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Volume 5 Chapter 1 Part 5

「While stopping the charge with long spears, the cavalry on the left and right will go around the rear and aim to encircle and annihilate us. It’s an old tactic that the Lord who was called the Great King of Selvis was known for using. However, the formation of Regalia is clearly thin. Well, we’ll see how it goes! 」

Milza replied, lowering his sword and giving the signal for his army to charge. Of course, he himself was leading the way.

「Follow the Viceroy! 」

The warriors of Dartania followed after Milza like a raging wave, unleashing their curved swords.

Archers at the rear of the enemy line fired their bows at them. However, the number of arrows that flew towards them was not that great. Some people were hit by arrows and fell off their horses, but the shooting didn’t stop them from advancing. The Dartanian army was trying to pierce through the center of Regalia’s formation as if it had become a single spear with Milza at the front.

「Ready the long spears! 」

At the command of the Lords commanding the infantry, a spearhead was formed.

「Don’t be afraid! 」

Milza picked up even more speed, sending his horse into a great leap just before it was hit by the enemy spears.

The black horse that Milza was riding is one of the best horses that Dartania currently had to offer, so it managed to jump over the spears with ease.

With the momentum of his landing, it dashed through the enemy ranks at full speed, even breaking several of the spears aimed at it. The enemy soldiers in front of them threw away their spears and tried to escape, but there was no way they could make it in time, and they were blown away by the rushing horse.

Milza deftly maneuvered his horse, flashing his sword left and right, slashing down Regalia’s soldiers one after another, breaking through the enemy line in one fell swoop. The Dartanian cavalry that followed pushed the opening left and right on Milza’s both sides.

Milza intended to attack Serge’s main camp. However, to his surprise, the enemy cavalry approached them from the left and right, and Serge was already far behind.

「So you’re assuming we’re going to break the formation! 」

Milza grinned.

「Did the Earl of Regalia learn something from the previous battle? Or is someone else in command? 」

The cavalrymen didn’t force themselves to approach them, running side by side with the Dartanian army that had broken through the infantry formations, firing their bows at them. Using a bow while riding is a specialty of the nomadic tribes of Regalia.

Arrows were shot from the left and right, and some Dartanian soldiers fell off of their horses. When Milza looked behind him, he saw that the formation that should have been broken through was once again forming a line. This time, the formation was packed together more densely than before, and it seems as if they were trying to cut off Dartania’s escape route.

「Do it if you can! 」

Milza, however, laughed fearlessly.

Even if the battle situation became a little unfavorable for him, he will not be shaken. As long as his army keeps its own ranks together, they will not collapse that easily.

Milza then summoned one of his trusted aides to his side.

「The enemy’s cavalry are few in number. We’ll divide our ranks into two and cut them down. Since they want to keep shooting their bows au us, it means that they cannot speed up, so we will catch up to them soon enough. 」

「Understood! 」

The aide nodded and ordered his squad to charge towards the Regalia cavalry to their right.

「Half of you will follow me! The rest will go with the Viceroy! 」

As the aide shouted, the order was passed on to the warriors around him. Then, the Dartanian army split into left and right and attacked the Regalia cavalry archers.

Looking at the situation from afar, Ellet Harukas let out a sigh.

「This is no good. I’ve prepared a plan, but the Dartanian army won’t collapse at all. I can’t help but say that Viceroy Milza’s leadership is truly splendid. 」

「Then what should I do?「

「Please order the cavalry to stop attacking and flee with all their might. Let’s also evacuate the infantry to the planned location while maintaining the formation. 」

「In other words, does that mean that our army has been defeated? 」

「Unfortunately, that is true. However, the damage we have sustained is thankfully not that great. It can still act as a decoy for you, Lord Serge. 」

「Fine… 」

Serge then waved a large flag towards his soldiers, signaling that it was time for them to retreat, and then he started running at full speed.

Seeing the flag waved at Serge’s camp, Milza realized that the enemy was going to withdraw.

「Abandon the enemy soldiers! Chase Serge Constance down with all your forces! 」

Milza commanded his men to gallop as fast as they could. Among Serge’s escorts, the infantry soldiers were all scattered and fleeing. They made no attempt to delay Milza’s forces in their pursuit of their Lord.

「Even the soldiers who were supposed to guard him don’t think that he’s a Lord who’s worth risking their lives for! It’s a waste to give such a Lord the title of an Earl! 」

If Milza get’s his hands on Serge’s Crest, he should be able to claim possession of Regalia for himself. Unlike the people of Artuk, the nomads of Regalia should obey him.

Serge was trying to desperately escape. Upon closer inspection, he wasn’t even wearing armor. That’s why he was running away so quickly. He knew he was going to lose, and it seems he was only thinking about saving his own life.

(Does that mean that reinforcements are coming to help him…?)

In the previous battle, Solon, the Theater King of Kirchs came to help and saved Serge from his predicament by sacrificing himself and his men.

(Well, who will come this time?)

Milza smiled fearlessly.

The distance between him and Serge was slowly diminishing.

However, after a while, a new enemy unit appears in front of him.

It was a large army. A large flag fluttered at the head of the formation, bearing the crest of the Great King who united Selvis, Clovis, and Falvis.

「The return of the Great King, Lassic the Fomorian Slayer… 」

Milza grinned

「So you’ve shown up after all! 」

It means that he couldn’t abandon the new head of the Constance family when he was facing such a crisis.

「Sir, what are we going to do? 」

One of Milza’s aides asked him.

「The enemy is still fleeing and their formation is out of order, so now would be the best time to cut them all down. However, if we stay there, there will be no place left for us to escape, so our best choice is to continue going forward and aim for the enemy leader. I am going for Lassic David! His head and his Crest will be mine! 」

Milza rearranged his formation diagonally and ordered his entire army to charge forward.

* * *

With the unit lead by his contracted Mage acting as a decoy, Serge Constance, the Earl of Regalia continued to retreat. Upon hearing the news that he was being relentlessly pursued by the Dartanian army’s cavalry lead by Milza himself, Lassic ordered his army to continue marching at a brisk pace.

Before long, he saw Serge and his cavalry guards fleeing from the battlefield. The smoke that rose behind it must be the result of the Dartanian army’s actions. Their number was reported to be around 4,000 soldiers.

Lasik also mobilized the Lords of Kirchs and led an army of nearly 10,000 soldiers. However, the infantry was the main force of that army, and the cavalry was less than 1,000 soldiers.

He stopped the march and let his soldiers catch their breath, and then Serge arrived before him.

「You’re safe. Great, that’s the most important here. 」

Lassic called out to Serge.

「I was not a match for him… 」

Serge said while trying to catch his breath.

「No, I’ve heard that the damage to your soldiers was minimal. It was a splendid move against Milza, who always won up until to this point. Now, please fall back until you’ll be sure that you’re safe. Apparently, Milza is still coming after you. 」

The Dartanian army temporarily stopped and regrouped. They probably want to cut into Lassic’s forces like the curved swords that Dartania’s cavalry likes to use.

「No way? They’re going to fight against such a large army? 」

「Our army is currently on the move, so we don’t have time to arrange our formation properly. Milza probably sees this as an opportunity to attack, and to be honest, that is a right decision to make. 」