Paladin of the Dead God
chapter-179

As soon as the Aldeon Army moved towards the Holy Land of Elion, news arrived as expected that Georg’s cavalry was returning from various locations. Mors and Delfric Hilde heard the report from a messenger on the way to Elion.

“We’ve already achieved our goal of breaking their unity and instilling unease, so there’s nothing to regret now.”

“It seems it will now be a race between Georg’s army and ours!”

Delfric commented as he watched the long procession of knights. Because of the urgency, it was decided that the vanguard, concentrated with elite knights, would move swiftly, followed closely by the main force responsible for supplies and manpower. The vanguard was led by Mors Gideon, who had been entrusted with overall command by Edelred, along with Delfric Hilde, the captain of the Knights of Aldeon.

The main force, though called such, did not differ significantly in the number of troops. The main force had the overall commander, Edelred, and more supplies and manpower, but in terms of the number of knights, the vanguard was stronger.

Mors anticipated the movements of Georg’s army.

“A race… Georg’s cavalry won’t simply return to Elion Fortress. They will likely attempt to disrupt our vanguard’s path or launch surprise attacks. Tell the knights to be wary of ambushes and to increase their flank guards.”

While assassination was despised in the faith of Elil, tactics like ambushes or surprise attacks were considered ‘clever’. Engaging a larger force with fewer troops was seen as ‘brave’. For the same reason, it was unheard of for a large force to ambush a smaller one.

“Hmm, it would have been better if His Majesty Edelred and the Holy Grail Knight had been with us from the start,” Delfric mused, recalling Edelred who had drawn the Holy Sword Kaldbruch. Delfric was loyal to Edelred, but his perception of him wasn’t much different from others.

He simply thought of him as a crowned child.

However, Delfric couldn’t help but be surprised at Edelred’s achievements after seeing him being trained in swordsmanship by Isaac. Despite his young age, he had already reached the level of a squire in the Knights of Aldeon.

Considering his peers were typically cleaning stables or managing knights’ equipment, Edelred’s rapid development was alarming.

Mors shook his head at Delfric’s comment.

“His Majesty taking direct command is risky enough.”

“But…”

“If His Majesty were to stand at the vanguard, it would indeed be glorious, but it would also blur the lines of command. And it would look bad if I were to suppress him. It’s different from the witch hunts. The Holy Grail Knight was our advocate.”

Mors was a war strategist, and the Hilde siblings were combat experts.

Isaac had deliberately kept Edelred with the main force because, in his modern view, the presence of a king on the battlefield was just a morale-boosting totem.

Moreover, emotions naturally intensify in the midst of battle. While dealing with the world with tender emotions wasn’t advisable, considering reconciliation with Georg, placing the young king at the front line wasn’t wise.

Of course, Mors thought of this as merely Isaac’s deep consideration.

“Ah, then it can’t be helped. It would have been nice if the Holy Grail Knight were with us, though.”

Honestly, Isaac was the only one within the Aldeon Army who could face Swordmaster Lianne alone. It would have been better for Isaac to be at the vanguard. He had even fought numerous duels with nobles claiming he should lead the vanguard.

“Are you worried that the main force might be attacked?”

The main force was short on knights but rich in supplies. Plus, it was the heart of the Aldeon Army with King Edelred present. Given the force’s strength versus potential honors, Delfric’s concern was natural.

However, Mors shook his head again.

“Georg’s army wouldn’t be so foolish. They are low on supplies and reinforcements. If they get bogged down attacking our main force, we will besiege the fortress first, and they will end up isolated and collapse.”

Moreover, knights furious about their territories being attacked were hot on their trail. The entire main force would have to be destroyed along with Edelred for such a disaster to occur, but that would just be considered the will of Elil.

Attacking the main force was nothing but a gamble. Mors didn’t think Georg’s army, despite their daring, would be foolish enough to sacrifice so many knights.

Just then, a horse rushed from the rear.

“General Mors!”

Upon spotting the urgent arrival of the messenger, Mors paused.

“What’s the matter?”

“His Majesty Edelred’s main force has been attacked!”

“What! What’s the damage?”

“A complete victory! The battle started with Sir Isaac slaying the enemy cavalry leader, and the main force ambushed, decimating half of the enemy cavalry!”

“…….”

***

Having previously thrived as a hunter of men, Hesabel was well-suited to serve as a scout.

Assassinations aside, she was naturally suited to be a scout, not only due to her outstanding stealth abilities but also because she could “source food locally” wherever she was. This, combined with her enhanced activity and vision at night, made her a born scout.

Since yesterday, however, she had been noticing unusual movements.

“It’s Sir Georg. Lord Isaac.”

Hesabel sent her intent while gazing down from a tree branch at the knight below her. The knights of Georg had begun to loiter around the main force of the Aldeon army. It wasn’t strange to see a few knights; after all, Georg’s forces would deploy scouts as well.

As time passed, however, their numbers had increased to the point where they could launch a significant ambush on the main force.

“How many?”

“Looks to be around 250 to 300,” she replied.

The Aldeon army had estimated about 600 cavalrymen through their reports. These knights had demonstrated an ability to disperse and then regroup in a manner that seemed almost impossible in this era. That about 300 of them had gathered near the main force indicated a planned operation.

