CHAPTER 667

【 ELVEN MERCENARIES 】

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Heavy clouds blotted out the sunlight and rolled endlessly across the sky, plunging the surroundings into deep gloom.

A fierce wind howled without pause, making the fluttering banners rattle sharply. The fabric snapped like distant whips, each sound echoing through the barren hillside.

An elderly man in a crimson ceremonial robe stood on the slope, his expression solemn as he gazed toward the heavens. In his hand, he held a golden emblem shaped like a sun, the sacred symbol of the Eternal Lord.

As he studied the dark clouds overhead, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened. Then he spoke in a heavy tone.

“An evil force has obscured the stars. I fear that today’s battle will be anything but easy.”

Before his words faded, a booming laugh echoed across the hillside, full of confidence and weariness at the same time.

“Lord Nicholas, you worry far too much. Our side has triple their numbers, and after we have kept them surrounded for days, today will surely mark Otto’s end.”

The speaker was a tall, broad shouldered nobleman. He wore polished knightly armor that gleamed even beneath the dim sky. His blond hair, blue eyes, and prominent hooked nose gave him a stern appearance, the sort that commanded obedience long before he opened his mouth. Behind him, his soldiers held aloft a banner bearing twin lions, a proud sigil that marked his identity for all to see.

He was Duke Lawson, field marshal of the Imperial Expeditionary Army, who had recently been reprimanded by the Empress for his involvement in the incident concerning House Wells. The reprimand still hung over him like a shadow, and even now a faint tension lingered around his otherwise confident posture.

The red robed elder cast a calm glance at Duke Lawson. That tranquil yet profound gaze carried a profound weight which made the powerful duke unconsciously lower his laughter.

“Your Lordship, do not grow careless. Have you forgotten the battle at Peachwood Grove?”

Lawson’s expression stiffened at the reminder.

Peachwood Grove lay near the border between the Mapleleaf and the western territories. A month and a half earlier, he had led his forces there against the troops of the Borderlord and had suffered a heavy defeat.

That battle remained a stain on the Lawson Houses honor.

“That was an accident. I never expected Otto to be able to summon a corrupted War Behemoth, nor do I know where he got those titan descendants from.”

Lawson spoke through gritted teeth.

Afterward he narrowed his eyes, and a spark of cold determination settled in his gaze.

“However, the ones who took the worst losses that day were the conscripted mercenaries. My elite knight corps did not suffer greatly. Otto cannot hope to match us, especially now that our side has the full support of the Judgement Knights from the Church, along with the heavy spear ballistae I have gathered from every province this month, even if he could control those war behemoths.”

With that, he stretched out his arms toward the foot of the hill and spoke with bold confidence. His gesture swept across the expanse below, where rows of armored soldiers stood in tight formations and the glint of spearheads shimmered beneath the dim light.

“Lord Nicholas, do you not agree when you look at such an army?”

Then he turned respectfully, lowering his voice as if the weight of the coming battle settled onto his shoulders.

“Of course, we could easily resolve this if the battle only involved mortal forces. But if an existence far beyond us mortals should ever appear, then I must humbly ask for you to intervene.”

The elder gave a slight nod, his expression solemn and devout.

“Naturally. The Great Eternal Lord will never allow His innocent lambs to be devoured by evil.”

At his reassurance, Lawson’s spirits rose. Laughing heartily, the nobleman gazed into the distance.

“Then let us bring an end to this needless civil war together.”

Hearing his firm declaration, the elder followed his gaze.

Below the hillside stretched an army as far as the eye could see.

It was a force of one hundred thousand, reorganized with the red armored Third Imperial Knight Corps as its core, reinforced by various conscripted mercenary groups at the vanguard, and strengthened by the elite Judgement Knights of the Eternal Church in their white armor.

Among the ranks stood rows of war chariots, each ten meters long, their reinforced frames creaking faintly under the weight of their payloads.

These were the heavy spear ballistae, siege engines designed specifically to counter large magical beasts. Their massive bolts were sharp enough to pierce bone and enchanted hide alike.

Banners whipped in the wind above the moving columns. The thunderous march of countless feet rolled across the plain, like an approaching storm that shook the earth itself.

Such a massive force could only be properly deployed here on the vast and relatively flat Fertile Plains, which is precisely why Duke Lawson chose this location for that purpose.

The Imperial army surged forward like a colossal red tide, or like a vast net being cast across the land, tightening with every step.

On the opposite side stood a far smaller army of silver gray soldiers, the Borderlord forces. Numbering only a third of the red tide, they held a tight defensive line as they were shielded by several massive war behemoths positioned in front of them.

Amidst the roaring wind, the two tides finally clashed.

At the moment of impact, the long range defensive magic shields of both forces shattered like fragile glass, and the battle officially began.

The mercenary groups at the vanguard roared as they charged into Borderlord Otto’s forces. Their discipline was inferior to that of regular soldiers, yet years of constant warfare had honed their instincts to razor sharpness. Thus, every participating mercenary was at least an intermediate Iron-rank expert.

