Oukoku e Tsuzuku Michi

Chapter 267

Aegir POV-

「Time to move out, time to sortie!」

「4th division battalion, get ready immediately . We'll be leaving ahead of the other squads . 」

「You two guys, what are you doing with each other? Hurry up and put on your armor!」

Orders and shouts are exchanged as the soldiers quickly make preparations for battle .

「It would have been nice to have the bow cavalry with us . 」

「You can't have everything you ask for . 」

Celia is quick probably because she's used to being in my personal army, but the Royal army is quick to get ready too .

Meanwhile, it is quite obvious the governorate army is slow in comparison even though they received the same orders as everyone else .

「Wittmann, bring the battalions with you as soon as they are ready . I'll be taking the cavalry and going ahead . 」

「You're going to charge forward again?」

He says it like that's a bad thing .

「It's not a big deal, I'm just going to take a look at the situation . 」

「「「……」」」

Not only Wittmann, Myla and Celia also silently give me strange looks .

Hey, I'm being serious .

「It's skewering time!!」

All of you should learn from Irijina . She's swinging her spear around without thinking too much into things .

Accompanied by my escort squad, I take the Royal army's cavalry only and head out .

「The escort squad and the cavalry together don't even add up to 2000 . Are you planning to attack with this small number?」

Celia asks .

Apparently she doesn't believe me when I said I was just going to check out the situation .

That makes me a little sad, I'll squeeze her cheeks .

「Fgh, fgah, stahhp pleath . 」

「We must first grasp the enemy's position . If we can disturb them, then we will, if it looks like we don't stand a chance, we'll keep our distance since we can at least monitor them to learn useful information . 」

Says Leopolt, as he pulls up on his horse .

Although he uses his head all the time, he's still competent in martial skills and horse riding .

He must surely be showing Nina a great time too, I'd like to see his skills in bed .

「……we left Tristan behind . He can't ride a horse after all . 」

Myla sighs .

Unlike Leopolt, Tristan has absolutely zero skills as a warrior .

He cuts himself even with a fruit knife and he might fall and break his neck if he tries to get on a horse .

I could try and get him trained, but Myla and Celia won't entertain him, and Carla and Mireille would also get defeated easily .

He's on the level where fighting with Maria or Alma would turn into a struggle for his life .

「Wahahahaha! I can train him if you like!」

Don't Irijina, Tristan will die .

As we continue our meaningless chatter, we eventually hear the clatter of the battlefield in front of us .

Looks like the advance guard is still fighting with the enemy army .

「Let's make a detour to the east and climb that hill . The cavalry will spread out wide to the left and right with the escort unit in the center, we have to make it look like we have as many forces as possible . 」

Nobody has any objections to Leopolt's strategy .

I immediately give out the order to have the army deploy to the wings .

We kick up a larger dust cloud than when we were charging in the column formation .

「What is that over there!?」

「It's the Goldonia Kingdom's flag! They're ally reinforcements! Help has come!」

Taking a look at the advance guard, I can see that they're already falling apart in several places and starting to get surrounded .

If we arrived one hour later, they may have been completely destroyed .

「Damn, we were so close!」

「Strengthen the attack! Push back the enemy in front of us!」

The enemy appears to be agitated but don't stop their attacks .

They intend to continue pushing through the advance guard .

「There are approximately 10 000 of them, a number I'm not sure we can handle head-on . 」

They would be more troublesome if they hid inside a fortress .

Myla sighs when she sees me smile .

「You're going, aren't you . 」

「Yeah, I'll aim for the enemy flanks . 」

The enemy has already sighted us .

In addition, they're probably overestimating our numbers after seeing us spread out horizontally .

We're not sufficiently prepared but we can probably cause some chaos if we charge in .

「If you have decided, I have nothing else to say . 」

Myla puts her helmet back on and draws her sword .

「I'm fine with that too!」

Celia's reinvigorated with new energy .

「Skewer them! Let me skewer them!」

Irijina is ready as usual .

