Chapter 242: Northern Expedition 3
“It is captured, sir.”
Harrison looked at a widely open castle gate and made a bright smile.
Roan Lancephil wordlessly nodded his head.
In merely three days, they had captured the Hoken Castle of the McGinley Region which was one of the major breadbasket zones.
It was a much easier battle than they had worried.
‘Clay. You thought of me too lightly.’
Roan could roughly understand how the situation was turning.
Clay must had been complacent.
‘But that too should end here.’
By now, Clay should have tightly gripped himself back and newly prepared a counterplan.
‘We must soon prepare the next step.’
Roan pulled his reins and lightly spurred his horse.
The rigidly standing warhorse slowly moved its steps.
The soldiers who had been busy with aftermath cleaning moved to the sides and saluted.
When he entered inside the castle gate, citizens whom swarmed out alongside a street were seen.
Roan, like always, climbed down from his warhorse.
The commanders who followed behind also did the same.
The castle’s residents quietly watched that sight with their mouth closed.
The light in their eyes were hot as flames.
An odd silence swirled.
Roan and the many commanders moved their steps with composed expressions.
For now, they planned to finish the legion’s resupplying by open up the granary and the supply storages at the castle’s center and look after the castle’s citizens.
At that moment.
“G, Grand Commander sir!”
“S, sir Count!”
From here and there, young men’s voices burst out.
Roan paused his steps and looked around.
Pushing through the crowd, three young men showed up.
Instinctively, few taemusas prepared to pulled out their swords.
“It is fine. Move back.”
A gentle voice.
Taemusas lightly lowered their heads at Roan’s order and returned to their positions.
Meanwhile, the young men kneeled down on the ground and lowered their heads.
“We are the Hoken Castle’s farmers, sir.”
Roan wordlessly nodded his head.
The young men’s words continued on.
“We, we also wish to fight together with Sir Count Lancephil!”
“Please take us in as the legion’s soldiers, sir!”
“We’ll fight with our lives!”
Loud voices heat the ears.
Roan quietly looked at the young men’s faces and then slowly moved his steps.
He held their shoulders with both arms and gently pulled them up.
“There is no need to kneel like so.”
A faint smile and a warm voice.
The young men became overwhelmed and couldn’t simply raise their heads.
“I’m thankful of your intentions but I will only take those passion. I do not wish to push even the ordinary people into the battlefields.”
Their number of soldiers were certainly inferior.
And for closing that difference, there was no method more effective than a forced conscription.
Roan, who currently controlled two thirds of the Rinse Kingdom, could instantly recruit in incredible number of soldiers.
However, he did not wish for forced conscription at the least.
‘Pushing people who never held a weapon even once before into the battlefields is the same as simply telling them to die.’
That was nothing more and nothing less than meat shields.
Furthermore, now was the season when many crops would ripen.
It was a state where a crisis to the harvest would immediately form if he were to recklessly conscript young men.
A situation where already the people’s lives were impoverished from the long wars.
He couldn’t place any further harsh ordeal upon them.
“We too understand Grand Commander’s intent, sir!”
“You must be saying so worrying about our lives!”
“But this is something we want, something we decided on our own, sir! We aren’t involuntarily joining because someone made us do it!”
Their voices were heated as the light in their eyes.
“At the very least, let us carry the baggages if we can’t be of help in battle, sir!”
“We’ve farmed all our lives. We can carry ration bags as much as needed!”
“We can clean the roads and put up camps, sir! We can do anything!”
Solely fighting while personally holding spears and swords alone wasn’t war.
Roan looked with a troubled expression at the young men.
At that moment, Harrison, Brian,a dn Pierce came to his sides.
“Aren’t their intents admirable, sir? Do please accept them in.”
“We actually are at a situation where not only the fighting troops but our rear auxiliary troops are very deficient, sir.”
“If it’s Glenn back at the fief, he should teach them well of the necessary things within a short time, sir.”
Glenn already was managing the fief regiment training camp for years and was training the Lancephil soldiers whom were famed as a powerful force.
“Hmm.”
Roan sank into thought with a quiet groan.
The young men stared straight at that Roan.
A will to absolutely not step back easily could be gleamed.
In the end, Roan had to step back.
“Can’t be helped. I will accept you.”
The instant his words finished.
“Waaah!”
“Thank you, sir!”
The young men raised their arms up high and cheered.
Roan quickly raised up his right hand and calmed them down.
