373

Episode 373: Let's meet again soon. (3)

Rodrik's army was in panic as they realized they were surrounded.

"Oh, we're surrounded?"

"Stop it! Stop it now!"

"I mean, get in line!"

The commanders shouted, but Rodrik's men were so gripped by fear that they were surrounded that they could not move properly.

They thought they were the ones who got hurt, even though they were outnumbered by many.

We were already having a hard time capturing just 400 enemies. In the midst of all this, being surrounded was enough to paralyze our thinking.

Kwaaaaang!

"Eww!"

The mercenaries immediately charged into Rodrik's army. Although their destructive power was not as strong as that of the knights' charge, their momentum and morale were no less.

Dominic swung his sword more passionately than anyone else and shouted.

"It is time to avenge our brothers!"

Even though the mercenaries who joined from other regions may not have known, the hearts of those who belonged to the Drake mercenary group were no different from Dominic's.

'It's finally starting!'

Dominic felt like his heart was going to burst. He had not expected that he would have the chance to fight Rodrik so soon.

It was a chance to take revenge on those who had persecuted them, even killing their own families.

'I didn't know that the lord had such abilities.'

In fact, Dominic and the mercenaries had no idea that this battle was taking place. They were just concentrating on moving the goods from their respective areas as instructed by Giselle.

But then a strange crow appeared and suddenly spoke to me.

- Hey, Dominic.

―Wow! This is surprising! What is it! What is this!

― Gather all the mercenaries and come to Castle Dacre immediately. There will be a battle. It is the order of my master, Earl Fenris.

- The crow… …speaks?

At first, I was so surprised that I almost cut it with my sword. The crow was also surprised and cried out.

― Treat me with respect as if I were your lord! You rude bastard!

― … … Who are you?

― My name is Dark. Just think of me as a spirit sent by the master. Anyway, without further ado, gather all the troops that came to the west and come to Dacre Castle. Right now, 20,000 Rodrik troops have gathered and are besieging the castle.

― How can I trust you…?

I know that the lord is currently attacking Daker Castle. However, it is difficult to believe the words of such an unidentified creature.

The crow continued speaking as if he had known this would happen.

―Shall I publicly recite all the X-like things you've collected here? First, the lord's… … .

- Whoa, whoa, what's wrong!

Dominic almost slashed at the thought of revealing his treasured possessions in public.

The Drake Mercenaries' entourage already knew of their leader's antics, but there were also mercenaries from other regions present.

Dominic was gathering mercenaries with his charisma and rough demeanor. His private life must never be revealed.

The crow laughed with a proud expression. He was a very cheeky crow.

― I will tell you the plan the master has set. Divide your forces and surround us on three sides. When the Fenris knights charge, there will be a melee. Then attack together. Do you understand?

― Ah, I see… … . Then let's put off moving the goods for now… … .

- Yes, move as fast as you can, because you never know when the enemy will attack. We'll take as much as we can when we return later.

I couldn't completely disbelieve what the crow said, but I couldn't blindly believe it either.

The experienced Dominic quickly gathered his mercenaries and sent scouts to the vicinity of Dacre Castle.

- It's true. Rodrik's army was besieging Castle Dacre.

- Damn it! Move quickly!

I was half in doubt, but what the crow said was true. I had to move as quickly as possible because I didn't know when the siege would begin.

He was skilled at gathering troops and moving them while working as a mercenary. Thanks to Dominic's efforts, the mercenaries were able to move quickly.

And since Dark confirmed that the mercenaries were approaching and told Giselle, Giselle also felt relieved and started attacking first.

- Good job, Dark. I tried this and it's more comfortable than I thought.

By utilizing Dark, Jiselle was able to obtain information and situations on the battlefield faster than anyone else. She was also able to immediately contact allies at an appropriate distance.

In short, we now have new eyes and a means of communication to view the battlefield.

Anyway, Dominic and the Drake mercenary group went into battle with the resentment they had suffered from Marquis Rodrik burning inside them.

"Don't leave a single one alive!"

"This is a chance to cut down the power of the Marquis!"

"Don't spare yourself! Your friends who have gone before are watching you from heaven!"

Rodrik's army was unable to withstand the momentum of those mercenaries.

