Chapter 137
Mercenary of the Twin Swords (4)
Dotrin’s commanders said nothing. They just looked at me, their eyes wide.
“I am Ian, the leader of the Veil Mercenary Comp-“
‘Shhtk,’ they all got up from their seats before I even finished talking.
Then, they politely bowed their heads.
“Dotrin’s nobles greet the young lion of Leonberg, who has come to our aid without hesitation during troubling times.”
“We express our infinite respect and gratitude to His Highness the First Prince of the Leonberger family.”
I felt out of shape, lost. It was at that exact moment when the king of Dotrin finally burst into laughter. He laughed so much that it seemed he would soon not be able to breathe. So hard did he laugh that his face turned a bright red.
I considered things quietly as I looked at the gasping, laughing king and his son. The people who decide when the armies should advance or retreat, the minds that conceive of the strategies needed to dominate on the field of battle: They were the commanders gathered here.
Anyone who cared little for the security of Dotrin would not have been in this room in the first place. Even though I could have figured this out with little thought, it was only now that I realized that the situation was natural.
First of all, my mistaken judgment was due to me being anxious to head to the battlefield.
Secondly, I had grown so used to the situation in my home country, where the main players of the empires have scattered their spies all over the place, that I had made the mistaken assumption that the same would count for Dotrin.
As I was locked in thought, I suddenly noticed that I had my sword in my hand.
‘Fwooo-‘
My brilliant display of swordsmanship had been of no use. Today was the first time that my Aura Blade looked shabby, unimpressive.
‘Sssuuu-‘
The Aura Blade faded, and my sword cooled down.
‘Schheek. Jrkf Jrkf.’
I sheathed my sword and headed to an empty seat, sitting down. I acted as natural as possible as if nothing had happened.
“Hmmm.”
Dotrin’s nobles tried hard to avoid looking at me. I was grateful for their consideration.
“Here are the Veil Mercenaries.”
It would all have been well and good if it wasn’t for Doris, who mouthed off as he teased me.
“Ian, the leader of the Veil Mercenary Company.”
I ignored him, and the nobles didn’t respond at all. When no one noticed him, Doris’s face turned quite grim. When the prince no longer japed after being ignored, the stuffy atmosphere in the conference hall noticeably improved.
“Then, please briefly explain the war situation to the head of our Veil Mercenary Company.”
But in the end, the king spoke, and the laughter that the nobles had tried to contain burst from them. I maintained my composure as I waited for the noise to die down.
“Hmgmm,” one knight cleared his throat, arose, and started briefing us on the situation. His tone was serious, with not even a hint of mirth.
“The empire’s forces, who have appeared on our borders at this time, consist of a total of eleven legions and thirty-two knight squadrons. Our collective allied troops number six legions, a total of twelve thousand men. We have twenty knight squadrons.”
I was surprised, for it was a great war: All in all, seventeen legions and fifty-two knight squadrons have been mobilized.
It was a battlefield where more than five thousand knights would be clashing and colliding.
Even though their foe was the empire, the Dotrin Kingdom still had a considerable number of knights. How long has it been since the war began? Surely they hadn’t employed all their knights to the front from the beginning?
In fact, when I studied the map that had been laid out on the table, I saw that the second and third defensive lines have already been drawn. This meant that the front line was not everything.
Dotrin is a small country that I had not known existed until I visited Hwangdo.
I looked around, seeing all the nobles seated around the table. I captured their appearances in my mind, one by one.
All of them were full of spirit, and their eyes shone with determination. Not one of them seemed afraid of the imperial invasion.
I sighed.
The future that I hoped for Leonberg to one day have was right here. Loyal and wise nobles who think only of their country. Courageous knights who would never give in before the mighty empire.
And a king and his family who everyone can trust.
I felt strange as I forced these impressions into myself, and I said to myself: Leonberg will soon be like this. I will make it so.
I promised myself, again and again.
And while I was making such oaths, the meeting continued.
“At present, all fortresses and strongholds on the front are under attack. The three fortresses on the southwestern border are the ones where the battles have not gone in our favor.”
The knight pointed at the map, and his fingertips glided over three fortresses on the frontline.
“How do we turn back the tide?” the King of Dotrin, whose face had become serious, asked the nobles for their opinions.
“The reserve legions and knight squadrons waiting at the rear have already received requests to lend support, and they are marching. But…”
“But?”
