I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 223

Edgar, hustling about with the soldiers, paused to hide behind a tree.

The enemies were moving around as if they were trying to find someone.

‘Have I been found out already?’

It was pretty obvious that I couldn’t hide for much longer with such swift movements.

But the timing was a bit odd. If Leonel’s deception techniques had worked just before, they should still be on high alert.

The only potential risk was if the identity of Leonel and the soldiers was revealed, but it felt too early for that.

‘Or maybe Albrecht has caught on.’

It was entirely possible.

Anyway, news of an intruder must have reached their ears as well.

Leonel had reported a falsehood, claiming that he took care of all the enemies to prevent a chase, but their higher-ups might have ordered a search for any remaining forces.

Regardless of the reason, it was quite a hassle for us.

From now on, every second counted.

Yet entirely hiding and moving would be almost impossible given the increased vigilance.

Ultimately, a choice had to be made.

Either a significant number of troops remained here to fight, pretending there would be no reinforcements, and capitalizing on the gap to head straight to the castle,

Or they could pour all their forces here for more of a blitz.

Both options weren’t bad choices.

In fact, the safer method would likely be the first, but that would mean losing the commander to direct these troops.

Gale, for instance, was commanding the split-off soldiers from the opposite side.

‘Is there no other way?’

With eyes sharp as blades, Edgar pulled the sword from his waist while observing the sentries roaming the thicket.

The troop strength was already halved. If they couldn’t make it to the castle intact, their chances of victory would dwindle.

Then it would be better to carve out a path with his own hands to escape.

“I’m sincerely sorry, everyone. Things went awry, so it looks like we’ll have a race to the castle.”

Edgar offered apologies with a wry smile to the soldiers looking at him.

Honestly, considering that nothing had gone as expected from the start of this operation, it felt relatively smooth so far, but he still felt guilty for the hardships the soldiers would face now.

The soldiers, in a situation that was anything but funny, chuckled despite themselves.

“That’s just how battlefields are, isn’t it? But thanks to the commander’s efforts, we have fared well so far; now it’s time to get to work.”

“Right. Lord Edgar just hasn’t seen much of the battlefield yet; it’s just our daily routine.”

The soldiers tightened their grips on their weapons, steeling their resolve for battle.

After all, those who live in this realm treat every day as if it’s their last.

So this little situation wouldn’t make them bat an eye.

“I’ll take the lead. It’s unfortunate I can’t speak, but I can still secure some mobility with magic.”

Though he couldn’t handle all types of magic like Ariel, he could perform some basic spells for combat.

Among them was a spell to temporarily boost stamina and agility.

When he tested it before, he could run for at least an hour without tiring. The aftershock was a bit severe, but.

“Will you be okay, commander? If you use magic on all of us, you’ll tire quickly.”

“It should be fine with this many.”

One soldier voiced concern, but Edgar smiled and nodded.

Honestly, he couldn’t guarantee it. He had only tried it before with just a bit more than twenty people.

And now he needed to maintain it through intense combat, making it infinitely more difficult.

‘But I have to do it.’

What else could he do? If he thought it would be too tough and tried to back away, he wouldn’t have gotten involved in the first place.

He absolutely had to figure this out. It wasn’t just about success or failure; he had to find some way to make it happen, no matter what.

“We’re charging straight to the castle. Make sure no one lags behind.”

“Yes!”

The soldiers’ bold shouts resonated deeply in the dense forest.

With a slight smirk pulling at one corner of his mouth, Edgar got up, drawing his sword as he whispered quietly.

“Dexterium.”

Simultaneously, a sky-blue wave spread out from beneath him, touching everyone around.

Edgar, seeing the earlier worried expressions replaced with grim determination, stepped into the thicket like a death-defying squad ready to fight.

This was just the beginning.

* * * * * * *

“Report! A large number of enemies have appeared from the east! They’re charging toward the castle at incredible speed!”

At the urgent report, the commander of the Bertus Family guarding the forest, Carlos, widened his eyes.

He had been searching for any remaining enemy forces as per the orders from above, but it looked like they determined it was no longer possible to hide and made a sudden offensive.

“It appears that there were remaining forces as the lord suggested. But have they been concealing their horses?”

“No, that’s not it. It seems they’re pushing forward on foot using magic. But the speed they’re going at is alarming…”

“It’s become rather troublesome. If they were on horseback, it would have been easier to take them down.”

Though they were using magic, they wouldn’t reach cavalry speed, yet it might be tougher to dismantle them as a result.

When cavalry falls, their formation often collapses, but foot soldiers are a different matter.

In any case, it seemed necessary to witness the situation firsthand to develop a counter-strategy.

