Chapter 52

Yuwon immediately spurred his horse forward, galloping straight to the main force to find the Commander-in-Chief and explain the situation.

“…A battle? Did you just say a battle?”

“Yes. We must enter battle formation right now. If we face a surprise attack in our current state, we won’t be able to avoid heavy losses.”

With the Fifth Prince’s sudden visit, there was no time to recover from surprise before being told to prepare for combat. At Yuwon’s abrupt words, Marquis Carson wrinkled his nose.

‘No signs of anything, yet suddenly talking about battle… What kind of childish game does he think this is? I thought he’d changed a little after all that talk about the White Dragon, but….’

Of course, the Marquis didn’t openly reveal such displeasure before Yuwon. Not that Yuwon failed to notice what the man was thinking.

“There’s neither sight nor sound of any enemy, so I understand if my words sound unreliable. But if my prediction is correct and we encounter the enemy, the subjugation force in its current state won’t escape casualties.”

“Sigh… Your Highness, in about a day’s march, we’ll reach the Valaris County. We haven’t even entered the Great Jungle yet, and as you can see, we’re traveling along a well-paved road. To suddenly meet a large enemy force here—perhaps Your Highness had a strange dream, but such a thing is impossible.”

Marquis Carson’s tone and expression were that of an adult humoring a child, and Yuwon gave up on persuasion.

‘No, this isn’t someone who’ll be convinced by words. He doesn’t trust me. Fine, I understand that. In that case….’

If persuasion was impossible, there was no point wasting time. Yuwon rose from his seat.

“…It seems I’ve made a wasted trip. Then, I’ll take my leave. Ah, before that.”

The Marquis paused.

“…?”

“I’ll take my own troops to scout the surroundings. That should be acceptable, yes?”

“Well… do as you wish. If Your Highness is so concerned, who am I to stop you?”

The Marquis reluctantly gave permission. Normally, he would have refused outright, but at the moment, he simply wanted to get Yuwon out of his sight.

“Good. Then I’ll do that. But if you happen to change your mind, it would be wise to at least make some preparations.”

“I doubt that’ll be necessary… but I’ll keep it in mind. Then, are you taking your leave?”

“Yes, I am.”

Marquis Carson sent Yuwon off as one would remove a bothersome growth.

“Attend His Highness as he departs. Escort him on his way.”

At the Marquis’s command, a few nearby soldiers turned their horses and approached Yuwon.

“We’ll escort Your Highness back.”

“Thank you, but that won’t be necessary. You may rest.”

At Yuwon’s confident tone, the soldiers stepped aside. He seized his reins and turned his horse around.

‘Marquis Carson is a capable man. The very fact that he won’t believe my baseless warning proves that. Even if he didn’t accept my advice, he’s someone who can be relied on.’

The horse carrying Yuwon swiftly distanced itself from the main force, leaving behind a cloud of dust in its wake. Over that dust, the Marquis’s muttered words hung hollowly in the air.

“Once called a wastrel, now getting a bit of praise and already letting it go to his head… tch.”

Yuwon quickly galloped back to rejoin the 5th Company under his command. The moment he returned, Terrien was the first to approach and give his report.

“As ordered, the 5th Company is fully in battle formation.”

“Well done, Terrien.”

Right after, the Third Prince and Renania approached on horseback, both looking startled as if unable to understand what was going on.

“Battle formation all of a sudden? What’s happened?”

“I’m asking the same thing. Has something occurred?”

Both of them, too, were ready as if they could be thrown into battle at any moment. Yuwon nodded and replied.

“I don’t know how long it’ll be, but soon, a major battle will break out.”

“A battle here?”

They hadn’t even stepped into the Great Jungle yet—how could a great battle suddenly occur within the Aphahiel Empire’s own territory? The Third Prince, much like Marquis Carson, clearly found Yuwon’s words hard to believe. Yuwon met his gaze directly as he answered.

“There’s no time to explain, but a battle will happen. That’s what we’re preparing for.”

“No, how can such a large battle erupt without any sign at all? Hold on, it’ll take a moment, but I’ll use a detection spell to—”

“No, it’ll be too late. Before the spell takes effect, you’ll know it with your own eyes and ears.”