“But you must absolutely not die without my order.”
“Eh?”
The young men blinked their eyes and asked back.
Roan added on with a stern expression and voice.
“Do not die but survive and experience the world that will newly unfold. The world that you personally till and raise with your hands.”
“The world we personally till and raise with our hands……”
The young men looked at each other and faltered their words.
Heated fervor climbed up to their throats.
They had thought of themselves as mediocre existences.
’That us will raise up a world?’
‘We, we will do it.’
Their hearts soared.
The young men quickly clenched their fists and nodded their heads.
“We will absolutely survive to the end as the Grand Commander commanders, sir!”
Resounding voices echoed through the street.
At that moment.
“Sir, I will join too!”
“Sir, please take me along as well!”
Multitudes of young men poured out into the street from amongst the residents.
That was the beginning.
“I cannot personally join due to my old age, but please take this, sir.”
“Please feed the soldiers full with this, sir.”
Those who were too old or weren’t well gave out their foods and possessions.
“I will sew the clothes at the least.”
“I’ll cook up the food.”
Old and young women also stepped up one after another.
It was an incredible sight.
The numerous commanders including Roan all made dumbfounded expressions.
“Do, don’t people usually run away from armies and troops?”
“Aren’t they usually all busy closing their doors when they see soldiers?”
Few taemusas shook their heads as if they couldn’t believe it.
At that moment, Harrison, Brian, and Pierce cheerfully smiled and spoke in a quiet voices as if to whisper.
“Now the people has finally realized.”
“Of the lord’s meaning and sincerity……”
“Though our numbers may be inferior, our lord earned the citizens’ support that can’t be bought with anything.”
The people’s support.
Finally, Roan had earned the ordinary citizen’s hearts.
Thanks to that, Roan and the Lancephil Fief Regiment’s numbers, supplies, and rations instead began to increase the longer the time went.
It was all a result achieved without forced conscription nor plundering.
Such rumors spread throughout the entirety of the Rinse Kingdom but even to the North Rinse Kingdom.
The North Rinse Kingdom’s citizens, who already weren’t pleased with allying with the Estia Imperial Army, heard of Roan and the Lancephil Fief Regiment’s journey and began to greatly shake.
Clay tried belatedly to soothe the citizen’s sentiments by opening up the treasury, but the citizens’ discontent instead began to slowly, very slowly pile up as parts of the Estia Imperial Army stationed within the kingdom committed misdeeds.
Amongst this, Roan and the Lancephil Fief Regiment resupplied the legion and once again began their northern march.
And in response, Viscount Heder Myers led thirty thousand elite army and climbed south.
Roan versus Heder.
Now the full-scale battle of the Lancephil Fief Regiment and the Rinse Liberation Army was soon to begin.
*****
“That truly is a troublesome fort.”
Austin shook his head with his brows creased.
The thing he was staring down from above a small hill was a average sized fort.
“We have to capture this place to march north without a worry, but……”
The fort was located at that much of a geographically important location.
Due to that, Roan too gave Austin three thousand elite soldiers and an order to absolutely capture it.
“I’ve heard the rumors that the Erwin Fort was an amazing fort, but……”
“It truly was a difficult to place to capture when we actually tried attacking it.”
Austin bitterly smiled and nodded his head.
Because the Erwin Fort was located on top of a cliff and the three sides besides the southern fort wall, where the fort’s gate was located, were all sharp cliffs, in the first place approaching it was impossible.
Furthermore, the southern wall where the gate was also had deep moats and big and small rocks spread out to left and right that large number of soldiers couldn’t penetrate through it.
‘The even bigger problem is the magic set on the gate and its vicinity.’
Austin creased his forehead and stared at the fort gate.
On the Erwin Fort’s gate was a mana nullifying magic circle that the Rinse Palace’s magicians had etched over number of years.
‘When we near the fort gate, we momentarily become unable to use not only the nearby mana but also mana within our body.’
One would be less affected by the magic circle’s effect if one’s mana level was as skillful as Roan or Pierce, but the ordinary taemusas weren’t so.
This was the reason the taemusas couldn’t do much in this siege.
‘Troublesome. Troublesome……’
The way to break through and enter the fort gate was nonexistent.
‘When would that reinforcement the lord spoke of come……’
Roan, together with the order to absolutely capture the Erwin Fort, promised a reinforcement.
