Chapter 4: The Present Tense
“Welcome, Saint Elena. On behalf of the people of Homer, I extend our heartfelt gratitude for your arrival and that of your companions. I will always remember the Light Church’s support for me, and Homer will forever remain a loyal parish of the Light Church.”
Philip, though smiling broadly, cursed inwardly at these damned scum of the church. They showed up only now, when the entire Bosson Plain and Odessa had already fallen into the hands of inferior races from the enemy side. Moreover, they forced him to accept such harsh conditions. It was unimaginable that they could claim to be representatives of holiness and nobility. The gods must be blind to choose such trash as their representatives on earth.
“Your Highness, believe me—when one’s heart is sincere, the God of Light will surely bless you. Though evil forces may dominate for a time, under the supreme light of the God of Light, all impurity will be cleansed!” The masked saint’s clear and melodious voice echoed through the air, like a hymn praising the gods, seeping into the ears of those present and inspiring an uncontrollable urge to worship.
Leclerc coldly observed this almost theatrical scene. Unlike Bronin, he was not a devout follower of the Light Church nor did he hold much respect for it. Yet he admitted that the church did produce many talented individuals. He disagreed with compromising with the church this time but had no choice but to agree. The dire situation in Homer could no longer be delayed. Relying solely on Homer’s own strength, it was impossible to resist the forces of the inferior races from the south. It was tragic—Nicosia’s foremost lord being forced to retreat step by step by a bunch of barbarians and half-orcs. Leclerc felt deep sorrow.
Karl Liebknecht also watched the scene with a complex expression. The arrogant attitude of those who acted as if bestowing gifts disgusted him. Though he wasn’t from Homer, Duke Philip had done him a favor, so he had to do his best to repay him. As for the behavior of these church members, it held no significance to him; he only needed to fulfill his duties properly.
Onia also noticed that Saint Elena’s behavior seemed to fail to win the favor of those present; her condescending attitude made it difficult for her to gain their acceptance. Onia felt somewhat awkward as well. Although he was the chief mage dispatched by the Light Church to the court mage corps, he spent most of his time dealing with local power brokers, working to protect their interests while helping the Church establish a stronger foothold and expand its influence in those regions. Especially now that the Kingdom of Nicosia was in a state of disintegration, it was even more crucial to win over these local forces. He didn’t want such a tense atmosphere to affect future cooperation.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this war waged by Homer against those inferior races in the south is actually a crucial battle for us mortals to defend ourselves against their invasions. Our Light Church has always been the guardian of mortals. We absolutely cannot tolerate such blatant provocations against our mortal world’s sovereignty. This time, we will use our true strength to teach these ignorant inferior races a lesson, making them understand that the Cordillera Wasteland is their true destiny. Those who dare to invade recklessly must pay with their blood! This time, our Light Church has sent its strongest forces to assist the Grand Duke in defending our interests in Homer and the honor of mortals. Please trust me—we will work together to erase these guys from existence!”
Seeing that the mood among the people around him was not good, Onia had to use this method to shift their attention.
If there were still dissensions among them in the face of a formidable enemy, the war would be extremely dangerous. The opponent was not as simple as he described. Onia still remembered Lord Komer vividly. He was now certain that Malon’s death must have been orchestrated by that man. Thinking about how this guy was not only skilled in dark magic but also possessed the tactics of a killer assassin, Onia felt an overwhelming sense of pressure. The opponent surely knew that the arrival of his forces could change the course of the war, yet they still dared to take on such a challenge, which meant they must have some advantage. However, Onia couldn’t show his concerns. At such a time, morale had to be boosted, not dampened. Besides, Onia was confident that no matter what tricks the opponent had in store, they would all be shattered by the combined power of him and the three saints.
Philip also realized the uneasy atmosphere in the room. He couldn’t ignore the superior attitude of the others, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on such things. After this battle, there would be plenty of time to consider them carefully. As the saying goes, failing to endure small setbacks can lead to failure in larger plans—a truth Philip certainly understood.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we hold an absolute advantage. Our loyal allies, the Order of Rebirth Knights, have arrived nearby and will deliver a fatal blow to the enemy during the war. Coupled with the power of our formidable Court Mage Corps and the support of the saints from Marco for our brave Homer Knights and warriors, I am convinced this battle will be the key to reunifying all of Homer.” After a pause, Philip continued, “Now, let Lord Saliman, the commander of this campaign, represent me in making the tactical arrangements.”
