“We have achieved the first victory that was our initial goal. Now we must retreat before it’s too late.”
Lucian spoke firmly, as if not accepting any objections.
The marquis and the other lords also nodded in silence, as if they had no objections.
If they continued delaying here, they didn’t know what might happen.
“So it shall be. Let the soldiers rest for a day and then we’ll retreat immediately.”
“No. We must move right now.”
“What? No matter what you say, isn’t it too soon? The soldiers are in that state…”
At Lucian’s words, the marquis showed confusion.
There were still many soldiers who couldn’t move due to the tingling running through their bodies.
And now, instead of letting them rest until they recovered, he proposed marching immediately.
“Even if we depart now, it’s clear we’ll advance at a snail’s pace. The soldiers in good condition will be even more exhausted carrying those who can’t move. Wouldn’t it be better to at least let them rest for a day?”
“If there were no threat, I would’ve let them rest not one, but three days. But we don’t have time. The enemy’s pursuit force will arrive soon.”
“A pursuit force? The enemies who ambushed us were already repelled by the allied army, and the rest should be in Bodium Castle. What threat remains? Rather, Kreppelt is probably celebrating having repelled the Empire.”
“Just because the Empire was defeated once doesn’t mean Kreppelt is already independent.”
Before, Lucian thought that if the Empire lost, the vassal states would rise up in unison and it would be impossible to subjugate them again.
In contrast, the marquis believed the Empire still had room to try again several times.
Lucian’s opinion hadn’t changed, but the problem was what Kreppelt thought.
Given that they had violated the Great Agreement, it was clear Kreppelt leaned toward the first option, but there was always a possibility, however slim.
“Kreppelt will want to completely block the possibility of the Empire advancing again. Even if they can’t guarantee their independence, they’ll want to buy time until another chaos erupts. For example, by capturing a strong candidate for imperial succession and using him as leverage.”
“…!”
The faces of all the lords, including the marquis, changed color.
They thought it would be madness to go that far, but at the same time remembered the attacks they had just suffered.
These were people who had violated the Great Agreement and hired unauthorized mages, with no way back.
Were they really going to worry about the emperor’s wrath or future consequences?
“You’re saying those Kreppelt bastards will send a pursuit force targeting me?”
“It’s only a supposition, but the possibility is high.”
“L-Lucian! Isn’t there any solution?”
Claude, pale, shouted unable to hide his anxiety. Lucian pretended to think for a moment before speaking.
“The safest method would be for His Highness the First Prince to leave the battlefield first, taking only a small group of personal guards…”
“That cannot be.”
“Marquis?”
Claude looked surprised at Marquis Bernhardt, who had responded in his place.
The marquis, ignoring Claude’s gaze, fixed a cold stare on Lucian.
“Even if it’s for the safety of His Highness the First Prince, what would happen if the commander-in-chief abandoned the battlefield first? The soldiers’ morale would collapse, and His Highness’s reputation would be irreparably stained.”
“Sometimes a certain humiliation must be endured.”
“It’s not just about humiliation. It could give room for some schemers to question His Highness’s suitability and meddle in the succession to the throne.”
“…”
At the marquis’s direct words, everyone held their breath.
Even Claude, who for an instant had been tempted by Lucian’s proposal, began to tremble with a pale face.
“Th-the marquis is right. I won’t flee alone.”
Seeing Claude speak with a trembling voice, Lucian silently clicked his tongue.
He was afraid of dying, but even more terrified of giving up the throne.
‘Tsk, it would’ve been easier if he had just run away.’
It was a pity, but there was no helping it.
Lucian discarded any attachment and presented the second option.
“Then only one option remains. Retreat as quickly as possible before the enemy arrives.”
“But the wounded who haven’t recovered yet…”
“If they can’t move, they’ll have to be carried. In a long march it would be right to rest, but it’s only three days’ journey to the border. Even if the soldiers suffer more, it’s better to move quickly.”
In reality, if they abandoned the wounded they would advance much faster, but the allied army was made up of elite troops provided by each family.
No lord would abandon the soldiers of their own house, and proposing it would only create resentment.
Worse still, they might bear the infamy of having left their own allies behind.
“It seems the policy has already been decided. If there are no objections, I propose we move immediately.”
As expected, there were no objections.
Following Lucian’s directive, the allied army began a hasty retreat, carrying the wounded.
***
“What are you saying? After pushing the enemy, they were soundly defeated by a force that attacked from the rear? And Count Dominic died in the process?”
“Yes. They hung His Excellency the Count’s head on a spear, like a barbaric trophy, to display it…”
“Those damned bastards!”
Bang!
Erich, the young king of Kreppelt, slammed the table hard.
From the moment they violated the Great Agreement, he had been prepared for retaliation.
If they set no limits, it was only natural the enemy wouldn’t either.
Even so, the death of his loyal servant and the desecration of his body were too heavy a blow.
“And the enemy’s losses… how great were they?”
Erich asked with a trembling voice, barely suppressing his rage.
The knight, as if recalling the defeat, shifted his eyes from side to side before responding.
“Rather than dead, many soldiers were incapacitated. Almost half fell unable to move due to the effects of the spell. Even among those who could move, many were struck down by the count’s attack, so their effective force must have been reduced to less than half.”
“Even so, if they didn’t die, by now they should’ve recovered to some extent.”
“According to the mage, they won’t be able to use their muscles properly for about fifteen days. They may be able to walk slowly, but running or swinging anything with force is practically impossible.”
Upon hearing the report, Erich’s eyes lit up.
