Episode 113

When I heard that, my mind instantly became incredibly complicated.

It was because if we proceed as is…

“The morale of the White Hound bastards has dropped to the ground, White Unit Captain!”

As one of our White Unit members mentioned, the condition of the White Hounds was visibly on the verge of collapse.

A senior mercenary, seemingly equipped with a breastplate, was wavering with a spear in hand.

“Damn, what should we do?”

The squad leaders and platoon leaders were frantically waving their weapons in the air, trying to calm and threaten their soldiers into pressing on.

“If you desert, I’ll personally behead you! Don’t even think about deserting, pull yourself together!”

“Whether it’s a spear or a sword, face the enemy!”

“If you just keep your wits about you, you can survive!”

If we push a little more aggressively, we could definitely take the head of the White Hounds Mercenary Captain.

Should I seize the opportunity in front of me? Or should I take a step back for the future reputation and fame, to save the Red Rose bastards?

It’s such a headache that I’m grinding my teeth.

“Damn it!”

That’s when Otto came running in a hurry.

“White Unit Captain, are you injured anywhere?”

“That’s not the case, but why the hell are the Red Rose bastards causing such a mess by clinging onto people’s ankles?”

“Then just ignore the request for aid flag as unseen, and go ahead and behead the White Hounds Captain.”

I really want to do just that.

The Red Rose Captain with a face like it’s been ground on a millstone!

Since that bastard has looked down on our mercenary group and irritated us before, I want to let him die like this…

“Damn, to raise the value of our mercenary group and myself, in the end…”

I ground my teeth and deliberately stomped the ground hard, filled with Aura.

Because I circulated Aura throughout my body, the ground ended up with a hole as if it had been dug with a shovel.

“Damn it all! Inform Dalton! Martin’s White Unit has acknowledged the request for aid from the Red Rose Mercenary Group! We’ve decided to respond!”

“Yes, understood!”

And so, we had to beat those bastards to avoid getting stabbed in the back while heading to support those Red Rose bastards.

I leaped into the enemy lines, enveloped in Aura.

“Kill those White Hounds bastards mercilessly until we receive further orders from Captain Dalton!”

As I spoke with fury, the other soldiers fought with even greater ferocity.

“Die today, you White bastards!”

“White Unit Captain Martin is fighting alongside us!”

“Don’t leave a single one alive!”

The solid feeling of fighting alongside those who followed my lead, mixed with the frustration of having to support a mercenary group I despised.

To support those Red Rose bastards, I first had to crush these bastards.

“Damn, he’s a monster!”

“He’s an expert-level knight!”

“Regroup! Regroup!!”

As I pressed on fiercely, the White Hounds began to crumble, slowly at first, then quickly.

“1st platoon! 1st platoon! We need support!”

Another of the White Hounds responded to that call.

“Our platoon leader’s head flew off, how is that possible?”

While overhearing such conversations, I felt a bit sorry, but what else could I do?

I just had to keep fighting.

Then, from behind the enemy lines, a loud voice that seemed to belong to the enemy mercenary captain was heard.

“White Hounds Mercenary Group, retreat! Retreat! We’ll be annihilated if this continues!”

At that, Baker next to me asked.

“Will you pursue them, Captain Martin of the White Unit?”

“No pursuit.”

Just then, two fireballs were launched into the sky, drawing a red line.

“Damn it, follow the orders as I suggested! Lucia, Karin! Have the mages and archers give those fleeing bastards a strong parting shot!”

We couldn’t pursue due to the situation, but wouldn’t it be right to give them a significant parting gift instead?

I don’t know who the captain of those dog bastards is, but he seems to have incredibly good luck.

The archers and mages launched magic and arrows at the fleeing enemies simultaneously.

The fireballs, among other spells, exploded like small bombs, scattering the surrounding mercenaries.

“Argh, damn!”

“Don’t look back, just run!”

“They could chase us at any moment!”

Those hit by arrows either died on the spot or fled with arrows protruding from their bodies.

“Ugh, damn. Stick together, you dog bastards.”

While observing the scene for a moment, Dalton’s command echoed loudly.

