Chapter 112: The Fall of the Shartega Family (4)
With an unbelievable ability, he thoroughly blocked the Fire Attack that had been the enemy’s hidden trump card.
On top of that, the Fire Attack prepared by the opponent was turned back against them, even causing damage.
The advance of the Northern Army was unstoppable.
Watching the forces of the Shartega Family retreat, Kyle opened the Heart of the Ice Dragon in order to extinguish the flas that were beginning to spread around.
A fierce chill burst forth from Kyle’s entire body.
“Aron, we finish this before they can reform their ranks.”
“Sir Harte will handle it well.”
An ability that had never been seen during the days of Ian Kylers.
Even after returning to Ragnar, Kyle had continued to grow.
In the Ragnar he returned to after abandoning everything, he had obtained even greater power.
“I realized it once again.”
That it was a stroke of fortune for Aron to be able to stand beside Kyle.
A man who possessed not only the ability to support him from the front so that Aron could display all of his abilities as a Military Strategist, but also the power to nullify the opponent’s strategies.
Aron realized that by staying beside Kyle, even operations that seed impossible could be brought to success.
“Instead of saying such things, think about the next plan. What we should do after capturing Marquis Shartega.”
“It would be best to capture him alive. If he is executed in front of all the nobles of the kingdom, it will intimidate them to so extent.”
“Understood.”
Trusting Aron’s cold judgnt, Kyle imdiately moved.
“My lord, do you intend to face Marquis Shartega personally?”
“He was the greatest knight of the previous generation in the Kingdom of Daon. Would he have welcod
so confidently if he did not have so hidden strength?”
“Then do you believe Marquis Shartega has reached the Master level?”
“The probability is high. That is why I must deal with Marquis Shartega personally.”
With those words finished, Kyle swiftly moved forward.
Watching his departing figure, Aron shook his head.
The genius strategist of the Tylers Empire.
It was certainly a aningful and valuable epithet.
But no matter how much he was praised as a genius, he was no match for Kyle.
‘The reason I could be revered as a genius was because of my lord.’
Kyle greatly disliked stepping forward himself.
He was a terrifying man who always put Aron forward and controlled everything from behind.
His martial power went without saying, and even his sches were exceptional.
He moved more thoroughly than Aron and made plans even more ticulously.
Even though he possessed overwhelming ability, Kyle never beca careless.
In situations where unknown variables could arise at any mont, he had always moved while assuming the worst.
‘And it must be the sa even now.’
Aron smiled leisurely and tightly gripped the command baton in his hand.
Even if he governed everything from behind Kyle, the title of genius he received was not re luck.
“Marquis Shartega will abandon the troops used in the ambush.”
The troops who had gone outside the Lord’s Castle for the ambush would not be able to return inside again.
Because Aron had already determined during their advance here that Marquis Shartega was not soone who would make the mistake of opening the gates to the enemy.
Thinking of his own safety, Aron mounted the Ice Wolf Kyle had given him.
“Thank you, but you can go slowly.”
The Ice Wolf, sensing Aron’s relaxed response as if there was no need to hurry, slowed its pace.
“Has it failed? Without inflicting any damage at all?”
Standing atop the Defensive Wall and watching the advance of the Northern Army, Marquis Shartega let out a faint laugh.
It was absurd.
It had been the perfect mont to use the Fire Attack.
He had been certain it would succeed as long as the Flaming Arrows lodged properly into the bundles of straw.
But the problem was that the opponent was Kyle.
“Frostfire… It seems to be an incredible ability, just as we had heard, my lord.”
“Hahaha, isn’t this quite a ridiculous situation?”
Marquis Shartega clutched his stomach and laughed madly before soon wearing a cold expression as he looked toward the Northern Army.
“Never open the gates. Their deaths will raise the morale of the soldiers inside the castle.”
“Understood, my lord.”
Just as Aron had predicted, Marquis Shartega was cold and decisive.
