“Seeing the high morale and orderly military discipline of the enemy, I wonder if it would have been better to defend inside the castle walls. . .”
“Shh. Be quiet. Yesterday, a knight from the Dahya family was whipped for saying that.”
The vassals of the Count of Jekyllid were also anxious. The rumors they had heard before and the reports about the landed enemies were quite. . . very different.
Just from the reports, it was not the appearance of a disorderly gang of thieves, but a properly organized strong army.
However, the Count of Jekyllid answered with whips to vassals who gave straight talk and advice.
━𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘢𝘳𝘥? 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦!
The count’s claim was not wrong either.
By some miracle, they were able to summon the vassals first, but that army had become a poison.
They could not withstand such an army inside the castle. Food and supplies would quickly run out.
They could also buy time by abandoning the castle and maneuvering inland to avoid the enemies, but that was something the count could never do for the sake of face.
After the gangs of thieves finish their plundering, how will I deal with the aftermath?
However, if the count properly knew now who he was up against, he might have chosen that method instead.
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
ᴀ𝔴𝘦ḃ̇s𝚝𝔬𝐫𝘪𝐞𝕤.ċ̇𝙤𝚖
“Does the count have a lot of military experience?”
“No. Emir would only have experience subjugating bands of rogue serfs or rebelling peasants at most.”
“Then what do you think that looks like?”
“. . .It looks like he wants to try his luck. . .”
Ahir opened his mouth carefully.
Below the hill in front of them, dozens of banners were fluttering as the enemy formation unfolded. It was the army of the Count of Jekyllid taking position to deploy.
‘𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦. 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭? 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘈 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘺.’
Johan was confused.
Was it really purely a contest of strength?
Was the Count an *sshole?
‘𝘋𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧?’
“Send orders to the left and right flanks. Give the signal to advance.”
“Yes!”
As Johan’s forces slowly advanced, a knight on horseback charged out from the enemy formation. Screaming at the top of his lungs in rehearsed Empire tongue, he shouted.
“What’s that guy babbling about?”
“He’s challenging you to a duel, saying that if you don’t accept he’ll mock and insult your honor. . .”
Single combat before battles was a common custom. Glory and praise awaited the winner, while mockery and death found the loser.
Of course, these were not just personal matters. Such contests greatly influenced morale on both sides.
The soldiers believed the side loved by the gods would win the battle. The result of the duel was an indicator they could use to guess at that.
“Geoffrey. Give me a weapon.”
Johan mounted Cardirian, which let out a satisfied roar at the scent of blood from the weapon handed over by the slave.
As another knight charged out from their own ranks, cheers erupted behind him. Realizing it was the Count himself, the cheers grew even louder, seemingly enough to shake the earth.
‘𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴?’
As he rode out wielding his mount, Johan thought this.
Of course, Johan was confident in his own victory, but if the lord he served rushed out saying he would duel, Johan would have been worried and tried to stop him.
However, the warriors gathered on the plain accepted all these things as natural and obvious.
The honorable nobles had to be the bravest and most excellent knights. It was obvious that their commander would participate in such duels.
Along with the sound of horse hooves, the enemy began to come into view. It was a vampire knight with a scar on his cheek. The guy who was running at them, shaking his spear, seemed to flinch when he saw Johan’s figure.
With his large, balanced build, and riding an imposing bicorn, Johan was clearly no ordinary knight from his outward appearance. The armor exposed between his surcoat caught the sunlight and gave off a strange color.
However, that was just the beginning of the shock. The other weapon held in Johan’s hand, which did not hold a shield, revealed its form. It was a war hammer of uncouth size.
“. . .That crazy b*stard!”
Having studied Eastern, he had the advantage of being able to understand the screams of the enemy. The enemy knight possessed excellent horsemanship and spearmanship. Even in his surprise, he did not falter, keeping his back straight and stabbing with his spear like lightning.
‘𝘖𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘥𝘶𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴.’
Johan put strength into his body and angled his shield to smash the spearpoint sideways. The enemy’s fierce attack left a scar on the shield before disappearing to the side.
At the same time, Johan’s counterattack came flying. The giant killer swung down from top to bottom. The knight’s pupils were dyed with shock that such a heavy weapon could be swung so nimbly.
‘𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥. . .!’
The knight heard thunder ringing in his ears. But that wasn’t thunder. It was the sound of Johan’s giant killer shattering his shield and severing his windpipe.
The knight spewed blood and tumbled off his horse. The duel was merciless to the loser. Dust rose up, covering the knight. Johan looked on with a cold expression as he raised his war hammer. It was an honor only permitted to the winner.
Then a roar like thunder burst from Johan’s camp. Along with jeers, ridicule, and curses towards the enemy.
“Na. . . Nahud-nim lost?!”
“That can’t be. . .!”
The enemy nobles were unable to open their mouths, their faces shocked. Knight Nahud had survived and won dozens of duels.
That’s why he had the honor of being the first from the enemy side to rush out and challenge Johan.
And yet he was struck down with one blow. They simply could not believe it.
“That b*stard is calling for Jekyllid!”
“That guy. . .!”
Johan fluently called for the Count of Jekyllid in Eastern. It was a request for the honorable nobleman to come out and determine the victor between them. After all, the fight was between him and Johan, so why shed the blood of others, he said. Upon hearing this, the Count gritted his teeth.
Having been challenged like that, if he didn’t accept, his own side’s honor would be in the gutter. The Count looked for his champion.
“You expect me to just watch as that b*stard speaks like that? You want me to be humiliated?!”
“. . . . . .”
“Your Excellency, allow me to stand as your champion!”
“Good! Kill that b*stard!”
A new knight sprang out. Johan waited and then briskly charged forward.
“I am of the Hatoc. . .” Oof!”
The knight realized why that great Nahud had died as he collapsed. Johan’s strength exceeded imagination. He wielded that enormous war hammer as if it were a dagger.
Just the attack where he would spring out from his fallen posture and smash was terrifying, but if you tried to block with a shield, the shield itself would be reduced to scraps.
Johan blew apart the shield with one strike, then took the enemy knight’s head off with his second.
“. . . . . .”
“. . . . . .”
The next knight, and the one after, similarly collapsed. Count Jekyllid’s camp became as silent as a graveyard. Shock and horror rendered them speechless.
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