“Whitebeard Mercenary Group, turn left!”

Upon that command, our White Unit, along with the other units, rotated 90 degrees to the left as trained.

Without training, changing direction would have taken a considerable amount of time…

In about 5 minutes, we successfully flanked the enemy mercenary group engaged with the Red Rose Mercenary Group.

“… These bastards, mercenaries though they are, boast shiny equipment.”

Not every mercenary was clad in full steel armor, but at least they donned breastplates and small helmets.

Is this truly a first-class mercenary group?

Merely observing them fills me with awe. If I ever become independent and form my own mercenary group, I aspire to have the wealth and power to equip all my mercenaries heavily like this.

‘The combat effectiveness would be terrifyingly strong…’

After all, just wearing a breastplate significantly reduces the chance of death, exaggerating a bit.

“Whether they’re Red Roses or Red Weeds, kill them all the same!”

“Like weeding, sever their heads!”

“You know what to do with those rich pigs of Medici, right?”

The battle wasn’t entirely one-sided, but anyone with experience in wars and surviving them could see that the Red Rose Mercenary Group was at a disadvantage.

Moreover, other mercenary groups couldn’t provide support because they were engaged with their own enemy units…

‘If we leave them be, our formation will start to collapse from here.’

Still, the enemies facing the Red Rose Mercenary Group didn’t seem to care about ‘their own sides,’ so we had to become the knife that stabs them in the flanks, right?

Dalton seemed to have grasped the situation, issuing us an order.

“Charge after the mages and archers’ simultaneous attack! Everyone, get ready!”

This was precisely the tactic we needed at the moment.

The mages began chanting, extending their staffs forward.

“O flame that annihilates everything, turn my enemies in front of me to ash. Fireball!”

Lucia, with her tail stiffened, stared sharply at the place where the enemies were.

Though not a sword-wielding warrior, her eyes were like those of a predator hunting its prey.

“O spear of the red flames, become the spear that burns and annihilates the evil enemies blocking the path of my precious ones. Fire Spear!”

In sync with the chanting, the archers also began to draw their bowstrings.

When everything was ready, Dalton’s command came.

“Kill them all!”

Following the simple yet clear order, the mages were the first to launch their magic at the enemies.

The fireballs chanted by the mages killed several enemies at once, like bombs of weak power.

Lucia’s intermediate magic was much more powerful than before, turning all soldiers within the range of her magic into ash.

Visually, an area of about 2.5 meters in all directions was completely scorched, and those huddled together died, burning in flames as tall as a person.

“… Not just Karin, but Lucia is also someone we absolutely must not make an enemy of.”

As the volley of arrows continued to fall, the enemies clutched the parts of their bodies that were hit by the arrows, fell and died, or screamed in agony.

“Damn, it’s an ambush!”

“Save me, damn it…”

“It hurts, it hurts…”

Seeing this, the regret of letting the White Hounds Mercenary Captain slip away lessened significantly.

Yes, by saving the Red Rose Mercenary Group, it would be beneficial to demonstrate that the Whitebeard Mercenary Group is capable of outperforming the first-rate groups, especially in times of need.

‘And such surprises are always thrilling.’

The mercenaries, who were destined to become our enemies, began to panic.

“Damn, should we block the right wing or catch the bastards fleeing in front?”

“How would I know! For now, the enemy is approaching from the right wing!”

“If you don’t want to die, get in formation!”

As expected of a mercenary group that has outmaneuvered the first-rate Red Rose Mercenary Group, their ability to assess the situation seems better than I anticipated.

So, we should strike them before they regain their composure, right?

Before I could even speak to Dalton, he loudly commanded.

“Martin’s White Unit takes the lead! Everyone, just charge without bothering with any formation or the like!”

About 30% of our soldiers have lost or broken their spears and can’t use them, so forming a formation now is pointless.

In such times, like medieval knights charging on horseback, we too should envision ourselves as knights on horseback and charge with our swords drawn.

“Attention Martin’s White Unit! Today, we take the head of the enemy mercenary captain! Everyone, charge!”