The knights, positioned in the forest atop a hill, maintained such stealth that not even the clinking of armor or a cough could be heard. Even the horses were careful in their steps, showcasing the strict discipline and skill of the troops.

None, however, had noticed Hesabel’s presence.

“Is there a leader? Should I just pin a pretty dart in his head?”

Hesabel watched a man wearing a black wolf-skin cloak at the front line, her crossbow already aimed at the back of his head. But Isaac quickly communicated his disapproval.

“Actions like assassinations would only bring blame to Edelred. Leave it. The attack will fail anyway.”

Hesabel still struggled to understand Elil’s methods.

Wouldn’t killing just one person prevent the deaths of many more?

Yet, Isaac’s words were invariably correct.

As they spoke, the main force of the Aldeon army had entered a valley between hills. The leader in the wolf-skin cloak raised his hand, and the ambushing knights prepared to attack.

Just then, someone burst out from the Aldeon side. Recognizing the figure as the Holy Grail Knight due to their attire, the knights of Georg were taken aback.

The confusion of realizing their ambush had been discovered, the hesitation of whether to retreat, and the simultaneous awe and shock at a lone enemy charging them swirled through their ranks.

The confusion delayed the cavalry captain’s commands.

“Captain! Your orders!”

At his lieutenant’s urgent voice, the captain quickly gestured.

“Everyone, cha…!”

His words halted as his eyes met Isaac’s, capturing a chilling fear. The command was never completed, and the knights faltered again.

Thud, thud, thud, boom!

Before he could finish, Isaac, with unbelievable speed, had already charged into the forest, striking precisely where the captain was. The captain tried to defend himself with his sword, but the moment their weapons clashed, he knew he was doomed.

Isaac, never one to be complacent, had already split the captain’s sword, armor, and torso with a burst of sword energy. The scattering of blood and armor pieces instilled terror among the knights.

In a disorganized and chaotic response, other knights thrust their spears, but their aim was off, and Isaac, slipping away with graceful evasions, cut down a few more before darting sideways.

“Capture him!”

In the confusion of losing their captain, the knights were still mindful of the value of capturing the Holy Grail Knight. They hurriedly chased after Isaac, rushing out of the forest.

However, awaiting them outside was the Aldeon main force, which had surged up the hill while Isaac had diverted their attention.

Realizing too late that they were the ones actually ensnared by Isaac’s grand shadow, a ruthless volley of arrows struck them.

***

Isaac stroked the mane of his Phantom Steed, which, despite its rough appearance resembling a bundle of aberrant nerves, now looked quite like a respectable red-haired horse. The convenience of being able to summon a horse at any time and place was undeniable, though its ferocity was still formidable enough to make public appearances awkward.

This was the first time he had called upon it since the fight with Al Durad, and it had once again proved its worth.

Isaac watched as his troops gathered the spoils from the scattered cavalrymen.

Those cavalrymen who were still breathing had their throats swiftly cut. The quality of the Georg army’s equipment was high, even if their formation had been lost. A breastplate or a glove collected from the fallen might save a life.

“Did we kill about 200?”

Isaac looked at the growing pile of bodies, pondering. He had personally slain no more than ten, but an army is a systematic and efficient killing machine. After he had struck down the cavalry captain and seized the initiative, about 200 knights had been killed by soldiers who were hardly equipped with proper gear or skills.

Meanwhile, the casualties on their own side were limited to 31 dead and about 90 seriously injured. Considering most were just poorly equipped conscripts, it was an unbelievable outcome, so much so that Edelred had ordered a recount.

But even this success was troubling to Isaac.

“The damage was worse than expected.”

When the first volley had been fired, Isaac had expected the Georg knights to retreat immediately. A discovered ambush is worse than no ambush at all.

Yet, they had not fled but fought back.

One might attribute their stubbornness to their faith in Elil, but even Elil would not advocate foolish battles. This attack was clearly unwise.

“Why?”

“Holy Grail Knight, what should we do with the bodies?”

A centurion interrupted Isaac’s thoughts with a question about the corpses. Isaac was about to dismiss it with a casual order when he realized the peculiarity of the question.

“What’s usually done in the Kingdom of Elil?”

“They usually bury them. But since you’re from the Codex of Light, I thought you might prefer cremation.”

Cremation was a tradition among the mad undead-hating cult of the Immortal Order, opposed to the Codex of Light. Most citizens of the Kingdom of Elil buried their dead.

Though some noble remnants of Elil’s past as followers of the Codex of Light favored cremation, sending bodies adrift on flaming boats, this was seen as a waste of precious wood by the common folk.

“Let’s do it the way of the Kingdom of Elil here.”

Although he preferred cremation, the onset of the rainy season in Elil made the environment too damp and humid. Cremating the bodies now would be a waste of resources and time. It was better to bury them, leaving only a small guard.

The centurion nodded repeatedly before withdrawing. As he left, Edelred approached on horseback.

Before Edelred could speak, Isaac preempted him.

“The soldiers think this is more my victory than Elil’s.”

–TL Notes–