‘No, in the first place, could we capture that fort even if the reinforcement comes?’
He didn’t have much confidence.
Of course, they should be able to easily capture the fort if they were to tightly close off the southern entrance and attempt an attrition.
Because the Erwin Fort wasn’t of a large size, its reserve food and supplies weren’t on the ample side.
However, the problem was that the Lancephil Fief Regiment including Austin couldn’t invest very long a time here at the Erwin Castle.
Blitzkrieg.
‘Our numbers are also inferior, so……’
They had to quickly capture the Erwin Castle and join up with the main army.
‘Frustrating.’
A long sigh naturally flowed out.
At that very moment.
“Legion Vice-Commander sir!”
One adjutant ran up and shouted.
“Hm?”
Austin stared without any thought at the adjutant but soon creased his forehead.
Behind the adjutant, a shabbily dressed young man was following along.
His face looked somewhat familiar.
Austin thinly opened his eyes and carefully looked over the young man’s appearance.
“Ah!”
Suddenly a quiet exclamation flowed out.
The left sleeve fluttering harshly along the wind.
The young man had no left arm.
‘That man is……’
The face he had completely forgotten resurfaced back.
‘Walter Owells. No, Walter.’
The son of Kali Owells who rebelled against Ian Lancephil and the tragic man who lost his arm and mana hole.
It was Walter, the very man who willfully threw away his last name of Owells.
‘It really has been a long time.’
Walters disappearing away was already a few years ago.
He, after Roan defeating Count Jonathan Chase and Kali Owells and became a Count succeeding Ian Lancephil, had disappeared while returning to the fief.
‘At the time, the lord said he gave Walter a new chance.’
At the same time, he ordered to not ask any more questions about Walter until he returned again.
‘Something has changed.’
Austin stared at the approaching Walter and twinkled his eyes.
Although his appearance was ragged, his presence at least was different than before.
‘He was greatly depressed after losing his left arm and his mana hole before disappearing, but……’
Now his spirit and the light in his eyes looked completely revived.
No, he looked even bolder than before.
“Legion Vice-Commander Austin, sir. It has been a while.”
Walter walked up and lowered his head.
“It’s been a while.”
Austin held Walter’s hand and made a faint smile.
Long words weren’t needed.
The two men for a while exchanged burning gazes without any word.
After who knew how long, Walter lightly glanced at the Erwin Fort below the hill and opened his mouth.
“For now, I’ll take care of the urgent issue first, sir. Let us chat……”
His eyes twinkled and shone with light.
“Inside the Erwin Fort.”
“Hm?”
Austin made a slightly shocked expression.
At first, he didn’t realize what Walter’s words meant.
But soon, he got a feeling as if hit strongly on the back of his head.
“Is the reinforcement the lord spoke of perhaps……?”
At those words, Walter made a peculiar smile instead of answering and then moved his steps.
Austin extended out his hand a moment behind and shouted aloud.
“A, a mana nullifying magic circle is etched on the fort gate! Attacking it alone is impossible!”
“It’s fine, sir.”
Walter slowly sprinted faster and responded shortly.
“Since I don’t have mana either way.”
A soft but powerful voice pierced into his ears.
Austin creased his forehead.
“T, then with just what method are you going to……”
His words could not quite continue on.
For Walter had already gone far away.
Austin and the many adjutants merely stood at their places and stared at Walter’s back.
“Don’t push!”
“The front is completely blocked!”
“Move back!”
The legion soldiers with the taemusas at the lead were fully filling the narrow approach.
Walter, without equipping even the common armor, pushed through between that and moved his steps.
Uddck.
Each time he rolled his neck left and right and roll his right arm around and around, a dull sound echoed.
The wide moats and the tightly closed gate was seen before his eyes.
The gate, perhaps thanks to the terrain’s advantage and the mana nullifying magic circle, wasn’t as strong as he had expected.
Walter looked straight at the fort gate and formed a bright smile.
Simultaneously, he pulled his clothes on his chest with his right arm.
Rrripp!
His clothes ripped off and a tough upper body appeared.
His bronze torso was covered in sturdy and hard-as-rock muscles.
“Wha, what is that?”
“Some crazy bastard is approaching naked, sir!”
The Erwin Fort guards discovered Walter and shouted.
“Shoot the arrows! Kill him!”
The Erwin Fort’s Guard Captain Patrick Kolmann raised up his sword high and shouted.
