abcnovels
Chapter 258
Chapter 258
Chapter 258
‘She'll start a war.'
Meanwhile, Otto had already predicted what decision Bathory would make.
‘This is their last chance.'
In Otto's view, Bathory would definitely try to start the war as quickly as possible and end it as soon as possible before other kingdoms had a chance to look beyond their borders.
If they don't support the Raging Wolf Clan now and prevent the Thunderhoof Clan's expansion, the Erzsebet Kingdom will lose its dominance over the Uruk Plains.
If that happens, the Erzsebet Kingdom will have another powerful enemy, so they would have no choice but to engage in a desperate war for their survival.
Moreover, it is now winter, with snow beginning to fall.
At this time, even the neighboring kingdoms would be reluctant to go to war, so the Erzsebet Kingdom had one last chance.
“Sir Qasim.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”“Send messengers to each kingdom and spread the word that the Erzsebet Kingdom has mobilized its forces for a major all-out war.”
“Leave it to me.”
Qasim immediately selected ten Wyvern Riders and assigned them the task of being messengers.
This was also another advantage of airborne troops.
Since they were not constrained by terrain and could move quickly, they could deliver news at a speed unmatched by ground troops.
Especially in a snowy winter like this, those advantages would be even more pronounced.
Compared to messengers on horseback, their speed would be unbelievably faster, so within just a few days, news of the Erzsebet Kingdom mobilizing large-scale forces would spread everywhere.
At that point, neighboring kingdoms would be forced to move their forces and invade the borders of Erzebet.
This would be the perfect time for the neighboring powers to move their forces and invade the territory of the Erzsebet Kingdom.
Then…
“All we need to do is grab them by the ankles and it's over? Kehehe.”
Otto chuckled.
“What's wrong with you?”
Camille questioned Otto, while looking at his demeanor.
“Here, look.”
Otto pointed at the map and answered Camille's question.
“The Erzebet Kingdom has to pass through here to reach the Uruk Plains, right?”
“Are you talking about Crow Canyon?”
“Yes.”
Crow Canyon, which connects the Erzsebet Kingdom to the Uruk Plains, is about 150 meters high and roughly 1.5 kilometers long.
The reason it's called Crow Canyon is that countless battles were fought there throughout history, and flocks of crows would gather to feed on the carcasses.
“If we block this place we can get at least a week.”
Otto explained.
“Then the Erzebet Kingdom’s army will have to detour, right? And then we will…”
Strategies and tactics to outmaneuver the Erzsebet Kingdom flowed effortlessly from Otto’s mouth.
However, the Erzsebet Kingdom's forces were already stationed at Crow Canyon, and the security there was extremely tight.
It was practically impossible to take the canyon by force.
Camille pointed out that issue.
“Sending troops in there would be suicidal.”
“We won’t fight.”
“……?”
“We're just going to knock it down and run?”
“Ah!”
Camille realized what Otto was planning to do.
There was no need to occupy Crow Canyon.
As Otto said, it was enough just to destroy it.
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A few days after that.
*Whooosh* *Whoosh*
Otto led a hundred magic swordsmen toward Crow Canyon.
The infiltration was quite easy.
Otto's group discreetly crossed the border by passing through a neighboring kingdom with which they had recently formed an alliance and arrived at Crow Canyon.
Although Erzsebet Kingdom's scouts were lurking everywhere, Otto and his group remained undetected.
Not only Otto, but all the magic swordsmen were equipped with night vision goggles, which allowed them to completely evade the scouts while moving at night.
“We must be swift, stealthy, and precise.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Otto, along with the magic swordsmen, moved through Crow Canyon and placed bombs made of magic stones at various points along the cliffs.
Just like when they destroyed the Serpent's Path that connected the Kashmir region to the mainland, they intend to bring it down by planting magic bombs.
Obviously, it wasn’t an easy task.
To bring down the cliffs, they needed not only incredibly powerful bombs but also had to dig deep holes into the cliffs to properly install the explosives.
It was obvious that simply placing bombs on the cliffs would not be enough to collapse the entire canyon.
However, Otto and the magic swordsmen accomplished the difficult task in the blink of an eye.
The secret to their success was twofold.
First, the bombs used by the Lota Kingdom were made from the highest-grade magic stones imported directly from the Caliphate Kingdom.
As a result, the bombs were extraordinarily powerful despite their size.
Second, sound-dampening magic.
The magic swordsmen were skilled in the use of sound-dampening magic, so the loud noise they made when drilling holes in the cliffs was almost inaudible.
The sound was so muffled that one would never know they were drilling a hole in the cliff from a few dozen meters away, unless they were very close.
Additionally, the heavy snowfall throughout the night significantly limited visibility, further aiding their efforts.
Thanks to this, Otto and his group completed the task in just five hours and smoothly exited Crow Canyon before sunrise.
No one noticed.
No matter how powerful the Erzsebet Kingdom was, it was impossible to monitor the entire Crow Canyon.
The Erzsebet Kingdom's forces were stationed at the entrance and exit of the canyon, and their scouts were primarily deployed around those areas.
While there were scouts patrolling the canyon, they all met the unfortunate fate of being silently assassinated by the magic swordsmen.
Two days later.
*Stomp* *Stomp* *Stomp*
The Erzsebet Kingdom’s army, led directly by Bathory, arrived at Crow Canyon.
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Bathory, without a second thought, ordered the Erzsebet Kingdom's army to pass through Crow Canyon.
*Crunch* *Scrunch* *Crunch*
The Erzsebet Kingdom's army continued advancing through the snowdrifts up to their knees and passed through Crow Canyon.
‘We need to end this war quickly.'
Bathory's mind was racing with urgency as they passed through the canyon.
