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“I can’t believe it. Wasn’t Sir Tetsvalt an Aura User renowned across the continent?”

“And yet they say it was a dwarf who killed Sir Tetsvalt?”

“That’s utter nonsense!”

“But hasn’t Sinai Fortress actually fallen?”

Most of the capital’s citizens supported Prince Carsus. Being a famous knight with a brilliant mind and known for his fair and impartial attitude, Prince Carsus was far more popular than the libertine Prince Yubel. Every evening, worried voices filled the taverns around the capital as people discussed the future.

“Could it be true? That those orc-like creatures are so terrifying?”

“I don’t know, aren’t the orcs who participate in gladiator fights quite violent?”

“But still….”

The men drinking and talking in the tavern hall suddenly looked to their side. A clumsy-looking orc was passing by them, carrying a pile of firewood. It was an old orc slave owned by the tavern. Having become useless after working on a farm and growing old, it had been sold cheaply as a menial laborer.

“Master. I chopped the wood. Brought it.”

The orc slave spoke in a clumsy voice towards the counter. Soon, a stout woman appeared, pointing her finger and shouting irritably.

“Then you should immediately take it to the backyard! Stupid thing!”

“Understood. Kaltu. Going to backyard. Taking the wood.”

Even as he was being scolded, the orc merely shuffled along, following orders. The men shook their heads at this sight.

“See, that is what an orc is.”

“Surely it’s just a false rumor, right?”

“Of course.”

They dismissed it as a mere rumor and continued drinking. However, their expressions remained somber. No matter how much it was considered hearsay, the fall of Sinai Fortress and the defeat of three thousand soldiers was an undeniable truth. Prince Yubel’s army would soon launch a counterattack, which meant the capital would become a battlefield. There was no way to enjoy the drink.

“Who in the world would have orchestrated such a thing using the orcs?”

“Well, I heard something about it. It’s said to be Count Piterran’s army.”

“Ah, the one that was supposedly annihilated by the dwarves….”

“Shh! The honor of the noble families is at stake, we shouldn’t speak too loudly about it!”

The man who brought it up hushed the others and lowered his voice. The others, too, hunched their shoulders and waited for him to continue.

“I heard there is a priest of Philanence who commands those dwarves. Someone mentioned seeing him directing them with a mere flick of his fingers.”

“Huh? Aren’t priests usually reluctant to use slaves because of their reputation?”

“Exactly, which makes it even stranger.”

It was at that moment that a woman’s voice interrupted their conversation.

“Could you tell me more about that story?”

The voice belonged to a slender beauty who appeared to be in her mid-twenties. Dressed as a traveler, she held a bronze wine cup in one hand, suggesting she had been drinking. She had approached the men’s table and was now looking down at them. With her perfect eight-head proportion, alluring face, and extraordinary beauty, she would have been considered a stunning beauty by any man.

However, the men she approached were visibly taken aback.

‘What the—?’

‘Who is this woman?’

She was undeniably a beauty. In a portrait, she would be praised as a peerless beauty by anyone who saw it. But there was a problem.

The woman was nearly two meters tall. From the seated men’s perspective, her beautiful face was so high up that they had to tilt their heads back to see her.

‘Why is this woman so tall?’

‘Did she inherit the bloodline of a legendary giant or something?’

Under normal circumstances, encountering such a beautiful woman might encourage them to try striking up a conversation, especially after a few drinks. But her height was so overwhelming that they couldn’t muster the courage. One of the men, looking intimidated, asked,

“Wh-what do you want?”

“It’s about the priestess of Philanence you were just talking about. Have you heard anything else?”

Her tone was polite but somehow commanding. Her demeanor was so natural that the men instinctively responded respectfully.

“Ah, yes. I haven’t heard much. Just that the priestess who commands the orcs is from Philanence… and he’s a very young girl, about fourteen years old? They say he has extremely long red hair and is so pretty that he looks like a beautiful girl.”

The woman’s eyes flashed with a terrifying intensity. The men shivered involuntarily, taken aback by her predatory look.

Like a beast that had found its prey, the woman burst into laughter.

“Hohohoho!”

Crunch!

The bronze cup in her hand crumpled effortlessly!

The men were struck with fear. To crumple a bronze cup with just her grip? What kind of unbalanced beauty was this?

But the woman seemed uninterested in answering their questions. She turned and headed towards the exit of the tavern. As she pushed the door open, she muttered in a low voice,

“I’ve finally found you. Sillan Phil Marcis, my betrothed!”

* * *

Prince Yubel’s army, having captured Sinai Fortress, immediately advanced towards the capital, Krotin. The terrain between Sinai Fortress and Krotin was a vast plain with no natural obstacles, which is why Sinai Fortress was known as the gateway to the capital.

Although there were small garrisons along the way, most surrendered immediately when faced with an advancing force of three thousand soldiers.

Some loyal to Carsus attempted to resist, leading to occasional skirmishes, but they were no match for Prince Yubel’s numerically superior army. It was a rapid and overwhelming advance.

The strategy of Prince Yubel’s army was a blitzkrieg, aiming to reclaim the capital while the enemy’s forces were scattered.

However, Carsus was no easy opponent. With swift responses and the use of magic for information dissemination, Carsus managed to gather all his forces in Krotin within just five days. Remarkably, his forces assembled even faster than those who had already started marching. Even Repenhardt could not help but be impressed by the speed.

”This means he assessed the situation immediately upon hearing of the fortress’s fall, right? And his vassals packed up and moved right away too? Impressive. His strategic capability, popularity, and the training of his soldiers… there’s nothing to criticize.”

