Chapter 52 - Chapter 052 - Beastmen Attack
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052_Beastmen Attack
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According to information updated daily, the war situation is quite bad.
Attacked by the Jabaru Kingdom Army during the day and harassed by the beastmen mercenary group's night raids, the Kingdom's army was retreating significantly and trying to reorganize.
They had thought the Jabaru Kingdom Army would be satisfied with securing the area around the ruins, but they were repeatedly attacking and looting the surrounding cities.
It seems they are probably trying to compensate for the great amount of war funds consumed over the past 50 years through looting.
“According to information from the Golem I placed with Yulin, it seems His Majesty the King and the ministers are moving towards ending the war.”
Rodney had placed a Golem he created with his Golem ability with Yulin. By sharing senses with that Golem, he was able to obtain real-time information from the royal capital.
Yulin was staying at the residence of Sage Daguldor, and through the Golem, she conveyed information from within the castle and the royal capital to Rodney.
That latest information was that the King and his ministers had sent envoys for peace.
“If we make peace in the current situation, it will be on unfavorable terms.”
Rodmel spoke with a groan.
“Two army corps are already annihilated, and one is in a terrible state. The only safe ones are the knight orders left to defend the royal capital. It seems they decided they can't push back the Jabaru Kingdom Army even if they fight more.”
“In that case, the Serudo Region will be ceded. Furthermore, the currently occupied territories will be ceded as well. Will the eastern nobles accept that?”
Hortus assessed the situation calmly, but naturally the eastern nobles would not accept it. On the contrary, it would leave considerable dissatisfaction.
“Shall we report this to Baron Jegsus?”
“No, I won't. He'll likely find out within a few days anyway. Even from Count Banyusas, I want to keep it secret that I'm getting royal capital information using the Golem.”
Only the knights Rodmel and Hortus, and Roxwell, were present at this place. The squires still didn't know about the Golem. Not only the squires transferred from other houses, but even Garikson, the younger brother of Knight Endever.
The matter of the Golem would naturally become known when necessary. Nevertheless, he intended to keep the ‘Sensory Sharing’ as a top secret within the Forvas House.
A few days later, a member of Count Banyusas's house rushed over from the royal capital, having ridden several horses to exhaustion. The information he brought was the same as what Rodney had obtained from Yulin through the Golem.
Baron Jegsus temporarily halted the advance and gathered the northern nobles.
“Peace talks now?! What is the Royal Family thinking!”
One noble raised his voice.
The Forvas House was not so, but nobles often had many blood relations. The noble who raised his voice was related by blood to a noble with lands in the east. Moreover, that lord's house had been destroyed by the beastmen mercenary group, and the town was looted, left in a terrible state. There were many such nobles.
“It's pitiable for the eastern nobles, but this too is the fault of those accursed ministers. If we don't do something about them, the same thing will happen again.”
The nobles knew about the policy of prolonging the war. The King had become a puppet of the ministers. That was the history of this country. But the country's power was strong, and they could say nothing. What would happen from now on remained uncertain.
“In any case, peace has not yet been concluded. We will continue eastward and, if necessary, engage the Jabaru Kingdom Army in battle.”
Even as he said this, Baron Jegsus slowed the march rate following Geldovas's advice.
It was decided that if peace was concluded, there was no need to fight. However, because there were military overseers monitoring the northern noble army, they could not openly march slowly or turn back. For the future, Geldovas planned and executed a subtle slowdown that would either go unnoticed or, even if noticed, could be excused.
Fortunately, perhaps, the northern noble army, delayed by rain for four days along the way, arrived in the Serudo Region much later than scheduled.
But the calculations of Geldovas and Baron Jegsus were off. Peace with the Jabaru Kingdom had not yet been concluded.
“If they are this incompetent, the terms of peace will likely be terrible.”
Geldovas said with a wry smile.
The ministers, who were half-baked and slow in everything, aroused the indignation of Geldovas, Baron Jegsus, and the nobles who had grasped the intention behind the slow march.
It was when they entered from the north of the Serudo Region and approached a city called Ussogoudo. Rodney felt an unpleasant presence, like murderous intent, from the mountain forest.
It was about time for a rest, so Rodney suggested to Baron Jegsus that they send out scouts.
In the Serudo Region, the fighting was from the central to southern areas. Moreover, according to information, Ussogoudo was a place not yet attacked.
Therefore, Baron Jegsus thought they didn't need to be so nervous, but Geldovas, Count Banyusas's right-hand man, agreed with Rodney's opinion, so they decided to send out scouts.
Some of the scouts sent out did not return. The ones that didn't return were scouts who went to reconnoiter the mountain forest in front of Ussogoudo.
Thinking maybe they had met with an accident, they sent out scouts again. But those also did not return.
A war council was immediately convened, and the disappearance of the scouts was shared.
“I think it's highly likely the enemy is hiding in this forest. What do you all think?”
When Geldovas, whose left half of his face was immobile, asked for opinions, the nobles also judged that probability to be high.
“If the enemy is lurking in this forest, Ussogoudo may have already fallen.”
“Ussogoudo is a supply base town. If it has fallen, the situation is quite dire.”
Up to now, the northern noble army had used Ussogoudo as a supply base to supply the front lines.
If they could not use it, they would have to set up another collection point for supplies sent from each territory. However, that was not such a big problem. As long as they communicated properly, supplies would gather there.
