Chapter 1409.2
Chapter 1409.2
Amid the maddening screams, the pressure bearing down on the old knight steadily grew stronger. It wasn't long before his consciousness finally faded away.“Imprison him. All troops, hear me now!” The Chief Apostle rode forward. “Advance under the Goddess's command.”
There were many nobles in the Rowane Kingdom. The family of Count Partus ran a mid-sized estate located in the northern region of the Rowane Kingdom.
While it wasn't right up against the border, it was a strategically important point; if their place was breached, it’d provide the enemies a clear path leading straight to the capital.
Furthermore, the land was fertile, and a large mine lay nearby, making the territory quite prosperous. Count Partus was a woman who was particularly devoted to her tenants. Despite being a woman, she had become the heir to the Partus family. She was a highly respected figure, renowned for the fact that she cared deeply for all the people in the territory.
Perhaps that was why. Despite being terrified by the advancing forces, the defending soldiers didn't back down.
One of them shouted, “Countess, please escape! We'll hold them off here.”
The armored middle-aged woman before him, her face streaked with the passage of time, stepped forward with a deep frown. “What are you talking about? I can't possibly do that to you all.”
The enemy’s advance wasn't particularly fast. At least, it was slow enough to give them some time to prepare.
Nonetheless, it didn’t seem it’d do any good. The territory had barely a thousand defenders, while the enemy force’s numbers were conservatively estimated at over fifty thousand.
The fact that Goddess Vesta was able to command such a vast army under her was absurd, but the structure of the young dimension Vesta ruled was so abnormal that it made such a thing possible.
Her decision to assault the dimension on the other side of the barrier was an act of recklessness, a plan with no option for backing out. It should've been utterly impossible from the start.
It was the result of an ignorant goddess who didn't know what consequences her actions would bring. Yet, in the Countess's eyes, those who had suddenly appeared seemed more terrifying than devils.
“I won't run,” the Countess declared. She called out, “Centurion.”
“Yes, Countess!”
“Hurry the evacuation procedures. You must escape while the soldiers and I hold them off. I've already sent a report to the royal court, but there's a limit to what they can do before our enemies arrive.”
The man was stunned, tears streaming down his face. “B-But, Countess...!”
“I failed to protect my tenants. I don't deserve to run. I shall sacrifice my life here as penance, bleed to protect everyone, and die a heroic death.”
He knew he should try to stop her, but her resolve was firm. Witnessing such a scene from their ruler, the soldiers burned with fighting spirit despite the overwhelming difference in numbers.
One of them shouted, “Follow the Countess!! Let's show those wicked bastards who've come to steal our home what we're made of!!! We will never bow to such monsters!”