No matter how powerful they were, the Erzsebet Kingdom was surrounded by enemies on all sides, and moving such a large army was a daunting task.
If things went wrong, there was a high possibility of being picked apart by neighboring kingdoms, so it was imperative to end the war as quickly as possible.
“Speed up the march!”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
So, even amid the heavy snowfall, Bathory pushed the troops relentlessly.
The soldiers were exhausted from marching through the snowstorm, but Bathory paid no heed.
She decided it was not too late to rest once they joined the Raging Wolf Clan.
As they were passing through the canyon.
*Boom!*
Suddenly, an explosion occurred, causing large boulders to come crashing down.
“……!”
While Bathory was still in shock.
*Boom!* *Boom!* *Rumbles* *Boom!* *Boom!*
Bombs placed throughout the canyon exploded, causing the entire cliffside to collapse.
*RUUMMBLEEEESS!!*
*Thump!* *Thump!* *Thump!*
*Thud!* *Thud!*
Large boulders, ranging from several dozen kilograms to several tons, poured down upon the Erzsebet Kingdom's forces.
“I-It’s a trap!”
“Run!”
“Aaaaaaah!”
The Erzsebet Kingdom's forces were thrown into chaos in the blink of an eye, but it was already too late.
The bombs placed throughout the cliffs were made using high-grade magic stones, giving them an extraordinarily powerful explosion.
Moreover, the bombs were strategically placed to maximize their destructive power, so even with a relatively small number of explosives, they effortlessly brought down the cliff.
“N-Noo!"
Bathory instinctively leapt out of the way of the falling rocks.
Not stopping there, she drew her sword, sliced the boulder flying toward her in half, and even leapt up the wall.
Bathory, one of the continent's top warriors, possessed such exceptional skills that even in her mid-50s, she was able to survive such a catastrophe.
However, the rest of the Erzsebet Kingdom's army was not so fortunate.
*Thump!*
*Rumbles!*
*Thud!* *Thud!* *Thud!*
As they made their way through the canyon, they were crushed by falling rocks.
Within the blink of an eye, thousands of Erzsebetan soldiers had been crushed to death by the falling rocks.
"…Ugh!"
Barely escaping the falling boulders and fleeing to the top of the cliff, Bathory slowly stood up and looked down at the canyon below.
As the thick dust cleared, the sight revealed below the canyon was…
“Aah…. Aaaaaahhh!!!"
A guttural groan of rage and panic erupted from Bathory's mouth.
A scene of hell had unfolded.
“Ugh!”
“Aaaaaaaaah!”
"Help me… please… please save meeeee!"
“Aaaaah!”
The soldiers of the Erzsebet Kingdom, crushed by the boulders, were letting out agonizing screams.
"Ah, ahhhh."
Bathory continued to sigh and agonize.
Thousands of soldiers had perished.
And there seemed to be thousands more wounded.
Moreover, it was unclear how to even begin dealing with the bodies of the soldiers crushed beneath the boulders.
Rescuing the few surviving injured and handling the situation seemed almost impossible.
Amidst all this, the snow continued to fall heavily.
Many of the injured were certain to freeze to death or be buried in the snow before they could even be rescued.
‘Why did the canyon suddenly….'
Just then.
“Skreee! Kaaaah!”
From afar, a Black Wyvern with sleek black scales flew down and circled above Bathory's head.
"….?"
Bathory looked up at the wyvern without thinking, and then her blood pressure rose to the point where she nearly collapsed on the spot.
"Y-You…!!!"
Bathory exploded as she spotted the most handsome blond man on the Black Wyvern.
*Heh*
Otto de Scuderia.
The King of the newly rising power, the Kingdom of Lota, was smiling at Bathory.
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“Otto de Scuderia!!! You bastard!!! YOU F*CKING BASTARD!!!"
Upon spotting Otto, a roar of rage erupted from Bathory.
The roar was so immense that…
BAAASTAAAARD-!!
BAAASTAAAAAARD-!!
BAAASSSTTTTAAAARD-!!
BBAAASSSTTTTAAAARRRDD-!!
Bathory's voice echoed throughout the entire collapsed canyon.
“You Bastard!!! Do you think you can commit this!!! Without consequence!!!”
Bathory continually roared like a lioness at Otto, unleashing her fury.
So intense was her fury that the mana and killing intent pouring out from Bathory melted the snow that had accumulated around her.
"I will definitely!! Definitely take revenge on you!!! I will find a way to make you pay!!!"
Otto didn't blink an eye.
Death threats?
He had heard it so many times that he was no longer fazed.
And it was something he would continue to hear in the future as well.
“Okay~”
Otto looked down at Bathory, who was frothing with rage, and gave a sly smile.
“Try to kill me~”
“W-What?!”
"What can you even do right now~?"
"T… This…!!!"
"Oh dear, it's cold and you're having a hard time. Well then, take care."
Otto left those words behind and turned to look at Qasim.
"Let's go, Sir Qasim."
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Guic! Gwiiik!"
After taunting Bathory, Otto calmly vanished, riding the Black Wyvern, Khamak.
The left behind Bathory…….
"You goddamn bastard—!!!"
Bathory, even maintaining her dignity as a Lord, hurled profanities at Otto's retreating back.
Not that it made any difference.
** ** **
TL/N:
1. 50's can still do lot of stuff example here is an K-artist
Uhm Jung-hwa
**Her legacy and career reinventions have given her the nickname of "Korean Madonna".
??? (Uhm Jung Hwa) – Ending Credit MV
Refund Sister group song
*Refund Sisters is a seasonal South Korean supergroup formed on the MBC variety show Hangout with Yoo. The group is a spin-off of SSAK3 – another group formed on Hangout with Yoo. They made their debut with the single "Don't Touch Me"