So what was the problem? It was that Ussogoudo, which had not been reported as fallen, might have fallen. Even if it hadn't fallen, enemy forces had advanced this far. That was the problem.
“It's clear the enemy is lurking in the forest, but moving a large army through the forest is difficult. Dealing with them with a small elite force would be best.”
“Then give that role to me!”
“Wait, wait. Give that role to me!”
“I'll take it!”
After three nobles raised their hands and discussed, two barons each led their own troops into the forest.
Soon after the barons entered the forest, sounds of battle were heard. They hadn't gone very deep in terms of time.
The clamor continued for about a quarter of an hour, and Rodney and the others waited vigilantly for the barons' return. As they waited on guard, someone emerged from the shadows of the trees.
The Forvas House's Dedel territorial army was stationed near the tail end of the long column. At a point between that location and the forest, that person collapsed.
“Something's wrong.”
Seeing that person fall, Rodney started running.
Rodney rushed over and lifted the person up. He was covered in blood and in a terrible state, but Rodney recognized him. It was one of the barons who had led his troops into the forest.
“Stay with me! What happened to everyone?”
“Th-the beastmen...”
With that, the baron lost consciousness. He was breathing, so he was alive. Rodney immediately treated the baron with Swift Recovery.
“Rodmel. Carry the baron.”
“Understood.”
As Rodmel lifted the baron, Rodney, sensing killing intent from the forest, drew his White True Steel Sword. At that moment, something burst out from between the trees. It was quite fast, rushing straight toward Rodney.
A single swing of the White True Steel Sword. That something fell to the ground with a thud.
Wearing crude leather armor, it had a bushy, pale blue tail and ears. It was a beastman.
“Beastmen! Ready your swords!”
At Rodney's cry, the Dedel territorial soldiers reacted instantly.
Several beastmen leaped out from between the trees. Their movements were extremely swift, and in an instant, Rodney was surrounded by about ten beastmen.
Hundreds of beastmen ran past beside him. They never imagined there were so many.
“At this rate, the others who went into the forest are probably dead.”
Rodney held his White True Steel Sword cautiously and observed the beastmen encircling him.
The beastmen he saw for the first time in his life were wolf beastmen. They walked on two legs like humans, but ran on all fours. For beastmen, running on all fours gave them more explosive power, and it was a race that often fought on all fours.
“Grrrrrrr”
Facing the wolf beastman that even growled like a wolf, Rodney had the composure to calmly observe.
A face like a human, but it has sharp fangs. And those claws are dangerous too.
Looking at the bloody claws, he immediately understood that the baron's soldiers had been killed with them.
“Grr!”
One beastman leaped from behind. Rodney instantly changed his stance and swung the White True Steel Sword. The beastman fell with a thud, but other beastmen were closing in.
As if dancing, Rodney swung the White True Steel Sword, dodging the beastmen's attacks, and felled all of them with a single stroke each.
The Dedel territorial soldiers were coping with the beastmen's speed. Every soldier was stronger than the beastmen. Even the new squires dealt with the beastmen's swiftness without issue. The rigorous training and the generous granting of Life Light Stones seemed to have worked in their favor.
Rodney rejoined Rodmel and the others. Nearly fifty beastman corpses lay around the Dedel territorial forces, but there appeared to be no casualties. However, that was not the case for the other troops.
There were nearly five hundred beastmen that had come out of the forest. They were also attacking the other noble armies, fierce fighting ongoing.
“Rodmel, casualties?”
“None. All are safe.”
“I'll head to the right as reinforcements. Rodmel, to the left.”
“Understood.”
“Roxwell, guard the supplies.”
“Yes sir!”
Rodney, accompanied by Hortus, two squires, and ten soldiers, headed to the right.
Due to the dense melee between friend and foe, he couldn't use release-type source power. It inevitably became close combat. Rodney called out to the confused allies while cutting down beastmen.
“Stay calm! Look carefully, they're nothing special! We have numbers, three of you take on one!”
With Rodney, who slaughtered beastmen with overwhelming strength, calling out in this way, the confusion among the northern noble army gradually subsided.
“Lord Forvas!”
“Excellency. I'm glad you're safe.”
Behind Baron Jegsus, Geldovas was also holding a drawn sword. His stance clearly showed he was not used to handling a sword.
“Thanks to you, we were saved.”
“It looks like the beastmen have withdrawn. Please confirm our own casualties.”
“Yes, indeed.”
Baron Jegsus sent messengers to each noble and grasped the casualty situation.
Among the nobles, only one baron who hadn't returned from the forest was dead, but it seemed nearly thirty knights and squires had been killed. It was clear that the beastmen had targeted those thought to be commanders.
“Casualties: 100 dead, 70 seriously wounded. In contrast, we have killed 100 beastmen.”
Looking only at the number of dead, it was a draw. But the number of beastmen was a quarter of the northern noble army, so it was hardly a draw.
“Lord Forvas's unit had no casualties, that's just what you'd expect from the army of the Hero who opened the treasury.”
Baron Jegsus praised Rodney to dispel the defeatist mood.
“Indeed, without Lord Forvas's quick thinking, the casualties would have been much greater. Truly fitting for the Hero.”
Even Geldovas praised Rodney. It had been agreed between the two of them to praise Rodney before the war council. This brightened the dark mood.
“We have a Hero with us! We won't lose to the Jabaru Kingdom!”
The nobles also praised Rodney as a Hero, as if to dispel the dark mood.
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