‘Something’s eerie.’
An unpleasant and ominous feeling brushed past on the back of his neck.
“Shoot!”
Soon the soldiers shot out arrows.
Ssweaaaak!
With a sharp shriek of air, numerous arrows flew towards Walter.
Walter looked at the arrows that canvased over his head and deeply breathed in.
“Hhmph!”
Suddenly, an unbelievable event unfolded.
Ppbuckk!
With a dull sound, the torso covered in muscles rapidly began to expand.
His shoulders spread further apart and even on his one arm and two legs massive clumps of muscles attached on.
Walter raised his right arm above his head.
Simultaneously, the sharp arrows fell on top.
The arrows exude fierce vigor as if to directly pierce through Walter.
Pubububububuk!
Horrid sounds of impact rang the battlefield.
Everyone predicted Walter’s death.
But.
“Eh?”
“Hhph!”
“No, no way!”
Not only the nearby teamusas as well as the guards who shot the arrows from the fort, but even Austin and the numerous adjutants who’d been watching the scene from above the hill roundly goggled their eyes and exploded out in exclamations.
“Th, the arrows bounced off?”
Austin murmured with a dumbfounded look.
An unbelievable sight.
The tens of arrows, let alone piercing through Walter, bounced off his skin without even leaving a scratch.
Even further, majority of the arrows had their points blunted or its stems snapped apart.
Ttddk.
Walter lowered his arm that was covering his head and turned his head.
A peculiar smile was floated up on his mouth.
Sss.
He pulled one feet back and lowered his body.
Taat!
Simultaneously, he kicked off the ground and raced towards the fort gate.
He instantly jumped over the moat.
“L, lunacy! What is that monster!”
“Why isn’t the mana nullifying magic working?”
“That’s not it, sir! The magic circle is working as normal!”
“Then what? Are you saying that bastard knows a high level enough mana technique to overwhelm our magic circle!”
The Erwin Fort’s guards panicked and shouted.
Meanwhile, Walter lightly landed in front of the fort gate and then once again kicked off the ground.
Pabat!
Leading his gigantified body, he charged straight towards the fort gate.
“Uaaahaph!”
A shout closer to a monstrous roar exploded out from Walter’s mouth.
At the same time, the right arm clustered on with muscles crossed the air.
A fist striking the fort gate straight along with the charging form.
A fist the size of an ordinary adult man’s head struck straight the fort gate.
Kwaaaaang!
An incredible explosive boom blasted out.
At the same time.
Ggiiiik.
The tightly closed fort gate greatly twisted and began to fall back.
Exactly a single strike.
Walter obliterated the Erwin Fort’s gate with a single fist.
Kkgung.
Together with a heavy sound, the fort gate completely fell down.
Walter jumped directly up and kicked the column and the rope that was pulling on the drawbridge.
Kwaang!
Once again with an explosive boom, the heavy drawbridge fell on top of the moat.
“Ah……”
“Hhmm……”
Taemusas and the Lancephil Fief Regiment’s soldiers, who for the last few days had incessantly attacked the Erwin but couldn’t achieve any particular progress, directly froze up and let out exclamations.
That was also the same for the many commanders including Austin.
“I, is that something possible?”
Austin asked but there was no one answering.
A situation where everyone was half-dumbfounded out of their minds.
In the middle of that, the only one who correctly had his mind on was Walter.
“Are you all just going to look like that?”
A quietly let out voice.
He soon raised his giant fist above his head and shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Attack! Let’s attack the Erwin Fort!”
A voice shattering the silence of the battlefield.
Only then the soldiers including the taemusas came to their senses.
“Waaaaaah!”
“Attack! Attack!”
They crossed the drawbridge following Walter’s back and then entered into the Erwin Fort.
It was the moment the Erwin Fort, called the godly fort, was captured.
Austin, who was watching the entire scene from above the hill, exhaled out a long sigh.
“Huu.”
His eyes greatly shook left and right.
“My lord has……”
His voice too sharply shook.
“Earned the kingdom’s strongest, no, the continent’s strongest fighter.”
At those words, numerous adjutants nodded their heads.
They did not quite know it yet, but with this, the six heroes who would come to command the continent together with Roan had all appeared.
Austin, Semi, Harrison, Brian, Pierce, and Walter.
Of course, the one who would lead them and come to stand on the highest peak was the War God Roan Lancephil.
< Northern Expedition (3) > End.