Chapter 336: The Silver-Rimd Ultramarine
His voice, heard up close, seed terribly calm. It was a voice inappropriate of a man of old age, yet it belonged to such a man. In a sense, the rumors were true when it ca to judge appearances.
「Are those shadows our enemy? They look enthusiastic on the dead snow. 」
The man, who was a Belfein rcenary and Vestaline’s adjutant, spoke with that voice and pointed his finger. His heart was sluggish and pounding, and his breathing was naturally heavy.
Although there was still so distance between the two parties, there were already 2,000 soldiers gathering in the dead snow.
On the other hand, 300 people stood inside Prison Beulah. Even though they had a fortress called prison, the number of soldiers was hardly enough to fight that many.
The hand pointing at the enemy’s shadows trembled unconsciously. This man was a ruthless rcenary. He had been on the battlefield many tis before, and death had grazed him very close to his chest. Many of his comrades-in-arms, whom he had been chatting with until just now, died beside him.
However, this was a different kind of terror.
There was fear of an overwhelming number of enemies approaching with weapons in order to kill them. A shiver that slowly strangled the neck with the sound of hooves.
The man certainly felt that shiver rising from his heels.
The rcenaries were not originally supposed to be in a place like this. rcenaries were always on the side of the powerful or the rich. Even though it was a profession that earned gold coins with lives as collateral, there weren’t that many people who would jump into a death zone themselves.
That’s why this man’s heart was fighting like never before. He couldn’t help but ask who brought him to this place of death.
No, he knew who it was. There was no need to ask such question, everyone understood the reason why they were here in the first place.
The human standing in front of him. The Hero of the Heraldic Order had brought them to the death zone. When this man thought about it, he wanted to drop even one of his complaints. So, the man said with a sigh.
「I have two bad news. 」
Lugis, the Hero of the Heraldic Order, shrugged his shoulders and urged him to continue, still wearing his military uniform. By his side stood Vestaline Geluah, the leader of the rcenaries.
「The prisoners are extrely exhausted. They can walk, at least, but they can’t be counted as soldiers.」
What the man said was true. The prisoners were tortured and were fed rotten food. It wasn’t impossible, but it would be difficult for them to fight with a weapon.
If they sent the prisoners to the battlefield, all the prisoners would beco a flesh wall to stop the enemy’s progress. It was a useless option. Even if they tried to escape, it would take a considerable amount of ti.
Lugis answered the man’s voice while gritting his teeth. The man wondered if Lugis didn’t expect much from the beginning. The man couldn’t see any turmoil in his sword-swallowing eyes.
The man opened his mouth after feeling sothing heavy in his stomach. It was painful and even troubleso to say a single word.
「A witness saw their equipnt and their horses. Their equipnt was made with the silver-rimd ultramarine.」
Hearing the man’s voice, Lugis imdiately sulked. His eyes clearly contained sothing radiant.
「How true is that story? Let’s hope it’s not a delusional one. 」
After distorting his eyebrows, the man elaborated Lugis’ words. This man understood what Lugis was trying to say. Because he understood, he didn’t want to answer lightly.
The man’s tone sounded bitter, and his lips changed in response.
「The witness said their horses had unusually thick legs. They were northern horses, for sure. If you face a northern horse and a knight wearing the silver-rimd ultramarine, your fate will be decided imdiately.」
The man didn’t say anything beyond those words. He felt that if he continued to speak, his inner turmoil would beco reality. He wanted to cling to the possibility that it would not happen, even if it showed a little.
The enemy was a force to be reckoned with. It was the sa thing as an undeniable, unavoidable death approaching them. The rcenaries understood that well.
Perhaps Vestaline also understood the aning of this man’s words. The man felt that her expression had changed to sothing stern.
「…How many days will it take for the expected Heraldic Reinforcents to arrive?」
Vestaline said to the man. The man desperately chose his words and said that it would take two full days at the earliest.
If they just crossed the highway from the front line to the prison, one day would be enough, but during the dead snow things were different. Two days were definitely needed.
Besides, Vestaline only requested the rcenaries to occupy the prison. They needed more ti to prepare enough n to face the thousands of enemy soldiers.
