Chapter 1, Episode 6: Clash
Dios ran into some trouble as he was heading south.
The reason being the troops before him.
A line of heavy infantrymen were spread out impeding his advance.
Behind them were archery units standing at the ready, and behind them, even more heavy infantrymen on standby.
「Here already are you?! And you bring 2,000 against less than 200 on top of that?」
「The crest of purple land and a sword and shield… So, you’re that child prodigy.」
She graduated top of the Imperial training school.
She is the youngest to be promoted to commanding officer of the 3rd Imperial Army, and is also chief of staff at the ripe age of 17.
Her name is Trea Luzandi Aura von Bunadara.
She became Chief of Staff at 15, and that was the same year in which the Third Prince clashed daily with the great country of Ferzen in the west. He was trying to invade them, in the hopes of earning some sort of achievement.
However, the battle was harder than the Third Prince had antic.i.p.ated, and he had suffered enough of a loss to lose the emperor’s trust.
Cornered, the prince gathered his officers and spoke.
「If you can devise a strategy for victory in this battle, step forward. If you suggest a poor plan, it will be off with your head.」
All the officers stood silent, and the Third Prince’s ire was about to reach its peak.
「Your highness, I would be able to lead us to victory in this war.」
Curiously, a young girl stepped forwarded from the end of the line of officers.
Impressed by her bravery, the Third Prince appointed her Chief of Staff.
And being disappointed in the other officers, they were all beheaded, save for the young, influential n.o.bles.
The rare ingenuity of the young girl who was promoted to chief of staff would immediately be demonstrated.
She devised ingenious and cunning strategies, one after another, and whittled away at Ferzen’s territory in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, the great county of Ferzen would lose battle after battle, losing many lives in the war and seeing a drastic decline in their national power.
Arriving at the conclusion that further battles would bring about the fall of their country, Ferzen requested a truce, and the war came to an end.
For having offered a victory to the empire, the Third Prince gave her a new name.
「Mars」, the alias of the Second Emperor of the Grantz Grand Empire.
「… Why is the Third Prince’s favored pet here?」
The two sides glared at each other for a while. Then, Bunarada’s messenger came before Dios.
The messenger’s head was covered in a hood with an expression that could not be seen.
A pair of barely visible lips slowly moved.
「I have brought a letter from Lady Bunadara. Where is her highness Celia Estreya?」
「I don’t know what you’re trying to do here. You think I would tell you that?」
「… And you are?」
「Dios von Michael.」
「Ahh… so you’re the 「Ogre」.」
Hearing his own alias, Dios extended his arm with a displeased look.
「Hmph. I’ll take that letter.」
「No, there is no need now.」
「What?」
The messenger’s hand rose.
The line of infantrymen in the rear broke their formation, and cavalry started pouring out from between the gaps.
Dios’s sharp gaze tore through the messenger.
「What’s the meaning of this?」
Dios’s irritation grew, and his body overflowed with bloodl.u.s.t.
Not cowering one bit, the messenger’s lips formed a slight smile.
「We will be restraining you.」
「What?! You say that regardless of knowing I am part of the Sixth Princess’s private army?!」
「Oh, do you not understand unless I tell you the reason? I believe you all know better than I.」
「… You aren’t a mere messenger, are you? Blathering on like that.」
「Ahh… I haven’t introduced myself yet-」
As the messenger lifted their hood, a woman appeared from under it.
「I am Trea Luzandi Aura von Bunadara.」
「… Tch. So 「Mars」 came here personally.」
「Yes. I thought it would surprise you.」
Dios takes his eyes away from Bunadara and looks at the charging cavalry.
-There’s still some distance.
He returned his gaze to where it once was, and Dios made a decision.
「If I can capture you here, we can escape from this situation.」
He vigorously swings his spear down.
The tip stopped right before hitting Bunadara’s shoulder.
「Are you prepared?」
「What should I prepared myself for?」
「To become a hostage!」
He couldn’t possibly kill her.
So he struck her flank with the handle portion of his spear.
However, Dios’s attack did not work.
「Wh-What?!」
Bunadara easily stopped the attack.
In her hand was a beautiful sword of gold and silver.
「This sword was made with spirit stones. Isn’t it beautiful?」
Sprits favor beautiful waterfronts, and very rarely produce crystals infused with their essence.
These crystals are by no means inferior in brilliance to jewels, and people respectfully call them spirit stones.
3~7 spirit stones are found within the empire’s territory each year.
Even an empire owning such large amounts of land only takes in that much. There are countries which do not get any spirit stones at all.
And so, their value keeps going up with each year due to their rarity.
You can even build enough of a fortune to relax for the rest of your life with one spirit stone.
Even now, the only ones who possess them are the royal family and their extension.
「Where did you get something like that?!」
「His excellency granted it unto me. He is magnanimous.」
Pop, pop-
Dios heard a strange sound, so he turned to look at his spear.
His spear was quickly freezing from the tip.
「Tch!」
He quickly tosses his spear aside and draws the sword from his waist.
Cavalrymen are behind him with their spears at the ready, and infantrymen with their swords drawn.
But even if they did attempt to battle, they were no match against a spirit weapon.
Although her fighting abilities are originally high, her physical abilities were likely drastically raised by the divine protection of a spirit.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to stop Dios’s spear so easily.
Dios lets out a deep breath as he thinks.
