I am the Monarch Chapter 231: Amaranth (31)

'Lancephil Fief Regiment is definitely exhausted!'

Furthermore, a situation where they had just crossed the Parkes River.
They were at a state where they haven't even set up a proper formation.
Isaac, who couldn't raise a notable achievement until now, volunteered as the vanguard.
Although there were many competitors, he was able to receive Kallum Rinse's permission thanks to having moved quickly.
Quickly, he selected out a cavalry troop from the left and the right wing and formed the vanguard shock troop, the Newkad Troop.
Simultaneously, he jumped out of the camp and charged towards the Lancephil Fief Regiment riding the Maiel mountain slope.

Dududududu.

The sound of horse hooves noisily hit the ears.
His chest rapidly raced.

'I can earn his majesty's trust if I can just end this battle successfully.'

Furthermore, he could leave his name as the general who recorded a victory against the Lancephil Fief Regiment known to be the kingdom's strongest.
Isaac, when the Lancephil Fief Regiment became visible afar, raised his right hand up high.

“Charge! Swept them away in an insta……”

But tragically, the enthusiastically yelled shout couldn't quite reach its end.

Puuck!

A single arrow pierced Isaac's forehead.
A single arrow that precisely pierced the center of the forehead.
It truly was a ghostly skill.
Isaac rolled back his eyes while holding on the rein.
Death.
It was a hollow death.

“Eh?! T, Troop Commander!”
“My lord!”

The soldiers who were following behind all yelled out with greatly shocked expressions.
The adjutants at the sides quickly rushed up and halted the horse and collected Isaac's corpse.
The vanguard shock troop of over five thousand, the Newkad Troop abruptly reduced its charging speed.
Everyone was overflowing with bewildered looks.
At that moment.

Vvuuuuu!

A grand sound of horn hit their ears.
The soldiers' gazes naturally turned towards the front.

Dududududu!

A crimson cavalry troop ferociously racing towards them together with a dust cloud.
It was the Lancephil Fief Regiment's counterattack.
Because the Fief Regiment's crossing of the river was still continuing, the number of soldiers who stepped out in counterattack wasn't very big.
But even so, it wasn't a level that could be played down.
The counter-strike troop of about two thousand was entirely made up of taemusas.
Furthermore, each of the five commanders that led them were even more brilliant.

The one who fear no battle, the Fearless Semi.
The Genius of Archery Harrison.
The Knight of Light Brian.
The unprecedented genius, God Spear Pierce.
And the Crimson War God Roan Lancephil who shake the world with them below him.

The pressure of these five men leading the troop from the front was truly great.

The five thousand soldiers of the Newkad Troop unconsciously and falteringly drew back.
At that moment.

“Re, retreat! Retreat!”

One of the many adjutants shouted.
An instinctive decision to survive.
But.

“Fight back! Fight back! It's an annihilation if we retreat like this!”

Another adjutant gave a completely different order.
The five thousand soldiers, unable to do this or that, scrambled about.
The commander's absence caused an even greater chaos than anyone had thought.
At that very moment.

Ssweaaaaak!
Together with the sharp sound of air shattering, hundreds of arrows split the sky.

“Damn it!”
“Scatter!”

The Newkad Troop's soldiers quickly raised their shields and scattered in every direction.
The formation instantly crumbled.
The vanguard shock troop that had enthusiastically marched instantly fell down into a mob.

Pububububuck!

The arrows poured down on top of them.

“Kuuk!”
“Uuk!”

Few soldiers couldn't quite dodge and became porcupines and fell.
The troop formation naturally loosened up further.
Roan and the four generals did not miss that chance.

“Charge!”

Through the fallen gaps, Roan and the taemusas rushed.

Fwooosh!

A dark-red flame soared along the Travias Spear.
A path of fire opened up between the sky and earth.
Each time the spearhead danced, flames blossomed.

Ssskuk! Puuck!”

“Kuk!”
“Uaaaack!”

Numerous soldiers were turned into balls of flame and flung away or felled with their heads cut off.
Though the Newkad Troop definitely had more than twice as large number of soldiers, the one who actually led and directed the battle situation favorably was the Lancephil Fief Regiment's counter-strike troop.

