Volume 6 Chapter 75-2 It's Waldner, After All. The Opponent Is Also Thinking About various Things.
Airen turned around, and Rolf nodded, "Ah," then compared the two armies.
The imperial flag and the Duke's flag.
As they fluttered in the wind and began to arrange their formations eerily, the imperial flag suddenly changed to the Duke's.
"What..."
Just as Airen raised an eyebrow, a bright light rose from the Duke's army and shone down on Waldner.
"Defend!"
Almost at the same time as the signal, Waldner arranged a magic defense formation, but the descending light didn't harm them.
Only some of Waldner's flags had changed to the imperial ones.
"What is this?"
"What does this mean?"
Amidst the questioning voices rising from all sides, Rolf clicked his tongue and said, "Clever mimicry."
"Report, there's an army approaching from the south."
"Where?"
Irvin turned around in surprise, and the watchman focused his binoculars and said, "It's..."
"The Kingdom Knights Brigade!"
Normally, their arrival should be a welcome reinforcement, but the current situation was the worst.
At a glance, it looked like the Duke Rothheim's army was holding back the Waldner-Imperial Allied forces.
And now, the Kingdom Knights Brigade, knowing nothing of this setup, appeared from the south.
"Irvin. What do you think?"
Rolf smiled bitterly, and Irvin returned the same bitter smile.
"Normally, we would confirm the situation and send a messenger..."
"But it's that reckless Lord Lance."
Rolf sighed, thinking of the man known as Bruno Lance, the leader of the Kingdom Knights Brigade──a man who was either purely innocent or simply naive.
Waldner's flags mixed with the imperial ones.
And the recent rumors that 'Waldner and the empire are connected,' which had no basis.
Based on these two things, one could predict Bruno Lance's actions...
"Rolf von Waldner!!!!!!!!"
The roar that shook the battlefield made Rolf and Irvin exchange glances of distress.
"Have you betrayed the kingdom to side with the empire!!!!!!!!"
As Bruno charged in alone, Rolf grabbed the battle axe leaning against his side.
"After one round, provide support. Then retreat towards the town."
Rolf dashed out from the main camp.
"Father!"
"Wait for me!"
Ignoring the two who tried to stop him, Rolf charged forward and blocked Bruno's strike with his battle axe.
Greatsword against battle axe.
The shock of their collision sent ripples through the grass at their feet.
"Are you mad, Rolf von Waldner!"
"That's my line, Lord Lance!"
Pushing Bruno back, Rolf turned just as arrows and magic hailed down behind him.
Bruno couldn't withstand the onslaught and was forced to leap backward.
The magic spells that hit exploded, driving Bruno even further back.
More magic and arrows followed.
Leaving Bruno far behind, Rolf made a swift about-face.
He sprinted at full speed, catching up to the troops he had ordered to retreat.
"Father, I will──"
Placing a hand on Airen's chest, Rolf glanced back at Bruno and said, "Not necessary."
"They're the kind with 3 heads. There's no need to engage them either."
True to Rolf's words, Bruno, having joined the knights, showed no signs of moving.
Thanks to the simultaneous long-range pressure on both the imperial and Duke armies, there was a slight delay in shifting from defense to attack.
Seizing the moment, Waldner's troops moved with precision, quickly aiming for the capital and speeding up.
Faced with the Waldner forces, which seemed to flee with nimble bodies like rabbits, the 3 armies' pursuit became even more scattered.
The knight contingent halted their advance, following Bruno's lead.
The imperial army began their pursuit cautiously, maintaining their formation.
And the Duke army, eager for glory, charged ahead with their attack.
The Duke army, prioritizing speed, closed in on Waldner's rear.
Yet, trusting in Rolf's words that the lord was unnecessary, everyone focused solely on retreating and aimed straight for the capital.
"The vanguard──"
Just as the Duke cavalry was about to catch Waldner, the Ice Wolf unit struck from the side, engulfing the flank of the Duke army.
"Yamada!"
When Airen unintentionally shouted, Rolf tilted his head and asked, "Yamada?" but no one answered him.
The entire line of soldiers was torn apart by the Ice Wolf troops, and the cavalry unit that had immediately fallen apart had its advance stopped in front of them.
Meanwhile, Waldner's entire army managed to retreat to the sturdy walls of Blankfurt.
"Well then──"
Rolf looked over the entire army, and the soldiers' faces hardened.
It was a sudden retreat, but for now, there was no sign of morale dropping.
"Everyone, take it easy and rest for now."
Even such an unbelievable order, no one is protesting now.
They had predicted the Duke's surprise attack and responded with a retreat to nullify the 3-way attack from 3 directions.
Even at this moment, no one doubts Rolf's incredible battle sense.
"The real fight is tomorrow morning."
Those words too were easily accepted by Waldner's soldiers.
* * *
Bruno, who was exchanging weapons with Rolf, was recalling the scene just now.
As the dust settled, Waldner's forces, without even maintaining their formation, rapidly retreated towards the distant city of Blankfurt.
Flapping the flags of the Empire and Waldner.
"You won't escape. Rolf von Waldner."
A man carrying a messenger's message appeared under Bruno, who was grinding his teeth.
"Message from the Duke's commander."
"Want to explain why your 2 armies didn't keep pace with each other?"
The messenger pointed toward the Duke's camp, telling Bruno, with a sigh, "I'd very much like to meet with them in person."
"Understood. Let's rendezvous for now."
The Kingdom Knights, including Bruno, were used as pawns to meet the Duke and Empire's expectations──to strike Waldner down.
One day before the solar eclipse...
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