However, the man did not dare to say those words. If it was to be brief, the information that was available was enough.
After all, the enemy was already in a place where they could be clearly seen. Waiting for two full days was a no go. The man’s heart pounded again.
Involuntarily, the man turned his gaze to Lugis with a hatred look.
The man didn’t hate Lugis in particular. He knew Lugis was not a bad person. In fact, Lugis was soone whom the man could talk to.
His actions were heroic everywhere, and there weren’t enough words to describe the achievent to conquer Prison Beulah with just the Steel Princess. He would take off many hats if he could and salute him. That’s how n paid homage to heroes.
However, the man also had other thoughts. He wondered if this scenario was Lugis’ mistake.
After all, the enemy’s reinforcents were clearly moving in a strange way.
Of course, if Prison Beulah had succumbed to the Heraldic Order, it would be natural to raise an army to reconquer it. Yet, raising an army would not happen in just one day.
Traveling during the dead snow was a challenge, therefore, the army would take several days to reach this place. This was clearly too early.
The man understood that Lugis had this assumption, after hearing the story beforehand.
Precisely because Lugis thought the enemy’s movents would take a short ti, he took the action of having a small number of people capture the prison so that the enemy would not be able to guess.
However, the enemy arrived way too early. This was a definite accident. The enemy took an action that was originally impossible, and it shed in the worst possible way.
The man muttered in his mind.
“…He is indeed a hero. But if this hero wasn’t here, would our princess have fallen into such a predicant?”
With that thought, the man looked at Lugis’ profile. Then, he opened his eyes wide.
「The silver-rimd ultramarine and the northern horses…Valerie Brightness, huh? 」
Lugis called out that na with an innocent voice, like a child who had successfully done a prank. Then, he opened his mouth again with the sa gesture. He wore his blood-soaked military uniform as if it were his normal clothes.
「…What a masterpiece. It feels as if we dug our own graves. Who else could stop a nace twelve tis except her?」
The man couldn’t understand the aning of those words. However, he knew that the hero in front of him was smiling happily, as if he was pleased with sothing.
While the man, the hero and the Steel Princess were doing small talk, the enemy was making its way forward. It was the sa thing as a blade approaching the neck. What was this hero thinking?
The man was looking at Lugis’ eyes with a purer feeling, greater than agitation or suspicion. Was it curiosity or admiration?
Little by little, the enemy soldiers trampled the snow closer to the prison. At a certain point, the army stopped. It was around this ti it happened.
Lined up outside the outer wall were the silver-rimd ultramarine soldiers. Those were the ones who delt with magical beasts in the north. Of course, there were other soldiers mixed in, but the silver-rimd uniform filled the front line.
All the rcenaries who drew their bows on the defensive wall gasped. For the rcenaries, the silver-rimd ultramarine was a symbol that should not be dealt with no matter what.
They were an entity who easily tore people apart with their one-handed swords, and made their horses gallop with utmost power and strength. They were skilled soldiers who fought wars not because of money, but because they wanted to fight.
Why were they so fearso? Could these bows and arrows really shoot them down? Such thoughts appeared in the hearts of the rcenaries.
One horse stood out from the herd of frightening “monsters”. With a relaxed movent, it even felt elegant. It didn’t look like it belonged to the battlefield.
The person riding the horse was most likely the commander. She was a woman with breathtakingly sharp features and eyes.
She spoke while shaking the air. She had a strong voice that shook even the dead snow.
「Open the gate imdiately. Otherwise, we will humiliate you. All of you will die. Surrender and your life will be spared. Choose now…」
It was a voice that hit from above the skies. A cold-hearted choice of words that grabbed people’s throats. Behind her words, an affirmation showed that she would not allow any resistance.
So swallowed their saliva and quivered. And so, the rcenaries were convinced.
That’s Valerie. She must be the woman called Storm. She was the one who deserved that title.
Actually, it was rare for a commander to do the job of a ssenger, but she was the one to do it. After all, bows and arrows were aningless weapons to her.
She was the only one who spoke while no one was even willing to open their mouths.
「…You must be joking. Where is that person you speak of? Who shows his back on the battlefield where victory is decided?」
The hero’s cheeks were puffed up, showing his canine teeth.
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