「Let's go . Charge in!」

「Oooooooh!!」

After I give out the order, the Royal army cavalry and the escort squad gallop down the hill in one long horizontal line

The incredible sounds of the horses' hooves and the soldiers' war cries make it seem like more than two thousand forces are charging at the enemy .

「Fireee!」

Arrows fly at us from the enemy camp .

Coming down the hill makes it hard to defend, but perhaps due to the fight with the advance guard or not having many archers to begin with, their formation is in disarray and the rain of arrows was nothing worth worrying about .

「They're charging at us!」

「Spear unit at the flanks, hold fast!」

The enemy reacts well, bringing out their spearmen swiftly when they see the arrows had little effect on us .

Continuing to charge would only result in heavy casualties so the cavalry slow down and search for a weaker portion in the spear line .

Everyone else did so except me, that is .

Instead I urge Schwartz to accelerate, giving out a single instruction right when we were about to collide .

「Jump . 」

Schwartz lets out a low neigh and leaps into the air, flying over a few dozen spears .

「You're kidding me!」

I hear an enemy soldier shout as I land behind the spears and keep moving ahead toward the center of the enemy formation without looking back .

I use my longsword like a spear to stab any enemy who tries to impede my path or they just get stomped on by Schwartz .

「Hey, he's broken through! Is it alright just letting him go!?」

「What can a single unit do-…… uwaaaaaah!」

I hear screaming behind me .

The wall of spears was thrown into disarray after I jumped over it, allowing the escort squad to charge through .

Getting distracted, the spearmen were instantly torn apart .

「Quickly stab them all!」

「W-what is this armor these guys are wearing!? My spear can't get through it!」

The dragon skin armor I distributed to my escort squad is showing its worth now .

Since I don't have to worry about what's going on behind me, I'll continue charging further in .

「What are you doing!? Surround and kill him!!」

Soldiers gather around me .

I unsheathe my dragon longsword as well as my Dual Crater, wielding them two-sword style .

「Gugya . 」「Gueh……」

My Dual Crater cuts off the head of one soldier, Schwartz's hooves trample over another one .

「This sword is nice because it's long . 」

I utilize the momentum from charging forward to skewer the enemy soldiers .

There's one, two, three…… it's getting heavy .

I swing my longsword up with the three soldiers dangling from it and toss them into the air .

While they're in the air, I take my freed up sword to sweep sideways and take the lives of two more enemies .

This might be the limit of my solo charge .

I should stop and wait for my allies .

Two new enemies rush at me as soon as I dismount from Schwartz .

For the first soldier, I fling his spear up with my longsword and then bisect his body with my Dual Crater .

For the second one, since I already raised my longsword, I bring it back down and cut off both his hands .

「You've stopped mov-ing?」

「Huh? My hands are-……」

It took them a few seconds before they let out agonizing screams, stopping the soldiers following the first two in their tracks .

「What's the deal with this guy!? He ain't normal!」

「I-I know him…… he's the war demon from Goldonia, Hardlett! So he came straight at us!!?」

Oh, one of them knows my name .

After he shouted the information, the soldiers surrounding me took a few steps back .

「You aren't coming?」

When I point the tip of my sword at them, they move further backwards . What a bunch of cowards .

And then I hear a hoarse shout .

「Wait right there Hardlett! I may not be much, but I'll face you . 」

The person who runs out in front of me is a heavy knight covered from head to toe in metal armor .

He runs at me in a straight line with a thick lance pointing out .

I won't make it in time if I ran to Schwartz now .

「Wahahaha! I won't be so easily flung away by that large sword of yours! You can't reach me on horseback . 」

I don't know what he's talking about, but I'll engage .

I lower my hips, then put the tip of the longsword held in my right hand against the ground .

「You lowered your sword, meaning you've given up!? Then prepare to-」

「Hmph!」

I tilt my body to one side, dodging the lance thrusted at me from above the horse, and then slash upward with my longsword at the same time .

