by Hyougetsu
Now that I’d made my decision, haste was of the utmost importance. I turned to my guards.
“Send messengers to the troops up front! All men are to turn around and retreat to Creech Castle! If we continue marching we’ll be whittled down by the Eleora-Ashley army’s attrition tactics! Our only hope is to return to Creech Castle and hope my brother brings reinforcements to save us!”
Though I doubted Ivan would be able to save us.
Our situation might have been dire, but I still had one shot at turning the tables.
“Imperial Guards follow me! This is our one chance to take down Lord Veight! We’ll buy our troops some time and also defeat the enemy commander!”
“Yes, sir!”
If I can just take him out, his mage corps won’t be as much of a threat. I had no doubt he’d come up with the idea to build a snow castle too. If I let him run free, there was no telling what he’d do next. We had to strike Lord Veight down here and now, or the Doneiks family had no future. Considering how much he loved being on the front lines, I was certain he was still hiding within that forest somewhere. Ashley’s second army was advancing slowly and still hadn’t reached Creech Castle. If I was able to crush Lord Veight’s army, I’d face no immediate threats, giving me time to reorganize and formulate a new plan.
“Our veins run thick with the blood of warriors!” I declared. “Our horses are fiercer than any dragon, and our lances sharper than any blade! We have nothing to fear! Now is the time to strike down the lord of Crimson Snow Keep and etch our names in the annals of history!”
“RAAAAAAAAAH!”
‘Only those who never give up survive to fight until the very end.’
That simple maxim had been one of my father’s favorites. Alright, Veight, let’s do this!
* * * *
I watched through my telescope as Prince Woroy’s army turned around and started heading back towards us. Because of how small the road was, his troops needed to march in a narrow column. However, all of them were marching in combat formation. They were prepared for any ambushes we might spring on them. I retreated to the safety of the trees and blew my dog whistle again. The mage corps split into 20-man platoons and covered themselves with the white cloths they’d brought to blend in with the snow. The 208th Imperial Mage Corps was situated close to the edge of the forest in order to snipe soldiers on the road, so they especially needed the camouflage. My post was right next to them.
“Ignore the first ranks of knights passing through,” I told the mage corps.
“The terrain around the lake is disadvantageous for them. They’ll be useless in a siege. If they wanna go back to the castle, let them. They’re not a threat.”
“Yes, sir!”
Everyone looked relieved to learn they wouldn’t have to fight against the knights. I didn’t blame them. Cavalry were terrifying.
“You can ignore the pikemen as well.”
“Are you sure?”
Pikemen were both less mobile and had less range than the mage corps, so they made for perfect targets. The corps captain gave me a confused look, and I explained further, “My scouts have found that the enemy’s archers are all in the rear. They’re the ones we want to eliminate first.”
Longbowmen could rain arrows down on us if we tried to attack their castle, and if they came to attack us, they’d be able to fire over our walls. They were the soldier type best suited for siege warfare. I didn’t want any of them making it back to Creech Castle. Fortunately, the forest we were hiding in helped protect us from archers, so this was the perfect place to ambush them. They’d be stuck in the open, while we had an entire forest to use as cover. If I wanted to take out Prince Woroy’s archers, now was my only shot. I just hope they don’t spot us too soon.
I had people hiding within tree trunks, people hiding in the branches, and even people hiding in the snow. There were so many people hiding at the edge of the woods that the little noises they were making as they breathed and shifted sounded like a cacophony to me. But while their noises sounded loud to my werewolf ears, my opponents were just humans. Humans wearing heavy, clanging armor to boot. They probably wouldn’t hear anything. We waited in the shadows of the forest, looking for our opportunity.
The knights came first, their shields held high. They warily eyed the forest, but all of them passed by without seeing any of my men. After them, the pikemen followed. They carried spears three times their height, and moved slowly enough to present a perfect target for the mage corps. As easy it would be to wipe them out, we needed to let them pass for now. How much longer until the archers get here...
Not long after I had that thought, I heard two long whistle blasts a short distance away. A few seconds later, the signal was repeated. This was the sign that Prince Woroy was approaching. While I wanted to save my men for the archers, the army commander was an even bigger prize. Alright, time to change targets. We’ll take out Prince Woroy. Sorry prince, but I can’t afford to hold back this time.
I’d attached a werewolf to each of the mage corps platoons, so I could use my dog whistle to convey orders to them, and they could convey those orders to the mages. I gripped my whistle and peeked out of the thicket I was hiding in. Prince Woroy was riding down the road, flanked by his imperial guards. It was definitely him. Though he was pretty far still, he was within the mage corps’ maximum range. I blew two long notes on my dog whistle, then three short ones. The signal meant “Change targets to the prince.”
The mage corps trained their Blast Canes on Prince Woroy’s guards and opened fire. Countless bullets of light peppered the knights. The bullets pierced through their heavy armor, sending them sprawling from their horses. Those that remained upright quickly got into battle formation.
“Enemy attack! Disperse!”
“They’re half a bowshot out!”
