Chapter 49: Victory [1]
Chapter 49: Victory [1]
"Victory is at hand! Hold on just a little longer!"
Carl's throat was so damaged that he couldn't even make a sound properly.
However, the imperial soldiers were able to clearly hear Carl's voice throughout the battle, which I don't know how long it lasted.
"Kaaaa!"
They didn't have the energy to respond as sharply as the first time, so they just roared with all their might like animals.
Squeezing the last of their strength, they lifts their shield and launches there spear.
"We must rescue them!"
"Waaah!"
The troops from the village courageously charge towards the rear of the gnolls who surrounded the punitive force.
Five cavalrymen gallop at the forefront and throw javelins with all their might.
Burbubbuk!
The gnolls hit by the spears thrown by the cavalry fall helplessly.
The cavalrymen who trampled them took out the spears they had hung on their saddles, held them tightly to their sides, and crouched down.
"Ugh!"
"Aaaah!"
The light cavalry, which consists of only five people and is vulnerable in close combat, bravely charges its lance against so many gnolls!
The gnolls who turned around were startled by the roaring shouts and the furious sound of the horses' hooves galloping.
The five light cavalry were so close that their knees were almost touching, and they were running as one, aiming their spears with resolute determination.
Originally, since the light cavalry did not engage in lance charging, it was difficult to perfectly match each other's speed, so the cavalry's ranks spread out back and forth and collapsed.
However, the cavalry charging with its back to the torches of the oncoming infantry only looked like a large black shadow.
At first glance, it looked like a huge monster charging furiously with dozens of legs.
Kang! Kang!
The frightened gnoll runs away in a panic.
As one person runs away, the gnolls, thinking that a large monster is attacking from behind, start running away one after another.
Burbubbuk!
Quang!
The cavalrymen ignored the fleeing gnolls and struck with all their might at the rear of the gnoll group, which had not yet figured out the situation.
First, the blade of the spear sank into the gnoll's back..
However, light cavalry with low lance charging skills were unable to penetrate the gnolls and kill several of them since they had no hooks to secure their spears on their sides.
Instead, it was possible for the highly excited war horses to hit the gnoll's back, causing a huge shock.
The gnolls who were attacked from behind looked around in confusion, and discovered five large cavalrymen leaning on horses and throwing out spears, and infantry charging towards them with torches in hand.
"Waaah!"
When the village's troops, whose morale was high, shouted for the sky to go away and charged in while waving their torches wildly, the gnolls got scared and ran away.
Not only humans but also gnolls were exhausted.
No, they were actually more tired.
Gnolls have good strength and agility, but their physical strength is not very good.
Because their entire body is covered in fur, they have to cool themselves by sweating through their palms, soles, and tongue.
In addition, because they roll on the floor covered in blood, the mud sticks to their fur, making it difficult to move.
"The gnoll is running away! It's our victory!"
"Waaah!"
Carl raised his visor and shouted with all his might.
The sound that had been frustratingly coming from beyond the helmet suddenly pushed him violently. It seems as if heaven and earth are shaking.
Carl thought that the sky illuminated by the torch was a little strangely bright.
And soon, as his vision turned completely white, he realized that it was not the light of a torch, but a signal that he was about to faint.
He tried to hit the ground with his sword, but the sword had already escaped his hand and ended up in the mud.
In the pure white field of vision, the blurry scenery whirls around.
Clap!
Carl, who fell to the side as helplessly as a log, could not even bear the impact.
So, despite fighting this battle, which was like a scene from hell, Carl was unfortunately unable to enjoy the moment of victory.
Carl seemed to have heard countless voices calling him for the last time.
And he felt numerous hands carefully holding him.
Even though he was supported by the loving hands of the imperial soldiers, Carl could not come to his senses.
Everything goes away.
***
A soggy slush of blood that drags on the ankles.
The groans of a dying man.
The sound of playing games and the enjoyable smell of animals.
And the sensation of cutting through tough fur and dividing flesh and muscle.
hot blood.
'Moments when I was wrapped up in my survival instinct and focused only on killing gnolls.'
Looking at that hellish landscape, Carl couldn't believe how on earth he was able to fight so passionately.
If the scene was that of hell, then it could be said that Carl, who had only learned swordsmanship for two days but was so skillful at killing people, was a great devil's seed.
'I am struggling in a swamp of blood.'
No matter how hard he try to escape, he was constantly submerged in the pouring blood.
The tower of corpses that Carl will build envelops the world, erecting a wall, and vessels of blood pour out to form the sea.
As Carl struggled to escape, the only thought in his mind was that he still had to live.
'I need to pile up more corpses, fill this sea of blood, and create a platform to climb up.
To be honest and plain, when it comes to wanting to live, other things don't seem to matter much.'
Carl thought that was normal, and that was why he felt terrible.
In the end, as long as we live and breathe, we are all beings who cannot survive without killing something.
***
"Master Carl, are you in pain somewhere?"
Even after Carl opened her eyes, his mind was blank for a moment and he couldn't think.
Milton looked at Carl quietly, then raised his hand and waved it in front of Carl. The eyes follow well.
"… it's okay."
Carl spoke in a slightly rough voice and struggled to get up.
"How long has it been?"
"Not even a day has passed yet. It will be noon soon."
Carl stuttered at Milton's words and tried to clear his throat.
'My whole body is limp, but I'm fine. There are no injuries and there is no difficulty in moving.
It's just that my neck feels a little rough and that's a little uncomfortable.'
"Milton, did you cure me?"
Carl asked Milton.
It was only half a day ago that he fainted from exhaustion. But it looks he was fine.
However, it is not enough to say that Milton cured it.
Milton spoke quietly with his sunken eyes downcast.
"No, I did not treat Master Carl."
"yes?"
Milton speaks quietly to Carl, who tilts his head in confusion.
"As Master Carl ordered, I treated Lady Catherine, Billford, and the imperial soldiers first. And after examining master Carl's condition, I decided that treatment was unnecessary, so I treated others as soon as my mana recovered."
"…So, are you saying I got better on my own in just half a day?"
"If I were to use the expression 'healed,' the wound on your collarbone was healed."
Carl traced his collarbone in response to Milton's words.
'I felt terrible pain as the gnoll's teeth dug into the gap between my breastplate and helmet, and now when I touch it, all I feel is a slight throbbing sensation.'
Milton cleverly took out a small mirror and reflected on the wound.
"...What?"