Booom!

Together with an explosive sound, a pillar of flame erupted around Roan.

“Kuuk!”

The enemy soldiers that rushed became balls of flame and fell down.

“Damn it! Fire the arrows! The arrows!”

The Newkad Troop's adjutants pulled their bowstrings and shouted.
The soldiers who were recklessly rushing towards Roan stepped back and held their bows.
At that moment.

“You dare!”

Together with a silvery voice, Pierce appeared before that.

Pbat!

Simultaneously, the spear bent like a shrimp's back and soon the spearhead moved in every direction as if it was snapped.
A speed fast enough to be unable to be chased with the eyes.

Pububububuk!

With a heavy sound, the bows the Newkad Soldiers were holding all broke apart.

“Huhph!”
“N, no way!”

The soldiers emptily gulped with shocked expressions.
Once again, they grabbed the swords at their waists to face Pierce before them.
However, their hands and heads did not move as they wished for some reason.

“What the……?”

The moment they all were puzzled.

Sss.

Thin red lines were drawn along their necks and wrists.
Simultaneously, the heads and hands each smoothly slipped and fell off.

Kkugung.

Together with a dull sound, the corpses that lost their necks fell forwards and backwards.
Pierce, with a single attack, had cleanly slashed not only the bows but even the enemy soldiers' heads and hands.

“M, monstrous bastard!”

The Newkad Troop's soldiers goggled their eyes and shouted.
Their entire bodies trembled.
At that moment, an incredibly bright light flashed in front of their eyes.

“Kuk!”

The soldiers unknowingly closed their eyes tight.

“For you to close your eyes during battle!”

Together with a shout, a sharp longsword thrusted out from the giant ball of light.
The longsword cut across the space as if to dance and slaughtered the Newkad Troop's soldiers.
The owner of the ball of light was the Knight of Light Brian.

“M, maintain the formation! Don't fall off and stick closely!”
“Our number of soldiers is still advantageous!”

The Newkad Troop's adjutants encouraged the soldiers.
The soldiers who were loosely scattered clenched their teeth and gathered.
Instantly, they reformed the formation and set up a solid formation.
A situation difficult to carelessly clash or attempt an attack.
But at that very moment, Semi led his taemusas and kicked off the ground.

“Break through!”

An attack as fierce as the resounding voice.
With Semi at the lead, hundreds of taemusas clashed with the Newkad Troop.

Boom!

Together with a blunt sound, the contest of strength began.
Swords and spears rained down at close quarters.

“Die!”
“Kill them!”

Aggressive words poured down.

Spat! Pbat!

Armors caved in and skins ripped apart.
A life-threatening chaotic battle kept continued on.
But even in the middle of this, Semi did not fall back a single step.
A brave veteran of hundred battles that don't fear even death.

“Uaaaaah!”

With a loud shout, Semi pushed away the Newkad Troop's soldiers that locked their shields and swung his sword.
The taemusas followed his back.

Ssskuk! Sssguk!

Enemy soldiers' limbs fell off with horrifying sounds.
Finally, it was the moment the tight contest of strength became decided with Semi's victory.

“Uuk!”
“W, we're getting pushed back!”

The Newkad Troop that had painstakingly set up formation was once again fallen down before Semi and the taemusas' fierce attack.

“W, we can't win!”
“We can't like this! Retreat! Retreat!”
“Retreat to the camp!”

In the end, the order to retreat fell down.
Using the comrades standing at the front, the soldiers at the rear began to run towards the Maiel Mountain's main camp.

“Sa, save me!”
“Take me too!”

The NewKad Troop's soldiers at the front desperately shouted.
However, there was no soldier who turned back or return.

'I live!'
'I survived!'

The running soldiers satisfied at having saved their own life.
The tips of their mouths slowly went up.
However, those smiles soon disappeared as if washed away.

“Where you going!”

