Chapter 471 (1/2)

Chapter 471: A Defiled Angel Descends

–Aegir POV–

Approximately Ten Days Later.

「The attack is commencing.」

An ally catapult flings a stone into the air almost like they took Celia’s voice as the signal.

Ally soldiers march forward with the support from the catapults and set up their ballistae near the castle, firing repeatedly at the turrets and the high ground.

Aside from sporadic arrows, the enemy does not put up much resistance.

「It doesn’t look like the enemy intends to defend the castle to the last breath. Has the main force already retreated and left them behind?」

This is the stronghold at the furthest south of the Libatis region……which I forget the name of.

I glance beside me.

「Puehー」

Myla, who normally answers immediately, is looking into empty s.p.a.ce with a dumb expression on her face, not contributing anything.

She did however complete the necessary duty of arranging the movement of the recruits back to Rafen.

「Well, we don’t really have to do anything this time.」

My personal army is not partic.i.p.ating and Leopolt and Tristan are staying in Tortoent, prioritizing other work.

I’m also not riding a horse and observing the battle like usual, rather I’m in a carriage positioned slightly to the rear.

「”Don’t go out to the frontlines and don’t join the fight”, huh? Erich’s gave some troublesome orders.」

「It can’t be helped. Aegir-sama’s wound……I mean, condition, hasn’t healed. It’s been erect for two weeks straight now.」

My situation from before hasn’t improved. No, my health hasn’t been better.

Then it should just be a matter of rest, however, rumors have been starting to circulate among other n.o.bles and soldiers that I haven’t been showing up to war councils or taverns because I’ve suffered a life-threatening injury.

That’s why I’ve been called to the front to dispel the rumors.

Although, it would be unfortunate if I got severely injured when I’m not at peak form, so I was told to watch from the back.

There is actually another person who is leading the offense.

「At the very least, we have a decisive advantage in this battle. We can treat this as if we’re spectating a field training session.」

「Fuahー」

Myla lets out a thoughtless moan.

Ever since Erich ordered her to accompany me and at the same time clearly warned her not to get pregnant during battle, she’s been in this state.

「Ah, the enemy’s concealed soldiers! They appeared outside the second gate!」

Timing it right when a group of our allies surpa.s.ses the gate, enemies suddenly emerge from the thicket outside.

The allied soldiers about to ride the momentum and charge are quickly faced with a dilemma.

「Again? ……that’s why I said to set fire around the castle and burn everything. The thickets during the period from summer to autumn are dense, meaning there are many places to hide, even on the plains.」

However, the captain of the attacking force rebuts, saying that smoke would present the enemy with an opening to escape and fire would waste time unnecessarily if it smolders.

I also felt like there was no need to push through and accepted the explanation, but things developed as such.

「The enemy is stopping their ambush and scattering.」

It’s more accurate to say the enemy is buying time than going for a war of attrition.

Currently, it was planned for Goldonia to take over the Libatis region in three days, and if things go well, advance to the Altair region, but two weeks have pa.s.sed and we’ve only reached the southernmost tip.

Our marching speed has clearly slowed down.

Although the loss of speed itself is not a very big deal, it does give the enemy time to plot.

「Well, we also need time so I guess we’re about equal?」

「Yes. The war potential in the east――ah.」

Celia instantly covers her mouth.

She must have eavesdropped and learned information that only Erich and I should know.

「Go ahead, spit it out.」

I pull on her soft squishy cheeks.

「Hgah, hagh……I won’t. I’m going to……keep……silent.」

As I’m fooling around with Celia, concealed soldiers appear behind the attacking squad.

Not only are they a relatively large force, they’re in a dangerous spot.

「They’re targeting our siege weapons. It doesn’t look like we have reserve soldiers so we have to slow them down until the army in front returns…… hah, hahhu…… please stop already! That army is-」

I release Celia’s cheeks and rub Myla’s a.s.s before sticking close to the window.

「So that’s the penal unit. Let’s see how they do.」

Christoph should also be able to partic.i.p.ate once this fight is over.

Just like Zillia desperately wished, I have to check to see if he survives or not.

「Hey, you pieces of s.h.i.+t, move forward! If you don’t accomplish anything, you’re off to prison! If you want your sins to be pardoned, show your allegiance to the kingdom.」

「Tch. Kingdom, my a.s.s. I don’t give a d.a.m.n about that.」

「Hey, don’t step on my foot! Move it, shrimp!」

「Why don’t you!? Your breath stinks, so don’t even speak!」

The man acting as captain roars, pus.h.i.+ng the soldiers to the front, and I can tell they have ugly faces despite their heads being covered by helmets.

The one glaring at the captain and the soldiers adjacent to him shoving each other have the worst att.i.tudes.

