Chapter 21
While Ryuba was getting thoroughly chewed out by the enraged Zeta in the Senate auditorium, Leon and Theo were arguing as they watched the scene before them.
“The Emperor's Royal Guard being good at archery must be a damn lie.”
“Why are you suddenly launching such a surprise accusation?”
“When we went to catch Nilion, they made a mistake and almost killed the guy, and this ti, they let Isak get away. Are they really good archers?”
“Well, who would have known Duke Isak's n would be so loyal? Who would have thought they'd jump in to take an arrow for their master?”
“That's true. Hah, it was by a hair's breadth, and we couldn't catch him. Such a sha.”
“Let's not think so negatively and try to be positive, shall we? Talking badly about it will just drain our energy.”
“How can I, after seeing this ss?”
“……”
“Hah. I stepped up so confidently, but now that things have turned out like this, what excuse should I make to Zeta?”
“I know. We're screwed, this is……”
The two of them stopped arguing and looked ahead. A bright light illuminated their stupid faces.
Fwoosh.
Before their eyes, the thousand-year-old capital of the Empire, the Imperial Capital, was burning.
***
Ever since its discovery by so primitive man in prehistoric tis, fire had beco an indispensable part of humanity.
Humans used fire to drive away the darkness of night, learned how to grill at deliciously, and laid the foundations of civilization.
There was even a study suggesting that the human brain developed because of cooked at, so it was undeniable that fire had the most significant impact on the developnt of mankind.
However, fire didn't just have the advantage of being good for grilling at.
It also had the disadvantage of being good at grilling anything and everything, not just at.
In that sense, a city was like a giant combustible mass. This was because most buildings were made of wood, and oil was an essential part of dietary life.
In other words, it was easy for a fire to spread.
Duke Isak's n knew this fact as well. That was why they set fire to the Imperial Capital without hesitation.
It wasn't that they had a lingering desire to recreate the joy of the prehistoric man who discovered fire.
It was simply to block Belius's central army, which was in pursuit.
The fact that they no longer needed to capture the Imperial Capital safely, now that the rebellion was a lost cause, also played a part. If this were Nikaea, it might have been different, but this was soone else's land.
And so, the fire fed on the oil, timber, and bitun scattered everywhere, growing massive and beginning to roast the city.
People fleeing the flas scread from all directions. Those with their wits about them tried to extinguish the fire, but it was far beyond their control.
***
BOOM!
A grand fireworks display erupted sowhere in the streets. A massive fla, visible even from a distance, soared high into the sky.
The light was so blinding I had to turn my head away, and instead, Theo shielded his eyes with his hand and spoke.
“That way is, probably where the oil warehouse is. It seems the fire has spread that far.”
“It's burning well, burning real well. At this rate, forget the rebellion and its suppression; the Imperial Capital will beco a charcoal briquette first.”
With things having co to this, I had no choice but to admit my mistake. It wasn't that I was happy to admit it.
It was just that the presence of the flas before my eyes was too imnse to ignore reality.
“To retreat imdiately after realizing his plan has failed, Isak's judgnt is no ordinary thing. Just as expected of a final boss.”
“What on earth does ‘final boss’ an?”
“You could call it a fated nesis. Sothing like that.”
“Does Duke Isak think so too?”
“I don't know either. No, why should I care? More importantly, we should have definitely captured or finished off Isak in the Senate auditorium. We missed a good opportunity.”
It was a good opportunity to suppress Isak as soon as he started the rebellion. Since that flew away, the regret was bound to be great. Theo consoled from the side.
“It couldn't be helped. There were too many traitors.”
He was right. The ones who helped Isak escape in that critical mont were the traitorous central army units.
I had definitely 'asked' Belius to 'advise' the figures with military authority near the Imperial Capital not to move rashly.
But it seems the aning of that was not conveyed well. Or perhaps, Patriarch Daniel's influence was much stronger than Belius's.
As a result, more officers than expected went over to Isak, and consequently, their subordinate units ended up participating in the rebellion as well.
