Conquest

Editor: Hydro

Saucier, who was leading a legion of heavy armoured cavalry on the right wing, charged crazily towards the center creating a wedge-shaped formation, before smashing into the crowd of Odins! Clad in thick layers of steel, the warhorses bolted forward with their armor wearing masters. The horse hooves flew onward, and the powerful impact caused by this mighty current of iron and steel immediately forced the dense crowd of Odins to open a gap after they were smashed into!

The heavy armoured cavalry pushed forward on their momentum like thunder, and the cavalrymen at the front easily sent the Odin soldiers standing in front of them flying. Grasping their lances tightly in their hands, they lowered their body, relying purely on the horse’s powerful impact to pierce the Odins standing in their way!

After only a slight moment, all of the Odin soldiers in front of them were brought down! It was like a hot knife going through butter!

At the left wing, Adrick personally led a unit of light armored cavalrymen equipped with claw hammers, and rushed out. Advancing along the left side of the battlefield, he circled around before breaking into the flank of the Odin’s crowded troops!

Although this wasn’t a heavy cavalry unit, because of the relatively loose formation of the Odins in their vicinity, these cavalrymen could still easily take advantage of the impact and cut into the Odins with waving claw hammers. Using their mighty horsepower, they made the Odins in front of them fly off, and pounded into their heads’ from the high positions. The battlefield quickly turned into a carnage!

With the two cavalry flanking the enemy, the Byzantine turned the battlefield into a pincer attack with both sides maliciously clamping down on the Odins, slowly crushing them!

It was easily noticeable that these were not the Odin’s elite troops. Although they had the natural aggressive nature of the Odins, they actually lacked calmness under combat of disadvantageousness. Having both of their wings penetrated, the Odin’s formation quickly fell into confusion.

The heavy armored cavalry was maliciously penetrating and destroying their formation, while the light armored cavalry led by Adrick was killing all of the routed soldiers!

After an hour, the Odins finally completely collapsed whilst being totally overwhelmed by the cavalry on both flanks. Just when the first Odin started to retreat, very soon the second followed, then the third ......the tenth, the hundredth......

The horse’s hooves trampled the Odins into a muddy pile of flesh while body parts and blood were flying everywhere. On the battlefield, the tragic deaths of Odins could be seen everywhere.

Compared to the heavy armored cavalry who was penetrating the enemy’s rank, the light armored cavalry following Adrick was much more mobile and flexible. Changing formation with lightning speed, they went back and forth through the layers of Odins who already felt confusion while slowly “peeling” them away. Every place the cavalry crossed, only painful screams were left.

Once the defeat was certain and they started to get routed, it could not be stopped anymore. The Odins behaved like they usually do and fled crazily like a chaotic tide pulling back. General Adrick continued leading the cavalry and ran another two rounds of harvesting on those Odin soldiers’ lives like they were vegetables. During their last charge, they rushed just before the valley’s entrance and were greeted by arrows that they managed to block from both sides of the mountain.

Watching the remaining of the defeated Odins being forcefully pushed back into the valley, Adrick didn’t became greedy and began to stop chasing them down with his cavalry. Leading his men, he arrogantly made a lap around the valley and returned whilst being under the rain of arrows from the enemy.

On the battlefield, the Odin lost at least over 2000 men and around another 3500 was injured.

On a hillside at a distant place, Kekkan stood there in a cloak and observed the battlefield while listening to the shouts and miserable whines. His complexion was indifferent to this disastrous outcome for his army and his eyes stayed cold.

Only when this noble Odin lord saw that Adrick was slowly withdrawing his troops, did he gently sigh in a calm manner.

“Ah...It seems that only cavalry can match cavalry. Yes, perhaps if my father the great emperor would allow me to command an elite army like from that Hasting guy, I could force Byzantine’s iron army to its knees. However, for now...”

Turning around, he stopped watching the battlefield’s horrifying outcome and raised the corner of his mouth instead while his face exposed a gentle yet heart shuddering smile: “Well for now...I am lucky that I don’t have to bring this ragtag army to battle Adrick to the death. Hmpf... The lion of Byzantine? Let’s leave him to Hasting.”

※※※

On the battlefield, the Byzantine soldiers finally killed the last Odin and raised their weapons in excitement while forcefully bashing their shields. Each one of them started to burst out in cheers and roars of ecstasy.

Leading back his troops, Adrick didn’t dismount, but turned around and stared at the distant valley for a moment.

