37-120

EP.120 Mayer Army’s Crisis (2) 

Parrying the spear thrusts aimed at him with his sword at the front of the unit, Gerard issued nonstop orders to his subordinates. 

“Never try to face them head-on! Fight while dodging as much as possible! Aim for the gaps in their armor!!” 

“We’re already doing that!!” 

As soldiers trained to the extreme by Yuno, Gerard and his men fought beyond the limits of light infantry, using their individual mobility to strike precisely at the unprotected areas of the enemy’s armor. 

As the battle continued, Gerard’s unit had not yet suffered a single casualty, while the imperial heavy infantry began to fall one by one. 

“Damn! They’re tougher than I thought. Don’t rush in form a tight phalanx and push them back.” 

But the imperial commander was no fool. Using their favorable matchup and numerical superiority, they began to press Gerard’s unit. 

Following orders, the imperial heavy infantry solidified their defense with shields and stabbed from afar with spears, and the effect was immediate. 

The weapons wielded by the light infantry bounced off the heavy infantry’s shields, and even when some managed to attack the gaps, they were forced back by a hail of spears from the rear ranks. 

The heavy infantry advanced slowly, closing the distance and steadily pressing the light infantry. 

Pushing with shields, stabbing with long spears from range simple but overwhelming in numbers and mass, the group power began to push Gerard’s unit back, and as casualties began to mount, the word “annihilation” flashed through Gerard’s mind. 

“Captain Gerard! The enemy is tightening the encirclement! There’s nowhere left to retreat!!” 

“I know!! Damn, what do we do…” 

At last, Gerard’s 400 or so men formed a circle, standing back to back, and the imperial commander halted his advance and swaggered forward. 

“One last offer! Surrender! If you give us information, I’ll guarantee your lives!!” 

‘I need to buy time, somehow…’ 

“…Give me a moment to discuss with my men!” 

“Fine! I’ll give you 15 minutes! But know that if you refuse, you’ll all die!” 

As the enemy commander withdrew and the heavy infantry stepped back, Gerard gathered his centurions for a council. 

“…If this keeps up, we’ll be wiped out. We’ve bought some time, but… anyone have any ideas?” 

“If the captain can’t think of one, how would we?” 

“Hah~ If I’d known I’d die like this, I wouldn’t have taken bribes with you, Captain… If not, I wouldn’t have volunteered for the light infantry, and I’d be relaxing at the main camp now, right? Hehehe.” 

“…If you survive today, I’ll kill you myself, so just fight and die, got it?” 

“Heh, we’re all doomed anyway, right? I just wish I could have a drink before I go.” 

One centurion, who’d followed Gerard from the guard corps, joked about looking for liquor. Suddenly, a soldier stood up and approached them. 

“Here! Let’s have a drink before we die.” 

“Huh? What’s this? You brought booze during an operation…?” 

“Ah! I got it as thanks when we delivered food to a village. It seemed a waste to throw away, so I hid it in my canteen… but we’re about to die, so what does it matter?” 

As one soldier confessed to having liquor, others did too, and soon nearly 50 men admitted to stashing alcohol. 

“Hah… 10% of my men breaking regulations… I deserve to die as their commander. Haha.” 

But Gerard, too, smiled, not minding a last drink before death. 

“Let’s see~ Wow, just the smell is intoxicating. Strong stuff! Definitely stronger than our local brew this is real whiskey…” 

“Wait. Strong, you say? Everyone, stop!!” 

He shouted at the men about to drink, stopping them. 

“Why? We’re just having a drink before we die!” 

“Look around you. What’s the state of the forest in the central region after harvest?” 

“Huh? It’s just a forest, what’s… huh?” 

Unlike the always-green Monster Mountain forests, the central imperial forests after harvest were covered in fallen leaves and the trees were bone-dry. 

“There’s a way out. Everyone, tear up your clothes and soak them in the liquor!!” 

Finally realizing what Gerard meant, the centurions distributed the alcohol, and every soldier prepared a rag soaked in booze. 

“Check that each squad has a torch, and get ready to throw! Don’t light them until my signal.” 

“Understood, Captain!” 

As preparations continued, the imperial commander returned to address Gerard. 

“Well… will you surrender? It’s your choice: annihilation or surrender.” 

“My choice is… to wipe you out and escape!!” 

Gerard lunged with his sword, but the enemy commander was skilled and blocked it, forcing Gerard to leap back. 

“So you choose death! Advance! Leave one alive for interrogation, kill the rest!!” 

“Now!! Light the fires!!” 

At Gerard’s order, the 400 remaining soldiers set their rags ablaze. 

“Throw!!” 

The firebombs flew through the air, and the dry forest instantly became a sea of flames. 

“Fire attack!! Get clear!!” 

“Don’t panic! A little burn won’t kill you!! …The enemy’s still there. Only the rear lines are argh!!” 

Imperial centurions and decurions tried to calm their men, but Gerard’s unit attacked amid the chaos, deepening the confusion. 

“Damn these bastards… resorting to such cowardly tricks…” 

“Heh! Looking for fairness in war, fool! All units, charge west! Axe-men, make a path!!” 

Following orders, Gerard’s unit attempted a breakthrough. Axe-men hacked through burning trees while the others cut down imperial soldiers blocking their escape. 

“The exit’s open!! The encirclement’s broken!! Captain! Go first!!” 

“No!! You go first!! I’ll cover the rear!” 

“Come on! If you don’t go, we won’t either! Go first!!” 

Even as they lost men and fought to keep the encirclement from closing, Gerard refused to leave the rear, but his men grabbed him and dragged him toward the exit. 

Shhhhhh!! 

Aaaagh! 

But another despair awaited at the exit. 

“You think I’d let you escape after all this?” 

Behind the open exit, the enemy commander, scorched and battered, waited with about 50 imperial archers. 

The archers fired without hesitation. Gerard managed to block with his shield, but several soldiers were killed by the sudden volley. 

Stunned, Gerard watched as the imperial encirclement closed again, and the enemy commander sneered. 

“I’ll give you credit for your spirit. Using a fire attack here was impressive. But every imperial thousand-man unit has a communication mage. Not top-tier, but enough to conjure water and put out a fire like this.” 

As he spoke, the raging fire began to die down. 

“I don’t know what unit you’re from, but we’ll find out soon enough. All units, charge ” 

“Kahahahahahaha!” 

The imperial commander’s order was cut off by Gerard’s laughter echoing through the night. 

“What’s so funny?” 

“Hahaha, the fate of a man about to die is just hilarious.” 

“Pfft… You’re a strange one. Is dying so funny?” 

“What are you talking about? I never said I was the one dying.” 

“Huh? Then who ” 

Before he could finish, the commander’s head was lopped off by a hand axe flying from the woods behind, and hope returned to the faces of Gerard’s men.