Chapter 420 (1/2)
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Translator: Nat
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–Third Person POV–
「Don't falter, advance!」
On Zillia's orders, the 20 soldiers from South Yuguria let out their war cries as they ran forward.
Their objective was to occupy the hill in front.
The area is on the border where relatively flat plains transitioned to a hilled region abundant in high and low grounds, and also where the Goldonian army decided to set up a st.u.r.dy defensive encampment by using the differences in elevation.
「If we take that hill, everything around it will also fall. Go without fear of losing your lives!」
Zillia's unit set their aim on the highest hill in the area.
If they secure the location, they'll be able to overlook the Goldonian army and it'll be possible to instantly push up the war front.
The battle is in a stalemate.
Both Goldonia and South Yuguria armies took turns pus.h.i.+ng each other back and forth slightly on the many roads extending to the capital, but could not make any progress.
South Yuguria was attacking one-sidedly in the beginning, but the hard-fought battle that followed exhausted much of their strength and dulled their offensive.
Furthermore, the destruction of the eastern army that was supposed to advance from Hardlett's territory and the partic.i.p.ation of the famed Hardlett army in the western front caused Goldonia's forces to be concentrated in the front, eliminating the options to overwhelm with numbers or to encircle, and leaving them with no other choice than to attack from the front.
South Yuguria requested for a large quant.i.ty of recruits to be drafted to compensate for the lack of soldiers, however Goldonia did the same and neither side could gain the advantage.
With the increase in unskilled soldiers, it became harder to implement rapid military tactics and that added to the stalemate.
However, that kind of strategic problem did not concern the soldiers or lower tier commanders like Zillia who fought on the frontlines.
They simply listened to Central Commander Maestus's orders and devoted their lives to fight.
「Charge――!」
「Uooooh! Rush in!」
As if to encourage themselves, the soldiers shouted loudly and climbed the hill.
Of course, units other than Zillia's spread out to hills on the left and right――
「Stop, defense!」
Zillia orders and her soldiers roll to the ground.
They cling to the backs of s.h.i.+eldbearers.
Several hundreds of arrows come flying from the hills on one side.
Countless metal clinks were heard as the arrows were blocked by the great s.h.i.+elds, meanwhile screams and dull thuds of wooden stakes digging into flesh can be heard from those in other squads who were late to raise their guards.
「Don't falter! If we get close, they can't shoot us!」
Zillia stands up and draws her sword, ready to lead her unit.
「Hey, I said wait. It's dangerous in front!」
Trailing directly behind is a muscular veteran soldier――or rather, a soldier who has that appearance, in Christoph.
「Follow me!」
It happened right as Zillia stood at the head of her squad and raised her sword.
An arrow flew under her arm.
Faster than Zillia could turn around in fear for the worst,Christoph let out a pained cry.
「Uwaaaaah!!」
「Aah, Christoph was. .h.i.t!!」
「An arrow to the chest…… this is quite bad.」
What Zillia saw when she turned around was Christoph with an arrow stuck in his chest slowly falling to his knees.
「Chirstoph!!」
Zillia's face dyed with despair as she held the injured man in her arms.
Christoph stretched out a hand to her and squeezed out a weak voice.
「I…… I'm dying…… aah……」
Christoph's breathing was faint, like it could stop at any time, and his trembling hands could barely grip the shaft of the arrow.
「Don't die Christoph! If you die, then I……」
Teardrops fall on the man's cheek.
「d.a.m.n, they got Christoph. We'll definitely avenge him.」
「We can't lose this fight. Everyone, get fired up!」
Nearby soldiers also stopped, their bodies shaking from a mix of grief and anger.
Christoph's hands slip off the arrow and Zillia takes one of those hands in hers.
「……aah, I thought I was going to die.」
With a rattle, the arrow drops harmlessly to the ground.
Zillia and the soldiers froze.
「Man, I never expected an arrow to fly perfectly under my arm like that. I don't know if I'm lucky or unlucky.」
Christoph stands back up and for some reason has an accomplished smile on his face.
