It was on the next day after the army of Olmutz confronted the Muozinel that Bulat Struve, lord of the Krnov Viscounty, sent his soldiers forth. They had been following Olmutz’ army while pretending to be friendly forces, but at this point they got tired of waiting.
“We believe Earl Pardu to be the one and only proper heir to the throne! Those sharing our thoughts should gather their soldiers and head for the capital to support His Excellency the Earl! The crown is far too heavy and the throne far too uncomfortable for the ailing prince!”
Leading 2,000 soldiers, Struve quickly took control of the road extending towards Kišbál’s north. As this road connected Zhcted’s south with Silesia, it resulted in Mila becoming unable to contact the capital. Olmutz’ army learned of their existence as the day progressed. But, this was rather owed to Struve’s flaunting his own army than thanks to the scouts Mila had dispatched in all directions. After all, it’d be troublesome for Struve, if Olmutz’ army didn’t take any notice of them.
The Snow Princess received the report in her tent as supreme commander.
“Hmph.” Ludmila Lourie snorted with a bored look, and then laughed scornfully.
She had precisely guessed Struve’s aim. In short, Struve and his supporters had joined hands with the Muozinel.
Struve had made two mistakes. First, the timing for him to send out his soldiers. As it was right after Olmutz’ army started a glaring contest with the enemy army, it was almost as if asking to be suspected. Second, his behavior after he sent his soldiers out. Gaining control of the road was strategically smart. But, it didn’t mesh with their political demands. They should have headed straight for the capital.
“Lady Vanadis, I believe we should chop up those guys and throw their remains to the dogs.”
Several of her aides were enraged over these cowardly traitors, flames of fury burning in their eyes.
However, Mila only laughed and shook her head, “We’ll let Sofy get rid of those guys. Our task is to focus on the Muozinel army.”
By now, Sofy should have arrived from Polesia and moved her soldiers long ago.
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In the morning of the day after Struve took control of the road, Olmutz’ army made its move. They hurriedly vacated their camp, and descended the hill on its northern side. Since the Muozinel had taken up battle formation on the hill’s southern side, it looked as if Olmutz’ army was trying to get as much distance between them and the Muozinel as possible.
“They fell for it. She might be a Vanadis, but in the end she’s no more than a little lass.”
Receiving a report, Hakim believed that Olmutz’ army had started its retreat. Upon his order, the Muozinel army started to move. Some among Hakim’s aides felt Olmutz’s action to be suspicious, but they believed that they should secure the hill either way.
The 5,000 soldiers quickly run uphill within the cold weather. And what they saw after arriving on the top of the hill was how the ranks of Olmutz’ army were in the process of falling apart as they hurriedly tried to get away from the hill.
“Charge! Hurry! We mustn’t allow this chance to slip our hands!” Hakim ordered like a bandit with his three-parted beard swaying.
If he managed to catch up and crush Olmutz’ army at this place, he’d be able to return to Muozinel as victor. At this point in time, Hakim already began to think about what he’d do after winning.
Olmutz’ soldiers have their backs turned on us with their pace being completely messed up. Our side can also make use of the momentum when running downhill.
Raising battle cries, the Muozinel rushed downhill. They didn’t care about stuff like ranks. All they wanted to do was to catch up with the fleeing enemies as soon as possible to slay as many of them as possible.
The change took place immediately after they got off the hill. Olmutz’ army orderly turned around, facing the Muozinel, and immediately put their ranks, which were supposed to be falling apart, in order with their two types of battle flags flying in the wind as if to exhibit their fighting spirit.
At long last the Muozinel realized that the Olmutz forces had moved as they did to lead them into a trap. Now they had to rearrange their ranks in a hurry. But, faster than they could even start on that, the sound of cavalry thundered across the land tolling the arrival of a hundred riders, about to thrust into the army’s flank.
The one leading that charge was a single blue-haired girl. Wearing a silver breastplate atop her bluish silken clothes, she readied a beautiful spear in both hands as if to match the lumps of ice and crystals with the fluttering of her white ribbons. The spear’s name was Lavias, the draconic weapon of the Freezing Snow Princess.
As Mila rushed into the Muozinel army’s flank, she freely brandished Lavias, smashing the heads of the helmet-less Muozinel soldiers or piercing through their faces, and thus killing one after the other.
Following the brave Vanadis were brave soldiers. They didn’t possess as refined skills as their mistress, but while keeping their momentum, they struck with their swords, bashed with their spears, and had their horses kick with their hooves.
Underneath the cloudy sky that was still far from noon, blood was carried away by the cold winds. The dark yellow withered grasses of winter were dyed red at spots, and cold corpses kept piling up on the cold ground. Broken swords and torn skins were mercilessly strewn all over the place alongside chunks of flesh.
