NOVEL NEXT Chapter 251
“Are we still pushing forward, Jajak? It was great to fend off the Succubus Queen, but it’s getting pretty tight, and our soldiers are worn out.”
Having spent the entire day without a proper meal and enduring hours of battle, we must have traveled several kilometers, and the fatigue from combat and heavy gear had multiplied exponentially. Naturally, the allied soldiers, whose fates were tied to their home worlds, were utterly drained and unable to muster any more strength.
Jenis nodded with a worried expression.
“But if we turn our backs now, we’ll all be wiped out. Support will arrive soon, so let’s wait until they clear our retreat.”
“Even if help is coming, when will it arrive…”
“Margaret is the greatest general of our time. I don’t think it will take her long to grasp the situation.”
Just as Jenis guessed, Margaret realized that her support was most urgently needed at the allied forces’ front and didn’t take long to command a retreat as she confirmed that the Elf army was closing in on the left flank. The fighting came to an effective halt.
The allies did not pursue the Demon King’s forces. Even the Etrias army, which arrived last on the battlefield, didn’t feel the need to chase after the Demon King’s troops to capitalize on potential gains.
“Is it… over?”
Koesernis plopped down on the ground as he watched the Demon King’s forces retreat. Despite his advanced age, he had fought valiantly, and his uniform as a Baron was torn and covered in shallow wounds. If Koesernis, who hadn’t engaged directly due to his position, looked like this, one could only imagine the state of the frontline soldiers.
“More than ten thousand were lost in this battle.”
As Jenis let out a deep sigh, affirming the complete withdrawal of the Demon King’s forces, it was undeniable that despite landing a final blow, Jenis’s conflict with the Demon King ended in her utter defeat.
In truth, it was as if Margaret had pulled Jenis from drowning. One could argue that Margaret repaid Jenis for saving her life on the day Etrias fell.
“Saving one another’s lives on the battlefield is quite common.”
Margaret approached Jenis and patted her shoulder.
“How are you holding up?”
“I knew you’d come, sister!”
Jenis rushed to Margaret and embraced her tightly. Believing that her life would come to ruin at any moment, Jenis forgot all her usual subtle conflicts and only expressed her joy in front of this great savior.
Margaret, slightly surprised, raised her arms and gently patted Jenis’s back.
“How intriguing. You’re not the only one who suddenly called me sister recently.”
“Is that Your Majesty?”
Jenis pulled slightly away from Margaret and asked. Margaret nodded.
“I think everyone is going through tough times to the point where they want a family not bound by blood.”
“Of course, that applies to everyone. In fact, even I…”
While they managed to land a final blow, Jenis had lost close to ten thousand troops in this battle. It was the highest number the empire had lost in a single battle since the early wars, when humanity suffered continuous defeats over thousands of kilometers.
Margaret had nearly become a recluse when she lost a similar number of troops. Though it didn’t seem Jenis was as shaken, she was wrestling with the fact that her strategic blunder had effectively led to defeat.
“However, we still have the strength to continue our operations. Are our supply routes secured?”
“The paths from Etrias to here have been well-prepared. That’s why it took some time. If we join up with our troops, there will be no issue with supplies.”
“Then it would be best to head south. There will be troops responding from the west…”
They hadn’t achieved a perfect victory. However, the Demon King’s forces hadn’t fully blocked Jenis’s advance, and the Etrias army had suffered only minimal damage.
To prevent the imperial forces from approaching the Demon King’s castle at all costs, the Demon King would gather every ounce of strength to construct a desperate defensive line. Although they were now within 100 kilometers of the castle, numerous treacherous terrains lay in between, making it difficult to break through.
With a peculiar smile, Jenis nodded.
“There’s a way to end this war. But we need a little more time for that. The Etrias army must actively assist us too.”
“I will help in any way I can. I trust your judgment. Some may say you’ve suffered defeat today, but from what I see, it doesn’t look like your larger picture has significantly derailed.”
“Soon, the Hero’s army will reach this front as well. I can already hear the loud clattering of armor and the powerful hooves of the Royal Knight Order charging in. Right now, our allied forces hold more land than the Demon King’s army occupies. We’re on the verge of seizing victory.”
