[Translator - Pot ]

[Proofreader - Kawaii ]

Chapter 291: Song of the Mountains

The moment Knut's scouting party discovered the ambush, a commotion broke out in the main force.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

Balthazar frowned.

"Did they fool Knut? No, is it a simultaneous attack!"

I looked at the Grimnar's mountain tribal soldiers appearing from all directions and thought to myself:

'They fooled the scouts, and they didn't trigger my 'Insight Star'.

Perhaps a master of stealth techniques could do it, but it was impossible for so many soldiers to all possess that level of skill.

"They must have been hidden in advance, anticipating our advance route."

"I think so too."

Balthazar said.

"And they must have pulled some tricks while ambushing. Sprinkling scents to mask their presence, using techniques to suppress their presence to the extreme."

"...Is it a 'Turtle Breath Technique'?"

"Probably."

It's a highly dangerous and difficult technique, where one's breathing and pulse are slowed to a state almost indistinguishable from death.

"They sent formidable individuals, it seems."

"Not necessarily. The martial arts of Eisenach and Angantyr are ultimately close to systematizing the skills needed to hunt beasts in the mountains."

While somewhat different from the stealth techniques used by martial artists of the plains, in the realm of concealing one's presence while ambushing, it must be considered extremely high-level.

"Do you remember their attire?"

Warriors wearing large feathers and light armor made from monster hides, easy for movement, were firing arrows and throwing hidden weapons.

"Of course."

Balthazar replied immediately.

"They are Grimnar Angantyr's direct subordinates."

"Ah, meaning they're an elite unit?"

But our forces aren't to be underestimated either.

Sure enough, the Royal Guards and Special Operations Division, as well as the cutthroats conscripted from the underworld, were deflecting the attacks with their swords without much difficulty.

"Allen, if the enemy mixes poison into those, it'll be dangerous."

At Balthazar's warning, Ulbhild stepped forward.

"Elder, don't worry."

Ulbhild, with her hair tied back tightly, placed her hand on the blade of her sword.

"Snowflake Myriad Frost."

Crack, crack, crack!

A chilling icy mana sprayed forward like a mist, freezing the arrows and hidden weapons.

"Wow..."

I marveled, looking at the hidden weapons and arrows trapped in the ice wall.

"This is the true power of the Snow Blossom Sword Technique. Its power is formidable when seen in a real battle."

Ulbhild's response to that was:

"Allen?"

"Yes."

"Why are you just watching? Break it."

"Ah, yes."

I extended my palm forward.

"Celestial Chain Breaker."

The ultimate technique of the Ink Soul Sacred Shadow Technique erupted widely, shattering the ice wall, which then transformed into hundreds and thousands of ice projectiles that rained down on the enemies.

Thwack, thwack, thwack!

Most of the enemies, true to their elite Angantyr training, parried and dodged them, but Ulbhild's strategic move was precisely there.

"Freeze."

When she unleashed her icy mana once more, the grass, trees, and ice fragments scattered on the ground connected, forming a solid sheet of ice.

"!!!"

Suddenly, the battlefield became a snow-covered mountain in midwinter.

'Wow, this is quite amazing.'

A snow-covered mountain with ice is a dangerous place where one could easily slip, fall, and crack their head open.

In other words, the enemies who had surrounded us were effectively isolated, their mobility taken away.

'When a 7th tier master wields ice magic, it exerts enough power to dominate the entire battlefield.'

It was a scene that made me realize anew the terrifying power of ice magic.

My older sister is truly a fearsome person.

"You idiots, you've never experienced something like this before, have you?"

I mocked them and gave orders.

"Rudgarda, lead the 6th Battalion and block the rear. Jeffrey and Nagan, spread out the encirclement to the left and right and wait."

I didn't need to give detailed instructions.

The three had become competent officers and surrounded the enemy with appropriate deployments.

"You guys stay right there."

I combined the Seven Stars of the Black Sea Technique and the Ink Soul Sacred Shadow Technique, continuously firing massive slashes at the height between the enemies' knees and waists.

Whoosh!

The slashes, tearing through the air, struck the enemies—

Thud!

They cut down the waists and legs of those reckless enough to try to block the attack and broke their swords.

"You arrogant bastards. How dare you try to block my slashes?"

Those who were quick-witted enough jumped high to avoid the slashes, but that was just an act of turning themselves into targets.

"Unleash slashes!"

The slashes, flying like arrows, descended upon the mountain people suspended in mid-air.

"Gahhh!"

"Damn it!"

It's hard to block ten swords with one hand.

When those who jumped landed, another ten or so were dead or critically wounded.

In a short while, the enemy force of about 100 had dwindled to 70.

"Form a defensive line! Gather and resist!"

Someone shouted, so I asked.

"Are you sure about that? Because if you do, I'll just send out more slashes."

"...Damn it!"

What awaited the mountain people, hesitantly scattered and slipping precariously on the ice, was clear.

It was the elite warriors of Grunewald and the underworld, already having spread their encirclement and waiting.

"It's time for annihilation by encirclement."

Needless to say, the Special Operations Division and Personal Guard easily dealt with Grimnar's elites.

However, the underworld cutthroats, individually, were not quite strong enough to overcome them.

"Ugh, these guys, they fight in a peculiar way, don't they?"