The blade enters from the base of the horse's forelegs, splits the body in half and exists from the back .

「Ahyaah!」

The horse is cleanly sliced in two and the rider is sent tumbling onto the ground .

Did I make a mistake in my estimation? I intended to cut the soldier in half at the same time, but I only grazed his ass a little .

「Uu, the horse was cut in half……」

「Not only that, but he used an upward slash from the bottom!?」

I instantly mow down the mob of retreating panicked soldiers .

「Aegir-sama! How many times do I have to remind you that you can't just charge in by yourself!?」

My escort squad led by a teary-eyed Celia chased after me .

The arrival of the heavy cavalry threw off the calculations of the enemies around me and made them all flee .

「What is the entire situation looking like?」

「The enemy's offensive has been halted by Myla-san's leadership . The advance guard is regrouping and will start to counterattack as soon as they're ready . 」

So Myla locked up the enemy's attack with an attack to their flank .

In that case, all we have to do now is stand and fight .

「Celia, we're doing it . 」

「On the battlefield!?」

I flick Celia's forehead with my finger before getting into a stance with my sword .

「Stay close behind me . 」

It looks like my new dragon sword is going to be covered in blood .

Despite the dampening of the attacks of the independent faction, our ally advance guard, on top of having a small force, suffered too many casualties earlier and could not transition to counterattack .

The event which broke this seesaw situation was the arrival of Wittmann and the Royal army's main force .

When a collection of Kingdom flags appeared on top of the hill, the enemy pressure started weakening noticeably and their morale lowered drastically .

「It's Goldonia's main army!」「Damn it…… we didn't make it in time . 」

「Loose!」

A volley of arrows were released altogether from on top of the hill and the arrows raining down on the enemy were accurate and numerous .

Realizing the end is near, the rearguard of the independent faction start withdrawing .

However, Leopolt is not one to let that happen .

Before I knew it, the thousand cavalry on the front lines disappeared and charged into the flanks of the retreating enemy .

The enemy army fell apart in the blink of an eye from the flank attack, the enemy rearguard who saw it and tried to stop the pursuit was also routed, and the outcome of the battle was finally settled .

「Here are the arrested commanders and above prisoners . 」

The prisoners are lined up on their knees with their hands tied .

One young man looks up provokingly and spits at me .

I casually move out of the way to avoid it, and then without delay Celia kicks the man .

「How dare you spit at Aegir-sama!!」

Celia repeatedly kicks the fallen man with her steel boots .

If you continue that, he'll die . I'll squeeze your cheeks so leave him alone for now .

The man curses with a swollen face .

「I-if you're going to kill me, hurry up and do it!」

「Stupid, fight until the end if you want to die . Don't get so conceited after surrendering . 」

The man hangs his head awkwardly .

「Do we have to keep him alive? I think it's better if we deal with him immediately . 」

The prisoners flinch at Leopolt's suggestion .

So they want to live after all .

「I have two or three things I want to ask . There are a few who look obedient……」

I find and approach one person among the prisoners who has a small build and is slightly rotund .

「This one's a woman!」

I quickly undo the rope digging into her pretty skin with a knife .

「……well, there were females among the commanders after all . 」

I gently tilt her chin up while Myla comments .

「She's a pretty one!」

The woman's skin is fairly tanned, but her hair is unexpectedly fluffy and soft for a person on the battlefield .

The way she clenches her teeth and glares at me is kind of adorable .

「Interrogate this girl . Prepare a clean change of clothes for her . 」

「You probably want to rape me! You fiend, brute!」

I carefully pick up the flailing woman so as not to drop her and take her to the tent set up for questioning .

「 A clean change of clothes and what else……」

「Perhaps some water and restorative medicine? I'm sure you're going to embrace her until she loses consciousness anyways . 」

Myla, don't say such strange things .

She's going to be suspicious of me now .

「Now, it's just the two of us . 」

「……if I'm going to be violated, then I'd rather bite my tongue and die now . 」

I chased everyone else out in an attempt to keep her from getting frightened but that didn't have much effect .

