Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 43 (Part 1)
The Royal Guard and Special Forces of the Riyaz Kingdom, who had dealt with Count Bahas and the 6th Circle Mage Weidman, were racing south with all their might.
Count Preiss, the commander of the knights running in the central part, swept his gaze over the group.
They all looked a mess. Their bodies were covered in dust, and their eyes were hollow with fatigue.
They had encountered the enemy three times on their way here. The pursuing forces, consisting only of soldiers without knights, had been deployed to slow down their escape.
Count Preiss broke through the blocking soldiers with force. He judged that taking a detour would cost them time and allow the enemy to catch up.
In hindsight, it was the right decision.
The Ingram Empire’s two knight orders were fiercely pursuing them from just a few hours away. If they had delayed, they would have been caught and forced into a more dangerous battle.
‘I’ve lost some valuable men.’
Two knights were lost in the process of breaking through the enemy soldiers. They couldn’t even retrieve the bodies due to the urgency of the breakthrough.
No one had died in the process of dealing with Count Bahas, Weidman, and their thirty guards. Only thirteen were wounded.
However, breaking through the mass of soldiers had cost them two knights, and the number of injured had increased to twenty-nine. Even the uninjured knights were physically and mentally exhausted.
‘I thought we were thoroughly prepared. I didn’t expect such variables.’
The front line had changed.
When they departed from the capital, the Riyaz Kingdom had been holding back the Ingram Empire at the mountain they passed yesterday. That was the border between the two countries.
However, during their return after capturing Count Bahas, the front line had pushed too far. The border had shifted, extending the Royal Guard’s escape distance.
“Commander.”
“What is it?”
“We see enemies thirty minutes ahead.”
Military Mage Boyle had been scouting in all directions throughout the escape. Lacking the strength to ride his horse, he had to be carried by another knight.
Thanks to Boyle, they hadn’t been ambushed during their escape.
They always spotted the enemy first and could move after making a decision.
“How many?”
“Currently, about thirty thousand. Hundreds more are being added from the east and west ends.”
“Knights?”
“About two hundred in full plate armor in the center. The rest seem to be soldiers.”
Count Preiss compared the terrain he knew with their current position. The enemy’s location formed in his mind.
“Boyle, is that the Kenas Forest ahead?”
“Yes. The enemies are waiting with their backs to the Kenas Forest.”
Knowing they had their backs to the forest gave him a rough idea of the enemy’s formation.
A clash was inevitable.
“What about the pursuers?”
“One hour behind.”
“Everyone! Stop.”
“Stop!”
At Count Preiss’s command, the knights simultaneously halted their horses.
The special forces, including Hedler and Lant, also stopped and soothed their exhausted horses.
“We’ll rest here for thirty minutes. Let the horses loose and take care of your meals.”
“Understood.”
Though the people were exhausted, the horses, which had been carrying them continuously, were even more fatigued. The panting horses staggered, barely maintaining their balance.
Two knights had been lost because their tired horses had collapsed. As the horses fell, so did the knights, who were then speared by hundreds of soldiers.
“Listen up while we rest. There are enemies waiting ahead, and a pursuit force on our tails. Fortunately, if we break through the enemy’s formation, we’ll reach the Kenas Forest immediately.”
Although it wouldn’t be lush in winter, it was still a wooded area. Once they entered the forest, they could find opportunities to hide.
“The Kenas Forest… We’ve been pushed back this far already?”
“We don’t need to worry about the outcome of the war. That’s for the military and the royal family to decide. Our job is to get out of here and return to our comfortable homes. Focus only on that.”
At the mention of comfortable homes, Hedler lightly clicked his tongue. Lant didn’t seem convinced either.
They didn’t want to return to the special forces training camp.
Rather than being confined, they preferred to roam the world freely, even if they were being chased.
But with their lives bound by slave rods, they had no choice.
If they didn’t return after a certain period, or if they were missing when everyone else returned, the slave rods could be broken.
“After thirty minutes of rest, we’ll break through the enemy’s formation. Once we enter the Kenas Forest, they won’t be able to follow easily.”
“Won’t it be difficult to ride horses in the forest?”
“That goes for the enemy too. Anyway, our horses are all exhausted. We’ll ride as far as we can, and if the situation gets worse, we’ll abandon the horses.”
“Understood.”
“Then rest.”
The Royal Guard sprawled in ungainly positions, trying to relax as much as possible.
While resting, Hedler approached Lant, who was tending to the horses. Lant looked back at Hedler.
“What is it?”
“We need to get rid of Albrecht when we get the chance.”
“Albrecht? How?”
“What do you mean, how? That pig isn’t helpful in combat anyway.”
Albrecht had been drifting in and out of consciousness after being injured in the fight against Count Bahas’s guards.
When unconscious, he was a huge, heavy burden. When conscious, he ordered the special forces around with a nod.
He was useless in battle and a hindrance in their escape.
Even Count Preiss, who was originally acquainted with Albrecht, frowned whenever he saw him.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’ll take him. I’ll keep him close and dump him when the chance arises.”
“Won’t that be suspicious?”
“Other committee members might check. But once they see how fiercely we fought, they’ll understand. I’m prepared to take a few hits as well.”
Hedler planned to kill Albrecht and avoid suspicion by getting injured. As long as the wounds weren’t fatal, bleeding heavily would help avoid doubt.
“What about the instructors?”
“They’re on the opposite side. They won’t notice.”