It was obvious from how fast they reacted that they’d been expecting an attack. The mage corps’ initial volley hadn’t thinned their numbers as much as I’d hoped it would either. The knights that had been struck were all knocked off their horses, but at least half of them were relatively uninjured and got back to their feet in seconds. The mage corps noticed that as well, and they seemed to be shaken by how ineffective their volley had been.
“Lord Veight, the enemy’s unhurt!”
“Calm down, they’re just wearing defensive gear! Fire one more volley, then fall back!”
“Y-Yes, sir! All units, prepare for a second volley! Aim for the center of the cavalry! Fire!”
Blast Canes shot out magical bullets, which meant magically enchanted armor could easily deflect them. However, it must have cost a fortune to outfit all these knights in enchanted armor. On top of that, a few shots would be enough to pierce through even enchanted armor. A poor person like me couldn’t even fathom using such wasteful tactics. However, wasteful or not, they were proving effective.
I had the 208th Mage Corps retreat into the forest, hoping the enemy would be lured into the woods. Right now their options were either to retreat to Creech Castle, or charge our position. If they charged, I’d have my mage corps whittle them down until their numbers were low enough, then finish them off with my werewolves. On the other hand, if they retreated, I’d let them pass. Chasing Prince Woroy too far would lead to my unit getting wiped out.
My guess was that the Imperial Guards would take Prince Woroy in retreat, while another unit chased us to buy them time. As long as the party sent to chase us was comprised of infantry, they wouldn’t be able to catch up to us. Mage corps traveled light, so they’d be able to outrun longbowmen or pikemen. However, the enemy’s next move was one I didn’t expect.
“Charge!”
“Cut them all down!”
Yelling, the Imperial Guards rushed into the forest. For a moment I thought they’d forgotten all about their mission to protect Prince Woroy, but then I saw the prince himself at the center of the charge. Brandishing his spear, Prince Woroy shouted, “Doneiks’ cavalry are the strongest in the e
mpire! I have no need for cowards! Follow me only if you have the courage to fight to the death!”
He was a model knight, but he was also being needlessly reckless. We were fighting in a snow-covered forest. There was no terrain less suited for horses than this. Prince Woroy’s cavalry wouldn’t be able to mount a proper charge in here. The ground was so uneven that I hadn’t even been able to bring my gatling gun here. On the flip side though, there were plenty of places for us to hide. I brought up my Blast Rifle and shouted, “Continue shooting as you fall back! The enemy’s enchanted armor won’t last long! A few shots should be enough to pierce it!”
The mage corps valiantly fought back against the charging knights. Prince Woroy’s cavalry were all wearing brightly colored overcoats in order to distinguish themselves from their allies. Unfortunately, that also made them stand out in the forest. On the other hand, my men were all camouflaged with white cloth, so it was hard to even see them until they started shooting.
While the 208th Mage Corps fell back, the 207th came out of hiding and fired another volley. A few of the knights who had made it deepest into the forest fell to the ground. Once they got their shots off, the 207th followed the 208th in a retreat. But then the 206th came out of hiding to fire their volley. After that the 205th did the same, and so on.
Every time a new mage corps fired, more of Prince Woroy’s knights fell. Of course, my troops didn’t get out unscathed. Those who were too slow to retreat were rewarded with a spear in the back. And those who accidentally retreated into open ground got run down by enemy cavalry. Furthermore, a few platoons got pincered by Prince Woroy’s knights and were wiped out wholesale. With how poor the footing and visibility was, it was difficult to orchestrate an organized retreat. Even I had no idea what the overall situation looked like.
“There he is! It’s Lord Veight!”
“Bring down the commander of Crimson Snow Keep!”
Oh boy. The moment one knight shouted that, all of the others turned around and started congregating around me. I had no idea why they were focusing so hard on me, but at least this let me buy some time for the mage corps to escape. Bring it on. I took aim at one of the charging knights and fired my Blast Rifle. The mana I poured into it turned into a sphere of light and shot out toward the knight. I scored a direct hit. Though the knight blocked the shot with his shield, the force of the bullet forced him out of his saddle. However, the knight broke his fall with a roll and instantly got to his feet. They really are well-trained. But before the knight could take more than a few steps, I fired another shot at him. This time his shield shattered when he blocked. The force of the explosion knocked him onto his back, and he didn’t get up. But in the time it had taken me to eliminate a single knight, a few more had appeared in the clearing I was in. The few members of the mage corps who were nearby were trying to stop them, but their accuracy was dropping. It was difficult to aim at someone who wasn’t charging straight at you. You needed to be able to aim at the spot they would be in a second later. And right now, every knight in the vicinity was charging at me. This might be bad...
“Protect Lord Veight!”
“Keep the enemy at bay!”
The mage corps members stopped retreating, formed into lines, and began firing again. Wait, don’t fight! I’ll be fine by myself! If worse came to worst, I could always transform and escape.
“Fire! Fire everything you’ve got!”
“Show those Doneiks bastards the pride of the mage corps!”
You really don’t have to.
“Don’t falter men! Our target is just one man!”
“We’ll gladly lay down our lives for the sake of His Highness Prince Woroy!”
