Chapter 216: Annihilation Battle
Chapter 216: Annihilation Battle
Chapter 216: Annihilation Battle
Sebas..I see. So Nii-san wants to keep our force outside of the capital huh
That appears to be the case, sir. Well, perhaps he was only worried about your well-being, Leonard-sama.
Saying so, Sebas sweeps his eyes on the army surrounding the castle.
Although their commander is gone, they are an army of more than a thousand strong. Moreover, they mostly consisted of mages. Their destructive capability should be several times that of a normal army of the same size.
Now, what do you want us to do, sir?
If Leo gives the order then I dont mind wiping them out you know?
Captain. Please refrain from fanning the flame. There are many villages and roads in this area so you can not use your holy sword, no? Without the holy sword, dealing with this number of enemies will be difficult.
Marc cautions Elna.
Their purpose of rescuing Leticia and retrieving Leonard was completed. All they have to do now is withdraw.
Marc judged so from his common sense.
However.
Even so,we can not leave that kind of army alone. We have to annihilate them here.
Yes? Y, Your Highness! Are you sane!? We were in a hurry so we brought around ten people with us you know!?
The Third Knight Corp was divided into two as one division had to hurry and follow after Elna who rushed ahead by herself.
As they cant afford to abandon their horse and food supply, only Marc and six other knights along with Sebas and Sieg followed after Elna.
Including Leo, they would have eleven people. It was too reckless to challenge an army with a hundred times their number.
Arent you quite belligerent today, Leo?
With civilian villages nearby, we cant leave that army alone. Once they lose their commander they will turn into groups of outlaws after all. We have to wipe them out here while they are still one single group like this.
That is certainly correct but we do not have enough men for this, Your Highness!
I know. But the reinforcements I can expect is probably not your group alone. Isnt that right? Sebas.
Yes. Lynfia-dono already headed to Vin-donos side to relay the situation. By this time, the Narbe Ritter should already be nearby, sir.
Then we only have to fight them as flashy as possible to let them know our location. Well, Vin would come here eventually anyway. It was him who told me about this castle after all.
Saying so, Leo takes a deep breath and puts strength into his body.
His condition is far from perfect. If he can lie down right now he would. The desire to just lie down and rest floats up in his mind.
Even so, Leo continues to put more strength into his body.
Retreating here would be easier and it is also common sense.
He doesnt have to bother fighting them now as he can wait to join up with the Narbe Ritter to hunt them down later.
However, that flow of events will cause problems for [What comes after].
That army is in our way. With their existence, we can not move our force as we please. If we miss this chance, we will have to chase them down later. We can not afford to do that.
Why cant we do that? Your Highness.
Sebas is Nii-sans trump card. By sending him out, Nii-san is now defenseless. He is exposing his weakness to lure out the enemy. Thats Nii-sans specialty. Right now..Im sure that he is trying to smoke out the traitor in the capital. What he expects us to do is to crush that traitor from the outside. Right now we are Nii-sans commando unit. For us, his pieces, to move freely, that army is in our way. Even with small numbers, we are going to charge in and stall them here. Cut each and every one of them down. We will annihilate that army here!
Saying so Leo raises his sword.
Seeing that figure, Marc remembered Als words.
Back at the Principality of Albatro, when Al decided to command their ship to enter the port, Marc told him that it was a decision that Leo couldnt take.
In response, Als reply was,
Hes my little brother. Theres nothing I can do that he cant..huh
Whats wrong? Sir Marc. Are you still not convinced?
No..please allow me to accompany you.
The current figure of Leo overlapped Als appearance on that day.
Their actions are unreasonable and forceful but they do have the chance of victory.
The ideal image of the younger brother that Al showed him that day. He thought that it was only an image of an ideal but right now the appearance of Leo is that of the ideal he witnessed.
I see.
Muttering to himself, Marc pulled out his sword.
How terrifying. Your Highnesses. When I saw you two as children, Ive never thought that both of you would grow up to be such reckless princes you know.
Sorry that you have to go along with me. Still, you once saved Nii-sans life, didnt you? Its unfair, isnt it. Id love to have you save my life once too.
Not a thank you for saving your brothers life but treating it as unfair instead is it. If possible I wouldnt want to see a princes life in crisis twice though.
Marc shrugs as he said so.
With a grin on his face, he turns his eyes toward the enemy. The other Imperial Knights also did the same.
Seeing that, Leo nodded and turned his eyes to Sebas and Sieg.
Will you lend me your power?
Of course, sir.
My service isnt cheap you know. It was so bumpy on my way here after all. If you want me to work then you can bow and call me Sieg-sama though.
You were just riding on Sebass shoulder, werent you. Get to work already. If you dont then I dont mind throwing you in first as a decoy you know?
Hmph.cant be helped then. I am an honorable man after all. A true man of honor wouldnt refuse a request from another. I accept your request!
With that said, Sieg holds up his spear and shakes his legs.
Leo bitterly smiles at Siegs action.
You sure are interesting, Sieg. I like it you know, that part of yours.