The fact that the news of Sinai Fortress’s fall reached them so quickly and that they could immediately mobilize their army indicated that Carsus had a well-established communication and command system. Carsus excelled not only in strategy and bravery but also in administrative capabilities. Although an enemy, he was undoubtedly a person worthy of respect.

‘Truly a future wise king.’

In contrast, Prince Yubel’s army, despite advocating for a blitzkrieg, had been delayed at Sinai Fortress for two days. The rushed march had left them unable to properly organize their forces, and some who distrusted Repenhardt opposed the hasty advance.

Despite capturing the fortress, they argued that they should spend more time gathering troops, citing the persistent numerical disadvantage.

To Repenhardt, this was an absurd stance.

‘We’ve gained the upper hand and have the enemy at our mercy, but now they suggest waiting for reinforcements because the enemy’s neck might be tougher than expected?’

The combined effect of Carsus’s competence and the ineptitude of Yubel’s faction led to Carsus’s forces arriving in the capital two days ahead of Prince Yubel’s army. Carsus allowed his troops a day of rest, then the next day led an army of ten thousand out of the capital.

And one day later…

On the vast plain of Redanti, between the forests in the center of Crovence, the two armies faced each other at a distance. It was the ten thousand strong army of Carsus against the slightly over three thousand soldiers of Prince Yubel. The blitzkrieg had ultimately failed, and now the two sides were poised for a direct confrontation of strength.

”Well, it’s not all bad for us.”

Repenhardt, surveying both camps from horseback, shrugged. Although the failure to retake the capital before the enemy forces combined had caused Yubel’s strategists to lament, a direct confrontation was actually better for demonstrating the power of their allied non-human forces.

Beside him, Siris frowned slightly.

”But wouldn’t this lead to heavy casualties on our side?”

She wore light battle attire and was armed with a scimitar, also mounted on a horse. Repenhardt shook his head.

”Considering their capabilities, it’s better this way.”

The initial plan of Prince Yubel’s army had been to retake the capital Krotin before the enemy forces could regroup and then hold a defensive position against reinforcements.

However, this strategy was only viable under the assumption that they could indeed recapture the capital. If the reinforcements arrived during a siege, they would be attacked from both the front and rear.

And given what they had seen, it was unlikely that Carsus, with his abilities, would easily surrender the capital.

”In fact, our delay worked out in our favor.”

Once all his forces had gathered at the capital, Carsus had confidently led his army out into the open field. As a future king, he needed to consider public opinion. Turning the capital Krotin into a battlefield carried significant risks, making his decision a logical one.

Moreover, no competent commander would opt for a defensive battle when their forces outnumbered the enemy three to one.

”Then, I’ll get going.”

”Alright, be careful!”

”Yes!”

With a slight smile, Siris urged her horse towards the other side of the camp to join the elven warriors of the Dahnhaim tribe.

Repenhardt’s group was currently scattered. Tilla was with the dwarf warriors of Grand Forge, Tassid was in the Blue Bear tribe’s camp, Sillan was among the clerics of Redanti within the healing corps, and Russ was with Prince Yubel’s royal guard preparing for battle.

”I hope everyone stays safe…”

Despite his confidence in their abilities, Repenhardt couldn’t help but worry about his cherished companions as they faced the impending battle. As his voice trailed off, a loud, boisterous shout erupted right next to him.

”My lord, I pledge my life to protect you!”

It was Talcata, the orc gladiator. He wore the plundered armor of the Fernando knights and stood by Repenhardt’s side as his bodyguard, his face still burning with loyalty.

Repenhardt glanced at him and nodded weakly.

”Sure, go ahead.”

In truth, he had wanted to send Talcata to the Blue Bear tribe with Tassid, hoping he could learn a thing or two from them.

But Stalla had refused. The warriors of the Blue Bear tribe fought together as one for a long time, and even though Talcata was also an orc, his lack of skill and synchronization meant he couldn’t be integrated into their ranks.

-Instead, leave him with me for about half a year after this. I’ll train him to be an excellent orc! I raised Tassid too, you know? Hohoho!

Stalla’s expression had been one of excitement, and Tassid, standing beside her, had looked alarmed, making it clear that her ‘training’ would be rigorous and ‘orc-like.’ Repenhardt felt a pang of sympathy as he looked at Talcata.

”I’m sorry. It’s all for your own good.”

”My lord? Why are you looking at me like that…?”

”Oh, nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Feeling a twinge of guilt, Repenhardt turned his gaze back to the camp.

Despite the disparity in numbers—ten thousand versus three thousand—the morale of the two armies wasn’t as different as he had feared.

The Carsus army was well-trained and had great trust in their commander, and their numerical superiority naturally boosted their morale.

However, Prince Yubel’s army wasn’t significantly demoralized either. Though nervous faces were evident at the sight of an army three times their size, they had five Aura Users among them and a formidable battalion that had taken a fortress of three thousand with just two hundred men.

”In the end, the rest is up to fate.”

He had done his best. Repenhardt looked up at the sky.

”All that remains is to hope for victory. Well, if it gets too desperate, I’ll have to jump in myself…”

Given his past experiences, he hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

Standard-bearers at the front of both armies waved their flags, signaling the preparation for battle. The camps aligned, and the vast plain filled with an atmosphere charged with anticipation.

Buuuuung!

The war horns sounded from both sides, marking the beginning of the decisive battle for the throne of Crovence.