Fun Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord (Novel) - Chapter 86 - The Yerinetta Kingdom Knight Order's Astonishment

Chapter 86 – The Yerinetta Kingdom Knight Order’s Astonishment

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Translated by Sylph

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The wall of flame raged as if in fury, burning away our soldiers, and the enemy troops, spurred on by those flames, switched to the offensive and came at us.

The speed with which they shifted from defense to offense was extremely swift, and it was clearly a movement that had anticipated that fire magic.

“…So the guardian of Scuderia has come out.”

Muttering that, I quickly gave my orders.

“This is exactly as planned. Issue the orders at once. Tell them to calmly throw the black spheres.”

“Sir!”

At my words, the messenger headed for the front line.

After a short while, the shockwaves and explosions that rang out from the front made the corners of my mouth rise.

The black spheres.

They were a new weapon of overwhelming power that had utterly changed life in our small northern kingdom, which until now had only been exploited.

We did not have many, but if they were used generously in important battles, they produced results to a terrifying degree. It was by obtaining this new weapon that our kingdom, which had long been forced to swallow bitter humiliation, had finally been able to decide on the long-cherished invasion of Scudetto.

Even those who could not fight as magicians could achieve results greater than that by using the black spheres.

The soldiers threw the black spheres while pulling back as if fleeing. That alone reduced the numbers of those knights of Marquis Fertio.

And the feet of the soldiers, unable to respond and on guard, came to a halt.

“…Now. Now is the perfect chance. Send the signal. Do not let this opportunity escape.”

When I said that, my adjutant sent the signal into the sky. As soon as he created three small pillars of fire, the wyverns circling overhead dropped in speed and altitude and began scattering black spheres.

There was no way they could deal with that in time.

The enemy soldiers, who had been concentrated in front of us, were blown away by the explosions of the black spheres raining down from the sky.

One explosion after another rang out, and the enemy formation was shattered in no time.

“…Wonderful. Better results than I imagined. To think it would go this well.”

Saying that, I laughed, my shoulders shaking, and brushed back my emerald-green hair.

The key to this battle was the fall of the fortress city of Scudetto. The two nearby towns and three villages had only been taken to cut off supplies to Scudetto, but judging from how things looked now, they were already unnecessary.

It seemed the troop corps that had remained in Scudetto and devoted itself to defense had now switched to retreat. With fewer hands defending, they had begun moving to secure an escape route.

Part of the city wall had been greatly destroyed by the black spheres dropped from the air, and our knight order had begun entering the fortress city.

At last, the time had come to accomplish what I had long desired: the capture of Scudetto.

Since being entrusted with the Kingdom’s Second Knight Order as the Third Prince of the Kingdom of Yerinetta, how many times had I been made to taste bitter humiliation?

“Chasing knights and citizens is dull, but pursuit is the flower of war. Have the wyverns drop black spheres where they flee, and strike them down with swords from behind. We shall teach them what utter defeat is.”

Laughing as I said that and looking toward the fortress city, I saw that citizens and soldiers were just now coming out of it.

The messenger ran off to deliver the order.

The front line was still throwing black spheres while falling back. It would take a little time to reform the ranks for pursuit, but the enemy’s movements were poor as well now that they had citizens with them.

“…Do not rush. Reform the ranks. There will never be another chance like this. In this single battle, we will take Marquis Fertio’s head.”

Saying that, I suppressed my impatience and checked the course of battle.

Because we had confirmed fire magic, the wyverns were being kept waiting on top of the wall, but once the pursuit began, they would be able to circle around in front of the enemy army and use the black spheres again.

Only about half of the black spheres remained, but that was still more than enough.

“It is completely checkmated. To seize Scudetto is the same as controlling this entire region. If we defend it for three months and strengthen the base, then seize the next base from this land as well…”

Thinking of that brilliant future, I checked the formation of my knight order and nodded.

“Now then, it is an annihilation battle! We pursue them! Pay no heed to whether they are soldiers or citizens! Kill them all!”

I gave that final order, worthy of a victory cry. The soldiers, already feeling the tide of a winning battle in their skin, raised a roar like a battle shout, lifted their swords, and began their charge.

I raised the corners of my mouth, pointed my palm toward the wyverns clinging to the edge of the wall, and shouted.

“Pass the order to the Puppet Magicians! The wyvern unit is to fly to where the enemy is fleeing and drop the black spheres! Beware of fire magic, and maintain altitude at all costs!”

This was the end.

Just as I thought that and was about to watch the wyverns take flight, an incomprehensible event suddenly occurred.

The wyvern perched closest to us burst into a spray of blood and fell from the wall. I could not speak as I watched the wyvern’s head come away from its body like a toy and fall limply.

The next moment, a heavy impact sounded from somewhere, and with a sound like air being torn apart, one wyvern, then another, fell from the wall.

They had not simply lost their balance.

Every wyvern that fell hit the ground in a shape that looked incapable of landing.

“W-what… what happened…?”

The moment I muttered that, another wyvern lost its head and fell.

The wyverns controlled by Puppet Magicians could not take evasive action on their own. Only after the Puppet Magicians gave an order did they begin to move.

That was why instant responses were impossible.

“What is happening!? Why are the wyverns’ heads…!?”

I roared at the adjutant beside me, but he only shook his head with a pale face.

Damn him, useless fool!

Grinding my teeth in fury so great my guts seemed to boil, I opened my mouth.

“Hurry and get the wyverns airborne! If they’re in the sky…”

The instant I issued that order, that rumbling sound and the sound of something slicing through the air rang out again. And once more, the wyverns fell from the wall as if it were some grotesque joke.

Already, more than thirty percent of the wyverns had been brought down.

It had happened in the blink of an eye. How could such absurdity exist?

Then yet another wyvern had its head severed.

It was a scene that made me want to cover my face, but this time I saw it.

I saw a slender human figure swing a sword.

“Enemy! There is someone on top of the wall wielding a sword! Pull away at once!”

The figure was dressed almost like a woman, but that did not matter. Whether the enemy was a master swordsman or a first-rate adventurer, if the wyverns could only get into the air…

Perhaps my prayer was answered, for the wyverns began taking off one after another.

“Good! Good, good! The sky! Attack the top of the wall from the sky! That enemy is far more troublesome than Marquis Fertio!”

The instant I shouted that, that sound rang out as if using my words as a signal.

By the time I heard the sound of something cutting through the air, I saw four wyverns falling headfirst.

“I-impossible!? What is this!? Where is the enemy!?”

At my words, the adjutant answered in a panic.

“T-to the right! That is a new enemy that wasn’t on this battlefield!”

At that, I reflexively looked in the direction he was facing. There really was something there. Some kind of gigantic wall.

“…Change targets! We cannot just run away like this! Marquis Fertio’s knight order has already fully entered retreat formation! There is no chance of a pincer attack! Crush that meddling bastard with the whole army!!”

My voice cracking, I shouted and wheeled my horse around.

I did not know what that mysterious wall was, but the enemy’s formation was gathered tightly into a small group. There was no way they numbered even a thousand.

“We crush them!”

I shouted from the depths of my belly and raised my sword.