Stop that. I cant get happy when a man says he likes me with a straight face. Well, it looks like you have grown a little though. I will lend you a hand.
Grown? Me?
So you are not aware of it? I will tell you then. A man gets stronger when he knows what he wants to protect. You looked a whole lot more refined you know.
Leo opened his eyes as if he found Siegs words surprising. He then turned his eyes toward Sebas.
As usual, Sebas calmly answers him.
Certainly. I do think that you have changed a little.
Really? How do you think that Ive changed?
How, is it? That is a difficult question. Well, to put it simply, you have become a little similar to Arnold-sama. Whether that is a compliment or not, that would be depending on the person though.
Sebas said so and smiled.
At that moment, the enemy shot their magic again.
Elna stepped forward and swatted most of them down while charging at them.
After that, Leo and the others also charge at the enemy while parrying off the remaining magic.
Under that situation, Leos eyes turned to Sebas.
What you said earlier, did you mean it?
Yes, coming from me, there is no mistake. However, you seem very happy, sir?
Of course, that is the best compliment I could ask for after all.
You are as strange as usual, sir.
Maybe. Im sure that I am a weirdo. Thats why I need everyones help. Can I leave my back to you?
Glady, sir.
Saying so, following Elna, Leo rushed into the enemy.
Ten odd people charge against a thousand-odd army.
For an army that already lost their leader, that was an incomprehensible act.
However, if they are charging at them then what they only need to do is simply intercept.
Thus they decided to meet Leos group head-on.
However, their line of defense was brilliantly broken.
HAAAAAAAA!!
Elna, who was leading the charge, immediately cut all the enemy soldiers that got in her way.
She did not utilize any special technique. After all, her opponents head can be easily parted from their body with only a simple swing of her sword.
Behind her, Leo continues his charge together with the Imperial Knights.
Even if they are not on Elnas level, their opponents are still scared of their superior power.
Their heads will fly if they can get close to them. Furthermore, they hesitate to retreat since there are only a few enemies.
It is clear that they will eventually exhaust themselves. Those who died simply had bad luck since they had to deal with them when they are still full of power.
As that is their consensus, Leo and the others were able to rampage even more. After all, these weak opponents dont stand a chance against them.
Sieg. Can you go and support Elna?
I dont think thats necessary though? A dragon would be more tamed in comparison you know?
Please.
No choice then. Alright, Oldman. Give me a little hand.
Certainly. Please have a safe trip.
Saying so, Sebas picked up a fallen spear from the ground and Sieg jumped on it.
Then, Sebas swung the spear as hard as he could, sending Sieg flying toward Elna.
Sieg, who was easily sent flying due to his bodys lightness, adjusted his course and planted his feet on the enemy soldiers face as the soldier was aiming his bow at Elna.
Oops, my bad. Your face looked easy to land you see.
A BEAR!?
WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!? WHO THE HECK IS THIS GUY!
Im cute right? I am very popular with children too you know. After all, Im not only cute, Im strong too.
Saying so, Sieg swings his spear and blows away the soldiers that were aiming at Elna from a distance.
Just like that, Sieg continues to use the enemy soldiers as his foothold as he heads toward Elna. Of course, the enemy soldiers who served as his foothold became the prey for his spear.
Then after catching up to Elna, he landed on her shoulder.
Fuusee, I properly did my job right.
You are in the way. Get off already.
Oi Oi, isnt that too cruel. I came over to help you know? You already lack the appeal in the chest area so act a little cuter will you.
Saying so, Sieg looks down at Elnas chest from her shoulder.
At that moment, Elnas hand grabbed Siegs head and threw him into the air.
I told you.
WHA!!?? WAIT WAIT!!
THAT YOU ARE IN THE WAY!!
Overcome by her anger, Elna blew away Sieg who was still in mid-air with the handle of her sword.
Sieg, who was blown away to a place where he was surrounded by enemies and no ally nearby, screamed as he collided with the enemy soldiers face.
AHHHHHHH!?? THATS HURT DAMN IT!?
After he collided with the enemy soldiers head and crashed into even more soldiers on the way, he finally slid on the ground and managed to stop.
That woman! She slashed at me just because I said the truth! My fur is ruined! Soaked in mud like thisI cant enter the castle now can I.
Sieg murmured while looking at his body.
As he is doing that, the soldiers surround Sieg.
Noticing that, Sieg glares at the soldiers around him.
What? You wanna go? Just because I am cute do you think that you can win!?
Saying so, Sieg looks for his spear that should be nearby.
However, the spear he had with him before he got blown away was gone.
Thinking that he must have let go of it midway, Sieg starts letting out cold sweat.
Even as skilled as he is, Siegs body is only that of a small bear. Fighting without any weapon would be harsh for him.
.wait a minute. Im looking for my spear.
LIKE HELL WE WOULD WAIT FOR YOU!!
The enemy soldiers tried to attack Sieg but one of the soldiers was immediately skewed by a spear. It was Siegs.
OHH!? My spear!