“I will lead the soldiers myself and report directly to the lord.”

“I shall obey your commands!”

Carlos, issuing commands to a soldier, immediately mounted his horse and headed for the scene.

‘We must block them as quickly as possible.’

This forest didn’t stretch indefinitely; there would be a straightforward path leading to the castle after a certain point.

Of course, while it wasn’t entirely flat, they would need to scale a sloping path, but at least the obstructive structures would be removed.

If they managed to get past that point, it would be virtually impossible to pursue them.

Thus, he had to hold them off here at all costs.

‘Looks like we’re having quite a difficult time.’

Climbing to a high vantage point and surveying the advancing enemies in the forest, Carlos scowled at the sight of the battle unfolding as he had anticipated.

The mobility of the troops diminished in the forest compared to open plains, but the trouble was that they also had a difficult time getting a clear view of the enemy’s movements.

Perhaps because of that, the archers were hardly able to act, and the enemy’s maneuvers went unimpeded.

“Leave a few archers behind and have the rest move to higher ground to provide support! Reinforcements follow me, and order the scattered soldiers to block any potential retreat from them!”

At Carlos’s orders, his aide, looking pale, interjected.

“B-but commander! That would spread our forces thin!”

“There’s a possibility this isn’t their full force. We need to be prepared to fend off reinforcements and reinforce the back line, so keep the search going just in case!”

“Yes, sir!”

This forest is vast beyond belief.

It wouldn’t be unusual for one or two units to be hidden somewhere.

Who knows? The enemies engaged in this blitz might just be a ruse, while they use the concentration of forces in one area to strengthen an offensive elsewhere.

What sort of mess would it be if all their attention was on the enemy right in front of them while they let others pass by to the castle easily?

From the get-go, his task was to block intruders headed from the forest to the castle.

“Let’s go! We must not allow them to invade the castle!”

“Yes!”

With a resounding response, Carlos led the following soldiers and circled through the forest path to intercept the enemy.

Looking at their route, it seemed they had some knowledge of the forest’s structure, but there’s no way they could outsmart the commander of this forest.

– Block them!

– There they are! Just a bit further!

As Carlos focused on the dark forest path just before dawn, he could hear multiple voices but couldn’t quite see the enemies yet.

Soon enough, the sun began to peek out from his left, casting a reddish glow over the surroundings, brightening the area.

At that moment, Carlos caught sight of a large group on the opposite side, spotting a young man at the front charging towards them, sword in hand.

‘I thought they were adversaries. Still, that color is rare.’

Thanks to the sunlight, the young man’s hair gleamed red at first glance, but leaning in, Carlos quickly realized it was black.

Gathering strength in his hand gripping the sword, Carlos ordered the surrounding soldiers to tightly gather and form a barricade rather than spreading wide.

It was only right, considering that the opponent seemed intent on not slowing down even one bit.

In the worst-case scenario, they might try to charge through with a breakthrough.

Taking that into account, the likelihood of the current barricade being breached would be comparatively lower.

‘Getting cocky because he looks young is unwise.’

Fixing his gaze on the enemy commander in front, Carlos reaffirmed his determination.

Even from afar, the sense of intimidation was no laughing matter.

Perhaps it was the pressure of the magical energy, but just because he looked young didn’t mean he should be underestimated.

On the battlefield, a moment’s lapse in concentration could cost you your life.

“Archers! Get ready!”

“Yes!”

To buy time against the approaching enemy, Carlos gave orders to the archers that had lined up behind.

He hadn’t brought a significant number with him, but even taking down just a few of their rear enemies would yield good results.

Of course, taking the enemy commander down would be the best outcome.

“Fire!”

With his shout, the arrows aimed were released and soared towards the enemy.

Curious about their reaction, Carlos remained focused and didn’t look away.

At that moment, as the arrows reached above the enemy’s heads, his eyes widened.

Swish!

A magnificent beam burst forth from the sword of the man at the front, slicing through the arrows raining down like hail with blinding light.

‘Aura Blade!’

He thought the guy wasn’t an ordinary dude, but he never expected the opponent would be a powerhouse of that caliber.

Carlos felt the urge to tighten his grip on his sword in response to the unexpected emergence of such a formidable presence.

Among the imperial commanders, there were only a handful who could wield such a clear Aura Blade effortlessly.

But there was no time to admire.

The enemies had almost reached him, their eyes gleaming with the zeal to break through this barricade at any moment.

Carlos acknowledged himself as the weaker competitor while still vowing to protect this place no matter the cost.

Clang!

The moment their blades collided, Carlos realized the impact shook him down, biting his lip in reply.

And thus, the battle of defend versus assault finally began.