Zizek, slightly bewildered by the unexpectedly tricky techniques, clicked his tongue.

"Their martial arts are different from what you know. If you respond carelessly, you'll die,"

Balthazar advised.

"Don't get too close, keep your distance and observe the enemy's techniques while fighting!"

"Understood!"

These were the words of Balthazar, who held a position similar to an elder in the Bisakino Brotherhood.

As Nagan and Zizek followed his advice, their subordinates also began to adjust their tactics.

'They've improved a lot.'

Compared to when I first met them, both Nagan and Zizek had become considerably stronger.

"Is that the martial art of Ancestor Eldarkion?"

Zizek asked.

"Indeed."

I confirmed.

Zizek, in particular, was pressuring the enemies with a sword style that combined the rough movements characteristic of underworld cutthroats with the strength and artistry of an ancient gladiator.

'If he masters it, it could become quite powerful.'

I was habitually analyzing and understanding the martial arts Zizek was displaying.

"Those who are strong should hold the front line, and if you're struggling, retreat and let someone else take over!"

I gave instructions as needed, intentionally staying out of the direct frontline, observing the troops adapting to the situation.

Then...

Thwack!

If someone was in danger, I'd send out a slash to save them.

"Y-Young Master!"

One of the Bisakino Brotherhood members, whose neck was almost severed by a sword flying from behind, looked at me.

"Concentrate. Retreat and compose yourself."

"Yes!"

They could only evade my sensory perception if they settled down in advance and employed the Turtle Breath Technique, but in a fierce battle like this, it was impossible.

I orchestrated the battlefield, intervening here and there as if overseeing it from above.

'This is nothing more than a preliminary skirmish.'

Since it was a mere probing attack to gauge our reaction...

We also needed to adapt quickly to the enemies during this interim.

'Thanks to this, it's good for training too.'

However, Grimnar Angantyr sent his subordinates here, even knowing it was a death trap.

'He's doing the exact same thing as that Dark King bastard.'

In that case, we must demonstrate ruthless power until these thrown pawns finally feel terror.

'It's a battle of whether we become exhausted and worn down, or if your fear grows so great that it makes you forget Grimnar's authority.'

Grimnar would likely prefer the former, but I had no intention of fighting according to his script.

"Granduncle."

"It's not good if the pattern of them attacking and us responding continues. Moreover, if the fight here becomes a chase or a search-and-destroy mission, there's no telling how much time it will consume."

"You're right. Our goal is to end this fight within a week, at the latest."

To do that, "Ultimately, we need to find out where Grimnar is hiding and strike quickly."

"Yes. In the meantime, we'll have to endure a few more of their disruptive tactics and play for time."

Therefore, our next plan is this:

"I will let a few of them escape, then have Kreutzel track them to find their base."

If Kreutzel, the master thief whom neither the Black Society nor Valkenhain could catch, stepped forward as a tracker...

'You're bound to be caught in the end.'

I won't give them a chance to escape; I'll finish it in one go.

'I'm tired of always defending, so this time, let's take the offensive.'

***

The initial battle ended in victory.

"Allenvert, I apologize. I was on scout duty, yet I failed to detect the ambush."

Knut, who had thrown an enemy's head to the ground, apologized.

"Since I'm familiar with this mountain, it seems they intentionally revealed themselves in terrain where an ambush 'couldn't help but be suspected.' At the same time, they must have intended to attack the main force and cause shock."

"They wanted to say, 'You're in the palm of our hand,' it seems. They were disposable pawns from the start. They were thrown in to confirm our capabilities."

"Grimnar has always been harsh on his subordinates. He must be watching us from somewhere."

"Since he has connections in the underworld, he must have bought all sorts of artifacts and laid them out in his home, I presume."

It's still hard to tell where those eyes are, especially in the middle of these mountains.

'Just stay holed up there and watch.'

Kreutzel will definitely find you.

'After all, even I had trouble catching him.'

"Knut, let's sing."

Balthazar took his grand-nephew's hand.

"Sing of victory. We need to let the Angantyr clan know who has returned."

"Understood."

Knut sang a strange, majestic melody, pulling the sound from deep within his chest.

Then, the surviving Eisenach members each raised their voices and followed the song.

"...This is."

Rudgarda murmured.

"The Song of the Mountains. It's a traditional song passed down through the Eisenach clan."

Listening to his clan's song, Balthazar knelt and clutched a handful of dirt.

"...This smell. After seventeen years, the smell hasn't changed."

“I, Balthazar Eisenach, the brother of the slain king, declared to Virgenhrid Mountain that we have returned."

At that quiet declaration, mountain beasts cried out and trees trembled in the wind.

***

Grimnar Angantyr watched the invaders' battle unfold in his territory.

"Haha, the old man hasn't forgotten the old songs."

Seventeen years lived as king.

Grimnar closed his eyes, recalling the night of usurpation that had secured his throne, as he listened to the songs of the exiled royalty.

"That song... I almost miss it."

It was a song he had no reason to hear in Angantyr's world.

"It might be amusing to pluck out their eyes and pierce their ears, leaving them to sing only that song."

Grimnar's murderous intent was immense.

A king, after all, must be crueler than anyone to those who seek to seize his throne.

[Translator - Pot ]

[Proofreader - Kawaii ]