Volume 6 Chapter 88-2 Please Stay a Little Longer
"I'll accompany you."
Kyle bowed deeply, but there was a hint of insincerity in his demeanor.
Still, Lionel didn't bother to call him out on it.
He simply murmured, "Do as you wish," without meeting his gaze.
With Lionel and Kyle leading the charge, the first unit and the small group Kyle commanded began their march up the sloping main street toward Marquis Braubelg's estate.
Even though it was a main street, only a few could walk side by side.
The two at the front, the first unit right behind them, and Kyle's detachment bringing up the rear.
The echo of armor broke the silence of the street as they moved forward, only to be confronted by...
"Halt the formation. Set up defenses!"
...a vast plaza.
Turning back revealed a gentle slope lined with opulent buildings, leading to a low cliff with a single road stretching between them.
Several figures appeared, seemingly guarding the entrance to the slope.
This plaza must be the last line of defense for the Marquis's castle.
Though there were surprisingly few defenders.
But sure enough, a row of magicians and archers revealed themselves atop the cliff.
Honestly, it seemed like a risky setup that would forsake half the tactical advantage, but they could use the narrow path and their elite troops to slow down the Empire's advance.
(In a textbook scenario, they'd rig the slope to stall the invasion...)
The remaining elite team from Braubelg was likely still positioned at the base of the slope instead of setting up barricades or traps.
The vice-captain frowned, thinking about how underestimating them could lead to disaster.
But for Lionel, it was exactly the kind of battle he favored.
"Let's show them a response."
Almost simultaneously with Lionel shouldering his halberd,
"Fire!"
As if to initiate the attack, magic and arrows rained down from the cliff above.
"Counterattack!"
At Lionel's command, the first unit unleashed their own magic towards the cliff.
The advantage lay with the enemy, but pushing the entire unit into that narrow path under such circumstances would be suicide.
That would only stretch their lines, and soon their own soldiers would be caught in the onslaught of magic and arrows.
To prevent that, they had to break through the elite defenders at the slope with their own elite forces.
Lionel was ready to face this guy head-on──no holding back.
After always relying on sheer numbers, this kind of showdown was exactly what Lionel wanted.
"I'll carve the path myself!"
Magic and arrows zipped across the square as Lionel charged forward, halberd in hand.
"I'll go with you."
Quiet as a shadow, Kyle appeared beside him. Together, they knocked aside spells and arrows, cutting through the chaos to reach the hill path's entrance.
Waiting there were Lucian, Cedric, and guarding them with swords drawn, Miranda and the members of [Dark Tide].
"A checkpoint, huh."
Lionel spun his halberd in front of them, and Lucian muttered softly without changing his blank expression, "Let's hope so."
* * *
While Braubelg dragged the empire's forces into the city, Catherine and the others were locked in a tense standoff with Leonius.
"Come to think of it, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Leonius el Varkraith, second prince of the Eldria Empire."
Leonius bowed gracefully, then cracked a sly smile,
"Wanted to witness the moment of history, you see."
Catherine's triumphant smirk faltered as she said, "Don't really get it, but those guys already took off."
"I know," Leonius answered with a smirk of his own.
"Honestly, I wanted to warn the Marquis's daughter that her family's about to fall... but to do that, I'd have to deal with the [Battle Demon] first."
With a sigh, Leonius shook his head, "Can't hold him off even for 3 seconds."
He understood the strength of Randolph Victor, and the meaning of standing toe-to-toe with a man like that.
Catherine looked puzzled, wondering why a guy like him had even shown up here.
"So, you're not after Eleonora's body?"
"Not at all. Like I said, I'm just a spectator."
"A spectator? So you came here just to mess with us and watch our reactions? How disgusting."
Catherine scoffed, and Leonius shrugged with a big sigh, "Well, it's just a little harmless annoyance."
"I can't tell my daughter, but I wanted to share that much. That's all."
With her shoulders still hunched, Leonius looked at Catherine as she clutched her cypress stick, a teasing smile on her face, "That's too bad."
"You have no idea, but the Marquis family over there? They're terrifying!"
Catherine, who had actually faced them before, launched into a fervent rant.
"It doesn't matter if it's a general or the empire; the Marquis family can never lose!"
Having attempted to take them down once before, she understood their resilience and strength all too well.
At Catherine's passionate outburst, Leonius simply muttered, "I see."
"Then let's hope the Marquis family bounces back. That could be quite entertaining."
Leonius's cryptic remark drew furrowed brows from Catherine and the others, causing him to burst out laughing.
"...It won't be long now. Let's thoroughly enjoy the anticipation leading up to this momentous occasion."
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)