Yuwon cut him off firmly. His resolute tone made the Third Prince instinctively back down.

“…Hah. Fine. I suppose you have your reasons. Worst case, we can just say it was a training drill for emergencies. Alright, what now?”

“We’ll fall back to the rear.”

“The rear? We’re already near the rear, aren’t we?”

It wasn’t because they were afraid of battle or trying to steal credit. In the first place, the 5th Company was a small, irregular unit of barely fifty men within formations numbering in the hundreds—cooperation with the main force was practically impossible.

“Yes, to the very rear. As you know, the current formation of the subjugation force is designed to fight without us. Not deliberately, but they never really counted us as part of their fighting strength.”

“That’s true, but wouldn’t it be better to stick together? We’re not exactly a force that can achieve anything significant on our own.”

“No, separating is the right call. The other units see us as mere decoration. Staying mixed in will only cause confusion, not cooperation. The front lines are close enough to the County’s borders—let the main force handle that. We’ll move to the far rear to observe and report any sign of the enemy.”

“Hmm… that does make sense.”

Only then did the Third Prince nod in understanding. Terrien and Renania, who had been listening quietly, also seemed to understand.

Soon after, under Yuwon’s command, the 5th Company pulled their formation back to the very rear, preparing to separate from the main force. Thankfully, despite the abrupt battle formation and puzzling orders, none of the 5th Company’s soldiers voiced complaint and followed orders obediently.

The ones who talked too much were not from the 5th Company—but from the units led by the other Princes.

“The brat who loves being the center of attention—just when I wondered why he’d been quiet, he’s gone and done something useless again to draw eyes. What in the world is he thinking?”

“The youngest one? Hm… well, since he’s only doing it with his own troops, let’s just watch for now. Maybe he’s got some plan—or maybe he just wanted to play soldier.”

No matter how one looked, there wasn’t a hint of an enemy to be seen. Even after hearing about Yuwon’s strange actions, the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince merely snorted in amusement.

But the Second Prince was different.

“What? That bastard Yurion did? Tell my unit to ready for battle immediately. Right now.”

“Pardon? So suddenly, Your Highness?”

“I can’t stand Yurion’s face, but he’s not the kind of bastard who wastes energy on nothing. He’s a viper. When that man moves, there’s always a reason. Do as I say.”

As expected of the ‘Sword of the Imperial Family.’ While the Commander-in-Chief and the other Princes all mocked and dismissed Yuwon’s unusual actions as foolish, the Second Prince Arencar, filled with suspicion, followed Yuwon’s lead.

Around that time, Yuwon’s command came down and the 5th Company began to move.

“The 5th Company will keep distance from the main force and scout the rear.”

With that, Yuwon immediately led the 5th Company back along the road they had come.

The main force advanced toward the Valaris County, while the 5th Company rode in the opposite direction. The distance between the two formations quickly grew.

When they were finally far enough apart that neither could be seen from the other, a mocking voice came from the 1st Company—one of the many who looked down on Yuwon.

“Come to think of it, the 5th Company—when I last saw them, they’d set up camp and were preparing lunch. After all that fuss about battle readiness, I guess they just couldn’t wait for mealtime? If they were hungry, they could’ve just said so. Hahaha!”

“Pfft! Exactly. It’s hot as hell, and they’re sitting there in full armor. Poor bastards. See, this is why you’ve got to follow the right leader, huh?”

Laughter spread among the ranks. For the first time in a while, the soldiers—who had been enduring the brutal southern heat—cracked smiles.

“Haha, just let them be. Maybe they’re just trying to feel like real soldiers for once.”

The laughter didn’t last long. A commotion suddenly broke out at the very front of the subjugation force.

“Hey! Over there!”

“Why, what is it?”

Over the fading laughter came a shout—half scream, half warning.

“T-There… enemies!”

“What?”

At that, the Second Prince yanked his reins and dashed forward.

“Move! I can’t see!”

He focused magic into his eyes. Far ahead, something unknown was charging toward the subjugation force with terrifying speed.

“…Damn it.”

The Second Prince cursed under his breath and drew his sword.

“That unlucky bastard was right again.”

Enemy sighted!

In the far distance, a small dark dot tore across the plains, kicking up a cloud of dust. The subjugation force was suddenly thrown into chaos.

