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[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 23: The Siege of Dreihart
While Zeras was in danger from the assassins, things started to go south for Hadem’s side too.
Although Hadem was caught by Zarha, the Raion Knights were strong enough even without him. But here’s why they were in trouble…
“Throw them!!!”
Whoosh! Whoosh-Whoosh—!
As the fight turned chaotic, the slave soldiers began hurling something at the Raion Knights.
At first, the knights thought it was just a normal throwing attack—but when they realized what it was, they were horrified.
“They’re throwing the Purple Chains!!”
“Slave soldiers are throwing Purple Chains!!!”
These were magical tools specially made to suppress the power of slaves.
Knights caught by the Purple Chains quickly lost their strength and collapsed under the weight of their armor.
“So heavy!!”
“Hurry! Hurry, get this off me!!”
Weakened by the chains, the knights became easy prey for the slave soldiers.
Groups of three slave soldiers would rush fallen knights and hunt them down mercilessly.
“Hahaha! The knights have fallen! Let’s send them to the afterlife fast!!”
Thud-Thud—!
“Arrgh!!”
The Purple Chains left the Raion Knights dazed and helpless.
They never imagined that the slaves would use the very chains meant to restrain them as throwing weapons.
Caught in a tactic only possible here at Dreihart, the Raion Knights slowly began losing ground.
Hadem was immobilized, and as his subordinates were being hunted down by the slave soldiers’ chains, Lagos—Hadem’s calm and composed deputy who basically led the knights—silently despaired.
“Hmm... I think we’re screwed.”
Lagos had already predicted this when he first saw the slave soldiers wielding swords.
As former slave gladiators, they were far stronger in real combat than he had imagined.
Still, he hadn’t thought they’d lose hope because no one could face Lord Hadem, and his well-trained troops shouldn’t have been so easily broken.
But now Hadem was distracted fighting, and his troops were floundering, tangled in chains.
Realizing they could suffer almost total annihilation, Lagos began considering retreat.
Only, he hesitated because if he ordered a retreat, that crazy lion lord would throw a fit over ruining his fun.
He was stuck wondering how and when to pull back.
Then, like an answer from the heavens, an angel descended to solve Lagos’s dilemma.
“Serpens Ignis! (Fire Serpent Magic!)”
With a mage’s chant echoing, hundreds of fiery serpents poured down from the sky.
They latched onto the slave soldiers, who recoiled in fear from the blazing snakes.
Taking a breather, Lagos saw a red-haired mage fly to his side and thanked her.
“Thank you for your help, beautiful mage. But, which faction are you with?”
“I came by order of Lord Calyx. My name is Sharon, the Lawful Mage of Fire.”
“Sharon! So you’re the one of the rumors...”
Lagos was shocked at the introduction.
He’d heard many legendary tales of her but assumed she’d be an old, haggard witch.
Yet here she was, an elven beauty.
If this wasn’t a war, Lagos might have tried to court her.
Sensing his rude thoughts, Sharon curtly spoke.
“Save the small talk for later. The order is full retreat. It’s time to pull back.”
The Wartime Operations Overseer, Rakyu, had judged the situation was dire and ordered a full retreat.
Calyx thought ordinary soldiers wouldn’t manage it, so he requested Sharon’s aid.
Lagos accepted without hesitation.
“That’s welcome news. Everyone, fall back!”
“Retreat!!”
The Raion family knights began to withdraw, and at the same time, the official retreat signal was fired.
Seeing the signal, Hadem slowly regained his senses, and Zarha gradually shifted back from his dragon form into a human.
“A pesky interrupter has joined. We’ll finish this fight next time, Warrior Zarha.”
“Hmph! Next time, I’ll crush your neck for sure.”
“Ha! Come and try!!”
Hadem wanted to finish it now but wasn’t foolish enough to ignore the bad situation.
Hoping next time he could finally crush the head of his fiercest rival, Hadem turned away.
“Victory is ours!!! Brothers!!!!”
“Uooooohhh!!!”
With the suppression forces retreating, Zarha and the slave soldiers shouted their victory cries.
Thus, the official first attempt to quell the Dreihart rebellion ended in failure.
＊ ＊ ＊
After the retreat, the suppression army’s camp was in utter chaos.
There were countless wounded soldiers, and no matter how many doctors treated them tirelessly, the numbers barely decreased.