You really don’t have to do that either. I really wished people would stop fighting over me. I could only watch helplessly as a massive melee broke out, revolving around me. Apparently some of the other mage corps members had heard that I was in trouble and came back to help me as well. Bullets of light streaked through the gloomy forest like shooting stars. On the other side, knights charged fearlessly into the barrage, hell-bent on killing me.
The sight looked uncharacteristically picturesque, even though in reality people were dying everywhere. Or more specifically, people on one side were dying. Since the knights were charging only at me, my allies had circled around behind me, making it easier to aim. Their bullets shot past me, striking down the knights bearing down on me. Now that it had come to this, it was probably safer for my allies if all my enemies knew where I was. Steeling my resolve, I got to my feet and clambered up a nearby boulder. In the loudest voice I could muster, I shouted, “Those who cannot see me, listen! And those who can, behold! I am Veight Gerun Friedensrichter—the fearless Astral Fencer! Face me if you dare!”
Almost instantly, knights started converging on my location. Their horses kicked up clouds of snow as they charged at me. The only way out now was to kill them all. I shouldered my Blast Rifle and started firing away. On one side there was a charging wall of cavalry. On the other was a line of gunmen firing off blasts of light.
As the battle continued, it became clear which side had the advantage. Avoiding the knights’ spears was a simple task for me. Thanks to my elevated position, it was hard for them to hit me. Cavalry charges were meant to mow down knots of infantry situated at ground level. They weren’t suited to hitting targets above them. Unfortunately for the knights, the barrage of Blast Cane shots was so thick that they didn’t have time to leisurely draw their swords and target me with more precise attacks. If they didn’t charge, they’d get shot down before they even reached me.
Good, good. Keep coming straight at me. I didn’t mind being the sole focus of my opponents, since that meant there’d be fewer casualties among my allies. Occasionally a crossbow bolt would fly my way, but knights weren’t archers, and they were firing from horseback, so their aim was atrocious. Besides, I’d cast arrow-warding magic on myself anyway just in case.
Before long, the sounds of fighting began to fade. Looking around, I realized the enemy’s numbers had thinned considerably. We’d shot down plenty of knights, but an even larger number had retreated out of range. Their main goal was to buy time, so they saw no need to throw their lives away in a hopeless charge. Smart call.
What they didn’t know, though, was that most of my mages were practically out of mana. After that fierce battle, they didn’t have too many shots left in them. Though our losses were slight, we still hadn’t managed to complete our primary objective. Prince Woroy was still safe, and we hadn’t annihilated his archers. While these knights were buying time, the rest of Prince Woroy’s army was making it safely back to Creech Castle. We may have done some serious damage to Prince Woroy’s cavalry, but at this rate, we’d be back to a stalemate. Just as I thought that, I heard Monza shout, “Boss, it looks like we’re not done yet! Enemies incoming!”
I stopped strategizing and looked up. A number of the remaining cavalry had regrouped a short distance away and were reforming their lines. From the looks of it, all of them were part of Prince Woroy’s elite honor guard. There were no regular soldiers among them. They numbered a few dozen at most. Do you guys seriously wanna keep going? The mage corps fumbled with their Blast Canes, trying to take aim as quickly as possible. They hadn’t been expecting a second charge either.
“Anyone who can shoot, take aim!”
“Draw them in as close as possible before firing!”
I started shaping my mana and readied my Blast Rifle for another volley. I had enough mana left over for a few shots, but I didn’t want to spend all of it. If I drained myself completely, I wouldn’t be able to heal any wounded allies. All of the platoons let the enemy come in as close as possible before giving the order to fire.
“Steady... Now! Fire!”
“Platoon 3, fire!”
“Platoon 5, take aim! Fire!”
Each platoon’s captain knew what the ideal range was, and they waited until the cavalry had come into it before giving the order
. Intermittent bursts of gunfire peppered the imperial guards, and each volley caused more of them to drop. Slowly but surely, their numbers were being whittled down. Honestly, I felt bad for the knights who were being one-sidedly slaughtered.
Just run, you idiots! Don’t throw your lives away. It was only when the knights were whittled down to fewer than 10 that I realized what was going on. Riding at the very center of the formation was a knight bedecked in expensive armor. All of it was enchanted as well, and the standard engraved into the breastplate made it obvious that the knight in the center was Prince Woroy. No way! The commander in chief of an army charging the enemy formation with just his honor guard was unheard of. I was flabbergasted.
On the flip side though, I was outside the safety of my snow walls, and my guards were all out of mana. And while I doubted Prince Woroy had planned for this to happen, my werewolves were all scattered as well. This was the most vulnerable I’d been since the start of this war.
“Fire!”
The last remaining platoon to fire launched their volley, and the knights moved in front of Prince Woroy to protect him.
“Your Highness, stay safe!”
“Use our lives to grasp victory from the jaws of defeat!”
I clearly heard the imperial guards’ dying words. Are you telling me Prince Woroy sacrificed his entire retinue of elites just to create this one chance!? The prince raised his lance and shield and charged directly at me. His warhorse was one of the finest I’d ever seen. It was entirely possible it’d be capable of jumping straight onto the boulder I standing on.