They don’t have slightly bad personalities like the members of the 105th army, they are actual hoodlums.

「Those in the penal unit committed crimes on the battlefield, disobeyed orders, and breached military regulations and are normally supposed to be sent to jail. This squad was created because it is a better idea to use them as sacrificial p.a.w.ns than to let them waste away in jail.」

Myla, having revived, rests her chin on my shoulder and peeks out the window.

「Although the captain is a soldier, he was demoted due to a mistake he made, so we can’t expect him to have high leaders.h.i.+p or combat abilities.」

Celia wedges her face in between me and Myla.

However, the window is too small for all three of us. Celia brings her face close and smiles.

Setting our conflict aside, the penal unit and the concealed soldiers collide.

Numberwise, the penal unit has 400 and there are 200 or so ambus.h.i.+ng soldiers.

「Go, stop the enemy!」

「Shut up, I can hear you even if you don’t yell in my ear.」

「Aaah, dammit, why did ‘that’ get exposed?」

I knew it, they’re worn out.

「Break past the enemy, destroy the siege weapons and withdraw. Do it quickly!」

「Swordsmen, flood in after the spear unit makes a thrust. It’s a battle against time!」

It seems like the enemy’s morale is still stable.

Before the impact, the enemy spear unit ready their spears.

Correspondingly, the soldiers of the penal unit raise their swords, although some who see the forest of spears turn around and run.

「b.a.s.t.a.r.ds! I told you, running means the death penalty!」

After killing the fleeing man with a crossbow, the captain somehow keeps the ranks together just in time for the enemy sword unit to charge in.

The enemy soldiers roar.

「Charge, run through them!」

「Break the catapults! We’ll defeat them here and buy more time!」

The penal unit spit profanities.

「f.u.c.k, why do we have to go through this s.h.i.+t!?」

「It’s because that b.i.t.c.h ratted us out. I’ll kill her when I get back!」

They’re not going to win with that att.i.tude

Sure enough, the allied lines fall apart.

Beyond them lies the headquarters and the siege weapons.

「I guess I’ll go.」

I stand up.

「Eh? But the Military Commissioner said……」

I press my finger to Myla’s lips.

No one will find out if it’s only for a short while.

「But your lower half.」

I silence Celia by kneading her cheeks and then I poke the a.s.s sticking out in the corner of the carriage.

「I have to go outside. Can I?」

「……go ahead……I somehow……recovered.」

Annette answered.

She was completely pa.s.sed out this whole time and seems to have just regained consciousness.

I mount her and become one.

「Sorry for using you like a tool.」

「Far from it. I came along for that very purpose. It would make me sad if you left me alone.」

I thank Annette with a kiss to her tattooed shoulder and blow my load inside of her.

「Aaghha…… so much……」

「「……」」

It’s becoming a habit to c.u.m while Myla and Celia give me cold looks.

「Natia-san said it right? Right now, Aegir-sama’s s.e.m.e.n is so thick that the chances of getting pregnant are extremely high. It’s possible that even contraception won’t work.」

「Eh, I didn’t know that, Celia.」

I empty the contents of my b.a.l.l.s as I send a sidelong glance to Myla, who falls over for some reason, and then I stand up.

I shouldn’t have to worry about suddenly e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.n.g. for some time.

「Aha……a creampie from behind……then throwing me away……it really turns me on.」

Annette also seems satisfied.

When I jump out of the carriage, soldiers crowd around me.

「I-I thought you were only observing today.」

「I changed my mind. Schwartz!」

The black horse trots over with a disgusted expression.

On the way, I played around with Annette while riding on him and ended up e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.n.g. suddenly all over his back. I guess he’s still holding a grudge.

「I’m fine now. Alright, let’s go.」

I leap onto Schwartz and head to the headquarters.

Following behind me is Celia, who is eager and alert with her back straightened, and Myla, who is feeling troubled as she rubs her stomach.

c.r.a.p, I can’t handle the rocking in my current state.

The steady vibrations are going to make me c.u.m any moment…… d.a.m.n, don’t be so rough Schwartz.

「Good, the enemy collapsed!」

「The soldiers in front can’t make it back. If we keep pus.h.i.+ng, we’ll――gyaah!」

I drive Schwartz into the fray where both allies and enemies are.

A few people get sent flying, though I’m not sure if they are friend or foe.

「Kuh, cavalry……except there’s only a few. Take them down immediately!」

Enemy spearmen approach.

Holding the Keravnos in my right hand, I spin twice in midair and confirm my closest threats, then thrust in time with my breathing.

I exhale sharply four times, Schwartz’s mane sways four times and four enemy soldiers fall forward.

