Chapter 37

Chapter 37: The Power of the Serpent Sword

Using the tactics of wolves, on the first and second days, we caused losses to the soldiers and supplies of the Kingdom of Rocha.

Of course, we didn't always attack the same place.

New and seasoned troops attacked the forefront of the Rocha Kingdom simultaneously, while the swift-footed unit struck the enemy's rear. Our entire force of three hundred men also charged in from the side. After one attack, we would wait a little while before launching a second one.

In this way, we kept changing our approach and locations, inflicting damage upon Rocha's soldiers.

The one performing the best in such battles was the bronze magical sword that could only stab, known as the Serpent Sword.

"Haha! The enemy's iron armor is like leaves to this sword!"

As the soldier fighting beside me shouted, the Serpent Sword pierced through the tough armor of the enemy, dealing fatal wounds.

The Serpent Sword pulled from the enemy soldiers emitted a faint magical glow from its blood-stained, sharp tip.

Seeing this, other enemy soldiers called out to their comrades, "Damn it. The light-bearers have arrived! Shields and armor won't help; use weapons to counter them!"

Though the term "light-bearers" was strange, considering the context, I surmised that they were referring to the wielders of the Serpent Sword.

The appearance of the sword, with its magical glow at the tip resembling a barbecue skewer, could indeed be mistaken for holding a torch.

"Funny way of putting it," I muttered as I continued to cut down one or two enemies with my imperial-made magical sword.

The soldiers of the Rocha Kingdom seemed to rely solely on the performance of their armor, neglecting their defense techniques.

If we were using regular weapons, their iron armor would probably only sustain minor damage, and their strategy should have been an advantage. However, it proved to be a mismatch against magical weapons.

"Fighting magical weapons with them is just too unfavorable."

As I made my overall assessment of the enemy, I sliced through three more soldiers. My magical sword not only stabbed but could also cut through the iron armor, making it easier for me to deal with the Rocha soldiers.

About fifty seconds had passed since the soldiers of Nornette charged.

"Retreat!"

Upon my signal, the swift-footed unit began to flee.

Approximately a hundred men had swung their swords for a minute, resulting in about fifty casualties. The number of injuries inflicted was close to two hundred.

Achieving such results in one attack was commendable, but if we continued using the same tactics repeatedly, the enemy would eventually adapt. Engaging in short battles and retreating, using traps to prevent enemy counterattacks, also caused us some casualties.

Among the swift-footed unit fleeing with me, there were about five or six soldiers with severe injuries caused by the enemy's blunt weapons. Over the course of three days, we had around twenty injured and eight dead.

And this was with the seasoned soldiers assigned to me by Alexthem. The number of injuries and deaths in the new recruit unit and seasoned soldier unit was even higher.

At the gathering point, I counted the uninjured soldiers.

"With those who are injured or deceased and need to be sent back, we have fewer than one hundred and fifty fully capable soldiers remaining. We've lost half our forces, so it's time to retreat from a strategic standpoint."

"In another day, we'll have no choice but to retreat to the royal capital. In that case, shall we have the soldiers with minor injuries participate as well for one final push?"

Even with those included, it would be close to two hundred, but the number of casualties would still be one-third of the total. Retreating was the prudent choice.

"...Let's fight once more tomorrow. After that, we'll retreat immediately to the royal capital."

"Should we withdraw together with the nearby village residents?"

"No. Before sending back the soldiers we'll be retreating with, let's order them to advise the villagers in Nornette to evacuate to the royal capital. The villagers of Nornette are all good people, so they would probably choose to fight as militia rather than run away. We'll tell them that their role will be crucial in the decisive battle at the royal capital."

"Understood. But among those we'll be sending back, we should include some healthy individuals, right? Shall we assign that to the new recruits?"

"Of course. The new recruits won't be of much use since the enemy is getting used to our tactics. Just to be clear, this decision isn't because we favor Hones and the others. It's for the best strategy."

"I understand. I agree that this is the best course of action."

Even though Alexthem said it with a gentle expression, I was sure he didn't fully understand.