Together with a resounding voice, crimson cavalry appeared at the at Newkad Troop soldiers' sides.
The cavalry rapidly raced with their bodies leaned down flat and blocked off the path of retreat.
Simultaneously, they twisted their bodies and aimed at the Newkad Troop's soldiers with tall longbows.
A small-scale mounted archer troop that one and every soldier was made up of taemusas.
The very general leading them was Harrison.

“Fire!”

The instant the order fell, tens of mounted archers shot arrows one after another.

Pbubububuck!

Tens, hundreds of arrows pierced the running Newkad Troop's soldiers.
The mounted archers boasted an incredible rapid-fire speed.
Of course, the one with the most outstanding skill amongst them was Harrison.
At once, he shot out up to five arrows.
But even so, the five arrows all precisely pierced the enemy's heads and chests.
In the first place, the very one who had pierce Newkad Troop's Troop Commander Isaac's forehead was also Harrison.

“It's a work of a ghost!”
“It's a ridiculous skill!”

The Newkad Troop's soldiers tightly crouched and shouted.
Looks of having given up even responding.
They merely prayed to be lucky and survive.

Dududududu!

The sound of horse hooves became even noisier.
The flight with the lives of Newkad Troop's soldiers on the line continued.

“Catch and kill them!”
“Massacre them!”

While Harrison and the mounted archers held back their feet, Roan, Semi, Brian, and Pierce followed behind and poured down fierce attacks.

Pierce's ferocious spearmanship.
Brian's blinding swordsmanship.
Semi's fearless charge.
Harrison's faultless archery.
And Roan's powerful might that brought together their attacks.

The offense the five poured out was truly mighty.
But in the first place, the difference between the troop's number of soldiers was much too big.
Despite the fierce attack, few of the Newkad Troop's soldiers were able to leave behind the pursuit and run towards the Maiel Mountain's KaLu Allied Army's camp.

“It's one thousand at the most, sir.”

Semi faintly smiled and gave his report.
The number of enemy soldiers who had survived and ran was merely a one thousand.
A state no different than a ruin.
However, Roan didn't particularly force and give chase.

“The enemy's main army has marched.”

The numerous troops that had finished the battle preparation in the KaLu Allied Army's camp had fully began to march.
They couldn't face them anymore with a counter-strike troop of a mere two thousand.

'This much is enough.'

In the first place, their goal was to buy a very little amount of time.
Roan pulled his rein and turned his horse's head.

“We will return as well.”
“Yes sir!”

The commanders including Semi quickly answered and then followed his back.
Behind Roan and the commanders returning towards the Lancephil Fief Regiment's main army, the numerous troops of KaLu Allied Army fiercely approached.
That size in fact reach ten thousand.
The pressure and intent to instantly swept away Roan and the Lancephil Fief Regiment was felt.
A volatile crisis situation in Roan's position.
However, his facial expression was still relaxed.

“Austin!”

Roan who joined up with the main army called Austin.
Austin, who was watching the state of the river's crossing, quickly ran up.

“You called, sir?”
“The crossing of the river?”

At the rapidly asking words, Austin answered in a calm voice.

“About half has finished, sir.”
“It's faster than I thought.”

Roan nodded his head with a satisfied expression.
He turned around and glared at the KaLu Allied Army crossing the field and racing towards them.
A faint smile hung on his mouth.

“Carts to the front! Set up the magic carriages behind them!”
“Yes sir!”

The soldiers quickly answered and then moved like a wind.
Seemingly movements that they had already familiarized into their bodies long beforehand, each and every movement was natural and smooth.
The carts that carried the rations and supplies came out to the front and took place long across to the left and right.

“Connect!”
“Connect them!”

The commanders climbed onto the carts and shouted.

“Yes sir!”

The soldiers who had moved the carts, together with an answer, quickly swarmed to the carts' ends.

Clank!

When they pulled the ends of the carts up, two holes about a palm big appeared.
Simultaneously, the handles of the carts to the left perfectly fitted into the holes that appeared when they stuck the carts together.
Following that, the palm-sized woods that had been pulled up entered into a hole in the middle of the carts' handles when they pushed it back down.

Ggiiiiick!

