Chapter 83 - Go and... (Thank you, Jerry.)

As the meeting ended and the group dispersed, Zelos couldn’t shake off a nagging feeling inside him. Despite his lack of loyalty towards the country, he felt something bothering him for considering waiting for a single girl to change the flow of the battle like that by herself.

Sure, all the help was welcome, and he appreciated Liry’s abilities, but Zelos felt inadequate with the idea of letting her shoulder all that responsibility by herself. It wasn’t just about the battle; it was about the weight of the burden she carried.

Zelos understood that Liry was strong in her own way, perhaps even more so than anyone else in their group. But he couldn’t ignore the fact that she was just one person, vulnerable and fallible like the rest of them.

In his heart, Zelos knew that he couldn’t simply stand by and watch while Liry did that alone. He may not feel loyalty towards the country, but he feels a bit of camaraderie and responsibility towards his comrades. They were in this together, and he couldn’t turn a blind eye to their struggles.

“Ugh, this is annoying… I can’t be this soft-hearted if I want to reach my goals.”

Zelos looked for a place to train, and he trained his usual move set alongside the thrust attacks. Thanks to his trait, his muscles were recovering fast enough and getting used to the train that kind of move offered. Still, there were several problems with using thrust attacks using a one-handed short.

One-handed thrusts have a shorter reach compared to two-handed thrusts if I try not to leave any openings. This limits the distance at which an attacker can effectively engage their opponent, putting them at a disadvantage against adversaries with longer weapons.

With only one hand on the hilt, there’s less control over the sword’s movement and direction. This increases the likelihood of missing the target or being countered by the opponent. Thrusting with one hand leaves the attacker more vulnerable to being disarmed or having their weapon deflected. Without the support of a second hand, it’s easier for an opponent to knock the sword aside or seize control of it.

Zelos could do as much as he could to deal with those demerits, but things weren’t that simple. Still, the answer that he had was to keep forging his body to become stronger and stronger, all in order to force those weaknesses out of his path with brute strength alone.

Once he was done exercising, Zelos calmed down by meditating a bit. He tried to recall as much as possible the last few battles, and soon he had an idea of what he could do… it was going to hurt, though. 

When the next day arrived, Zelos thought that he would be able to follow his morning routine without being bothered, but soon Loan showed up at his tent and told him that Liry was calling for them. That couldn’t be a good sign…

“Who could have thought that battles would be this annoying in between, huh, Zelos? It doesn’t help that we are literally surrounded by countries who attack us when they are bored.”

“It would be nice if it were this simple… or maybe not. What do you think is our best option in a situation like this?”

“It doesn’t help that the emperor just passed away and his only heir is a girl who isn’t old enough to rule us. My image of her was a bit different, even though I heard things about the last conflict. Still, given the right circumstances, she can probably do a good job.”

Zelos wondered what those right circumstances were… if Liry managed to sit on the throne and that was already difficult enough, the whole first empress thing would be hard to navigate since they didn’t have any experience or knowledge that they could use as a reference. It feels like the neighbors are already using that as an excuse to attack and slowly chip away at the strength of Hillania for a while.

In any case, when they arrived in the tent, they found a fired Kaitrine and the rest of the group with the exception of the captains. Soon, they arrived, and the meeting started. Liry’s words soon surprised everyone.

“Thanks to Kaitrine, we confirmed that the enemies got reinforcements. They are five Captains leading five armies… Now, the enemies have eleven thousand. The numbers are almost even, but the real issue is those five Captains.”

“What is different about them?”

“Their overall appearance isn’t of warriors that I have seen until now in this battlefield. They are rugged, they wear thick clothes of cold climates and they are red-haired. They are all pretty hairy too.”

Zelos didn’t know why Kaitrine said the last part, but it didn’t matter. The five possible captains of the enemy’s side were likely adversaries from an unknown land. It was difficult to tell their motives for aiding the enemy, but that was beside the point. What mattered was the new and challenging factor they introduced to the battlefield.