I'll wait until later to lay my hands on her then .

「I told you I wasn't going to violate you . I really have something I want to ask you . 」

「I have nothing to say to a fiend like you!」

Before I could ask, the girl flares up and shouts at me .

「About that, I also have something I want to clear up . 」

I bring up the name of the city once occupied by the independent faction and whose citizens were massacred .

「There are times soldiers go too far against each other during war . But what's the deal with killing all the citizens? Is this an instruction from the independent faction?」

The girl stares blankly at me for a brief moment before swinging at me .

「How dare you! How dare you spout that nonsense! The one who not only massacred the garrisoned army in Gurild, but also raped the residents was Goldonia, was it not!?」

I casually stop the girl's fist and think .

Someone must have told her a twisted version of events .

「The residents were already massacred when we entered the city . The one who did it is without a doubt the independent faction who occupied the city . I was the one who executed him but I thought that was the appropriate punishment . 」

「You're lying, we wouldn't do something so inhuman! That's something those governorate faction bastards would……」

Right when the girl bared her canine and yelled at me, several women rushed into the tent .

「It's the truth! Those guys from the independent faction came out of nowhere, murdered my husband…… and my five year old son…… uuuu . 」

「They violated me from behind while I watched them kill my father! They're the inhuman ones!」

「How dare you shamelessly…… I-I'll kill you!」

It looks like the surviving girls I brought along with me overheard our conversation .

The girls glare and scream at her furiously .

They're throwing the hate towards the independent faction at her .

「They're survivors from that city . Will you believe them?」

Sensing the tone from them, the female prisoner felt they weren't lying and goes quiet .

「Judging by that reaction, I'm guessing that instruction to kill all the citizens didn't come from the independent faction as a whole . 」

I don't know who started it first, but both sides played a part in continuing the chain of hate and barbaric acts .

「T-there's no way . We only stood up because we wanted to defeat the inhuman general governorate and bring peace…… for them to torment citizens like that is……」

That must have been quite the shock for her .

Cornering her more than this would not be productive so I ask the girls to stand down .

「I feel the same way . That's why I want to end the fighting as soon as possible . Will you cooperate with me?」

I put my hand lightly on the girl's shoulder .

「I came here to suppress the conflict so I have nothing to do with the general governorate . I'm not the same as Dunois . 」

Seeing no resistance, I hold her with more strength and hug her close to me .

「Tell me about the independent faction . The more information I know, the faster I can end the battle . 」

「B-but…… how can I sell out my own like that……」

I stare at the girl with a serious look .

My hand is placed on her thigh for good measure .

「If the internal battle continues, all of Magrado's land will be wartorn . This isn't just about protecting the citizens . 」

Feeling pressured by my sincere words, the girl looks down with her mouth open .

Just one more push .

「My feelings are pure . Please believe me . 」

After a moment of silence…… the girl looks at me angrily .

Things were going so well, I wonder what's wrong .

「…… how is this pure!!?」

Crap, I stroked her thighs too much so my dick got hard .

「As I thought, you were really going to rape me! Pure my ass, perverted bastard!」

「No, you're wrong . This erection has nothing but pure feelings behind it . 」

The girl violently puts her hand on my meat rod and speaks in a frustrated tone .

「Y-you've got some nerve looking into me and finding out I like big dicks! It's despicable of you to try and win me over with something as big as that……」

Good, the wind is blowing in my favor now .

「It's so thick and hard and long that your pants are about to tear…… to use a dick that's surely dark…… and savage to extract information from me is an utterly cowardly thing to do!」

I pat the head of the girl, whose eyes are completely entranced, and open up the front of my pants .

When she sees my rod pop out, her breathing becomes heavy and labored .

「Tell me . How many soldiers are in Karudia? Who's the one leading them? What's the reason they decided to go out onto the field?」

As I speak, I place the girl's hand on my shaft .