Certainly, I didn't want to see familiar faces die. Those three soldiers who fought among the new recruits, sustaining only minor injuries despite participating for the past three days—I wouldn't mind sending them back to the royal capital in that condition.

But I had no intention of favoring them to the point of burdening others.

"Well, never mind. Tomorrow, the retreat is certain. We'll prepare for that and get some rest."

"We should gather the supplies and pack them for easy transport. There's still some stolen liquor left from the Rocha Kingdom army, right?"

I understood the meaning behind Alexthem's words—it was about turning them into supplies for the retreat and also about not letting the liquor go to waste.

"Allow each person who participates in tomorrow's battle to have a cup. We had enough for that."

"Understood. In that case, we should prepare a grand dinner that matches it. During the retreat, we won't have time to enjoy good food."

"Alright, alright. Do as you please. But don't use up the food for the retreat. Also, set up sentries and maintain vigilance."

With my approval, the evening feast became a modest affair.

If the soldiers who had been sent back early from this encampment were to find out, they would probably complain about why they weren't allowed to participate. But that was the privilege of those who would have to fight one more time tomorrow.

After spending the night to gather their strength, the soldiers from the Nonette Kingdom silently moved to the side of the Rocha Kingdom soldiers' formation, maintaining a considerable distance, carrying their halberds.

About two hundred soldiers worked together to set up traps in the forest.

They used only natural materials, but each trap was designed with enough killing power to be effective against armored foes.

However, creating a large number of traps in a short time was challenging. To address this, they opted for simple traps, like branches aimed at the face, or threads for deception, increasing the quantity. When the enemy soldiers came across such a vast array of traps, anyone would instinctively halt their steps. The time they hesitated allowed the Nonette soldiers to retreat to safety.

With their withdrawal measures in place, they gradually approached the column of Rocha soldiers.

The enemy had become accustomed to their tactics and had devised countermeasures.

Their formation had shifted from three columns to five. Moreover, they positioned sentries at regular intervals to spot the Nonette soldiers quickly.

Up to this point, these tactics were familiar from yesterday's encounter, but there was an additional unexpected measure.

The Rocha soldiers were wearing helmets and carrying shields and weapons, but they had removed their armor.

It seemed the armor had been left with the supply unit.

Apparently, they realized that the armor was ineffective against the halberds, so they chose to discard it and respond swiftly to Nonette's attacks, a bold strategy indeed.

Observing the enemy's tactics, I pondered our next move and called Alektem to my side.

"Alektem, you can probably see what they're planning, right?"

"They seem prepared to counter the wolf's tactics and are willing to bear some casualties to annihilate us."

"Indeed, if the enemy reacts quickly, it means we'll suffer more casualties."

Even if this battle was won, it wouldn't ensure Nonette's safety. They needed to avoid unnecessarily reducing their numbers.

"The damage may not be significant, but perhaps it's time to switch to the monkey's tactics."

"You mean stone throwing and magic tactics. Since they've removed their armor, we may be able to inflict at least some bruises."

The plan was quickly decided and communicated to the soldiers.

While the instructions spread, I conversed with Alektem in a low voice.

"It's surprising they fear the halberds enough to shed their armor."

"The fact that they made their opponents abandon their defense showcases the power of the halberds."

"Indeed, it's about manipulating the enemy's movements with our weapons."

"If we carry bows and arrows, they'll raise their shields; if we show them our horses, they'll prepare their spears. The halberds, in this case, make the enemy shed their armor."

As we chatted, the soldiers completed their preparations.

They picked up fist-sized stones from the surroundings, stacked them at their feet.

"Alright, commence stone throwing!"

"Yaaah!"

In response to my loud command, the soldiers started hurling stones.

The stones flew in an arcing trajectory, some hitting trees on the way, but most landed near the heads of the Rocha soldiers, who were a little far away.

The Rocha soldiers seemed flustered under the rain of over a hundred stones.

"Raise your shields and crouch beneath them!"

"Thank goodness we're wearing helmets as ordered!"