Saliman, now energized, stepped forward. He still remembered the undead attacks he had faced during the last Battle of Bruce Fortress. He wasn’t sure whether it was due to the special environment of Bruce Fortress or the enemy’s own necromantic powers, but he tended to think it was the latter. If so, the enemy would surely use those powers in this war as well. Fortunately, the Church of Light had sent powerful mages, which somewhat eased Saliman’s anxiety. Yet, the rapid change of hands at Takros Fortress still cast a shadow over his mind, and the formidable attacking power of the lower races made him uneasy. Seeing the somewhat demoralized spirits of the Homer warriors, his expectations for this battle weren’t high, but he had no other choice.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we hold an absolute advantage in every aspect of this war. We have a powerful knightly order whose attacking force is unstoppable on the plains. We have brave Storm Infantry warriors who will serve as our strongest shield. We also have our allies from the Order of Rebirth Knights, who will help us deal a devastating blow from behind. Additionally, we have the magical assault power of the Court Mage Corps and the Church of Light. With their support, those lower races will flee in panic before us!” Saliman was a skilled orator. “Now, I shall issue the orders!”
Seeing the battle formations in the Distance Mirror moving one after another, Fran knew that Homer’s attack was about to begin. A group of flag bearers behind him was already ready, awaiting Fran’s orders. Comer stood aside, observing the changes in the formations through the Distance Mirror while also waiting for news from the black dots in the sky. The Thunder Roc Knights were closely monitoring the Rebirth Knights’ rapid advance ten kilometers away. Before launching the attack, the Rebirth Knights should have a short rest period, and they must keep track of their movements at all times to adjust their formations in time for battle.
As the flags waved, the infantry formations, standing firm like rocks on the plain, finally set in motion. As their steps were adjusted, the war drums of both sides began to beat almost simultaneously. The thunderous drumbeats echoed across the fields, inspiring the soldiers to advance bravely. Their footsteps grew louder and faster, shifting from steady strides to quick marches, then to a brisk trot. Two thick black lines quickly spread across the open land, forming slightly uneven arrows that surged forward with a rumbling sound.
LeClair gently spurred his horse, lifting his knight’s lance slightly. Glancing to the side, he saw Brodin pulling down his iron mask. This wasn’t a one-on-one fight—the chance of being hit by arrows during battle was high, so covering one’s face was a sensible move. The knight squad formed a wedge-shaped assault force, with LeClair and Brodin taking on the role of vanguards. They needed to utterly crush those damned barbarians and half-orcs in the shortest time possible. They would prove with their bravery that even without the power of mages, they could still defeat any enemy who dared stand in their way!
As the two knight leaders raised their lances, sudden hoofbeats, accompanied by the trembling of the ground, produced a dull roar. The knight squad, which had been advancing at a steady pace, began to speed up, leaving behind the infantry formations. They needed to create a gap for the infantry to follow through and completely tear apart the enemy’s formations, crushing those damned inferior races under the fierce momentum of the cavalry!
The infantry on both flanks also began to speed up their pace. Taking advantage of the terrain on the slope, Saliman had noticed that the enemy had deployed as many as six infantry formations as reserves, while only seventeen infantry formations were actually exposed at the front of their attack formation. Faced with the overwhelmingly superior three cavalry formations and sixteen infantry formations, a faint smile appeared on Saliman’s lips. He hadn’t kept any reserves, as there was no need—given his absolute advantage, he would strike swiftly to destroy the enemy in one fell swoop. This was the decision reached after discussions with Onia and Leclerc. When those damned barbarians and half-orcs launched their attack, the first thing to greet them would be a barrage of magical attacks!
Mihajic urged his horse forward nervously, with the members of the mage group closely following behind him. Finally, Komer also caught up closely. He had handed over the control of the entire battlefield to Fran; now he would participate in the battle as a mage.