The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 238: Deception, Encirclement, Annihilation (2)

Dududududu!

At the forefront, Zwalter’s sword glowed with a vivid blue hue. Having mastered the mana cultivation technique passed down to him by Ghislain, he now radiated far more potent and intense mana than ever before.

With hair streaming like a lion’s mane, gleaming silver armor, a commanding expression, piercing eyes brimming with vitality, and a neatly groomed beard from this morning—Zwalter and his followers now appeared like wolves racing across the northern plains.

“Charge!”

“Waaaaah!”

When Zwalter roared, the soldiers behind him let out an echoing cry. Their cries were so deafening that the very ground seemed to quake underfoot.

‘I can do this! I must do this! It’s something we absolutely have to achieve!’

Zwalter clenched his teeth, his heart pounding furiously.

How long had it been since he last felt his blood boil like this?

Against the savages, he had always employed defensive strategies to minimize casualties. He only pursued retreating enemies; never once had he ventured outside the fortress when enemies charged head-on.

Dududududu!

Leading the charge, Zwalter was followed by all the knights and cavalry of the Ferdium forces. But that wasn’t all. Every soldier stationed at the fortress, including archers, surged out behind them.

The sight threw the savages into disarray. Having never encountered such a scenario before, they were at a loss as to how to respond.

“What—what’s going on? Why do they still have so many troops?”

“Wasn’t their main force already deployed?”

“Drop the ladders immediately! Prepare to fight them head-on!”

They were unaware that Ghislain had recently joined with a new force of knights. To their knowledge, the active soldiers they had been facing lately were just a fraction of the usual northern fortress defenders.

Confronted with the sudden appearance of reinforcements they thought didn’t exist, the savages’ morale faltered.

However, the war chiefs soon erupted in laughter. Upon reflection, the situation actually worked in their favor.

“We outnumber them anyway! Excellent! Crush them!”

Engaging in open battle was preferable to scaling the fortress walls. While the enemy’s numbers were higher than anticipated, they weren’t so overwhelming as to induce fear.

The northern fortress troops numbered just over a thousand at most. In contrast, more than five thousand savage warriors had gathered here.

These were hardened men of the northern wilds. Fear before battle was a disgrace too great to bear.

And now, with such a stark disparity in numbers? To succumb to fear would render them unworthy of being called warriors.

“They’re weaklings!”

“Crush their skulls, every last one of them!”

“The northern fortress will fall today!”

The savage warriors’ roars echoed far and wide.

“Oooooooooh!”

Snapping out of their initial shock, the savages’ eyes began to gleam with a feral, murderous intent.

Their cries, amplified by the war chiefs’ rallying shouts, swelled louder and louder. The overwhelming sound was enough to drown out the cheers of the Ferdium forces.

Watching the savage warriors bolster their morale, Zwalter bellowed at the top of his lungs.

“Break through!”

Kwaaaaaang!

The knights at the forefront of the Ferdium forces pierced through the savage lines with relentless speed. Their newly honed mana cultivation technique had greatly strengthened them, enabling them to shatter the savage ranks with ease.

Still, the savages were no strangers to mounted combat, and the cavalry’s charge didn’t intimidate them that much.

From the various points in the formation, the war chiefs roared commands.

“Let’s go! Show these weaklings the terror of our strength once more!”

For these savages, there was no such thing as specialized spearmen or anti-cavalry tactics. Such methods were for the weak and frail humans, not for them.

Anti-cavalry strategies, after all, were meant to minimize one’s own losses.

As always, the savages relied on their own bodies to counter the charge.

“Ooooooooh!”

“The blessing of the great warrior is with us!”

The warriors hurled themselves toward the charging cavalry without fear. Wielding axes, they swung at the horses’ legs, showing no hesitation even as they risked being trampled.

“Hiiiiiiing!”

Horses collapsed, and the savages dragged the falling knights to the ground, rolling together in the chaos of battle.

Facing an enemy unafraid of death was never easy. The true strength of the savages was revealed in these fierce close-combat skirmishes.

The unrelenting aggression of the savages made it difficult for the cavalry to fully capitalize on their momentum.

“Ugh!”

Zwalter clenched his teeth.

‘We can’t afford to lose the advantage in morale.’

He was well aware of the savages’ fanatical will to fight. That’s why he had avoided large-scale head-on battles with them until now.

“Grrrrr!”

“Die, you bastard!”

“Let’s settle this today!”

Thankfully, the Ferdium forces didn’t lack fighting spirit. They were already seething with anger from the savages’ past attacks, and their morale was further bolstered by their recent victories under Ghislain’s leadership, where they crushed several savage tribes.

The soldiers gritted their teeth and clashed fiercely with the savages.

