WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Asakusa
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Veteran of the Northern Front ◈
Chapter 44: The End of the War (1)
──────
The Left Army fortress, isolated by the barbarians.
Standing atop the walls, Berun let out a bitter laugh as he watched the enemy prepare another assault.
“Heh... Are they coming again today?”
They had held out for twelve days on reduced rations to buy as much time as possible.
To take responsibility for his orders, Berun had endured on less than half the rations the soldiers received.
Was that why?
His body had become painfully gaunt.
His solid muscles had vanished without a trace, leaving only skin stretched over bone.
“Lord Berun, we will defend this place ourselves. You are not well. Please go inside and rest.”
Berun shook his head at Pellon's plea.
“How can a commander rest comfortably while the soldiers suffer? Do not worry about me. Focus on the enemy before us.”
“...”
“Today may be our last day.”
At first, the enemy had not attacked the fortress. They had maintained their encirclement and tried to starve them out.
But the torrential rain had changed everything.
“Maintaining the starvation strategy would have been better for us.”
Their morale had already dropped from doing nothing but waiting without fighting. Then the torrential rain came, leaving them no choice but to attack.
As a result, the four thousand troops in the fortress had been reduced by nearly half.
“Whew. Prepare yourselves.”
“Yes.”
Berun put on his now-loose armor.
Standing in the middle of the walls, he addressed the commanders and soldiers.
“As you can see, the situation is not good.”
No, it was beyond bad. There was no answer in sight.
“Even so, I will not surrender. I will fight until the end.”
It was not as though he had never considered surrender.
What sin had the remaining soldiers committed?
Their only fault was having met an incompetent commander.
However, looking at the greater good, they could never surrender, even if they were all annihilated fighting.
At his declaration that they would not surrender, one trembling soldier raised a hand.
“Why... Why must it be this way?”
“If we surrender, what do you think will happen to our allies on the other fronts?”
“...”
“This is the north's last line of defense. If we surrender, the morale of the entire Imperial Army will fall, the front will collapse completely, and the whole north will suffer catastrophic damage.”
No matter what anyone said, they were the elite soldiers who defended the north.
If even they surrendered to the enemy, who would fight them in the north from then on?
“We must resist with the resolve to die. Even if we die like dogs!”
“...”
“For the future! For our remaining allies! I will die here. It is the best I can do for my homeland and my country.”
“...”
“That is why I have an unreasonable request to make of you.”
Berun slowly bowed his head to the soldiers.
“L-Lord Berun!”
“For the north, to protect this Empire, die here with me.”
A heavy silence settled over the walls.
Then, one by one, the soldiers atop the walls knelt and bowed their heads.
The soldier who had asked the first question stepped forward on their behalf.
“I am a northerner.”
“...”
“My child and my wife are here in the north as well.”
Their eyes gradually reddened.
“I... I truly, truly want to return to my family alive.”
“You...”
“But.”
Resolve settled in the tearful soldier's eyes.
“If... if this truly is the best we can do now...”
“...”
“Then, as you say, Lord Berun, I will fight to the end. Even if I die for my family, I will die here.”
The moment he finished speaking, tearful voices rose from all around them.
“We are all proud soldiers of the Northern Army!”
“If we can protect the families behind us, we will gladly die!”
With a bitter expression, Berun lowered his head at their courageous decision.
“You suffer because you were given such an inadequate commander. I am truly sorry.”
“No!”
“It was an honor to serve you, Lord Berun. We will remain with you until the end.”
“...Thank you, all of you.”
Their resolve had hardened.
All that remained was to grit their teeth and struggle desperately.
As the enemy began their assault, Berun shouted in a voice filled with fury.
“Hold them! Do not let them set foot in the north where our families live! Cut down even one more of them!”
“Keep them from climbing the walls!”
“Born in the north, die in the north. That is what it means to be a northerner!”
“Take at least one more with you before you die!”
“W-What?!”
“Those Imperials were practically dead!”
With a fighting spirit bordering on madness, the soldiers charged in bravely, without concern for their own safety.
The barbarians hesitated in confusion before their terrifying momentum, but unfortunately, that alone could not turn the tide.
“Hold the line! We have to hold!”
Wanting to lend even a little strength, Berun stepped to the front and cut down enemies with his withered arms.
One, two, three...