Whereas on the Borderlord’s side, their army was somewhat weaker, but their tight defensive formation reduced the Imperial army’s overall advantage.

The moment the two sides collided, the battlefield descended into brutal melee combat.

Thunderous shouts and screams filled the air as steel met steel. Every second that passed, someone fell, yet the very next moment would saw fresh soldiers surge forward to fill the gaps, driven by the relentless momentum of the army behind them.

Suddenly, with a series of enraged bellows, the behemoth beasts on Otto’s side began to move.

They pounded their chests and charged straight into the Imperial lines. With their massive, terrifying bodies and complete disregard for danger, they hurled themselves forward like unstoppable mountains, crushing everything in their path into pulp and sending soldiers flying with each thunderous step.

However, with the Imperial Army having expected that the Borderlord would deploy these massive beasts, they had long prepared their countermeasures. As such, the moment these creatures rushed forward, a signal was immediately given.

Arrows sliced through the air with sharp whistles, followed by massive flaming spears that shot forth from the Imperial ranks. The blazing projectiles struck the behemoths head on, detonating in bursts of fire and force, finally bringing the rampaging beasts to a halt.

These were bolts from the Imperial heavy ballistae.

The barrage marked the signal for long range attacks to begin.

Longbowmen and crossbowmen launched volley after volley, and the mages on both sides began casting various enhancement spells on their respective forces.

For a time, the entire battlefield gleamed with shimmering glow as brilliant magical light show washed over the carnage, creating a strange contrast between brutality and dreamlike spectacle.

In a world dominated by extraordinary powers, those who wielded such special strength clearly possessed far greater endurance than ordinary soldiers.

Not to mention the various enhancement spells that seemed almost cheat-like, thereby allowing soldiers on both side to continue fighting fiercely and even survive situations that should have ensured certain death.

As a result, victory could not be decided quickly, as the battlefield became a merciless meat grinder, dragging on until the fighting devolved into a grueling stalemate.

Yet the Imperial nobles watching from the hillside wore satisfied expressions as they observed the battlefield.

In their minds, so long as their superior numbers did not collapse in a rout, a battle of attrition would more than likely ensure their eventual victory.

Besides, the current situation was already a favorable outcome, given that the traitors possessed war behemoths, and no matter how powerful the heavy ballistae were, they could not easily kill such thick-skinned monsters.

However, on the same hillside, the crimson-robed Cardinal Nicholas, supreme leader of the Eternal Church and overseer of the Imperial army, raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise as his gaze fell upon a section of the battlefield.

“Which mercenary group is that in the southwest? Their strength is unexpectedly remarkable.”

Hearing the faint note of astonishment in his voice, the surrounding nobles instinctively turned their attention toward the southwest side of the battlefield.

There, the Borderlord’s defensive line had been completely collapsed.

A group of mercenaries clad in Imperial style red armor but wielding unusually stylish weapons were rampaging through the rebels formation, cutting down enemies left and right.

More astonishing still, two or three dozen of these mercenaries had surrounded a behemoth and were harassing it relentlessly. Wounds streaked across the beast’s massive body, and it was teetering on the brink of death.

Once the nobles noticed the red standard armor those mercenaries wore, along with weapons far more ornate than those of other mercenary groups, their expressions became complicated.

Their gazes shifted instinctively toward Duke Lawson, whose expression darkened.

“…That is a conscripted elven mercenary group from the Elven Forest,” the Duke admitted, his voice tinged with discomfort.

“Elves?”

Cardinal Nicholas’s eyes flickered with a brief flash of surprise. He glanced at Duke Lawson, recalling the recent scandal that had caused a stir within the Empire, and understanding slowly dawned in his sharp gaze.

He then asked, his voice carrying a hint of an accusatory undertone, “So you mean to say, you used the Goddess of Life’s summoning statue?”

Duke Lawson shook his head firmly.

“No, I did not summoned them. As servants of the Eternal Lord, my side would never resort to such transgressions. In truth, they were the ones who actually volunteered themselves, and I merely accepted their conscription before the battle began.”

Nicholas raised a questioning eyebrow.

“They volunteered?”

“Yes. And their demands were not high. They only asked that we provide them with some armor.”

Duke Lawson replied before letting out a cold, mirthless laugh.

“Detestable as these elves are, they make excellent expendable troops. They are the most reckless mercenaries I have ever seen.”

Cardinal Nicholas gave a slight nod and continued observing the battlefield.

When his gaze reached another sector, his brow tightened once more.

“What is happening over there?”

Following his line of sight, the nobles saw that the Imperial forces in that area were rapidly collapsing. The rebel troops in that sector were charging into the Imperial formation like madmen, cutting down soldiers with ferocious abandon.

The Imperial side still held overwhelming numbers, so any of their fallen soldiers and mercenaries were quickly replaced by those marching from behind. Even so, this one-sided slaughter stood out sharply across the battlefield, second only to the rampaging elven mercenaries.