"Eww!"

Rodrik's soldiers fell one by one in terror.

When you are gripped by fear, you cannot make accurate judgments. Rodrik's army could not help but think that they were surrounded by a force at least as large as their own.

"Wake up! Fight back!"

"We outnumber them!"

"Even if we are surrounded, we can withstand it!"

Some commanders shouted, but the soldiers could not hear them properly.

Even Commander Howard was tied to Giselle, so there was no one who could control Rodrik's forces.

Even so, because there were so many of them, they didn't collapse all at once. The longer they had to deal with them, the more damage Fenris would inevitably take.

So, Jiselle unleashed all her power.

Kwaaaaang!

As Giselle, surrounded by a crimson aura, swung her spear, the bodies of the knights who charged at her were shattered along with their weapons.

A completely different power than before.

The knights who had been attacking one after another were so surprised that they stopped their horses.

"Not coming? Then I'll go."

The knights raised their weapons as the Black King charged forward in an instant.

Kwaaang!

"Ugh!"

But before he could even raise his weapon, his head was blown off by a spear swung by Giselle.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Dozens of spears of crimson energy were created around Jiselle. He had no intention of conserving mana anymore.

Paaang!

Mana spears shot out in all directions. The knights closest to them had their bodies pierced through.

The knights who were standing a little further away did not dare to block it and just avoided it. Some knights managed to block the spear, but it was only possible because it had already passed through their allies and was exhausted.

Jiselle laughed at the sight.

"It's not that I'm weak."

The first time I used this technique in real combat, my opponent was Delmud. He was able to block dozens of spears with a single wave of his hand.

To be honest, I was worried that this technique might not be very good because of that. But now that I look at it, it's actually strong, and it's a technique that can be used on ordinary knights.

- Master! This is draining my mana too quickly! I'm fainting again!

Dark shouted urgently. Dark couldn't understand why Giselle was pushing herself so hard when he could win if he just took his time.

But Jiselle shook her head despite Dark's persuasion.

"I always say that."

His spear cut through the air again. With each stroke of the spear, several knights were beheaded.

"You can finish it before then."

Kwaaaaang!

As Giselle moved with all his might, Rodrik's knights were unable to stop him at all.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The Mana spears that followed Jiselle also completely tore up the surrounding area.

Several knights clenched their teeth and clung to Giselle, attacking the Black King. They were planning to kill Giselle's horse and throw her off.

Phew!

"crazy...."

The knight who attacked the Black King cursed at the strange sensation he felt at his fingertips. It felt like a strange sensation, like hitting a dull piece of cotton.

Of course, the knight's attack had no effect at all. Instead, his head exploded before he could even pull out his spear.

Boom! Boom!

The knights who rushed towards Giselle were killed one by one. Howard realized that he had been mistaken this time too.

"This, this is the true power of the Master… … ."

It was amazing even before. I thought that was the level of a master, to be able to fight a hundred knights alone.

But it was a big mistake. The knights that were gathered now were not enough. Even if knights of higher rank gathered, they would barely be able to stop it.

Kwaaaaang!

"Eww!"

Rodrik's knights were helplessly pierced. Howard saw the red-eyed demon running straight towards him.

'Ma, I have to stop it… … .'

The head gave the order, but the body did not move. Howard, who was a high-ranking knight, was more absent-minded than the other knights.

Rather, it was because of his high level. Howard was the only one who could see the heights that Jiselle had reached and be amazed by her power.

"Eww!"

Still, like a high-ranking knight, Howard quickly came to his senses and thrust his spear at Giselle.

Howard himself, who threw the spear, did not even think that the attack would work. He was just struggling in fear.

Jiselle spoke softly to him.

"An attack without confidence in oneself will never reach the desired destination."

"ah...."

Phew!

Howard had an epiphany the moment his head cracked open.

It was a natural and obvious statement. What enemy would be able to resist an attack that was launched without any fighting spirit?

I should have risked my life and attacked with all my might until the end.

It was a difference of will.

Because of that difference, Howard was defeated with a disappointing ease compared to his skills.

Kuung.

The surviving knights in the vicinity froze at the sight and could not move.

"Ha, Mr. Howard is dead."