Even when the soldiers swarmed and shook them side to side, they did not easily part.
As they continued to connect the carts in the same way, soon a sturdy temporary wooden fence was created.

“It's connected, sir!”
“Connecting finished, sir!”

Following behind, over tens of giant magic carriages took place behind the carts with fixed distances in between.
Though it couldn't completely protect the entire fief regiment, a rather sturdy makeshift encampment was made.
However, this wasn't the end of Roan and the Lancephil Fief Regiment's plans.
Austin, who was observing the situation, gave his report in a loud voice.

“The magic ballistas' assembly has finished, sir!”

At those words, Roan nodded his head with a faint smile.

“Set them up.”

The instant his short orders fell.

Ggiig. Ggiig. Ggiig.

Together with sounds of wood creaking, tens of magic ballistas took place in the space between each magic carriage.
The magic ballistas were tools that the Reno Magic Tower, the Engineering Department, and the Alchemy Department had collaborated and enhanced on the ballistas that even Roan had struggled against, and this was the first time that they were being used in real battle.

“I wanted to save them if possible until the war with the North Rinse Kingdom, but it turned out unfortunate, sir.”

Austin smacked his lips and shook his head.

“Can't be helped as the situation is like this.”

Roan answered shortly as if it didn't matter much and then gave a hand signal.
Soon, multiple soldiers showed up holding wooden boxes the size of a body.
Suddenly.

“The enemy is now right before our noses, sir!”

Harrison and Brian who were observing the situation shouted in loud voices.
Roan nodded his head and once again gave the hand signal.
Austin who was at his side quickly shouted.

“Open!”

The instant his order fell, the soldiers opened the wooden boxes.
Inside, steel balls the size of a grown man's fist appeared.
Though they were of weird shape, those very things were the magic ballistas-ammos, Lumasas.
Per each wooden box, fifty lumasas were held.

“Load!”

Austin's next order fell.
The soldiers rapidly put in ten lumasas into the small grooves on top of the ballistas.
Following that, they directly pulled the long chamber the lumasas went into.

Ggiiiiick!

The bowstrings of incredible thickness laboriously moved.

“Loading complete!”
“Loading has completed, sir!”

The soldiers who were swarmed on the magic ballistas all answered in one voice.
Austin exhaled a short sigh and looked at Roan.

“My lord. The preparation has finished.”

At those words, Roan slowly nodded his head and walked towards the carts acting as a wooden fence.
When he climbed onto the cart located in the middle, the appearance of KaLu Allied Army's troops violently rushing towards them were seen.
In two words, ebullient looks.
Roan quietly stood and watched the distance, then very slowly raised his right hand.
The Lancephil Fief Regiment's soldiers who were watching all deeply breathed in.

Sss.

Roan bent his wrist and gave the hand signal.
Austin didn't miss it and gave the order.

“Equip the plate helmets!”

Instantly, the soldiers pulled down the front of their helmets with their left hands.

Cluck!

With a clear sound, a dark plate appeared on top of the eyes.
Plate helmet.
A tool the alchemy department and the engineering department had collaborated and created, it was an object that was coated with the magic stone powder on a metal plate, made with iron as the base and mixed with numerous minerals, after piercing tens of small holes.
It was the very tool the Vende Troop known as the Troop of Light had first used.

Dudududududu!

In no time, the sound of enemy army's horse hooves was heard from the edges of their ears.
The pressure ten thousand strong army exuded out was truly great.
However, not a single one of the Lancephil Fief Regiment's soldiers, including Roan, became discouraged.
Instead, they were ready to jump out and fight at any moment.

“Everyone make battle preparation.”

Roan's gentle voice rode the wind and flowed.
Simultaneously, the right hand that was up until now fell towards the front.
Austin, as if he had been waiting, shouted aloud.

“Fire!”

Finally, the magic ballistas' strings were loosed.

Ssweaaaaak!

The sharp sound of the air shattering hit the ears.
The lumasas crossing the sky and flying received the sunlight and twinkled.
That almost brought to mind balls of light.
And finally, the lumasas arrived above the enemies' heads.

< Amaranth (31) > End.

Chapter end