Chapter 214 : Chapter 214

Chapter : 214

“Is ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍that truly even human—?!”

It ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍had gone beyond shock to the point where awe threatened to spill out.

To ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍face an army alone—such a feat. Even seeing it with their own eyes, it was a reality they could not believe. If they returned with this story, it would be something to boast of for generations.

The ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍problem was that in this historic battle, Count Steffen was the one being crushed by it.

“W-what ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍shall we do, Your Excellency?”

“The ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍front is collapsing. I do not think we can hold much longer!”

His vassals screamed as they warned him of the crisis.

In truth, even without their warnings, Count Steffen understood just how dire the situation was.

In the distance, a circular no-man’s-land had formed around the Margrave of Bellua.

The soldiers who should have been there had become one of two things.

Either they had been left as wretched corpses beneath the Margrave of Bellua’s terrifying attacks, or they had thrown down their weapons, turned their backs, and struggled desperately to flee.

As a result, that entire area was a hellscape—those trying to run, and those still charging forward without grasping what was happening, tangled together in chaos.

“Damn it!”

Hollowness and fury crept up inside Count Steffen.

God was truly indifferent. Why would He grant such power to his enemy?

But even so, Count Steffen had no intention of tucking his tail and running like a cur.

“Bruno! Valpott!”

“Yes, Your Excellency! You called for us?”

“There is something you must do to turn this damned battle around. Can you do it?”

“Give the order. We will obey it gladly.”

The task to reverse a losing battle.

It was plainly something that would require them to risk their lives, yet Sir Bruno and Sir Valpott thumped their chests as they answered.

Count Steffen was satisfied at the sight and barked his command.

“Good. Then rally the front and, no matter what it takes, keep the Margrave of Bellua pinned down until I have thoroughly torn up their battle line. Understood?”

“Yes. Leave it to us. We will carry out the order at the cost of our lives.”

“That is right, Your Excellency.”

An ordinary commander would have broken beneath a single charge like this.

But not Count Steffen.

A man who, even in catastrophic circumstances, refused to let go of the hope of turning the battlefield over.

That was the secret of how Count Steffen had won wars for more than a decade as the Holy Empire’s general.

The Margrave of Bellua was terrifying enough to make his knees go weak, but Count Steffen still intended to claim victory in this battle.

“Come, follow me! Honorable knights of the Holy Empire! Let us show those plump Elang bastards what a true knight is!”

“Uoooooh—!”

“Damn it!”

At first, I thought the battle was effectively finished.

-Keep your spacing! Raise your spears tight and high!

-Do not rush in recklessly, you fools!

But a group of knights approached from behind and steadied the Holy Empire’s wavering battle line.

They were the knights Count Steffen had sent.

They were not called elite for nothing. They rallied the soldiers and skillfully latched onto my ankles.

Whenever I showed an opening between the densely raised phalanx, they sprang out and struck with sharp attacks.

They did not give me any room to fall back at all.

To an onlooker, it might have seemed cowardly, but I could only admire it.

They were the enemy, yet they were truly impressive.

To bind me down so stubbornly like this!

“They mean to keep you tied here! It looks as though they intend to strike the battle line while it is in disarray.”

“I thought the same, Magician Agpiel.”

Amid the dizzy chaos of the battlefield, I shouted back.

Judging by how they avoided a frontal clash as much as possible and only tried to stall for time, Magician Agpiel’s reading was surely right.

-Waaah!

-Charge!

-Long live Your Excellency Count Steffen!

Sure enough.

A tremendous cheer burst out beyond the right wing.

Count Steffen’s elite cavalry, arriving in haste, hammered the exposed flank of the stretched-out pike phalanx.

Even without seeing it directly, I could tell from the ripple in the discipline that it was a threatening strike.

I clicked my tongue.

“So that is what a four-star general looks like.”

Even now, he was looking for a way to inflict damage and overturn the battle.

He was an opponent who demanded admiration.

“This is not good. Count Steffen is far more capable than I expected!”

It seemed I was not the only one thinking so. Magician Agpiel also watched the battlefield and shouted.

“If we leave it alone, the army could waver.”

Are you stating the obvious? Still, Captain Konrad is not an idiot, so he will defend soon enough.”

“But we will take heavy losses.”

“That cannot be helped.”

After exchanging words with Magician Agpiel, I organized my thoughts.

I could not throw away the soldiers I had raised with such effort.

“Magician Agpiel!”

“What is it?”

“Support me.”

“What? What are you planning to do?”

“I am going to make a mess of things. That is how we break this encirclement and reduce the damage.”

Magician Agpiel let out a sigh.

Any sensible person would not want the supreme commander exposing himself on the front line.