“There are only two out of three fortresses that can be saved in time. One of our strongholds is bound to fall.”
The tone of the knight was heavy.
“There are not enough reserve troops deployed to the southwest. If we divide our troops and try to save all three fortresses, we might lose them all.”
“If you were to choose one, which would you choose?” the king asked.
The knight pointed to one of the border fortresses.
“High Seabreeze Fortress.”
“Who’s is their commander?” the king asked the knight.
“He’s Burg Berten.”
“Why is a friend of the kingdom, who should be enjoying his old age on his estate, there?”
“As soon as he heard that war has broken out, he made haste for the front lines,” the knight answered the king, sweating.
“Oh, he has always been so eager. Tsu,” the king clucked his tongue, and then ordered, “Connect us.”
One of the commanders had been waiting for this order. He took out a crystal ball and placed it on the table. It was the same type of magical crystal sphere that I had used several times.
“We are connected,” the knight said.
“Burg,” said the king.
((Is that you, Your Majesty?)) came the voice from the crystal sphere.
“Is the situation bad?”
((…beaten back! The enemy has infiltrated through our waterways! Our number is one hundred, and the enemy troops are constantly increasing!)) came the urgent report, and then the old man fired off instructions to someone that must have been near him. ((Deploy the reserve troops, buy us some time! Rally the archers and wipe them out!))
“What did you just say?” the king asked with a frown.
((It is exactly as I have reported, Your Majesty))
“I will tell you straight up. I cannot afford to send reinforcements right away.”
There was a moment of silence beyond the crystal ball.
((None at all? Or will it take time?))
“I cannot guarantee that they will get there in time.”
Once more, Burg was silent.
“Abandon the fortress,” implored the king, and the old man responded strongly.
((East, west, north, and south, the imperial forces encircle us at all sides. Escape is impossible))
The people gathered in the conference hall groaned.
((We will hold on for as long as we can. It will be good if we are reinforced, and if they don’t reach us, it can’t be helped)) came the voice of the old commander, who was prepared to fight to the death. The king’s face looked terrible, and I could read his heart in his eyes.
Even though there were Knights of the Sky who could fly for the fortress immediately, I felt tormented from the inside at having to hear from afar the crisis that the defenders faced.
There were swords the king could use other than the Sky Knights.
“I will go.”
The commanders looked at me at once.
“Even if you go, we can’t send a lot of troops at once. You might end up trapped in the citadel,” the king said with a hard face, then asked, “Will you go anyway?”
“Mercenaries are used in cases such as these,” I answered without hesitation.
((You there! Who are you? This is the first time I hear your voice)) the old man asked from his fortress.
“I am a mercenary commander, newly hired by the royal family.”
((Your Majesty means to send mercenaries?)) Burg’s voice had been filled with anticipation moments before, yet it now became sorrowful. The fortress was on the verge of being taken, so, at best, he was disappointed that mercenaries were being sent. I could hear it in his voice.
“I wager you won’t be disappointed,” the king said to the old man.
He added that we would be far more helpful than a few knights.
* * *
When the dilemma regarding High Seabreeze Fortress was solved, the commanders in the conference hall regained their vitality to a noticeable degree.
“We must take this opportunity to prepare for a single, mass advance by deploying the reserve troops. Our current frontline composition cannot flexibly respond to the imperial offensive.”
“If we move our reserve forces in, then all the plans we have made must be revised! Rather, it would be better to mobilize the forces at our rear and fill in the gaps that will be created if we push our reserves in!”
“In this war, we have to play the long game! And to prepare for a drawn-out war, you have to bide your time with the forces on your front! Surely we must wait before deploying any of our reserves!”
Their arguments came and went, and at times the nobles calmly discussed things, while in other moments, they even started pointing at each other. Even the most taciturn knights did not hesitate to express their opinions, and if the suggestions of the king were found to be lax, they even ruthlessly refuted his errors in judgment.
No one thought it strange to correct the king, nor did anyone seem to show any remorse if they did so. Fierce and honest debate can never exist if it is restricted by status.
All gathered here yearned only for victory, and to reach this end, they spoke as if from one heart. Other than winning the war, they seemed to care about little else. Every moment, they lived to gain victory over the empire.
An old memory came to my mind: The Leonberg of ages past had been just like this. As I was immersed in my appreciation, the meeting came to an end.
The situation of the High Seabreeze Fortress was so dire that my knights and I decided that we would ride to the frontlines upon wyverns so that we could reach the fortress two days hence. Once everyone left, the king looked at me.
