Chapter 111 : The Fall of the Shartega Family (3)
Chapter 111: The Fall of the Shartega Family (3)
The surrender of Viscount Veil caused severe unrest among the Lords who governed the remaining territories.
In just a week, five Lords had died without anyone even knowing why.
And today, news arrived that another Lord had been assassinated.
Meanwhile, the Northern Army led by Kyle advanced relentlessly, and Marquis Shartega remained shut inside his territory as if he had no intention of moving.
There was no additional support or reinforcements dispatched either.
The number of Lords who chose to fight until the end was only two.
One Lord guarding the final route leading to the Shartega Territory, and the Lord defending the territory next to Viscount Veil’s.
“To think it took only ten days to clean up this vast west. This is why incompetent fools should never be placed as Lords.”
“My lord, the last Lord’s Castle has been breached.”
“…They managed to hold out for a day.”
Out of the ten territories, three Lords surrendered.
And the remaining six Lord’s Castles collapsed without lasting even a single day.
From Viscount Veil’s territory to the territory that served as the final gateway, everything had been broken through in just three days.
Still, the final Lord—and Marquis Shartega’s son-in-law—managed to hold out for at least a day.
“If that Veil fellow had done his job properly, they could have lasted at least two days. What a pity.”
“Why did you spare Viscount Veil? He was a worm who disliked you, my lord.”
“Because his abilities are exceptional.”
“…I acknowledge that he is outstanding in defensive battles. But the result isn’t the worst outcome, is it?”
“What’s spilled cannot be gathered back.”
“…Understood.”
The betrayal of Viscount Veil had a major effect, causing two additional Lords to surrender.
If they had replaced him with someone else earlier, they might have bought more time.
Even though he knew Marquis Shartega’s judgment had been wrong, as the knight who had protected him for years, he could not criticize his lord’s choice.
“Anyway, the preparations are complete. The moment Kyle Ragnar enters this territory, it will become his grave.”
Marquis Shartega smiled strangely.
The largest and most populous land in the west.
The soldiers Marquis Shartega could mobilize numbered forty thousand.
Ten thousand more than the Northern Army’s thirty thousand. If he could not win with that advantage, it would be disgraceful.
Moreover, he was fighting a defensive battle rather than an offensive one.
“Deploy additional troops at the ambush points. If we inflict as much damage as possible on the Northern Army, that brat king won’t dare underestimate the Shartega Family.”
The use of fire attacks was the most important element of this plan.
Marquis Shartega intended to inflict devastating damage on the Northern Army even if it meant burning part of his own territory to the ground.
“Understood, my lord.”
“It will be marvelous to watch the Northern Army burn. How should I describe this feeling? Heh heh.”
The timing was perfect.
With the dry weather and the many haystacks left after harvesting, a fire attack was an essential choice.
As long as it didn’t rain, he believed the prepared fire attack would succeed without fail.
On the road toward the Shartega Territory, Aron moved to Kyle’s side.
“My lord, Marquis Shartega will certainly use a fire attack.”
“Most likely. Winter is approaching, so there will be plenty of leftover haystacks. And with the weather this dry, it’s the perfect condition.”
“But Marquis Shartega doesn’t know.”
The power of Frostfire.
He didn’t know that no flame could harm Kyle.
“If the fire attack fails, then the soldiers lying in ambush everywhere become useless. Is that what you mean, Sir Harte?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Don’t let a single soldier escape. You may kill them all.”
“Understood!”
During the march here, Kyle had shown considerable mercy.
Partly to reduce meaningless casualties, but also because the soldiers dying in this war would soon become citizens of the Ragnar Kingdom.
The kingdom’s military power.
He had no intention of letting potential soldiers die carelessly.
But the soldiers who followed Marquis Shartega were different.
‘The biggest difference is their cohesion.’
Marquis Shartega, who had obtained authority from King Clover as the king’s father-in-law to oversee the west, had frequently replaced Lords.
Families that had ruled their territories for decades lost them by his order, while those who were merely Barons sometimes ruled Viscountcies.
Without advancing into central politics, he lived here like a king and tightly controlled the governance of the Western Region.
Of course, he lost unity among some Lords who resented him, but to those who followed him, he gave clear rewards and earned their loyalty.
For similar reasons, the knights belonging to the Shartega Family also possessed remarkable unity and loyalty.
If mercy were shown to them, there was a risk they might stab them in the back.
“We will handle them decisively.”
After confirming Harte’s expression, Kyle turned his head and looked at Aron.
“Aron, Marquis Shartega didn’t try to protect King Clover. He simply wanted to live comfortably in the kingdom he built for his own glory.”
Even while the Northern Army marched toward the Capital City, Marquis Shartega ultimately never moved.
Leaving everything to Duke Zaira, he intended to live leisurely in the world he had created.
But ironically, because he didn’t move, the Northern Army had been able to seize the Capital City with ease.
“Marquis Shartega was my father’s rival. But time eventually softened him and turned him into a toothless lion. If you grow complacent in your position, you’ll end up like Marquis Shartega. Remember that.”
At Kyle’s words, Aron lowered his head.
Hearing those words reminded him of Kyle’s past life.
As an outsider who was never acknowledged by anyone, he had risen to the peak of the Empire.
But Kyle had never once grown complacent with that position.