“General, these Odins already collapsed after the first blow and couldn’t be compared to Hasting’s men.” Saucier, who was completely covered in blood arrived at Adrick’s side. On his shoulder hung several pieces of flesh, his beard was dyed red, while his mouth was spurting steam, eyes filled with excitement.

Seeing that Adrick wasn’t speaking and firmly staring at that mountain valley, Saucier couldn’t help but speak loudly: “Let us charge in! Compared to us, those Odin’s battle efficiency was simply...”

When Adrick finally pulled back his gaze, he gave Saucier a glance and his dominating look immediately shut up him up.

“Line up!..We...will retreat ten miles!!”

“What?!” Saucier was shocked! He immediately shouted in dissatisfaction: “Why? We pushed those Odin bastards back in the valley, but instead of...”

Adrick sneered and pointed at the entrance of the valley: “Don’t you see? Haven’t you noticed that this mountain entrance seems like a big mouth, waiting for us to enter?”

He continued while firmly shaking his head: “We retreat! The terrain of the mountain valley is narrow and disadvantageous to us cavalry! Remember how they got Butler! Today these Odins were obviously sent to their death, as their strongest beast spirit warriors didn’t make an appearance. Otherwise, do you think that we could have won with such ease?!”

“...” Saucier clenched his teeth.

“Retreat ten miles! Let’s see if those guys dare to come out! As long as we are outside this mountain valley, with the spacious and flat terrain, our Rhodelia cavalry doesn’t need to fear any opponent!” While talking, his majestic look swept over Saucier, before saying coldly: “Fulfill your order!”

Those Odins inside the valley will probably not come out... The battle a moment ago was just to boost our morales and let the Odins taste our steel. They should have noticed that we are not that easy to deal with. This was only the first battle to feel each other out, and the next one will be the real confrontation. If the Odin army in front of us is not going to chase us... then... their purpose was...

Adrick’s eyebrows began to twitch and his eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp worry.

“Quick! Order a messenger to come!”

※※※

Several hundred miles away from the battlefield, Shaar still tightly pressed his pitchfork against the crystal in his big tent.

To tell the truth, the hillbilly was somewhat worried in his heart – dragon! This was a dragon!

If this dragon didn’t really die......Then ......its hate towards him would be big!!

He had peeled its skin.....Pulled its tendons and bathed in its blood......

Most importantly, the power that this dragon unleashed back then was something that impressed Shaar profoundly! If this dragon didn’t die and wanted revenge, even though Shaar was very self-confident, he wasn’t arrogant enough to think that he could defeat a dragon alone.

Grasping his fiery pitchfork, his eyes firmly stared at the stone while making up his mind. No matter how this dragon had ended up hiding inside here, if it dared...This uncle will smash the stone into pieces as fast as possible!

Finally, the cold voice appeared again in his mind with a hint of disdain.

“Hmpf, vile and lowly organism, how can you understand the profound meaning of a higher being?!”

An idea quickly spun in Shaars’ mind a few times and he rolled his eyes, before laughing boldly: “Hahaha! Even if you are a dragon, so what? You have already been killed! Right now, I am probably only speaking to your soul! This uncle didn’t fear you when you were still alive, do you think I would fear a ghost!?”

Tightly pinching the crystal in his hand, he touched the fiery pitchfork against it and clenched his teeth while saying:”Talk! What malicious intent do you have to pester this uncle? Ah, that’s right! Back then you snuck into this stone to hide, didn’t you? Hmpf!! Don’t think that I will fear you! I heard that although some magic gems can hold a soul temporarily, as long as the gem is destroyed, the soul would be forced to detach and would soon disperse!!”

Being silent for a little while, the voice slowly appeared again in his mind.

“You can kill me... But, don’t you want to learn ‘crimson rage ki?’”

These words immediately stunned Shaar and his hand that was holding the fiery pitchfork involuntarily loosened a bit: “You...you know crimson rage ki’?”

“...I don’t.”That voice replied.

The hillbilly instantly got enraged and stared at it with rounded eyes while maliciously spitting: “Fuck! You dare to play me! This uncle hates those who are playing me the most!”

Within a heartbeat, he raised the fiery pitchfork in his hand and planned to smash this stone in half – although destroying this mysterious stone was somewhat a pity, there was a dragon inside that hated his guts! God knows if this dragon could use magic or not and the ability to regain its strength in this stone – rather than risking it, he might as well completely get rid of it first!

However, just then his fiery pitchfork was about to smash it, the cold voice talked to him again.

“Although I don’t know it, I can still teach you...”