The infantry of Olmutz didn’t fall behind the infantry either. The almost 4,000 infantrymen raised battle cries as they charged the Muozinel army from the front. Their lord was fighting hard, so they had to fight even harder than her. Olmutz’ infantry unit focused their attack on the Muozinel army’s left wing where the cavalry unit had broken through. Without even a chance to fix their ranks, Muozinel’s army was unable to stage any effective counterattack, and merely continued to lose its soldiers.
If not for Mila, the Muozinel army might have been able to rally its battle formation after holding back the frontal charge by Olmutz’ army. But, the Vanadis didn’t allow for that to happen. Mila, who had caused the Muozinel army’s left wing to fall apart, ordered her cavalrymen to follow her, and speedily retreated.
However, she didn’t join up with Olmutz’ main army, but instead began to ride uphill. As if trying to circle into the Muozinel army’s rear. This was, of course, something the Muozinel couldn’t ignore. But, even if they were to drive them away, the opponents weren’t just some random cavalrymen. They were valorous hundred riders led by a Vanadis. It was easy to imagine that their pursuers would immediately get routed if they attempted to chase after them with half-baked numbers. Hakim believed that they ought to face that cavalry unit with at least 500 soldiers. The only problem would be whether the Muozinel army would be able to keep enduring the fierce frontal charge by Olmutz’ infantry if they were to assign that many soldiers elsewhere.
At this time the Muozinel had finally managed to fix its ranks, but they had already lost more than 10% of their soldiers. At first, when the battle began, the Muozinel had 5,000 soldiers, and Olmutz had 4,000. In short, the Muozinel had a numerical advantage, but now both armies were almost even.
However, Hakim ordered the attack against Mila’s cavalry unit. He was certain that the morale of Olmutz’ soldiers would cave in as long as they managed to kill the Vanadis. Several of his aides turned pale upon that order, trying to stop their supreme commander.
“Whatever you do, you mustn’t go ahead with this, Lord Hakim…!”
“Infantry won’t be able to catch up with cavalry!”
But, Hakim repelled their fervent advice with a bright red face, “Just have them watch that cunning enemy! Won’t that be more than enough to keep them away from our rear!? Even you people should know how dangerous it’d be to allow the enemy to take our rear!”
As a matter of fact, Hakim’s order stemmed from his own panic. He himself was ordering the army from the rear while sitting in his palanquin. Being attacked from behind was something he feared above all else. However, things didn’t proceed as he had imagined them to.
Seeing the 500 Muozinel soldiers heading their way, Mila ordered her cavalrymen to retreat. In addition, she told them to act somewhat flustered while keeping a moderate distance from the enemy. This skillful retreat caused the 500 soldiers to be dragged along, resulting in them being pulled away from their main force.
Choosing the moment when the Muozinel soldiers tried to head back after noticing that, Mila ordered her men, “Charge!”
The hooves of a hundred horses caused a part of the battlefield to tremble as they overran the Muozinel soldiers. Each time Mila’s Lavias killed yet another enemy soldier, the frosty air released from its spearhead froze the ground.
Having had 500 soldiers massacred within little to no time, the Muozinel army clearly became shaken. Mila’s cavalry unit, still going strong, was about to circle to the front or rear of the Muozinel army once more. Hakim completely panicked over this, resulting in the Muozinel army’s soldiers continuously dwindling down without him being able to give any decent orders.
Finally, one of his aides suggested, “Your Excellency, please escape.”
Hakim’s expression twisted in rage, “Escape, and do what!? Do you know why we came all the way here!?”
Hakim had invaded Zhcted in order to fight Kureys. All for the sake of coming out victorious, boosting the soldiers’ morale with that, and thus gaining more allies for his cause.
It was plain as day what would happen if he ran away after losing. Even his current allies would desert him, and Kureys or another person would likely take the throne. Without anyone to rely on, only a miserable death would await Hakim. As one of the royal family, such an end was nothing he could accept.
“If you do not flee, this foreign land will become the place of your death.”
Hakim groaned. It took him around five breaths of hesitation, then he mounted his aide’s horse, and galloped away from the main army while taking a small amount of servants with him. However, there was one person that didn’t overlook this course of events.
“The supreme commander has fled! He abandoned us after the situation took a turn for the worse, and ran away!”
Soon after Hakim had split away from the main force, such yelling in Muozinel roared across the land. This became the finishing blow from the Muozinel army that had still continued to resist. Their ranks collapsed, fell apart, and scattered. Soldiers surrendering, dying after resisting to the end, or turning around to flee appeared all over the place with the Muozinel never assuming the shape of an army again.
Like this, the battle of Kišbál ended with a victory for Olmutz.
◆◇◆
Damad silently watched the remnants of the Muozinel army flee from atop the hill. After finishing scouting before the battle, he hadn’t participated in the fighting itself. He had been ordered by Mila to stay out of it. The Freezing Snow Princess had curtly wrapped it up by adding the reason that it’d be confusing to have him on the battlefield.
──Now then, what should I do next? If I were to join the scattered, escaping Muozinel soldiers, return to Muozinel, and report as soon as I raced over to Kureys, that General 『Red Beard』 would likely be delighted. After all it’s a definite fact that his enemy has suffered a heavy blow with this.
