Royal Road of the Extra Scribe

65

The Tuncai army began to climb the mountain at a rapid pace.

If they deployed the reserve forces along the path they opened, the battle would soon be over.

Grandis, who judged so and calmly observed the situation, was not like Krauss.

He was trembling with a deep sense of unease.

“This is strange. Something is off. Something else….”

It was his instinct as a rogue.

He felt it.

He had already fallen into the enemy’s trap.

“Grandis, what do you think about withdrawing the forces? We won’t incur losses if we just retreat and hold our ground.”

“What nonsense, Krauss. Lexite is about to tear the enemy apart. When Lexite catches the prey, we will finish it off. Don’t you understand that?”

“I know! I know but…! Damn it, something is off!”

“What exactly is off? Explain without getting agitated.”

“Well…!”

He couldn’t explain it rationally.

His rogue instinct was urging him to flee as soon as possible.

It was at that moment. The movement of the Tuncai troops became peculiar.

Boom! Lexite’s forces, which were advancing straight towards the heights, suddenly turned to the left.

From a distance, Krauss and Grandis could see the trees shaking and dust rising, vaguely grasping the situation.

“What’s happening? Why change the march direction….”

Only then did Grandis also sense unease and narrowed her eyes.

The attack path of the Tuncai army started to become bizarre.

At times, the forces split into two or three branches, while some units stopped there to engage in battle.

In this way, at a critical moment, Eonia, Gaspar, and Caliper’s cavalry blocked the entrance, cutting off the path.

If the army continued to split like this, it could lead to serious trouble.

If the forces remained united, they could hold out until the reserve forces arrived. However, if they scattered like this, they could be defeated piecemeal before the rear forces even made it up, making it vulnerable to the advance guard.

Witnessing the scattered advance troops, Grandis was taken aback and widened her eyes.

“What on earth is happening over there!”

“Damn it, I told you to retreat!”

Krauss, losing his composure, shouting frantically.

Having come this far, there was no turning back.

Krauss, leading the reserve troops with Grandis, hurriedly headed towards the battlefield where the fighting was taking place.

There, they witnessed it.

Eonia’s guerrilla unit, having cut off the path, stood erect with stakes blocking the entrance.

“Hurry, set up fences to block the way! The enemy’s reserve troops will soon arrive here!”

Thud! Thud! Stakes and fences driven into the ground to block the terrain.

They, along with the tall trees, stood tall in various formations, hindering the unit’s advancement.

A strategic move.

Alz, lacking in infiltrating the enemy formation, utilized the time Anton provided to fortify their main position into a fortress maze in no time.

“That, that’s possible…!”

Grandis couldn’t believe it.

Infiltrating the enemy formation and constructing such a high-level fortress in such a short time!

“No way!?”

The act of cutting down trees in their own formation.

It was not to make a barricade.

It was simply to obtain the wood needed for fortress construction.

Then why bother setting fires and cutting down trees?

The reason was simple.

To conceal the army’s infiltration route through the smoke, seize the high ground, and also hide the carts transporting wood.

“General! The marching path is blocked by stakes! We need to detour to join the advance troops!”

“Don’t talk nonsense! Destroy those stakes instead of blabbering!”

However, while they wasted time destroying the stakes, Eonia’s guerrilla unit blocked the path behind, Gaspar’s unit pierced the flank, and time was wasted, making it futile to destroy and pass through.

“Ah…!”

Krauss was in a state of panic.

It was clear that Caliper’s plan to use guerrilla forces to divide the advance and reserve troops was to tie down the reserve troops as much as possible and annihilate the infiltrated advance troops.

As the advance troops numbered only 20,000, if they were wiped out, the Tonkai army would suffer an irreparable blow.

Moreover, since the opponent had initiated the attack, they would have to surrender this rugged terrain entirely.

In other words, they would face a perfect defeat where they couldn’t withdraw or fight back.

“We, we retreat. Abandon the advance troops and withdraw!”

Krauss made a cold judgment.

The advance troops, confused and losing their command structure in the enemy’s trap, were already beyond saving.

