Sword Pilgrim

Sparks flew.

Screams echoed across the battlefield, accompanied by the noise of cutting flesh and breaking bones.

The orcs whipped the beasts, wielded their axes, and dyed the snowy fields with blood.

They used nothing but infantry wave tactics[1].

That simple tactic of merely throwing in more and more numbers frustrated the defenders within Jevarsch.

The only tactic known by the orcs, who valued honour above all, was to just charge and keep charging. Facing enemies who attacked as if they had no concept of death, the people of the North finally began to crumble.

"Stop it! Stop it, fuck it!!"

"Ugh! Sa, save me!!"

C-crunch! With the sound of breaking bones, brain matter splashed in all directions.

Immediately, the nearby soldiers stabbed with their swords, and a knight surprised the orc from the back. And so fell another orc, but one more orc wielding an axe took his place.

An orc squeezed through the broken gates and slashed his axe down. A knight pierced that orc in the throat with his sword.

The battle repeated such scenes again and again like a never-ending nightmare.

Green and red blood mixed together.

It was a gruelling battle.

Emily looked at the sword in her hands, the Life Sword – Lucen. It was still slightly large sword for Emily, who had not grown into an adult yet.

Even so, the anticipation and affection in the girl's eyes as she looked at the sword that had been passed down to her, were no different from any other knight.

"Bruns. What do you think?"

“Well… it seems like the battle is quite even, isn’t it?”

No. At first glance, it might've seemed that way, but the battlefield was steadily starting to favour the orcs.

"I feel like the orcs have staked their lives on this battle."

"For sure…"

This might've been because the procurement of military supplies, including rations, hadn't gone smoothly.

‘It's because Callius took half the earth dragons carrying their supplies down with him.'

In the end, only about half of the supply convoy would've reached the orcs, so they'd probably decided that it was not enough.

So, unlike before, the orcs were desperately trying to break through the gates of Jevarsch by mobilizing everything this time.

All the beasts had been unleashed, and the orcs fought at the front to breach the gates. orc corpses had piled up like a mountain, but it was as if they didn't mind stepping over a tower made of the corpses of their own brethren if that's what it took to break through.

It looked crazy, but at the same time, it was devastating.

It was only a matter of time before the gates would be breached.

"What will you do, miss?"

Callius disappeared, and his detachment was virtually disbanded.

The knights had thoroughly split, with Emily and Rivan as the main axes.

Both of them were young and lacking in skills, but considering the future, there was one calculation that Rivan's future would be brighter than Emily, a woman.

"Bruns. Allen, Aaron."

"Yes, miss."

"I understand! I, Aaron, will open a path right away! If we can safely move the munitions…"

"No, we won't move the munitions."

"Yes?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. This battle will determine whether the castle will be captured or not. The munitions don't mean anything if that's the case."

To live, or to die.

That was the problem now.

What use would all these supplies be if the castle fell?

"Then…"

"I am a Jervain. Jervain does not abandon the North."

Emily raised her sword.

A beautiful sword, shining in the sunlight.

"Take the North away, and Jervain will no longer be Jervain. Even if I die, as a Jervain I have to die on the battlefield."

"Miss…"

Allen and Aaron looked at Emily as if they'd been deeply moved.

Bruns was no different.

There were fat teardrops hanging from Bruns' eyes.

"Hehehe! It would have been nice if master could see this…!"

At that time, when she was about to shake her head –

"Emily."

Rivan appeared in front of Emily with the knights behind him.

"Rivan, Rinney."

Emily's eyes narrowed.

"Here in the North, Jervain wouldn't fall as easily as you think. It's foolish for us to intervene now. It's wiser to wait a little bit more and pick up the munitions. It won't make much difference if you or I rush into the battlefield. "

"You idiot."

"What, what!? You, cheeky…!"

Rivan's face turned an angry red as he drew his sword from his waist.

"Listen to me! Even if you go now, you'll just die a dog's death!"

“Then what about the deaths of those who are fighting and dying even now?”

"Well, that's… a noble sacrifice."

"No, you're wrong. They're not sacrificing themselves. They're just hoping."

Hoping for victory.

Hoping that even if you die, your family won't have to die if you win this war.

They're fighting with that little handful of hope. That if I protect the North, I will protect the country, and if I protect the country, I will protect my family.

"It's not up to you to decide whether my death is a dog's death or not. Only I can decide the value of my own demise."

"Damn!! Will your death be worth it if I cut your head off right now!?"

"Don't worry, I won't die by your hand."

"This cheeky bitch!"

Rivan's sword reached towards Emily.

It was just to scare her, but it was enough to hurt.

"Miss!"

Kaang!

But sooner than that, Emily's sword was pulled out like lightning.

Whirlik, whooosh.

Rivan, who had missed the strike, widened his eyes as if he'd gotten a big shock.

"You…"

"While you were not doing anything. I've been on the battlefield with them."

"Bull! Bullshit! If you die! If you die, it's all over!"

“It looks like the castle will soon fall, but are you still saying that nonsense?”

"Je-, in Jevarsch, father and the lord are both there! No matter how much power might be lost, the castle will never fall as long we have the lord, who's one step into the rank of Masters!"

Emily looked at Rivan with a pitying look.

"You don't know?"

"What do you mean?"

"Among the orcs, there is somebody who can fight the lord on even ground."