Fortunately, a few units remained in their garrisons as requested, but it was as clear as day that they would switch sides depending on the situation.
“Even though I asked in the na of the ‘great general Belius,’ so many people ignored it and sided with Isak. What do you think, Belius?”
Belius, who was commanding the troops over there, retorted.
“They probably didn't like because I'm a commoner. It's fine. I never liked those bastards either.”
“There's a nobleman listening right here, you know.”
“Anyway, you noble bastards are so damn disobedient. You want a taste of it too? Huh? You don't know my temper? Stop provoking .”
“Yes, yes. By the way, how is the current situation?”
Instead of being intimidated by Belius's threat, I focused on the problem at hand.
Currently, the Imperial Capital was literally a Hot place. Against the backdrop of the burning city, both armies were swarming.
However, just because they were soldiers didn't an they had fire resistance, so the actual battles were taking place in the streets and alleys untouched by the flas.
Because of that, reports were often delayed or conflicting, making it very difficult to grasp the unfolding situation.
“Why? Worried we might lose?”
“The damage to the Imperial Capital is growing because of the fire. The citizens' inconvenience must be considerable as well. It would be best to end this quickly.”
Belius scoffed.
“You're worried about that? Tell honestly.”
“Why do you think it's a lie?”
“Because the Emperor wasn't the type to worry about others. There's no way you, who share the sa bloodline, would be any different.”
“……”
Has he gone senile already?
I don't know why he keeps seeing the Emperor in .
Still, he wasn't entirely wrong.
I'm not in a position to be worried about anyone else right now.
“Then let be frank. I don't want to see my ho disappear after winning the battle.”
“If you're that worried, you take command.”
“I'll pass. Honestly, just watching from the side makes my head spin.”
I had completely entrusted the command to Belius.
I had my fill of commanding in gas, but that was just in gas; reality would be different.
It was better to leave it to soone competent than to have an inexperienced person try to command and screw things up.
This was also a token of my trust in Belius's (command ability).
So all instructions and orders were being relayed through Belius.
Belius licked his lips.
“It's not easy right now.”
“Is it difficult?”
“But in the end, we will win. Isak is also wandering around looking for an escape route, but soon he will realize there is nowhere left to run.”
“For a mid-boss, his performance is pretty pathetic.”
“What? What does that an?”
“It's just a thing. Anyway, you're saying it's not easy, right?”
Belius said confidently.
“Don't worry too much. A few youngsters may have joined that side, but in the end, they're just youngsters. I will win.”
To Belius, who once stood at the pinnacle of the military, it seed his opponents were still nothing more than youngsters...
The soldiers who sided with Isak probably weren't that incompetent.
You can tell just by the fact that we haven't clearly seized the upper hand.
This is partly due to our thin pool of talent, but it also ans that the opposing side's command ability is not at a level that can be ignored.
Besides, the command ability of Isak, the final boss, is also considerable.
I sighed.
“Where are we most bogged down right now?”
“Why?”
“There's no ti. Quickly.”
“Below the colonnade of the aqueduct. Isak's main force is there. But do you have a plan? If you're planning to rely on the Emperor's Royal Guard, it will be difficult now. They have to protect the Senate and the Imperial Palace.”
“Fortunately, I have accumulated much virtue, so I have a way. Please withdraw the troops you have deployed there so our forces don't clash.”
“It's funny hearing soone from the Akardi family talk about virtue, but I'll trust you.”
“……”
When this battle is over, I must investigate the dead Emperor.
Just what kind of vicious acts did he commit for even his closest aide to give such an evaluation?
***
The Duchy of Nikaea's army stationed below the aqueduct, being an elite unit personally commanded by Isak, had strong combat power and high morale.
This ti too, they overwheld a detachnt of Belius's central army in a skirmish. The central army unit fled, scrambling over each other without even putting up a proper fight.
“Haha! We won again this ti!”
“Pathetic. To run away without even fighting properly.”
“That's the Empire's elite? Unbelievable!”
