The punitive force’s army and the rebel army clashed……or more accurately, the punitive force’s army was being one-sidedly beaten. Mecurio, who was watching from behind his camp, turned his eyes to Theorem, who was waiting nearby, and spoke.

「Even if they were just sacrificial pawns to check our strength, aren’t they a little too weak?」

「It’s true that they are at a great disadvantage, but that’s due to the power of Vihera-sama. Vihera-sama was a fighter to begin with, so many fierce warriors under Count Obrisin have gathered under her. She might be unparalleled when it comes to attack, but when it comes to defense……for better or worse, we should describe her as a specialised offensive powerhouse.」

「Hmm, the fact that such sharp people have gathered here shows my sister’s personality and ability.」

It was unclear whether he was praising her with his words, but there was a smile on Mercurio’s face as he said that.

Mercurio looked happy, but his expression soon tighted as he turned to look at Theorem next to him.

「I certainly know that my sister is strong, and it’s true that she is a great source of strength for me. But still, I am the leader of this army. I feel that it is a little bad that only my sister stands out.」

Thereom nodded back at his lord’s words.

Even among the rebel army, the strength of what could be called ‘Vihera’s faction’ was so prominent that it was bad in many ways, both in terms of appearance and ability.

If they, who could be called ‘Mercurio’s faction’, didn’t properly make their abilities known, Mercurio would be seen as a younger brother who relied solely on his older sister.

In the first place, one of the reasons why they decided to fight against the punitive force, which Rei could have wiped out on his own, was because Mercurio wanted to raise the level of the rebel troops, even if only a little.

With all that said, just watching Vihera fight would be putting the cart before the horse.

「Then I will go.」

「Yes, I’ll be counting on you. I want you to show Shurus what we are capable of.」

As Mercurio spoke back to Theorem, he saw the knights in the enemy camp.

The knights in the punitive force……they were clearly different from the cavalry that Vihera was destroying from the inside.

The horses they rode, the armour they wore, the level of their training. All of these things meant that they were on a different level from the average cavalryman.

Mercurio understood that these knights belonged to a unit directly under Shurus. That was why……

「If possible, I want to kill as many of the knights as possible who are directly under Shurus’ command. I want to give him as little information about us as possible, and even if we can’t, it would still be good to reduce his fighting strength.」

Especially his knights, who had excellent offensive power as well as mobility. When Mercurio said that, Theorem nodded back.

「It’s true that the majority of the punitive force can be easily handled, but if they are under Prince Shurus’ direct command, it will be a different story. Understood, I’ll prioritise them.」

「Yes, I’ll be counting on you.」

「Yes sir! Let’s go, Cyanus. ……Rei, can I leave this to you?」

After calling out to Cyanus, he asked Rei, who had been listening in to their conversation up until that point.

In response to Theorem’s question, Rei nodded as he replied.

「Either way, I won’t be needed this time. I don’t mind being an escort. ……If there’s an enemy that can get past you guys and come this far, they will be a tough opponent.」

「……I would rather it not get to that point.」

Although Theorem sighed, the fact that Rei was here meant that Mercurio’s safety was all but absolutely guaranteed.

Unless, that is, someone extraordinary like Noiz appeared.

Besides, from Theorem’s point of view, he was also leaving quite a few others behind, aside from Rei.

He wanted to fight in a way that would overwhelm the punitive force while not showing his strength as much as possible.

He had no plans to use his last resort here, the Demon Soldiers.

Theorem also wanted to avoid using as much of the troops that had gathered around Mercurio and Vihera as much as possible. Even Set, who had made a strong first impression, hadn’t been brought to the battlefield out of an abundance of caution.

However, he still valued the importance of giving the rebel forces some combat experience, so it was hard to make the right adjustments.

「If the enemy really does make it here……that would be interesting in of itself.」

Set would usually agree with his murmurs here as Rei stroked his silky smooth fur……but Set, unfortunately, wasn’t here, as Rei watched Theorem and Cyanus march out.

 

 

「Whoa, they’re coming, they’re coming! Retreat for now! Reorganise your formation!」

「Don’t mess with me, you coward! What are you going to get out of retreating now? For now, we need to withstand the rebel’ attacks, when they reach their limit, we should launch a counterattack!」

「Don’t think you can wage a war on logic alone! The morale of our troops is already at rock bottom! It’s impossible to hold out in this state!」

Without a unified chain of command, the commanders of the troops……the nobles, argued their opinions with each other.

Furthermore, while they argued, the casualties caused by Gurgast’s troops, who were crushing the vanguard, and the cavalry led by Vihera, who were charging in on their flank, only accelerated.

And then……

「T-The enemy’s main force is on the move!」

The nobles turned their eyes towards the rebel camp upon hearing this report.

There, they saw Theorem leading the Third Prince’s forces straight towards them.

They weren’t moving fast by any means. And they didn’t outnumber the punitive force either. But still, the force of their advance towards them was such that even those gathered here had no choice but to conclude they would die if they fought head on.

Their calibers were not the same as commanders……and above all, as people on the battlefield.

The nobles instinctively understood this, but most of them were unable to admit it due to their pride and self-esteem.

However, a very small number of them, like Count Scola, were convinced that the punitive force would be defeated and secretly withdrew their troops to gain an advantage on the retreat.