The savage warriors, confident in their numbers, continued to charge fearlessly. Drunk on the heat of battle, they were unfazed by the deaths of comrades right beside them.

“Keep pressing forward!”

“Show these weaklings from the kingdom how terrifying we are!”

“Northern wolves! You’ll die here today!”

With terrifying expressions, the savages swung their axes and charged, showing not a shred of fear.

Both sides were too entrenched in their mutual hatred to consider retreat.

In the beginning, the Ferdium forces held the advantage. Their organized formation and successful initial attack had minimized their losses compared to the savages’.

But the savages attacked as though their annihilation didn’t matter. With their overwhelming numbers, they began to stifle the soldiers of Ferdium under the weight of their unyielding frenzy.

Kwaaaang!

“Ugh!”

A savage threw himself onto the body of a mounted knight. The knight, Skovan, yanked the reins, narrowly evading the attack, and retaliated swiftly by swinging his sword.

‘Damn it, is this really going to work? Can we win this way? The difference in numbers is just too great!’

The plan was devised by the Young Lord and that Claude fellow, but the idea of abandoning the fortress to fight in the open seemed absurd no matter how much he thought about it.

A brief moment of resentment crossed his mind, but he shook it off. After all, the Young Lord was bound to have some deeper motive behind his actions.

Even if it left him uneasy, Skovan couldn’t deny how exhilarating the past few days had been while fighting alongside Ghislain.

‘I am a knight of Ferdium!’

He couldn’t forget his fallen comrades. Nor could he forgive the savages who had tormented their land for so long.

The Young Lord had assured them that if they executed the plan perfectly, they could annihilate the savages entirely. And if the Young Lord said it, it had to be true.

Deciding once again to trust the Young Lord, Skovan renewed his resolve.

“Aaaaaaah!”

He roared with all his might, encouraging himself as he swung his sword.

Time and again, he cut down the savages who came at him in droves.

But as the saying goes, “Even the strongest warrior can’t overcome sheer numbers.” Eventually, a savage exploited a momentary gap in Skovan’s defense, shoving him off his horse.

“Ugh!”

Kaang! Kaaang!

As soon as Skovan fell from his horse, several savage warriors rushed toward him, swinging their axes. However, Skovan instantly unleashed an explosive surge of mana, deflecting all their attacks.

Crack!

He sprang to his feet, slashing the throats of every warrior who had closed in on him.

Glancing down at the lifeless bodies sprawled around him, he let out a self-deprecating laugh without realizing it.

‘This crazy mana cultivation technique—learning it nearly killed me… but it’s saved my life.’

Though it had its drawbacks, particularly its lack of sustainability, the technique’s ability to unleash immense power in brief bursts proved invaluable. Thanks to it, Skovan had survived the coordinated assault and eliminated the savages in an instant.

Slash!

“Hah… hah…”

Skovan, after cutting down yet another wave of savages rushing at him, glanced around with weary eyes.

The tension of battle is becoming unbearable. Even routine movements became several times more exhausting on the battlefield.

Skovan, having already been cutting through waves of enemies while unleashing bursts of mana, was naturally reaching his limits. Anything less than exhaustion would have been unusual.

“Hah… hah…”

His legs felt like lead, and his blood-soaked body felt stiflingly hot, making it difficult to breathe.

‘I need to retreat now.’

The initial shock of the charge had worn off. While they had shattered the enemy’s front ranks, the sheer number of remaining savages was overwhelming. The relentless resistance had prevented them from breaking through to the enemy’s rear.

‘They blocked the entire cavalry charge with their bodies. Damn savages are as crazy as ever.’

It was time to pull back. Cavalry, after all, couldn’t operate effectively in the chaotic melee that had developed.

Most of the mounted soldiers had already withdrawn to the sides after the initial clash, seeking safer positions. Some knights had deliberately remained behind to ensure a secure retreat.

As if reading Skovan’s mind, Zwalter’s voice boomed at just the right moment.

“Retreat to the flanks! Knights, fall back now! Quickly!”

Skovan began moving, cutting down savage warriors alongside the other knights.

Every fiber of his being screamed for rest, but he gritted his teeth and pushed on. He had finally grown stronger, finally reached a point where life was bearable—dying here would be too unjust.

‘Ricardo, that bastard must be enjoying himself!’

Always popular with women, always living carefree. Right now, he was probably dozing off at the garrison near the Forest of Beasts.

Thinking about it made Skovan’s blood boil.

‘I won’t die. No, I can’t die!’

Fueled by a mix of jealousy and spite, he summoned newfound strength and swung his sword with renewed fervor.

“Shields! Form a defensive line, now!”

