“Their scouting wyverns went all the way to Gadain Castle and came back just now.”
“That so?”
“What would you like to do, sir?”
The strongest force in the territory was concentrated at Gadain Castle. There, 3,000 archers and the wyvern-killing bal made by the dwarves were waiting for my order, as well as 3,000 of the cavalry we had fostered with great effort.
“What about their supply train?”
“As we expected, they were unable to keep up with the fast advance and are trailing behind. I have heard they are about a day away from the regular troops.”
“How was their military discipline, in your eyes?”
“It is a mess. If we can just breach the middle with one powerful blow, they will all flee.” Cedrian had precisely figured out the Havis Kingdom army.
“We will begin shortly. Order the Skyknights to prepare themselves.”
“As you command!!”
Without a single battle, the enemies came charging all the way to Gadain Castle, the former home of Viscount Lukence. They maintained formation for the first two days, but without any apparent resistance, arrogance got to their head and battle lines crumbled as they rushed to see who could get there first.
I smoothly rose from my seat.
Rattle rattle.
The wind outside buffeted the window. The northern wind of winter, Kazofune, had blown in with the steadily setting sun, beating out a dismal funeral march on the window.
The wind was urging me.
‘It’s time,’ it rasped. ‘Unleash your deeply hidden rage!’
* * *
Neeeeeeeeigh.
“Gaah, it’s cold.”
“Dammit, why go to war on a day like this.”
“Shh! Be quiet. You’re done for if the knights hear.”
The rear supply train of the Nerman punitive force had fewer supplies than expected because the heart of Nerman, Denfors, was only a few days’ ride on horse and ten days on foot from the Havis Kingdom. Everyone assumed they would be victorious, so the supply train only had about ten days’ worth of rations.
“Looks like those Nerman bastards will fight back from the castle.”
“With the weather getting colder, they probably want to force a return.”
“Sigh, there’s not much difference between them and us, so why are we doing this?”
The elite troops from the territories were following the knights at least one day ahead of the supply train. So at best, the rear was composed of 3,000 peasants conscripted from the territories. They did have around ten wyverns and a smattering of knights, but they, too, were old and ailing wyverns and less skilled knights. As such, the cold weather had already driven them into their tents, where they were either chugging alcohol or sleeping.
“The sky sure is clear.”
“Yeah. It feels like it’ll snow soon.”
Two soldiers standing guard blinked into the sky.
“Huh?”
“Oi oi, what’s that?!”
Just then, they spotted several dots approaching them from afar.
“W-Wyverns!!”
“Uwaaahhhh! Enemy wyverns have appeared!!”
“EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!!!”
Clang clang clang clang clang clang clang!
The emergency bell clamored noisily.
“What the heck! What’s all this fuss about wyverns?!”
“You damned bastards, what are you complaining about at this ho—”
BAM!!
KWAAAAAAAK!
Ba-ba-ba-bam.
Stumbling out of the tents next to their wyverns from their drunken sleep, the Skyknights watched as the wyverns sleeping perfectly fine just moments ago were suddenly struck by Blessed Spears that plunged deep into their bodies.
“UWAAAHHHHHHH!”
“E-ENEMIES!!!!!”
Screams ripped from their throats.
Craaaaaaash!
Swoooooosh.
BOOOOOOOOM!
Red lightning bolts suddenly began to plummet from the sky.
Fwoooooooooooooosh.
Enormous balls of fire fell onto the hay for the horses and the rations for the soldiers, turning the entire supply train into a sea of flames.
GUOOOOOOOOOO!
Just then, an ear-splitting cry from a wyvern broke through the chaos.
Flaaaash.
Golden stripes on black gleamed under the piercing glare of the winter moon.
Flapping long wings, the wyvern nonchalantly disappeared into the darkness of night, five Golden Wyverns following behind like little chicks.
“Ambush? The supply train has been entirely burned down?”
“Y-Yes. Enemy wyverns appeared just now and launched an ambush.”
“How can that be? I told them to fly patrols, so what were they doing until the enemy wyverns showed up?!”
“…..”
The result of the first battle had a considerable influence on an army’s morale. In particular, the loss of the supply train was more than enough to make normal soldiers anxious.
“Damn it…”
The situation was obvious. The arrogance of the nobles and knights who hadn’t met a single bit of resistance on the way here had invited trouble.
“What is your instruction?”
“Instruction? Bah! Tell them to scrape together all the remaining supplies and come here. The supply problem will be fixed as soon as we seize that castle over there.”
“Understood, Your Excellency.”
“Ah! And tell them to do the night patrols properly! If they get ambushed just one more time like idiots, they’ll be punished by martial law, regardless of status!”
“As you command!”
Late at night, when all the nobles were asleep, the Chief Knight received Duke Hanskane’s order.
‘There’s seriously no one worth trusting. This is why the kingdom is in such a sorry state. Tsk tsk.’
Hanskane clicked his tongue in scorn of the lazy nobles even though he too, was a noble of the Havis Kingdom.
“Yaawwn…”
He had to get a good night’s rest for the battle tomorrow, so Hanskane crawled back into his bed decked with plushy demon beast fur, covered himself with the blanket, and closed his eyes.
CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!
The moment he was about to fall asleep, the warning bell suddenly began to clamor.
“E-Enemy appearance!”
“Wyverns have appeared!”
“EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!!!!!!!”
Then came the panicked yells of the soldiers.
“W-What now!!!!”
Hanskane jumped out of his bed.
CRAAAASH!
A huge crash shook the earth beneath his feet.
Boooooom.
Craaaaaash.
Explosions followed in quick succession.
Dazed, the duke scrambled out of his tent.
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
In his ear rang uproarious laughter filled with incredible mana.
“T-THAT IS—!!!”
He saw it.
Under the bright light of the moon, six wyverns were lazily flying over the Havis army. At the lead flew an unusually large, black hybrid wyvern.
“Welcome to my territory, everyone.”
The cold, wintry voice of the enemy sounded loud and clear in everyone’s ears, causing them to tremble. The bloodthirst in his words was colder than the winter wind.
“K-Kyre…”
Duke Hanskane unconsciously mumbled a name.
That name was Kyre, the master of the land he was currently standing on.
Standing confidently atop his wyvern, Count Kyre de Nerman’s cloak flapped behind him as he flew off into the distance, leaving fear in the hearts of those who had come uninvited.
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