Chapter 403 - Split of the Imperial 1 (2/2)

Marquis Mayers was a typical political noble unlike Duke Butler.

Good at tactics, gathering forces making propaganda, but was very far when it came to implementing.

So, even after dispatching several troops under him to attack the Gorn Fort, they were still unable to occupy any forts in the Variand Mountains.

“Even I think they are too pathetic. If he didn’t have the abilities, he should have at least operated and asked the nobles under him to take his role in the war…”

“Unlike our Lord, he seems to be a doubtful and greedy noble.”

For a while, Scarlet and the knight chewed up Marquis Mayers and then decided to move after gathering enough information.

Their plan was simple.

They decided to make the situation that the Southern Army wanted.

Scarlet’s party, which strayed from the assigned location, came to a place that wasn’t that far from the fort’s gate and hid.

Scarlet pulled on her bow, aiming at the forehead of the soldiers who were guarding the gates.

Whoosh!

The string, which seemed to have been made of Ergen Alloy, got pulled and bent. A brilliant light gathered between the bow and the arrow.

The identity of the light was Aether.

After coming under the wing of Luke, she learned how to use Aether and continued to train afterward even though Luke didn’t supervise her anymore.

And the outcome was what was happening.

As the Aether arrow began to take a clear shape, mana and other energies around her began to get sucked at the fingertips of Scarlet.

“W-what is happening?”

“M-mana is shaking!”

The knights and the war mages near the gate were surprised at the lack of mana and looked around.

However, they were already too late.

Scarlet had an evil smile on her and let go of the string.

Kwakwakwak!

As if a dragon roared, the Aether arrow flew through the air and hit the gate.

Kwang!

The fort’s gate, which was lined with several layers of steel to be protected from force and magic, exploded when the strong power of Aether hit it. All the protection magic on the fort got destroyed at once.

Debris scattered all around, and the guards of the fort that were inside the gate got struck by lightning.

“Kauk!”

“Kuk!”

“W-what is this?!”

The knights and infantry that were hit by the fragments and debris screamed, and the nearby Gigants that were covered in dust were unable to move.

As a result, the vicinity of the castle gate was separated in half.

“Now is the time. Secure the gates!”

Knights and soldiers of Marquis Rakan, disguised as Scarlet’s mercenaries, ran toward the gate upon hearing the orders.

They randomly cut into the fort and seized the gates.

“W-what?”

“It is the enemy! Hurry up and stop them!”

The chaos overlapped, and the guards of the fort, who were trapped for a while, finally got back their senses and tried to stop the party of Scarlet.

The Gigants attacked as well.

However, Scarlet kept releasing the arrows of Aether toward them.

It was less powerful than the one that smashed the gate, but it was still enough to wipe out dozens of soldiers and knights or to kill the riders of the Gigants by aiming at the Gigants’ breastplate.

When the infantry and the Gigants were blocked, the fort’s defense forces began to be terrified.

“What are you doing?! If the gate falls into the hands of the enemy, it will turn into a loss for us! Stop them right away!”

At the scream of the commander, the soldiers began to flock to the gate.

However, they were already too late.

The Gigant troops and the cavalry soldiers of the Southern Army, who understood the situation, began to pour in through the blasted gate.