One enemy bleeds from his eye and head, one clutches at his throat, one grabs the hole where his heart used to be, and one leaks brain matter from a hole in his forehead.

「It’s still early in the day and I am getting used to this.」

I hold onto the Keravnos longer and, using the flex of the shaft as well as the centrifugal force, rotate myself.

This time I spin with the intent to hit the enemies.

「Uoh!?」

「My spear……」

「A……guh…… he pierced ……my stomach……」

Almost all of the spears pointed at me either broke or were flung away.

My spear also struck the bodies of the enemies standing closer to me, causing those with decent armor to roll on the ground and faint in agony and gouging out chunks of steel and flesh from those with shoddy armor, spilling their viscera.

「D-don’t let him do whatever he wants! I’ll be his opponent! C’mon, I challenge you――!」

The enemy commander turns his spear toward me.

Rather than responding with words, I simply stare back and point my spear at him.

It’s been a while since I’ve jousted with another person.

「Seei!」

He lets out a battle cry and repeatedly thrusts at me.

His thrusts are aimed at my chest, torso and thigh, each of which are shallow and have no power behind it.

I easily deflect them with my Keravnos.

Contrary to my initial impression of him merely being someone weak, I quickly realize his attacks are fairly well-placed.

「Hey, what’s wrong!? Is single combat not your strong suit?」

That’s not it.

I noticed the enemy’s movements have dulled as I’m fighting with the commander.

The penal unit is scattered all over as usual, but the army that attacked the castle should be coming back by now.

The enemy commander’s eye sparkles as he senses my attention being diverted elsewhere.

「An opening! Right there!」

「You mean here?」

I grab the spearhead he lunges at me with my left hand.

He aimed for my face as expected. That’s likely what he was setting up by previously focusing only on the area below my chest.

Since I value a broader field of vision, I don’t wear a helmet that covers my head.

「You make it obvious by not targeting my upper body more.」

「Kuh! You mean I lost in predicting!?」

I release the man’s spear.

「Not really.」

I respond with my own barrage of thrusts this time.

My targets were his right hand, his left leg, and his abdomen, each of which he could not react to, resulting in his hand tearing off, his leg bending and breaking, and his body getting punctured through his armor by my spear.

「I could have avoided it since my eyes could follow the attack, but I just thought I should settle things before my allies get back.」

I lift the skewered man off his horse and toss him in the middle of the other enemies.

That stopped the enemies dead in their tracks.

It also stopped my allies from running.

「Demon……」

「War demon Hardlett……」

Soldiers from both sides voice their astonishment.

「Hey, you guys.」

I turn to a group of allied soldiers.

The individuals with displeasing facial features were taken aback from my stare.

「Why are you running from the fight?」

I’m sure it’s because they don’t want to die. I mean, even I don’t want to die.

「Do you not have any allegiance to the Kingdom or His Majesty?」

I hear someone faintly mutter, “of course not”.

Yeah, I agree that it doesn’t make sense for anybody in the penal unit to have any.

I force a smile and thrust my spear at the face of the incoming enemy from behind.

Then I raise the pathetic corpse up high as I shout.

「In that case, fight for yourself. I will kill anyone who runs backwards. The enemy or me, front or back, the choice is yours!」

That’s evil even for me. Great, I’m sure I just started more strange rumors.

I swing my blood-stained Keravnos and throw the dead body with a crushed face into the center of the group of allies.

After the penal unit soldiers silently look at each other for approval, they rush at the enemy with desperate screams.

「Well, that’s that.」

I wipe the blood on Schwartz’s mane and withdraw.

It doesn’t matter that they’re desperate, they shouldn’t lose as long as they fight and maintain the numerical advantage.

「L-lord Hardlett. I heard that you were only going to observe.」

A squad commander from headquarters comes flying in.

「That was my intent, but the situation was distressing. I’m going back to my carriage now.」

The commander swiftly circles in front of me.

「I-it was just a coincidence that we were struggling, this isn’t what normally happens……what I’m trying to say is that this isn’t anything significant to report to the Military Commissioner――」

I wasn’t going to tattle anyways, more importantly, focus on the castle.

Look, more soldiers just came out.

「Nnu! Soldiers from a place like that…… hm, are they perhaps trying to lure us into a trap!? I’m not going to fall for that!」

The commander smiles fearlessly and tells his troops to ignore them.

Meanwhile, I strain my eyes along with Celia and the others and look at those soldiers.

「……it looks like they’re moving in a straight line to the south in a box formation protecting the man in the center.」

「They aren’t setting up an ambush, aren’t they’re fleeing enemy soldiers trying to escort their commander?」

「If so, then――」

Our allies have already chased the concealed soldiers out of the castle and are gradually invading the place.