Chapter 155 : Chapter 155
Chapter 155. Eternal Shadow (4)
In fact, what was harder than a single point breakthrough was retreat.
Because the Imperial Army would somehow try to chase after the Main Battalion and the new recruit unit to inflict even a little damage.
But Roden stepped forward and solved this problem.
He ran out towards the chasing Imperial Army and used wide-area Bind.
It was the reason Roden hadn't used wide-area Bind until now even though he could.
‘I saved it specifically for this moment.’
Like that, the Imperial Army whose feet were tied were ruthlessly trampled by Roden.
In the meantime, the Main Battalion and the new recruit unit could withdraw easily.
Michael spoke while fighting alongside Roden.
“It's a pity. If the Main Battalion and the new recruit unit could fight like us inside the Bind secret technique, it wouldn't be impossible to crush the Imperial Army right here.”
“Originally, there are pros and cons to everything. Anyway, I think it would be better to withdraw at this point.”
Roden and Michael ran wild diligently and withdrew moderately before the magic effect wore off.
Afterward, the Imperial Army attempted to chase once again, but they were only swept away by wide-area Bind this time as well.
Like that, after being hit by wide-area Bind twice, the Imperial Army no longer attempted to chase.
It was fortunate for Roden, whose aura was slowly showing the bottom.
Because he fought against Deniz, a 7-star knight, with all his might, the amount of consumed aura was inevitably large.
Even though he deliberately controlled his strength with all situations in mind, it was this much.
‘I realize anew that a fight with a 7-star knight is not easy. If Michael hadn't dealt with Deniz even for a moment, it would have been dangerous.’
Roden thought this and looked at Michael moving beside him.
And he belatedly discovered that Michael's left shoulder was stained with blood.
“……Are you hurt?”
“Ah, this. It's nothing. Rather, thanks to giving up my shoulder, I could save my life.”
Although Michael answered nonchalantly, as soon as he led the troops into the earthen castle, Roden spoke.
“Show me your left shoulder.”
“I said it's nothing.”
“Show me.”
Only after Roden spoke once more did Michael click his tongue with a tsk and took off his armor to show his left shoulder.
The wound was deeper than expected.
It was cut so deep that even if treated now, it seemed he wouldn't be able to use his shoulder for several months.
“You managed not to show it even with such a wound.”
“To say I didn't show it, I got caught by you, didn't I?”
“My observational skills are exceptionally keen.”
“Besides, I just need to hold the sword with my right hand, so what's the problem with hurting my left shoulder?”
Of course, there was a problem.
Leaving aside being right-handed, Michael was a longsword user who swung the sword with both hands.
So being unable to use his left hand was fatal.
Since he had plenty of strength, he could swing the longsword with only his right hand or change his weapon to a shortsword altogether, but awkwardness would hold him back.
Eventually, Michael saying it didn't matter if he hurt his left shoulder was nothing more than a bluff.
“…….”
Because of that, Roden replaced his answer with silence and reached out his hand toward Michael's shoulder.
Like that, the 4th-circle healing magic ‘Vital Touch’ unfolded from Roden's hand.
Uuuuung!
And this was the magic enchanted on the recovery-type crystal orbs used by the Imperial Army.
However, even with the same Vital Touch, the healing effect was much more powerful when Roden used it.
The proof was that the quite deep wound on the left shoulder was repaired at once.
It was natural since there was a difference between the 4th circle and the 7th circle in the first place.
And when treating only a single target's wound like this, it was better to use only Vital Touch than magic like ‘Regenerate (5th circle)’, ‘Sacred Touch (6th circle)’, and ‘Ethereal Recovery (7th circle)’.
Because the difference in stage of these magics originated from being able to cure status abnormalities and mental abnormalities, not just wounds and healing duration.
In conclusion, Roden cast the most powerful healing magic he could use before reaching the 8th circle on Michael.
Seeing all the wounds on the shoulder healed like that, Roden spoke.
“Please hand over your armor for a moment. Starting from the next battle, I will take measures so that you can use defensive secret techniques and recovery secret techniques.”
Hearing Roden's words, Michael's eyes widened roundly.
Because unless it was a really special case, Roden had never handed over artifacts to Michael until now.
But to say he would engrave two secret techniques on the armor altogether.
There was one thing this meant.
Roden added a word and drove a wedge here.
“Is there anything else you need?”
Michael couldn't continue his words for a while and barely opened his lips.
“……Is that okay?”
Roden realized at once what Michael was asking and nodded.
“Didn't you say you want to attach wings called me, not Leon or Malena. Trust me. I won't let you fall.”
At the same time Roden's words ended, a smile bloomed on Michael's lips.
It was the moment Michael officially became Roden's person.
