Chapter 149: The Count’s Charge

Rayrn moved without end.

” Hmm… The answer should be coming soon. “

He armed the Iron Fist and selected trustworthy members from the mercenary group.

Even after excluding those prepared for defense, a considerable number had gathered.

‘The Iron Fist I can deploy at once is a thousand.’

He could operate about two thousand from the mercenary group.

The ten thousand soldiers active across the three fortresses centered on Rayn Castle were standing troops, so he could only pull out a portion.

Roughly three thousand.

Though the Northern Army, originally responsible for the North’s security, remained.

‘They’re outside my authority.’

There was no need to push it.

No need to move them at all.

Their mere presence would heighten the enemy’s caution.

‘After all, he’s a very cautious person.’

So the forces Rayrn could move amounted to only six thousand.

That was less than the territorial army of a viscount’s domain.

But every single one of them was an elite veteran who had seen real combat.

If he equipped them with the prepared gear, it was safe to say the soldiers could momentarily display knight-level prowess.

‘Some training will be necessary… but I can handle that much.’

The problem was the shortage of numbers.

Six thousand seemed like a lot, but it was still too few.

As a countermeasure, Rayrn produced not only magical weapons but also magical items imbued with mana.

He alone knew how to use them.

” Doesn’t this look similar to the one you made before? “

” It looks similar, but it’s different. You’d better take a good look this time. “

” Hmm… Looks similar but is different, huh. “

Ruan, who had helped him set up the formations before.

To her, it might seem familiar on the surface.

But…

‘It’s completely different. This isn’t for building walls.’

The formation he was installing now wasn’t for walls; it would be something else.

Quite the opposite, actually.

100—

He was just silently creating them for that moment.

‘If only I could have figured out how to make homunculi. It’s a shame I don’t have time.’

A homunculus was an artificial lifeform that could show the power of one against a hundred, or even one against a thousand.

If he could produce them right now, he wouldn’t need to drag Ruan here and go through this hardship.

But if this formation worked as expected…

‘I’ll be able to create troops out of nothing.’

Even if they weren’t perfect allies, he could create soldiers that would perform better than allies.

They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

He intended to use that method.

‘There isn’t much time.’

To execute all his planned schemes, one body wasn’t enough.

It wasn’t for nothing that Rayrn had been working like crazy the moment he returned here.

He was on such a forced march that he had no time to sleep, using his aura to scrub away his physical fatigue in the spare moments.

He wouldn’t have been able to endure it if he hadn’t undergone Transcendence and covered his body with the Five Elements Energy.

Following him most closely on this forced march were…

” Hoo… “

” When will this end. “

…the mages of the Enchant Magic Tower, who were raising their mana alongside Rayrn and Ruan.

They were exerting themselves to learn something new.

But even they, obsessed with magic as they were, found this forced march too difficult to handle.

‘They’re following along better than I expected, though.’

The problem was that he needed to speed up even more.

Swoosh—

Rayrn raised his hand to Ruan’s shoulder and used his aura to cleanse her fatigue.

“…That method really does seem like magic, you know.”

” If you learn well, you might be able to do it with mana too. “

” I wonder. “

If he hadn’t helped her like this, it wouldn’t have been strange if she collapsed on the spot.

He knew it was an ordeal, but Rayrn had no time.

He had no choice but to keep pushing.

” Hurry up. We need to make a hundred more. “

” Gah. A hundred more? You know we were already making magical weapons like crazy before coming here. “

Ruan’s face twisted in shock.

Even she must have thought making a hundred more here was too much.

Her skills were improving as she followed Rayrn.

But the hardship was still unavoidable.

” I know it’s hard. But let’s hurry. I’ll make sure to reward you properly if you manage it. “

“…I’ll trust you.”

Only after Rayrn coaxed her did Ruan’s sullen expression disappear.

” Hoo… Hoo. “

The mages sweat.

The necessary preparations were steadily progressing.

As the preparations piled up, one might expect Rayrn to feel proud, but instead, he grew more anxious.

‘There’s still no answer… Well, the situation is getting bigger than expected, after all.’

All of Rayrn’s preparations.

They required something: permission and cooperation.

‘I need to press them all at once.’

In Rayrn’s view, this wasn’t a problem he could solve alone.

The Royal Court, House Owen, the Marquis, House Jisert, the Duke.

And the monsters besides.

There were far too many enemies.

He intended to crush their momentum in one fell swoop.

According to Rayrn’s plan, he could take down three at once.

The Owen, the Jisert, and the monsters.

Rayrn would be the key to the entire plan.

But it was a scheme that would only work if those around him moved well in concert.

Even if he couldn’t destroy all three, it didn’t matter.

Just shaking their power and breaking part of them would be a success.

***

After bringing down those three, one would remain:

The Royal Court.

‘The Royal Court will be last. If they move as they are now, they’ll succeed in checking me. I need to move properly.’

