Chapter 38 Part 1

Idle Talk: Main Force of the Rocha Kingdom, During Invasion

The Rocha Kingdom's army had been able to march safely into the Nonette Kingdom for some time.

However, after a while, they faced several attacks from hordes of monsters, followed by guerrilla warfare tactics by the Nonette Kingdom's army.

"Perhaps it was unfortunate that the monsters attacked, but the Nonette Kingdom's response was too quick. Could it be that they already knew our advance party was just a decoy...?"

The enemy commander seemed to be quite exceptional.

Otherwise, the Nonette Kingdom's forces wouldn't have appeared in this region.

After all, their numbers were limited to just a few thousand soldiers. To stop the mighty Rocha Kingdom's army, which numbered in tens of thousands, they had no choice but to concentrate their entire force in one defensive line.

They had intended to make that one place the border mountains, using the advance party as bait, but today they fell victim to a surprise attack.

The enemy divided their units into three groups and attacked the middle and transport units while the main force concentrated on the front. Supplies were burned, and some were even looted. Despite their somewhat sluggish response, there was no doubt these were highly skilled soldiers.

To make matters worse, there was one issue: the mysterious sword the enemy used that caused significant damage to their army.

"So, a sword that glows like a torch pierced through iron armor?"

"Not just armor, it pierced through raised shields and even the armor itself!"

Although he was skeptical when he first heard the report, when he saw the actual item with holes as if driven by thin stakes, he couldn't help but be convinced.

But the mystery of this peculiar sword didn't end there.

"The person who broke the glowing sword claimed to have retrieved the broken tip. Is this the same sword?"

"It should be, but no matter how many times we examine it, the material seems to be bronze, yet it can penetrate iron armor..."

The broken tip of the sword seemed to be a specialized weapon designed solely for thrusting. However...

"Have you actually tried thrusting this tip into armor?"

"We did, but the tip ended up being crushed just like this."

"Was the tip still glowing when you tried? Or had the glow disappeared?"

"The glow disappeared when it broke, according to the soldier who witnessed it..."

"Then, it seems that the fact that it glows is the crucial factor."

At that moment, the words of the Empire's Chief Administrator resurfaced in his mind.

"Can you create swords and spears that activate magic and staves that amplify magical effects?"

At the time, he thought it would be impossible for any country other than the Empire to do such a thing.

But the sword with its mysterious shape right before him might be exactly one of those magical weapons.

Considering the rough appearance and the material being bronze, it was highly likely that this sword was a unique magical weapon created by the Nonette Kingdom.

"I see. The Empire must have judged our country to be worthless."

"General?"

"It's nothing."

He understood the nature of this special sword and the fact that many of the Nonette Kingdom's troops were equipped with it.

Furthermore, they knew the tactics employed by the Nonette Kingdom's side.

"We must be able to counter it."

With that in mind, he informed his subordinates about the Nonette Kingdom's weapons and tactics, urging them to be vigilant.

Unaware that this was a bad move.

The second wave of the Nonette Kingdom's army began suddenly, just like the first wave.

Unbeknownst to them, they were approached and attacked, and screams echoed from the place under attack.

"The torchbearers are coming! Ready your shields!"

"Don't let them come near us!"

Perhaps because they realized their armor was ineffective against the enemy, the soldiers panicked and tried to defend themselves, especially those carrying shields.

They were a bit too frightened, but they could still recover from this situation.

"They'll run away soon. The soldiers around the attacked area should go to their aid."

His orders should have been transmitted, but the soldiers moved slowly.

"Move quickly!"

He gave the order again, but their movements remained sluggish.

In the meantime, the Nonette Kingdom's troops were already retreating. Left behind were the moaning soldiers who suffered injuries or were dying and their comrades who felt relieved for not being attacked.

This attitude needed to be reprimanded.

"Why didn't you rush to help your comrades? You just stood there and watched them die!"

As he scolded them loudly, the soldiers who moved slowly quietly looked away.

It was evident that they felt guilty for not helping their comrades.

When he was about to reprimand them further, the other captains stopped him.

"General, please calm down. This is enemy territory. We can't afford to argue and stop our march."

"We'll discuss this further during the next short break. I'll help you then."

Relieved expressions appeared on the soldiers' faces, knowing that their immediate superior had defended them.

He was on the verge of exploding in anger but decided to endure it for the sake of the other captains' reputation.

"Move forward!"

Upon his command, the soldiers reacted quickly. It seemed they wanted to leave this location as soon as possible.

Seeing their current state, he couldn't help but feel disappointed. His country's army was known for their bravery and courage, yet they had fallen to such a pitiful state.

"Perhaps it was the illusion of bravery provided by their sturdy armor that made them seem courageous."

The soldiers, who he believed were like a pack of wild beasts, turned out to be nothing more than cowards hiding behind their tough exteriors.

Or maybe it was precisely because they had relied on their sturdy armor for so long that they had become so feeble, unable to fight without a sense of security.

No matter the reason, they had to defeat the Nonette Kingdom with this ragtag force.

Fortunately, their numbers were large, and the enemy's numbers were small. As their tactics involved hit-and-run, the losses were not so significant.

Out of the seven thousand soldiers, if they were prepared to accept around a thousand casualties, they should be able to break through this forest.