If they rashly tried to save them, there was a possibility of the reserve troops also falling into the trap.

“Don’t talk nonsense, Krauss!”

It was the first time Grandis, who always maintained a composed attitude, showed her anger.

Abandoning the advance troops meant, in other words, abandoning the Threefold Lexit, which was unacceptable.

‘One of the three generals dies in a place like this? It can’t be true!’

Grandis shouted urgently.

“Krauss, from now on, I will command the soldiers!”

“Nonsense! I am the Grand Marshal of the army!”

“Argh…! You, don’t you fear the wrath of the master? As a traitor, you should know that it wouldn’t be strange for us to kill you anytime. Follow my orders this time. If you do so, I will try to persuade the leaders to show mercy towards you. I promise on my honor!”

“Ugh, fine! I get it! Use that clever head of yours to do something worthwhile!”

Krauss grumbled.

If he were to flee and end up being threatened by the Western people, it would be better to rely on Grandis to change the situation.

* * *

The rear forces of Tunkai, attempting to break through and join the vanguard forces.

Alz chuckled unexpectedly.

“Was Krauss Forkner this foolish? He must know that there’s no way out of this situation.”

With the vanguard forces entering the Caliper camp, the battle was as good as over.

A strategic deception.

If this strategy were to be deciphered, it would immediately lead to defeat.

If the opponent who read this strategy bypassed the Caliper army without engaging and cut off the supply lines, it would backfire.

Although Albard had been informed in advance, there was no need to execute Plan B now.

“General! We have successfully blocked the path as planned!”

“Good. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th mobile units move according to the operation and annihilate the enemy! The 2nd and 3rd engineering units follow the path of the mobile units to set up barriers!”

“Understood!”

Decisive command. Helian, who was nearby, felt a chill.

‘What a marvelous strategy!’

It was a cunning stratagem. Krauss hadn’t fallen prey due to his lack of military knowledge.

Even if the opponent were one of the ten generals, this stratagem would have been difficult to decipher.

‘He placed a decoy pretending to deploy siege weapons, but actually used the smoke!’

If Tunkai hadn’t considered siege weapons in the first place, this stratagem wouldn’t have succeeded. With a real fire breaking out, fortress construction and more would have been impossible.

‘He knew how the opponent would act.’

Using that against them, the stratagem was bound to work from the opponent’s perspective.

“General! The enemy’s rear forces are rapidly approaching!”

“At the moment, our priority is to eliminate the enemy troops that have entered our camp. The rear forces will be left to the skirmishers for the time being.”

“Understood!”

Eonia and Gaspar’s skirmishers were moving tactically.

Eonia, who received tactical orders down to the smallest details from Alz, effectively saved time by scouting the fortress using a bow to disrupt the opponent’s reconnaissance, while Gaspar, acting on his own, was stabbing at the flank of the rear forces, causing confusion in the formation.

The part Alz highly valued was Gaspar’s skirmishers.

“Ha, quite impressive.”

Gaspar possessed tactical insight comparable to top-tier armor for small-scale skirmishes and ambushes.

He knew where to strike to inflict pain on the opponent.

In situations where the opponent needed to be tied down like this, he was the best armored.

“Even so… with the rear forces advancing, time is becoming a bit tight.”

Alz personally led the officers forward, commanding them to chew through the enemy’s forces.

The opponent’s front-line forces that had entered were rapidly diminishing as they wandered through the maze created by mountains and fortresses.

“…My Lord.”

Yumir, who had been attached to Lexite for surveillance, appeared and whispered to Alz.

“He’s getting closer to the trap.”

“It seems Anton is doing well. Yumir, you… no, it’s better for me to go too. Shall we go then?”

“Yes, My Lord.”

Lexite, possessing a monstrous power.

Alz had no intention of letting him go alive.

Clang! Clash! Blades intertwined.

“Uwaaah!”

“Hah!”

Clang! Anton and Lexite continued their duel as they moved through the mountains.

“Why are you doing this! Are you already tired?”

“Grr!”