At Zwalter’s command, the shield-bearers behind them began forming a defensive wall. Unlike usual, the soldiers carried massive, thick shields.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

Where the knights and cavalry had retreated, a long, impenetrable wall of shields now stood.

“Woooooooah!”

Seeing this, the savages let out triumphant roars. To them, it was laughable—why venture out of the fortress only to hide behind shields? They grew even more frenzied in their attacks.

They had suffered significant losses early on, but it didn’t matter. They still vastly outnumbered the Ferdium forces, and their sacrifices only fueled their bloodlust.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Savage warriors slammed their axes ferociously against the shields.

The shield-bearers of Ferdium gritted their teeth, enduring the brutal onslaught. They didn’t thrust spears through the gaps between their shields, focusing solely on defense.

“Hahaha! So you’re scared now!”

“This is what weaklings do!”

“Since you’re out here, why not surrender your necks to us!”

Emboldened, the savages began trying to climb over the shield wall. The spearmen stationed behind the shield-bearers jabbed their spears, taking down any savages who attempted to breach the line. But the savages, fearless as ever, kept throwing themselves into the fray.

This was the terrifying nature of savage warriors. Once they lost themselves to the frenzy of battle, they became blind to everything around them.

Because of this, they failed to notice.

The shield-bearers’ formation was slowly extending outward on both flanks.

And Zwalter, his eyes glinting sharply, seemed to be waiting for something.

‘The formation is complete… but the transition happened faster than expected.’

Ideally, they would have continued fighting for a bit longer before finalizing the formation. However, the savages’ manic aggression left them with no choice but to accelerate the plan.

Had they delayed further, the knights and cavalry would have suffered greater casualties.

Now, all they could do was hold the line with shields and endure.

‘Hurry… hurry… We can’t hold out for long.’

Contrary to Zwalter’s desperate thoughts, the savages’ attacks only grew more ferocious. Believing victory was within their grasp, they pressed on with even greater recklessness.

The Ferdium forces were vastly outnumbered by the savages. Simply holding their ground would inevitably lead to their defenses being breached.

At this point, only the savages were on the offensive. The Ferdium soldiers, aside from intercepting the occasional enemy that crossed the shield wall, focused entirely on defense.

Kaang! Kaang!

“Ooooooh!”

“Victory is ours!”

“Push harder! Keep pushing!”

Drunk on the fervor of battle and the deafening roar of the battlefield, the savages didn’t hear it.

Dududududu!

The powerful, rhythmic pounding of galloping hooves reverberated across the earth.

Zwalter furrowed his brow as he spotted someone approaching from the distance.

It wasn’t the group he had been waiting for. Instead, it was a lone rider, speeding toward them on horseback.

‘What in the… why?’

Kaang! Kaang! Kaang!

Each blow of the savages’ axes caused the shield wall to tremble. The relentless assault of half-crazed savages was becoming too much for the ordinary soldiers to withstand.

Even as Zwalter encouraged his troops with shouted orders, his eyes remained fixed on the lone rider. His expression was full of confusion.

‘What’s going on? Why? Why is he coming alone?’

It was true the plan was progressing faster than anticipated. He had resolved to hold out no matter what.

But it was as if the lone rider had anticipated this situation. Even though only one person had shown up, their arrival came earlier than expected.

Dududududu!

Feeling the vibrations of the approaching hooves, the savages in the rear ranks turned their heads.

They noticed the lone figure charging toward them and began shouting.

“Enemy! An enemy is attacking from the rear!”

“What? Just one?”

“Is he crazy? Charging at us alone?”

A brief commotion erupted at the back of the savage formation.

However, those engaged with the Ferdium forces at the front paid no attention. They were solely focused on breaking through the defensive line. If a serious problem arose, they expected a signal from the rear.

But no such signal came. The savages at the rear dismissed the lone rider as insignificant.

After all, who would fear a single combatant? Such a warrior didn’t exist—at least not here.

Only a handful of warriors in the rear turned to face the rider, gripping their axes. For them, taking down one person was hardly a challenge.

Yet as they turned, their eyes widened at the sight of the charging figure.

Dududududu!

With every blink, the rider’s figure seemed to grow exponentially closer.

“What… what is that? Why is he so fast? Is that even possible?”

It was a feat that required one to become one with their horse, pushing its speed to the absolute limit. Even the savages, who had spent their entire lives on horseback, were astounded by the level of horsemanship displayed.

The rider closed the distance in an instant, and Zwalter, recognizing him from afar, shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Ghislain—!”

The figure, whose crimson eyes gleamed with intensity, was none other than Ghislain. As he drew forth his mana, the spear in his hand began to glow a vivid blood-red.

A cruel smile spread across Ghislain’s face.

“Let’s do this, Father.”