「Hey, what are we going to do? Can we win against people like that!?」

「……If that’s the case, are you telling us to run away from here? This is a direct order from Prince Shurus. Try to retreat without achieving anything. You can imagine what you’ll suffer!」

「T-That’s right. They’re the kind of people who would rebel against the Empire. There’s no way we can lose against people like that! Am I wrong?」

「Of course. Those people……」

「But look. The vanguard has almost been completely cut down. They’ve been one-sidedly beaten by Princess Vihera and it’s impossible to stop Count Obrisin’s troops. In this situation……how can we compete against Theorem, the Flash!」

As the scream like voice echoed out……the surrounding nobles fell silent.

They had already lost about 30% of their 3,000 troops. And they had been lost unilaterally.

This was the state of affairs against the two forces of Vihera and Gurgast. If Theorem, who was leading a large force, joined them, there was no way they would be able to win. It was only natural for them to reach that conclusion.

If they had immediately retreated at this point, the damage might have been reduced.

However, their delay in reaction brought about consequences that could even be called fatal for the punitive force.

「Advance, don’t make a fool of yourself in front of Prince Mercurio!」

Theorem shouted out as he and his men galloped across the ground at a speed that made one wonder why they had been so slow just a few seconds ago.

Led by Theorem, on his warhorse, the unit that formed the main force of the rebel army, made up of the Third Prince’s faction’s forces, quickly closed the gap with the punitive force.

They were fast, sharp, and without hesitation.

It was truly fitting for Theorem, who held the title of Flash, to lead them.

「The first through fifth divisions, together with Count Obrisin, will attack the enemy vanguard and push the front line forward! The sixth through to tenth divisions will attack the punitive force from the opposite side to Her Highness Vihera. now that they’re in disarray, we should be able to launch a one-sided assault. The eleventh division, go behind the sixth through tenth divisions and get in behind the enemy. If there are any enemy knights, eliminate them as a top priority. The twelfth division, go behind Her Highness Vihera and support them. The same goes for any knights you find.」

Orders were given quickly and the division commanders each led their subordinates into action.

They obeyed Theorem’s orders without a moment’s hesitation as they moved to carry them out.

Their speed was such that it could be called a flash as the nobles were unable to keep up with the sight before them.

「The thirteenth division, focus on taking out the knights among punitive force. The remaining forces will pursue when the punitive force begins to retreat, so hold for now.」

Following Theorem’s new orders, the thirteenth division attacked the punitive force’s army.

However, they were basically only targeting the knights directly under Shurus’ command, only fighting back against those who attacked them.

With Theorem’s joining the battle, the situation between the punitive force and rebel army changed drastically.

The rebel army had been gradually gaining the advantage, but then Theorem’s forces, numbering over a 1,000 strong, joined in. The punitive force was unable to resist and their number were rapidly reduced.

Everyone wanted to run away, but if they were the first to say that, they would be considered a coward.

As a result, the punitive force stayed put and continued to take losses due to their stubborn rivalry, until……

「Retreat, everyone retreat!」

As soon as that voice rang out, their army retreated like an avalanche.

The expressions on the nobles’ faces no longer held any sign of composure. They fled, fearing that they might die if they stayed behind.

Fortunately for the punitive force, they managed to escape before the rebel force that were trying to encircle them were in position.

Among them, the first to flee……Count Scola, who had been the one to call for the retreat, mounted his horse and fled with his subordinates. His already frail and pale face turned even paler as he recalled the battle that had just taken place, which could hardly even be called a battle.

(The actual battle lasted more than 30 minutes, but less than an hour. It’s true that our forces were not well trained, but we still had a 1,000 more men. Considering that we were defeated so soundly, the rebel army has to have been extremely well trained.)

As he muttered to himself, he had a question in his heart.

No matter how highly trained they were, fighting an opponent with superior numbers should still make them nervous. Furthermore they had a 1,000 more troops.

But, the rebel army didn’t seem to care at all.

That was right. It was as if they were used to fighting opponents stronger than them……or even worse, as if fighting an opponent with a 1,000 more soldiers would be easier.

(……No, I’m overthinking it. No matter how hard you look at it, it’s difficult to believe that they could have become like this in such a short period of time. In that case, they were probably already that well trained to begin with.

If he had know about Rei and Set, perhaps his doubts would have been cleared up.

However, neither Rei nor Set played a part in this battle to conserve their fighting strength.

And so, despite his doubts, Count Scola never reached the truth.

「AAAAHHHH-!」

A scream from behind brought him back to his senses.

That was right. They were being pursued, so there was no time to think leisurely.

Anyway, escaping was their top priority, they had to escape the rebels somehow.

「Everyone, run! Run!」

Count Scola shouted loudly to the members of his unit who were chasing after him and to the soldiers belonging to the other nobles.

If they were caught by their pursuers, at best they would be taken prisoner. At worst, they would be killed. The nobles, who normally disliked being ordered around by others, ran without a word of complaint, knowing that they could just be killed.

Looking behind him, Count Scola frowned as he saw that, naturally, there was a large distance between the cavalry and the infantry.

(It’s not just my troops. The infantry, including those belonging to the other nobles, are almost completely wiped out. I wanted to avoid wasting our troops if possible……but even if I ordered or asked them to hold the enemy back in this situation, I doubt any of them would do it.)

The most effective way to stop pursuers was for someone to be prepared to sacrifice their lives to hold them back. That was true for Count Scola’s situation, whose top priority was surviving this battle.

Right now, he just had to run, run and escape.

Once this battle was over, he would definitely hand over the position of Count Scola to his younger brother and live a leisurely and comfortable life.

Thinking like that, Count Scola continued to flee with the other members of the punitive force.

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