"To become a high-level knight so easily… … ."

"I can't stop it… … ."

One of the factors that determines victory or defeat in a war is the life or death of the commander. And the commander-in-chief of Rodrik's army that came here had just died.

The knights realized that even if they combined their strength, they could not stop their opponent.

It was discovered that Jiselle had been fighting while conserving her strength.

Still surrounded by crimson smoke, Giselle turned her horse's head and shouted.

"The enemy commander-in-chief is dead!"

"Waaaaaaaaaah!"

In response, a loud cheer erupted from the Fenris army. They shouted even louder, deliberately trying to break the enemy's morale.

Swish.

Jiselle pointed at the remaining knights with her spear blade. Rodrik's knights hesitated and retreated. The soldiers surrounding them had no choice but to retreat as well.

"Should I continue?"

Kwaaang!

Jiselle leapt forward again, slicing through the bodies of the knights nearby.

"Run away!"

One knight shouted loudly and immediately turned his horse around.

For a knight not to risk his life on the battlefield is to betray his own worth. But no one blamed him.

Because the other knights were also busy running away.

"The knights are fleeing!"

"Hey, let's run away too!"

"Damage! It's over!"

Rodrik's army, which still had half of its forces remaining, began to collapse in an instant.

Jiselle quickly looked around the battlefield.

On the subject of a fallen army, there were still more. I could kill them all, but this side might get tired of fighting. And there were many ways to give the Marquis more trouble.

Jiselle shouted again loudly.

"Those who throw down their weapons and run away will be spared!"

It was a signal that the war was over. The Fenris army also shouted loudly, following Giselle's words.

"Those who throw down their weapons and run away will be spared!"

The same words echoed loudly over the battlefield several times. Every single one of Rodrik's soldiers heard them.

"Eww!"

"Run away!"

"Surrender! Surrender!"

Once an army is destroyed, no matter how large its numbers are, it is meaningless. Rodrik's army threw down their weapons and scattered in all directions like a swarm of ants.

They will not be able to return to their own territory now. There is no way to keep them alive in the West, where there are so many troops.

We have to punish them this time so that the soldiers will fight with their lives on the line in the next battle.

The Rodrik army, which suffered over 10,000 casualties, was thus disbanded.

Jiselle laughed as she watched Rodrik's soldiers spread out in all directions.

"Become a hot-blooded bandit and thief."

There is little that an army that cannot return home can do. In order to survive, they will have to become plunderers.

Anyway, originally, they were a group that had no loyalty to the lords.

"All the weak lords will be stripped away."

The vassal lords of the Marquis were not very well regarded either. The problem was that they only used a very small number of soldiers due to their policies.

It probably won't be easy to stop those looters who are scattered in all directions.

In short, Giselle created strife in the West without any effort.

Jiselle, who had returned to her original form, raised her spear and shouted loudly.

"We won!"

Short and sweet words. But they were enough.

"Waaaaaaaaaah!"

"I won!"

"Rodrique is nothing special either!"

Dominic and the Drake mercenary group cheered louder than anyone else, rejoicing at having gained some revenge on Rodrik's forces.

And the mercenaries from other regions who followed with slightly trembling hearts were greatly impressed by Jiselle's military force.

There are many ways to lead mercenaries, but the most popular leaders among their subordinates are strong leaders.

And Jiselle showed enough strength to charm the mercenaries.

"Our leader is the best!"

The mercenaries all cheered and shouted Giselle's name. This battle made them trust Giselle a little more.

And the rumor will spread far and wide and reach other mercenaries.

Jiselle smiled as she watched the cheering. After all, there is no better way to unite mercenaries than to prove their skills.

This is how we can unite everyone little by little.

"Okay, now let's go back and collect the loot! Let's pack a decent amount this time!"

The weapons and armor of the dead soldiers here were enormous. They probably couldn't take them all. There were still territories where they hadn't moved all their goods yet.

Now we just need to lead this army and quickly gather up what's left and go back.

While the knights and mercenaries cleared the battlefield, Giselle turned her head in the direction of Marquis Rodrik.

'See you again soon, Marquis Rodrik. Then I will surely settle the matter.'

The fight with Marquis Rodrik was only just beginning.