“Grrr. You are truly insane. Completely insane.”

“What else can I do? This is the surest way.”

“That is why I am not stopping you!”

Grumbling, Magician Agpiel drew up his magical mystery and began placing various blessings upon me.

It was to prevent some blind strike from causing a disaster.

After a brief span of preparation, once everything was ready, I gathered the nearby knights and began a charge to tear through that sticky encirclement.

Another tremendous storm of blood was about to sweep through.

Or so I thought.

“Hm?”

The moment I charged, the enemy battle line began to collapse as if that suffocating encirclement had never existed at all.

-Uaaah!

-Run!

-Stop standing there like an idiot and move!

“??????”

Magician Agpiel and I blinked with blank disbelief.

“No… you… Did you truly perform a miracle?”

He even said something that foolish.

This was what had happened.

“Is that truly human? Why did you not report such strength to me?”

“I-inspector, we did report it…”

“Reported it? If you speak like that, is it not natural to assume you are repeating a baseless rumor?”

Watching the battle from the hill, the inspector was in utter shock.

A knight who butchered an army.

He lifted and threw a heavily armored man with one hand, and then cut down knights and soldiers without mercy—shield and armor useless—using both sword and war hammer.

This was even more absurd than His Majesty the Emperor’s strength in his youth.

No, that could not be called human at all. It had to be a monster wearing human skin.

“Now. Now, recall Count Steffen! If this continues, everyone will die to that monster!”

Terrified, the inspector shouted.

The nobles around him sweated profusely as they struggled to calm him.

“Your Excellency Inspector, if we call back a general who has already entered the battlefield, the army will collapse.”

“That is right. The battle has already begun, so we must trust the general…”

Like it or not, Count Steffen was still a peerless veteran commander.

The Margrave of Bellua was frightening, but if it was Count Steffen, he would surely have the ability to restore order somehow.

But the inspector’s mind was already set.

“How can you say that now? How do we stop that monster? That… we cannot stop it. Only if we bring His Majesty’s main force can we stop such a monster!”

He shrieked until his voice cracked.

Fear had seized him so thoroughly that rational judgment was no longer possible.

“W-what do we do?”

“What else can we do? We obey.”

“But the commander is Count Steffen.”

You idiot. That is an order from the Emperor’s direct inspector. Do you intend to disobey?”

And while they wavered back and forth over the inspector’s command—

“Huh?”

“Uh… huh?”

In the distance, they saw the Margrave of Bellua receiving a magician’s blessing and preparing to charge alongside the elf knights.

“?!?!”

“This is bad. Very bad.”

In an instant, the nobles’ minds replayed the horrifying duels from moments ago.

Limbs flying, knights and soldiers collapsing helplessly beneath that one-man-army strength.

“W-we should retreat.”

“Yes. Make a retreat at once. That is the answer. The inspector will take responsibility anyway!”

“Then I will go first. Farewell!”

It was, absurdly, the cause of their defeat.

-Waaah!

The moment their will to fight broke and the retreat began, the battlefield crumbled with startling speed.

Wherever we pushed, they gave way. Some late imperial soldiers and knights raised both hands to surrender, and the nobles and the imperial inspector wheeled their horses and vanished as if they had never been on the hill at all.

Only Count Steffen’s elite cavalry, which had struck my right wing, remained on the field. In the chaos, they still had not realized that their own side had abandoned them and begun retreating.

They continued to move sharply, struggling to inflict damage somehow.

But that, too, would soon fade.

“Only Count Steffen ends up pitiful in the end. Tsk, tsk. Nobles never behave in a way I can truly like.”

Having learned the situation through a messenger, Magician Agpiel clicked his tongue in disgust.

“What can we do? It was the inspector appointed by the Emperor who gave the order. They had to follow.”

“Eugh. The supreme commander is right there, and they still obey? They are contemptible.”

Magician Agpiel shook his head as if sick of it, but I only smiled.

Their contemptible behavior had ended up helping me, had it not?

It was a fine thing.

“Then what will you do?”

“Count Steffen?”

“Yes. With that spirit, it does not seem he will simply surrender.”

“Hm. No.”

“No??”

At Magician Agpiel’s words, I let out a small laugh.

“Not at all. Once Count Steffen grasps the situation, he will surrender to me at once, Magician Agpiel.”

Count Steffen was not a fool. If anything, he was a realist. A man who lived only for honor would never have survived more than ten years crawling across battlefields under the Emperor.

And my judgment was correct.

“I surrender. By custom, I ask for lenient terms.”

Realizing that his own allies had abandoned him, Count Steffen halted the fight and immediately sent an envoy.