"How could that be? Nonsense! Don't be ridiculous!"

"It's true. The patriarch hasn't participated in the war until now. Why do you think that is?"

"That…"

The Supreme Ruler of the North.

Count of Carpe.

Lord of Jervain.

Elburton von Jervain had been on the lookout for his opponent.

If he participated in the battle, the other would also appear among the orc army.

Ppuuuuuu–!

Once again, the trumpet blew, silencing the screams on the battlefield.

Thump, thump.

An orc, wearing a helmet made of goat horns and holding a huge axe in his hands, moved.

With heavy eyes that suited his huge stature, he scanned the battlefield.

Looking at the castle gates that'd been half-broken with a siege weapon, he reversed his axe and chopped down.

Kuung!!

As the soldiers faltered at the trembling of the earth –

Beyond the broken gates, the Lord of Jervain's calm gaze turned towards him.

"Is it time?"

"C-, Count…"

"Lord…"

The Lord of Jevarsch and the Supreme Ruler of the North, strode forward.

Elburton von Jervain walked out slowly, his black cloak fluttered in the wind behind him.

"C-, Count! It's dangerous!"

Regardless of the knight's persuasions, he drew the sword at his waist.

Cheok.

Immediately, the great gates in front of him cracked even further.

Kugugung!

They collapsed.

"Ugh!"

"Lord!!"

As the gates fell, the orcs rushed in. The soldiers were startled, but Elburton's sword was faster.

Sreung.

With the sound of a chill wind, the bodies of the orcs were split into pieces.

There was not a single drop of blood on his sword. The aura Elburton emitted slowly overwhelmed the surroundings like dense fog.

As the atmosphere changed, the footsteps of the orcs, who had been screaming with excitement, came to a halt.

"Let's go together."

Elburton advanced, his protector knights following him slowly pouring through the gates.

As the Master of the North moved, the orcs faltered and backtracked before him, the green sea splitting like the miracle of Moses. At the end of his path, as if waiting for him, the general of the orc army stood with his hands crossed over his double-edged axe.

Orc king.

Orc warchief.

Or a being who could be called the orc overlord.

His surging aura, that showed signs of stepping into the rank of Masters, weighed down on the battlefield.

Behind the Orc warchief stood several great warriors, escorting him.

Huuung.

The wind churned once.

As the snowflakes fell to the ground, the forms of the great warriors and the protector knights disappeared.

Kaang! Kwang!

Crashing noises resounded from their battle.

But as if they didn't care a whit about such a fierce battle, Elburton and the warchief only kept staring at each other.

Amidst the flood of blows exchanged between the great warriors and the protector knights –

At the centre of the storm raging on the battlefield, Elburton and the warchief's footsteps slowly began approaching each other.

At a pace that was neither slow nor fast.

Still, step by step they treaded the ground, each footstep emanating an aura of doom.

Tas, tas, tas.

The speed at which they approached each other got faster and faster, until their forms disappeared and met each other.

Kwaaaaang!!

The axe and the sword met with an impossible roar.

A single sword to take a life.

Each strike of the warchief's double-edged axe was an avalanche.

Each strike from Elburton, wielding the Storm Sword Callis, was a typhoon.

The true war had just begun.

"Kuhk!"

Aaron and Allen stood back-to-back and swung their swords.

Dodge the axe strike of an oncoming orc, and draw your sword again.

After breaking the bone and cutting off an arm of your enemy, catch a heavy breath.

Not just them.

Orphin and Emily.

Rivan and Rinney, too, were continuously wielding their swords on the battlefield.

They were little boys and girls, but on the battlefield, there were only enemies and allies.

The cruelty of the battlefield recognized them as knights, and the orcs' axes were not kind enough to discriminate between the young and the old.

Three days had passed like this.

The war had continued for three days without pause.

Since the battle between the orc warchief and the count started, they had been wielding their swords in this battlefield without surcease.

That was then –

An orcish axe struck Emily blindly in the side.

‘Ouch.'

She couldn't react in time because she'd been catching her breath.

When she was raising her arm, the axe was already in front of her.

When she clenched her teeth and closed her eyes –

Chaeeng!

"Are you alright?"

"Grandfather!!"

Bernard appeared.

Bernard, the Blue Thunderbolt.

He immediately emanated blue lightning from his sword and slammed it down on the ground, clearing out the surroundings.

Kwaaang!!

Mud scattered and the orcs were thrown away by the shock.

"Are you okay, grandpa?"

"I'm fine, don't worry. But where did Callius go?"

"Callius…"

As Emily's face darkened rapidly, Bernard's complexion grew serious.

But without giving them any time, the war situation headed for the worst.

– Uooooooooh!!

Suddenly cheers broke out like a wave within the orc ranks.

As he looked towards Elburton's position, Bernard's eyelids fluttered wide.

"The count…!!"

Spurt!!

The Supreme Ruler of the North, who had been fighting a close battle against the orc warchief for three days –

Elburton, could be seen falling, blood gushing from his chest.

Editor's Notes:

[1] 인해전술, human wave/human sea is an offensive infantry tactic. See Wikipedia. Since these are orcs, ‘infantry wave' is being used. As the name suggests, it's a tactic that overwhelms the enemy with numbers, throws enemy formations into chaos, then leverages numerical superiority in melee combat.