Zillia's tears instantly dried up and her nasally voice changed into a low-pitched growl.
「……why did you fall down if you only caught an arrow under your arm?」
「I thought for a second that it stabbed me and my hips gave out. I also hyperventilated…… anyways, I'm fine now! Sorry for worrying you.」
Christoph stands up and proves he isn't hurt.
「Apparently Christoph's fine…… this kind of thing happened before too.」
「Yeah, he took a hit from a heavy cavalry's spear and fell into a pond. Thirty minutes later, he crawled back up unscathed.」
「A catapult landed a direct hit…… and he was just buried into the ground. After digging him out, he was fine.」
The soldiers whisper among themselves as they watch Christoph apologize casually.
「……you can't do anything useful, yet you somehow can't get hurt.」
Zillia stares briefly at him before kicking him in the leg.
「Oww! I'm hit!」
In a huff, Zillia once again raises her sword and takes her place in front, setting her sights on the hill.
Other units have already closed the distance on their respective hills and begun to attack.
「Because of some idiot, we're later than our allies. From here on out, we'll also join our comrades――」
Before Zillia finished speaking, soldiers jumped out from the thickets to the right and left of their targeted hill.
「A-an ambus.h.!.+」
「The enemy is hiding beside us!!」
The South Yuguria army was completely taken by surprise right when they were about to climb the hill.
「There are no soldiers in the enemy camp in front! No wait, a ballista has been set up on the top…… they're going to shoot!」
Since the camp was deserted, the ballista that Goldonia placed on the hilltop could be used without fear of friendly fire, and large bolts, utilizing the height difference to double in strength, can be launched.
「W-we can't hold out. We have to fall back and regroup――」
That wish would not come true.
Goldonia's heavy cavalry, thought to be waiting behind the hill, quickly began to charge at the fl.u.s.tered South Yuguria soldiers.
「Captain Zillia!」
「S-stop the advance. Jumping in there is suicide……」
The soldiers in Zillia's unit stare blankly at the scene.
They couldn't imagine what would have happened to the twenty of them had they partic.i.p.ated in the hopeless situation.
「They read our attack and prepared for it, huh? I should get a little touch in.」
「If we continued to run ahead, we would surely…… I'm taking a strand of hair for myself.」
The soldiers turn to Christoph.
「Man, that was close!」
Soldiers promptly rub the innocently smiling Christoph.
「Stop! What's with you guys, gross! My hair…… uwaaah!」
And then, that was when a messenger runs in from behind with orders from headquarters.
「All units, pull back! I repeat, all units pull back! Halt your attack and retreat immediately!」
「You heard that? Retreat, fall back!」
「It doesn't feel good abandoning allies, but they can't be saved.」
「After they've been killed, we'll be next. We can only run!」
「Uwaaaaah!」
Zillia, who collected herself, instructs her unit to begin slowly withdrawing.
However, by then, the squads in front had already collapsed and a group of Goldonian soldiers were closing in on the halfway position Zillia's unit stopped at.
「The enemy is giving pursuit!」
「Are there any allies around…… wait, of course not, the order to retreat was just issued!」
Goldonia's vanguard were right on their tail.
「Kuh, it can't be helped.」
Zillia made a face that was like she bit down on a bug and considered ordering her unit to turn around.
She didn't do so because there was already someone who stood in place behind the squad―― it was Christoph.
Wearing an expression tinged with distress, Christoph stood imposingly with his sword at the ready.
「Who's this guy? He's here alone?」
Christoph quietly stares at the Goldonia soldier who points a spearhead at him in confusion.
His handsome manly face, his bulging muscles, his armor adorned with countless scratches, and most importantly, the action of distancing from his allies implicitly told his foes that he was a brave warrior of many battles.
Although the Goldonian soldiers gradually surrounded Christoph, none of them seemed willing or confident enough to make the first move.
「Be careful. He doesn't seem like an ordinary warrior.」
「Don't be impatient…… if you step forward recklessly, your head will be sent flying.」