He could not abandon the castle simply to save the defeated soldiers returning from a failed ambush.
At Marquis Shartega’s decision, the Knight Commander standing beside him bowed his head sharply.
anwhile, the attack of the Northern Army loosened.
The Northern Army, which had relentlessly pursued the retreating forces, suddenly pulled back and showed signs of reorganizing their formation.
“So they refuse to let their guard down? Or perhaps it is mockery.”
Standing alone atop the wall, Marquis Shartega muttered with a faint laugh.
Kyle Ragnar.
He was stronger than any opponent Marquis Shartega had faced before.
“Rai, I will admit it. You raised your son better than I did.”
A man who had been both a rival and, at the sa ti, a friend.
Of course, Rai Ragnar might not have regarded Marquis Shartega as a friend.
They had always competed fiercely, and to win that competition Marquis Shartega had used every possible ans.
But his rival had died aninglessly.
“Perhaps I should have stepped back when the new era began. But you see… I do not wish to step aside like this. Should I not at least leave my na in history?”
Even if he remained in history as a villain, he wanted to show it.
What kind of family the Shartega Family had been.
And how strong he himself was—the man who upheld that family.
“Co, Kyle Ragnar.”
Marquis Shartega tightly gripped the hilt of his sword.
It felt as though his blood was boiling.
He had not expected to feel such excitent toward Kyle, the son of his rival.
After Rai Ragnar’s death, he had lived in seclusion within his territory and severed all political connections in order to comprehend the ultimate truth of the sword.
That was also why he had entrusted affairs to the Western Lords.
Before dying, he had wanted to surpass Rai Ragnar.
No, from the mont Rai Ragnar died, Marquis Shartega had already surpassed his lifelong rival.
But what aning did that have?
The opponent he needed to defeat was already dead and no longer existed.
‘…By offering your son as a sacrifice, I will be recorded as the final Master of the Kingdom of Daon.’
What was unfortunate was that he had reached the Master level only after King Clover had died.
He regretted that if he had attained the Master level earlier, he might have made things difficult for Kyle.
‘But I will not win. That brat treated Marquis Sakarin like a child.’
From the beginning, this war had been impossible to win.
There was no way soone who had just reached the Master level could defeat Kyle.
But he did not want to give up until the end.
‘At the very least, for my daughter who ended her life in agony… I cannot give up.’
The Northern Army could be seen reforming its ranks and slowly advancing.
And before long, he saw Kyle appear, his white hair fluttering in the wind.
“Spare us!”
“Open the gates!”
anwhile, the defeated soldiers of the Shartega Family who had reached the castle gates pleaded desperately.
Looking down at them, Marquis Shartega shouted.
“Die for the Shartega Family!”
Those words spoken by Marquis Shartega standing atop the wall pierced their hearts.
At the cold voice that felt like a dagger, the soldiers and knights were left speechless.
“My lord, we are n who will fight to the end for the Shartega Family. If you abandon us, there will be no possibility of winning this war!”
“I know. But at least through your deaths, those who belong to the Shartega Family will learn.”
That they must fight to the end.
That Kyle Ragnar would never leave alive anyone who belonged to the Shartega Family.
Only then could he tornt Kyle until the very end.
“…My lord.”
“Die for the family.”
At Marquis Shartega’s words, one knight clenched his fist with venomous eyes.
“I followed you my entire life and served you as my lord with everything I had. I can give my life at any ti, but I cannot force it upon my subordinates.”
“Kyle Ragnar will never spare you. He will not leave behind future trouble.”
“The lord I followed… was not like this. You were soone who loved the family more than anyone and cared deeply for the soldiers.”
As the battle with the Northern Army began, the knights had started to feel doubts.
Soon distrust had begun to slowly creep in.
When the lords who had sworn loyalty were dying, Marquis Shartega had done nothing.
He had offered no support and simply waited within the castle.
“…”
At the knight’s words, Marquis Shartega tightly shut his mouth.