The beginning was small, but now the matter was getting quite large.

Among them, the Royal Court’s movements seemed the most troublesome.

He had to clean things up properly for that moment.

So Rayrn even used magic to make his request.

It was a request containing his plan.

And it was a request that gave his father a rather difficult choice to follow the plan.

That was already several days ago.

The answer was taking longer than expected.

This wasn’t simply about settling old scores in Marquis Owen’s territory.

It was something that could potentially destroy the entire balance.

‘Even a single misstep is enough to make the situation go bad.’

Even his father must be agonizing over it.

But still, his father…

” Young Master Rayrn! “

“…He’s here.”

…didn’t seem intent on retreating forever.

The communication mage, who had brought his father’s message, came running, drenched in sweat.

The signs of urgency were plain.

” What did he say? “

” He left just one word: He permits it. “

He permits it.

The answer he wanted had come.

” That’s enough. “

***

After the Dungeon Expedition.

Rayrn, who had been preparing with a bold declaration, smiled in satisfaction.

Count Ofern, facing Duke Jisert’s army.

” Hmm… “

His breath was deeper than usual.

‘If I had finished it quickly, things would have been different.’

With Marquis Owen broken, Ofern intended to show his power as a count.

He had to seize and destroy the Owen territory.

So the Count’s House would never be looked down upon again!

He wasn’t without greed.

As a man, as a count, he had unavoidable greed.

But he entered the battlefield not only as a count, but also as a father, for the sake of his sons who would inherit the title in the future.

He did it to ensure his future generations wouldn’t see their family nearly destroyed, as he had when he received the countship.

So his descendants would be more solidly established than himself.

So both Eldin and Rayrn could have satisfying lives.

That was why he took up the sword.

Though an Aura Master and holding the rank of count, he stood in the vanguard.

But…

” Ofern! “

…the problem was Duke Jisert’s House, radiating murderous intent from afar.

He had tried to end it quickly, but the dormant Jisert had stepped in.

For generations, the Jisert had never known moderation.

Once they bit down, they never let go—that was the Jisert way.

Even so, he thought they would back off when they saw this much power.

” Prepare! “

–Kiiiiik

–Kiik.

They were even using a sinister power of unknown origin.

If House Ofern had a new Aura Cultivation Method, then they…

Crackle—

Crack—

…had Servants.

Weapons that ordinary soldiers could hardly face.

The Servants, charging with murderous intent toward the soldiers as if infused with vengeful spirits, were fierce.

So he retreated for a while.

He deliberately let things go into a lull.

That was a signal.

A quiet signal: House Ofern would take the northwest of House Owen’s territory, and House Jisert the northeast.

A signal that they would both benefit from this.

The Duke of Jisert wasn’t stupid.

There was no way he wouldn’t understand the signal.

Yet he didn’t stop.

His greed was beyond Count Ofern’s imagination.

Because of that, the war dragged on, and the prolonged war caused many other greedy ones to start moving.

‘The borders are getting restless too… The jackals eyeing House Ofern are still plentiful.’

All because the war had dragged on.

It would have been different if he had swept through like a storm and ended it quickly.

” I did not wish for that child to step forward. “

” You mean Young Master Rayrn? “

” Yes. I relied on him for too much. What kind of father would I be to pile more burdens on him? “

” It’s just that the situation wasn’t good. “

“…No.”

Even at his adjutant’s words, Count Ofern shook his head.

Despite his efforts, nothing had changed yet.

Still facing the Jisert, the son he didn’t want to burden was moving.

Not just Rayrn.

He heard that Eldin, in the Capital, was gathering power in a way that didn’t suit him.

The reason he was doing things against his nature was obvious.

For the family.

For the family.

With both his sons striving so hard, he couldn’t just stand idly.

” He said to fight fiercely. So that the Duke of Jisert won’t dare even look elsewhere. “

“…If that’s the case, we can finally show everything, can’t we?”

At his adjutant’s words, Count Ofern nodded.

The Jisert House probably thought House Ofern was stronger than expected, but the truth was…

‘It wasn’t everything.’

House Ofern simply hadn’t shown its full strength, holding back for the future.

The knights trained in the Aura Cultivation Method, the Iron Plate Scrolls.

Aside from these, they hadn’t used a considerable number of magical items.

Each and every one of them was enough to change the battlefield.

Today was the day to bring them out.

” Let’s go. “

Clank.

Today, Count Ofern held a sword different from usual.

A sword Rayrn had personally crafted.

Regret and hesitation were enough just once.

” Charge! “

” You prepare as well. “

” As you command! “

If his brilliant son was going to set the stage, how could he not follow?

Count Ofern steeled his will and stood right at the front of the battlefield.

The knights following him did the same.

” Advance! “

The battle that would be recorded as the most fierce of the Territorial War had just begun.