These mysterious captains brought with them an air of unpredictability and danger. Their presence showed a shift in the dynamics of the conflict, adding layers of complexity and difficulty to an already intense situation.

Without knowing their backgrounds or intentions, it was impossible to anticipate their tactics or strategies. This made them formidable opponents, as they were essentially unknown quantities on the battlefield. Their allegiance to the enemy was a cause for concern, but even more worrying was the uncertainty surrounding their capabilities and objectives. 

“They should have come from somewhere, and they probably have endured a long trip. Maybe they will need a day or two to get some rest, but we can’t be certain. Either way, they probably will lead the charge in the next battle and we will need to get rid of them as soon as possible. That is why I want to ask Loan and his group to deal with them. Even if you have to gang up on them, it is imperative that you deal with them as soon as possible before they can influence the battlefield.”

Loan and the other clan leaders couldn’t say anything in response immediately to Liry’s words. As clan leaders, they were responsible and admired by hundreds of people, so asking them to do something like that and tarnish their reputation was almost an insult.

“I am aware that this might not sound right to you all, but we can’t afford to lose you all either or let you get hurt. You are all important to our side, and it would be disastrous to lose you all. I am not a warrior, so I can’t say that and sound convincing, but we cannot let pride get in the way this time.”

“... We will do everything in our power, commander.”

After a long silence, Loan finally said that he didn’t confirm or deny that he would follow the orders. The guild masters had followed the group that Loan was leading with those skilled warriors, so making those two groups work like that would be beyond embarrassing to all of them. Still, it was the best strategic option. 

In the end, Liry realized that her words had fallen on deaf ears, so she decided to call for the end of the meeting already since she could tell that nothing would change his mind. Still, she wasn’t done with everyone there. 

“Zelos, can you stay here for a while longer?”

In the end, Zelos nodded, and then the group waited while the others left. He could tell that he was going to hear something annoying but necessary. He had his pride as well, but he didn’t mind using the best way to solve some problems.

“I need to confirm this, Zelos. Do you think that they will change their minds before the next battle?”

“Probably not. Whether we like it or not, the fact stands that the more we survive on the battlefield, the more our ego increases, and we get more confident in our skills. Those who are smart about that keep trying to maintain and improve, while others die soon thanks to negligence.”

Prideful individuals, despite their flaws, can often make effective leaders on the battlefield for several reasons. Prideful leaders tend to have a strong belief in their own abilities and decisions. This confidence can be contagious, inspiring confidence and morale among their troops, even in dire situations.

Prideful leaders also possess charisma and presence, commanding attention and respect from their followers. Their magnetic personalities can rally troops, boost morale, and instill a sense of unity and purpose.

Finally, prideful leaders are often driven by a desire to succeed and outperform their rivals. This competitive spirit can translate into a relentless pursuit of victory on the battlefield, driving troops to push themselves to their limits. Liry knew that very well.

“I understand all that. Still, I can’t plan anything considering the pride of every single person if we want to win this battle.”

“I understand that.”

“So, you understand that we need to defeat them without worrying about our pride.”

“Kind of. You don’t have to beat around the bush.”

“This might sound a bit cold for me to say, but I think you can pull it off. I want you to risk your life to take those guys down no matter what.”

Few people knew about Zelos’s trait, so it was very likely that they could be caught off guard by his regeneration. This presented Zelos with a unique advantage on the battlefield: the ability to withstand injuries that would incapacitate or kill others, allowing him to continue fighting and even use his opponents’ surprise to his advantage.

In combat, Zelos could use his regeneration to push himself to the limit, knowing that he could recover from wounds that would normally be fatal. He could exploit this advantage by engaging in riskier maneuvers, taking hits that would weaken his opponents’ resolve as they witnessed him shrugging off injuries that should have incapacitated him.

However, while Zelos’s regeneration gave him a potent edge in battle, it also came with its dangers. Relying too heavily on his ability to regenerate could lead to recklessness, leaving him vulnerable to attacks that he couldn’t recover from quickly enough.