Berun panted as enemies kept pouring in without end, no matter how many he cut down.
“Pant... Pant...”
“Lord Berun! Are you all right?”
“I... I'm fine... More importantly, there are disgustingly many of them.”
Even though they fought with the resolve to die, the enemy's numbers showed no sign of diminishing.
‘Is this truly the end?’
Grit!
He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, swallowing his frustration.
Then, he sensed unrest spreading through the enemy ranks.
‘What is this...?’
At the same time, a shout rang out.
“All troops!”
“L-Lord Berun! That voice is...”
“...Yes.”
It was a voice both familiar and welcome.
“It seems we will not die today.”
A force was attacking the enemy from behind.
“Slaughter those damned barbarians and save our allies!”
“Waaaaah!”
Ubel had arrived with reinforcements.
＊＊＊＊＊
“Slaughter those damned barbarians and save our allies!”
At the head of the force, I charged fiercely at the barbarians alongside Marcus, Peiron, and Max.
We were fewer in number than the enemy.
But these were soldiers who had overcome every hardship on their way here from the rear.
Their momentum did not fall behind the enemy's in the slightest.
“I-Imperial soldiers?”
“When did they get here... Urk!”
I cut off the neck of a barbarian who was too confused to grasp the situation and shouted to the soldiers.
“We will break through the enemy's center in one stroke! Everyone, follow me!”
The barbarians, focused on the fortress, could not hide their shock at the attack driving into their rear.
I seized an enemy standing there in a daze by the neck.
Crack!
I snapped it.
Without stopping there, I swung Black Axe and sent the heads of the nearby enemies flying.
“M-Monster... Urk!”
Every time Black Axe moved, enemies collapsed in sprays of blood. I glanced at the barbarians lying dead with their bodies split in half and their entrails spilled out, then charged at the enemy again.
“Damn it!”
“Do not panic.”
“They are only weak Imperials. Stay calm and respond... Urk!”
“Good. Next! Target only the ones who look like commanders! Be careful not to hit our allies!”
While I pushed through the enemy at the front, Walter and the archers concentrated their fire on the enemy commanders.
“T-The chieftains...”
“The fortress! The Imperials in the fortress are coming out too!”
“All troops! Sally forth! Aid our allies and wipe out the barbarians!”
Berun and the soldiers responded at just the right moment, leaving the enemy under attack from both front and rear.
“You damned Imperials!”
“Deal with the Imperials behind us first... Huh?”
A cloud of dust rose nearby.
Thud thud thud thud!
“Those are... horses?”
“C-Cavalry! The Imperials brought cavalry!”
The two thousand cavalry led by Jeg charged boldly into both sides of the enemy formation.
“The cavalry will cut the enemy in two! All troops, charge!”
“Charge!”
The infantry shook the enemy's rear, and the cavalry closed in from both sides through the gap.
A plan resembling a hammer and anvil strategy.
That was the plan I had devised.
‘Fortunately, it seems to be working well.’
The cavalry was doing its job, so we had to work hard here too.
“The cavalry is here! Put more strength into it!”
“Yes!”
I encouraged the soldiers and swung Black Axe in a wide horizontal arc.
“D-Damn it... Urk!”
I cut the necks of those charging at me from behind.
Slice!
Then I brought Black Axe down and smashed another enemy's head.
Crunch!
With the conviction that every enemy I killed could save more allies, I slaughtered everything in my path and advanced without hesitation.
Then,
Whoosh!
A strange spear with a triangular pyramid-shaped tip suddenly flew at me.
“Urgh!”
I used the side of my axe as a shield to block it, but the impact was no small thing.
Suppressing the pain twisting through my insides, I glared at the spear's owner.
‘...They have finally stepped forward.’
A middle-aged figure wearing ornaments far too flashy for the battlefield.
Lapkin, the enemy leader and one of the Three Great Commanders of the Great Invasion, had blocked my path.
Lapkin the Cunning Warrior.
There were two defining traits about them.
First, unlike most barbarians, they were quick-witted. Second...
“You bastard!”
Lapkin thrust the spear at my throat.
I barely avoided the attack by stepping back and stared at them.
A clear aura shone along the spearhead.
An Aura Sword, the mark of an advanced knight.
‘No, since that is a spear, should I call it an Aura Spear?’
