While Antares and his companions were listening to the plans of Sieben, at the western border of the Harlasia Kingdom where they had departed, a military force was gathering in front of the fortress there. This army was from the neighboring country, intent on invading the kingdom.
Despite their considerable numbers, the invaders had not been able to breach the fortress, which was strongly defended. They persisted for a while, but as the kingdom’s reinforcements approached, they ultimately gave up on their siege and began to retreat.“Finally retreated, have they?”
“It appears so.”
King Carl of Harlasia was observing the retreating invaders from atop the fortress walls, alongside the lord of the region who was also the fortress commander.
“Shall we pursue them?”
“Hmm… Yes, let’s coordinate with the reinforcements and make a measured pursuit. But let’s not overdo it; too much aggression could breed deep resentment. Now it’s time for diplomacy. We’ll use the reparations to rebuild the ravaged areas, and we’ll also send people from our side.”
“By your will, my lord.”
The lord bowed in agreement with King Carl’s decision, but a look of relief was clearly visible on his downcast face. The invading forces had been numerous, and the surrounding villages and towns near the fortress had been plundered. The farmlands had been thoroughly devastated, making this year’s harvest hopeless. The promise of support from the royal family was therefore greatly appreciated.
King Carl had read the lord’s mind well. Considering Carl’s role in defending the frontier, he had been favorable to King Karl who was knowledgeable about military matters even before the latter ascended the throne. Moreover, recognizing the lord’s abilities, Carl had used the neighboring country’s invasion to secure his unwavering support.
“Still, I had not expected Your Majesty to come in person and with such a small entourage…”
“But they were useful, weren’t they?”
“Yes. Your Majesty always surprises me.”
With that, the lord turned to the king’s entourage that had accompanied Carl as reinforcements. These were skilled warriors, hand-picked by Carl himself and who were known for their excellence in swordsmanship. They were the only ones who could keep up with King Carl when he set out with the news of the invasion. After all, when the king who was also skilled in horsemanship used his full power, few could follow.
However, it is worth noting that some of the king’s entourage were demons. Though there were only about ten of them, neither the lord who had never faced the front lines with the Republic’s army nor his soldiers had ever seen demons before, and their presence left a profound impression on them….in a good way.
“Never thought demons would be enlisted as part of the royal entourage. No king but His Majesty would show such boldness.”
“It’s not really about being bold. After the war, there have been unending cases of demons fleeing from various countries. If those who have fled are skilled and show no issues with their character, why should I hesitate to hire them?”
When King Carl arrived near the fortress, it was completely surrounded by the invading army. After identifying a weak point, he led his entourage in a charge and broke through the encirclement.
Seizing this opportunity, the lord led his elite troops out to briefly push back the enemy and then escorted King Carl’s group back to the fortress. Although there were not many casualties on either side, this battle greatly shifted the conditions of the battlefield, tipping it in favor of the Harlasia Kingdom.
The king and his small entourage had broken through the enemy lines to bring aid. However few they were, the fact that the king himself had come to the rescue after such a heroic feat surely encouraged the defenders. Indeed, the morale of the defenders was bound to rise.
Conversely, the morale of the invading army diminished as they were breached by a smaller force. Furthermore, those who had fought against King Carl’s troops knew that among them were demons. This knowledge spread among the soldiers, instilling fear in them.
The invading army had demons among them as well. However, these demons were criminal demons created specifically for the war against the Republic. They were rough and savage and largely treated as weapons with no other use than to be sent to the front lines to wreak havoc. After being expended in battle with the Republic’s forces, those who survived were secretly disposed of.
Despite this, the kingdom managed to employ these monstrous beings, who the invading army could only expend as well-coordinated soldiers under the king’s command. Not only the soldiers but also the high-ranking officers could not help but be disturbed.
The rise in morale among the defenders allowed them to fight with tenacity. Although they were few, the inclusion of demons in the defense was a significant boost in strength. Demons, with their ability to see well at night and superior physical abilities, would arm themselves, blend into the darkness outside the fortress, launch night raids, and then climb back over the fortress walls.
During these raids, they not only depleted the enemy soldiers but also succeeded in finding and setting fire to their provisions. The invading army, fearful of night raids, could no longer extinguish their lights at night, which, combined with stress and lack of food, further lowered the morale of the soldiers.