“Ahhh!!! Mother!!!”
“My eye!!! My eye!!”
Watching this horrific scene, I felt like such trash for having enjoyed the monster battle just moments ago.
As I silently apologized to all the injured, Lord Zeras passed by.
He said he had been safely rescued by Rikain.
Carried on a stretcher, Zeras looked at me and spoke.
“Lord Calyx! Thanks to you, I survived. The Silla family will never forget this favor! Hoho, owww!”
Though his life was spared, he was seriously wounded by the assassins and diagnosed as unfit to fight for the time being.
Hadem was still in good shape, but he now had to deal with Zarha—a real handful—and Zeras had been reduced to a bedridden state… With that, how could we possibly suppress the rebellion?
Just as I was thinking that, the Wartime Operations Overseer Rakyu approached.
“Lord Calyx, do you have a moment?”
“Yes, what is it?”
He said he had something confidential to discuss and called me to the barracks.
There, Rakyu explained the current situation.
“There’s another force here on the battlefield—one we didn’t know about.”
The assassins who tore Zeras apart, the missing mages, and the sudden appearance of the Purple Chains—the magical tools that had gone dormant—all pointed to something hidden behind the rebels.
Putting the pieces together, Rakyu suspected there was a power backing the rebellion that we hadn’t accounted for.
I felt it too—and I was pretty sure who it was. Almost definitely those cursed Bloodkins.
“So the Platinum Council has decided to switch tactics—to a war of attrition.”
“A war of attrition?”
Judging that suppressing the rebellion with just the two noble houses would be tough, the Platinum Council planned to fully surround Dreihart, gather intelligence, and prepare a force several times larger than now to launch a proper massacre.
“So until then, we want the Cron family to take charge of the Dreihart siege.”
“Siege, huh…”
I understood what he meant.
Our knight order, currently at the rear, was still intact.
So, the plan was for us to hold the siege, while the other two orders regrouped, recovered, and joined with reinforcements to prepare for the next suppression battle.
Honestly, I didn’t like having to deal with slaves like this.
But if I retreat now, I risk becoming a lord who loses his head before ever earning respect. Reluctantly, I nodded.
And so, the『Siege of Dreihart』began.
Honestly, I seriously underestimated sieges.
I figured, ‘Just surround them loosely and keep watch, no big deal.’
But the reality? Experiencing a siege firsthand was absolute hell.
“The supply lines have been attacked again!!”
“Again!?”
Every day, slave soldiers creeping out of Dreihart raided the supply lines and looted food.
No matter how much we changed the routes, those bastards always managed to steal supplies, and even...
“Who’s this kid?”
“One of the raiders. Probably left behind because they’re young.”
Among the raiders was a child who looked about thirteen, barely out of childhood.
That kid with blue horns stared at me with a hateful glare and shouted—
“Kill me if you want! Noble scum!! I will NEVER be your slave again!”
His whole body was covered in wounds, like he’d been whipped mercilessly.
I looked at the kid glaring as if to kill me and asked—
“What’s your name, kid?”
“I’m not a kid! I’m Rakan Regon! A warrior!”
Endless hatred burned in the child’s eyes.
Just from that, I could tell what kind of abuse this kid had suffered.
“Do you hate me?”
“I hate you!! I hate all of you who tormented us!!”
“Hey! Watch it kid—you’re talking to the lord!”
“Enough!!”
It was just heartbreaking to see a kid my nephew’s age become such a warrior filled with hatred for the world.
Though it probably meant nothing... I apologized to the kid.
“I’m sorry. My apology won’t change anything, but still... I’m sorry.”
That was hypocrisy.
Just a hypocritical excuse to feel better by apologizing to one kid.
But right now, that was all I wanted to do.
“Give this child food and take him to the guest barracks. If possible, send him to his family.”
“Yes! Understood, my lord.”
After sending the kid away, I couldn’t hide my troubled feelings as I left the barracks and walked.
I wanted to end this war and save those slaves.
Not to be a beloved lord, but just as a human being.
But I saw no way.
A future where the war ends, the slaves are freed, and I remain safe was nowhere in sight.
As I was blaming my inadequate brain, a beautiful voice called from behind.
“My lord? What are you doing?”
There was Nova—draped in white—still radiant and graceful, even amid the harsh desert sands.
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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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