The Rocha soldiers quickly responded to the falling stones.

It appeared they had anticipated the tactics that Nonette would use and had communicated countermeasures in advance.

Upon closer consideration, the Rocha soldiers had discarded their armor but kept their shields and helmets. These items were their defense against the stone attacks.

As a result, while Nonette's stone throwing tactics caused minor bruises to the enemy's thighs, they didn't manage to cause serious injuries or fractures.

"You know, they say 'don't regret until the end.'"

Even if I were to use magic for an attack now, it wouldn't cause significant damage.

More importantly, we should be concerned about the enemy's rear units advancing towards us.

"Stop throwing stones! Another unit is approaching! Retreat!"

At my command, the soldiers responded swiftly, rushing back to where they had set their traps.

Alektem and I also began running after them, but suddenly, a loud voice came from the Rocha side.

"My name is Durba Adatom! I am the commanding general of the Rocha Kingdom's army! I can see you, soldiers of the Nonette Kingdom! I demand a one-on-one duel with your commander!"

Ignoring whatever he was saying and trying to escape, I noticed that Alektem next to me suddenly stopped.

I halted my steps as well and looked at Alektem beside me.

His expression seemed to be saying, 'I fell into their trap!'

"What's wrong? Let's keep running."

"I cannot. If we refuse their challenge for a one-on-one duel, it will give the Knight Kingdom a reason to side with Rocha."

"...So disregarding the rules of the battlefield is considered a grave offense, to the extent that the Knight Kingdom would intervene."

"A one-on-one duel is a representation of a nation's honor. Refusing such a battle would brand us as cowardly, lacking the determination to bear our country's dignity. In a proper kingdom, it is typically a trump card for weaker forces to turn the tables against stronger ones."

"If that's the customary practice, then we wouldn't even consider receiving a proposal from the larger Rocha Kingdom, right?"

Once it had come to this, our movements were limited.

"Is it okay for someone other than the representative to run away? Don't the soldiers know the situation and escape?"

"It doesn't matter. The etiquette of a duel dictates that both sides cease hostilities and advance, and the representatives of both armies fight at the designated place where the challenge was made. Even if all others return to their own positions, it is sufficient for one representative from each side to remain here."

"So, if I stay and fight, everything will be resolved, right?"

Saying that, as I tried to walk towards the side of the Rocha Kingdom, Alektem stopped me.

"Please wait. I am Milimos-sama's guardian. I have the right to fight as the representative. Leave this to me, and Milimos-sama, please escape."

"Then, you expect me to say, 'Sure, please take care of it'? Besides, if the condition is having divine magic, I'm stronger than Alektem already, you know?"

"Milimos-sama is a prince. If something were to happen to you in a place like this..."

"I have several older brothers and sisters above me. Even if I die, it won't change the country's situation much."

Drawing my sword from its sheath, I smiled at Alektem.

"Nevertheless, I have no intention of dying. On the contrary, I intend to win this duel. So don't worry, Alektem, you should escape first. We'll need someone to command in the battle at the royal castle."

"...Sigh. Milimos-sama is so stubborn. However, I will remain in this place as well. Someone needs to witness Milimos-sama's heroic figure."

Alektem's exasperated expression turned into a confident smile.

It feels like he's trying to join a journey to the land of the dead, and I don't like that.

Really, I have no intention of dying.

But in a life-or-death battle, you never know what might happen.

If I were to die here, I wouldn't want to be remembered as a pitiful death for the Prince of Nonette in future generations. So, for the very beginning, I'll raise my voice like a prince with great spirit.

"I shall return the courtesy. My name is Milimos Nonette! I am one of the princes of the Nonette Kingdom, who also serves as a marshal leading the Nonette country's army! Carrying the honor of the Nonette royal family, I accept the challenge for a duel! Now, let's have a fair fight!!"

With one hand, I raised my sword and then swung it down, stopping it abruptly. The tip of the sword was aimed at the representative of the Rocha Kingdom, who introduced himself as Durba Adatom.