Even when he rose to the rank of Grand Duke, the Emperor had offered him vast lands.
However, Kyle rejected the Emperor’s goodwill entirely and refused the territory.
Why had he done that?
Returning to Ragnar had certainly been important, but for Kyle, a valuable life was not about becoming a Lord or standing at the pinnacle of a nation.
Not settling into that position, but constantly moving forward.
Perhaps that was the goal of the man named Kyle Ragnar.
“I intend to erase all the guilt I felt toward the King through this matter. I can’t let him depend on me forever.”
“I will remember that.”
Watching Pramo, who couldn’t fully demonstrate his abilities because he stood in Kyle’s shadow, Kyle had reflected deeply.
But he couldn’t continue worrying about his younger brother and taking responsibility for the path ahead forever.
Moreover, Pramo had now ascended to the throne as the ruler of a nation.
‘I should refrain from standing at the forefront for a while as well. Just until Marquis Shartega.’
Even though he had become king, Pramo’s potential remained unchanged.
A younger brother who had yet to find the opportunity to grow.
Kyle had to wait until he could demonstrate his abilities properly, but he couldn’t help feeling impatient.
“My lord, we have entered the Shartega Territory.”
Kyle, who had been lost in thought atop Seori’s back, regained his senses at Aron’s words.
“I will take the lead.”
“Yes, my lord.”
As they entered an empty village, Kyle tilted his head.
The place was filled with the stench of rotting animal corpses.
Of course, such things could happen, but something felt strange.
They were in the middle of a war, and livestock meat served as daily rations for soldiers.
No one would deliberately kill livestock and leave them to rot.
‘Did they hide straw bundles inside the buildings?’
Kyle had experienced many fire attacks during numerous battles in the Tylers Empire.
When fighting against numerical inferiority, no strategy was as effective as fire attacks.
No matter how elite an army was, the moment it suffered a fire attack, its formation would collapse.
Sensing the enemy’s intentions through experience, Kyle raised his hand.
Just as he predicted, the moment they entered the village, flaming arrows rained down from the sky.
But Marquis Shartega’s opponent was none other than Kyle.
Saaa—
A chilling aura burst out from the wrist guard that held the Heart of the Ice Dragon.
A strong wind blew.
Normally when fire and wind met, the flames would grow larger, but the flames of thousands of fire arrows were extinguished in an instant.
“Attack.”
At Kyle’s single command, Harte and the Northern Army surged like waves toward the places where the enemies were hiding in ambush.
“Everyone raise your shields! More flaming arrows will come!”
Harte, who dashed forward at tremendous speed, shouted fiercely.
Beside him stood three knights who had always moved alongside Kyle.
After confirming both sides, Harte faintly raised the corner of his mouth and glanced back.
‘Guardian Deity of Ragnar.’
As long as Kyle Ragnar—the Heir of Frostfire—stood behind them, this battle could never be lost.
Shiiiiiik—!
Flaming arrows flew continuously, and one of them grazed past Kyle’s side.
Paaang!
A flaming arrow embedded itself into a straw pile near Kyle.
Watching the flames burst into life, a knight of the Shartega Family who had been lying in ambush clenched his fist tightly.
“It worked!”
Seeing flames rise right beside Kyle, the Shartega Family’s troops erupted into cheers.
“Waaa!”
“Block the Northern Army from escaping! Even if it costs your lives, the Northern Army must not get out!”
The first step of the fire attack had been completed.
Although Kyle had rendered thousands of flaming arrows useless, they wanted to place significance on the fact that one had succeeded by slipping through a gap.
However, things did not unfold as they expected.
The flames that had begun burning right beside Kyle started moving in an impossible manner.
When Kyle extended his hand, the flames gathered before him.
Kyle had once controlled even the flames of the Everlasting Flame, which possessed enough power to burn the entire kingdom.
Controlling flames that wriggled like a newborn infant was nothing to him.
“Marquis Shartega, I’ll show you what arrogance leads to.”
Soon the flames gathered and solidified like magic.
The sphere of fire shot high into the sky before splitting into several streams and falling toward the Shartega Family’s troops.
KWAANG—!
“Aaaagh!”
The soldiers who had been trying to block the Northern Army lost their formation as flames exploded in a chain reaction.
Strong flames rose from the ground and engulfed the soldiers, spreading everywhere.
A knight who barely survived in the suddenly transformed inferno could not close his mouth.
“This is impossible….”
Clatter clatter—
Meanwhile, Taro, who had reached the Shartega Family’s troops before even Harte, leapt off his horse.
Then he passed by and severed the neck of the knight who had been staring blankly at the surging flames.
“There’s no need to make that face. It’s only natural.”
The knight’s face, still filled with disbelief, fell to the ground.
Watching it, Taro revealed a smile and raised his sword again.
“The enemy formation has collapsed! Wipe them out!”
Following Taro, Harte swung his sword toward the soldiers.
Deni and Zero also stood at the front, cutting down the knights of the Shartega Family as they swept across the battlefield.
Blazing flames surged everywhere, but the Northern Army did not fear them.
Because behind them, Kyle was controlling the flames completely while unleashing the Everlasting Flame.
Seeing this, the leader of the ambush unit shouted urgently.
“Retreat! Fall back to the Shartega Lord’s Castle! Hurry!”