Chapter 82.

One volley could not accomplish much. The Noctein cavalry quickly turned to avoid the area targeted by the arrows. Only a few unlucky riders fell off their horses and screamed.

Stop spacing out! Ready your bows again!

The designated captains of each row of archers kicked the soldiers in the rear as they lamented.

Fire another arrow instead of looking for a target!

Stop relaxing your fingers!

Pull! Pull! Pull!

The archers reflexively grabbed their arrows and fired again as they were scolded by their captains. However, the enemy wandered around the wooden barricades, frustratingly avoiding the arrow fire. It was the splitting image of a predator playing around in front of its prey.

Damn it. If only the barricades were a bit higher.

Unlike that of several other regiments, the barricades prepared at the 22nd were not particularly high. The waist-high structures were practically like fences. The soldiers had tried to reinforce these defenses at short notice, but they lacked the time to do so in all areas. Naturally, there were some sections where defenses were particularly loose, and their enemies persistently found these spots.

Spearmen! Grab your spears!

At a certain point, the enemy stopped moving in a circle and formed up in a line. They charged, as though planning to jump the waist-high fence, and the allied spearmen clutched their spears with both hands.

Secure the spears!

At the orders of the infantry company commander, the spearmen drove the butts of their spears into the ground. In an instant, the area behind the barricades became full of protruding spears like the quills of a porcupine. Seeing this, the Noctein cavalry grabbed their horses reins and turned, once again circling around the garrison looking for a weak spot in the defenses.

Raise your spears!

As though they had been waiting, the spearmen once again lifted their spears, and the enemy cavalry turned away. As this process repeated itself, and the Nocteins continued to test the waters, the Adenburg infantry found themselves on edge.

Fucking archers! Are you playing around? How long are you going to let them circle us like this?

Cant you see us firing arrows until our hands are bloody? If you have a problem, come fire the arrows yourself!

It was evident that the infantry was upset at the sight of enemy cavalry running freely around their defenses. The company commander in charge of the archers cursed.

What are we supposed to do when were undermanned in the first place?

They had more than enough arrows. However, most of their archers had been dispatched to nearby areas, and as a result, the number of soldiers currently wielding bows barely made up five groups, or 50 archers in total. Even these few archers were spread around the perimeter to harass the Nocteins, and as their company commander said, they had to overexert themselves to continue firing until their hands bled.

Archers! Archers! Enemy archers!

Some of the enemy cavalry stopped circling the fences and turned to the offensive by raising their own shortbows.

The enemys responding!

The soldier on the watchtower poked his head out to shout out a warning before quickly hiding again behind the wall. At that very moment, a dense rain of arrows fell from the air one incomparable to the volleys fired by the allied archers.

Ack!

Kuack!

Screams could be heard from all over. Fortunately, however, most of the soldiers had been able to hide in blind spots of the arrows thanks to the advance warning. The damage incurred was not significant.

Ah, its fucking cavalry archers again. How do those damned Noctein bastards keep mass training mounted archers?

Clark grumbled under the fierce rain of arrows. The infantry, huddled behind the barricades to evade arrow fire, looked with pale expressions at the cavalry holding firm. The riders covered their heads with their shields and refused to break ranks, concerned only about being prepared to charge at a moments notice.

Hey, your heads sticking out of the barricade.

One of the infantrymen had been staring dumbfounded at the riders, and he quickly ducked back after hearing Clark speak out. At that moment, an arrow narrowly whistled by where his head had been moments earlier.

T, thank

As the soldier tried to offer his thanks, the battle situation changed once again.

More enemy cavalry! All but one regiment is entering the battle!

The soldier on the watchtower shouted in a hoarse voice. However, despite the changing situation, the infantry was unable to move easily as a result of the arrows being continuously fired into the garrison.

Theyre trying to break through!

Damn it! What about Viscount Drachen? Where is he?

Seeing the enemy cavalry attack more aggressively than expected, the regimental commander nervously asked for the Drake Knights whereabouts.

Was it possible that Seon-Hyeok had heard?

Seon-Hyeok and his massive drake suddenly appeared in the middle of the battlefield. The regimental commander was unsure whether the foreigner shot up from the ground, or whether the ground disappeared under him.

***

Crack.

The ground where the Noctein cavalry had recklessly trampled over seemed to swell up, and soon, the earth split to reveal the head of a huge monster.

W, what!

The unlucky cavalryman found himself suddenly facing the head of a monster and inadvertently threw himself into the beasts mouth.

Crunch.

The monster crushed the rider as though he had been waiting for precisely this moment. With that, the drake sprang up. It was as though a huge mountain had risen in the middle of the battlefield.

A, avoid it!

Move!

Lower your speed!

The cavalry charging at full speed were unable to deal with the sudden appearance of the drake, rode into the monsters hard chest, and bounced off.

Roar!

When the cavalry that followed tried to make sense of the situation and turn around, the monster roared.

Neigh!

The surprised horses reared up and threw off their riders. The cavalry formation quickly collapsed as the horses ran about in fear.

Heok!

Keok!

While the fallen riders groaned and rolled on the ground, those behind them rushed in, unable to reduce their speed.

Huh?

S, stop! Stop!

The Noctein cavalry screamed in a panic, but nothing could be done.

Ack!

The terrible screams of trampled horses and the desperate shouts of the bewildered cavalry rang out in all directions. The battlefield became hell in an instant.

Ptui.

Seon-Hyeok spat out the dirt in his mouth and frowned. The dirt that entered his mouth and between the gaps in his armor was rough and irritating. Even more uncomfortable was seeing the bodies of the enemies trampled under Goldrake and left in a shapeless mass.

It was not as though Seon-Hyeok was feeling some shallow sympathy towards his victims. The evil acts committed by the Nocteins within these borders were too terrible to deserve that. The Noctein cavalry only attacked the weak spots in the Adenburg border, and civilians were victimized the most. Every time he and the others recovered the bodies left in the Nocteins wake,