Despite their cunning nature, Lapkin was a skilled fighter who had reached the level of an advanced knight.
Under different circumstances, I could not have afforded to be this relaxed before them. But this was a battlefield, not a sparring tournament where we fought one on one.
“They are not an easy opponent. Do not let your guard down.”
“Understood.”
“Ha! An old fool like that is nothing. I can handle them alone, so don't worry.”
Marcus and Peiron surrounded Lapkin with killing intent.
“You cowardly bastards!”
Lapkin had apparently never imagined we would attack together.
With a face like a demon, they gripped their spear.
Creak!
“Come on, then. The three of you can attack me at once! I just have to kill you all!”
“What are you babbling about, you old barbarian!”
Peiron brought down his halberd with fierce force, but Lapkin smoothly deflected it like the seasoned warrior they were.
“Get lost, you boar!”
“Damn it, urgh!”
The spear that had deflected Peiron's halberd was about to pierce him.
Clang!
“Not a chance!”
I cut in at the perfect moment and knocked Lapkin's spear aside with Black Axe.
Then Marcus followed up with a rapid assault.
As he pressured Lapkin with swift movements, I quickly joined him.
“Hup!”
I swung Black Axe from below, as if striking upward.
A murderous roar echoed through the air.
I drove Lapkin back with the intent to kill with every strike.
But each time, they smoothly parried my attacks.
That was not all.
Their spearhead slid along the axe blade and rushed at my head as though flowing downward. I barely turned my head aside, but the aura around the spear tip left a shallow bloody line across my neck.
“Lord Ubel!”
Marcus and Peiron leaped forward with grim expressions and blocked Lapkin's path.
Thanks to them, I gained a moment to catch my breath.
‘...I nearly got myself killed.’
The force of the Aura Spear sent a chill down my spine.
‘We have succeeded in driving them into a corner by attacking together, but...’
We were still one move short of taking their life.
‘To finish them...’
I steadied my breathing and recalled the advice Marcus had given me before.
‘You mean how to put aura into a weapon?’
‘Yes. I have tried it several times, but it is not easy.’
‘Then imagine that you are not holding a weapon.’
‘What? What are you talking about?’
‘I mean you should think of even the weapon as part of your body. If you wield aura that way, you will eventually be able to pour it into the weapon naturally.’
Recalling Marcus's advice, I slowly moved my aura.
‘Think of Black Axe as an extension of my body and... release the aura!’
I kicked off the ground and rushed toward Lapkin.
My muscles swelled as though they would burst.
Black Axe in my hand trembled as if it were alive.
Then...
Hum.
A red light flickered along the axe blade.
The realm of an intermediate knight.
I had become able to infuse aura into a weapon.
‘It may be somewhat lacking compared to an Aura Sword, which can only be wielded by an advanced knight, but...’
It was enough to seize victory in a tightly balanced situation like this.
“What?!”
Lapkin, who had been dealing with Marcus and Peiron, hurriedly turned their head at the chilling presence.
But it was already too late.
Tap!
Like an arrow released from a bow, I reached them in the blink of an eye and smoothly swung Black Axe.
The strike, strengthened by monstrous power, acceleration, and aura, split their spear shaft in two and continued on to cut through their body as well.
Crack!
A long bloody line stretched from Lapkin's chest to abdomen.
Lapkin staggered and glared at me with disbelieving eyes.
“Y-You... That red light... It is surely that one's...”
Thud!
They collapsed before they could finish speaking.
Their breath had ceased.
‘That one? Who are they talking about...?’
No. This was not the time to worry about that.
I shook my head to clear away the stray thought, then shouted loudly in the barbarians' language.
“Lapkin is dead! Your leader is dead, so stop this meaningless resistance and surrender!”
“L-Lord Lapkin?”
The tide had already turned against them, and now their commander had died as well. What followed was obvious.
Clatter, clatter!
One by one, the barbarians threw down their weapons. Those who could not accept defeat and fought to the end were dealt with by Jeg and the cavalry.
“Lord Ubel.”
“Yes. We won.”
At my declaration of victory, the surrounding soldiers erupted into cheers.
“Waaaaah!”
“We won!”
“Ubel! Ubel! Ubel!”
“You guys...”
Soldiers chanted my name from all directions.
It was embarrassing, but just for today, I decided to put up with it.
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