And it was undeniable that the pivotal moment that enabled them to grasp that victory was Jenis Harker’s successful breakthrough at Febria Bay. Even the Demon King, who seemed to have an overabundance of troops, was starting to struggle with troop mobilization. This battle proved that fact.
“When Jeongjae joins us, will we charge directly at the Demon King’s castle?”
“That would be the best scenario if we could draw the Demon King out like that. But we need to prepare another plan in case that doesn’t work.”
Margaret didn’t bother asking what that plan was. Jenis was brimming with confidence more than ever. For Margaret, the mere fact that Jenis stood firm without being crushed by her failure was a relief.
“Then let’s not take too long to collect the injured and fallen, and let’s move together to the camp we’ve set up in the south. While forming lines apart isn’t bad, it’s time to converge for now.”
“I was just thinking the same. What an impressive army. Is this the strength of the Etrias army?”
“No way.”
Margaret chuckled. Jenis’s face lit up with eagerness, her sky-blue eyes sparkling.
“If that’s the case…”
“Looking at all cavalry, you can tell, can’t you? They gathered only cavalry for fear that you’d be completely trampled on if they were too late. We are the vanguard of the army, and the Grand Council of Etrias stands ready to dispatch an additional 20,000 troops at most. They may not be completely ready, but a special unit will be along shortly.”
“A special unit?”
“A test operating unit. It consists solely of the bravest and boldest fairies. It’s a newly structured legion comprising one battalion of sharpshooters, one battalion of cavalry, and one battalion of artillery. I’m not sure how effective they’ll be, but personally, I’m hoping for a lot from them.”
“I understand cavalry and artillery, but what in the world is a sharpshooter?”
“It’s the mountains and valleys. As the enemy begins to dig in for a desperate defense, many fortifications become difficult to tackle. We need a force capable of breaking through with brute strength right up to the barriers. While people can rely on wizards when they’re around, it won’t always be the case, making it a problem.”
Margaret tapped her rifle that hung by her side.
“The Etrias has awakened. The Fairy Kingdom is showing fierce rage against the north at a pace none of you, not even I, could have anticipated. We will not lose. We are an army that cannot afford to lose.”
Just as Margaret said this and turned to leave, Jenis cautiously raised her hand to grab Margaret’s attention. Staring at the leaf crown resting atop the Great Sage’s head, she asked.
“That crown, its meaning… it signifies a glory equal to that of the Great King of Eramenia, doesn’t it?”
“You seem to know quite a bit about our culture, don’t you?”
Margaret asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise as Jenis nodded.
“I know it well. To be noted enough as a successor to wear it makes ascending to the throne rather difficult, doesn’t it? Did you wear it knowing this?”
“Do you think I wouldn’t know what you know?”
“Then could it be because of that person?”
At Jenis’s question, Margaret chuckled softly. Jenis’s expression turned serious as the Fairy Princess placed a hand on Jenis’s shoulder and murmured softly.
“Fairies have already thrown their fate away the moment they begin to love humans. Whether ascending to the throne or not, it ceased to be an important fate to me. Regardless, I will have to let him go early, and afterward, whether I live the remaining 500 years as a king or as a wanderer, it won’t change much. Do you understand what I mean?”
“But being the Great King of Eramenia…”
“You should have at least that level of resolve if you’re a long-lived race. What I fear is your inability to bear something and your attempts to hold onto a beloved life in a forbidden way; that’s what worries me. Seeing your recent self, if you were to act like that, it wouldn’t be surprising. But remember, little one, as we are waging war with the fate of the world at stake, squabbling over a loved one is but a trivial jest.”
“Compared to that, it is. But for the two of us, it’s definitely not trivial!”
“Even so, if there’s a possibility that someone could inflict an irreparable wound on him, I wouldn’t be able to approach that someone in the same manner as a rival in love. Think well about what I mean.”
“He’s precious to me too, just as much as he is precious to you.”
“I know. But you’ve barely lived for 30 years. You’re too young to distinguish whether you genuinely cherish him or are trying to soothe yourself by clinging to him. Remember this. If love is mixed with selfishness, it becomes a dagger in an instant.”
Jenish bowed her head silently in response to the fairy lord’s warning. Margaret gently patted her head over her robe before turning away.
“Now finish up and head south! Oh, and don’t hold too much in mind. I was happy you called me sister. Even if we might bicker a bit, gaining a sibling is always a joyful thing, right?”