She quickly starts moving her hand up and down on her own, making dry rubbing sounds .

「Going out onto the field was General Aguril's personal decision . He couldn't turn a blind eye to the people being killed in front of him and rushed out to help . 」

Seems like there are people on the independent faction's side who have a good sense .

I continue the questioning .

「Who's the one leading all of the independent faction?」

「That is……」

I see the woman hesitate to answer, so I take her other hand and place it on my meat rod as well .

「Aah, it's getting hotter! ……the one who has overall command over the independent faction is Bagleylan-dono . Apparently, he used to be a great noble but has been getting quite the cold treatment ever since the general governorate was established . People have been talking behind his back and calling him a "defanged dog" because he still swears allegiance to the general governorate but …… as if he was a different person, he changed and started the rebellion . 」

So it looks like that rebellion acted as the trigger for all the other feudal lords who were loyal to the governorate up until now to turn coat and is somehow connected with this current internal dispute .

「I see . Which means this Bagleylan is in Karudia . And how many soldiers are stationed in Karudia? Please tell me the details of their defensive encampment too . 」

「I- I can't say that much . It would be a serious betrayal of my companions……」

I get the woman to sit down on the floor and grab her head, then drag my dick from her chin to her forehead .

「Aah, rubbing my face with something so thick, gosh the veins are hitting me!」

Further, I put my dick up against the tip of her nose and flex my stomach, causing my member to twitch .

「Hiiih, that huge thing moved! I can't withstand this any longer! I'm going to spill the beans!」

When I pull my hips back, the girl chases after my dick with her tongue and finger .

Her switch has completely switched on .

「I'm just getting started . I'll gently interrogate you . 」

She takes off her own clothes and lays on the floor .

「Please interrogate me strictly and harshly……」

After pressing against her, I relentlessly and thoroughly investigate every nook and cranny .

The girl finally cracks from the severe interrogation and tells me everything she knows .

The Next Day .

「There are 40 000 soldiers in Karudia, except it should be more like 30 000 now after losing a considerable amount during yesterday's field battle . This is the outline for the defensive camps . 」

Everyone stares intently at the drawing .

Please don't pay attention to the wet spots here and there .

「Karudia alone having over 30 000 is more than expected . If we went in blindly, we might have failed to conquer the city . 」

When Myla glares at Dunois, he didn't give any excuse and only lowers his head slightly to me .

「However there are weak points . We can manage like this . 」

「Like over here…… my gosh, it's a big one . 」

Leopolt and Tristan seem to agree that we can win .

「By the way, how did you attain such valuable information?」

Myla and Celia narrow their eyes when Wittmann asks .

At the same time, a feeble voice can be heard coming from my tent .

「Hardlett-sama…… more…… interrogate me more…… fuck me to death……」

A flexible hand reaches out from the tent and seems to be looking for something .

I just stretch and endure the cold gazes from both Celia and Myla .

We're finally going to begin conquering Karudia .

Protagonist: Aegir Hardlett . 24 years old . Winter .

Status: Goldonia Kingdom Margrave . Great Feudal Lord of Eastern Area . Mountain Legend . Friend of the Dwarves . Friend of the King of Aless . Dragon Slayer Hero .

Elf Mediator .

Citizens: 175,000 . Refugees: 1300

Major Cities - Rafen: 26,000 . Lintbloom: 5000 . Vandolea Special Town: 9000 .

Accompanying:

Leopolt (staff officer), Tristan (staff officer), Celia (adjutant), Myla (commander), Irijina (commander)

Gido (escort troops), Christoph (escort troops), Wittmann (Royal army corps commander), Agor (battalion commander)

Dunois (Magrado Governor General)

Army under command:

Royal Army - 4th Army Corps: 14 500 men, Governorate Army: 7000 men, Advance guard: 3000?

Escort Squad: 100, Retinue of Trio: 100

Assets: 19,520 gold (additional tent for refugees -50)

Sexual Partners: 420, children who have been born: 55 + 555 fish