“Dotrin will never forget your dedication.”
His praise was not needed, for once the kingdom of Leonberg stood against the empire, it would be a great thing indeed if the strong Dotrin stood by our side.
The king reached out, and we shook hands as our gazes met.
The king was looking at me with great favor.
* * *
The situation changed rapidly in a single day. It was reported that a large number of imperial wizards, who had not been revealed up till now, had been deployed to the battlefields and were attacking the fortresses of Dotrin. The frontline fortresses were besieged, and communication with the royal castle blocked off.
“Will you still go?” the king asked me again.
No matter how many times he asked me this, my answer remained the same.
Doris and Jin Katrin came to me and prayed for me. The second prince, Kislan, whom I had met when I first entered the castle, also visited me and expressed his gratitude, wishing me luck.
And another day passed, and it was still a dark morning when I walked through the hallways of the castle, looking at the world outside the windows. It was still covered with thick clouds. After I had walked for a long time, I came upon an empty courtyard, and the Wyvern Knights were there.
The knights were dressed in old-fashioned blue uniforms, and they drew their swords at once.
‘Fwooow! Fwooow!’ A dazzling brilliance gathered at the tips of their swords, driving away the thick mist.
“Let’s hear it for Leonberger’s young lion!” the knights cried aloud.
It was a small departure ceremony, yet I liked it very much. I rolled my shoulders and walked boldly past them.
“Please be safe.”
“We will join you soon.”
Whenever I passed one of them, the knight bowed his head and spoke.
Some prayed that I gain victory and luck, while others thanked our party on behalf of the besieged High Seabreeze. And some pledged that they would soon be following us into battle.
After passing them all, I came to the king.
“I hope that the name of the Veil Mercenaries will spread throughout the continent,” the King of Dotrin said to me with a spiteful smile.
I could neither laugh nor frown as he said this. I just silently shook the king’s hard hand.
“Death to the enemy! Only victory and glory to Dotrin’s allies!”
As I listened to the bold cry of the knights, I mounted my horse and looked back.
The king and knights of Dotrin were all looking at us in the same manner.
I bowed my head and then rode after the rider who would act as our guide.
After leaving the castle, we passed through the gates of the royal capital. Then we rode for a while until we reached the foot of the mountain where the wyverns were hidden.
We left our horses there and mounted the wyvern.
“Hold on tight!” the Sky Knight shouted, and the wyvern roared with vigor as it leaped into the air. The ground quickly became distant, and the huge royal castle was soon seen no more.
When we finally flew up high, the sun rose.
We headed west, with the sun at our backs.
We finally arrived at the foot of a mountain not far from the battlefield. The sun had already risen high, almost setting.
“That’s it for me. I wish you luck.”
The Wyvern Knight, who dropped us off, gave a short greeting and then soared away high into the sky. He made a few turns above our heads and then disappeared eastward.
“We will guide you.”
Some of Dotrin’s mountain infantry appeared after a while. They had been waiting nearby and now led our group on. As we walked along with them, a fishy scent came to my nose.
Instinctively, I took a deep breath. The rich, intense scent of blood and iron seeped deep into my lungs.
It was exciting. My heart started beating faster and faster.
It was only now that I truly knew that I was on a battlefield.
‘Wedgaa!’
Just then, dozens of fireworks exploded in the sky. I looked up at their red trajectories. The darkness that had come with the night was banished for a moment.
The shadow of the fortress standing tall on the plain was revealed in the distance.
Dozens of fiery traceries fell over that massive shadow.
‘Bang!’
Flames spread from place to place, and a great fire soon raged.
And by its light was the scene of the battlefield revealed. The half-breached castle gate. Walls that have collapsed here and there.
“There stands a fortress just before its fall,” Bernardo said to me, “It’s crazy for us to jump in there now.”
I lowered the visor on my helmet, and instead of answering, I drew my swords.
I looked at the two blades in my hands.
At first glance, they looked like cheap long swords, which are common among mercenaries. But in fact, they were Twilight and my true body, and their hilts had been reshaped under the hands of the Prima Meister. He has hidden their peculiarities and lustrous accouterments.
No one would recognize the true nature of these swords by looking at them.
It meant that I had nothing much to worry about, and so I proceeded onto the battlefield without hesitation. I grasped my two swords lightly.
Twilight in my left hand and Dragon Slayer in the right.
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