However, when the nobles glimpsed the rebel soldiers’ armor and recognized the eerily familiar, ornate weapons they carried, their expressions grew even stranger, a mixture of disbelief and unease flickering across their faces.

They once again turned toward Duke Lawson, whose expression darkened further, deepening into a frown of clear displeasure.

“By the gods, those seem to be elven mercenaries as well! It appears Otto recruited elven mercenaries too. These accursed two-faced long ears.”

He muttered angrily under his breath.

Cardinal Nicholas fell silent for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation.

“Lord Lawson, perhaps you should let these elves fight each other to reduce our losses,” he suggested calmly, his tone measured but carrying a subtle edge of warning.

Duke Lawson cast a sharp glance at the noble responsible for organizing the mercenary groups and assigning their battle positions.

“Sir Bayer?”

His voice carried irritation and accusation, and several nearby officers instinctively stiffened.

Among them, Sir Bayer’s face paled as he stepped forward, offering a strained smile that looked more like a grimace.

“No, Your Lordship, Your Eminence. You see, those cunning long ears demanded, at the moment of their conscription, that they would never fight against other elves. Otherwise they would refuse to participate at all. Not only that, but they also claimed that they would join the Borderlord’s side if we forced them into fighting other elves.”

Nicholas: “…”

Duke Lawson: “…”

The silence grew heavier. Sir Bayer swallowed nervously when he noticed Duke Lawson’s expression darken even further.

Seeing this, he hurriedly added, “B-But please rest assured, Your Lordship. After this campaign, I will personally gather every elven mercenary group we could possibly recruit. I will make sure those rebels never have such an opportunity ever again.”

Duke Lawson glared at him.

“What? You are already thinking about another campaign after this one?”

Sir Bayer awkwardly rubbed his shoulders before straightening his posture. “N-No, of course not, my lord. What I meant to say is that I will make sure this battle ends with the rebels complete annihilation.”

“That is more acceptable.”

Duke Lawson gave a faint nod.

He then looked back toward the battlefield, and when his gaze fell upon the widening breach opened in the southwest by the elven mercenaries, a glint appeared in his eyes.

“Looks like the time has come.”

“Send word to the Royal Knights and the Judgement Knights. Order them to release their concealment spells and charge from the southwest.”

At Duke Lawson’s command, a mage immediately released a magical signal into the sky.

Moments later, the thunderous sound of hooves, like a rising tsunami, echoed across the battlefield, shaking the earth beneath both armies.

Amidst the billowing dust, a massive cavalry unit suddenly emerged on the southwest side of the battlefield. Every rider and mount was fully armored, draped in crimson cloaks that fluttered like banners in the wind, while the four-meter-long lances in their hands gleamed with cold sheen.

These were the Imperial armored heavy cavalry. Each rider possessed at least peak Iron-rank strength, and nearly a quarter of them had achieved Silver-rank, though most had only advanced within the past few years.

Their mounts were hybrid warhorses infused with magical beast bloodlines. Even the weakest among them possessed strength comparable to a third- or fourth-tier beast.

This was the Holy Maniya Empire’s strongest military force, the trump card that had enabled the Empire to sweep across the continent. Within the Imperial Third Royal Guard Corps alone, there were more than ten thousand of these armored heavy cavalry, each trained for shock tactics and mass charges capable of breaking even the most fortified lines.

Beyond these ten thousand heavy riders, there were also approximately three thousand White Cavalry Knights.

They too were fully armored, faint holy light shimmering around them, and they carried shields and swords embossed with the symbol of the sun.

These were the Judgement Knights of the Eternal Church. Every one of them held Silver-rank, and each captain was at least an upper Silver-rank expert, with several among them having reached Gold-rank.

The Judgement Knights served as the Church’s principal force for eradicating heresy and suppressing cult activity. They rarely involved themselves in secular warfare. In fact, it was only because the Borderlord had expelled the Eternal Church from the Mapleleaf Territory that the Church had deployed this order.

They were not heavy cavalry, yet every knight was trained in both martial techniques and divine arts. Furthermore, each rode a dragon-scaled steed with dragon lineage. In terms of raw power and trampling force, they were even more terrifying than the armored heavy cavalry.

With all these advantages combined, their overall strength surpassed that of the heavy cavalry, while retaining far greater mobility and striking speed. Their ability to charge, strike, and withdraw before the enemy could react made them a nightmare to face.

Together, these thirteen thousand elite riders were Duke Lawson’s greatest trump card for ending the rebellion decisively.

The ground shook violently as the army galloped forward, hooves drumming akin to a relentless thunderstorm across the battlefield.

The cavalry crashed into the enemy lines and under the terrified stares of the rebel soldiers, easily cut directly into the very heart of the rebel formation.

In mere moments, the rebels who had been holding against the Imperial army collapsed entirely.

“We have won…”

A satisfied smile appeared on Duke Lawson’s face.

But at that moment, an evil and ice-cold presence suddenly descended upon the battlefield.

From within the churning clouds overhead, a colossal hand emerged, vast enough to blot out the sky.

It then swept downward, slamming toward the Imperial army below, which was caught off guard.

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