3 bar menu

Volume 4 Chapter 2 Part 4

「Even if the military power difference is overwhelming, this fortress won’t be overtaken so easily. 」

Pavel said with a smile. He was now exhibiting the exhilaration that only those who have fully made up their minds to do something can show.

「I think so too. 」

Milza nodded his head.

The Heavy Knights of Waldrind tend to display their full power during the battles that are carried out in the open field. When it comes to the battles that are supposed to be waged in the forests or on a mountainous terrain, their own heavy armor turns into a hindrance instead od something that is supposed to help them. That is why despite the fact that they are going to be attacked both from the land and the sea, they have no other choice but to proceed along the main highway. But no matter how powerful the bolts from their Crest-imbued heavy crossbows may be, it should still be exceedingly difficult to break through the main gate of Lord Pavel’s fortress with them alone.

However, if they will not attack and subdue the Lord who openly refused Marine’s generous offer of joining the Factory Alliance, then the reputation of not only the Heavy Knights, but Waldrind as a whole is going to suffer from it and its prestige is going to drop even lower than it already is. So at the current moment, their only option is to defeat Pavel Murat and present his Crest to Marine Kraische at all costs.

Milza was genuinely interested in seeing how the Heavy Knights of Waldrind were going to handle this battle. Sis support for Pavel from the shadows was also a means to see them fight at their full might. It can be said that this was a kind of a sightseeing fee.

Waldrind’s army had arrived at the Isthmus of Penelope two days earlier than it was expected, and they have made their encampment there.. The army of the Heavy Knights counted around five thousand soldiers, which meant that it was not their entire army. However, the independent Lords from the northern parts of Stark were rushing to join Marine’s side one after another, so the numbers of Waldrind’s army were swelling slowly, but surely.

With Pavel’s permission, Milza left the castle and moved to the northern edge of the rocky mountain that divided the Isthmus of Penelope into east and west sides. The fortress that has been built on that mountain overlooked the entire battlefield, and at the foot of the mountain, he could see the strong and spacious camp that has been erected by Waldrind’s army. It would also seem that they managed to collect a rather impressive amount of food and other supplies.

(Are they preparing themselves for a prolonged battle?)

However, with the support that Milza has provided him, Pavel and his men will surely be able to withstand even that.

(All that I ask of you is for you to not show me an utterly boring fight.)

Milza murmured to himself as he looked down at the enemy’s encampment. However, unbeknownst to the Prince of Dartania, the battle has already begun.

* * *
A small flat-bottomed boat was gliding through the sludge-filled tidal flats to the east of the Isthmus of Penelope. Rowing it was a servant of a Baron who had a territory on the coast of The Rotten Sea. The Baron himself stood at the bow, checking the sea and giving detailed directions to his attendants. Aubest was also in the boat along with Terius whom he brought in to act as an assistant.

Even when the stench of the sea around them was becoming too unbearable to handle without grimacing, Aubest’s expression still did not change one bit. Terius, on the other hand, needed to cover his mouth and nose with a wet piece of cloth the entire time, but even with all that, his face was still looking incredibly pale.

「It is almost time for the wind to change direction. 」

The Baron informed Aubest.

「I understand. In that case, have the boat be moved a little bit to the left, to where there are bubbles and foam on the surface of the sea over there. 」

Aubest gave the orders with his usual hollow voice.

「Is it really a good idea for us to be getting so close to that place? 」

Terius asked Aubest with a worried expression.

「No, it is not good. 」

Aubest replied immediately.

「Then… then maybe we should consider some other measures? 」

However, even though he said that, Terius himself was unable to come up with any other potential plan, which got him worried that Aubest might deem him not fit for the work in the Magic Division and assign him to the as a contracted Mage for one of the Heavy Knights.

「Did you not participate in the war council as well? It is true that there were many objections towards utilizing this method, but in the end Lady Marine personally decided to adopt this measure, and if that is what she decided, then our duty is to follow along with her decisions. Now then, let us begin. 」

Aubest pulled out his magic wand, pointed it towards the foaming surface of the sea and concentrated his mind on it.

Here in the Rotten Sea, all of the conditions for the miasma to occur are naturally fulfilled all the time without the need to manipulate the surrounding area at all. All that was needed was a little push, and the Chaos Disaster would be spontaneously brought into being.

Aubest first stirred the sludge on the seabed with static and dynamic magic. The surface of the sea became dark and muddy, and the foam became violent. A pungent smell that burned everyone’s nostrils hit their noses all at once.

The baron, his servants, and the young contracted Mage covered their faces with thick cloths soaked in fresh water. Aubest himself had tears streaking down his face and his nose was runny, but even so, he did not stop manipulating the Chaos around the bottom of the sea without breaking his concentration.

After a while of doing so, the surface of the sea gradually started boiling, and a cloud of slightly yellowish vapor was rising out of it.

「The Chaos has been converged properly. We can go back now. 」
Aubest said after he looked back at the Baron. The Baron then signaled his servants, and the started skillfully rowing the oars in order to push the boat back the way it came from.

When they were far back enough, Aubest suddenly crouched down and started coughing violently. Terius hurriedly handed him the handkerchief soaked up in fresh water, and he used it to wipe his entire face with it.

「Are you alright, sir? 」

Terius asked as he worriedly rubbed Aubest’s back.

「Of course I am not alright. However, I learned firsthand exactly how terrible of a Chaos Disaster this miasma really is. With this, the soldiers at Pavel Murad’s fortress will definitely be neutralized. 」

「If we are not going to gat further away from it, then we will not be safe either. 」

「That is not going to happen. 」

Aubest answered with a muffled voice as he was still covering his mouth with a wet cloth.

「If the miasma does not subside naturally in one hour, the wind is going to change its direction and it will end up harming the residents of the nearby villages. 」

「But… 」
「The only ones who should get hurt in the battle should be those who actually participate in the battle. With that said, let us start lowering the Chaos density. After all, it is much more difficult to disperse the Chaos Disasters than to converge them. 」

* * *

Pavel could feel the stench of the rotting sea drifting along with the wind blowing from the northeast. It was a common occurrence at this hour of the season.

As darkness was slowly approaching, a lone soldier in the watchtower pointed in the direction of the Rotten Sea and let out a scream-like voice.

「My Lord ! The Miasma! 」

Hearing this, Pavel rushed up the tower himself. And then he saw the thing that the soldier saw with his own eyes. Something that looked like white mist was approaching from the direction of the Rotten Sea.

Pavel also knew about the miasma generated because of all the corruption at the bottom of the sea. Normally, if he evacuated the fortress, that would be it, but now he was in the middle of a war, so he could not afford to carelessly abandon the fortress and run away.

「Cover your mouths with a cloths and endure until the miasma disappears. Eventually the direction of the wind will change. 」

Pavel ordered the castle soldiers to do so.