Thud thud thud!
Following Gartros, who had flown ahead alone, the knights of Artrode galloped forward on horseback.
There were about 100 of them. Though all of them were knights, it was still a small number for an attack on a fortress. Yet, they charged forward without the slightest hesitation.
Boom!
Gartros, who had arrived first, unleashed his power without reservation.
The fortress had already been half-destroyed by the attacks of the priests and mages. Its defenders could not withstand Gartros's attack.
"Aaaahhh!"
"Stop him! Kill him now!"
"What are the mages doing?"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gartros, strong enough to fight on par with Erenes, rampaged through the battlefield. Soldiers and knights who approached him were slaughtered without exception.
The mages had no choice but to lower their magic barriers once again to launch their spells at Gartros.
Boom!
With their allies nearby, the mages couldn't use wide-area magic. Instead, they focused their mana as much as possible to target Gartros alone.
"That's not enough to kill me!"
Fwoosh!
Gartros's body became fully enveloped in a black energy. He endured the spells aimed at him without flinching.
Boom! Boom!
Even for someone as strong as Gartros, it wasn't ideal to take numerous spells head-on. But he gritted his teeth and endured.
His mind was filled with rage toward Ghislain. The defeat he had suffered in Lutania had completely transformed him into a different person.
"Khrr…"
Gartros didn't hold back his strength. Standing at the forefront, he pushed forward, enduring the magic while slaying enemies around him.
He endured the pain to kill the mages. It was only because he was so extraordinarily strong that he could withstand such relentless attacks.
Watching the battlefield from above, Count Bipenbelt extended his hand once more.
"Now."
Taking advantage of the lowered magic barriers, Artrode's mages launched their spells again.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Although Gartros was fighting in the midst of it, they didn't hesitate. They aimed to avoid his position as much as possible, but even if he was caught in the blast, they trusted he could endure it.
Boom! Boom!
Numerous spells rained down upon the fortress. The indiscriminate attacks swiftly wiped out the enemy forces.
"Defend! Defend!"
"Reinstate the magic barriers!"
"The enemy is advancing!"
The mages of Grimwell were in chaos. Though they were still safe in the rearmost positions, the enemy's magic was detonating all around them.
If their allies were wiped out, they wouldn't have any protection. They had to protect their forces somehow.
Some mages hastily erected mana barriers, but it was already too late.
Crunch!
"Aaagh!"
Before they realized it, Gartros, blood-soaked, had broken through the defenses and stood before them, grinning.
"You worthless rats. Now, face the wrath of God."
Boom!
The black energy from Gartros's body surged outward, piercing through the mages.
Magic was far deadlier than the attacks of soldiers or knights, which was why mages prioritized countering each other's spells.
In other words, mages without proper protection from their allies were utterly defenseless.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Aaahhh!"
In the blink of an eye, countless mages were slaughtered. Though some tried to counterattack Gartros, most were too overwhelmed by his presence to put up much resistance.
"A m-monster…"
"How can someone like this exist…?"
"Why are they using such tactics?"
Grimwell's mages were utterly demoralized by the unconventional battle tactics they were witnessing.
The sight of Gartros rampaging alone, shrouded in black energy, was terrifying.
Even their allies were falling victim to the enemy's magic, which was erupting all over the place.
"T-this is all wrong."
Grimwell's mages, who had always fought from safe positions, had never encountered such insane tactics—using a superhuman as bait while bombarding with magic.
They were unprepared to face someone like Gartros, who had endured all kinds of humiliation and defeat in Lutania.
"R-run away!"
The mages' morale crumbled in an instant.
Although their allies were rushing to protect them, it seemed impossible to stop this demonic figure.
The ranks of the mages were utterly broken. The attacks aimed at Gartros dwindled rapidly.
Around this time, the magic bombardment from Artrode also ceased. A hundred knights had arrived at the fortress.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The knights pulled out grappling hooks and scaled the walls in no time.
There were no defenders to stop them. Most had been killed by the magic, and the survivors were scattered as they fled.