Thinking further, Damad shook his head. He pointed his feet north, and not south. He believed that he had to join up with Mila as soon as possible so as to not be mistaken for a renegade Muozinel soldier. It was Tigre’s existence that had caused Damad to decide like this. The black-haired youth had noticed that Tigre was trying to do something in this country. Thus he judged that it wouldn’t be too late for him to go back to his homeland after making sure of what that something was with his own two eyes.
◎
Tigrevurmud Vorn had remained in Silesia after seeing off Elen and Lim. He himself wanted to cooperate with Elen, Mila, or Sofy by accompanying either, but he was stopped by the silver-haired Vanadis.
“Tigre, you said that you’d support His Highness and assist Lord Eugene, didn’t you? It’d be wrong for you to leave the capital. People would think that you ran away, fearing to be dragged into the chaos.”
As her arguments were reasonable, the youth accepted his lover’s advice, albeit with a bitter expression. Elen lightly kissed his forehead as if to console him.
But, several days later, Tigre regretted his words during the meeting. You could even say that there was nothing he could do. Because he was a foreigner, he wasn’t permitted to participate in important meetings. And even if he tried to meet Eugene, the Earl was now, after Ruslan had collapsed, so busy that anyone who saw him became flabbergasted, making it next to impossible for him to find any time to meet with Tigre. When Tigre thought that he could meet Ruslan instead then, he was stopped by Miron, being told that they couldn’t allow anyone to carelessly meet with the prince until they could determine for the prince’s mind to have completely healed.
Fearing to come across too headstrong, seeing as the other party was actually sick, Tigre was unable to meet the prince. Going to the palace every day, continuing to display a calm attitude to the people, and exchanging a greeting with Eugene whenever possible was the most Tigre could do.
He knew that this was important as well, but Tigre couldn’t help feeling downhearted whenever he thought that his precious friends were struggling on distant battlefields. Gaspal, Gerard, and Titta, who had likewise stayed in Silesia, tried to cheer Tigre up at every opportunity, but for Tigre those were days where he had to hide his sighs of despair, anxiety, and weariness from them.
On that day Tigre had come to the palace again. He was walking back and forth with a confident demeanor while having idle chats with several lords, and left the palace only after confirming Eugene’s busyness. Noon still hadn’t passed for long yet, the sky was gloomy, and the wind was whirling snowflakes across the streets.
While praying for some change to take place, Tigre returned to his lodging house, and entered his own room.
“What…?” Tigre quizzically stared at the table.
Something similar to a letter was lying there. He was sure that nothing like that had been present when he had left this room in the morning.
──Is it a note left behind by brother or Gerard? Today both should be walking the streets again. They might have come back for a moment to leave me a message about some kind of business they had to tell me.
While thinking that, Tigre picked up the letter and opened it. The instant he scanned its contents, Tigre knew that his own face’s color had clearly changed. This letter hadn’t been written by Gerard or Gaspal. At the end of the short message, it was signed with the name Maximilian Bennusa Ganelon. The man possessing the ability to devour demons had placed this letter here, using some kind of method. The letter was kept extremely short.
──If you don’t want Eugene Shevarin to die, come to Zagan, southeast of Lebus, by yourself.
After gazing at the letter with a tense expression, he shifted his eyes to the Black Bow leaning against the wall. He was sure that this bow had to be Ganelon’s aim, just like the demons’.
The annoying part about this was his inability to do anything but to obey. When it came to Gaspal, Gerard, and Titta, he could stay by their side all day long, allowing him to protect them with the Black Bow. But, this wouldn’t be possible with Eugene.
Who would believe in a threatening letter like this? Moreover, I can’t believe that I’d get people to believe in the abilities of Ganelon who’s left the realm of humanity. Ganelon had also managed to sneak into Brune’s palace at some point. Considering that he’s combined his powers with those of the demons, it’ll probably be no trouble for him to kill Eugene.
──Zagan, huh?
Tigre knew that area. During his time as Liza’s servant Urs, he had studied the geography of Lebus, albeit only roughly.
If I remember correctly, Zagan should be a place with many ancient temples. That’s nothing unusual in Lebus.
The time it took him to weigh the options and reach a conclusion was very short. Tigre tore the letter apart and threw the scraps away, as if dealing with a hated enemy, and stood up.
It’s probably necessary to explain the situation to Eugene at least. And then I must also ask Gaspal and Gerard to take care of Titta.
When he looked up to the cloudy sky, which looked as if heavy snowfall would start anytime soon, after leaving the lodging house, Tigre suddenly placed a hand on his forehead. He had recalled the face of his silver-haired lover.
──Sorry, Elen.
He felt apologetic about betraying her words about him not leaving the capital. But, the youth’s face immediately became serious, and he started to walk towards the palace.
At dawn of the next day, Tigre departed Silesia after waiting for the city gate to open.
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—————– End of Part 5 —————–
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