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Clang! Anton, blocking Lexite’s strike, was pushed back.

It wasn’t a matter of skill.

Even if Anton had a disadvantage in terms of age, he prioritized strategy.

“I led him following Yumir’s signal… Where is she now?”

As soon as infiltrating the enemy lines, Anton went out to engage the enemy, so he couldn’t pinpoint where the trap was set.

This was Alz’s intention.

If Anton didn’t know, Lexite wouldn’t be able to sense the trap either.

“Let’s settle this now!”

“Tch!”

Anton, realizing he had no more room to retreat, strengthened his grip on his weapon and blocked the opponent’s halberd strike.

Thud! The incredible force that seemed like it would crush him. And at that moment. Due to the weight of this attack, the ground beneath them began to crumble as they stood.

“What…!?”

“So this was it! Hah!”

The one who reacted swiftly in this sudden situation was Anton. He judged this to be the trap set by Alz and swiftly kicked Lexite, grabbing onto a tree root.

Seeing this, Yumir appeared beside Anton and offered her hand.

“Please take my hand.”

“Thank you, Lady Yumir.”

Thump! Anton emerged from the pit.

On the other hand, Lexite did not.

Trapped in the pit, Lexite was in disarray.

“Grr! What is this…!”

Above him, Alz appeared coldly.

“Fire all at once.”

Pew pew pew! Dozens of arrows shot towards Lexite in the pit. Alz also took up a bow and directly joined in the shooting.

“Argh!”

Sensing the danger, Lexite defended his vital spots and tried to dodge, but he couldn’t avoid all the arrows.

One foot in the thigh, one in the forearm, two in the back, one in the side, one in the calf. Arrows pierced through, blood starting to flow.

“Goodness. How thick is this skin?”

Nothing had dealt a fatal blow. Not even the arrow embedded in his side could reach his organs, blocked by the muscles.

“You…!”

Lexit gritted his teeth and glared at Alz.

To which Alz sneered, “It’s fortunate you’re just a fool who knows only martial arts. If you were skilled in the art of war, it wouldn’t have been easy to catch you like this.”

The soldiers following Lexit had dwindled to less than a hundred. Their reckless pursuit of Anton had led them astray in the fortress maze.

Even those hundred soldiers fell into a trap, as the ambush unit sprung, stabbing their feet, immobilizing them.

“No one will come to save you… for the time being… no, forever.”

“You… that young spearman back then… using both sword and spear!”

“Enough with the nonsense. Shoot again.”

Pipipang! This time, Lexit was prepared too.

He swung his weapon, deflecting most of the arrows, but still, one struck his right forearm and another in his thigh.

“Do you think you’ve caught me like this! Lexit, the Triumvirate!”

“…”

“I am the greatest power under the sky! You will regret standing before me so recklessly!”

“Triumvirate…?”

At that moment, something brushed Alz’s mind.

[The Triumvirate will come for you.]

Alz recalled the conversation that had come from the main story!

He couldn’t remember who said it to whom or the exact content, but one thing was clear.

Triumvirate. A word that also appeared in the game.

“That bizarre attire… you, a Westerner.”

“Ugh!”

Alz had questions, but Lexit leaped forward, seemingly ignoring them.

However, stagger!

“What…!?”

Mid-leap, he knelt down on one knee.

Sensing something amiss, Lexit glared at Alz with bloodshot eyes.

“You… what have you done to me…!”

“It’s Palean’s poison. A fast-acting paralysis toxin. It’s remarkable you can still move to this extent. I heard just a drop of this toxin can immobilize an adult male for hours.”

Alz stumbling upon Palean’s herb was a stroke of luck.

Not knowing how prevalent it was in these rugged mountains, he had no choice but to vaguely ask Yumir to gather it. After half a day of searching, Gaspar and Yumir returned with an abundance of Palean’s herb.

“The dose of poison you’ve received is roughly over twenty drops. Even if your body is resilient to toxins, it’s the time for the effects to show.”

“You… using poison…! Have you no honor as a warrior…!”