These were highly skilled knights, all at least of mid-level capability. As soon as they reached the top of the walls, they swiftly killed the remaining soldiers and secured a path for their comrades.
Following the knights, Artrode's soldiers rushed forward with ladders.
"Charge!"
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The soldiers of Artrode climbed the ladders and swarmed onto the walls. They were elite troops tasked with special operations.
"Open the gates!"
The soldiers who followed the knights quickly formed ranks and pushed back the remaining defenders on the walls.
Rumble!
The gates of the fortress opened. Although Grimwell's forces still had significant numbers, they were too scattered to effectively repel the disciplined enemy.
Count Bipenbelt extended his hand forward once more.
"Finish it."
Thud thud thud thud!
Artrode's cavalry, which had been waiting at the frontlines, charged forward. The rest of the troops followed close behind.
The fortress commander shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice hoarse.
"Stop them! What are the archers doing? Stop them!"
But no attacks came from the walls. The disorganized and panicked Grimwell forces were beyond control.
The Artrode soldiers who flooded into the fortress began massacring the remaining defenders.
"Aaahhh!"
Screams from Grimwell's forces echoed everywhere. The fortress commander gritted his teeth.
They had completely fallen for the enemy's absurd strategy. They had been led around by the nose without putting up a proper fight.
"Ugh! Retreat!"
The commander gave the final order and turned to flee. However, he didn't succeed.
Crunch!
Gartros, who had appeared out of nowhere, grabbed his neck and crushed it.
"Ahahaha…"
Despite being covered in blood, Gartros laughed. Memories of the past filled his mind.
'Duke Fenris, is this the feeling you always had during war?'
War had always been a distant concept for Gartros. His role had been to guide the Church from behind the scenes, deciding its direction. He had never fought at the forefront like this.
That was the difference between him and Duke Fenris. He realized it only now.
"Well done."
As Gartros turned around, Count Bipenbelt stood behind him.
"We've swiftly taken the fortress as you wished. We will move on to the next stronghold immediately."
"Yes, I trust you completely."
Gartros laughed again.
Though he had heard of Bipenbelt's reputation as an excellent commander, seeing it firsthand exceeded his expectations. Their forces had suffered minimal losses.
Striking at the enemy's weakness with overwhelming force and securing victory—that was a strategy Gartros had seen before.
'Isn't this just like Duke Fenris' battles?'
And now, Gartros was playing Duke Fenris' role in this strategy—wielding the strongest power and charging at the forefront of the enemy.
Unbeknownst to him, there was a reason their tactics resembled each other.
In Ghislain's past life, the Kingdom of Artrode had secretly operated within the human alliance. Ghislain, as a mercenary king, had worked with Count Bipenbelt many times.
The two had deeply respected each other's abilities in warfare. It was only natural that they influenced one another.
Gartros clicked his tongue inwardly with regret.
'If only this man had been in the Lutania Kingdom…'
Had that been the case, Ghislain and Amelia wouldn't have defeated him so easily. That thought lingered bitterly in his mind.
However, at the time, Count Bipenbelt had been occupied with the conquest of the Artrode Kingdom. Even if his abilities were known, he couldn't have been called to Lutania.
Shaking off his regret, Gartros bit his lip and grinned.
'Wait for me, Duke Fenris. Once we find our king, I'll repay the humiliation I suffered.'
He eagerly awaited that day.
When that day came, he vowed to offer Duke Fenris' head to God.
***
The Artrode Kingdom's army was divided into three corps for their assault on the Grimwell Kingdom.
Count Bipenbelt led the 1st Corps, targeting the most critical strongholds.
Meanwhile, leading the 2nd Corps advancing from another direction to encircle the royal capital was none other than—
"Hmm, as handsome as ever today," said Idun, a strikingly attractive man, smiling with satisfaction at his reflection in the mirror.
"Charge!"
On the wide plains ahead of him, a fierce battle was raging.
Yet Idun remained at the rear, busying himself with fixing his hair in front of a mirror.