The soldiers of the Duchy of Nikaea jeered at the retreating central army unit. Weren't their opponents too pathetic to be called fellow soldiers?
anwhile, Isak, instead of getting carried away with joy like his soldiers, maintained his composure.
“Everyone, calm down! The battle is not over yet! Hold your positions!”
As Isak walked around and shouted, the heat of excitent among the soldiers cooled down a bit.
However, the enemy seed to have no intention of leaving the Duchy of Nikaea's army alone.
“Report! The enemy forces that retreated are re-engaging!”
From the direction the central army had just retreated, enemy forces began to approach again. The flas burning the city clearly revealed the figures of the enemy forces. For a mont, the Duchy of Nikaea's army was bewildered.
“What are those? Beggars?”
“No, they're Snow Elves!”
“If they're Snow Elves in the Imperial Capital, wouldn't they be from the Emperor's Royal Guard? Shouldn't guards be wearing armor?”
It was natural for them to be bewildered.
The enemy forces that appeared this ti lacked uniform attire or equipnt, and they didn't even have a banner to represent their unit.
The only identifiable elent was their race: Snow Elf. They even stopped at a distance that seed out of arrow range.
Naturally, the Duchy of Nikaea's army could only misunderstand that the Snow Elves had no will to fight.
“What is it, are they refugees who've co asking for help?”
“What should we do? Should we drive them away since they're in the way?”
Unlike his bewildered subordinates, the astute Isak quickly recalled that retired Snow Elves resided in the Imperial Capital.
Of course, Isak did not know that the retired Snow Elves were Zeta's minions.
However, just finding a connection was enough to send a cold sweat down his spine.
The mont the Snow Elves drew their small bows from a distance, Isak's conviction grew stronger.
‘Solenarion!’
It was a high-level Imperial technique that used an overdraw device to shoot arrows farther than a normal bow.
The bow is inherently a difficult weapon to master. Solenarion, which added a special technique to it, was much more difficult to learn.
However, for Snow Elves, who live longer than humans, especially for the Emperor's Royal Guard, the elite of the elite, learning Solenarion would not have been difficult.
‘So they were hiding that fact!’
Panicked, Isak shouted reflexively.
“Shields!”
“Sir? But the arrows won't reach here.”
“Stop spouting nonsense and raise your shields! It's an enemy attack!”
Isak bellowed, but his subordinates hesitated. Instead, they were flustered and didn't know what to do.
Isak realized why.
As Solenarion was a difficult technique to learn, naturally, few people knew of it.
To the extent that not a single person in the Duchy of Nikaea used it.
“Just give a shield!”
“Oh.”
When communication failed, Isak snatched a subordinate's shield and covered his head.
While they argued, it was already too late.
Thud-thud-thud.
Isak felt like he was being rained on. He couldn't see anything, but the irregular sound of sothing striking his shield was like the sound of rain.
Isak closed his eyes and waited for the unseen attack to end.
A mont later, when the sound stopped, Isak lowered the shield.
And soon, he realized he was standing in the middle of a pile of corpses.
All around, the instantly killed or groaning wounded lay fallen.
He had lost dozens of elite soldiers.
Isak's rage turned towards the Snow Elves. There was no longer any need to save face.
“These bastards who deserve to be torn to shreds...!”
Isak was about to give the order to attack. He still had many subordinates left.
But once again, he was a step too late.
“What?”
The retired Snow Elf soldiers were, by na, forr mbers of the Emperor's Royal Guard. Their skills might have gotten a little rusty since retirent, but their judgnt was as sharp as ever.
So, as soon as they judged they had inflicted sufficient damage, they chose to leave the battlefield without any further attacks.
By the ti Isak was about to give the order, they were already too far away to pursue.
Grind.
A terrifying sound echoed from Isak's clenched molars as he stared blankly at their retreating figures.
It's natural for people to get pissed off when soone hits and runs.
Let alone now, when he had taken a blow.
“Leon, so that's how you're going to play? If so, I have a plan of my own.”
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