***
Meanwhile.
Deniz, who lost the Main Battalion and the new recruit unit, was currently in Velia Castle leading the Imperial Army.
Finally, he succeeded in occupying Velia Castle, but Deniz's current mood wasn't very good.
Because a quarter of the troops lost their lives or suffered incapacitating injuries in this battle.
Converted to numbers, it was about 250 casualties.
On the other hand, the damage to the Main Battalion and the new recruit unit was estimated to be only half of a half of that.
So for Deniz, he had no choice but to be angry about this part.
“No matter how insufficient our number of commanders is, does it make sense to inflict only this much damage with corps-sized troops!”
Deniz, who somehow swallowed his anger to protect the unit's morale, eventually couldn't hold back and shouted.
In fact, considering Deniz's personality, it was commendable that he endured until now.
“Damn it!”
In fact, Deniz also knew why the situation flowed to this extent.
At first, he tried hard to deny reality, but now he was convinced.
That all these events happened entirely because of Roden.
The castle gate not breaking with the Castle-Breaking Crystal Orb, some high-ranking nobles including Prokle losing their lives, and bringing the new recruit unit to achieve a single point breakthrough.
Since Roden was at every scene of the incident, the culprit could only be specified as him.
“What kind of grudge does he have against me!”
Deniz was so angry he felt like spewing fire from his mouth and vomiting blood.
That's how unbelievable and unfair the current situation felt.
It was even more so because there was no enemy who carried out operations within common sense even once.
But to block his way by transcending common sense every time.
Deniz felt a wall.
Even, it felt like he would break at this rate.
‘No!’
That was right.
He absolutely shouldn't break.
Because if he retreated like this, only death awaited him.
Since he participated in this war, he had to turn the situation around somehow.
‘Right. There's no need to think too negatively. Although that guy is showing an appearance transcending common sense, the war situation is still advantageous to our side.’
Especially on the 1st Corps front and 2nd Corps front, the Imperial Army was performing greatly.
These were the battlefields where the Tiaref family and Kalif family participated respectively.
The Tiaref family captured Tizren Castle and was on the verge of eyeing the Plumen River again, and the Kalif family drove Leon out of Davia Castle and regained peace in the Astral Plains.
In other words, it meant that although the Imperial Army was losing small gains, they were taking all the big gains.
‘Since we succeeded in occupying Velia Castle anyway, we just need to clean up Kroxen Castle like this and occupy the Aequor Plains.’
If he proceeded step by step, there was nothing he couldn't do.
For that reason, Deniz regained his composure and gave orders to the Imperial Army.
“Select one company to leave at Velia Castle and let’s head straight to Kroxen Castle. Once we clean up Kroxen Castle, the war situation will tilt completely to our side.”
***
Roden took a rest for a few days and examined the war situation.
In the process, he could also grasp the fact that the Allied Forces were being pushed back greatly.
“Not good. Eventually, what we achieved is nothing more than escaping Velia Castle safely.”
Hearing Michael's story, Roden nodded.
Certainly, they barely saved their lives, but the war situation was still turning favorably for the Imperial Army.
Even leaving aside the 1st Corps and 2nd Corps fronts and looking only at the 3rd Corps front, it was so.
It was natural since Kroxen Castle was still being besieged.
“How long can Kroxen Castle hold out?”
“I think it will be about a week at most. Since Kroxen Castle had more stockpiled food than Velia Castle.”
Kroxen Castle was larger than Velia Castle.
For that reason, the stockpiled food was bound to be more.
However, that didn't mean Kroxen Castle's situation was good.
Because while Roden was helping the Main Battalion escape with the new recruit unit, as time passed, Kroxen Castle's more abundant food stockpile would have started to show the bottom.
And if a situation unfolded where a riot occurred inside Kroxen Castle and the defending forces surrendered, it would be a disaster.
This wouldn't end simply with losing Kroxen Castle, but result in losing even Alexis's direct unit and the Vanguard Battalion.
‘If we lose Kroxen Castle like this, the battle line will be pushed back uncontrollably and we will end up handing over even the Aequor Plains.’
So Roden rather hoped that Deniz wouldn't be able to swallow his anger and invade the earthen castle.
Because then he could give up the earthen castle and see an angle to pull out Alexis's direct unit and the Vanguard Battalion from Kroxen Castle.
But unfortunately, Deniz headed to Kroxen Castle calmly.
That meant it became extremely difficult to save Alexis's direct unit and the Vanguard Battalion.
It was natural since a picture was drawn where one corps had to face two corps.
However,
“Still, we must save Kroxen Castle. Otherwise, there is no hope for us.”
Roden spoke while hardening his resolve, and Michael stared intently at Roden telling such a story.