“None. If your martial arts, the honor of a warrior, are so great, stop whining and try to get out of this situation on your own.”

“You…!”

Blood was rising on Lexite’s whole body.

As the paralysis spread even faster, suddenly, it seemed as if a blood vessel burst, and blood started flowing from every hole.

“This guy is useless even as a captive.”

Alz signaled to Anton.

“At least put an end to it.”

“…Fine.”

Swish! Anton drew a sword, not his usual rapier, and descended into the pit.

Now, barely able to move a finger, Lexite swayed, only able to look up at Anton with his eyes.

“You… have met… the wrong master. A master who does not understand… the pride of the unowned….”

“It is unnecessary. The pride of the unowned is insignificant compared to my pledge of loyalty. If my lord desires, I will willingly become a coward.”

“Inom…!”

Thud! A flying neck.

Alz took care of that neck and headed towards the enemy’s rear forces.

***

“Pierce through! Push forward!”

“Darn it! I thought we were going up… but we’re going down!”

Led by Kraus and Grandis, the rear forces struggled to somehow catch up with the front forces, but due to Eonia and Gaspar’s perfect timing, they were at a standstill.

Eonia, a half-elf, agilely moved, even though she hadn’t studied the mountain’s topography.

But being outnumbered, they had to allow entry to the middle of the mountain soon.

“Are they coming up now…!”

Grandis breathed heavily and looked around.

Normally, there should have been remnants of the front forces by now.

It was quiet.

The mountain area had unreasonably fallen silent.

“They… they… managed to clean it all up in such a short time…? That can’t be true! It can’t be! Lexite! Lexite was here…!”

“If you’re talking about Lexite, is this who you mean?”

Thump! A rolling head. Seeing that head, Grandis widened his eyes.

“Lexite!? That can’t be!”

He raised his gaze towards the voice that had thrown the head.

A man in ash-colored helmet and armor.

Kraus shouted in place of him.

“Mercenary Wade!!”

“So, you must be Kraus Forkner. You look just like the wanted poster. And next to you… must be the immigrant from the West?”

Alz smirked. It seemed like he could get information from Grandis that he couldn’t get from Lexite.

“So, what will you do now? If you decide on all-out war, I won’t stop you.”

“….”

Thump! Thump! Bookshelves were being set up all around them like encircling walls, cutting off their escape routes in real-time.

Grandis broke out in a cold sweat.

“Wade… he’s more formidable than I thought. Damn it, without Lexite, there’s no way for battle. I’ll have to use Kraus as bait and escape.”

If they fled now, they might somehow manage to escape.

Grundis, who was lost in such thoughts, was struck on the back of the head with a thud! by Krauss, knocking her down.

“Ugh! What the…!?”

“What the hell. Did you seriously think you could just come up here without any plan, you idiot! If you had just run away, at least the rear forces could have survived, you crazy bastard!”

Having said that, Krauss had already finished his calculations.

‘Even if I surrender, those Caliper bastards won’t spare me.’

Because of the mess he had caused.

Raising the club again, Krauss smashed both of Grundis’ legs with a thud! thud! and shouted, “Men! Scatter!”

With only his close aides, Krauss quickly began to flee.

The soldiers of Tuncai, unsure of what to do with the departure of their commander, ultimately relied on Grundis.

“You, Krauss…!”

Unable to move due to her injured legs, Grundis reluctantly launched a counterattack. The two sides engaged in battle.

“Good grief. Seems like I’m out of luck today.”

Alz chuckled in disbelief as he commanded his troops.

Every measure had already been taken.

The rear forces of Grundis, trapped like a tiger’s prey, began to be surrounded and annihilated, while the fleeing Krauss instructed Anton to deal with her.

The soldiers of Tuncai, feeling no more hope, began to drop their weapons and surrender. The battle came to an abrupt end.

“Hooray!”

Alz, breathing a sigh of relief, raised his spear and shouted, “This battle is a victory for our Caliper army! All troops, let out a cheer!”

“Uwaaah──!!”

The cheers of the Caliper army resonated like dominoes, vibrating the divided mountainside.