Even at that mont, the gates did not open, and the Northern Army advanced from behind.
There was only one choice left for the forces that had participated in the ambush.
To charge toward the Northern Army and die gloriously.
But that was only Marquis Shartega’s thought.
The Northern Army halted their advance and stopped before the troops.
“Marquis Shartega.”
Kyle, who had slowly walked up to Shartega Lord’s Castle, spoke while looking at him standing atop the wall.
“So you have co.”
“It has been a long ti.”
“I fought alongside your father, yet your speech is quite short.”
“This is the greatest respect I can offer you.”
“You are arrogant, just like your father.”
“I do not think that is sothing the Marquis should be saying. If you did not underestimate
and the Northern Army, you should not have created such a war situation.”
From the mont the Northern Army entered the west, the Shartega Family should have committed their full strength.
Instead of abandoning territories, they should have bought ti by fighting to defend them.
But Marquis Shartega rely raised the corner of his mouth at Kyle’s remark.
“Is there any need to speak in circles? Say what you truly wish to say.”
“How about ending this battle between just the two of us, without any more sacrifices?”
“No.”
Marquis Shartega firmly rejected Kyle’s proposal and drew his sword.
“Those who follow the Shartega Family, listen!”
As his voice thundered from atop the wall, the soldiers looked up at him.
“We are not weak. Follow ! When this war ends, I will bear all the bla!”
Seeing his determination to fight until the very end, Kyle made a bitter expression.
At his shout, Kyle examined the soldiers’ expressions.
None of them looked good.
The soldiers of the Shartega Family valued brotherhood among themselves.
That was why their unity had been strong.
But Marquis Shartega’s decision was enough to provoke resentnt among them.
Because it was no different from ordering them to personally kill the comrades who had fled back to the castle.
“…Considering your relationship with my father, I wished to send you off with honor.”
“That is ridiculous.”
“I speak sincerely. My father regarded you as a friend and wished to remain your lifelong rival.”
“…”
“I can only feel regret that I must point my sword at my father’s friend. But for the sake of the nation we built with such difficulty, you must die.”
“Is that the end of what you wish to say to ?”
“I am not cowardly like you.”
Kyle turned his gaze toward the soldiers left stranded outside the castle.
The once-solid unity had begun to crumble because of Marquis Shartega’s decision.
Of course, the expressions of those still utterly loyal to the Shartega Family had not changed, but Kyle carefully observed the cracks forming among the soldiers.
‘Marquis Shartega has made a mistake. I had intended not to spare them because they would resist until the end, but if their unity has begun to fracture, that changes the story.’
Originally, he had no intention of sparing those who followed the Shartega Family.
But judging that aningless sacrifice could be reduced, Kyle shouted loudly.
“I speak to those who follow the Shartega Family! If you surrender, I will spare you. The Ragnar Kingdom will not oppress you and will treat you according to your abilities. Therefore, I hope you make the correct choice. I do not wish to take the lives of those who will beco citizens of the kingdom by my hand.”
As the soldiers began murmuring one by one, Marquis Shartega frowned and glared sharply below the wall.
“Fight! If you fight to the end without sparing your lives, history will rember you!”
“No. History will not rember you. Because only the victors can record history.”
The Shartega Family would simply be recorded as traitors.
At Kyle’s decisive remark, one soldier stepped forward and raised both hands high.
“…Shoot.”
Marquis Shartega gave the order to the archers.
At his command, the archers hesitated.
“What are you doing not shooting! Give it to !”
Seeing their hesitation, Marquis Shartega snatched a bow and pulled the string.
Piiing—!
Marquis Shartega ultimately shot the arrow toward the soldier who wished to surrender.
Seeing his cold-blooded action, Kyle let out a sigh and kicked off the ground.
Slice!
A vivid Blade that had ford along the sword split the arrow fired by Marquis Shartega in half.
“I cannot let you die with dishonor. Consider this my final courtesy to my father’s friend.”
Reviews
All reviews (0)