TOPWL 207

“Medic, over here!”

Yudit called for a medic. But the soldiers were packed too tightly, so the medic could not reach easily. Noban, who had sat down, stood up again.

“This much… is fine.”

But soon Noban coughed and spat blood. His lung seemed injured. The soldiers panicked and did not know what to do.

‘When a superior is hurt or dies, the soldiers are affected far more than expected. So please, always stay somewhere safe.’

Yudit realized Noban’s words. A superior getting hurt was a much bigger problem than he had thought. Noban tried to shout something, but only wheezing came out. Soon Noban whispered something into Yudit’s ear. Yudit’s eyes widened, then he nodded. He drew his sword and spoke.

“I deliver the Captain’s words! Reinforcements will arrive soon! If we hold on until then, victory will be ours!”

Yudit’s voice was higher in tone than that of the average adult male, but it carried farther with more force. Realizing that people were focused on him, Yudit tightened his stomach and shouted louder.

“Break through at twelve o’clock! It looks blocked, but there is definitely a gap somewhere! Strike that point! Once inside the enemy lines, their arrows will not reach us!”

At Yudit’s words, people murmured. At that moment Noban, with the last of his strength, roared.

“Why are you not moving! If you don’t want to die like dogs, raise your swords! We outnumber them!”

The soldiers finally began to move one by one. Centurion Darion, on horseback, charged straight toward the direction Yudit had pointed. His fierce gallop startled the enemy, but they did not release their spears.

Just before the enemy spears struck the horse’s chest, Darion pulled the horse to the left and shattered six or seven spears in one swing of his greatsword. That created a small opening, and his men behind him seized it. They threw themselves into the breach and widened it bit by bit.

“There! Break through there!”

“Keep advancing! Do not fear!”

Soldiers, now with hope, began to press into the gap. Once the enemy and allies mixed together, arrows no longer flew. More than anything, it was because they feared hitting their own. Just as Yudit had said, the tide of battle shifted, and the soldiers’ morale surged.

“Reinforcements will arrive soon! Hold on just a little longer!”

Yudit clenched his teeth. The battle was becoming a melee. Shane, Darius, and Bagon formed a triangle around Yudit to guard him. Arrows were still raining down toward the encampment, so it was safer among the enemy troops. Noban too was riding behind a soldier’s horse, heading for safety.

“Hyah!”

Yudit lowered his head and urged Reed forward. Because the soldiers ahead had cleared a path, Yudit moved swiftly. Shane was in front, Bagon and Darius were on the flanks. It felt reassuring. It was when hope started to rise.

“…..!”

From among the pile of wounded and dead, a hand suddenly shot up. It grabbed Yudit’s calf tightly. He barely managed to keep his stirrups and reins to avoid falling, but Reed reared in fright and stumbled. At the same time, Yudit felt a sharp sting on his calf.

“……!”

When he looked down, there was a man among the dead with a dagger, grinning.

“You bastard…!”

Bagon raised his sword and immediately cut the man’s throat. The man rolled his eyes back, coughed up blood foam, and after a brief shudder, his body went still.

“Are you all right?”

“I am fin…”

The moment Yudit tried to answer, pain shot through his calf. With a jolt, he bit his lip.

“Excuse me a moment.”

At the same time as Shane dismounted, he grabbed Yudit’s trouser leg and ripped it open. Around the gash in his calf, the skin was turning purple. Classic signs of poison.

“It is poison. It must be sucked out and treated at once. Let us return to camp.”

Yudit refused without hesitation.

“No. If I stop now too, who will lead the soldiers. Just give me first aid. I will be fine.”

“You could die!”

Shane shouted, he rarely raised his voice. But Yudit was the same, he could not retreat. The soldiers were not obeying because they trusted him that much. They were obeying because he was leading them in Noban’s place. If he collapsed as well, the soldiers would lose their center and scatter. He could not allow that.

“You two keep doing what you were doing. I will draw out the poison.”

Bagon dropped to one knee, pressed Yudit’s wound, and sucked out the poison. Ptoey, he spat the blackened blood onto the ground several times, then wiped his mouth.

“Thank you. We have been delayed long enough, let us depart immediately.”

“Your Highness!”

“I have resistance to poison. It is not a deep wound, this much is fine. Or do I need to give a command for you to listen?”

When Yudit insistedstrongly, Shane ground his teeth. Unless he left it at this level, Shane would not back down, so there was no choice.

“…Do as you will.”

In the end Shane yielded. Veins bulged on the back of his hand. For Shane, who rarely showed emotion, to react like this meant he was truly furious. But he calmed himself and returned to his usual composure.

“Take the lead, Darius. I will guard the Commander from behind.”

“Understood.”

Darius, who had been keeping watch while Bagon sucked the poison, switched places with Shane. Taller and broader than the others, Darius displayed his skill even on the battlefield. He handled his horse freely and swung a greatsword the size of a child. Each time, enemy soldiers tore apart like paper. Yudit, watching his performance, spoke quietly.

“He seems too valuable to use only for escort.”

“That is why he is most suitable to place by the Commander’s side.”

Bagon replied smoothly. Yudit gave a faint smile. Perhaps because the remaining poison was spreading, cold sweat poured down like rain and chills ran through him. Yudit braced his entire body so the weakness would not show.

“Darius, increase speed. You need not worry about escort anymore.”

From behind, Shane spoke, having noticed Yudit’s condition. Yudit wondered how they could go any faster here, but Darius grinned and raised his greatsword high. With a swing, two enemy heads flew. Using the recoil, he cut down another beside them. A fourth barely blocked his sword, but Darius pressed down with strength until the man’s own blade cut into his own body.

Darius then slashed from the fifth soldier’s armpit up to his shoulder, laughing like a madman. Frightened by his frenzy, the enemy troops wavered and fell back. With speed like lightning, Darius cleared the way, and Yudit stared at him blankly. His swordsmanship was brutal and fast, but because of it, Yudit reached the allied forces waiting on the hill safely.

“What is our casualty report?”

“So far, thirteen dead, about seventy wounded. Of them, about thirty can still fight.”

Devlin, the Knight Commander, lifted his helm and spoke. Fortunately, the number was not too large.

“How many enemy soldiers did you estimate?”

“From the forest, hundreds of arrows were fired at once. At least one hundred fifty, at most three hundred.”

Yudit frowned.

“I understood that the Breda domain soldiers numbered less than seven hundred. How can they come out this aggressively?”

Over three hundred had attacked the central troops. Assuming no reinforcements, if they included those who attacked the soldiers stationed at the castle’s side, then inside the castle there would be almost no troops left besides the archers on the walls. Yudit stared at the firm castle walls. If so, then the inside of that castle was empty?

Why did they not defend the castle? Why did they come out this aggressively?

His thoughts were clouded, like trapped in thick fog. The worst possibility was that Reginald’s side had even provided reinforcements just to kill him.