Amidst the slow progress in capturing the fortress, reinforcements from the kingdom finally arrived. The invading army that was already low on morale stood no chance against the unharmed reinforcements who had come to rescue and defend their homeland. The invaders were forced to retreat.
“Let’s prepare for a pursuit battle. Can you gather only the elite cavalry for me?”
“My lord, you intend to join the battle yourself?”
“Is there a problem with that?”
The lord of this region almost reflexively pointed out the myriad issues with that idea. No subject would fail to try to stop the king from personally going into battle, especially to the front lines. Those loyal would worry about the king’s life, while others would not want to be responsible if the king were to die in battle.
However, there were convincing reasons to support the decision. King Carl’s entourage was very strong, and Carl himself was a skilled warrior. Unless he was placed directly into the rearguard of the enemy’s most elite, it was unlikely he would be injured. There was a clear difference between those who could use fighting spirit and spiritual power and ordinary soldiers.
Moreover, as a general of the kingdom, Carl was very knowledgeable in military matters. Although he was competent as a king in managing state affairs, his real strength lay on the battlefield. He knew when to retreat and when to avoid overstretching himself. In some ways, he was arguably the best commander to lead a pursuit.
“While I cannot say there is no problem, it would be pointless to try to stop you. I will commit all of my cavalry to your command. Use them as you see fit.”
“Very well. Then, let us march!”
“”“Ha!”””
With the lord’s permission, King Carl set out with his own entourage and the cavalry under the lord’s command. However, demons were also mixed in among them…and surprisingly, many of them were running on foot.
This was not a result of discrimination by King Carl. The demons he had hired as soldiers were not all criminals; most were poor people who had been forcibly transformed into demons. Naturally, most of them could not ride horses.
However, the inability to ride was hardly a significant issue for the demons. Many of them, without even needing to enhance their physical abilities through fighting spirit or spiritual power, could run at speeds equivalent to a horse carrying an armed soldier.
As King Carl and his troops burst through the wide open gates of the fortress, they caught the retreating invading army from behind. Perhaps due to the distance from their reinforcements, the invaders had let their guard down and the sudden onslaught threw them into great disarray. Especially where King Carl and his men charged, the enemy lines completely collapsed, and the invaders screamed and fled in panic.
If the invading army had had more time, they might have been able to regroup and repel King Carl’s forces. However, they lacked the crucial element of time. As King Carl led a cavalry charge, additional cavalry from the reinforcements also sprang into action.
The worst part for the invading army was that the cavalry of the Kingdom of Harlasia was considered one of the best. Since his days as a prince, King Carl had relentlessly developed his cavalry, and their strength was unparalleled in the central parts of the continent. Recognizing their chance for victory and their superior mobility, they attacked the invaders on their own.
The impact was tremendous. As they charged, they unleashed powerful spiritual arts to dominate the battlefield, then delivered crushing blows from horseback, enhanced by their fighting spirit. This cavalry charge that happened amidst the demoralized troops trying to retreat from a losing battle shattered the already low morale of the invading army.
The soldiers were unable to maintain any semblance of control and fled in a state of total disarray. The panic among the troops spread to the surrounding soldiers, and despite the commanders’ efforts to regroup, they could only flee in disgrace.
“Ha, this will be something to boast about to Leo.”
King Carl who was leading his troops away from the battlefield and observing the retreating invaders wiped the sweat from his brow with a proud murmur. Among his troops were demons, but Leo and his group were not present; they remained strictly under the command of Lieselotte.
Ever since his encounter with Leo and the others, King Carl has been astonished by the strength of the trained demons. He had dispatched spies across the regions to gather demons of good character, and those willing were directly appointed as his soldiers.
As expected, they became outstanding soldiers. For those who did not wish to fight, he respected their wishes and facilitated alternative paths. This was after receiving reports about Leo’s true intentions from Lieselotte.
“The improvement of demons’ status… He might say that my help may be unnecessary, but I’ll help out anyway.”
King Carl pictured the face of the younger boy and looked in the direction where he might be. What was his friend doing at this moment? With these thoughts in mind, he turned his horse’s head towards the fortress.
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