If you think its yours then dont let it go in the middle of a battle please.
A cold voice echoed.
It was then followed by a mysterious sound that invited the listeners to sleep.
The enemy soldiers who were in the range to hear that sound began to feel drowsy. Then a moment later, their consciousnesses were cut off.
All of their heads were sent flying.
Seriously, I have to take care of you every time.
Zzzz.
Wake up.
Ouch!? Thats terrible! Miss Lynfia! I was enjoying a harem you know!?
It might be better if you never wake up again.
Lynfia said so with a little bitterness in her voice and handed the spear to Sieg.
Sieg who was spoken to with such a horrifyingly cold voice immediately changed the subject as he felt the cold sweat running down his back.
H, How did you get here?
Come to think of it, that question would be obvious, isnt it. The situation was read so thoroughly after all. As expected of Vinfreid-sama.
Its not a big deal. I just trust that Leo would be able to remember this place.
Saying so, Vin appeared from behind Lynfia. Beside him is Lars, the Commander of the Narbe Ritter.
With the sudden arrival of reinforcement, the enemy started to retreat.
May we begin our assault? Strategist-dono.
Yeah, I will leave it to you.
Oi, Oi, if you start chasing them they might run off right! The prince gave the other to annihilate every single one of them you know!?
Dont worry. We have them surrounded already.
Saying so, Vin swung his hand down.
Accordingly, Lars led his subordinates and charged at the enemy.
Not only there, multiple units are also charging at them from different directions as the enemy was surrounded in a semicircle.
The only way they can escape to is the direction of the castle but Elna and her subordinates are charging at them from that direction as well. Thus, the enemys escape routes were completely cut off.
Furthermore, in order to prevent their enemy who turned into disorderly mobs from escaping, Vin quickly sent out runners to complete the encirclement.
Being locked inside a formation with Elna, the enemy had no choice but to wait for their turn to be massacred like prey.
Hey, Vin. You saved me there.
Theres no next time alright. If you are going to be reckless like this then tell me in advance. I almost fainted when I heard the report.
Vin grumpy says so with an equally grumpy voice.
The enemy was completely annihilated and Leo and the others returned to the old castle.
When all the main casts assembled at the old castle, Leticia woke up.
Leticia-sama! Have you regained consciousness!?
.we won right.?
It was all thanks to you. Leticia.
No..I am the one who caused all this trouble after all.I am truly sorry. It is all my fault.
Saying so, Leticia bowed her head to everyone there.
On the other hand, Leo shakes his head.
What I want to hear from you is not an apology, Leticia.
yes. Thank you. Leo, and Knights of the Empire. Thank you very much for saving my life.
Together with Leticias words of gratitude, all the Griffons Knights bowed.
After seeing that, Leo smiled and headed to Leticias side.
It would be great if we can say that this is the endbut this is not. I am sure that the Empire will be wrapped in turmoil soon.
Leo
You are a citizen of the Kingdom. There is a way for you to go back to the Kingdom without returning to the Imperial Capital. I will leave the choice to you. But Id love it if you come back to the imperial capital. Together with me.
Saying so, Leo held Leticias hand.
Leticia has the choice to solve this matter as the Saintess of the Kingdom.
Before the Empire and the Kingdom collide, she might be able to suppress the flame of war inside the Kingdom.
However, if that happens, the Kingdom will be divided in two.
With this muddy international problem, the Kingdom could become the stage of a proxy war. After all, whether live or die, the existence of the Saint is like a flame.
Then, there is a young man who wants to take that flame as his own.
After a short moment of silence, Leticia gave her reply.
Yes. I will stay by your side. I might be a woman that only causes you troubles but please take care of me.
Please rest assured. No matter what kind of trouble it is, I will face it head-on.
Leo said so with a smile.
The people then stare at each other.
Then, there was a person who spoke out without reading the mood at all.
Then we will head back to the capital right? It is only a speculation but these guys are probably just a decoy you know.
Unbelievable..cant you at least read the air? Vin.
Air is not something to read, its something you breathe.
Oh really. Your previous life must be some kind of strange creature that doesnt need to breathe then. You can speak out in that kind of situation after all..
Just say whatever you like. I am a strategist. My job is to plan for what comes next. Also, the next problem will be in the capital.
Yeah..I know. The capitals defense has become thin. In case of an emergency, we are a valuable force that can move freely. Lets head back to the capital. We will take all the dispatched Imperial Knights with us too. Im sure that Nii-san is waiting for us.
Right. Right now there is no one at Als side after all.
I wonder about that? I dont think that Nii-san would ever leave Finne-san defenseless though? Isnt that right? Sebas.
Well, I do have some idea, sir. However, it is a fact that there is very little force that he can move inside the capital. The thing Arnold-sama can do will be very limited.
Leo nods at Sebass words.
Als strength is how he can skillfully utilize a small amount of force to the fullest.
However, that will not be enough to defeat their opponent this time.
Someone must be there to stop them.
We ride to the capital! Get ready!
Thus Leo issued his command.