If they made a desperate attempt at capturing Bunadara, it would give the enemy’s cavalry unit enough time to make contact with them.
In which case, the ones to get captured will be Dios’s side. Total annihilation would be inevitable.
Dios raised his sword and let out a shout which rang through the plains.
「Alright boys! Even if your comrades are about to fall, don’t stop to help them! Look forward and keep running without looking back!」
「Yeah!」
「Charge!!!」
Dios swung his sword down, kicked the side of his horse, and dashed straight towards the plains.
「Oooooooohhh!」
He raised a rousing warcry, and following behind him, were 100 cavalrymen and 50 infantrymen. All the wagons were abandoned.
Immediately, Dios and his cavalry unit clashed with the enemy’s heavy cavalry unit.
「Come on!」
Dios steals a spear from an enemy, and knocks the heavy cavalryman from atop his horse.
Soon, his aide riding by his side yelled out.
「Captain Dios! We’ve been separated from the units behind us!」
The cavalry and infantry units behind were trampled down by the enemy’s heavy cavalry.
Their daily training is not half hearted. Neither does their experience fall behind the 1st Imperial Army’s.
However, numbers aside, they were simply at a disadvantage against the heavy cavalry.
This was because they were lightly equipped for the sake of mobility.
「Leave them!」
Dios had no other choice but to make such a decision.
They were overwhelmingly outnumbered. There was no way they could be saved.
Regardless, as if he couldn’t completely throw away the hope to save them, the aide could not look away.
「We can still make it in time!」
「Do you not understand the situation?!」
「B-But, they are valuable private soldiers given to us from her highness!」
「They’re also my subordinates! I’m not repeating myself!」
The aide did not press the matter further.
No, maybe it’s more accurate to say that he couldn’t.
This was because Dios’s face was steeped in rage.
With an expression of an ogre, he thrusted at the oncoming enemies and smashed his spear into them.
Each time he did this, he would steal their spears as he ended their lives.
「Move it! You weaklings shouldn’t be blocking my path!」
「Are you the 「Ogre」, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d?! You’re rather skilled! I can test my mettle against you!」
An enemy joyfully yelled out to Dios as he approached him.
He was a heavy cavalryman with a purple cloth wrapped around his arm- It was the sign of a captain.
「Shut up!」
Dios changed his grip to hold the spear horizontally and tossed it with all his might.
「Guoh!」
The spear pierced his helmet, disfiguring it. A large amount of blood flew out from the cracks.
「Th-The captain was-?!」
Before the heavy cavalryman could finish his sentence, his head went flying.
As blood sprayed up, Dios pointed his sword to his right, completely dyed in red.
「We’re cutting across the enemy’s left flank! I’ll open a path! Ignore the weaklings and follow me!」
Even if they got past the heavy cavalry, what lied in wait were the heavy infantrymen.
There was the archery unit as well. Plunging towards them on purpose was a foolish choice.
Dios chose to break through the left flank to avoid that.
He was not mistaken. When they broke away from the battlefield, their cavalry unit had dwindled to 20 units.
Bunadara sighed at the soldiers avoiding her.
「Really now… Such a poor plan…」
Bunadara turned back, and what she saw, was the moment the heavy cavalry and light cavalry clashed.
The fallen cavalry units were trampled, and the following infantry units were crushed to death.
Her aide would constantly give her a status report, so she was not worried at all.
This would likely end soon with few casualties on her side.
More importantly, her mind was full with thoughts of the Sixth Princess.
Three cavalrymen approached her. They dismounted their horses, touched their hands to their chest and knelt on one knee.
「Approximately 20 units broke away. We captured 60 units and the rest are dead. We cannot confirm her highness among the dead. Furthermore, we have confirmed the captain’s death, and the death of 12 heavy cavalrymen on our side. We are currently hurrying to confirm the number of heavy and light wounds.」
「I see. There are more casualties than I predicted. Also, treat the 60 captured private soldiers of the Sixth Princess kindly. Any who abuse or treat them harshly will be severely punished. Also, be sure to respectfully bury the dead.」
「Understood. Will we pursue them?」
「No, leave them be.」
「But, the Sixth Princess… It was his highness’s order to kill her.」
「Even if we chased after and captured them, the Sixth Princess is not among them. I confirmed earlier that there were no women in their group.」
「Is it not possible she was in disguise?」
「I did think of the possibility, but considering the 6th Princess’s personality, I doubt that’s likely. She is not one to quietly stand by in the rear… Also, the number of infantrymen does not match the report. We should a.s.sume they split into two groups.」
「I see. Then where is her highness?」
Bunadara contemplates.
No doubt she’s thinking of the empire’s territory in her head.
After a short while, her mouth immediately formed into a smile.
「The small country of Baum. Did she cross over Himmel mountain?」
「Why would she go there…?」
「They likely split into two groups thinking the successor to the Imperial throne would dispatch an army. That decision was not mistaken.」
「Will we go to Baum as well?」
「A poor move. If we entered a country without notice or permission with this many soldiers, it would lead to a diplomatic issue. Regardless of it being a domestic issue, we’d likely receive criticism, and it would give an opening for the other successors to take advantage of the situation, and Third Prince Brutar’s position would be in danger.」
「Then, what will you do?」
「As we first planned, let us head for Margrave Grinda’s territory.」
「As you wish.」
Bunadara turned away from the soldier whose head was lowered, and looked towards the Grauzarm mountain range with the look of a lion chasing its prey.