“W-What? It’s really coming? That’s not the enemy, right? Maybe Count Valaris’s men coming to meet us?”

“No way… it can’t be. We haven’t even reached the Great Jungle yet—how could there be enemies already….”

The Houkijisu participants, who’d just been complaining about the heat, felt their spines go cold. Some were clearly frightened, but most drew their swords with reckless bravado. The battle they’d so eagerly longed for was finally upon them—though they didn’t yet know the true fear of war.

“At last! Our time to shine! Forward, comrades!”

“In the name of Aphahiel, let us strike down the monsters!”

The one most shocked by the enemy’s appearance, of course, was Marquis Carson. After receiving word of the approaching force, he came to the front himself to assess their strength. The enemies’ shapes flickered into view through his magic-enhanced sight.

‘Orcs? How can those beasts be in the South…!’

The enemy was a horde of orcs. Marquis Carson analyzed their strength.

‘Even at a glance, there are hundreds. I’ll need to stay sharp.’

Though still distant, the way they kicked up dust in the hot, humid southern air made one thing clear—there were far too many for comfort.

‘Orcs… Each one’s strength surpasses that of a trained soldier, but they’re impulsive and know nothing of coordination. The green Houkijisu recruits will be the problem… but if we form ranks properly, we can repel them with minimal losses.’

Quickly assessing the situation, the Commander-in-Chief’s commanding voice boomed like a lion’s roar, restoring order to the panicked troops.

“All units, prepare to receive the enemy’s assault! Form defensive lines and ready your defenses!”

His magically amplified voice rolled across the battlefield like thunder. Following his order, the Princes’ shouts rang out in turn.

“1st Company! Raise your shields and take up spears! We’ll stand firm and meet their charge head-on!”

The Crown Prince’s 1st Company hastily built a solid first line of defense.

“2nd Company, follow me! We’ll stand behind the wall, absorb the charge, and when their assault falters, we’ll take their heads!”

The Second Prince’s 2nd Company drew their blades and took position behind, ready to strike.

“Our 3rd Company will provide support from the rear with bows and magic! Ready your arrows and hold your ground!”

The central position, which should have been commanded by the Third Prince, was instead taken by the neutral faction, who nocked their arrows and gathered mana for bombardment.

“4th Company, focus on protection and recovery! Do not let a single ally fall!”

The 4th Company, composed largely of those who could wield holy power, spread evenly across the field to support the others. The response was far quicker than Yuwon had feared. The Commander-in-Chief and the Princes were leading the soldiers firmly.

The heat of battle burned away all composure. None remembered the Fifth Prince and his 5th Company, who had fallen back earlier. Only a handful, still thinking clearly, wondered where he might be heading.

‘What can he possibly accomplish with just fifty men…? And it’s not as if they’re elite troops. Still, the fact that he detected the attack in advance… I’ll need to speak with him after this.’

As Marquis Carson briefly thought of Yuwon, he turned his attention back to the army and to the rapidly advancing enemy.

Even though the army had prepared in haste, the dots on the horizon had already grown to the size of his fingertip.

‘Orcs standing on imperial soil… The Empire hasn’t suffered an invasion in centuries. Maybe all the recent noise in the South wasn’t just about political ambition—perhaps something has truly gone wrong with their duties there.’

As the battle loomed, Marquis Carson felt a heavy weight settle in his chest. A bad premonition gnawed at him.

“…I’ve grown dull indeed. To entertain stray thoughts before a fight—seems it’s time I retired.”

With a self-deprecating smile, he cast away distraction, drew his sword, and aimed it toward the approaching orc horde. Then, the veteran’s roar split the air.

“All forces! Advance while maintaining formation! Ram the law of the Empire down the filthy throats of the orcs who dare tread upon sacred Aphahiel soil!”

“Uwaaaah—! Advance! Advance!”

“His Majesty’s blessing is with us! Uwooooh—!”

The fervor of battle overwhelmed even the southern heat. The subjugation force’s united war cry thundered across the hills. As if in response, the orc horde raised crude horns and bellowed back with savage cries.

Bwooooom!

“Graaahhhk—!”

In the heart of the southern region of the Aphahiel Empire—near the Valaris County—a battle unlike any other erupted.

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