***

For three days, the relentless attacks from the Nonette Kingdom's army, day and night without respite, had crushed the morale of our soldiers.

Now, merely catching a glimpse of the "Sword of Nonette's Light" was enough to make the soldiers tremble, and any intention to go and support their comrades had vanished.

If the Nonette Kingdom's army had launched all-out attacks instead of hit-and-run tactics, our army would have suffered devastating losses.

However, the Nonette Kingdom's army seemed to be experiencing casualties as well, as they continued to rely on hit-and-run tactics.

No, it's also possible that they were unaware of our command's deterioration due to their brief encounters with us.

At this moment, a soldier who climbed a tree to survey the surroundings reported that if they advanced for one more day, they could break through the forest. I took a gamble.

"Reorganize from three columns to five columns, and place the transport unit in the center. Soldiers, entrust all your armor to the central unit and advance through the forest."

My subordinates showed reluctance at my orders, but I persuaded them.

"The enemy's swords pierce through our armor. Wearing it would be futile. If we become more agile, we can quickly pass through the forest and react swiftly to enemy attacks, reducing the danger to our lives. Don't you think so?"

To my hesitant subordinates, I continued persuading.

"The enemy commander is skilled. If we show them a change in our formation, they won't approach with their guard down. At most, they'll harass us with stones. But with helmets and shields, stones won't be fatal."

The soldiers reluctantly accepted my persuasion.

All the unit's armor was loaded onto the transport unit - we had temporarily incorporated strong soldiers into the transport unit due to a shortage of carriers - and we started moving in five columns.

The fear of the Nonette Kingdom's army lurking in the forest and the ease of movement without armor increased our marching speed.

At this rate, we could probably pass through the forest in less than a day, maybe even half a day.

However, things didn't go exactly as planned.

As expected, the Nonette Kingdom's commander was skilled and launched a final attack while we were in the forest.

Simultaneously, their commander's capabilities were exactly as I had anticipated.

Seeing us change our appearance, discard our armor, and advance in five columns, they chose a safer option of using stone attacks instead of hit-and-run tactics.

When facing a large army with a small force, minimizing ally casualties was crucial. Moreover, this wasn't the final battle. Therefore, we needed to choose tactics that didn't cause harm to our allies, instead of recklessly falling for the enemy's mysterious behavior.

The enemy's ability to make such sensible decisions was now working in our favor.

Now, if we continued to defend against the stone attacks, the enemy would likely retreat. However, our soldiers' morale would remain low. Since we would engage in the final battle at Nonette Kingdom's royal castle, I wanted to boost their morale even a little here.

While pondering a strategy, I suddenly spotted a distinct figure among the enemy's troops.

It was a child. He swung a high-quality sword and issued orders to those around him. Beside him was an elderly man, probably his advisor.

"Is that the commander?"

In reality, the child was likely not the true commander, but the elderly man by his side.

And upon seeing the two figures, I came up with a winning plan.

I hesitated for a moment on whether to proceed, but seeing the Nonette Kingdom's army show signs of withdrawal, I decided to go ahead.

"My name is Dulba Adatom! I am the supreme commander of the Roche Kingdom's army! I see you are the Nonette Kingdom's forces! I request a one-on-one duel with your commander here and now!"

A challenge for a one-on-one duel, as customary on the battlefield.

As soon as I uttered these words, the elderly man and the child stopped. Now, it was certain that one of those two would accept the challenge.

After all, as a commander, one couldn't refuse a one-on-one duel. To back down from a duel would bring shame as a coward and likely lead to the Nonette Kingdom being condemned as an evil nation.

Therefore, the opponent who would come out for the duel would probably be the true commander of the enemy army, the elderly man.

As the representative of the Roche Kingdom's army, I stepped forward. With my vigorous age and well-trained body, I had the confidence to defeat the elderly man, even if he possessed the "Sword of Light."

Once I defeated the true commander, the Nonette Kingdom's chain of command would undoubtedly be disrupted.

Conversely, by defeating the enemy's commander, we could expect a boost in our soldiers' morale.

This duel was practically decided in our favor, considering the numerous advantages we held.

As I waited for the opponent's response with a confident attitude, the enemy side pushed the elderly man aside, and the child stepped forward to speak.

"I accept the challenge. My name is Milimos Nonette! I am the marshal leading the Nonette Kingdom's army and, as the name suggests, one of the princes of the Nonette royal family! Carrying the honor of the Nonette Kingdom, I shall accept your one-on-one duel! Now, let's fight fairly!!"

...To protect the true commander, they send forth the prince who was accompanying the army. This move was beyond my expectations.

However, it was arguably the most effective move they could make among the options available to them.

Even if we insisted that the elderly man was the commander, the opponent could retort that he was "the prince, the highest authority." We couldn't argue against the fact that the Nonette royal family was at the top of the Nonette Kingdom.

It was an unexpectedly strategic move, one that made me groan in surprise. But it also meant that any hope of the opponent winning the one-on-one duel was completely shattered.

From the looks of it, Prince Milimos was just over ten years old.

On the other hand, I was an adult who had been trained as a soldier for many years.

With such a visible difference, the outcome of the one-on-one duel was practically evident.