In other words, although they had been defeated, the enemy’s strength had been considerably reduced, and the remaining soldiers were burdened with the wounded.
If that was added to the casualties caused by Dominic, a frontal assault would be enough to crush them.
‘If those guys came to Bodium alone, we could destroy them with ease, but they won’t be that stupid.’
They had violated the Great Agreement and endangered the life of the First Prince, so they would try to retreat as soon as possible.
Even if that meant abandoning the castle’s defensive advantage and heading into open field, they had to pursue them.
If they captured the First Prince, the emperor would have no choice but to accept Kreppelt’s demands.
“Wait. Come to think of it, where is the mage who went with you? Don’t tell me he died in battle?”
“We don’t know. Before departure, he said he would stay behind to wait, but after the defeat he never returned and vanished without a trace.”
“He ran.”
He had promised to hire him as a court mage if everything went well, but that wandering mage had reacted indifferently.
Erich already disliked that he only cared about money, and now he had fled without even claiming his reward upon seeing the defeat.
‘Did even a mere mage consider us so insignificant that he thought we’d fall after a single defeat?’
Erich clenched his teeth at the thought of Colin.
There was no way to catch someone who had already left.
When Kreppelt gained its independence with pride, that man would return, regretting his decision.
The current humiliation could be repaid later.
“March! Annihilate the imperial army and capture the First Prince to achieve Kreppelt’s independence!”
***
“As expected, they’re really moving at a snail’s pace.”
Raymond grumbled as he watched the allied army slowly advancing behind them.
More than half of the soldiers couldn’t move without support or being carried.
There were too many wounded, so the march’s pace could only become desperately slow.
“At this rate, we won’t make it in time. At this pace, the enemy will reach us first.”
“Are you worried?”
“To be precise, I’m worried they’ll ask us to hold off the pursuit force. Won’t it end up falling on us all the way to the final cleanup?”
Lucian smiled faintly at Raymond’s concern and shook his head.
“That won’t happen. Don’t worry.”
“Even if you say that, we’re the only ones with our strength intact. What if the others dump everything on the third young master?”
“I’ll say no.”
“Huh?”
“That I’ll refuse.”
“C-can you do that?”
“Why not?”
Lucian shrugged at Raymond’s confusion.
“It’s true that if Valdeck stepped in to hold off the enemy, the allied army’s casualties would be minimized. But right now, there’s no one with the authority to make such a proposal to me.”
Lucian had presented the best option at every stage of this war.
He warned about the breach of the Great Agreement, about the potable water issue, proposed the retreat, and predicted the ambush.
And yet, those who ignored all that and ruined the situation were the top brass of the allied army.
Except for Cedric, who had his own motives, no one took his side.
In that sense, they all shared the same blame.
“After ignoring all my proposals, they nearly died, and I still saved them. And now they want me to also handle the rear guard? Ridiculous. If they don’t want to truly turn the Valdeck family into an enemy, they wouldn’t even dare suggest such a thing.”
“But if they catch up, someone will have to stay behind to buy time for the retreat. Will there really be someone willing to do it?”
“Of course.”
And not just anyone, but a strong feudal lord, and one who was, to some extent, reliable.
Just as Lucian was about to respond with a smile, the soldiers’ shouts rang out.
“Horsen River!”
“The border!”
The place where that useless farce had taken place appeared before everyone’s eyes.
Just crossing the river would make it much harder for the pursuit force to follow them.
While everyone exhaled in relief, thinking they were saved.
“P-pursuit! It’s the pursuit force!”
“The Kreppelt bastards are coming from behind!”
From the rear came desperate cries.
The soldiers, who had just begun to breathe easily, turned pale and looked back.
There weren’t many, but it was a force made up entirely of cavalry, charging like mad toward the allied army.
“They’re still a bit far, but at this speed they’ll reach us before we cross the river.”
“Lu-Lucian, young master.”
“What is it?”
At the awkward call of a certain baron, Lucian looked at him sharply.
The baron, who was about to ask him to hold off the enemy, flinched and looked away.
If Lucian didn’t want to do it, no one was in a position to force him.
In light of Lucian’s stance, all eyes looking for a sacrificial lamb focused on a single person.
The most powerful family after Valdeck, and the one still holding the most combat-ready troops.
‘Damn it.’
Marquis Roglan clenched his teeth under the silent pressure.
Put nicely, it was about buying time for the army to retreat, but in practice, it was a mission in which he could die.
Even so, he couldn’t refuse.
Unlike Lucian, who had shined in this war, he had made too many poor judgments.
‘If I don’t at least save face here, I’ll be crushed under Valdeck for years. It could even affect my authority within the noble faction.’
Giving up the power he had held until now was, for him, equivalent to death.
Rather than that, he preferred to risk his life and recover his lost prestige.
After making his decision, the marquis knelt and shouted loudly.
“First Prince! I will stop the enemy, so please use that time to get to safety…!”
“Wait a moment, marquis. I don’t think that will be necessary.”
The one who interrupted his desperate cry was the second prince,
Cedric. Suddenly intervening, Cedric looked at everyone and pointed beyond the Horsen River.
“Look over there. Allies are coming.”
“What? Allies? What are you talking about…?”
The allied army’s high command froze upon looking in the direction Cedric pointed.
Lucian reacted just like the other feudal lords.
Those unexpected reinforcements were warriors far beyond what anyone had imagined.
‘The Red-Winged Knights.’
The knight guard in direct service to the emperor, famed as the most powerful force in the Empire, was advancing at full speed toward the allied army.
____
Join the discord!
https://dsc.gg/indra