"I say this every time, but battlefields are just so dirty. There's way too much dust," Idun muttered with an annoyed expression. Not long ago, he had endured the trouble of meeting Hellnik and the leader of the revolutionaries.
He loathed such tasks, but there was no helping it. Only someone with his level of skill could handle them.
"Being too perfect is such a hassle," he grumbled.
Beside him, maids diligently polished his armor, for Idun couldn't tolerate even a speck of dust marring his appearance. He always had to look pristine.
Nearby, his aides, visibly uneasy, cautiously spoke up.
"Commander…"
"What is it?"
"The fighting is intensifying."
"And?"
"…We need your orders."
"Tell them to keep fighting."
"Our casualties are mounting."
The Grimwell forces had sent a significant contingent to intercept the 2nd Corps. Though not as large as the 2nd Corps, their numbers were substantial.
The longer the clash dragged on, the heavier the casualties became. Without their commander's direction, the 2nd Corps was suffering even greater losses.
But Idun, unconcerned, replied casually, "They're expendable, aren't they?"
"…"
"I brought them along to soak up arrows, so what's the problem?"
Just as Idun said, the troops primarily consisted of revolutionaries gathered from various kingdoms, which explained their large numbers.
It didn't matter if some of them died. They were meant to exhaust the enemy forces.
The more they died in fierce combat, the better. All that mattered was preserving the Artrode Kingdom forces and his own knights.
Still gazing into his mirror, Idun continued, "Watching Hellnik—my dear friend—I learned something."
"…"
"He fights by sending only corpses to the front lines while he doesn't lift a finger. Do you know how envious I was when I saw that? It was so exhausting."
"…"
"Just think of them as corpses too. They're doing a great job wearing out the enemy."
"…"
The aides simply stiffened, unable to respond. While he wasn't wrong, wasting so many troops this early couldn't be a good thing.
Sensing their unease, Idun smirked.
"You're all so timid. What are you worried about when I'm here?"
"…"
His aides could only lower their heads. Idun shook his own in exasperation and said, "Alright, if you're that concerned about the expendables, why don't you handle the command for a while? I'll allow it."
"Y-yes, sir."
Even this small concession was a relief. As long as his obsession with his appearance wasn't challenged, Idun wasn't a completely unreasonable superior.
The aides hurried off, discussing strategy among themselves before issuing new orders. Gradually, the tide of battle began to turn.
After all, they had the numerical advantage.
"Charge!"
"Kill them all!"
The battlefield roared with cries as countless soldiers on both sides fell. Both armies were locked in a desperate struggle.
As time passed, however, Artrode's forces began to lose ground despite their superior numbers. This was because the enemy had a monstrous individual leading them.
The aides' improvised commands weren't enough to stop him. The situation was growing increasingly dire.
Even so, Idun sat elegantly, snacking on fruit and admiring his reflection.
Eventually, he turned to one of his knights and asked, "How many of them have we killed?"
"Well… Our larger numbers have definitely worn them down. Their forces have decreased significantly compared to the beginning. But they still have plenty left, and their superhuman is incredibly strong."
"They must be getting tired by now."
"Most likely. They've been fighting at the vanguard continuously."
"Alright, time to make my move."
Idun preferred to weaken the enemy first before engaging, often sacrificing pawns he deemed useless.
Though they were useless to him, letting too many of them die would tarnish his reputation. It seemed like the right moment to intervene.
As Idun stood, his maids rushed forward to give his armor one last polish.
"Let's get ready."
Mounting his white horse, Idun smiled.
Turning a losing battle around with overwhelming force—this was his favorite scenario.
It made him feel like a savior, and he relished the idea. Others might die, but his reputation would only soar.
"Let's go."
Clop, clop, clop.
His white horse, as elegant as its master, stepped forward gracefully.
Behind him, Idun's personal knights, the "Silver Knights," and the Artrode Kingdom forces began to mobilize.
[T/L: I am in dire need of support. I will give discount to all those who will buy the rest of the chapters all together, so please support me the reader on my webnovel platform and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]