceived, deceived, he was completely deceived!

A man with bandages on his arms and sitting in an awkward position as if his legs were uncomfortable, but his face was so clear and radiant that anyone could recognize him at a glance.

Sion Claussen.

The man who was thought to be dead was alive and well on the battlefield!

“Where are you trying to run away to, Nudia!”

“Uwaaaah!”

“Advance! Advance!”

The Hispania main force slowly approached and pressured the Nudia army, which was blocked by the huge wall of fire and could not even move properly. The flames that seemed to burn Nudia at any moment quickly subsided when Hispania approached, and then disappeared with a rustling sound.

“T, this can’t go on!”

“The space is too narrow. If we fight here, we’ll get tangled up with each other and won’t be able to do anything!”

“Order a retreat quickly! If the formations collide, we won’t be able to retreat then!”

At the urging of the command, the 1st Army commander was about to issue a retreat order. However, they soon realized that even that was impossible due to the approaching scout.

“R, reporting!”

“The enemy cavalry that engaged our troops last time has appeared!”

“What nonsense! It was a distance that would take several hours. There’s no way they can cover that in just one hour!”

“I, I don’t know either, I don’t know at all! Their speed is so fast! It can’t even be compared to our troops!”

This can’t be happening.

The Nudia 1st Army command looked at their own troops with desperate eyes. It was clearly a large army of over tens of thousands, but at this moment, it looked smaller and more pathetic than any other army.

And the person who made them, the proud army of Nudia, like this, he was just sitting on the cart, looking at them with ease.

―

There are only two things in the world that you should never touch.

One is John Wick’s dog.

The other one is…

“My life.”

It wasn’t just that Sion was worried about his own life. Of course, dying is scary and I definitely don’t want to be in pain, but Sion was more worried about other things.

‘If I die, how are you going to handle the women after that! And if that’s all, I wouldn’t say anything. What the hell, what were you thinking of doing with the safety device released nuclear bomb!’

―――――――Afterword―――――――

You shouldn’t touch that person’s dog…

Zeagal Sion whispered…

3 chapters tomorrow too…!